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LPGS NEWSLETTER AUTUMN TERM 2022

A Message From The Headteacher

Welcome to our Autumn Term Newsletter celebrating many of the wonderful experiences and achievements of our students.

Thank you to our Creative Media Department for producing this and to all our staff who provide a wealth of opportunities for our students.

We are incredibly proud of our students and through this newsletter you can see why!

Wishing you a very happy holiday and a healthy and prosperous new year.

Ms Spence - Executive Headteacher

Y12 A LEVEL PHOTOGRAPHY AT LPGS - HASTINGS PHOTOGRAPHY TRIP

On Thursday 22nd September 2022, our new A Level Photography students set off on a short journey to sunny Hastings to do a photoshoot for their current coursework project called, A Sense of Place. Inspired by the work of photographers, Aaron Siskind and Paul Kenny, the students set about looking for aspects of the formal elements such as, line, tone, colour, texture etc. Their aim was to build a visual record of the spaces they were exploring using both digital and analogue cameras.

Careers

It has been a very busy and productive term at the LPGS Careers Academy!

Next Tech Girls Session With All Year 9 Students

We took part in a pilot test for a new organisation called Next Tech Girls. The organisation was set up to inspire females working in technology. It was a brilliant day with students learning how to code and meeting a host of females who work in technology who told them about their job and the pathway they took to get to where they are now. The clear message was that you do not have to have studied computer science to look at careers in this field. Next Tech will be coming back very soon to work with other year groups.

Year 10 WEX Programme Launched

In November, we launched the Year 10 work experience (WEX) programme. This year, all students in year 10 will be able to complete a week’s work experience in the week 22nd – 26th May 2023. Students are encouraged to pursue their own work experience by networking with friends and family. If students need some help and advice, they are most welcome to come and speak to me.

World of Work Wednesday

As usual, the whole school has taken part in WOWW. These are interactive sessions where professionals talk about their careers and students are encouraged to ask questions to our speakers. I am very proud to say that every week we run out of time as there are so many great questions asked! All of these are recorded and can be watched on FireFly, under the Careers Academy page.

This term we have already heard from:

Sandy Powell – Costume Designer

Katrina - an Art Curator

Youth environmental service to celebrate Green careers week

Bloomberg who delivered a session “The labour market explained”

Gemma - a female fire fighter

Ellie, our Head Girl last year – finding quality work experience and starting University

James - Careers in criminal investigation, policing and forensics.

Degree Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship season is now definitely upon us and Year 13 students are busy with their applications. There are definitely a higher number of students looking at this pathway as an alternative route to going to university full time with applications being made to KPMG, Ashurst, BDO, PWC, EY, Dentons, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and many others. Students needing any help with their applications are invited to book an appointment with me.

Year 11 Post 16 Destination Sessions

All students in year 11 have now taken part in form time post 16 destination sessions in the computer rooms with me. Here, we looked at the different routes available to them, completing tasks on UNIFROG to help them decide on which routes/subject choices are right for them after the completion of their studies this year.

Many students have already booked in with me for a 1:1 careers guidance meeting.

Digi Learning

Digi learning, presented to Year 12 and 13 about careers in digital and invited them to take part in their 6 week course. We had a huge uptake on this and feedback has been fantastic with students already being offered work experience placements from their mentors.

Oxbridge/Early UCAS Applications

I am excited to say that already, 7 Year 13 students have been invited to attend interviews at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford in subjects varying from law to medicine, mathematics, English and psychology and MFL. Last year LPGS had 3 students selected for interview so this is to be celebrated! We also have heard that two students have already been invited to interview for Dentistry and Medicine, this is extremely early for them to have received an invitation. I couldn’t be more proud of them and we all wish them the best of luck in their interviews in the coming weeks!.

Year 12 – AMOS Bursary Launch

Thank you to Ife and Divine, both LPGS Year 13 students who presented to Year 12 students this term about the fantastic career mentorship, education mentorship and networking opportunities offered to students from African or Caribbean heritage. The application process is competitive but the rewards are huge! Ife and Divine have both been awarded Scholar status and as a result they have been offered so many fantastic opportunities to further their career prospects. I would encourage students to apply for this over the Christmas break.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year! See you in January.

Mrs Hayden

Y12 Media Trip - Horror Workshop With the BBFC

This term Y12 Media students from Langley Park School for Girls visited Bromley Picturehouse to take part in a horror film workshop run by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and Into Film. The BBFC was set up in 1912 at the beginning of cinema. They focus helping people choose films by providing guidance on what’s right for them to watch and what they should avoid.

