Events

Sir John Leman High School is a traditional and extremely successful school where we have the highest expectations of our students. We have worked hard to build our reputation for achieving high academic standards. As a school we are very proud of the contribution our students make to their communities. Opportunities are actively sought to engage students and staff in a wide range of community activities. 

Sir John Leman High School has a strong emphasis on values and a relentless focus on improving learning which is driving up performance in all aspects of our school. We place great emphasis on achievement. Academic Awards Evenings are part of the wide range of ways in which excellence is celebrated. 

For more information about the various things going on at Sir John Leman, please read our school newsletters.  

Raising and Giving 2020

RAG Week is always a highlight of Sir John Leman’s calendar, but due to Covid 19 we had to pare it back. We are so pleased to say that we still raised £2,132, half of which has gone to The Trussell Trust to help tackle food poverty in Beccles and surrounding areas, and the other half went to Norfolk and Waveney MIND to help deal with mental health issues which have sadly increased during lockdowns.

MIND have put together a brief video to say thanks - please do watch and check out the great work that both of these charities do. A massive and hearty thanks goes to the SJLHS community for their generosity and kindness when we’ve all been negatively impacted in our own ways. RAG Week will be back with a bang next year, so please do keep helping us help others!

Did you know: prior to Covid, SJLHS was raising over £18,000 a year for charity through Leman4Life, RAG Week and many other charitable events. Thank you to everyone who helped our students achieve this.

 

Positivity through uncertain times

We are so proud of all our staff and students for their amazing work throughout these uncertain times. Here is just a small list of various things that we have been up to: 

• Mr Slater has been doing virtual assemblies
• Mrs Forster and Miss Holt have put together a special surpise for their Drama students (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsIj4Tv_QJw&feature=youtu.be)
• Year 13 student Lewis Mathews has joined the "Cycle for Dementia" challenge in which he will cycle 100m in a month to raise money for The Alzheimer's Society. Lewis is posting his daily cycle rides on the dedicated JustGiving page (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cyclefordementia-lewismathews?fbclid=IwAR0dhicVEqf356B-0bIY9DTkYz5g-gqYfQsfH_qDFVX4tHlHQ00o9I2mjVw) 
• Mrs Siddall has been busy making surgical scrub hats for the renal unit at James Paget Hospital
• Mrs Peek and Mr Driscoll have been utilising the technology department by making visors and delivering them to several locations in the local community. They have been well received and had had a hige impact on key workers!
• Mrs Nabarro and the Y11 Netball team have put together a video to celebrate the amazing season they have had this year! A great way to keep positive and active while working from home - video below. 
• Students and staff have been enjoying daily wellbeing emails from Ms Fassbender and Mrs Harrod - they are doing an amazing job keeping spirits up!
• Students are keeping in touch with residents in the local care homes. 
• Students are emailing teachers with their incredible work they are doing from home - we have seen lots of creative pieces! Along with all the rainbow artwork that has been created for the local community. 
• Y11 Maddi - has used her talents to compose and perform a song to urge people to stay at home and save lives! 

 

Above: Video created by Mrs Nabarro to congratulate her Y11 netball team.

Right: Various images of the work both staff and students have been involved with during the school closure. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Broads Album 2020

Video extract courtesy of The Broads Authority

 

A group of students from years 8, 9, 10 and 12 have been working on a project based on the Norfolk Broads. The students were treated to a day out which included a visit to see Thurne Windmill working, the Trinity Broads, marshland and Burgh Castle. The students have since been working individually and in groups to compose pieces inspired by their visit.

The pieces are now all recorded and will form part of The Broads Album 2020. This is due to be launched at a live performance at The Marina Theatre, Lowestoft on Monday 2nd March at 7pm. The event is open to all and you are welcome to attend. Entry to the evening is free. As this event has been funded by Heritage Lottery, we were filmed during the activities as part of a presentation for The Broads Authority, to demonstrate and show the engagement of students with this project. 

It has been a great experience for the students with some absolutely fantastic results.

Later this term year 7 students are going to be working in Art, Drama and Music on another Water, Mills and Marshes project which will involve them being taken on a boat trip on the Broads followed by a variety of activities in the local area.

The Chartered College of Teaching

The Chartered College of Teaching, which aims to recognise the commitment and achievements of the teaching profession, has awarded the status of Founding Fellow to Sir John Leman High School’s Teacher of Religious Studies, Mr Ainslie.

Fellowship (FCCT) of the Chartered College of Teaching is an accolade held by some of the most committed teachers and leaders who have shown a significant and sustained contribution to the teaching profession and their own professional development. As the highest and most prestigious category of membership at the Chartered College, it is a mark of achievements, skills and expertise as a teaching professional.

Headteacher Mr Taylor said “We have a very strong, well-qualified workforce at Sir John Leman High School. Many colleagues achieve a range of professional qualifications which facilitate their onward journey within the profession. We are delighted and proud to have, within our staff, a colleague who has demonstrated the requisite of skills to gain the accolade of Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching”.

 

Year 11 Mock Interviews w/c 13.01.20

Year 11 students came into school dressed to impress for their mock interview with a local employer earlier this week. Thirty local employers spent two days in school interviewing students for a ‘job’ they had previously applied for during the recent Workwise day. Students were allocated a 30 minute appointment slot and were asked a variety of questions commonly asked at interview which was followed by constructive feedback.

Students approached their interviews with a positive and mature attitude and were able to answer questions well and with confidence. Employers remarked that the students were extremely well prepared and a credit to the school, with one saying that “I have interviewed candidates of all ages before and the school candidates should be immensely proud of themselves”.

