MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM EVERYONE AT LGGS
LGGS December 2018
Welcome
A
s this very successful term draws to a close I would like to thank everybody for their support. We were delighted to be recognised by The Sunday Times Parent Power as the 47th best performing school nationally and the highest
performing school in Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire. It was very pleasing to be recognised as the School of the Year in the Lancaster Guardian Awards. Well done to our Year 11 students who won the Young
Scientists/ Engineers Award. A reminder that we finish at 1.30 pm on Friday 21st December. I hope that you all have a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year term.
Mrs J Cahalin Headteacher
THE 2018 CHRONICLE NOW ON SALE On Thursday 13th December, an unusual buzz filled the corridors of LGGS. For weeks, mysterious posters had been plastered to the walls; Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn put aside their political differences to jointly remind us to “remember your £4!”, whilst Mr Bean told anyone who was observant enough to notice that “The Chronicle arrives in 3 days!”. Then, suddenly, the release day itself was upon us. As lunchtime began, students and teachers alike flocked to the main hall, possibly to get their hands on the free cake we had promised, but also to pick up their very own copy of the 101st Edition of the school magazine! The rest of the day would see groups of students huddled conspicuously around its colourful pages, heads bent together, gasping in delight (or horror) at seeing their faces and quotes emblazoned across a double page spread. The Chronicle season had well and truly begun! Lucy Lupton and The Chronicle Team.
A fantastic memoir of the past year at LGGS. Priced just £4 available from school Reception
Performance… Performing Arts Festival
THE STANDARD WAS EXCEPTIONAL AS THE GIRLS PROUDLY REPRESENTED THEIR HOUSES
A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO BRING ALL YEAR GROUPS TOGETHER WITHIN THEIR SCHOOL HOUSES
WELL DONE EVERYONE FOR ANOTHER AMAZING SHOWCASE OF TALENT
DANCE, MUSIC & DRAMA
I LOVED TAKING PART - IT WAS GREAT FUN
THE FESTIVAL PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YEAR 7 STUDENTS TO SETTLE INTO SCHOOL LIFE
IT GAVE ME A CHANCE TO MEET GIRLS FROM OTHER FORMS AND YEAR GROUPS
WE LOVED PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL
AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD STUDENT CONFIDENCE
Spelling Bee 2018 On Thursday 22nd November, the annual Year 7 Spelling Bee took place - involving four courageous volunteers from the five form groups. As always, the standard was superb, and everyone safely navigated the opening rounds. As the difficulty of the words ratcheted up, the competition was still incredibly close and, by the end of the day there were still two spellers remaining: Daisy Crow and Thea Deed, both in Form 7.2. A decision was taken to carry on in their English lesson the following day. Following the successful spelling of all the words on the prescribed list, Ms Lapping and Mr Grundy both agreed that - due to the high calibre of spelling there was no need for an individual award, declaring both Daisy and Thea as joint winners - an LGGS first! Mr J Grundy
The young people of Lancaster declare a 'Climate Emergency' In hope of making a difference for our future, I am petitioning for young people to be central to climate change action in Lancaster district. We, the young people of Lancaster, are the generation which will feel the effects of global warming, yet there is little action to reduce these effects. As a generation, we have never lived in a time of stable climate conditions. We are seeing it’s devastating effects in many ways already: sea levels are rising, habitats are being destroyed and our future is uncertain. If the current global trend continues, it is very likely that the earth’s temperature will rise by 2°C. The consequences will be disastrous. As a society, we need to involve the opinions of young people in the decisionmaking processes to tackle this
climate emergency, to help protect our future. The petition asks for the council to 1.Declare a ‘climate emergency’; 2.Conduct a consultation with young people of all ages, by young people of ages, for what they want for a sustainable future in Lancaster district; 3. Include consultation ideas in council plans to make Lancaster District carbon neutral by 2030; 4. Create a young person’s climate panel to review and support council climate strategies. I have launched an e-petition on the council website and she wants young people who live, work or study in the district to sign it. I am collaborating with students at other schools in the area, in hope of presenting it for a debate at the next full council meeting. For this to succeed, we need 1500
