Insight Summer 2019
From the Chairman Welcome to Insight, the annual publication sent by the Board of Governors to all Loughborough Schools Foundation parents and guardians. As mentioned in my letter in March, the governors are committed to increasing our engagement with our parent body and so I hope that you find this new format of Insight both informative and useful. Since taking over as Chairman of Governors this year, it is with a sense of pride that I look back on what has been achieved over the last year across all four schools of the Loughborough Schools Foundation. At the same time, I look forward with confidence to the future. This has been realised through the strong leadership of the Heads, and the combined hard work of teachers, staff, pupils, parents and governors. I was delighted with the successes of pupils at all three Senior Schools who recorded excellent results in their A Level and GCSE examinations. The attainment of such strong results by our pupils alongside their commitment to sporting, music, cultural and community activities is a testament to their talent, determination and resilience, and to the fantastic support which their teachers, working with parents, have provided.
It has been a pleasure to welcome Dr Fiona Miles and her family to Loughborough. I and my fellow governors look forward to working with Dr Miles to support her as she takes forward plans to build on the existing strengths of the Schools and ensure that the High School continues to enjoy its welldeserved reputation for academic success. In May, Fairfield Prep celebrated its recognition by the National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE) when it received its accreditation under the NACE Challenge Award. The award is given in recognition of school-wide commitment to high-quality provision for more able learners, within the context of ‘challenge for all’. We know that education is about so much more than exam results. As such, governors are equally committed to ensuring that each and every pupil enjoys the breadth of opportunities our Schools can provide, be these sporting, musical or through activities such as the CCF, all of which help pupils develop their character and confidence. To assist this, governors have been pleased that the Foundation is now able to offer two new facilities to support our sporting activities. May saw the opening of the new Grant Sutcliffe Astro pitch, in recognition of Grant’s long and dedicated service to sport, in particular hockey, at the Grammar School. We were pleased to welcome Jerome Goudie to the School to officially open the pitch, and members of our alumni community who took part in the annual First XI v LGS Old Boys match. The new sports hall will be completed in the summer, and phase two of this project, which will provide a dance studio, is well underway. Preparations at Amherst are well in hand to welcome boys into the senior school and the first of the Lawn Tennis Association Boarding pupils from September; both arrivals are an exciting new phase for the School, which continues to grow. Amherst, Fairfield and the High School were each subject to compliance inspections by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, which found all three schools to have met all requirements.
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During the year, the Foundation was able to provide School Assisted Places to 129 pupils and a further 40 pupils were given means-tested financial assistance. The governors are committed to using funds to widen access for bright, talented children to our senior schools, from families who would not otherwise have the means. To increase the provision of bursaries in the future, we will continue to use a combination of secondary income generated through fundraising, donations and commercial income.
All that is achieved by our community and pupils is only possible with strong financial foundations; to this end, governors will continue to focus on ways to manage costs. In the coming years the Board will also consider whether the time is right for the Foundation to add an international aspect to its operations, as others have successfully done. The intention would be to support the financial resilience of the Foundation, and bring broader benefits in terms of supporting a wider, more dynamic international outlook to our Schools.
One of my priorities as Chair of Governors will be to ensure that the Schools and Foundation continue to make progress against the Foundation Strategic Goals agreed by governors in 2017 and that we report this progress to you as parents.
This year governors marked the departure of Peter Fothergill and Mary Gershlick who stepped down from the Board of Governors in March, having contributed over 40 years of service as governors to the Foundation and its Schools.
These strategic goals are: • Academic Excellence – to foster intellectual curiosity, academic rigour and independent learning in our pupils, by placing academic achievement, outstanding teaching and a love of learning at the heart of everything we do. • Developing our pupils – to prepare our pupils to be successful in tomorrow’s challenging world we will foster resilience, integrity and self-respect.
Finally, on behalf of the governing body I wish to thank all staff, both in teaching and support roles, for their continued hard work and commitment to ensuring that our Schools provide all pupils with the very best opportunities. I would also like to thank my fellow governors for their collective and individual hard work on behalf of the Foundation, and you as parents for your support. I believe it is due to everyone at the Foundation being willing to “go the extra mile” that ensures the continuing success of our Schools and our pupils. Admiral Sir Trevor Soar
• People and Community – we will work with the whole Foundation community to forge a strong sense of partnership, through common purpose, shared ambition and quality of leadership. • Community Engagement – to be outward facing and engage with our local community which promotes the reputation and values of the Schools and reflects the broader social and charitable obligations of the Foundation. • Learning Environment – to provide a forward looking and sustainable learning environment that delivers the right infrastructure and facilities that are adaptable to the needs of our pupils and staff. • Sustainable Enterprise - to operate the Foundation charity in a way that demonstrates the highest standards of accountability, probity and control, and to meet the Foundation’s charitable objects both now and in the future.
