Blogs

Friday 11 July 2025 Final update of the year ‘The flourishing of each and every pupil, is our garden at its very best, and we remain diligent in our custodianship of all that has been and will be planted in the future.' The bulk of this week's Head's Update is an extract taken from my Speech Day address. It seemed useful to include it, not least because I am rather taken with the analogy, but also because the thanks are so important and you would have only heard this if your child is in Year 7 or above.
Friday 27 June 2025 The importance of friendship During the summer holiday, World Friendship Day will be celebrated on Wednesday 30th July this year. From a child's perspective, it is possible that there is nothing more important to them than their friends. Childhood friendship is laughter, play, discovery. It is a vivid, wild, creative world apart from dreary grown-ups. As children become adolescents, friendship helps them to navigate and anchor their changing selves.
Thursday 26 June 2025 Safe, Seen and Supported - Why safeguarding in private schools sets a different standard As Headteacher, I am often asked what truly sets a private school apart. Parents naturally expect high-quality teaching, smaller class sizes, and exceptional facilities - and rightly so. But one aspect of independent education that is perhaps less discussed, yet just as critical, is this:
Thursday 19 June 2025 Get into the garden A couple of years ago, l visited the Chelsea Flower Show to support a friend who had been successful in securing the design of the show garden sponsored by the RSPCA. Obviously, it was a huge honour to see his garden, but it was also extremely eye-opening to realise the months and months of designing, planning and sheer hard graft that go into creating the show gardens. All of them are removed in full by the end of the fourth day after the show – a feat in itself. Luckily, the RSPCA garden has been reassembled at an RSPCA base in Cheshire. It strikes me how much teaching has in common with gardening – not least the toil and hope for great outcomes.
Thursday 12 June 2025 Leadership matters and a blast from the past A quick search on Google on the topic of ‘leadership' currently yields 3,030,000+ results. New books on the subject are constantly being added and there seem to be a wealth of training courses on offer. We are mindful in school that many qualities of good leadership are just good qualities per se; and our pupils seem to possess them by the bucket load. So, what makes a good leader&quest;
Tuesday 27 May 2025 Music & Wellbeing - together in perfect harmony This week I am unashamedly sharing an excellent article written by Dr Hazel Harrison on Music and Wellbeing. Here at LCS, we are very aware of the transformational power of music and the benefits we appreciate from having such a musical community. As we reflect in the beautiful music of Easter and look towards the musical showcase that is Speech Day, it’s a good moment to acknowledge the science to back up our experiences, as Dr Harrison tells us: Music holds a significant place in bolstering wellbeing, contributing to mood enhancement, fostering social connections and alleviating feelings of isolation and stress. Music can trigger the release of positive chemicals in the body, similar to the effects of physical exercise. A person will often have an individual relationship with a song or genre, and these pieces of music may also provide a way to express emotions.
Monday 19 May 2025 Qualities of Leadership A quick search on Google on the topic of ‘leadership’ currently yields millions of results. New books on the subject are constantly being added and there seem to be a wealth of training courses on offer. We are mindful in school that many qualities of good leadership are just good qualities per se; and our pupils seem to possess them by the bucket load. So, what makes a good leader&quest;
Monday 12 May 2025 Starfish & Snowflakes - why every little bit counts Some of you may have already heard these ‘Snowflake’ and ‘Starfish’ stories, however, there is something so beautiful, simple and powerful in their message that they bear the retelling here.
Thursday 1 May 2025 A lesson in confidence When parents of prospective pupils come to see me, they often ask how the school instils such confidence in its pupils. This question often arises from the tour of the school conducted by current pupils who have successfully displayed a friendly personable maturity without tipping over into an unattractive arrogance. Indeed, only this week I have been commended on a tour taken by some prospective parents – Emily and Oliver, huge thanks to you! Of course, it’s not just prospective parents who meet our pupils. Throughout the year our pupils will meet all sorts of visitors to school: alumni, dignitaries, VIPs and other children. I am always impressed with the courtesy, good nature and assurance that characterises the LCS pupil and it starts young - our Longdon pupils are often commended for their interactions with our visitors, too.