signatures by 18th January. To sign the petition you can go to the petitions page on Lancaster City Council website, where you will have to register and then sign it. It is also possible to sign by finding me around school, as I also have a paper copy. Thank you! Rosie Mills 13KJS
The Bar Mock Trial Competition On Saturday 24th November, a team of us met at Lancaster station ready to take part in the annual Bar Mock Trial Competition. This competition involved putting together four teams of witnesses and barristers, for both prosecution and defence of two cases. One of our cases involved an acid attack and the other was about money laundering. We’d already had a preliminary visit to Preston Crown Court to show us what it is like to work as barristers or to be witnesses in a real court situation, and with help
from Mr Flory and ex-LGGS student Olivia Egdell-Page, in our lunchtimes we prepared speeches and examinations to face other schools on the day of the competition. At the Courts, we took part in three rounds, performing well but not quite managing to get into
the top two teams who went through to the regional final. Nevertheless, it was an exciting and interesting experience and we all enjoyed learning more about law as a profession. Grace Wilson , Year 12
Charity Team News Christmas Celebrations for Children in Hospital During October, I cut 40cm off my hair to raise money for Perpignan’s House charity, the Lancaster Marsh Community Centre. I managed to raise £550 from the support of family and friends and even an anonymous donor. The Charity uses money from donations to run community events and a food bank, as well as support for the surrounding area. It was a strange feeling going from waist length hair to it not even reaching my chin, but I am grateful for the experience and all the great people who donated to the cause. Maddie Green, Year 13 http://marshcommunitycentre.org.uk/
WOMEN’S HOMELESS SHELTER Building on our links with The Women’s Homeless Shelter we organised a collection of essential toiletries, enabling the Shelter to provide the women with a few luxuries over the festive period. It has been a very cold winter and to find yourself in such a vulnerable situation must be so difficult for the women and teenagers who look to the Shelter for support. Our links help to raise awareness of the Shelter and thank you to everyone who has contributed as I am sure every single item will be appreciated.
CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY: SUPPORTING THE CHILDREN’S WARD AT ROYAL LANCASTER INFIRMARY This very well-established annual event was extremely well supported this year - the school has never looked so colourful! Most importantly, we are very pleased to announce that we have raised over £800 from wearing our Christmas jumpers. The Christmas Fair, which saw Fairtrade stalls alongside pupil’s delicious home-baked cakes and hand-made gifts raised £600; an amazing team effort. There will be lots of Charity events to look forward to in 2019 but we hope you have a relaxing break and thank you once again for your support.
C H AR I T Y N E WS
This Christmas, girls from Years 7-9 donated a lovely collection of toys and games to our local Barnardo’s Project - “Include Me 2”, a playgroup for disabled children and those with special educational needs. A huge thank you to everyone who donated. Bradbury House, the regional co-ordinator for this project, are very grateful for the support and we know the donations will be loved and appreciated! Arundhati Wuppalapati, Holly Wilson, Assistant Head Girls for Charity and Community and Mrs Roberts, Co-ordinator of Student Well-being.
Year 7 Beyond the Curriculum Personal Challenge
This year’s challenges include: Devising self-planner, to become more responsible
As part of Beyond the Curriculum all Year 7 pupils undertake a Personal Challenge project. The students select their own challenge, which does not need to be connected to any specific subject area. Through the Personal Challenge project pupils explore and identify their use of the Characteristics of Successful Learners at LGGS, which helps them identify good practice. After completion of their project, pupils give a presentation about their achievements to their class in the format below: · Explain what their challenge was and why it was chosen How they got on with their challenge Discuss which ‘Characteristics of Learning’ they used
Tell the group how they feel about themselves and their challenge.
