Headteachers Update May Half Term

May 21st, 2026 | 5 minute read

Headteacher

Dear Parents and Carers,

I am writing to update you on the recent events at Littleover Community School; provide some key messages regarding school life, and to inform you about the upcoming events for next half term.

Success

For many of our students, this half term has had a clear examination and assessment focus. Both our Year 11 and Year 13 students are well underway with their respective exams, and I want to commend the way in which the majority of our students have approached and conducted themselves in response to their exams. Exams will continue after the half term and for our Year 11s, who have their final day of teacher input on the 22nd May, it will be very important that they are organised and timely in regards to attending their examinations in June.

In addition to the external examinations, Year 12 and Year 9 students have also sat assessments and those papers will inform the next steps they will need to take in order to continue to progress further. Please do encourage your child to discuss their exam successes and the areas/ topics where they may have struggled, so that you can be in touch with the school if you have any questions about how to support your child further with their academic progress.

On the 6th May, we had a group of our Year 10 students leading at the Commonwealth Games Festival in Derby; they delivered activities to younger students from across the city. The festival was a great success and we received feedback, remarking upon our students’ “competent, mature and caring” approach; we feel incredibly proud of the students who participated in this, embodying the principles of learning, caring and succeeding so brilliantly.

Over the last two weeks, we have had our Year 9 Duke of Edinburgh students out on their expeditions; they have conducted themselves remarkably well and it has been great to hear so many students speaking enthusiastically about having this opportunity available to them.

In Creative Arts news, three of our students have been awarded LAMDA certificates; two of our Year 11 students, were awarded bronze medals for their Grade 6 acting performances and one of our Year 7 students achieved a distinction in their speaking verse and prose exam. The students should feel proud of the work they have completed towards this- well done!

The school show has also been announced: The Wizard of Oz. This is set to be one of the best shows yet, and the whole Creative Arts’ faculty is looking forward to its development; please be encouraging your child to get involved and look out for the information about auditions. Participating in whole school shows allows for students to develop their creativity, confidence and teamwork so it really is an opportunity that we do not want our students to miss out on.

Key Messages

I have written to parents and carers before about the Uniform Policy and the expectations regarding jewellery; the LCS Uniform Policy clearly states that students choosing to wear earrings should wear one pair of studs, or small sleepers. This means that large, hooped earrings or earrings with ornamental details that drop from the lobe are not allowed. In regard to nose piercings, the policy, which has not changed this year, is very clear: they are not allowed. We do not permit clear retainers or stickers either. Students will be instructed to remove any nose piercings or inappropriate earrings, and this will be followed up through the behaviour policy, with the use of negatives, loss of unstructured time and Reflection, if the instances are repeated. I want to express my gratitude to all of the parents and carers who support the school’s policies and reinforce such messages at home, but we have had some instances this half term where the school’s position on this has been questioned or undermined; this is a real shame because we want to ensure that school is consistent and fair for all students, and we would hope that all parents and carers would support us in this regard.

As we approach the final half term of the academic year, there will be a number of trips going out and information will largely be shared via ParentPay, so please ensure that you are regularly checking your messages to stay up to date with the latest information.

Finally, there was a small mistake on the original Year 10 exam schedule in relation to one of the dates; the information on the school website is now accurate and students should have been informed by their tutors and Languages teachers to ensure there is no further confusion about this.