Students found learning about the whole recruitment process extremely useful and said they particularly benefitted from having support from employers as they were able to pass on their experience, knowledge and expertise.

We would like to thank all the employers for giving up their time to provide our students with the opportunity to have a mock interview as this is a hugely valuable experience and ensures they are well prepared for future interviews.

 

 

Christmas Concert

Subtle yet strong tones from the String Ensemble filled St Michaels Church as the audience took to their seats for what turned out to be a magical evening of music.

The Wind band officially opened the evening with their jolly versions of ‘Swingin’ Shepherd Blues’ and ‘Sleigh Ride’, complete with whip cracking and (what sounded like) a real Donkey!

We were welcomed by Ben and Abi from our Sixth Form before the angelic voice of Gwilym filled the church with the first verse of ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ before the audience joined in the carol. This was followed by the Acapella choir performing ‘Ding Dong Merrily on High’ and ‘Away in a Manger’, both in beautiful three part harmony.

Our first reading, a poem entitled’ Candlelit Heart’, was animatedly read by Amelia before the Senior Woodwind Ensemble performed ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’ with great feeling. The Brass Ensemble joyfully played ‘Carol of the Bells’, one of the schools favourite Christmas tunes.

Our Year 8 choir confidently and beautifully sang the technically challenging hymn; ‘Be Still in the Presence of the Lord’ before the Intermediate Woodwind Ensemble had fun performing the traditional carol ‘Deck the Halls’.

SJL Singers sweetly sang ‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’ using a wonderful call and response technique before Terry-Kai read ‘Two Letters To Santa’. Our newly formed Keyboard Ensemble made their debut with their lovely playing of ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Carol of the Drum’ before the Senior Flute Ensemble wowed the audience with their amazing performance of ‘March’ from ‘The Nutcracker’.

String Ensemble returned to the stage to elegantly and angelically perform Largo from ‘Winter (The Four Seasons)’ and ‘Never Enough’, then Gospel lifted the church roof with ‘Oh Holy Night’ and ‘White Christmas’ leaving the audience in good spirits for the interval.

To signal the start of the second half, the ever popular Jazz Band played a relaxed jazz tune; ‘Here, There and Everywhere’, then added some extra Christmas p’zazz with jazzed up versions of ‘Silver Bells’ and ‘Winter Wonderland’. Freya read, with feeling, the poem ‘Christmas Long Ago’, which lead perfectly to ‘Somewhere in My Memory’ which was sweetly and thoughtfully sung by SJL Singers. They then went on to perform ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’, but not to the traditionally known tune, which had the audience look on in wonder. The Junior Woodwind Ensemble performed the ever popular ‘Carol of the Bells’, although the same piece as the Brass Ensemble, they made it their own with the sweet tones they used. This year’s Year 10 GCSE Music class showed off their talents by joining together to perform ‘When a Child is Born’ which was followed by Lauren, the winner of the Year 10 Creative Arts Christmas Competition, who read her own piece entitled ‘A White Christmas..’

Audience involvement was once again encouraged as we all joined together to sing ‘Good King Wenceslas’ before the Acapella Choir enjoyed their stunning performance of ‘Star Carol’ featuring the incredible tenor and bass voices. Benand Abi returned to stage to read ‘Christmas Bells’ which enhanced the Wind Bands performance of ‘Christmas  Spectacular’ perfectly. The audience joined in for the final time as everyone sang together, ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’.

A prayer of thanks and a Christmas wishes to all was led by Rev Henderson before the choir sang ‘Let There Be Peace on Earth’. This breath taking performance was also sung earlier this year in Belgium during the Wreath Laying Ceremony at The Menin Gate, a true honour for all.

All performers and singers joined together for an outstanding finale of the SJLHS Christmas Concert 2019 playing and singing ‘World in Union’ with gusto, thought and musicality.

Huge congratulations to Mrs Taylor and all the staff, students and guests who made this year’s Christmas Concert so wonderful. Thank you, the musical talent of SJLHS never fails to amaze and delight all who get the pleasure to enjoy it.

 

Christmas Cake Competition

Visitors from Beccles Women’s Institute judged this year’s Christmas Cake design competition on Wednesday 18th December. Year 10 Food Technology students have been busy over the past few weeks making their cakes and coming up with some fantastic festive designs. The cakes were awarded marks for attention to detail, cake covering, colour, originality and balance.

The judges; Janet, Jean, Liz and Janet, were hugely impressed by the high standard of designs created and the effort the students had put into presenting their cakes, commenting that it was one of the best years ever for creativity and originality. There were three groups and each was awarded a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prize, receiving a certificate and some festive chocolates. With all the various designs, it was a very tough choice to make.

The overall winner was Mia Khazanchi, whose original design of a Christmas Dinner wowed all of the judges. Mia was presented with the ‘Beccles Morning Women’s Institute Cake Decoration Cup’, a trophy which has been donated by the WI and is awarded annually to the prize winner. We are already looking forward to next year! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enterprise in Education

The Suffolk Chamber of Commerce Lowestoft and Waveney Business Awards highlights talent, excellence and inspiration of individuals, businesses, education or an organisation. We are pleased to announce that Sir John Leman High School were successful in winning an award this year!

The 'Enterprise in Education' Award recognises an organisation that has their students’ future at its heart. It is for those that maximise their STEM delivery through innovation which will ultimately provide their students with a rich and varied career pathway. The successful organisation provides evidence of reaching outside the classroom to enhance, enrich and embed curriculum links with business, and creatively supporting students to relate their learning to the real world of work. 