Each year the range of challenges is extremely varied and whilst undertaking the project the pupils demonstrated perseverance, self-management and resilience, often trying something new to them.
To sew a dress from a pattern
Learn to knit
Raising money for a charity
To do household chores
To write a short story
Improve a gymnastics skill
Improve drawing
Teaching the kitten tricks
Helping around the house
Help at a relative’s café as a waitress
Cycling and running and horse riding challenges
LGGS Year 8 Feedback STATEMENT
% Strongly Agree
% Agree
% Positive
My daughter feels happy
77%
23%
99.2%
My daughter feels safe
85%
15%
100.0%
My daughter makes good progress
77%
23%
100.0%
My daughter is well looked after
81%
19%
100.0%
My daughter is taught well
81%
19%
100.0%
She receives appropriate homework for her age
67%
32%
99.2%
School ensures students are well behaved
74%
26%
100.0%
The School deals effectively with any bullying
59%
14%
99.2%
The School is well led and managed
84%
16%
100.0%
The School responds well to any concerns I raise
59%
17%
100.0%
I receive valuable info about my daughter’s progress
72%
27%
99.2%
Thank you to all those parents who competed a questionnaire during our Year 8 Parents, Evening. 124 responses were collected and there were many positive comments. I am more impressed each year and each visit.
I know teachers must be under huge workloads but they all met us with a smile and utilise the slot superbly. Thank you. My daughter has really flourished in every way at LGGS - her confidence is now much greater than at the end of primary and she is enjoying the social, academic and extra-curricular aspects. In general my daughter is really happy and I am pleased with the progress she is making. Her teachers know her, know her strengths and know where she needs guidance to improve. She has lots of choice of extra-curricular activities. Continuously amazed at the care and help extended to my daughter - I feel she’s in really good hands. Thank you!
There were not many areas highlighted for improvement. Homework was mentioned, not particularly the amount but timing, especially near to big school events. The Senior Leadership Team have followed this up with meetings of focus groups of Year 8 pupils and looked at their books and the amount of homework they receive. There was similar theme here, in that the amount of homework being set was not thought to be very demanding in terms of the amount but timing sometimes created problems. We will be reminding staff of the school guidance and policy about homework. The other issue mentioned was use of form rooms at lunchtime and the need to ensure pupils had time to eat their lunch. We are currently reviewing our policy of closing form rooms for the second half of lunchtime, especially in the winter months.
MFL Christmas Extravaganza 2018 Year 7 travelled across the globe in an hour to experience what Christmas might be like in another country. With an extended Modern Languages Department representing 8 countries from around the world, pupils were able to learn festive facts surrounding the traditions and cultures of Christmas, from Ecuador to Austria and Italy and back to South America to Colombia, to mention a few. There was a competitive edge as the groups were split into teams and given a quiz sheet to answer as they travelled around, and the top scoring group had clearly pricked up their elfy ears and sharpened their antlers in advance. Well done to them! After the hard and fast learning it was time to boogie, and the girls were able to showcase a plethora of carols in French. German and Spanish, often with unforgettable choreography and, in one case, some very imaginatively arranged gymnastic moves. We were treated to performances of
Peruvian donkeys trotting off to Bethlehem, le Père Noël making sure he was wearing the right attire and some great moves to the Catalán carol El Veinticinco de Diciembre to name but a few, and although this might sound a tad frivolous, one thing was for sure; Year 7 really impressed with their enthusiasm for languages, their ability to quickly pick up and hold a new melody and their amazing memories for learning entire songs in a foreign language. The power of music to improve confidence, pronunciation and retention when learning a language should not be underestimated, and if you are a Year 7 parent or carer, you should ask for a rendition (or perhaps you have already had one too many, in which