Day of the Girl Event

I found the Day of the Girl event on the London Eye so inspirational and motivating. In the speed mentoring, it was wonderful to speak to so many incredible women, who have achieved such amazing things. I really enjoyed listening to their stories and learning about their jobs and how they got to where they are today. I left feeling inspired to pursue what I love and want to do, even though there may be obstacles in the way. Doctor Shola Mos-Shogbamimu’s talk at the end of the event was so empowering and left me feeling confident and determined.

Rose A

Y12 A LEVEL PHOTOGRAPHY VISIT TO MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY

On Monday 21st November 2022, our group of Y12 A Level Photography students went on a trip to Middlesex University in Hendon, London. We were invited there by Alison Tanner, course leader for the BA Hons Degree course in Photography, following a recent presentation that she made to all our Visual Arts students at Langley Park School for Girls.

Next Tech Girls x LPGS

In October Year 9 students took part in an exciting day about women in the tech industry, run by Next Tech Girls. Students completed a coding and design workshop, followed by a Q&A with female software engineers. They learned how essential technology is in a wide range of careers, even fashion and health, and how women are breaking the gender bias in the industry. Students had lots of questions for the panellists and particularly wanted to know about the panellists different paths into tech. We all left feeling inspired and empowered for the future. We are looking forward to working with Next Tech Girls in the future to help smash the stereotype!

I thoroughly enjoyed the Next Tech Girls event, I learnt so much about an industry I had previously known little about and now I understand the importance of women in tech and how I can get there myself if I want to. I enjoyed the anecdotes of the speakers and enjoyed listening to how they got to where they are and the adversity they had to face. I was mostly interested in the design aspect of some jobs in tech, so the best part for me was the workshops where we explored this, these appealed the most and to me and made me feel inspired and want to learn more about working in tech.

Tilda A

I really enjoyed the Next Tech girls event as I learnt how girls can have a future in technology. It was very interesting to hear about people's experiences working in tech and the opportunities that are available in the future. I loved the workshops we had because I felt inspired and wanted to learn more about having a career in technology. I personally loved the design aspect of tech such as Scratch where we were able to create our own backgrounds and explore new programs and how they work.

Nisa M

Follow @nexttechgirls to find out more!

Sixth Form News

Year 12 - Prefect Process

We recently launched our sixth form application process and were astounded with the overwhelming amount of applications we received. We had over 90 applications and are very proud of all students who put themselves forward. Interviews took place during the penultimate week of term and we were thoroughly impressed by the calibre of students' answers. It was a hard decision and we ended up appointing more prefects than usual as we were so impressed with the quality of the candidates. Well done to the appointed students below:

We look forward to working closely with you over the rest of the academic year and seeing your ideas come to fruition.

Charity Month

Year 12 were involved in an interform challenge to raise money for Charity during the month of December. The charity that students chose to support was Crisis.

Students have been organising activities to raise as much money as possible. Some of the activities included staff v students football, KS3 disco, cakes and snack sales, students football world cup etc.

Students raised a total of £769.94 and should be proud of their efforts!

Year 13 - UCAS

We are pleased to annouce that over 150 UCAS applications have been submitted to universities with a number of students already receiving offers to all of their universities.

We have also had a number of students apply to Oxbridge universities and have been delighted at the number of students who have been offered interviews.

We hope to bring you even more great news in our Spring newsletter!

Yr 10 Fine Art Students Visit Maria Bartuszova at Tate Modern

In October, Year 10 Fine Art students visited the Maria Bartuszova exhibition at Tate Modern. Students made studies at the gallery and then recently in lessons have been enthusiastically making creative responses to Bartuszova’s work using balloon and plaster which will be part of their first project Surfaces and Structures for their GCSE coursework.

GCSE Visual Art work inspired by Maria Bartuszova

Spanish Exchange 2022-23

We were very excited to resume our long standing Spanish Exchange with Colegio Cisneros Alter in Tenerife. After 20 years our partnership is still going strong, despite a two year break due to the pandemic.

The Spanish students were very nervous to begin with, but soon settled into their host family life. They spent time in London during the week, visiting the London Eye, Winter Wonderland and other famous sights. They spent the day in school with our students, spending time getting to know each other through games and quizzes, and enjoyed learning about a typical Christmas in the UK.

