LPS Mayfair Autumn term 2026 half-term newsletter

A busy and productive first half term 

It has been a busy and productive first half term academically at LPS Mayfair, with students across all year groups embracing new challenges and making a positive start to the year. 

One of our key priorities has been strengthening the partnership between school and home through our series of Curriculum Evenings. These have covered every year group, from embedding academic rigour and strong learning habits in Year 7, through to revision and examination preparation in Years 10 and 11, and exploring university pathways and degree apprenticeships in the Sixth Form. These evenings have provided valuable opportunities to share our expectations and help parents support their child’s learning. 

Learning beyond the classroom 

A particular highlight has been the formal launch of our Learn Like a Londoner programme across Years 7 to 9. Students have already enjoyed a range of trips and learning experiences, making the most of the extraordinary opportunities London provides. 

Educational research highlights the benefits of experiential learning, particularly when practical experiences are connected to classroom teaching and reflection. These opportunities can strengthen understanding, increase engagement and help students develop confidence, independence and curiosity. Our aim is to ensure that learning extends beyond the classroom, enabling students to make meaningful connections between their studies and the world around them. 

Listening to our students 

This half term also saw students in Years 10 to 13 complete their first formal Pupil Voice surveys, sharing valuable feedback on their experiences of teaching and learning. Teachers will use these insights to reflect on and further develop their practice during the second half term, ensuring that student feedback plays an important role in our continued commitment to high-quality teaching. 

Looking ahead 

Our Year 11 and Year 13 students will begin their mock examinations from Monday 2 to Friday 6 November. Students will be on study leave during this period, although all examinations must be attended in person, including by Hybrid students. We encourage students to balance purposeful revision with some well-earned rest over half term. 

We will also be developing our new Curriculum Handbooks for parents, providing a clearer overview of what students are studying and how learning is sequenced across each half term. These will help families follow their child’s academic journey and better understand how knowledge and skills develop throughout the year. 

With key decisions on the horizon for our Year 10 and 11 families, we are delighted to host an expert panel and Q&A featuring Clinical Psychologist and Author, Tara Porter, Oxbridge Applications Consultancy Team Lead, Thomas Moon, InvestIN Senior School Programmes Manager, Emily Stone, providing practical advice on the opportunities, challenges and choices that lie ahead on Wednesday 11 November. Find out more and RSVP here.

Building our careers and enrichment programme 

We are continuing to develop our partnership with InvestIN as part of the Dukes Diploma and our wider careers and enrichment programme. Beginning in the second term, this programme will extend across all year groups, offering opportunities to explore professional pathways, develop employability skills and connect academic learning with future university and career choices. 

Nathan Mountford, Deputy Head Academic and Head of Sixth Form 

Academic notices:

• Expert panel and Q&A for parents navigating GCSEs, sixth form and life after 16 on Wednesday 11 November. Learn more and RSVP here. 
• Important dates and deadlines for year 11 GCSE Art & Design can be found here.
• Important dates and deadlines for year 13 A Level Art & Design can be found here.
• Year 11 & Year 13 mock examinations and exam leave will commence the week commencing 2 November. More information and how to help prepare your child is available here.
• Free university insights programme available to year 9 to 13 parents through Dukes Plus. The online lecture series features decision makers from world class universities, sharing powerful perspectives and insider advice to help Dukes families make smarter decisions about university choices and life after school. More details and how to access is available here. 

Finding the pockets of joy 

As we reach the end of our first half term together, I have found myself reflecting on what makes LPS such a special place. It is rarely the big pre-planned moments that stay with us. More often, it is the countless small interactions that make the difference: a Year 7 student confidently finding their feet, an older student offering encouragement to a younger peer, a tutor noticing when someone needs a quiet check-in, or a student choosing kindness when no one is watching. 

Recently, I came across a quote from Richard E. Grant which has stayed with me: 

“I try to put a little pocket full of joy into every day.” 

It is a simple idea, but one that resonates deeply with pastoral care. School life can be busy, demanding and sometimes even challenging. Alongside academic success, our aim is to help every young person find those “pockets of joy”: a friendship that blossoms, a breakthrough in learning, a house event, a charitable initiative, a conversation that reassures them, or simply the feeling of belonging to a community that knows and values them. 

This half term, I have been particularly proud of the way our students have embraced our house and tutor systems. There is a genuine sense of community developing across year groups, with older students supporting younger pupils and everyone contributing to the warm, family atmosphere that sits at the heart of LPS Mayfair, Hybrid and Sixth. Our students continue to impress us with their humour, resilience, compassion and willingness to look out for one another.  