case, I make no apology!). The event was rounded off by the judging of the MFL Christmas decoration competition (the winner to be announced shortly) and a full year group work out to La Macarena,.which we recommend looking up on YouTube for anyone who wants to burn off the excess mince pies and simultaneously learn Spanish over the Christmas period. Many, many thanks to all staff who were involved and also to our invaluable team of Sixth Form helpers. Finally a huge well done to Year 7 for their enthusiasm and whole-hearted involvement in the afternoon. Joyeux Noël, Feliz Navidad and Fröhliche Weinachten from us all in the MFL department. Ms S Fawcett
SPEECH DAY 2018 LGGS students and families celebrated another successful year at Speech Day 2018, held at the University of Lancaster on Tuesday 18th December. The Great Hall was packed with prize-winners from all years and of course, our GCSE students and A level leavers. Our Guest Speaker was Dr Janet Lavelle, who recently stepped down as Chair of the Governing Body of LGGS after serving as a Governor since 2007. In an inspiring speech Dr Lavelle took the themes of the spirit of the Royal Marines. She talked about courage, determination, unselfishness and cheerfulness in the face of adversity. She stressed the importance of standing up for what you believe in and not being afraid of voicing your views, particularly in the climate of #metoo. Dr Lavelle talked about what had motivated her to train as a doctor and the challenges she had faced. She stressed the significance of maintaining a healthy balance and always ensuring you timetable in time for yourself and our own interests especially the importance of sport. She concluded that there was a lot to celebrate for women in 2018. Mrs Cahalin highlighted the key values of LGGS in her speech. She said that excellence was reflected throughout the evening and in particular the exceptional academic achievements of LGGS students. She referred to the successes of LGGS students in a number of competitions including the UKMT Senior Team Maths Challenge. Other highlights mentioned were the recent Performing Arts Festival and this year’s joint musical Les Mis. Particularly pleasing was the way sixth formers and younger members of the school
work with and supported each other in these events. A number of individual students were mentioned for their outstanding contribution to the school and local community. Izzy Rycroft in Year 11 for always volunteering to be involved in school events and as a talented photographer, she has contributed much to the recording of school life. Anne Arputharaj in Y13 for her mentoring of younger students, which is enabling them now to make the excellent progress she has achieved. Year 9 student Amaal Salyani who organised a team of girls to run henna hand painting every lunchtime for a week and raised over £400 in total for the Indonesian tsunami appeal. The Alexandra Crossley Memorial Prize was awarded to a very special student in Year 10, Francesca Clifford. Tragically Francesca lost her mum Denise to cancer at the end of Year 8. Despite facing some very challenging circumstances Francesca has continued to play a full and active part in the life of the school and shown great
commitment to fundraising. With her sister Emily she has raised almost £5000 for the Rosemere Cancer foundation through a number of fundraising activities including sponsored walks, afternoon teas and cake stalls. Francesca commitment and bravery makes for a shining tribute to her mum and she is a great credit to LGGS. Mrs Cahalin also highlighted how pleasing it was to see students taking a lead in promoting positive mental health and well being. She referred to a number of student led initiatives including the successful work carried out by Polly Haythornthwaite and Lucy Lupton, Deputy Head Girls in organising the Mental Health Fair and the links they made with a number of local groups. She finished by thanking all members of the LGGS community: staff, governors and parents for all their support and hard work in reinforcing the values of LGGS and helping to create the right ethos both in and outside the classroom, to enable all our students to flourish.
Update on transport issues Earlier this month we met with representatives with Stagecoach who also carried out an inspection on the Preston and Garstang buses. We raised issues of overcrowding at the bus station, lateness of buses and pupils having to stand. We have also been monitoring the situation at Common Garden Street as far as the buses who travel on the A6 are concerned. The main issue is that pupils want to board the first bus that arrives. This is leading to pupils having to stand on this one while the second one usually always has seats available. Stagecoach are now looking to change the numbering of the two buses so it is clearer which one pupils should use for each route. They hope that this will lead to the numbers of pupils being more evenly distributed.