The award sponsors, EDF Energy, felt that Sir John Leman High School had a professional and thorough entry which catalogued the brilliant effort the school makes to deliver for students, businesses and the community. 

Thank you to Mrs Copeman for all her hard work towards the award and for attending the evening.

Photo by Ferini Media

 

Primary Day of Languages

On Wednesday 20th November, Sir John Leman held our Languages Day for local primary school children and our younger students within school.

We want to thank our amazing student Language Leaders for all their hard work in planning and running the activities. Students gave up their own time before and after school to plan their workshops and create all the necessary handouts/materials. Workshops were fun and helped to introduce the younger students to different languages, such as Madarin, Lithuanian, German, French, Spanish and Italian.

Their activities included: Colouring, treasure hunts, tongue twisters, quizzes and lots of small prizes. It was a well attended event and we are proud of our Language Leaders, and the feedback we received from the local primary schools reflects this!

 

Muncheon Mingle Award

On Monday 18th November, a group of school councillors were invited to share their experience of Muncheon Mingle, an intergenerational get together of older Beccles residents and students from the 2 high schools for quizzes, food, dancing and singing, at an event in Beccles to reduce social isolation. What they didn’t know was that they were to be presented with an award! The project had been nominated for 2 awards within the county, East Suffolk Business and Communities Awards and Stars of Suffolk and won communities category in both! Planning has already begun for the next Muncheon Mingle event and a date has been set for the award winners to enjoy match day hospitality at Ipswich Town FC.

 

 

Remembrance Day

We want to say thank you to our students for their incredible involvement in the annual Armistice Commemoration. As tradition here at Sir John Leman, the whole school took part in a minute silence and students performed the Last Post and the Reveille. Students also created amazing artwork for displays around the school. It is heart warming to see so many of our students getting involved in remembrance events both in and outside of school.

Record of Achievement

Beccles Rotary Club President, Dennis Robbins, visited last week to present the school with a cheque towards the cost of purchasing Record of Achievement folders for Year 11 students.

The folders are a professional and impressive way for students to display their portfolio of certificates, awards and achievements and will ensure they are fully prepared for interviews in the future.

The school would like to thank Beccles Rotary Club for their continued support.

 

Year 6 Transition Workshops (12.10.19)

The Year 6 transition activities kicked off on Saturday 12th October with our Saturday Morning Workshops. The workshops are open to all current Year 6 students to sign up and take part in a variety of sessions; allowing them to get to know the staff, find their way around the school and meet other students who will be in their year group.

Sessions included:

Game Development - learn coding skills using online game creation software, Learn about the Mexican tradition - Día de los Muertos, Create a masterpiece in our Art Department, Photograph and produce a digital image, Explore the world of Origami, Create a game using the Scratch programme, Get active in our Sports Workshop, Find out about the ‘Magic’ of maps, Create a performance in our Performing Arts Department, Design and create your own cloth bag

The morning went well with a record number of 223 students in attendance and they all produce some incredible work! A big thank you to all the SJL students and staff for their hard work and for putting on the amazing sessions.

 

 

Beccles Men's Shed

During the summer holidays, Mr Ainslie approached Beccles Men’s Shed and asked if they could produce a couple of signs to put at the edge of the Sixth Form garden, following on from the amazing work that has already gone on there. We cannot thank them enough for their hard work and generosity with producing our new Sixth Form garden signs. We had no idea of how we wanted the signs to look, so gave them full creative control.

Paul Palgrave worked so hard on the signs, carving them and painting them both by hand, which took roughly 8 weeks all together! The detail, especially in the school badge, is incredible and we are gobsmacked with the end result.

Both Paul and David, from Beccles Men’s Shed, visited the school recently to present Mr Ainslie with the signs and we cannot wait to get them up.

Coffee Morning - 27.09.19

On Friday 27th September, the Sixth Form council organised their first event of the academic year and held a MacMillan Coffee Morning.

The morning was well attended by members of the local community and it was so lovely to see everyone enjoying themselves and raising money for a worthwhile cause. Students, staff and their families baked lots of yummy treats for everyone to tuck into. Visitors were also entertained throughout the morning with some wonderful piano performances from our students.

It was a truly brilliant atmosphere and we look forward to hosting more events like this in the future.

A big thank you to everyone who attended, baked cakes and other sweet treats, and to those who donated. We raised a total of £293.64 for Macmillan Cancer Support!

 

 

Leman 4 Life 2019

At a recent assembly, participants and helpers were all thanked for their contribution in our annual Leman 4 Life event, held back in July 2019.

We were delighted to have representatives from Cancer Research UK, Beccles Friends of Cancer Research UK and Bungay Black Dogs Running Club attend the assembly. Not only these, but our amazing sponsors who help make it all possible: Essex & Suffolk Water, M&H Plastics, Rosedale Funeral Home, Caxton Club, Tesco, Morrisons and Durrants. These groups play a crucial role in the success of the event. Our top student fundraisers helped to present a cheque to Deborah Adams from Cancer Research UK for a grand total of... £8,043

This brings the total raised since 2011 to… £72,790! It is an incredible achievement to have raised so much money for Cancer Research. As a special thank you, Deborah Adams arranged for one of the researchers to make a short thank you video to us all and to let us know what happens when we donate to Cancer Research UK. You can see the video below.

