As I sit down to write my final Parent Bulletin as Year 11 lead, I would firstly like to take the opportunity to say a huge congratulations to all the Year 11 students making it through to the end of the year, especially given the challenges of the last 2 ½ years. Although I appreciate a number of students will be joining us for another 2 years in sixth form, I hope the last few weeks the students are together as a year group are memorable.

During the first couple of weeks of examinations, it has been fantastic to see the positive approach all students have shown so far. Whilst there have been obvious anxieties and worries, the determination and resilience on display has been fantastic to see. The continued focus and work ethic of students has continued to be excellent both in lessons and through after school revision sessions throughout this half term. This has been highlighted by the huge number of signatures, potentially the most ever, on students’ ‘Passport to the Prom’ tracking cards. I am sure students will continue to make productive use of their time now study leave has formally begun and continue to make best use of all the resources available to them in the final few weeks and days of exam preparation.

Celebration Day on Friday 1 July probably seems a long way off for the students at the moment, but final plans are coming together to ensure the goodbye to Year 11 students will be an experience they will remember. Leavers’ hoodies, prom tickets and yearbooks have been available to purchase via ParentPay over recent weeks and it is great to see the really high uptake with all of these. It is always a fantastic time once the stresses of the exams are over and students can look ahead to an extended summer break and exciting opportunities on the horizon in whichever post-16 pathway they have chosen.

Finally, I would like to say a huge thank you to all parents and carers for your support throughout these last 5 years, but particularly over the last 2 1/2 with all the adaptations and unique challenges that have befell the year group. I firmly believe that the tough times they have gone through will stand them all in good stead moving forward in life and you should be incredibly proud of the wonderful individuals they have become. Before signing off, I would like to say a final good luck to all the Year 11 students and I look forward to seeing them all for the Celebration Day and Results day in the summer.

Take care

Mr Foxon

The sun has been shining somewhat and the temperature is steadily increasing. Our students have enjoyed a breadth of outdoor sports in Summer 1. Athletics, tennis and rounders have been all go with the cricket and softball still to come. Students should look out for opportunities to represent NLS in cricket, rounders, athletics and tennis following the half-term break. The best way to get selected for teams is by attending the dedicated club nights. Please see the updated Summer 2 extra-curricular timetable below for more details on clubs and fixtures

Summer 2 Extracurricular Timetable

Upcoming Fixtures 

We have fixtures for all year groups in Summer 2 in cricket, rounders and athletics. Please see below dates and the teams involved:-

Rounders

Year 7 – 7^th June vs Campion, Southam & Arnold Lodge, 7^th July vs Myton

Year 8 – 7^th July vs Campion & Southam

Year 9 – 16^th June vs Myton

Cricket

Year 7 – 23^rd June vs Campion, 30^th June vs Aylesford

Year 8 – 21^st June vs Aylesford, 29^th June vs Campion

Year 9/10 – 9^th June vs Campion, 16^th June vs Aylesford

Athletics

Year 7/8 – 28^th June – Town Championships

Year 9/10 – 24^th May – Town Championships

Duke of Edinburgh Corner

DofE Practice Expedition Day

On Wednesday 11 May all 115 of our Bronze Duke of Edinburgh students underwent a practice expedition day as part of their final preparations for their summer qualifying expeditions in July. On a wet and windy morning, our year 9s headed out for practice walks around the North Leamington area, passing though the likes of Ashow, Milverton and Lillington on their travels.

In spite of the desperate weather, all groups persevered brilliantly to complete the walks in the three hour time frame. Our Year 10s had the luxury of starting their day in the relative comfort of the school building, completing 3 x 50 minute workshops on cooking, tent building and first aid. At lunchtime the year 9s and 10s switched over, with the Year 10s heading out into the much improved conditions for their 3 hour practice navigation, whilst the year 9s dried out indoors and completed the workshops. The students had a fantastic day, learning the essential skills they will need to successfully and safely accomplish their qualifying expeditions.

Athletics

Town Championships Team Results

Year 9 boys team – 1^st overall

Year 9 girls team – 4^th overall

Year 10 boys team – 3^rd overall

Year 10 girls team – 2^nd overall

Our year 9 and 10 athletics squads travelled to Edmondscote Athletics track on Tuesday 24 June to compete in the Town Championships. It was a hugely successful day with large numbers of NLS students selected for Central Warwickshire, to compete at the County school’s athletics championships.

These championships will be held at the Pingles Stadium, Nuneaton, CV11 4LX, on Saturday 11 June. The event is a selection event for the Warwickshire team for the Mason trophy which is on the 18 June in Stoke, as well as a chance to gain English Qualifying time for the upcoming ESAA.

Congratulations to the following students on their selection to represent Central Warwickshire in the Championships.