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Governors and Executive Committee Back row L-R: Mrs Louise Webb, Mr Andrew Earnshaw, Mr Duncan Byrne, Mrs Rowena Limb, Professor John Feather, Mr Roger Harrison, Professor Julian Ketley, Mr Paul Snelling, Mrs Anna Murphy, Mr Jim Doherty, Dr Julian Murphy, Mr Stuart Thompson, Mrs Ruth Brutnall Front row L-R: Mr Kevin Higginson, Mr John Stone, Mr Peter Jackson, Mrs Elizabeth Critchley, Mrs Gill Richards, Admiral Sir Trevor Soar (Chairman), Mr Tony Jones (Vice Chair), Mrs Phillippa O’Neill, Professor Alan Dodson, Mr Andrew Harris, Sister Celine Leydon Governors not pictured: Mr Paul Alexander, Professor Robert Allison, Mr Peter Middleton
Andrew Harris Andrew is Executive Director of Campaigns at Aston University and sits on the university’s management board. Andrew is responsible for leading the Development and Alumni Relations Office, which engages and involves alumni/friends, their businesses and networks in the work of Aston and delivers income to help the university deliver institutional priorities. Andrew has 22 years’ experience working with charities and good causes such as The Royal British Legion, Children with Leukaemia, CLIC, Victim Support and Oxford University.
The last 17 years have been spent in the education sector and prior to taking the role at Aston, Andrew spent three years as Director of Development at Cheltenham College. Andrew helped the College deliver the first two phases of a Major Capital Campaign that included a substantial refurbishment to the College’s main building and the construction of a new boarding house. Prior to Cheltenham College, Andrew spent eight years at the University of Birmingham as Head of Major Gifts and with a very able team took a £60m campaign from feasibility study through to completion. Outside of work Andrew has two children, is passionate about all sport (particularly those that involve a racquet) and loves reading and politics.
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Kevin Higginson Kevin is a highly experienced Company Director having held senior positions within a number of listed and private companies over many years. He is a Chartered Accountant, Member of the Institute for Turnaround and graduate of Nottingham University. Having qualified with Price Waterhouse in the 1980s and progressed with Spicer and Pegler, he then held the positions of Group Finance Director or Group Chief Executive with Hazlewood Foods plc, The BSS Group plc, Low & Bonar plc, and The AEA Technology Group plc.
He has also acted as an independent executive in restructuring situations and is currently Group CEO of DK Group Investments Limited based in Rugby. Kevin has also acted as a governor, including a number of years as Chairman, at two maintained schools. Originally from Nottinghamshire and now living in Staffordshire, Kevin is married and has four grown up children (including a son who attended Loughborough Grammar School). Interests include all sport but especially Rugby Union, clay pigeon shooting, walking and wine.
New Head at Loughborough High School The Board of Governors were pleased to welcome Dr Fiona Miles to her Headship of Loughborough High School, at the start of the Summer term. Dr Miles joined the Foundation from Haberdashers’ Aske’s School Fiona Miles for Girls in North London where she was Senior Deputy Head and she brings with her many years’ experience of teaching in the independent sector. Commenting upon her first term, Dr Miles said;
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I am proud to hold the position of Head at this excellent girls’ school and I have been warmly welcomed by the Loughborough Schools community. I have spent a lot of time during my first term, meeting and listening to parents, pupils, staff and governors, to understand the perceptions and workings of this wonderful school. I am very clear that my role is to continue to develop the School as one of the most outstanding independent girls’ schools in the country and will be working with the management team to ensure the girls feel inspired by all aspects of their education whether academic, or extra-curricular, and that we support their aspirations. I look forward to engaging more of our parent body and welcoming new parents and pupils in September.”
Departing Governors In his final five years as a governor, Peter served as the Foundation’s overall Chair, having been elected to this role in March 2014. In his nomination speech, Peter committed to ‘uphold the many intangible values that permeate the Schools’ and those who had the pleasure of working with him would certainly agree that he held to this pledge.
Peter Fothergill In March this year, Peter Fothergill stepped down as Chair of the Board after 31 years’ of service to the Foundation and its Schools. Peter first joined the Board in 1988, though his connection to the Schools pre-dates even this, with his three children each attending first Fairfield and then the Senior Schools. His contribution to the Foundation during that time has been immense. He brought to the role many years of experience garnered during his long and distinguished career in industry, indeed he combined his early years of service on the Board of Governors with his role as Chief Executive of Fisons, the major global pharmaceutical company. During his time on the Board, Peter undertook many roles, notably serving as the first Chair of the (then) newly formed Grammar School Committee, a role in which he contributed greatly to the creation of the School’s first strategic plan. He also chaired the Academic Committee at a time when it was wrestling with issues that remain relevant today – the quality and nature of the curriculum we offer to best equip our pupils for the challenges of tomorrow.
As Chair, Peter presided over a time of extraordinary change and success, most notably the addition of what was then Our Lady’s Convent School to the Foundation, its first growth since the formal establishment of Fairfield in 1965. He has overseen the appointment of three of the four Heads, and a successful review of the wider governance and leadership of the Foundation. His tenure also saw a programme of investment in our facilities including the commissioning and completion of the largest ever construction project undertaken by the Foundation, the Fairfield new build and more recently the investment in sporting facilities with the construction of the new sports hall and artificial surfaces. Peter was also firmly committed to the long-term success of the Foundation and its Schools; he was instrumental in the creation of the Foundation’s first formal strategic plan, with the aim of ensuring that the Foundation continue to serve our community for generations to come. He undoubtedly leaves the Foundation a stronger place for his leadership and will be missed by his colleagues on the Board. He will certainly remain a part of our wider community, in particular as his grandchildren embark on their educational journey through the Foundation’s Schools.
