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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

Welcome

Welcome to Sir John Lawes School.

We look forward to meeting you and we know that you will have a really happy time here.

At SJL you will have the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of subjects and activities. Sports, music, dance, art, drama, movie making, robotics and astronomy are some of the opportunities and experiences that are waiting for you at SJL.

Joining us from primary school

We will have a dedicated section of our website ready for you to help you with leaving your primary school and moving to the new, much bigger world of secondary education. Our aim is to make all our new students feel welcome and safe so that you hit the ground running at the start of Year 7 and make a great start to what will hopefully be some of the best years of your life.

Joining us from other years

Moving schools can be worrying and stressful. Our aim is to make all our new students feel welcome and safe and to settle you in your new Form Group with a new timetable as quickly as we can. Before joining us you will be given the opportunity to visit the school with your parents/carers and meet your new head of year or another key member of the pastoral team. This will be an opportunity to ask questions and find out about life at Sir John Lawes School.

We hope you find the sections below, and if you are joining us then we look forward to seeing soon.

A typical day at SJL

Every school day you will meet your form tutor in the morning and at afternoon registration. You have six lessons of 50 minutes each in a wide range of subjects including English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, RE, ICT, PE, Music, Art and lots, lots more.

During break and lunchtime you can visit the school canteen for a hot or cold snack/meal and a drink. Lunchtimes can be very busy times with lots of clubs to join. It is also a good time to visit the library or to catch up with your new and existing friends.

At lunchtime students can do one of the following:

a) Stay at school and have a school meal

b) Stay at school and have a packed lunch in the school canteen or sandwich areas.

We encourage as many students as possible to buy a school lunch as the food is good, nutritional and the kitchen staff are excellent. We operate a cafeteria system. Items are priced individually or as 'meal deals' and may be purchased as in any other cafeteria.

Students in Years 7-11 are not allowed to leave the school site at lunchtime.

Homework club is held after school in the library where staff can help you with your homework. There are also lots of sporting activities for those of you who like sports and want to play in the school teams.

You will never be bored at SJL!

Clubs and activities

School isn’t just about hard work. It is about meeting new people, making friends and taking part in the activities that you enjoy the most.

When you arrive at Sir John Lawes you will find that there are loads of lunchtime or after-school activities and clubs that you can join.

Sporting teams and clubs include: football, rugby, basketball, hockey, netball, cross-country, athletics, cricket, rounders, tennis and gymnastics.

If you are musical, you can audition for the school Concert Band, the Up and Coming Band and the Jazz Band. You can play in the Brass Band, Guitar Group, Strings Group as well as the Rock School. You can also join in with the Junior choir or sing in the Gospel or Soul Groups.

If you enjoy acting you can join in with Drama activities and also audition for the junior school play.

The Science faculty has clubs in gardening, robotics and astronomy as well as the Young Engineer Scheme.

You could also join the Debating Society, Junior Reading Group, the Formula 1 Maths Club or enjoy Design and Technology sessions.

There really is something for everyone -take a look at our full Co-Curricular offering here. 

On top of all these activities you will enjoy a week long residential in the first term. You may also secure a place on the annual European Music trip or the skiing to Switzerland.

If there is nothing here that excites you then a member of the Sixth Form is available to help you start your own club!

Rewards

Rewards & consequences

At SJL we like to take every opportunity to celebrate students’ good performance. As well as positive feedback to individual students, displays of student work and celebrations in assembly we have a variety of ways that we recognise your hard work or achievement. If you want to find out more about this then visit the section of this site that talks about rewards.

Tips to help you succeed

SJL is a really fun place to be and there are many different ways that you can succeed.

Here are just a few suggestions:

  • Take a full and active role in all aspects of school life.
  • Listen and work hard in lessons.
  • Join lunchtime or after-school activities.
  • Do your homework to your full ability and hand it in on time.
  • Make sure you arrive at school on time and reach a minimum of 92% attendance each year.
  • Challenge yourself each school year to learn a new hobby or get involved in a community project.

When we challenge ourselves to do things that we find difficult or scary it helps us to grow in confidence and to grow as a person.

At SJL there are lots of fun ways that you can challenge yourself:

Year 7: When you are at the residential you can challenge yourself to jump from the Leap of Faith (safely harnessed of course).

Year 8: You can challenge yourself to join a school team or take part in a whole school activity such as a school production.

Year 9: You can challenge yourself to raise funds for a charity or a project that you have researched and/or helped.

Year 10: You can challenge yourself to learn a new skill.

Year 11: You can challenge yourself to exceed a predicted grade by two grades in one or more of your GCSE subjects.

Life at Sir John Lawes will allow you to not only reach your full potential but to aim even higher than that and you will have a great time doing it.

Who to contact if you have a problem

If you have a problem and you are not sure how to solve it then the best person to see in the first instance is your form tutor as they are the people that will know you best of all.

Your Head of Year or Student Services Manager are also available to answer your queries or listen to your concerns.

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