Junior girls

Isla S - Shot 

Junior Boys

Theo R – High jump / Jimmy W - 100m, 800m, Relay / Tom I - 200m, 300m, Relay Archie L - 1500m / Sam R – triple jump, javelin / Brando M - shot, discus /James L - Long jump 

Inter girls

Serena T 100m, relay / Ellie L 800m / Millie P 1500m 

Inter boys

Jacob M - 200m, relay / Daniel W – triple Jump / Noah B – Long jump /Houdini L - Shot

Girls’ School Games Football

Our Under 13 girls and Under 15 girls represented NLS on Wednesday 25 June at Myton School in the annual school games football festival – competing for a place to represent Central Warwickshire at the County finals. We entered two strong teams into the U13 girls tournament; a round robin format vs teams from Myton, Southam, Campion and Kenilworth. Our girls put on a great showing, with NLS B coming out joint top of the table with Myton A on 26 points each. The top two then played each other again in a final. Having taken an early lead through Paulina S, our girls were pegged back to 1-1, and extra time was required to separate the two sides. Unfortunately for NLS it just wasn’t meant to be as Myton scored early in extra-time to claim victory in a very even contest. Our NLS A side went into the 5^th-6^th place play-off game vs Campion, coming out on top of that clash to claim 5^th place overall.

Star of the tournament NLS A – Joanna Pt

Star of the tournament NLS B – Mae HS

Our U15 girls took on Myton in a winner takes all match in the afternoon. A closely contested game was settled by a well-taken Ellie L goal. The girls battled brilliantly vs a strong Myton side, defending resolutely throughout. The team still had keeper Sadie S to thank, who pulled off two fantastic saves either side of half-time and gave the girls a deserved victory!

Stars of the match – Ellie L & Sadie S

I want to start by saying how impressed I am with our Year 7 students. The majority of students are continuing to display the necessary attributes needed to succeed. It has been an eventful term with a plethora of achievements that require acknowledging and celebrating. Year 7s have clearly settled into the secondary school way of life. They are continuing to work hard with the majority behaving impeccably. When analysing the data, it is evident that year 7s have the highest attendance and reward points. Each student has adopted an excellent approach to their learning, with many students achieving an AtL of ‘Outstanding’. This is a superb achievement and one which they should be incredibly proud of.

Year 12s leading the curriculum

Our foci this term during tutor time has been centred around staying safe online and offline. All year 7 students have been educated on avoiding criminal behaviour, making the right choices and decisions when interacting with people online, vaping and energy drinks. I am hoping that the curriculum has helped them to evaluate each topic and make an informed decision moving forward. In light of the current conflict in Ukraine, I thought it was also important for our tutors to be keenly aware of the emotional impact these events can have on our year 7 students. We wanted to acknowledge and validate the students’ concerns: wars are scary, and it’s okay to feel scared. It was important to inspire our young people to feel hopeful and promote a sense of agency through thoughtful, honest discussion and developmentally appropriate activities.

In order for tutors to conduct their Learning Conversations with their students we managed to entice 20 year 12 students to lead the curriculum for 3 sessions. These students were able to demonstrate and model the skill set required to lead a lesson. I had to share with you all the feedback I received from the year 12 students. It made me extremely proud to be their Year Lead.

‘Your year 7s were all enthusiastic and contributed really positively.’

‘They came up with some really good ideas.’

‘They were a little shy initially, however they got stuck in.’

‘They asked some really good questions.’

‘They were a credit to you Mr Royle.’

‘They were polite and well-mannered.’

‘They all seemed to be supportive of each other.’

This feedback made me incredibly proud of you all.

Charity

I am sure that we all have been touched and affected by the terrible scenes that we are witnessing on a daily basis as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. At NLS, we wanted to do whatever we could to help people that are being affected in this humanitarian crisis. As a result, many year 7s collected supplies and resources that we can send to Ukrainian refugees that have crossed the border into Poland. I want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to Zofia S for initiating the concept and supporting throughout the project. Zofia and her family have played a pivotal role in making this happen. We managed to accumulate a significant amount of goods which are now on their way to Poland in order for them to be distributed amongst the Ukrainian Refugees. All year 7s should be extremely proud of themselves for being selfless in their donations.

Rewards

I am pleased to announce that Max R and Alexis F have both managed to achieve 182 reward points this term. This is a fantastic accomplishment and demonstrates that they have been consistent in their approach to learning. Taking on leadership roles within lessons, working above their target as well as supporting others, are just a few of the underlying reasons why they have managed to be awarded so many points. Congratulations to all of the students listed below. I am very proud of you all.

I am also pleased to announce that BW2 is the tutor group with highest reward points in Year 7, accumulating a massive 6527 points since the beginning of the academic year.

Attendance

I am pleased to announce that year 7s have the highest attendance in the school. This is an indication of how dedicated and committed students in year 7 really are. I understand that we are enduring another significant wave of Covid related illnesses, however for those that are not required to isolate I am impressed with some of their resilience and determination to come into school even when they do feel a little ‘under the weather’.  Thanks to all the parents and carers.