Mary Gershlick March also marked Mary’s final meeting as a governor, as she stepped down after nearly 15 years on the Board. Mary’s involvement with the Foundation stems back to her own experiences as a parent – her two sons having attended both Fairfield and the Grammar School respectively, with the eldest leaving in 2009. Mary was always a very active member of the Board, who contributed greatly to all aspects of the Foundation’s operation during her tenure. She served on the Finance Committee, the Operations Committee, the Remuneration Committee and the Nominations Committee – in fact it may have been easier to list those committees she didn’t serve on during her time as governor! She also contributed greatly to the School committees (now Boards) serving on both the Fairfield School Committee and more recently as Chair of the High School Board. As Safeguarding Governor for the Foundation, a challenging role which she held for a number of years, Mary provided invaluable support in ensuring all pupils in our Schools were safe – including the very youngest members of our community, in her role as the first governor of the Nursery, when it opened in 2017. Like Peter, Mary will be very much missed by fellow governors and staff members alike. The Board wish her the very best as she steps down, and hopes she is able to now find the time to enjoy her many interests, including sailing, skiing and walking, reading, cooking, and time with her family. SUMMER 2019
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Summer 2018 saw a profound change to the country’s examination system as numerical grades were introduced at GCSE. Although comparisons are therefore difficult, A and A* have been directly replaced by grades 7-9, and two-thirds of grades at the Grammar School reached this level, making them the strongest set of GCSEs for six years. A Level results were also strong with 79% taking up places in one of the Sutton Trust Top 30 Universities. Academic achievement is not just about examinations, however, and dozens of boys have had success in national competitions, including gold medals in the Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Linguistics Olympiads. STEM has again been to the fore, with Jacob (Year 13) and Jonathan (Year 10) representing the UK at the 51st Joint School Science Exhibition in Hong Kong. In addition, a joint LSF team featuring Brendan (Year 9) were named ‘UK Young Engineers of the Year 2019’ following victory in the national Big Bang competition at the NEC Birmingham. This was for their Smart Music app, designed to help young learners be efficient in their practice of musical instruments. Wellbeing has been an increasing focus for School in recent years, and we have thought hard about how to support boys through the minefield of gender stereotyping. This has led to our GREAT men initiative. This is an acronym highlighting the areas on which we are focusing with boys in their PSHE lessons, assemblies and beyond: Growth mind-set Resilience Emotional Awareness Talk
The Grammar School is determined that boys contribute to the extra-curricular life of the School, and all pupils are involved in the Thomas Burton Award that requires them to participate with head, hands and heart. The academic year ends in July with ‘Enrichment Week’, when all boys in Years 6 to 10 will participate in a variety of activities aimed at expanding their horizons. Community action, such as clearing a canal tow path and removing litter from woodland, is a fundamental part of this initiative, emphasising to boys that they are in a privileged position in society and must be conscious of the need to give back to others. Sporting participation has never been higher, with Saturdays featuring up to 28 teams representing the School at six different sports. Hockey has grown in popularity in recent years, and the opening of the Grant Sutcliffe Astro this spring has doubled our capacity. The naming recognises Mr Sutcliffe, who retires this summer after 18 years at the Grammar School, and who has been responsible for developing the sport beyond recognition.
The annual inspection was again a wonderful celebration of the pupils’ commitment to the Contingent, and we were delighted to welcome OL Commander Peter Higgins (1997) as our Reviewing Officer. Our most moving event was, however, the joint Act of Remembrance in November involving all four Schools to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice. 2,500 pupils and staff assembled in the Quad to remember those alumni who had made the ultimate sacrifice. The Grammar School was also saddened to lose former member of staff, Don Wood, who had created the CCF in 1957, and it was fitting that a guard of honour incorporating 15 current cadets paid tribute at his funeral. In other staff news, we say goodbye this summer to Rev Owen, who, as Chaplain, has been in some respects the guardian of the School’s ethos over the past decade. He has played a pivotal role in the spiritual leadership of the whole Foundation and we wish him well as he takes up responsibility for a parish in Derby. In January, Mr Weitzel again made headlines when he was awarded the ‘Special Services to Education’ Award at the Independent Schools’ Awards for his lifetime of dedication to the Grammar School. His tireless work has also seen a proportion of the School’s archive digitised, and readers are invited to explore it from the School website.
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We seek to work with parents in promoting conversations at home and at School about the positive roles boys should develop as they navigate through adolescent life and beyond. Development
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of the characteristics will help them to become men who fulfil their potential as partners, fathers, colleagues and successful and valued members of their communities.
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The CCF goes from strength to strength and has provided the backbone to several major events during this academic year.
