Headteacher's blog

• Wednesday 12 March 2025 M3 Challenge weekend Four intrepid students dared to undertake this year's MathWorks Math Modelling Challenge Weekend - a 14 hour international Maths competition open to Sixth Form students. Jess, Zephan, Theo and Danae used Maths and data to solve open-ended and timely real-world problems during a 14-hour continuous work time slot (breaks are recommended!) and they had no idea what the challenge was about until the clock started. Teams can use computers, books, reference works and internet sources to help them complete the challenge, but they cannot discuss the problem, nor seek help via any means or method from a coach or anyone other than their teammates.
• Tuesday 11 March 2025 Taking inspiration from St Chad Last week we celebrated St Chad’s day (officially 2nd March). The Cathedral would not be here were it not for St Chad and last Wednesday a special service took place for his patronal festival. All of the bishops from Chad to our current Bishop Michael Ipgrave (99 in total) were listed and remembered. The College of Canons then celebrated Chad with a meal and a drink from a memorial cup called the Loving Cup (you may have seen the photos in last week's Update). In addition, on Monday pupils in Years 5, 6 and 7 took part in our annual St Chad’s pilgrimage walk to St Chad’s Well.
• Monday 10 March 2025 Exploring philosophy and theology Last Monday, Year 12 and 13 Philosophy, Ethics & Theology students visited Coventry Cathedral to listen to world renowned philosopher and theologian Dr Peter Vardy talk at a Candle Conference exploring the topic of 'Evil and the God of Love'.
• Saturday 8 March 2025 Cathedral Choir concert in Sutton Coldfield The Lichfield Cathedral Choir will once again be performing a concert at the Holy Trinity Parish Church in Royal Sutton Coldfield.
• Friday 7 March 2025 St Chad This week we celebrate St Chad’s day (officially 2nd March). The Cathedral would not be here were it not for St Chad and last week on Wednesday a special service took place for his patronal festival. All of the bishops from Chad to our current Bishop Michael Ipgrave (99 in total) were listed and remembered. The College of Canons then celebrated Chad with a meal and a drink from a memorial cup called the Loving Cup. In addition, on Monday pupils in Years 5, 6 and 7 took part in our annual St Chad’s pilgrimage walk to St Chad’s Well.
• Thursday 6 March 2025 Quiz Night - Friday 14 March, 7.30pm, Cathedral Enjoy an evening of quizzing among friends and support the Lichfield Cathedral Choristers!
• Wednesday 5 March 2025 National Apprenticeship Show Students from Years 11 and 12 travelled to the Coventry Building Society Arena last week to speak with a wide range of companies and organisations all offering apprenticeship opportunities. Stallholders ranged from Aldi, Tesco and Royal Mail to the Army, Rolls Royce and the NHS. The Show also incorporated UniversityFest, so that students could meet University teams to learn about Higher Education pathways.
• Tuesday 4 March 2025 College of Canons Supper Choristers and Choral Scholars enjoyed a meal in the Cathedral after Evensong on Wednesday for the annual College of Canons Supper. A Loving Cup is passed along the dining table with each person saying the school motto as they hand it to their neighbour to take a sip of (non alcoholic) wine. The cup used last night was the Hackett chalice cup, which dates from 1662. Bishop Hackett paid for the restoration of the Cathedral after the Civil War, and his grave is the one in the south quire aisle with the man lying down in full robes. When the Civil War soldiers came in and saw him praying the 1662 Prayer Book, they told him to stop or they would kill him. He simply turned to them and said, “You must do what you must do and I must do what I must do“. He kept praying and they didn’t kill him. Evensong is sung each week by Choristers and Choral Scholars on Tuesday to Friday at 5.30pm and Sunday at 3.30pm together with Sunday Eucharist at 10.30am.
• Monday 3 March 2025 Getting to the heart of Maths Before half term, Mrs Reynolds' Year 9 class used graphs to plot a mathematical heart for Valentine's Day!
• Sunday 2 March 2025 Lent 2025 - Living Hope Lent begins on Wednesday, 5th March - Ash Wednesday - and continues for 40 days (Sundays are not included), meaning that it culminates in Holy Week (beginning with Palm Sunday) and finishes on Holy Saturday, 19 April. The Church of England’s Lent theme for 2025 is Living Hope.
• Thursday 27 February 2025 Choral Workshop - 23 March - for Years 2-5 An exciting afternoon workshop for boys and girls interested in becoming a Cathedral Chorister will be held on Sunday 23rd March.
