Dear Parents and Carers,
I am writing to update you on the recent events at Littleover Community School and to provide some key messages about upcoming events.
The Student Council met last week and were given two areas to focus on: rewards and being able to articulate what it is like to be a student at LCS in 2026. The form representatives will be seeking the views of the wider student population and feeding back to the council in anticipation of the meeting on Tuesday 10th February. In addition, the different student committees within the school will also be meeting next week and the students on our site committee will be working on initiatives to reduce the amount of litter on site and give their views on the school’s ‘Climate Action Plan’. Students have also had the opportunity to vote in the Youth Mayor Elections this week, with the voting stations in the school reception and 6th form areas.
Our sports teams have also been in action over the last couple of weeks; our Year 8 netball team played Ecclesbourne School and the B team won 8-1; our Year 9 and 10 netballers defeated Derby High with 18-4 and 29-10 victories respectively. In addition, our Key Stage Three boys on the badminton team won all their play-off decider games and will now join our Key Stage Three girls to represent Derbyshire in the East Midlands in March.
In other parts of the school, some of our Year 12 students have also had the opportunity to complete the UK Chemistry Olympiad. This event is designed to challenge and inspire students as they get the opportunity to push themselves further and excel in the Chemistry field over the course of a two-hour paper. In other 6th Form news, we were lucky enough to have two ex-LCS 6th Form students, who are currently studying medicine, visit school and support some of our students with their future applications and develop their understanding of what it is like to study medicine.
Our Year 10 Debate Club have also been in action, and they have participated in the Derby and District Law Society debate competition. A massive well done to those students who participated in this great opportunity to enhance their public speaking and advocacy skills.
A further thanks to those parents and carers who attended the Year 9 Parents’ Evening on Thursday 22nd January; 87% of parents and carers booked appointments, which is great, and shows improvement from the Year 11 event earlier in the academic year. The Year 10 Parents’ Evening on Thursday 5th February currently shows 86% of parents and carers have booked appointments so we would hope to see some improvement here before the event on Thursday.
On Friday 23rd January, the school received an email from Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, acknowledging the following:
“Congratulations to you and your team on the excellent outcomes the disadvantaged pupils at Littleover Community School achieved at the end of the 2024/25 academic year. Your school’s performance places it among the very best nationally, and this is a significant achievement. This success reflects the dedication of your staff and the hard work of your pupils. It shows what can be achieved when ambition and commitment come together. Thank you for everything you do to give children the best possible opportunities to succeed.”
This was a lovely email to receive as it acknowledges both the achievements of our students and our staff in terms of achieving success for some of our most vulnerable students.
Key Messages
Parking
Parents and carers, who have read these updates before, will know that I have mentioned the care required from those dropping off or picking up students by car. Unfortunately, this half term, we have had a student involved in a car incident which required serious medical attention. The students at LCS should be able to walk to and from school in a safe manner, which means it is imperative that those of us who are driving around school site and choosing to park close to school site are cautious and take note of the legal restrictions in terms of parking near a school. I am sure you will agree with me that students should not feel unsafe on their journey to or from school because of inappropriate or impatient driving behaviours.
Mobile Phones
Parents and carers may have seen in the national press the strengthened guidance on mobile phone usage in schools by the Department for Education, released on 19th January 2026. The full guidance can be found here, although there is an extract below:
“All schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default; anything other than this should be by exception only. All schools must have a behaviour policy which is aligned with the school’s legal duties and standards relating to the welfare of children. This is essential in establishing and maintaining high standards of behaviour ensuring that the school is a calm and safe environment for all pupils and staff. As part of this policy, schools should develop a mobile phone policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones (for example the ability to send and/or receive notifications or messages via mobile phone networks or the ability to record audio and/or video) throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime.”
At LCS, we strongly believe that schools should be phone-free environments and I want to take this opportunity to repeat the information contained within our current Behaviour Policy about the school’s position on mobile phones.
“Students in Year 7-11 should not bring mobile phones, Smartwatches or other electronic devices into school.
Where students are found to be in possession of mobile phone these will be confiscated and returned to parents/carers only. If parents/carers cannot collect the item from school before 4:30pm, the item will be kept in school until the following school day.
Students found to have used mobile phones or other devices to record images in school, or on their way to/from school, will be subject to disciplinary sanction.”
A huge thank you to all the parents and carers who support the staff at LCS in reinforcing this message.
Attendance
At Littleover Community School, we want students to attend every day because we know about the link between strong attendance and strong academic outcomes, however, Public Health England have released data, showing that the sickness bug Norovirus has increased significantly at a national level, over the last two weeks. Given how easily and quickly this virus can spread, can I remind parents and carers of the following to support good hygiene habits:
· Ensure those with symptoms of diarrhoea or vomiting do not return to school until 48 hours after their last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting
· Children should be encouraged to wash their hands frequently, before eating and drinking, and after going to the toilet.
· Hands should be washed with liquid soap and warm water.
· Ensure food hygiene standards are kept high and the environment is cleaned regularly. Especially bathrooms, kitchens, frequently touched areas.
Uniform
Whilst the beginning of this half term was interrupted by the snow closure day, students have been back consistently since Friday 9th January and we have started to notice some students are not wearing the correct LCS uniform. We are lucky at LCS that our uniform is simple, so it is clear when students are not dressed according to the policy. Girls should be in plain, black trousers, in a formal style; they should not be in leggings or denim. In addition, nose studs (translucent or not) are not permitted and finally, school shoes should be plain black ones, not trainers or plimsols. Staff time is best used supporting students to be successful in school, and not having to manage these issues which unnecessary given the clarity of the policy, so all support from parents and carers in this matter is greatly appreciated.
Year 11 Leavers Celebration
Finally, our Year 11 Leavers celebration date will be taking place on Thursday 25TH June; the official exam contingency day for 2026 is Wednesday 24th June, where candidates
should remain available to attend for any exam board, rescheduled, examinations to take place; in addition, Year 11 students are the school’s responsibility until the final Friday of June. I apologise for any inconvenience caused by this move, but this needs to be done to support the logistics of examinations within the wider school, other events taking place during this period and staff availability. Further details about these arrangements and the timing of the celebration will be released later in the school year.
Important Dates
Thursday 5th February: Year 10 Parents’ Evening.
Friday 13th February: INSET. School is closed to students.
Monday 23rd February: School reopens.
Kind Regards,
Mrs L Johnson
