Weekly Update
9th December 2024
Message from the Headteacher
Year 10 Parents’ Evening took place last Thursday and was an incredibly positive evening. Thank you to everyone that came along.
You may have seen that we have been ranked in the top 100 state secondary schools nationally by the Times’ Parent Power 2024. We have been positioned 7th in the North West and 82nd nationally and 3 places higher than last year.
Whilst tables and rankings don’t show the whole story, they do speak to the hard work and dedication of our students, staff and whole school community.
Year 11 mock exams have started positively, and our students are approaching them with great attitudes. The results will help students identify which areas of revision they will need to concentrate on and our staff are here to offer support.
Year 10 students had a great time in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, where they were welcomed by their host families. This immersive experience provided an opportunity to learn about the German culture, language and education system. Please see below pictures of our students enjoying a concert at the Kölner Philharmonie.
Reindeer Rush – Sponsored Run
The annual Reindeer Rush, a sponsored run in aid of St. John’s Hospice, will take place during outdoor PE lessons for Years 7-9 during the last week of term. Each pupil will be given a sponsor sheet this week.
If any Year 10-13 students would like to join in and help raise money for St. John’s, they are welcome to join us at lunchtime on Thursday 19th December for a ‘mop up’ session – a session for anyone who was unable to attend their original run.
We are active on Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn.
Please follow, like and share to keep up to date.
Positive News
Festive Card Competition
We had some pretty impressive entries to our Festive Card Competition and we are pleased to announce the following winners:
The winning card: Gift voucher and 20 house points:
‘The front of school in the snow‘, pictured below, is by Marianna Ward in Year 12 who represents Rendsburg.
Marianne has captured the northern lights which were visible above school this term.
Best in house – Gift voucher and 10 house points:
Aalborg: Hjar Elkhatib – Year 12,
Lublin: Niranjanaa Kumaran – Year 8
Perpignan: Willow-Latham Maolova – Year 7
Rendsberg: Anuhya Asin – Year 8.
Most creative card – Art pack and 10 house points:
Arwa Mahmood – Year 8 for Rendsberg
Performing Arts Festival 2024
For those who were able to join us for Performing Arts Festival (PAF), I am sure you will agree that our students delighted and transported us into their amazing world of music and drama. Well done to Year 12 for directing each of the impressive productions. It was clear that a lot of hard work and commitment went into organising each performance.
The Performing Arts Festival has become an integral part of LGGS life. The festival provides Year 12 with leadership opportunities, brings students from all year groups together and builds on the the culture and ethos of our school.
The results of this year were extremely close and the following marks were awarded for each category, but each performance was impressive and you are all winners for coming together and contributing to this year’s PAF.
Drama: Aalborg 29, Lublin 34, Perpignan 30 and Rendsburg 30.
Dance: Aalborg 35, Lublin 33, Perpignan 33 and Rendsburg 33.
Pocket Musical: Aalborg 34, Lublin 40, Perpignan 33 and Rendsburg 39.
| HOUSE | TOTAL |
| Aalborg | 98 |
| Lublin | 107 |
| Perpignan | 96 |
| Rendsburg | 102 |
District Cross Country Competition
A superb effort was put in by LGGS pupils when they took part in at the District Cross Country competition last weekend. Our students showed resilience and were rewarded for their hard work in this very competitive sport.
We shall announce the full results shortly.
Consultation on Admissions Policy 2026-27
We are consulting on our Admission Policy for 2026 – 27. Full details of the consultation and draft policy can be found our website.
Cut Your Carbon
This month-long challenge encouraged young people and their families to complete six simple actions to raise awareness and reduce their carbon footprint. The results will be collated by the Eco Team who in turn will notify ‘Eco- Schools’. Thank you for contributing.
Library News
Jolabokaflod (Icelandic for Christmas Book Flood)
Our dedicated team of student librarians have been selecting and wrapping mystery books for students to borrow from our Jolabokaflod library display in the weeks leading up to Christmas. We have taken inspiration from the Icelandic tradition of exchanging books on Christmas Eve and snuggling up by the fire to read together. The book flood in Iceland begins every year with the publication of the annual book catalogue which is given for free to every household in Iceland. Iceland has a long history as a book-loving nation; during WWII when restrictions were placed on the imports of giftware, paper was comparatively very affordable, resulting in books becoming the Christmas gift of choice. They remain so in Iceland to this day!
LGGS Library invites students to pick a mystery wrapped book, with some clues on the wrapping, and take it home for their very own Jolabokaflod – hot chocolate and all!