• Wednesday 26 February 2025 Revision - French style! Mrs Albans and Mme Smith invited our A level students into school last Friday during half term to do revision on the theme of 'cinema'. We did some work on vocabulary, grammar and A level questions in the morning, followed by lunch (which Mrs Albans cooked!) and then watched Amelie (2001).Mme Smith
• Tuesday 25 February 2025 National Cross-Country Championships
• Monday 24 February 2025 Half term upgrades Parents and visitors to the Longdon campus will notice quite a difference following the half term holiday. Our fantastic Facilities team worked long and hard to make improvements to the outdoor areas, notably the Forest Tots area (photo), new fencing, the emptying and removal of the two shipping containers, a new roof for the Forest School Shelter and a clearing and tidy-up of the whole site.
• Wednesday 19 February 2025 Netball success A very good win for our Y5/6 girls over Dixie Grammar last week.
• Tuesday 18 February 2025 Fantastic footballing future Congratulations to Poppy (Year 4) who has been invited to join Derby County’s Emerging Talent Centre.
• Monday 17 February 2025 Rotary Schools' Concert @ Garrick Theatre LCS students will be taking part in the Rotary Schools' Concert at the Garrick Theatre on Wednesday 5th March.
• Monday 17 February 2025 More TT Rock Stars! Years 3 to 6 took part in another national times tables competition last Friday - NSPCC Rocks!
• Sunday 16 February 2025 How to Prepare for School It’s exciting and nerve-wracking, sending your little one to school. At Lichfield Cathedral School, our Nursery welcomes children as young as two and a half years of age, and children enter Reception at the start of the academic year in which they reach five years of age. Attending the Nursery helps prepare little ones for the transition to Reception. However, if you are keeping your child home for those early years, there is no reason he or she shouldn’t be just as prepared, as long as you are proactive.
• Sunday 16 February 2025 Crafting choristers Friendship was certainly in the air this week. Choristers celebrated Galentine’s and Palentine’s Days by exchanging cards they had made for each other.
• Saturday 15 February 2025 Amazing Maisie 2nd in UK in Pole Vault Last Saturday, Maisie (Year 8) competed in pole vault at the National Age Group Championships in Sheffield against 14 of the best vaulters in the UK.
• Friday 14 February 2025 Everything You Need to Know About Exams in 2025 We are approaching a pivotal time in the academic career of Year 11 and Year 13 students across the UK, as they prepare to take their GCSE and A Level examinations this summer term. Preparing for exams can be stressful, and students often feel a mix of anxiety and anticipation as they approach this milestone, which can have a significant impact on their future. If you are feeling nervous about preparing for the GCSE exams, we can help with this guide to effectively prepare for your exams, so that you can approach them confidently and achieve the best results possible.
• Friday 14 February 2025 Valentine - an insight into our Cathedral assembly Each week on the Lichfield campus, we start Mondays and Wednesdays in the Cathedral. Sometimes we are sharing collective worship or hymn practice, and mostly on Wednesdays we hear from our Heads of School and Head Prefects. This week they spoke about Valentine’s Day – with a very LCS spin. I thought you may like an insight into what they had to say:
• Friday 14 February 2025 Shakespearean cupcakes ...? Year 4 are currently studying the works of William Shakespeare and have been busy reading Macbeth.
• Thursday 13 February 2025 Flood defence competition In the after-school Science Club, Year 7 and 8 pupils have entered the Independent Schools Association's national STEAM competition to design a flood-proof house.
• Wednesday 12 February 2025 Supporting Midlands Air Ambulance Year 3 recently hosted a fantastic fundraising event in support of the Children’s Air Ambulance. The initiative focused on collecting second-hand clothes, and we were thrilled with the incredible response.
• Tuesday 11 February 2025 ISA Midlands Cross-Country Championship In late January, LCS took a small team of athletes to Bedstone College for the ISA Midlands Cross-Country Championships. This was the first time the school had entered the event and, after success in the ISA Midlands competitions, we were hoping for more of the same.
• Monday 10 February 2025 U13 & U14 Boys' Hockey Tournament LCS recently headed to the annual In2 Midlands Hockey Tournament at NULS. Due to face some strong competition, the U13/14 boys were nevertheless full of excitement and hope.
• Sunday 9 February 2025 Concerto Concert - Sat 1 March, 7.30pm Listen to outstanding Lichfield Cathedral School soloists perform, supported by professional musicians.
• Saturday 8 February 2025 Semele - Tue 11th, Wed 12th & Thurs 13th February Tickets are still available, but selling quickly, for next week's performances of Handel's Semele.

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