I would also like to thank our parents and carers. Pastoral care works best when school and home work in partnership, and we are grateful for the trust you place in us each day. Your communication, support and shared commitment to your children’s wellbeing enables us to provide the very best care for them. As we head into the half-term break, I encourage our students to seek out their own pockets of joy; whether that is spending time with family, enjoying a favourite hobby, getting outside, reading a good book, or simply taking time to rest. These moments matter. 

Thank you for your continued support of our school community. We wish all our families a restful and happy half term, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for what promises to be another exciting and rewarding chapter of the year. 

Hannah Sheehy, Senior Deputy Head & Designated Safeguarding Lead 

An exciting start to the academic year 

It has been a busy and exciting start to the year for LPS Sixth, with students embracing new opportunities and settling into life at 106 Piccadilly. 

Our new students began with an induction programme before joining returning Sixth Formers for a day focused on building friendships, meeting tutors and preparing for the academic year ahead. It has been particularly pleasing to see our Sixth Formers becoming such an important part of the wider school community, setting an excellent example for younger students and demonstrating the maturity and leadership we hope to develop throughout their time with us. 

Our ethos of structured independence has also been evident in the way students have embraced their new learning environment. From making use of the dedicated Sixth Form study spaces and St James study room to working independently in the café, students are increasingly taking ownership of their learning while benefiting from the guidance and support of their teachers. 

University applications and future pathways 

We have already reached an exciting milestone, with our first UCAS applications submitted for Oxbridge and Medicine. We wish all our early applicants the very best of luck! 

This year’s university interests are particularly diverse, with students exploring opportunities across the UK, USA, Canada and wider Europe. Their ambitions are equally varied, ranging from Media and Law to Economics, War Studies and Politics. It has been wonderful to see students thinking so carefully about their futures and the opportunities available to them. 

Looking ahead, our Year 12 students will be attending What University? & What Career? Live at Olympia London on Friday 13 November. This event will provide valuable opportunities to explore university courses, degree apprenticeships and other pathways beyond Sixth Form. We are also exploring additional places for interested Year 12 Hybrid students to join the visit. 

As the year progresses, we encourage all Year 12 and Year 13 students to check their Teams channels regularly, where we share important academic updates, university opportunities, careers events and application guidance. 

It has been a fantastic start to Sixth Form life, and we look forward to supporting our students as they continue to develop the confidence, independence and ambition needed for their next steps. 

Nathan Mountford, Deputy Head Academic and Head of Sixth Form 

Sixth form notices:

• Dukes Plus scholars’ programme is now available for Year 12 students to join specialist graduate mentors for participatory, Oxbridge-style seminars designed to deepen your interests and support your university applications. Find out more. 
• Free university insights programme available to year 9 to 13 parents through Dukes Plus. The online lecture series features decision makers from world class universities, sharing powerful perspectives and insider advice to help Dukes families make smarter decisions about university choices and life after school. More details and how to access is available here. 
• Year 11 & Year 13 mock examinations and exam leave will commence the week commencing 2 November. More information and how to help prepare your child is available here. 
• Important dates and deadlines for year 13 A Level Art & Design can be found here. 

Celebrating success across the Hybrid community 

It has been a fantastic half term for our Hybrid community, with students embracing a wide range of academic, enrichment and leadership opportunities. One of the most rewarding aspects has been seeing students continue to grow in confidence and independence, whilst strengthening the sense of community that makes Hybrid such a special environment. 

Our Learn Like a Londoner programme has provided some memorable experiences this half term. Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 enjoyed live Art lessons in Green Park, taking inspiration from the world around them and developing their observational and creative skills in an outdoor setting. Year 11 students benefited from a theatre workshop at Shakespeare’s Globe, whilst our GCSE Geography students undertook valuable fieldwork in King’s Cross as part of their coursework preparation. These experiences help bring learning to life and demonstrate the unique opportunities available to our students beyond the classroom. 

I have also been delighted by the feedback from Mr Tasic regarding Margot, Amber, Hanna and Sunny (Y10) in Media Studies. Having adapted quickly to a new style of learning, they have shown increasing confidence in their contributions, demonstrated genuine curiosity about the subject and consistently engaged with the ideas being explored. Mr Tasic spoke very highly of their progress this half term, describing their lessons as one of the highlights of his week. 

Similarly, Mr Ashington has been highly impressed by Ted (Y10), who has embraced our Music Production Club, as well as Sophia, Frida and Phoebe(Y9), who have recently joined our new Tuesday Music Club and have already made a fantastic contribution. 