As is now tradition, a team of Sixth Form students and a few staff completed a triathlon to boost the funds further. A big thank you goes to Lewis Mathews who helped to organise the triathlon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GCSE Results Day - 22nd August 2019

Class of 2019 - Making Every Moment Count

We are over the moon with the GCSE results this summer and we are incredibly proud of our year 11 cohort of 2019!

Staff and students worked hard; working collegiately in a strategic and pragmatic way to achieve a 11% increase on those achieving grade 5+ or above, in English and Mathematics. A school record! Early indications show that the progress students have made is well above that of their peers nationally.

We want to wish them all every success for the future and for the many that have joined us in our Sixth Form. 

A Level Results Day - 15th August 2019

'We are proud of the class of 2019'

Students from Sir John Leman High School received extremely impressive grades which will see them into the next chapter in their life. Results figures this year show an increase on our 2018 results of 6% for both A* to B and A* to C grades. This year 71% received top A* to C grades with 99% passing their exams. Students are now set to attend top universities such as UEA, Durham, and Nottingham, as well as starting high quality apprenticeships.

The school's headboy Lewis Morfitt received BC and will study photography at Ravensbourne. He said: "I'm sad to be leaving, but I'm onto a new chapter and I'm sure I'll come back at some point over the next few years."

Holly Smith received the school's highest grades, with A*A*AB. She said: "I'm very close to the school but I'm excited to move onto the next thing now. I'm really happy and pleased with my results. I'm now going to study illustration at the Norwich University of Arts."

Other impressive results were received by Casey Grimwood, who was awarded ABB and will study liberal arts at King's College London.

Robbie Scales was "speechless" to receive AAAB and was "still taking it in" that he would study medicine in September.

Headteacher Mike Taylor said: "Staff and students working hard together in a supportive and collaborative ethos has seen great success this summer and we are proud of the class of 2019."

 

 

Belgium Music Tour 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

50 music students and 8 members of staff, have just returned from a very successful and emotional concert tour of Belgium. As part of that tour, students performed at the Menin Gate Ceremony where the Last Post is sounded every evening at 8:00pm. The Menin Gate is a memorial to over 54,000 officers and men from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, undivided India and South Africa, who dies before 16 August 1917 and have no known grave. The Last Post has been sounded here every evening (when permitted) since 1928. The students performed here on Friday 12th July, which was the 31,464th time this ceremony has taken place.

Mr Taylor, Headteacher attended the event and laid a wreath on behalf of the school accompanied by Rose and Anna van der Kooij, whilst Freddie Fallon, accompanied by Olivia Cheung and Jess Righton, laid the wreath on behalf of the Beccles Branch of the Royal British Legion. The Royal British Legion (Beccles) donated both wreaths. During the wreath laying ceremony, the choir of 40 students and staff sang ‘Abide With Me’ and the anthem ‘For the Fallen’.

The Canadian Military Engineers (Monette/Leblanc) also laid a wreath on this evening and presented all the students with a pin badge to commemorate the event.

The Sir John Leman High School students wore poppies which had been knitted and donated by Pam Turner and Diz Swift.

As part of the concert tour, the students also performed in Ypres, Ostend and Mechelen Cathedral with impromptu performances in Antwerp and at the Tyne Cote Cemetery. The students also enjoyed time in Ypres, Antwerp and Bruges, which included a canal cruise, a tour of a chocolate factory, as well as a guided tour in Mechelen. The tour finished with Ten Pin Bowling in Antwerp.

Year 9 student Isabelle Brown said; “It was a fantastic experience. An excellent mix of activities and performances. I felt honoured to sing at the Menin Gate and the Cathedral in Mechelen was breath taking”.

The staff and students would like to thank everyone who helped towards their fundraising efforts and made the trip possible.

On Thursday 4th July, volunteers from Sir John Leman Sixth Form completed a litter pick around the local Beccles area; covering Beccles Church, Beccles Skate Park and Beccles Cemetery. The project was spearheaded in a joint effort from Head Girl and Head Boy (Lucy Thurbon and Ben Mensah, with guidance and equipment being supplied by Beccles Town Council. 

Through this, the recently inaugurated Mayor, Andrea Downes, was able to attend and help with the work. All in all, it was a truly rewarding day, where the students were able to see the positive effect they were spreading through the clean spaces they had made possible, knowing that they had made a difference in the community. 

Not only have the Sixth Form students been proactive in litter picking - a few members of the school council organised and ran their own litter pick a few week before. 

It is so great to see so many of our students taking it upon themselves to give back to the local community. 

Sixth Form Litter Pick

 

Sixth Form Assembly

On Friday 24th May, marked the last official day for our Year 13 students. As is tradition in the Sixth Form, the Sixth Form Team organised a fun assembly to look back and reminisce about their time at Sir John Leman.

Awards included: The Foghorn Award for the loudest student, Selfie of the Year, Personal Hygiene Award, Extra Curricular Activities Award, Quote of Year, Most likely to be Prime Minister, Entrepreneur of the Year, Bourbon Biscuit Award, 007 Award, Positivity Award, Social Media Star, Man vs Food and much more!

As a special surprise, Mr Ainslie arranged for Ryan Sampson, who plays Grumio from the popular ITV show ‘Plebs’, to present the award for ‘The Bendy Neck Individual Award 2019’ to Lauren Burley. A special mention to Rianna Jones and Owen Rudd who were also nominated for the award. We want to thank Ryan for taking the time to record this message to our students - a priceless and unforgettable moment for them! To view the full video scan the QR Code.

Congratulations to all our Year 13 students! We want to take this opportunity to wish you all the best of luck with the remainder of your exams.

