6 February 2026
6th February 2026
Dear Parents, Guardians and Students/Annwyl Rieni, Gwarchodwyr a Myfyrwyr
Everyday life…
This week, let’s start by taking you around a typical day in the life of LHS. Sometimes, it’s just refreshing to dip in to some lessons to see what our students are up to on any given day.
Over in the DT block, our Year 10 Construction group had the call from “Mrs Jones” who has moved house and doesn’t like the current colour schemes or the various dents and dinks that need filling.
Mrs Jones wants every defect sorted out and she wants everything painted white. Over to you Year 10. Get rubbing down and get those rollers going!
Our Construction course is so valuable because it gives learners practical, industry‑relevant skills that support future apprenticeships and careers. Students develop strong problem‑solving abilities, precision, and teamwork as they work on real construction tasks.
The course also builds technical competence in areas such as carpentry, painting, and health and safety—skills that are essential in Wales’s growing construction sector.
Alongside hands‑on learning, students gain confidence, communication skills, and an understanding of professional standards. Even more importantly… they will never need to pay anyone to do jobs in their own homes in the future!
There is something incredibly satisfying about the attention to detail, the very professional finish, and the way in which Year 10 rock those overalls. Always protect your valuable school uniform.
Meanwhile, our Year 9 Construction class were hot on the heels of Year 10 with their tool holders. Year 9 have produced some truly impressive tool boxes, showcasing both creativity and growing technical skill. Their work demonstrates precise measuring, careful use of tools, and increasing confidence in practical construction techniques. Each finished piece shows such attention to detail and craftmanship.
Meanwhile, our Year 8 students have completed some fantastic work crafting their wooden spatulas, thoughtfully applying concepts of ergonomics and anthropometrics throughout the process. They considered hand size, comfort, and ease of use, shaping each handle to suit real users. This project helped them understand how good design puts people at the centre, while also strengthening practical skills such as measuring, marking out, and refining finishes.
Their spatulas show not only creativity and care, but a clear understanding of purposeful, user‑focused design.
Next on our travels around the school is the Den…..
The students in our Den provision decided that January has lasted far too long and a little pick me up was needed. So with the help of Brian, aka Chat GPT, Flip Flop Friday was created.
Last Friday, the Den decorated their room in bright, summary and cheery colours. They made American hot dogs, fruit kebabs, wore ridiculous sunglasses and hats, and had a little wellbeing party to boost the mood. Obviously, it ended with some karaoke! Most things end with karaoke in the Den!
This only left another 30,000 more days of January. So, the students had a look at what else they could do and discovered that 28th January is Lego Day. Who doesn’t love a bit of Lego?
Cue, more planning. The team came up with ways to incorporate Lego into the current topics. Some examples were in Humanities where students used Lego to create Timelines on the key events of Hitler’s life. However, the best example that blew the Den staff away was a Literature task. Students were given the challenge of creating a scene from Stave 1 or 2 from A Christmas Carol, adding in key details.
They did an amazing job of this, and some of the key details included adding a candle on top of the Ghost of Christmas Past.
Finally, everything is better with doggy cuddles! They all enjoyed Koda cwtches on Tuesday. It was much needed and hugely therapeutic.
To complete and wrap up the theme of everyday school life, it is with great joy that we share just a few more photos from the brave souls who kayaked with us on the reservoir this week.
Our regular Wednesday Week B chilly slot. The students who signed up for the spring term water sports are some of the most resilient and hardy students in the school! They are already conquering fears and throwing themselves fully into new challenges. I can also confirm that we said a welcome hello to an old friend this week, the sun.s
Celebrating Our Alumni: Amy Partridge – A Role Model for Our School Community
This week, we are also incredibly proud to celebrate the achievements of former student Amy Partridge, whose dedication, resilience and passion continue to inspire everyone at our school.
Amy recently achieved the remarkable honour of representing Wales in the Women’s Hockey Junior World Cup in Chile, a milestone that highlights not only her sporting excellence but also her determination to embrace opportunities and push her own boundaries.
During her time with us, Amy discovered a love for learning in unexpected places. Although she originally chose Photography simply to complete her GCSE options, it quickly became her favourite subject. She enjoyed exploring artistic meaning, experimenting with media, and stepping out of her comfort zone—whether behind or in front of the camera. Her curiosity, reflective thinking and willingness to challenge herself perfectly capture the spirit we hope to nurture in all our learners.
Amy also embraced wider opportunities that shaped her confidence. A standout experience was joining The Brilliant Club, where she studied the complex topic of eugenics under the guidance of a tutor with visual and hearing impairments. This experience broadened her understanding of disability, challenge and resilience, and strengthened her appreciation for honest, informed discussion.
