In terms of whole-school events, below is only an illustrative summary of some of the many things which serve as highlights of the past half-term…

World Mental Health Awareness Day: Hello Yellow – October

n support of this, Sixth Form students sported yellow to mark their understanding of a key issue affecting so many.

Assembly and Tutor Time was geared up to highlighting how it impacts so many and to give practical support ideas which students could draw upon. A whole-school event (with cake sales and the like), we are delighted that over £800 was raised for Young Minds.

 

 

Enrichment

It is great that so many of our Sixth Form students have taken the opportunity to be involved in our very popular Enrichment programme – and with such aplomb! Our offer is a diverse one and is organised according to opportunities which are teacher-led or self-regulated. The former includes:

• Duke of Edinburgh Gold
• Indoor Sports - Badminton, Basketball, Table Tennis etc
• General Sport - Football etc
• Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
• Wellbeing: walks, mindfulness, conversations

Meanwhile, the latter involves:

• Strategy Board Games
• Teaching Assistant Volunteering
• Care Home Volunteering
• Reading for Pleasure
• Leadership
• Sixth Form Magazine
• Super-curricular Research
• Dance

We are delighted so many students are volunteering either in or out of school to help those in the wider community: you will be very proud of your child, we are sure, that 15 of them help younger students as teaching assistants or brighten the day of local care home residents when 22 of them head up the road on a Wednesday afternoon to talk, sing and help out.

Those students New to NLS (who joined us from other schools) have been well-integrated in to the school and the Enrichment programme and this image of a Strategy Board Games session nicely illustrates what a great community we have - where so early on students who have always been here have made those New to NLS so very welcome.

 

We are also pleased that a record number of students (20) are taking the opportunity to undertake an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and to follow in the footsteps of their current Year 13 predecessors – who all secured A*-C last year. These students now have the equivalent of an A/S level (50% of the full A-level) to put on their upcoming applications to university, apprenticeships, employment…

UCAS and Apprenticeships Event – Edgbaston October

Our Year 13 students enjoyed a visit to the UCAS and Apprenticeship Event at Edgbaston on Friday 11 October. This trip was arranged to further support our students in identifying and pursuing their Future Pathway options.

With around 200 exhibitors present, students had the opportunity to speak to a range of exhibiting universities and apprenticeship providers.  The event also featured a range of useful seminars where they could gather more information including:

• UCAS Personal Statement & Application Advice
• Why take an Apprenticeship
• Higher and Degree Apprenticeships
• Student Finance

 

Careers Fair - October

On Friday 17 October Year 12 and Year 13 had a great opportunity to access careers information at a marketplace event set up by the school. Students had the chance to speak with a range of future providers on areas linked to university, apprenticeships and employment - all of which feeds nicely in to our Future Pathways information, advice and guidance programme and which helps secure the fantastic next step destinations for our students.

Student Leadership

We are very grateful for all the excellent work our Senior Student Leadership Team has done over the course of this half-term. Not only have they already represented us so well at the Year 12 Meet the Tutor Evening and the Prospective New Year 7 Open Evening, they are getting ready to represent us and their areas of leadership at the Prospective New Year 12 Sixth Form Open Evening on Thursday 7 November. With Will and Millie (Senior Student Leaders) leading the team and working in concert with Mr Schofield, Mr Boyes and Mr Lowdell (as well as others) they have done much in terms of ambassadorial work but also in the raising of the profile of areas such as charity & community, diversity & equality.

 

Tutor Time and P.S.H.E Curriculums

In terms of the Tutor Time curriculum, recent coverage in Year 13 has been on preparation for the world beyond NLS and applications for next step destinations (linked to our Future Pathways provision). Meanwhile, there has been a sharp focus in Year 12 on the transition to post-16 study and establishing good study habits as well as an understanding of the self, habits and ways to realise potential and adjustment to changing contexts – for example, according to the Myers-Briggs Personality Types.  All of this has been supplemented with our assembly programme which has foregrounded the notion of High Challenge, Deep Support with reference to Stephen Covey’s models of self-efficacy and the P.S.H.E programme - which has complemented all of this with its attention to Health & Wellbeing. 

Student Rewards

For efforts in tutor time, across lessons and in school in general, Students are accruing many rewards points in Sixth Form – which is great to see. With their College affiliation noted, here are the Top 10 in each year:

Year 12

Year 13

Well done to these students but to all of those who are so committed to their studies and to school life here at NLS.

International Schools- Opportunity to visit our partner school in India 

A reminder that year 12 students have the opportunity to apply for the opportunity to visit our partner school (Anjuman I’Islam Girls High School) in Mumba.  After successfully securing funding from the Turing Scheme, we are able to offer this opportunity at a heavily subsidised rate. The opportunity is available for six year 12 students to experience lessons with students from our partner school as well as guided tours to visit significant cultural sites and museums over the week-long trip.

Applicants will be selected based on opportunities they have enjoyed during the wide variety of International School projects throughout their time at NLS including trips in Year 7, workshops in Year 8 and the numerous activities within tutor time and in the curriculum or work they may have done as an International Leader. Fuller details, along with the application form, were sent two weeks ago and can also be found on the website in the Parent and  Carers - Letters and Parent Bulletin section. 

A reminder that the closing date for applications is November 4.

If you have any queries at any point, please do make contact via the usual communication sources.

On behalf of myself, the Sixth Form Team and the school, have a terrific half-term.

S A Taylor
Senior Assistant-Head-teacher (inc. Head of Sixth Form)