Duncan Byrne Headmaster
Summer 2018 saw another impressive set of A Level and GCSE results from our students. The GCSE results included some new courses using the 9-1 grading system. Aggregating the results for both systems gave an outstanding 80% of papers at 7-9/A*-A grades and 94% at 6-9/A*-B. The A Level results were excellent with 48% A*-A and 79% A*-B grades. The majority of these students have already moved on to their first choice of higher education course at their desired university. 86% of these courses are at Russell Group/Sutton Trust Top 30 Universities and 46% are studying STEM subjects including dentistry, medicine and veterinary science. Collaboration across the Foundation has led to success in the prestigious Big Bang national finals, where a team of three pupils won the title of ‘UK Young Engineers of the Year 2019’: Year 10 pupils, Grace and Aalia, along with Brendan from Loughborough Grammar School, will be representing the UK in the world-wide CASTIC finals in Macau later this summer. In addition, four teams of Year 10 High School pupils qualified for the TeenTech finals this summer, where they showcased their inventions including an eating bowl for the blind and an alternative solution to carrying an Epipen. In keeping with our ethos of developing the whole person, our pupils continue to embrace the varied extra-curricular opportunities on offer across the Foundation; whether participating in one of the Music department’s Lunchtime Live concerts or performing in the superb joint production of ‘The Lion, the
Witch and the Wardrobe’, High School girls have been keen to demonstrate their enthusiasm for the arts. The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is thriving at the High School, with excellent participation rates at all three levels. Under the guidance of Award Manager, Becky Bull, our pupils achieve a completion rate of over 91%, which is among the highest in the region. The dedication of our teaching staff to the scheme has also been recognised; in May, Catherine Hitchen and Christine Todd were invited to Buckingham Palace to receive special awards for their long service to the scheme – over 50 years in total! The High School has built upon its reputation for sporting success this year, with several teams becoming county or regional champions in netball and hockey. Our U13 hockey team finished in 4th place in the national finals, narrowly
missing out on 3rd place in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out. Meanwhile, the U16 netball team recorded the best result in the School’s history by finishing in 5th place in the national finals and we have high hopes for them in the U18 season. As always, charitable giving remains an important part of life at Loughborough High School and pupils have busied themselves with cake sales, sponsored events and non-uniform days, as well as more adventurous fundraising schemes. Although I have only been in post for a short time, I have been greatly impressed by the way that the girls balance their academic work with a breath-taking array of other pursuits. It is a privilege to be Head of such a vibrant and talented community of pupils and staff. Dr Fiona Miles Head
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Renewing the Spirit of Mary Amherst for the Twenty First Century This year has been a watershed moment for Loughborough Amherst School. In 2016-17, my leadership team and I began to formulate a vision for renewing the spirit of our founder and carrying it forward into the twenty-first century. In 2018-19 this vision has started to become a visible reality. In August, we began the year with our best GCSE results ever and, in September, opened our doors for the first time under our new name of Loughborough Amherst School. We chose this name in honour of our first Headmistress, and the first Superior of the English branch of the Sisters of Providence, Mother Mary Agnes Amherst.
its own feast day, with a special lunch and a House liturgy led by the pupils. In addition to this, every term will end with a House Festival. The Christmas Festival will be devoted to Music, the Easter Festival will feature a House quiz and debating competition and the Summer Festival each year will be on a surprise theme.
During the year we have continued to develop and refine our Minerva programme, which is designed to provide our pupils with the habits and skills they need to flourish in their working and emotional life. Our second annual Minerva Day featured workshops on subjects as diverse as inter-personal communication skills; becoming comfortable with data, and how meditation can help you manage stress.
Our numbers on roll are growing faster than at any time in the last two decades, and this is enabling us to carry out an extensive building and refurbishment programme. The end of this term sees the opening of the sports hall in the new Parkin Sports Centre, with the fitness suite and dance studio due to open in January 2020. This summer will see a plethora of building works and refurbishment, including a new reception and staff room; a Year 7-9 common room; significantly expanded study areas for the Sixth Form; a dedicated Sixth Form Art room; an expanded D&T suite; a new prayer area in the Chapel and a multi-faith reflection room. By the autumn of 2020 we hope to have completed our expanded Learning Resource Centre and (a personal project
This year has also seen a watershed in our spiritual and community life. Following a large survey of our pupils, we have relaunched our House system. Pupils are busy helping to design banners, mottos and prayers for the new Houses. I am delighted to announce that, from the autumn, each House will enjoy
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of mine) to have created a vegetable garden at the back of our Food room. September will see the Senior School welcoming both our first boys and our first cohort of Boarders. We have joined forces with the new Lawn Tennis Academy coaching centre at Loughborough University to provide boarding and academic education for their elite tennis students. We have named their boarding house ‘Hahn House’, after our alumna, Paralympian Sophie Hahn. All in all, an exciting year of growth and change. However, what is most exciting for me is what all this physical renewal signifies. Mother Mary Amherst devoted her life and energies to educating the whole person and to nurturing clever, kind and brave young people who reflect the light of God in an often dark and troubling world. The energy and hope of our community bears witness to the truth that her spirit lives on in 2019. Dr Julian Murphy Headmaster
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What a year it has been to mark our Golden Anniversary. We were delighted to be judged fully compliant across all eight regulatory standards by ISI in November, with no action points recommended within our report. This was the very best outcome the governors, staff and I could have wished for as the method of inspection is indeed a ‘pass or fail’ exercise, with a rigorous level of intensity and scrutiny. It was however, the verbal feedback which I received from the lead inspector which was perhaps the most rewarding and I quote:
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It is very obvious to us that the ethos of the school plays a significant role in this. Pupils engage confidently with adults, they talk with enthusiasm about their school and the opportunities they have here. It is nice to see that recognised. It is evident that mutual respect is fundamental to school life and pupils fully understand the importance of upholding British values whilst also recognising the need to respect other beliefs and cultures. They understand the role they play in ensuring that the school is a kind and caring community and older pupils seem to relish the opportunities they have to take roles of responsibility. Pupils know their opinions are listened to and they are valued.”