Alongside this, Amy participated in a diverse range of sports teams, debate and writing competitions, and benefitted from a rich mix of GCSE subjects—all of which helped her grow into the thoughtful, grounded young person she is today.
Now in her final year of A‑levels, studying Maths, Chemistry and Economics, Amy reflects honestly on the uncertainty many young people feel. She admits she hasn’t fully decided what path to take beyond school—and reassures students that this is completely okay. Her message is simple: explore, research, and give yourself permission to change your mind. Progress is made one small decision at a time.
Amy also reminds us of the importance of supportive friendships and making the most of school life. Her advice to her younger self—don’t take things too seriously, and appreciate the time with your friends—is wisdom many of us could use.
We congratulate Amy wholeheartedly on her achievements so far. Her journey shows our students that success takes many forms, and that embracing opportunities—both expected and unexpected—can lead to extraordinary things.
Hockey Wales look back at the Junior Women’s U21 Hockey World Cup…….
2025 was an exciting year for the future of Welsh Hockey, as our U21 Women enjoyed an amazing campaign at the Junior World Cup!
Heading into the 24-team tournament ranked 20th in the world, our girls did fantastically to secure a 14th-place finish, beating Zimbabwe and South Africa while holding their own against the top-ten nations. It was a memorable experience for our self-funded athletes, who returned from Chile having done Wales proud!
Staff Seren yr wythnos
This week, our student Criw Cymraeg group have nominated Mr Stewart for his use of the Welsh language. Staff can be nominated for their effort or their accuracy and pronunciation! Well done Sir! Da iawn!
Getting ready for Eisteddfod 2026 – Get Creative, Get Involved, Get Winning!
Our annual school Eisteddfod is fast approaching, and it’s time for Year 7 and Year 8 to show off their creativity, talent and pride in Welsh culture. This is your chance to shine across a huge range of subjects, earn merits for your form and help your year group climb the leader board.
Unless a subject says otherwise, all entries must be submitted by Monday 2nd March. And remember: your name and form must be on every entry.
This year’s competitions offer something for everyone. If you love languages, Welsh invites you to produce a detailed A4 description of yourself, using your ‘Dyma Fi’ work and creative illustrations. In French, you’ll design a bright, eye‑catching poster titled Moi, all about you. Both tasks are perfect opportunities to show personality and flair.
For the practically minded, Technology challenges you to create a tea light holder from reclaimed timber—an impressive piece of craftsmanship to hand in to your class teacher. Science asks you to research and write an A4 article about a famous Welsh scientist, celebrating the achievements of home‑grown innovators.
In IT, you can go bold and imaginative by designing a poster celebrating everything that makes Wales fabulous in 2026. RE continues the theme of diversity by asking you to create a poster that reflects the rich mix of beliefs, cultures and ethnicities found across Cardiff and Wales.
Food Technology offers a delicious challenge: design a three‑course menu celebrating Welsh culture, using ingredients from the school polytunnel. Meanwhile, English invites you to write either a poem or a narrative exploring Wales or Welsh identity—perfect for budding writers and storytellers.
Geography encourages you to think about the future by creating a poster, leaflet or model about renewable energy. You’ll need to explain what it is, why it matters, how Wales can reduce fossil fuel use, and include key Welsh terms. Maths keeps things visual too, asking you to design a shapes poster labelled with Welsh names.
Art gives you the chance to design a love spoon that blends traditional and modern Wales—either on paper or as a 3D model. The more imaginative, the better. History asks you to write an A4 article about a Welsh prince, bringing the past to life through research and storytelling. Finally, Textiles invites you to design a T‑shirt promoting the Eisteddfod itself—templates are available from Miss Parsons.
With so many exciting competitions, there’s something for every interest and talent. Every entry earns a merit, so get involved, be bold, and help your form rise to the top. Let’s make this Eisteddfod the most creative and competitive one yet!
January collection for the Cardiff Foodbank
Thanks also go to our Year 12 Foodbank volunteers for helping out with the first collection of 2026. They contributed to 188.8 kg of food that will provide 16 local people with three days’ supply of food.
The next collection is on Wednesday 25th February between 5-6pm on our school bus bays.
As we approach the final week of this half-term, we still have much to look forward to.
On Thursday 12th February we look forward to seeing our Year 11 students and parents for the final Parents Evening of their statutory school life.
We also have the Shakespeare Players production of Hamlet to look forward to. This runs over two nights on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th February.
Until then, thank you for reading/Diolch am ddarllen,
Mrs Sarah Parry, Headteacher