We can’t wait to see them again in Tenerife next year!

Maths at LPGS

Cambodia 2023

Next year, maths teacher Miss Lonergan will be taking a group of twenty Y12 and Y13 students to Cambodia. This four-week expedition will offer the students a blend of project work, adventure and cultural immersion. Recently the students got together to do a bit of background research on Cambodia. We looked at food, culture, language and history. The food sounds wonderful and everyone is looking forward to seeing Angkor Wat and learning more about this fascinating country.

The design of Angkor Wat, Cambodia’s magnificent 12th century temple complex, is based on both mathematical and astrological concepts. Angkor Wat's simple building ratio of 4:5 and 6:7 rectangles are multiples of 216 metres. The side lengths directly map to years or seconds of the Earth's rotation.

Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP)

The Advanced Mathematics Support Programme is a government-funded initiative. It aims to increase participation in Core Maths, AS/A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics, and improve the teaching of these level 3 maths qualifications. The programme provides national support for teachers and students in state-funded schools and colleges in England. The AMSP runs a wide range of events. In the coming months students at Langley will be participating in the following;

• Oxbridge Admissions Interview Workshop with Dr Eugenia Cheng. Eugenia is a mathematician, educator, author, public speaker, columnist, concert pianist and artist. She is Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She won tenure in Pure Mathematics at the University of Sheffield, UK and is now Honorary Visiting Fellow at City, University of London. She has previously taught at the Universities of Cambridge, Chicago and Nice and holds a PhD in pure mathematics from the University of Cambridge.

• Setting Out in Problem Solving. A two-hour online session during which students will be introduced to how to think about problem solving, techniques for tackling problems and writing up solutions to problem solving activities. Students will also have opportunities to get hands on with some problem-solving activities and will be given information about university entry examinations and further problem-solving support available.

Below is an example of a problem that AMSP posted online as part of the daily puzzle for Maths England Week earlier in November.

Senior Maths Challenge

The Senior Maths Challenge was held at the beginning of October, a national competition organised by the UK Mathematics Trust, designed to encourage mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems. The more advanced senior challenge is mainly designed for Maths A level students and achieving an award of gold, silver or bronze is highly commendable, and also particularly challenging for the new Y12 students who have only been studying the more demanding maths A level work for under a term.

The Maths department were thrilled with the remarkable results; a total of 40 medals were awarded, with a gold medal certificate going to Ivy S, and silver medal certificates going to Bridget B, James C, Amy S, Stanley S, Ellen D, Alex C, Claire S, Rhianna B, Sandra G, Anna M, Shiloh G, Anna M, Shiloh R, Robyn W, Raffaele O and Sophie W, along with bronze medals in both Y12 and Y13. Well done to our sixth formers!

Retrieval Practice

Since the beginning of the academic year the Maths department have been focusing on the use of ‘retrieval practice’ as starters for our lessons, as it can help students to recall previous learning - not just from the previous lesson, but from work learned weeks, months or even years ago. The practice of retrieving concepts from memory multiple times helps individuals learn – the more times we retrieve something, the stronger our memory of it becomes. Retrieval practice not only interrupts the process of forgetting, but also strengthens the memory. Furthermore, it is a more effective way to learn than re-reading or re-studying. Mali S from year 7 commented ‘I like our lesson starters as they help us and our teachers see what we know and what we need to go over again’. Below is an example of a retrieval practice starter PowerPoint slide.

Christmas Activities

Below are some maths activities that can be completed at home over the Christmas break to keep your mind active!

https://lpgs.fireflycloud.net/resource.aspx?id=321738&officeint=on

https://lpgs.fireflycloud.net/resource.aspx?id=321673&officeint=on

A-Level German Berlin Trip

Report by Ivy S.

Well, I feel like we got the whole taste of Germany on our trip to Berlin! From WW2 to the East-West divide to the present day, we learnt about the German culture from across the past 100 years! Not only did we visit the DDR (GDR) Museum, Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Tränenpalast (East/West Berlin border crossing point), Brandenburg Gate, Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, the Reichstagsgebäude (German version of Houses of Parliament), the Berlin Wall and the Stasi (East German secret police) Museum and more, but we visited a Christmas market, popular German shops and, to top it all off, it snowed!!!