Our second whole School achievement came in our successful accreditation of the NACE Challenge Award for our More-Able, Gifted and Talented pupils. NACE is the National Association for Able Children in Education and the award provides recognition of school-wide high-quality provision for more-able learners within the context of ‘challenge for all’.
through rigorous monitoring, planning and inspiring pupils to think and be independent in their learning. I firmly believe that this provides further external recognition of Fairfield’s commitment to quality whole school provision for More-Able, Gifted and Talented pupils and I am exceptionally grateful for the way in which Mrs Coombes, Head of Learning Support, successfully led the whole School community through what has proved, a very demanding process. Our attempt to gain Guinness World Record status in March created a significant landmark for the first time in Fairfield’s illustrious history, with the performance of the longest nursery rhyme relay in conjunction with our continued support for the Rainbows Hospice. The staff and children were absolutely fantastic as we attempted to break the record by singing ‘I can sing a Rainbow’. Everyone looked resplendent in full technicolour attire and I am especially grateful for the efforts of Mrs Ridley, who arranged proceedings with great aplomb to ensure that we achieved our goal on our very first attempt.
13% receiving Silver and the next 21% receiving Bronze. This is a fantastic achievement for our winners and demonstrates the high standard of Maths that is taught at Fairfield. Our scientists are also enjoying great success in various STEM competitions. James and Nicholas won the Cargo Carriers Challenge at the 3M Young Innovators Challenge, with their superlight Rubik’s Cube-inspired model boat and Oliver was awarded Highly Commended for his entry in the Slo-mo Marble Challenge. Martino has also won The Primary & Secondary Engineer Leaders Award with Harrison and Leon both receiving a Distinction for their projects. We are very proud of all the time and commitment that our STEM winners have put into researching and developing their various designs and prototypes and we are sure there will be more accolades to come. And finally, Fairfield were also winners of the Interski Group of the Season Award for their exemplary behaviour whilst staying at the Hotel Roma during the ski trip at Easter. The Director of Interski visited the School and presented a cheque and certificate during an assembly to our ski trip organiser, Mr Smail. What an incredible achievement.
REPORTS The award clearly demonstrates the School’s ambition to provide challenge
We were also thrilled in June to receive three Gold, five Silver and six Bronze Awards in this year’s UKMT Junior Maths Challenge. Over 270,000 pupils from across the UK sat for the Maths Challenge with roughly the top 6% receiving a Gold Award, the next
Well done everybody! Andrew Earnshaw Headmaster
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The Nursery continues to grow, develop and further establish itself within the Foundation and the local community. With a fully trained Forest School Leader as part of the team, the Pioneer children (Pre-School) now enjoy regular Forest School sessions. In addition to Jabberjacks two new extra-curricular activities have been introduced; Super Star Sports and, specifically for the under-2s, Pyjama Drama. Makaton sign language is now used in all rooms to help the children communicate and to support their speech development. Music lessons with a Teacher from the Foundation’s Music department are also a new feature in The Nursery’s week and are a joyful experience for all. Mindfulness is now embedded within
The Nursery’s ethos, with a new monthly affirmation such as, ‘I am helpful’ or ‘I am thankful’, to encourage positivity and bring further enrichment into the children’s lives. Fundraising has been very effective this year, with the £1000 target soon to be achieved. Families continue to be very generous with their donations helping to raise funds for charities including Macmillan, Children in Need, CrackerJacks, Comic Relief and Save the Children. Parents and staff joined together in the Loughborough Amherst School Chapel
Big Bang Competition Winners for Second Time! In March, three pupils from Loughborough Schools Foundation took the top prize in The Big Bang Competition once again. Two Year 10 pupils from the High School and one Year 9 pupil from the Grammar School were awarded the GSK ‘UK Young Engineers of the Year 2019’ title at The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition, for their project entitled Music Splash. The project is an app that uses machine learning to analyse music performance and provides feedback to help improve performance and work towards grading. The team say that it
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guides you to instant perfection and is like a music teacher in an app.”
Over 500 finalists from across the country were selected to show their ideas at The Big Bang Fair held at the NEC, where 10 were then shortlisted to pitch Dragon’s Den-style to a panel of VIP Judges. The team will now represent the UK when they compete in the 34th China Adolescents Science and Technology
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Innovation Contest held in Macau in July. Later in the year, they will travel to Bulgaria to compete in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists and they also have the opportunity to complete work experience at GSK. Teams from all four Schools entered projects into the 3M Challenge and two pupils from Fairfield were crowned winners of the Cargo Carrier Challenge with their superlight Rubik’s Cubeinspired model. One pupil at Fairfield also won the Year 4 STEM Leaders award with another two entries awarded with a Distinction. Their work was displayed in the Public Exhibition held at Coventry University Faculty of Engineering, Environment & Computing. At the TeenTech awards, 17 Foundation team projects were entered. An individual team entry from the Grammar School won the Digital Skills Category and a team of three pupils from the High School won the Food Technology Category. These winners will
for the Pioneers’ Graduation to celebrate their journey through The Nursery before they start school. Several children will be staying within the Foundation; joining either Loughborough Amherst School or Fairfield Prep School.