Raising and Giving Week 2018

RAG Week stands for "Raising and Giving" Week, an annual event that has been running at Sir John Leman for approximately 25 years. It is always run by the Sixth Form students and led by the Sixth Form Council alongside Head Boy, Head Girls and their deputies. It is a great way for everyone at Sir John Leman to unwind and get excited for the Christmas break and make a difference to charities across the world. Every year 3 charities are supported: local, national and international; this year the charities that were supported are Beccles Men's Shed, Alzheimer's Society and Aluwani in South Africa. 

 

  DAY 1 - MINION AUCTION

As is now the tradition of RAG Week, we kicked off with a ‘Minion Auction’ which this year was presented by Lauren Burley and Sophie Goldsworthy. The Minion Auction is always a successful event and this year was no exception. This gives students in Years 7 - 11 the chance to win a pair of Sixth Formers who will do their work in lessons, hold their bags or even go into town for them! There were several different pairs including Barbie and Ken, dinosaurs and even wizards. However, the popular favourite  was our very own Mrs Claus, who was none other than Owen Rudd! Every student had the chance to buy raffle tickets to win and a total of 6 minion pairs were auctioned off.

DAY 2 - FACULTY FORTUNES

Day 2 of RAG Week brought Faculty Fortunes with Laura Ellis and Rianna Jones as hosts, trying to settle the age old battle of which is better - Maths or English? The English team was made up of strong competition: Mrs Oakes, Mrs Shoote, Mrs Turner and Miss Aldis. Facing them were the Maths team: Mr Williams, Dr Swiffen, Miss Stone and Miss Murrell. There were 2 rounds before the winner was decided. The first round was for naming an item that you use to measure with. Maths managed to take the lead on this round by scoring a total of 61 points, however there was some stiff competition from English, who successfully managed to steal the second round by naming countries beginning with the letter C. English proved that they had more knowledge on this and managed to score 66 points, beating the Maths team to the final.

In the final round Mrs Oakes and Mrs Shoote, both had to name items in a specific category in order to score the most points. Unfortunately, they didn’t manage to score enough points to win overall, but still got a respectable score of 174. I think we can all agree that this proves that English are truly better than Maths!

DAY 3 - QUESTION OF SPORT

On the third day of RAG Week, the Sixth Formers gave to me… A Question of Sport, complete with our flamboyant host Kai Mitchell-Jones! Students were treated to our very own version of a Question of Sport with our first team, the Pique Blinders, which consisted of Mr Gorbould, Mr Mayers and Mr Millward who were up against the Higgs Bozos: Mr Hull, Mr Thomas and Mrs Bedward. There were several rounds - all sport related of course!

Up first was a ‘Guess the Sports Person’ round, where Mr Gorbould managed to guess the sportsman with only 3 squares removed - a surprising victory! The second round was ‘Pick a Category’ round, where each team had to choose a question from a range of categories given to them.

The third and final round was the ‘Challenge’ round. The first challenge was keep-ups with Mr Hull scoring 1 and Mr Gorbould just taking the point with a score of 15! The second challenge saw staff perform as many push ups as possible in 35 seconds. Higgs Bozos nominated Mr Hull to take part again, however this time against Mr Mayers. Lots of crowd encouragement saw Mr Hull complete 45 push ups in 35 seconds and Mr Mayers completing 38. The third round was charades to guess the sport, with Mr Millward acting for the Pique Blinders and of course Mr Hull for the Higgs Bozos. Both teams did extremely well and scored lots of extra points. However, there can only be 1 winner!

The total score was the Pique Blinders with 91 points and Higgs Bozos with 77 points. The unanimous favourite moment was when the team captain of the losing team (Mr Hull) having to down the drink as a forfeit for losing. This beautiful cocktail consisted of spaghetti hoops, custard and vinegar!

DAY 4 - LIP SYNC BATTLE

Tuesday brought us to the penultimate event of RAG Week 2018 with much contested ‘Lip Sync Battle’. Despite some unplanned events, including the fire alarm going off, the event planned and was an exceptionally fun array of talent. This event was most ably presented by Angel Stokes-Nicholls, Owen Rudd and Courtney Mitchell. There were many acts, including Salute by Little Mix, Hall of Fame by The Script and two amazing mash ups!

There was a mash up from the Sixth Form Team (Mrs Silvers, Mrs Fairhill, Mrs Stimpson, Mr Gorbould and Mrs Napthine) which included many popular trends from this year - including the Fortnite dances - but with Mr Slater as keynote speaker at a National Conference, the now established rivalries sadly weren’t played out. The Sixth Form staff outfits were somewhat questionable though, as they looked more like they were from an 80s rave, complete with neon face paints and glow sticks. In addition to the Sixth Form mash up, there was some stiff competition from Egg, a Sixth Former who had his own set of songs neatly segued together. The audience agreed that it was much better as it featured many more popular songs and was VERY sassy!

Despite the delays the winner was decided and after 4 years as the reigning champions, the Sixth Form Team were dethroned by Egg! Now the wait has begun to see if Egg can remain as Lip Sync champion or whether a new contestant will steal the limelight.

DAY 5 - LEMAN'T GOT TALENT

The final day of RAG Week 2018! What an adventure we went on today with ‘Fly Leman Airlines’ and our cabin crew Lewis Morfitt and Megan Burden, we were taken on a tour of some of the highlights of the school community. There were singers, dancers and even a ventriloquist!