It was a good combination of the more difficult history to take in and the magic of the immense city covered in a blanket of snow. Plus, of course, it was great fun to spend a whole long weekend with friends from our class and new friends from Year 12, and to speak a lot of German! I particularly enjoyed going for lunch and visiting the DDR Museum with the English students from our partner school in Berlin; it was amazing to have such a long conversation in German and to make new German friends, whom I have kept in contact with since we left.

Overall, it was a fantastic and informative trip, and I can’t wait to return! A humongous thanks to Mrs Mocanu and, particularly, Mrs Stavrou for organising the trip and taking us all around the city for four whole days – we saw a lot, discovered a lot, learnt a lot and laughed a lot (a lot), and it was all thanks to them!

Visual Arts - Hugh Henderson Portrait Session Yr 11

Year 11 student, Francesca D, won the Jack Petchey award and donated some of her winnings to enable the Year 11 Fine Art students to complete a portraiture session with local practising portrait artist Hugh Henderson for their project Fragments.

Music at LPGS

As well as all the music making in curriculum lessons, this year we have hit record breaking numbers in our Music extra-curricular groups which is really exciting! The following groups are on offer – FOR FREE and will be taking new members in January so it's not too late to get involved:

Year 7 Band – open to all Yr.7 instrumentalists

Chamber Orchestra – open to all string players

Chamber Choir – open to all Yr.9+

Young Voices – open to all Yr.7 & 8

Steel Band – open to all

Belles – open to all

Concert Band – Yr.8 + wind, brass and percussion

Jazz Band – Gr.4+ instrumentalists

Flute Group – Gr.4+ flautists

Saxtet – open to all sax players

Grade 5 Theory – open to all

Song Writing – open to all

Senior String Quintet – currently full

Ivory Lounge – open to all pianists

At Open Evening in September, the Concert Band and Jazz Band joined together to make one giant group and rehearsed/entertained new Year 6 parents solidly for 3 and a half hours! The mammoth session paved the way beautifully for our Music Tour as only two short weeks after Open Evening, we took the bands and choirs to the Isle of Wight.

Music Tour came around even quicker than usual this year as Covid meant we had to go in February in the previous academic year. We spent a jam packed 4 days on the Isle of Wight including the following activities:

- Abseiling & zip-wire at PGL

- Halloween night walk at Shanklin Chine

- Bowling

- Wildheart Animal Sanctuary visit and close encounter with lemurs

- The Needles chairlift (a bit of a scary experience as it was quite windy!)

- Sand art

- Sweet making demonstration

- Shopping time in Ryde

But more importantly, we performed in three concerts, one with the students that belong to the Isle of Wight Music Service which gave the students a lovely opportunity to meet some like-minded people.

Following the success of Hairspray in the Summer, in the first week after half term, we jumped straight into Addams Family The Musical auditions which took an amazing 4 nights after school as so many students wanted to get involved. Congratulations to all who were successful and are now a part of the 2023 LPGS production. We cannot wait to work with you!

Next up in early November, Year 11 were put through their paces with their first solo recital of the year. We are very proud of the progress they have made. Some performances were truly outstanding.

On 15th and 16th November our Year 7 Mamma Mia concerts then took place which is an annual tradition at LPGS. Every form group takes part and both nights were sold out. The students had the opportunity to share their hard-work with the audience and perform on the LPGS stage for the very first time. They perform a programme of Abba hits to a live band and the soloists and presenters that put themselves forward showed real bravery as they really havent been at secondary school for that long. I am also pleased to report that the confetti cannons went off this year too, adding even more pizazz to the big finale!

At the time of writing, we still have our Performance Faculty event on Wednesday 7th December, our first Year 7 scheme concert of the year, our sold out Winter Concert on Wednesday 14th December, achievement assembly performances for each year group in the last week and our reward trip to ‘Phantom of the Opera’ on Tuesday 20th December!

We congratulate the singing students that have passed their singing exams this term:

Evie A - Grade 3

Mariela A - Grade 3

Lucy B - Grade 6

Lottie C - Grade 5

Trixi A - Grade 5

And finally, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for the latest news and clips of what goes on each week: @LPGSMusicDept

Miss Sheppard

Spanish A Level Trip to Seville

On the first day, after we arrived at the hotel, we had lunch at the Mercado Lonja del Barranco to try some typical dishes. We then explored the Plaza de España, which is a historical landmark just a short walk away from the city centre, known for its impressive architecture. It was nice to see the how the architectural origins varied between the different landmarks. After that we had dinner at Uno de Delicias where we tried dishes like croquetas, tortilla, patatas bravas. The food was very authentic, and we got to sample what Spanish people typically eat.