Consequences

Since the beginning of the academic year we have always strived for being the year group with the highest rewards and lowest consequences at NLS. This is a collective effort and we work hard to instil and embed those qualities and the skill set needed to ensure we are punctual, wear the correct uniform, complete home learning, are engaged in lessons and contribute positively during lesson time. Although there is an expectation that students are aware of our high standards, I want to acknowledge those students that are really trying to adhere to our World Class Basics. Transition from primary to secondary can be extremely difficult and I appreciate that I have to invest time in our students to support them with the new rules and routines that are perhaps a little different to what they are used to. I have no doubt that we will continue to work together to minimise the number of consequences year 7 students receive.

Whitemoor Lake

170 year 7 students embarked on a residential to Whitemoor Lake. The long weekend enabled students to have the chance to really work on some essential life skills, such as team building and leadership as well as experiencing some active outdoor fun activities. The students who attended this trip had a fantastic experience. They were given the chance to spend quality time with their peers and enjoy a new environment that they will never forget.

The quality of the outdoor activities was outstanding. Students had the opportunity to participate in abseiling, high ropes, canoeing, kayaking, raft building, zip wiring, problem solving, archery, fencing…..the list goes on. I was so impressed with the enthusiasm and energy they displayed from the moment we arrived. It was a pleasure to watch them immerse themselves in every activity and seize every opportunity. The instructors commented on how supportive the students were towards each other, each of them cheering and clapping when one of them managed to achieve.

I believe that this adventure has been hugely beneficial for the students. Not only have they been able to develop their confidence by embracing new challenges they have also improved their communicative skills and build new positive friendships. I am hoping that this residential has been extremely memorable and they will always think fondly about their experience. It was a pleasure to plan and lead this school trip. 

Farewell to Miss Smith and Miss Hill

I am sad to inform you all that we have to bid farewell to Miss Smith and Miss Hill. These teachers have been extremely proactive in supporting those students in CT2 and PK2. Their nurturing qualities will be missed. We wish you the best of luck in your new venture.

Final Message

I just want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support this academic term. I hope that you feel your child has been given the guidance and support to achieve, but more importantly, to enjoy school life. I look forward to catching up with you all at the various school events next term. Have a fantastic Easter.

Kind regards,

Mr Royle

Once again, Year 9 students have had a really positive half-term. It is evident that they are going from strength to strength while they continue to manage the demands of their GCSE studies, as well as engaging positively with all aspects of school life. It has been great to hear from students that they are enjoying their work and seeing that they are making excellent progress against their target grades, particularly in those subjects being undertaken for the first time such as Photography, Health and Social, Business Studies and Media Studies.

Year 11 students have had an incredibly busy but also very productive half-term in school. The focus has naturally been centred on preparation for upcoming summer examinations, but there has also been a concerted drive to provide all students with a positive Post-16 destination to work towards. Alongside this, we have been looking for as many opportunities as possible to reward and celebrate the consistently high levels of positive behaviours on display within the year group. As a whole, the year group has made huge strides since September, and everyone has really developed in terms of maturity and focus as we approach the end of their time together.

CISCO Accredited Course

We have launched our first CISCO accredited course in Cyber Security for all Key Stage 4 and 5 students to access.  This will enable students to begin to build a portfolio of industry recognised certificates which are globally recognised in order to fully promote their individual IT and Computing employability skills.  Students can self-enrol and access the independent learning materials via this link. There will be several different certificates for students to access on a rotation basis which will change each term so please keep an eye out for new certificates being promoted.

Well done to Nathaniel T who has already completed his Introduction to Cyber Security CISCO course in such a short space of time.  Fantastic effort!  Remember, it’s free to sign up, just check your email or ‘Latest News’ for instructions on how to self-enrol.  This course is available until 13 June so plenty of time to complete yours.  A new course (Introduction to IoT) will be available in September 2022! 

iDEA Award

We have launched the iDEA Award for all Key Stage 3 students which is also an accredited series of industry recognised certificates to showcase the digital skills of students.  Students can self-enrol and access the independent learning materials via the link that has been emailed out or via ‘Latest News’ on the school website.  Once a certificate has been completed it can be printed out and kept to demonstrate employability skills within the digital sector.  There are Bronze and Silver certificates currently available to achieve which are gained through completing self-led ‘badges’ that students can work through at their own pace.  This was only launched a few weeks ago and we have had one Bronze certificate awarded to Daniel M already!  Fantastic effort!  Daniel can now look forward to attempting to complete his Silver Award.  Remember, it’s free to sign up, just check your emails for instructions. 

Code Club

In the pipeline is Code Club to be launched in the Summer term aimed at Key Stage 3 students who would like to develop their coding skills using Scratch, Python or HTML/CSS. We are currently seeking feedback from students as to what they would like to access in Code Club. Students should look out for an email with a survey to complete if they are interested.  More details and launch to follow very soon after the Easter break.