Dear ALS Community,
Today marks more than just the last day of this half-term - it also marks the last formal day of school for Year 13 and Year 11. As you’d expect from ALS pupils, the day has been a special day for them all, finding teachers to say thank you for their support and an opportunity to reflect on their time at ALS. It has been a day to remember for all of them and marks the end to their school career for those in Year 13 and for those in Year 11, the excitement starts at the prospect of returning as Sixth Formers and for those departing, the excitement of the new adventures that they are going on to. As I wrote last week, this time of year is bittersweet as we see our eldest children move on to their new challenges but it is also a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the successes of our eldest pupils and their respective journeys. I think a snippet from an email I received this week from a parent of a Year 13 pupil is worth sharing…”the progress [he] has made is incredible…now, he is going to university. I dread to think where he would be now if we had not found Arnold Lodge”.
This week, I’ve been working with the staff team at ALS to reflect on our ethos and culture as we approach the issue of being “full”. As our numbers increase, its integral for us to maintain our culture that we have all worked so hard to build and nurture and this is particularly pertinent for our Year 7 and Year 12 transition each year. We are committed to our small class sizes and to continue to put hard work, honesty and kindness at the heart of our admissions process. Please be assured that, each year, our Junior School pupils who are successful in their application to ALS Seniors will have first refusal of a place in to the Senior School before we open admissions externally. Similarly, pupils in the Senior School will receive priority to secure places for Sixth Form each year. Whilst it’s exciting to have such a swathe of external applicants for Year 7 and Year 12, it’s important that we prioritise those already within the ALS community and that we never lose sight of what makes us such an exceptional place for pupils to learn.
Over the past few days, Mr Owen and I have been interviewing applicants from Years 9 and 10 for Prefect positions. Hearing each pupil explain why they would like to be a Prefect, the skills they would bring to the role and why they want to give back to the school is a wonderful thing. From a pupil who has been part of the school since Reception (10 academic years!) through to a pupil who has been with us a short period of time but has wasted no time in embracing the culture and opportunities at ALS, hearing what ALS means to the children made my week. I was also impressed with one pupil’s gumption, when asked “what skills will you bring to the role?”, to simply answer “Well, Sir, that’d be hard work, honesty and kindness”. Mr Owen and I will let the successful candidates know their new Prefect roles when we return after half-term when we will then begin the business of selecting our new Head Prefect.
On Wednesday 9th June at 5:15pm, Mrs O’Sullivan will be cooking Spaghetti Carbonara with Rocket Salad at ‘Cook-a-long with Lodge’. Please see the list of ingredients here. If you would like to join Mrs O’Sullivan, please register your interest by 17:00 on Tuesday 8th June on [email protected].
Friday 2nd July is the ALS Sports Day and Summer BBQ. Join us for the day to watch the pupils compete against each other in the various races with a picnic lunch followed by an evening of live music and Mr Smart’s renowned BBQ, please see more information here. If you haven’t done so already please do RSVP by Friday 18th June to [email protected].
Earlier this week, Henry popped in to help me in school and took a turn on the gate to say “good afternoon” to pupils. He even took a spin in the Head’s seat where he looked right at home!
Have a lovely half term.
