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15/02/25

Wishing staff and students heading off to Davos, Switzerland for this year's ski trip, a fantastic and memorable adventure. Have a great time! pic.twitter.com/O6yjQN3kaU

14/02/25

Term Date - a reminder that next week is half term. Have an enjoyable break and we look forward to seeing you all back on Monday 24 February. pic.twitter.com/8kOl6XSHtW

14/02/25

Wow! What a busy week it's been at SJL, Headteacher Mr Newbery gives a round up of the highlights - plus the latest SJL Newsletter is out now - https://t.co/Qh6Dn325yS pic.twitter.com/YSDW1h6Asy

14/02/25

Oracy Week: Some Year 7 and Year 8 students put their persuasive skills to the test in a debating competition - from constructing strong arguments to thinking on their feet, they showcased fantastic confidence when delivering their arguments. pic.twitter.com/gQ2KAzgzjP

13/02/25

Oracy Week - Year 7 King form group delivered a fantastic assembly today on ‘the true meaning of love’ - helping to build on their oracy skills and learning the power of clear, expressive speech. Well done to all involved!#OracyWeek pic.twitter.com/yYtFTSBfzw

13/02/25

Oracy Week - students working in small groups with a Spanish teacher helping to sharpen their Spanish skills through conversation. pic.twitter.com/0Frf60tnxK

13/02/25

Our next Second-Hand School Uniform Sale will take place tomorrow (Thursday 13 February) from 3.30pm in M1. All the uniform in stock has been freshly laundered. pic.twitter.com/auAtfoLG7i

13/02/25

We are very proud that five of our Year 13 students have been offered places at Cambridge University - this is an amazing accomplishment and a testament to their hard work and dedication. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.#SJLProud pic.twitter.com/72WKS43kn4

12/02/25

Some Year 12 students taking part in have been selling charms as part of their business Charm Parlour. The scheme helps students to create their own business; managing company finances, promotion and sales. A great way to build practical business skills! pic.twitter.com/VM4mQy1iH2

12/02/25

Oracy Week; Some Year 8 students enjoyed a reading café in English class, chatting with each other about the books they are currently reading using thought-provoking questions prepared by Mrs Hamilton. A great way to build discussion skills and articulate ideas.#OracyWeek pic.twitter.com/3yZPuqMfHP

12/02/25

Oracy Week; yesterday three students from our Climate Action Group attended the Hertfordshire Youth COP - taking part in a climate debate where they put forward arguments on how to tackle climate change, showing excellent oracy skills as they justified the decisions made. pic.twitter.com/Idc64fwzu6

11/02/25

Oracy Week; Mrs Hamilton gave an assembly to Year 8 students about the power of language, encouraging students to use their voice in lessons by answering questions, getting involved in debates and taking part in class discussions. pic.twitter.com/cRnCKeSbJm

11/02/25

Our Year 9 Animal Studies students had an unforgettable experience with meeting an incredible range of animals up close, getting hands-on and learning lots of fascinating facts. A wonderful way to learn beyond the classroom!#animalstudies pic.twitter.com/CXGhQ1xxhQ

10/02/25

Oracy Week; the power of storytelling. Mrs Chowdry is currently reading one of Richard Osman’s murder mystery novels to her Year 8 form group - the students say they can imagine the story better having it read aloud to them, helping to bring the book to life. pic.twitter.com/NJMu0BTY9q

10/02/25

Last week our Year 7 students had an assembly on cybercrime in order to help them create a safe digital environment to navigate the online world. pic.twitter.com/cfAt8EQGqt

10/02/25

Our students are hard at work rehearsing for the Gym and Dance Display - the routines look incredible! Grab your tickets and come and see for yourself - performances taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday this week at 6pm. Tickets available via ParentPay. pic.twitter.com/ZvHAiNCSCz

10/02/25

Oracy Week - this week we’re celebrating the power of spoken language to help students build confidence, learn to express ideas clearly and develop their communication skills. From debates to presentations and discussions, lots of opportunities to find their voice.#oracyweek pic.twitter.com/ZAO6AwS4jF

08/02/25

Saturday Morning Football vs Marlborough 7s won 3-0 8s won 5-2 9s won 3-2 10s drew 3-3 Well done to all of the boys involved in a fantastic morning of school sport ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/nUBg0mLvTE