Wednesday 16 April 2025 Supporting Mental Health in Schools Children who are in good mental health can learn more effectively, are equipped to deal with the challenges of daily life, and grow into young adults who are resilient and capable.
Wednesday 16 April 2025 Lichfield Cathedral: A Timeless Treasure of Gothic Architecture and History
Thursday 3 April 2025 The Dimbleby Lecture Gareth Southgate has recently delivered a Richard Dimbleby lecture on the position of young men in society today. Whilst his speech is broader in scope than I would wish to address here, he certainly makes a strong case for the need for positive role models for young men and, given that every other person I have spoken to is talking about Adolescence on Netflix, it seems his words were extremely prescient.
Monday 24 March 2025 Arts education improves employability HM King Charles III has always been a great supporter of the Arts. He also recognises the importance of this type of education in schools and has convened a star-studded gathering of the great and the good from drama, music, art, dance, comedy, teaching (and politics) to create a plan for resurrecting creative arts in schools. The gathering was responding to the alarming and rapid decline of opportunities in the Arts in many schools.
Friday 14 March 2025 Gardening is great! This week I am inspired by the sunshine that is beginning to make an appearance. That said, as I write this I am aware that the forecast for when you may be reading this is rather less clement! However, having listened to an amazing lecture last week on the mental and physical wellbeing benefits of being outdoors in the ‘greenery’, having benefitted from the lovely weekend weather, and having had a splendid few months planning our primary nature curriculum with Mrs Churton, I am turning my attention to the great outdoors.
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.
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.
Thursday 6 February 2025 Children's Mental Health Week In Children’s Mental Health Week, I thought I would focus on the concept of stress.
Friday 31 January 2025 The importance of being cheerful Well, this is definitely one of my favourite subjects. Replace cheerful with joyful and we are reminded of our school motto ‘Inservi Deo et laetare’ – ‘Serve God and be joyful’. With our Foundation Day having been celebrated this week, looking to our roots and the importance of joy in school life is most apposite. So why is being cheerful such a potent thing? It’s certainly a prerequisite to teaching and is a quality we look for in any candidates we interview for appointment here in school. So let’s think about cheerfulness. People who are genuinely cheerful can light up a room, they inspire others to achieve their goals and bring a feeling of happiness and well-being wherever they go. Being cheerful involves a positive perspective on life, a sense that things happen for a reason and that things will work out for the best. Benefits of being cheerful:- It helps us feel better. When we make an effort to be more cheerful life becomes easier.
Friday 24 January 2025 Blue Monday?? Don't accept everything you're told! Monday 20 January was the day this year when we are judged to be at our most depressed. This concept was born in Cardiff University in 2005, when a mathematical formula was created to show us just how miserable we should be:
Tuesday 7 January 2025 A New Year's Resolution? The start of the new year might cause you to think about undertaking some resolutions. This got me thinking about new year’s resolutions in general - why do we focus on them, where have they come from and are they the right way forward? Ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4,000 years ago. They were also the first to hold recorded celebrations in honour of the new year, although for them the year began not in January but in mid-March, when the crops were planted and they made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed. These promises could be considered the forerunners of our New Year’s resolutions. If the Babylonians kept to their word, their (pagan) gods would bestow favour on them for the coming year. If not, they would fall out of the gods’ favour - a place no one wanted to be. A similar practice occurred in ancient Rome, after Julius Caesar e
Tuesday 3 December 2024 Exploring the Benefits of Independent Schools in Sutton Coldfield: A Parent's Guide Sutton Coldfield, a picturesque suburb of Birmingham, has seen a significant rise in the demand for independent schools. This trend reflects a shift towards personalised education experiences that cater to individual student needs.
Tuesday 3 December 2024 A Guide to the Top Private Schools in Staffordshire Private schooling in Staffordshire offers numerous advantages. With a growing number of families exploring this option, understanding what makes these schools unique is vital.