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I am so pleased with our continued progress and development. There is such a happy buzz in the building and parents and family members are great advocates for The Nursery; the waiting list for places continues to grow, so anyone considering a place for their baby should not delay in getting in touch!”
Carla Brindley Nursery Manager
STEM Success and
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now be invited to the award ceremony at Buckingham Palace with HRH Duke of York later this year. Eight projects were presented at The Big Bang Regional Fair in June where Project Visi-Bowl won the ‘Best Innovation Award’, Project iFirstAid won the ‘Best Real Life Application Award’ and project GlobalGlass won the ‘Young Engineer Award’. This has been another absolutely remarkable year for STEM across the Foundation and demonstrates the high level of teaching and pupil engagement in STEM subjects and innovation.
SWB were again selected to perform at the National Festival of Music for Youth at Symphony Hall, Birmingham. Big Band performed at the centenary celebrations of the end of WWI in Loughborough town, as well as their usual gigs at Jazz Night and Al Fresco, while the Sax Ensembles performed at the Christmas Lights switch-on. Our annual Christmas fundraising performances for Rainbows in Carillon Court involved over 50 performers, and our VSU concert in June was a heart-warming affair involving intergenerational singing with residents of local care homes and children from Fairfield’s Kindergarten classes.
2018-19 has been a bumper year for music at the Schools. The concert series Loughborough Schools present: ran through the year and involved huge numbers of musical performers. This year saw the development of the Loughborough Music Competition, encompassing six separate competitions, Percussion, Woodwind, Singing, Brass, Strings and Piano, each of which was open to young musicians from across the Midlands. There were several successes for our own pupils, as well as a terrific standard from external competitors. In addition, we introduced the Guitar Duets competition, an internal event that gave guitarists an opportunity to engage with ensemble playing. Our second season of the Enhanced Music Programme saw nine workshops and masterclasses delivered by specialist musicians and experts in their field: Susan Hallam MBE, Emerita Professor of Education and Music Psychology, UCL: The power of music Sam Sweeney OL, Artistic Director, National Youth Folk Ensemble: Kickstarting folk Adrian Bending, Timpani Professor, RCM: Focus on timpani
Chris Hoyle, Head of Strings, RNCM: String partnership day Angela Brownridge OL, visiting Fellow: Piano masterclass Murray Grieg, Senior Tutor in Trumpet, RNCM: Intonation and tuning Charlotte Tomlinson, Performance Coach: Memorising for performance Malcolm Goldring, Artistic Director, Sing UK: Choral masterclass Kate Burns, Head of Strings and Chris White, Violin Teacher: String troubleshooting Symphonic Wind Band (SWB) staged a collaborative concert, ‘A Night at the Movies’, with the RAF College Band. Joint rehearsals in both Cranwell and Loughborough enabled us to put on a stunning evening concert in January.
Our liturgical choirs (Choristers and Consort) sang at the two Burton evensongs (October and July), the Grammar School Carol Service at Emmanuel Church, and the Spring Concert. Consort also sang evensong at Trinity College, Cambridge, at the Loughburians’ Oxbridge dinner, and Choristers sang a trebles-only evensong at Leicester Cathedral in June. At the Burton Services in March, the Year 10/11 and the Year 12/13 services were enhanced by specially formed choirs comprising members of Consort and the girls’ choir, Cantilena. In addition, there were six Avanti Performance Workshops for young performers, 30 Lunchtime Live concerts in the Recital Hall, five lunchtime concerts at the Parish Church, and a lunchtime concert at Loughborough Baptist Church.
#GetSetGo The target of raising £168,500 for equipment in the new Girls’ Sports Facility has been achieved and your generosity will be transformational. The former High School gym is currently being upgraded to an exciting and accessible environment to include a sports hall, fitness suite and dance studio. The donations from our community enable the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment to help motivate pupils at Loughborough Amherst School and Loughborough High School to get active and stay active for life. Reaching this goal means every pupil will be given an opportunity to gain
confidence in a range of activities, to take responsibility for their own physical health and to develop their fitness, along with building skills in teamwork, confidence and resilience. Thank you to all who continue to support Loughborough Schools Foundation through charitable giving. Many of you make regular donations to the Burton Bursaries fund and to the Music department, and your gift, however large or small, helps to provide a first class education in an environment where all our pupils can achieve their very best.
To find out more about this appeal, future bursary and capital fundraising projects, and how you can support the Foundation please contact the Development Office on 01509 638920 or visit www.lsf.org/development-office/ SUMMER 2019
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New Sport Facilities Set to Inspire a Love of Fitness Parkin Sports Centre
Grant Sutcliffe Astro
The Parkin Sports Centre will be open this summer. Construction of the multi-use sports hall is nearing completion and in the Autumn term, pupils from the High School and Amherst School will be able to enjoy their lessons and extra-curricular activities in the light and modern space. Jim Doherty, Chief Operating Officer, says the facility is set to play an important role in promoting sports participation among pupils, no matter what their age or ability, and sow the seeds for a lifelong love of sport.
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This facility will bring immense benefits to the Foundation. It is a place that offers something for everyone, whether they want to compete to the highest level as an individual or member of a team, feel strong and capable, or simply try something for the first time.”