At his time of year when Lancaster is busy with Christmas shoppers we have checking that pupils wait sensibly for the bus and do not block the pavement. Unfortunately we have also had to talk to the pupils about the rubbish they are leaving on the buses. Anyone whose behaviour gives cause for
concern on the buses will be dealt with using school sanctions. The trains are also especially very busy at the moment and pupils have been reminded about behaviour when travelling to and from school. It is also useful to note the British Transport Police text details.
Wellbeing Measurement Framework At LGGS we are working with a number of national organisations who are researching wellbeing in young people. The project is for three years and last Spring Year 7 and Year 9 pupils took part in the online survey. We have now received the results of the survey which compares responses of LGGS pupils with the other 186 schools taking part in the project this year. The survey measures Pupils’ positive wellbeing, behavioural or emotional difficulties and the presence
and strength of protective factors (such as perceived support at school, home and in the community). All feedback is at school and/ or year group level to protect individual pupil’s anonymity. The information provides us with a snapshot of the state of the strengths and challenges for the students and highlight areas to target for prevention or support. The trend data (i.e. how responses from students in the school are changing over time) will help us measure the impact of support we are providing to pupils.
The Year 7 students who completed the survey in 2018 will be followed up next Spring. Additionally every year Year 9 students will be asked to complete the survey as well. The responses are rated as green, amber or red depending on how the school compares to the other schools. The results below for LGGS students in Year 7 and 9 show very positive wellbeing overall with some areas highlighted for us to focus on and develop. We can also break down the information year by year.
From the survey results we have identified the following action points:
Maintain and look to improve levels of school support More emphasis on skills of resilience and problem solving in teaching and learning Further development of careers and guidance programmers. Enhanced well being programme for Year 9+
Emotional strength and skills Students show higher than average levels of self-regulation, suggesting that on average they manage their emotions better than other students. Students show higher than average levels of problem-solving skills, suggesting that on average they are more able to problem solve than other students. Students show lower than average levels of perceived stress, suggesting on average they are more able to cope with stress than other students. Students show levels of goal setting that are not discernibly different from the average, suggesting that on average they are as likely to have plans and aspirations for the future as other students. Students show higher levels of empathy, suggesting that on average they are more able to understand another’s feelings than other students. Students show higher than average levels of helping others, suggesting that on average they are more willing to help and support others than their peers.
Mental health and wellbeing Students show levels of emotional difficulties that arte not discernibly different from the average, suggesting that on average they feel as anxious or low in mood as other students. Students show lower than average levels of behavioural difficulties, suggesting that on average they are less aggressive or ‘act out’ less than other students.
Students show lower than average levels of difficulties with peers, suggesting that on average they are more able to interact successfully with peers than other students. Students show lower than average levels of attention difficulties, suggesting that on average they are more able to focus on tasks and concentrate than other students. Students show higher than average levels of positive wellbeing, suggesting that on average they have a more positive appraisal of their own wellbeing than other students.
Support network Students show higher than average levels of family support, suggesting that on average they feel more supported at home by the adult(s) at home than other students. Students show levels of community support that are not discernibly different from the average , suggesting that on average they feel as supported by adults outside home and school as other students. Students show higher than average levels od school support, suggesting that on average they feel more supported by adults at school than other students.
Students show higher than average levels of peer support, suggesting that on average they have more positive connections with peers than other students. Students show higher than average levels of participation in the community, suggesting that on average they participate in more activities outside school and home than other students. Students show higher than average levels of participation ion home and school , suggesting that on average they make more positive contributions at home and in school than other students.