It was a brilliant end to the week as there were many impressive acts. All of the singers were extremely capable and expressive performers and their vocals were edgy and impacting. There was also an impressive dance routine which was a joy to watch. One of the highlights of the event was a ventriloquist act from a Year 7 student - impressive as we couldn’t see her mouth moving at all, even when she was singing as her puppet friend! It was a very difficult decision for our judges Miss Holt, Mr Wainman and Mrs Dobson-Attwood, however they finally made a decision and crowned the winner as our ventriloquist act - Year 7 student Aisla Shipley.

It was a spectacular show with some great performances from all our acts. To remove any shadow of doubt, the decision of who won was based on decibel readings. We had a neat little gadget to determine who had the most support and appreciation from the audience, thus the winner was clear. However, everyone who took part in any RAG Week event and anyone who came to watch or supported in any way are winners too. We couldn’t have done these events without your continued support.

People's Picnic Initiative and Food Bank

This year as part of the Sir John Leman’s RAG Week (Raising and Giving week), there were several charity projects held. One of these was the People’s Picnic Initiative, held on Friday 14 December, where as a school 22 socks were donated. These socks included many essential items such as toothbrushes and tooth paste, winter clothing including gloves, and of course- more socks! These socks will then be distributed at People's Picnic Street Feast on the 22nd December. This contribution will be invaluable for those who are unfortunately on the streets during the winter months. In addition to this, there was also a donation going towards the food bank at St Luke’s Church, Beccles. This foodbank will be greatly received by those individuals that are unable to feed themselves and their families during the Christmas holidays, and throughout the year.  Across the school, there was an amazing response to this charity event; which well matches the schools ethos of charity and helping others as a phenomenal amount of food was donated- including 34 packets of instant mash! All of this fantastic work truly reflects the school and the pupil in it, all of who are extremely dedicated to fundraising and supporting local charities.

 

Leman Legacy - November 2018

 
As part of Sir John Leman's pledge to become more environmentally friendy and reduce our carbon footprint, staff and students have been busy planting trees on the school field. Owen Rudd, Environment Director of the Sixth Form Council, along with Mr Ainslie have been busy organising several sessions for students and staff to get involved and make a big difference. It has been tough with the intermittent rain and the sunlight drawing in, but they have planted a total of 299 trees! 

Each tree was planted beside a stake and covered with 'tree wrap' to help them grow straight and protect them throughout the harsh winter weather and wildlife. A big thank you to all those who got involved in this amazing opportunity! We are now looking forward ot planning and implementing the redesign of the Sixth Form garden. 

 

 

Apache Helicopter Landing - 3rd December 2018 

On Monday 3rd November, Sir John Leman had the privilege to welcome an Army ‘Apache’ Attack helicopter onto the school field during lunchtime. Staff and students were invited to watch this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity from the side of the field. The helicopter flew over and circled a few times before landing in the centre of the football pitch. Once landed and the pilots disembarked, all were invited to get a little closer, have a look and chat with the British Army Officers.

Year 7 and Sixth Form students were welcomed back onto the field throughout the afternoon at specified times which allowed them to ask lots of questions. The pilots stayed in order to talk with the students about what they do, how they got into their career and answer more specific questions about the helicopter. Some great questions were asked by the students and they gained some valuable knowledge.

Mr Taylor said: “It was a memorable moment for the youngsters. A moment they will look back on and say, ‘Do you remember when?’”

We want to thank all those involved in making this special event possible, it was a great way to kick start the RAG Week fundraising!       

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above: Photos of the Apache Helicopter along it's approach and landing on the school field. Images provided by staff and Sixth Form student Jack Morris.

 

Leman 4 Life 2018

 

At a recent assembly, participants and helpers were all thanked for their contribution in our annual Leman 4 Life event, held back in July 2018. 

We were delighted to have members from Beccles Friends of Cancer Research UK and Bungay Black Dog Running Club attending the assembly. These groups play a crucial role to the success of the event. Our top fundraisers presented a cheque to Rosie Riches from Cancer Research UK for a total of £7,566.39! 

This takes the total raised to... £66,747!! A massive achievement and we hope to smash the £70,000 mark during next years event. Photos and dedication messages can be seen on the display board down the J Corridor. 

A big thank you to all those who took part and those that went that extra mile, from taking part in the Sixth Form/staff triathlon or those who fundraised to have their hair cut.  

Time to start training, the next Leman 4 Life event will be held on 19th June 2019.

 

 

Centenary of Reflection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow! An evening to remember for sure:  Centenary of Reflections! This was our school's response to mark the 100 year anniversary of the Armistice.

A brilliant community event, full of variety; music, movement, art, poetry and historical information readings. Attendance exceeded all expectations with parents, friends of the school and representatives from the very wide community we serve.

Thank you so much to a significant and wide-ranging number of staff who contributed to such a phenomenal evening, marking the end to our commemorations and following a powerful whole-school act of remembrance at 10:50.

It says a great deal about our ethos, culture and values. We should all be very proud.

 

 

MacMillan Coffee Morning

On Friday 28th September, Sir John Leman High School held our very own MacMillan Coffee Morning organised by the Sixth Form Council, along with Head Boy, Head Girl and deputies. It was a very well attended and successful event. A wide range of refreshments were on offer as well as a raffle and live music provided by our students. 

Thank you to all that attended our event, it was so lovely to see such an amazing community spirit. In total we raised £454 for MacMillan Cancer Support! 

 

 

Leman 4 Life

Leman for Life is an annual 5km Fun Run which takes place on the school site to raise money for Cancer Research UK. The event is organised in conjunction with Beccles Friends of Cancer Research UK and Bungay Black Dog Runners. This year the event will take place on Tuesday 26th June 2018. 