07/02/25

This week's Friday roundup with Headteacher Mr Newbery - plus the latest SJL Newsletter is out now- https://t.co/Qh6Dn31xJk pic.twitter.com/CLpx45chVP

07/02/25

We are incredibly grateful to our SJL community who have donated to our January charity drive - we have collected plastic tubs to help raise money for and food for the St Albans District foodbank. Thank you so much for your support!#SJLproud pic.twitter.com/cBqYNjvFIN

07/02/25

Lights, camera, interrogations! – our Year 12 BTEC media students have been busy producing a criminal interrogation scene in the tv studio using intense dialogue and gripping power plays to showcase their filmmaking skills.#tvstudio pic.twitter.com/jkbbVHL2Z9

06/02/25

Have you got your tickets yet!? Our talented students are busy preparing for the SJL showstopper Gym and Dance display taking place next week on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 February. Tickets are available on ParentPay - This is an event not to be missed! pic.twitter.com/ZZwoaMhznD

06/02/25

In phyisics lesson Year 12 students were investigating the effects of length, tension and mass per unit length on the frequency of a vibrating string. pic.twitter.com/I6TzsH6xTN

04/02/25

Reminder to Year 9 parents that online Parents’ Evening is taking place from 4.30pm today. pic.twitter.com/DyUvaTtGqU

04/02/25

Year 8 students have been busy mocking up designs for their candle stick holders in Design & Technology class - which they will later make using wood and metal. pic.twitter.com/Hud1Xv91HL

British Values

At Sir John Lawes School, we are dedicated to promoting values which ensure our pupils develop a strong sense of social and moral responsibility, and which prepare the young people at the school for life in modern Britain. Values such as individual liberty, democracy, the rule of law, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs are embedded in the school’s ACE (Achievement Care Excellence) ethos, but are also promoted in a variety of ways throughout the school year.

A full evaluation of this provision is underway, but here are some examples of some of the ways British Values are promoted at Sir John Lawes:

  • The Life Skills curriculum teaches all these values and we have discrete units of work to promote British Values and teach the challenges of life in modern Britain. However, students already learn about many of these values through the Life Skills and General Studies curriculum. In addition, regular enrichment events such as the Mock Trial Competition promote democracy and the rule of the law to Years 9 and upwards, and the annual Model United Nations Assembly – as part of the school’s International Enrichment Day – promotes respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.
  • Other subject areas also promote these values within their existing curriculum, and R.E., History, Geography, MFL and English in particular. Two examples of the ways these values are promoted can be found in the Year 9 English curriculum and the Year 8 R.S. curriculum. In Year 9 English, pupils study either Nineteen Eighty-Four or Animal Farm and a significant part of the process is the engagement with the social contexts, including the impact of extremist views and totalitarian states. In Year 8 Religious Studies, pupils study attitudes to prejudice and discrimination, promoting tolerance of different cultures and the benefits of mutual respect.
  • Outside of lessons, British Values are promoted throughout the year as part of our pastoral programme. About 6 or 7 times each year, pupils will learn about British Values through assemblies aimed at actively promoting these values, but also through Thought for the Week sessions in tutor groups, where pupils get a chance to lead learning on these topics, and explore what the values are and why they are significant to modern Britain.
  • Extra-curricular opportunities also offer plenty of opportunities for pupils to learn about the importance of British Values. Other than the Mock Trial Competition and International Enrichment Day, the weekly 6th form Debating Club explores issues relevant to modern Britain, the Junior Leadership Team and many student voice panels teach students to uphold democracy and appreciate the rule of law, and the varied opportunities embedded in the school’s 21st Century Learning ethos encourage pupils to develop the mindsets and attitudes necessary to adopt core British values.

On balance, British Values are embedded across the school at Sir John Lawes and are integral to our ACE ethos. But we are also keen to find gaps and evaluate the ways in which we promote these more explicitly to students. The school’s rich SMSC provision helps us to do this, and we track and evaluate the ways in which British Values are promoted and linked within the following SMSC strands in particular:

  • Recognising right and wrong
  • Resolving conflicts
  • Understanding and exploring diversity
  • Understanding moral codes
  • Understanding others’ beliefs
  • Understanding how societies and communities function
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