On the second day, we did a walking tour of the Triana district in Spanish with our own guide, who taught us about the history of the city and its culture. With our guide, we visited Real Parroquia de Señora Santa Ana, learning about its history and importance. After we explored more of the city and had lunch, we visited the Plaza de Toros. Seeing the architecture and reading about the building’s significance taught us more about the tradition of bullfighting and its legacy in Spain. In the evening, we had a tapas dinner while watching a flamenco performance. It was exciting seeing this traditional dance brought to life as well as visiting different parts of Seville as it ties into the work we do in lesson and is a principal part of Spanish culture.

On the third day of our trip, we started off by visiting ‘Las Setas de Seville’ or ‘The Mushrooms of Seville’, which is wooden structure named after its mushroom-shaped design. It was interesting to see the contrast between this modern structure and the much older buildings nearby. After that we walked back to the centre of Seville to explore the Seville Cathedral, a huge Roman Catholic Cathedral. We began by climbing La Giralda, a tower connected to the cathedral with views of all of Seville, and then we went inside the main area of the Cathedral. It was full of intricate artwork including religious paintings and statues, as well as carvings and sculptures all over the walls, inside and out. Then we went to the Alcázar, just opposite the Cathedral. This is a palace that was built during Spain’s Islamic era and showcases traditional Islamic/Arabic designs made of tiles. It was colourful and detailed and gave us a good insight into some of the parts of Spain’s history that link to our curriculum. Finally, we attended a cooking class which was conducted completely in Spanish and we learned how to cook two Spanish dishes, paella and gazpacho. It was a very memorable experience as we learned about how to prepare these meals in a fun way. Overall the trip was an amazing experience and we all really enjoyed it!

Angela A, Zian G, Sophie W

Media & The British Film Institute

Interested in the film industry? My experience on a BFI Film Academy Course

My name is Amy S and I’m Year 12 BTEC Digital Creative Media student. I am passionate about the world and craft of filmmaking and believe that it’s important to develop your skills and gain experience in your desired fields and passions wherever possible. I came across the BFI Film Academy and their short courses when researching ways to gain insight into working on professional film sets.

Me holding the boom mic on set

Courses are often advertised through social media with links to their websites. There is an array of choices from animation to audience development. I joined the CTVC London course and had the opportunity to work with the BAFTA award winning TV, radio and digital production company every step of my journey. When applying I answered questions about my interest in film and provided examples through my photography work. When applying, it is important to note that no film experience is required, the course is incredibly beginner friendly, however it’s good to have some photographic evidence of any work you think may put you in good stead.

Once my application had been accepted, I met other like-minded students on the course and we were put into groups so that we could produce a film together. I spent the majority of my Thursday evenings (from October to the start of December) in masterclasses with film critics, cinematographers, directors such as Rob Savage (Host, 2020) and editors such as Game of Throne’s, Meredith Leece. Not only did I take notes of their invaluable advice, I filled out a small report at the end of each session to contribute to my Silver Arts Award. This is a qualification I am earning as part of the course.

Once the masterclass segment of the course was complete my group and I moved onto the film development. During this time we created short animations as part of a weekend workshop and then began to develop ideas for our short film. I was in charge of the majority of the pre-production; writing the script, sourcing actors and locations for our initial idea. I also handled our legal side by providing all our cast with release forms and drawing up a call sheet which showed our schedule for the shoot day (including the weather forecast and the nearest hospitals). While this seemed like a lot of work, it was integral to our film as we couldn’t start without fulfilling these necessary requirements.

My group and I receiving our achievement certificates after the screenings.

Please see below for further opportunities coming your way in the new year here at LPGS and via the BFI Young Filmmakers' Clubs...

LPGS ACHEIVEMENT AWARDS AUTUMN 2022

Below are the student achievement awards for the Autumn term 2022. Please click on the images to see a large version

Credits:

Created with images by Romolo Tavani - "Golden Christmas Tree In Red Festive Background" • Tierney - "Career with man using a laptop in a modern gray chair" • sutulastock - "empty photo Studio with white cyclorama. Monoblocks with flashes using softboxes of different shapes. photographic studio space with white cyclorama" • Tierney - "Connected circles chart with abstract high speed technology POV motion blur" • chrisdorney - "Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge" • Svetlana Gryankina - "Brandenburg Gate in Berlin" • BillionPhotos.com - "Classic sheets with music notes sign"