So far we have raised an incredible £59,180 and this year we hope to smash the £60,000 "diamond" milestone. 

Donations came be made via sponsorship forms or via our giving page

Building on the success of last year, some staff and sixth form students are organising a triathlon ending with the 5km run alongside the rest of the school. To donate to the triathlon please click here 

 

 

Beccles Cycle for Life

The Beccles Cycle for Life is an annual sponsored charity cycle ride, setting off from Sir John Leman High School. The event is run by Rotary Club of Beccles, with profits from the event split equally between the East Anglian Air Ambulance and the club's charitable trust. 

On Sunday 13th May 2018, Beccles Cycle for Life celebrated its 17th year, with around 250 cyclists riding a variety of routes.

To make a donation to the Beccles Cycle for Life, please click here

 

 

 

GCSE Results Day - 23rd August 2018

 

Congratulations Class of 2018!

Ten grade 9s and an A in Additional Mathematics for one of our students and student progress likely to put us as one of the top performing schools in the country. Sir John Leman High School staff, students and the community we serve have a great deal to celebrate this GCSE results day.

The school's curriculum offer at KS4 is broad and we are delighted at the level of success achieved, especially in many subject areas which are being assessed in new ways for the first time this year.

These results are testament to the hard work, commitment and positive relationships of staff and students. 

 

 

 

 

The hard work of Alice Etteridge has placed her among the highest achievers across the country. She attained an incredible 10 grade nine marks - plus an A in Additional Mathematics. The high-flyer spoke of the hard work behind the grades and said: "It feels amazing but very strange - I can't really believe it. I'm really pleased beacuse I did work extremely hard."

Alice puts her success down to making sure she understood topics fully from the beginning and believing in herself when entering the exam room. She added: "I go into exams with a positive mindset and tell myself I know it all. Even if I don't initially understand something I think I can get there somehow."

Staff at Sir John Leman want to wish all our Year Eleven students the very best of luck in their next step. 

 

 

 

A Level Results Day - 16th August 2018

 

Congratulations to all of our Year 13 students who have received their A level results today. We are very proud of you all and wish you every success as you embark on your next chapter!

Michael Taylor, headteacher, said: “The Sir John Leman High School would like to congratulate its Y13 students, brilliant results from a comprehensive sixth form, including a 100pc pass rate.

“Many personal bests have been achieved - students exceeding their personal targets and attaining their desired next steps in life, for many this being a move onto university.”

 

 

 

For Sir John Leman’s Sam Hayward, three A levels just wasn’t enough. After earning an amazing four As, the 18-year-old said: “I didn’t know which one to drop." "There was a lot of difficult but enjoyable work and I enjoyed learning about things that I found interesting - I’m really pleased with my results.” Mr Hayward explained how the school helped him achieve such incredible results as he battled personal struggles. “But there was always someone to help - whether that be academic or personal.”

Head girl Charlie Haynes said she was “exceptionally relieved” to have earned two As and a B. The 18-year-old said: “The school was so supportive and were always there if I needed anything. I couldn’t have asked for better support. It felt like all the teachers were invested and really cared.”

 

 

 

School Awards Evening

 

On Wednesday 11 July, Sir John Leman High School held their annual School Awards Evening, recognising students for their hard work and achievements from Year 7 to 13 in all the various subject areas. Awards were presented by Mr Taylor and Ms Gurney, with the help of Beccles Mayor, Elfrede Brambley-Crawshaw, who gave a brief inspiring speech with words of support and encouragement to all.

The school hall was full and it was brilliant to see the smiles and pride of nominees and successful winners. Despite attendance at the event being a difficult decision for many (given the distraction of the England football match!), we are grateful to all those who made this commitment to support and join the school community in celebration.

 

 

 

Sports Day 2018 - Tuesday 10th July

 

We would like to pay tribute to all staff and students for their contribution to an amazing Sports Day! 2018 will certainly be a year to remember; many records broken, a great number of "personal bests" and broad participation from everyone. The atmosphere and support for one another was outstanding and the engagement in the finals in the afternoon was the best yet! 

Throughout the day, students are awarded points for both their participation and performance. The results for Sports Day 2018 are as follows:

1st Place - Zeus (1,169)
2nd Place - Poseidon (1,042)
3rd Place - Heracles (844)
4th Place - Athena (779)

Take a look at our Facebook page for updates during the event.

 

 

 

Twelfth Night Production

 

On Friday 29 June - the Drama Club presented their version of Twelfth Night. They performed to a large audience of their families and friends. The feedback received was fabulous, praising the students hard work and creative talents. Miss Holt and Mrs Forster are extremely proud of the commitment and dedication each student made in the cast and the band. Drama Club students rehearsed during their lunchtimes and after school and their hard work really paid off. The student led band arranged the music themselves and created new versions of the 70’s songs with great skill, we were so grateful for their time and dedication to the production. A big thank you to everyone involved, it was a real team effort and we are very proud of the end result.

 

 

 

Partnership Awards Evening Celebrates 10 Years

 

Sir John Leman High School recently celebrated its 10 Anniversary of the Partnership Awards Ceremony held at St Michael’s Church, Beccles. Around 130 students were awarded for their achievements from Sir John Leman High School and its 11 Partnership Schools. The students, ranging from Year 1 to 13, were nominated by their respective schools in recognition of their academic, sporting or extra-curricular achievements, as well as a positive attitude to learning and hard work and achieving a personal best.