Amherst to Educate Tennis Stars of the Future Loughborough Grammar School was delighted to welcome Grant Sutcliffe for the opening of the new Astro pitch in May. The honouring of the new pitch in Grant’s name is a fine acknowledgement of his contribution to numerous pupils who owe a significant part of their personal hockey journey to his dedication. Grant was presented with a playing shirt from Michael Condon, Father of David, along with a hand written letter of gratitude, thanking Grant for all he has done in support of David’s hockey career. Grant’s family were also in attendance at the opening ceremony, including his son who had travelled from South Africa to support his Father on this special occasion. The Grant Sutcliffe Astro was officially opened by Jerome Goudie. Jerome is an ex England and GB international, with over 100 combined caps.
Before final foundations were laid, pupils filled time capsules with a variety of School memorabilia and buried them near to the entrance for future generations to discover.
In September 2019, Loughborough Amherst School will be welcoming eight leading junior tennis stars, following the partnership with Loughborough University and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). Loughborough University were announced last year as one of two National Academies for tennis, intended to nurture 14 to 18-yearolds who demonstrate the greatest future potential in the sport. The player selections took place at the beginning of 2019 and the chosen players will be provided with an excellent mainstream education at Amherst School, alongside worldclass coaching, science, medicine, and welfare expertise at Loughborough University. The tennis players will receive a flexible education and boarding that will fit arond their training. Their boarding house will be called Hahn House, in honour of alumna Sophie Hahn MBE who has won gold and silver medals for Great Britain in the Rio Paralympics as well as medals at the World and European Championships and the Commonwealth Games.
Foundation Races Ahead with Appointment of New Director of Sport The Board of Governors are delighted that Joanna Hackett has been appointed as the Foundation Director of Sport. The aim of this role is to increase participation of pupils and improve levels of sporting excellence across the Foundation. Joanna will work in all four Schools and the wider community, to offer equal opportunities to sport and 12
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exercise and ensure pupils can achieve the highest possible performance levels during their school life.
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Commenting on her new role, Joanna said: My personal philosophy for teaching is maximum participation within and outside the classroom. I believe this enables pupils to realise their full potential, and that all pupils are offered equal opportunities to be involved. “One of my most valuable assets as a leader is my ability to motivate the pupils and staff. This, along with my experience, subject knowledge, enthusiasm and expertise, will enable me to contribute positively to the future development of Sport within the Loughborough Schools Foundation.”
Campus Development Sports Following on from the completion of the new Parkin Sports Centre the Foundation is progressing with its next phase of works to improve the sporting facilities for our pupils with the refurbishment of the High School gym. The refurbished facility will include a dance studio, new changing rooms and following the successful fundraising campaign, a strength and conditioning suite for our aspiring pupils. The refurbishment works will be completed early in 2020.
All disposable cups used across the Foundation are now made from 100% recycled material and are 100% recyclable All packaging used for home-prepared food through our tuck shops is 100% recycled material and are 100% recyclable From September 2019 disposable plastic cutlery will no longer be used
Environment The Student Eco Committees are constantly challenging the Foundation to improve processes, practices and behaviours and be more environmentally friendly. We welcome the challenge and would like to share some of the achievements that have been made over the past 12 months.
Waste disposal units have been removed from the kitchens to stop food waste entering the sewage system Raw ingredients are locally sourced for school meals in order to reduce food miles The Eco Committees are working on ideas to reduce the amount of plate waste The water consumption across the campus has been audited and solutions have been implemented to reduce consumption Lighting has been upgraded to reduce energy consumption The amount of electricity purchased from renewable sources has increased
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Remembrance Loughborough Schools Foundation commemorated the Centenary of WWI with a stunning service in the grounds of the Schools on Friday 9 November, bringing together over 2,000 pupils, staff, governors and former pupils in a poignant moment of remembrance. With the Head pupils from Loughborough Grammar School, Loughborough High School, Loughborough Amherst School and Fairfield Prep School laying wreaths, this was a memorable event for the entire Foundation community to come together.
The Foundation also marked the Centenary with a one-of-a-kind art installation, designed and built by John Marsden, who is a member of staff at the Grammar School. Commemorating the 58 Loughborough Grammar School boys who fell in the First World War, the installation combined 15 mechanical poppies engineered to open and close when people hovered to read the plaques detailing some of the former pupils who lost their lives. John worked for 18 months on the project whilst Archivist John Weitzel, researched into the achievements and stories of the boys’, whilst they were pupils at the Grammar School. The installation was situated in the Orangery, in the Tower at Loughborough Grammar School.
In May, the Combined Cadet Force held their Annual Review at Loughborough Grammar School. The parade was inspected by Commander Peter Higgins RN AFC, who was a pupil at LGS between 19901997 before joining the Royal Navy and training as a helicopter pilot. He has enjoyed a highly successful career that has seen him captain several of Her Majesty’s warships, most recently HMS Protector, the Antarctic icebreaker.
Guests included Michael Kapur Esq OBE, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Admiral Sir Trevor Soar KCB OBE DL, governors, the Head Teachers of the Schools, and numerous old boys and girls, parents, staff, and friends of the Contingent. A splendid display by the Corps of Drums was followed by the Contingent paying tribute to Lt Col Don Wood who taught at the School from 1950-84, and was Contingent Commander from 1957. Commander Higgins then inspected the cadets, noting the fine quality of dress and drill. Following the presentation of the Priestley Sword to the senior cadet and parade commander, and the Trooping of the Standard, the cadets marched off and conducted a range of training stands to showcase their skills, ranging from shooting and archery to leadership and fieldcraft. The contingent and guests then returned to the Quad for The Wood-Beazley-Lane Drill Trophy which was once again won by the RAF with their creative display. There was also a showcase of pacesticking by four of the Army Senior Non-Commissioned Officers, who were followed by a combat demonstration by Patrol Platoon comprising a blank-firing assault down the Quad.