L.M. Nathan, Years 9 and 10 Author visit
LGGS were delighted to welcome author L.M. Nathan to talk about her debut book The Virtue Season – a dystopian novel for young adults that has been described as a cross between The Handmaid’s Tale and Bridgerton!
Nathan’s debut book has just been longlisted for the 2025 Carnegie Award. Students put their own ideas forward in a collaborative activity to build the different elements of an effective dystopian narrative. Nathan gave some great tips for aspiring writers in Years 9 and 10. Students got the chance to meet her one-on-one, ask their questions and sign their books.
Oxford University Talk
Thank you to Molly Lockwood, Outreach Officer from The Queen’s College Oxford, who delivered a brilliant presentation to our pupils about the opportunities available at Oxford University.
Apprenticeship Talk
Former LGGS student Lauren paid a visit to LGGS during November to talk to students about apprenticeship opportunities at BAE systems, where Lauren is currently completing her Software Engineering Degree Apprenticeship. Thank you Lauren for sharing your insights and advice.
Online Safety
LGGS Guidance on parental controls and privacy settings
This is a good time of year to review parental controls and privacy settings on any current or new devices your child has access to. If your child is in Year 7 to 10 please also check their One to One device settings.
To help keep your child safe online please visit the One to One Devices page on the school’s website where you will find links to: Parental controls & privacy settings guides Parental-Controls-Guides.
Second-Hand Devices Guide
When your child gets a second-hand device, or a hand-me-down, it is really important these devices are configured correctly for younger users. Internet Matters have a full guide to help parents navigate the different features and settings, and can offer advice on how to choose a suitable second-hand device.
My Family’s Digital Toolkit
The My Family Digital Toolkit offers parents and carers personalised online safety advice based on a number of factors such as age, popular apps and platforms their children use and tackling online issues.
Parents can also be entered into a draw to win a prize bundle (including an iPhone 15).
The risks of sexting and sextortion: how to respond to threats or pressure
South West Grid provide learning guidance for young people, parents and cares. They have released a new version of ‘So You Got Naked Online‘, to provide children, guardians and teachers with essential advice on what to do if a young person (or a friend) has put a sexting image or video online and have lost control over that content and who it’s being shared with. The latest updates for 2024 aim to provide new and relevant information.
- ‘So You Got Naked Online’ booklet
- Legal and safety support such as Report, Remove and CEOP.
- Emotional recovery and self-care tips.
#SaferByChristmas
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Team (CEOP) has launched a 12 Day Festive Countdown, providing practical tips, information and advice to help parents and carers with keeping children safer online over the upcoming school holidays.
CEOP Education team will be posting a series of tips across X and Facebook called #SaferByChristmas which aims to increase protective capabilities at a time of year when many children and young people are gifted new devices and when online usage increases.
Kooth Support over Christmas
- Kooth is there if you need them over the Christmas period.
- As children have more time to reflect on things over the holiday period, they may consider opening up about the things that have been worrying them, but have pushed aside, due to the worries about what may happen if they do open up, this can sometimes be a barrier to them.
- Kooth can take away the stigma or barriers. offering support on the same day, rather than waiting weeks or months for mental health support. They are able to provide young people with self-help strategies that prevent their mental health from declining, preventing them from going into crisis.
- Kooth CYP services can reduce the necessity of GP appointments and hospital admissions and can prevent the need for referrals into CAMHS. Or can support young people with their mental health for young people on waiting lists or who have been discharged from services.
- Kooth can support neurodiverse young people, who may find face-to-face support more challenging and difficult to engage in.
Collection of Lost Property
Due to limited space any items which are not claimed from Lost Property before the end of term, will be donated to charity. Please collect any lost property from the Medical Room. Thank you.
Positive Relationships Course
Relationships are a journey filled with ups and downs, and disagreements are a natural part of it. We understand that managing these disagreements can be challenging and may impact how we parent our children.
Join us for a 4 week course which aims to empower you as parents to understand your conflicts and see how to resolve the issues yourselves, with constructive communication, learning how to argue better and how to resolve arguments when they arise. Carnforth Family Hub: 10th January 2025. Hope to see you there.
Contact your local Family Hub to book a course – Tel: 01524 581280.
CyberFirst Girls’ Competition
Eleven teams, consisting of 40 students, entered this year’s CyberFirst Girls’ competition. All the teams were amazing with some scores reaching nearly 10,000! Each student will receive a certificate – well done for taking part.
Recruitment
We are currently recruiting for the following role within our school:
Please find more information on our website.