The presentation of the awards was undertaken by Headteacher, Michael Taylor and guest speaker, Sadie Lofthouse, Human Resource Manager at Adnams and Employer Champion, who gave a thought provoking speech incorporating the acronym C, D, E, F for Curiosity, Determination, Energy and Fun when describing a good working ethos whether it be towards school work or professional environments.

Mrs Francis introduced each student and shared with the audience, the reasons for their nominations. All student were presented with a medal and a certificate. Throughout the evening guests were entertained by the School Jazz Band, as well as the Beccles Partnership Choir.

 

 

 

 

Discover Japan at UEA

 

On Wednesday 20 June, 15 students attended the Discover Japan events at UEA. Students were first introduced to the university and the courses and facilities it has to offer, before they took part in a quiz about Japan. Students then attended workshops ranging from Japanese language taster, Origami, Japanese History, Taiko Drums and Japanese culture. After lunch students had the chance to tour the campus to look at accommodation as well as the student union at the Sainsbury’s centre for Visual Arts. The afternoon continued with another workshop which the students enjoyed. An excellent day was had by all and the students were a credit to the school.

 

 

In 2017 we raised a total of £3,331, with just over £3,000 being donated to the Aluwani Foundation and the rest to purchase tress to off-set the school's carbon footprint. 

The Aluwani Foundation has now received the funds which have been used towards a food and water security project in Ga-Dikgale, installation of water collection systems at eleven of the childcare facilities and fencing at a further two facilities. 

 

Raising and Giving (RAG) Week

RAG Week is the second biggest fundraising focus at Sir John Leman High School and a fitting end to the Autumn Term. Rag Week sees the school putting on various events led by the Sixth Form Council and numerous other students across year groups, events such as cake sales, 'Are You Smarter Than a 12 Year Old?', 'Leman's Got Talent', 'Staff's Got Talent', 'Minion Auction' and various sporting competitions (along with brave Sixth Formers having their heads shaved!). The past few years have seen a resurgence in funds raised and an ever-increasing tightening ofthe SJLHS community and ethos. We're proud of what our students do and give during this time; regardless of how much is given individually, it is the total raised and the quality of events that we're proud of. 

 

 

 

Beccles Twinning Gala Dinner

Beccles Town Twinning Association marked its Ruby Twinning Anniversary with Petit Couronne with a weekend of celebrations. We welcomed 28 of the delegation into the school on Friday morning. Their presence caused great interest and lots of questions about twinning. 

There was little time to draw breath as the hall needed transforming into a banqueting hall! This really was a team effort with the catering staff, the site team, staff, students and twinning committee members getting the hall ready to welcome guests. The weather held, and guests enjoyed music played by our students, whilst having canapes and summer fizz in the Atrium and garden, before making their way to school hall.

 

 

 

Once seated, they listened to music and speeches from our MP, Peter Aldous, The Mayor of Beccles, Richard Stubbings and representatives from Petit Couronne and Arlem. The guests, ageing from 8 to 80, then enjoyed a traditional roast dinner of beef and Yorkshire pudding followed by strawberries and a delicious warm honey and pepper sauce. 

Ceremonial cake cutting and coffee followed, accompanied by a performance from the combined U3A Musical Group.

Special thanks to all the students who took part during the event. They really did the school proud - something Mr Taylor, who was representing the school, didn't tire from hearing from the guests all evening!

 

Coffee Mornings

The Sixth Form Council have put together two of these amazing events, with a whole-school bake and cake sale which saw nearly the whole school getting involved in some way. Members of our local care homes, community groups, church groups and general community were invited to join us to eat, drink and chat alongside our Sixth Formers and enjoy entertainment provided by various students here at SJLHS. The totals we raised at both of our coffee mornings are as follows:-

MacMillan Coffee Morning we raised: £550
Alzheimers Coffee Morning: £353.97

 

Red Nose Day

There were flashes of red everywhere as many students and staff wore something red to support Red Nose Day! Thank you to those who purchased red noses, to those who baked and bought cakes, to the students and staff who put up with being pelted with 'squirty cream' pies and to those who got the hall 'rocking' at lunchtime.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the day such a fundraising success, the final total raised was a fantastic £1,875.97!

 

Basketball Camps

There were flashes of red everywhere as many students and staff wore something red to support Red Nose Day! Thank you to those who purchased red noses, to those who baked and bought cakes, to the students and staff who put up with being pelted with 'squirty cream' pies and to those who got the hall 'rocking' at lunchtime.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the day such a fundraising success, the final total raised was a fantastic £1,875.97!

Crazy Hat Day

Students and staff donned hats, baked and ate cakes, purchased raffle tickets and wore non-uniformon the last day of the Spring Term in aid of Sport Relief, Brain Tumour Research and Parikhrma Humanitarian Foundation, who run schools and offer support to families in Bangalore, India. We raised a grand total of £996.

We also held a 'Walk and Talk' around the main school field to raise awareness of the importance of good mental health and the part that fresh air and chatting can do to maintain this. A great event enjoyed by all who took part. 

 

Armistice Day

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Mr Taylor reported on the event, expressing his thanks to all involved "Many thanks to all, for your support and contribution this morning which enabled us, as a school, to mark this event respectfully and with dignity. The muscians, as ever made a significant contribution to our short act of remembrance, for which I thank them on everyone's behalf. We should be proud of such moments in our school". 

Throughout the week we had a small stand in our main reception area, dedicated to Remembrance Day. Our contribution to local commemoration events continued on Sunday where our Head Boy and Head Girl attended a ceremony at the Town Memorial, laying a poppy wreath on behalf of the school.