Spanish Exchange My experience in Spain was extraordinary. It was a trip I will never ever forget, and I will treasure it forever. Their lifestyle was so different to ours, from the amount of food they eat every day to the extreme late nights! I feel a lot more educated about the Spanish culture after the exchange. The week provided so many memorable moments- I don’t think I ever stopped smiling throughout the whole trip! I feel throughout the exchange, I learnt more and more, and my Spanish really developed, especially my speaking and pronunciation. I learnt new vocabulary and I learnt to be more confident in my own knowledge. I would tell somebody to go on the Spanish exchange because it is such a unique experience, where you learn so much and meet new people, there is nothing like it. The friendships made on the exchange are one of the things that makes it so special, not just with the Spanish people (who were lovely and so welcoming), but English too. There was no barrier between the year 10s and 12s and by the end of the week we were all like a little family! It was an opportunity I will never forget, and I will hold the memories very close to my heart. Thank you again for the trip, it was incredible. Mya Bragg, Year 10 The Spanish Exchange was one of the most daunting yet rewarding trips I have ever been
on. Being dropped right into the middle of a Spanish family has no alternative but to greatly improve your Spanish vocabulary, the sheer amount of small words and phrases perfect for my spontaneous language use is invaluable. Although adjusting to my exchange partner's family life was difficult, it gave me a great insight into true Spanish culture oppose to the tourist spots you see on holiday. I made some great friends not only in Spain but also from school who I would have never anticipated I'd ever talk to. The exchange is a perfect opportunity not only for academic growth; it is also an opportunity for personal growth in terms of improvement in confidence and testing the boundaries of your comfort zone. I would strongly advise that you apply for this wonderful opportunity - I am so thankful that I was able to participate in such a fabulous trip. Ellen Cross Year 12 I found my experience to be one the best I've ever had. I've made so many friends- both English and Spanish and it's been one of the best but challenging weeks of my life, however, it was 100% worthwhile. In terms of my Spanish I feel like it was great speaking practise, being able to answer questions without any preparation time on the spot and very useful to hear Spanish spoken in its natural habitat rather than in the classroom
EDUCATIONAL VISIT
situation like I am normally, used to. On a more personal level, I think that taking part in this exchange has really opened up my mind to new possibilities and the feeling that you can do anything if you really put your mind to it and try. A few years ago I would never have believed I would've been able to be put into a completely new family of strangers in a different county and live there for a week . I would 100% recommend this exchange to anyone because it's the most amazing experience and it's such a good opportunity to make friends and learn really useful skills for life as well as improving your Spanish, and being one of the most fun weeks of my life. I think what makes the Spanish exchange special is the feeling of being part of a community that is always there for you at all hours of the day-you all connect and become so close and everyone is so supportive no matter what. When my partner returns in February I'm thinking of going to Blackpool, Manchester city centre or Trafford centre for
shopping, Energi in Preston and bowling, as well as going somewhere where we can get top quality fish and chips! Overall I think this week has been one of the best weeks of my life, an unforgettable experience with the best people and the best teachers! Sian McDonald, Year 12
HAIR-RAISING CHARITY INITIATIVE In October 2018, I cut 40cm off my hair to raise money for Perpignan’s House charity, the Lancaster Marsh Community Centre. I managed to raise £550 from my family and friends and even an anonymous donor. The charity uses money from donations to run community events and a food bank, as well as support for the surrounding area. It was a strange feeling going from waist length hair to it not even reaching my chin, but I am grateful for the experience and all the great people who donated to the cause. Maddie Green, 13MS http://marshcommunitycentre.org.uk/
Are you planning a holiday, buying new clothes home improvements why not buy via School Angel available from our Home Page. You have currently donated £2444 to LGGS through your purchases THANK YOU we really appreciate your support!
www.schoolangel.org.uk/lancaster
FUTUR E EV ENTS . .. S P R ING TER M 2 019 DECEMBER 21st
Term Closure 1.45pm
JANUARY 7th 10th-15th 15th 29th 24th 24th-25th
School re-opens Year 13 Mocks Year 9 Options Evening Sixth Form Taster Day Year 9 Parents Evening Year 11 Maths & English Mocks
7th 15th 16th 25th
Year 13 Parents Evening Half Term Closure Ski Trip School re-opens
FEB