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Loughborough Grammar School Combined Cadet Force were also proud to take part in the Remembrance Parade through Loughborough Town Centre on Remembrance Sunday.
CCF Annual
Review
The Hipkin Trophy for the Field Gun Competition was hotly contested, with slick drills and fast times by the Royal Navy section setting the standard however, a nail-biting finish, saw the Army section reclaiming the trophy. At the end of the Review, there was an emotional farewell to our departing Year 13 cadets, who slow-marched off the Quad through the Tower, saluting the war memorial as they left. This was a fitting tribute to the huge amount of effort and dedication shown by our senior leaders.
John Weitzel Honoured with Prestigious Award
John worked in a number of roles at LGS including as a Teacher, Deputy Headmaster and Archivist and Judges for the award highlighted John’s inspirational work as a Maths Teacher after he joined the School in 1978. He was also praised for the six years he spent chairing the Quincentenary Committee celebrating the Grammar School’s 500th anniversary in 1995. In the role, John raised more than £700,000 for a new English and Drama block and led preparations for a visit by the Queen to open the building. Today the School’s Development Office and the Loughburians still rely on his passion and knowledge and one of John’s most admired qualities is his ability to remember nearly every one of Loughborough Grammar Schools Old Boys – including their academic aptitude, interests and parents. Commenting on his pride at winning such a prestigious award, John said:
“ John Weitzel served at Loughborough Grammar School for more than forty years, and was recognised with the Special Services to Independent Education Award, at the Tes Independent School Awards in April 2019.
It is a real honour to be recognised with this award which is testament to all the current pupils, ‘Old Boys’, and my colleagues over the last forty years. It has been a pleasure to spend my career at such an incredible school working with outstanding people.”
The awards were hosted by award-winning musical comedian and presenter Rachel Parris, herself a former pupil from Loughborough High School, and John was joined by three Grammar School Headmasters – Neville Ireland, Paul Fisher and Duncan Byrne.
Parkrun Takeover
Critical Incident Training
On one very windy Saturday morning in March, a group of staff volunteers from across Loughborough Schools Foundation came together to marshal at the Dishley parkrun. The takeover was planned as part of a wellbeing initiative to encourage runners and volunteers to come together and support each other at the event. There were 272 runners from across the region and neither they or the marshals, were beaten by the wintry weather. A bell was donated by the Foundation which was rung by any runner once over the line as a celebration of a PB, or if they just felt inspired!
A warm and welcoming atmosphere prevailed on the day, and the first Loughborough Schools Foundation parkrun takeover was deemed a great success.
Coming Soon School Bus Routes The Foundation has prioritised the management and safety aspects surrounding the home to school bus routes and our improved plans include the introduction of a management company to oversee the routes and offer a dedicated point of contact. An online application and payment process will be introduced as well as a mobile app which will provide parents with a real time view of the location of each vehicle. This will be in use for the Autumn term and further details will be displayed on the School websites.
We are sure that some of will have heard from your children about the Foundation’s Lockdown Plan, which we have been testing in all of the Schools over the last two terms. We wish to reassure parents that the decision to introduce this is not in response to any specific threat that the Foundation faces but is a reflection on the threats we, as a society, now face on a fairly regular basis. Our Lockdown Plan is just one of a suite of activities and plans the Foundation regularly reviews and tests, including Business Continuity and Critical Incident Training for Senior Staff.
Loughborough Grammar School 525 LGS are keen to celebrate the traditions and heritage of the Foundation and the Grammar School during the 525th anniversary of the School in 2020. A varied programme of events is currently being planned for all current pupils, the Loughburians, staff and the wider Loughborough community to enjoy. The activities recognise the characteristics that make the Grammar School unique and will include a Thanksgiving service in the Quad, a Heritage Open Day, an attempt at a Guinness World Record, a lecture series, musical events and a production of Les Misérables. Details on all of these events will be published in the Autumn term. SUMMER 2019
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Fairfield win Interski Group of the Season Award for exemplary behaviour during their ski trip
High School, Amherst School and Grammar School, Senior production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Students from Loughborough High School and Loughborough Amherst School complete the practice expedition for their DofE Gold Award
Loughborough Grammar School Art Exhibition
Loughborough Schools Foundation 3 Burton Walks Loughborough Leicestershire LE11 2DU
T: 01509 283700 www.lsf.org @LboroSchFdt
Denton House Boarders enjoy Chinese New Year
Loughborough Amherst School came 2nd in the ISA under 16’s Netball Tournament
Fairfield Reception pupils have completed a marathon! They have run every morning over the three terms of this academic year, to achieve a distance of 26.2 miles in total!
Loughborough Schools Foundation is a Company Limited by Guarantee, number 4038033, and is registered in England and Wales. It is also a Registered Charity, number 1081765. The Registered Office is 3 Burton Walks, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 2DU