A quick shoutout to Buddy (Y9), whose creativity continues to shine through his Drama performances, Music Production work and drumming. 

Congratulations also to Julian (Y7) on making his goalkeeping debut for the Year 7 football team. Mr Lewys has been particularly impressed by his dedication and commitment. 

It has also been wonderful to see Melissa (Y10) participating so enthusiastically in our weekly Book Club every Thursday. These sessions have become a real highlight of the week for Ms Baig, Ms Abi and myself, with thoughtful discussions, plenty of recommendations and a shared love of reading. We’re already looking forward to starting our next book! We are always keen to welcome new members, so if Book Club sounds like something you would enjoy, please do get in touch. 

A couple of KS3 special mentions must go to Sophia A (Y9) and Jazzy (Y7), both of whom have been highlighted by several staff this half term for their kindness, positivity and support of others. Their warm and encouraging approach helps make the Hybrid community such a welcoming place, and they should be very proud of their efforts. 

For KS4, special mentions must also go to Flo and Hanna (Y10), who have consistently approached Thursday form time with positivity and enthusiasm. Their contributions to the Community Leader activities have stood out, demonstrating both thoughtfulness and a genuine willingness to engage with the wider school community. Well done to both. 

A particular highlight so far this term, for me, was welcoming our new Hybrid students during our Induction Morning. It was fantastic to see so many current students giving up their time to help new starters settle in, answer questions and share their experiences of Hybrid learning. A huge thank you to Kai, Frida, Sophia, Phoebe (Y9), Liam, Ellen, Kissy (Y11), Ahlam and Ellie (Y12), who were outstanding ambassadors for the school. Their warmth, enthusiasm and willingness to support others made a real difference and ensured our new students felt part of the community from day one. 

We have also been incredibly impressed by how quickly our new Year 7 and Year 8 students have settled into life at LPS Hybrid. In a remarkably short space of time, they have formed close friendships with one another whilst also integrating seamlessly with our day school students. Watching these relationships develop has been a real pleasure and reflects the welcoming and inclusive nature of our community. 

It was lovely speaking with Ms Agravat this week about how positively Year 11 have settled into this important year. She was particularly keen to highlight the consistent contributions made by Cati, Jake, Theo, Fizzy, Ellen and Liam during form-time discussions, helping to create thoughtful and engaging conversations each week. She also shared positive feedback from colleagues regarding Jake, Ellen and Liam, who have shown real confidence in contributing to science lessons. A special mention also goes to Frankie for her hard work across Psychology and English, Cati for her dedication to an English Literature essay, Kate for being such a friendly and proactive buddy during a recent trial day, and Suki, Kissy and Seb for the positive attitude with which they have begun Year 11. Finally, Theo’s thoughtful work exploring the people who are important within his community was a particular highlight. Well done to all involved. 

Looking ahead to next half term, our Year 11 students will begin their GCSE mock examinations in the very first week back. Teachers have set revision work via Teams to support preparation over the break, and we encourage students to strike a healthy balance between revision and rest. We look forward to another exciting half term, packed with opportunities for students to continue developing academically, socially and personally. 

We are also excited to see the launch of a new student-led initiative next half term. Sunny (Y10) will be starting their own Art Club, providing a creative space for students to draw, create and share ideas with fellow artists. The club will run on Thursdays from 13:15-13:45 in The Loft (Art Attic). All students are welcome, and Sunny would love to see as many budding artists as possible get involved. 

I would also like to recognise the exceptional work being produced by our Year 10 GCSE Art students. It has been a real pleasure visiting lessons and seeing the creativity, skill and dedication on display. Praise must go to Margot, Melissa, Josiah, Ted and Sunny, whose work has been especially impressive this half term. 

I would like to extend a personal thank you to all of the Hybrid parents who have so generously donated towards my upcoming marathon. Your kindness and support are hugely appreciated and have provided plenty of motivation as the training miles continue to add up. Knowing that I’m raising money with the backing of our wonderful Hybrid community will certainly help make those cold winter training sessions a little more bearable! 

Finally, a huge congratulations to Ms Abi, Year 10 Form Tutor, who completed her first ever half marathon last Sunday. This is a fantastic achievement, and we are all incredibly proud of her. I have even heard rumours that she is now setting her sights on completing a full marathon next year. We wish her the very best of luck with the training! 

I would like to thank all of our students, parents and staff for their continued support. The Hybrid community continues to go from strength to strength, and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together in the weeks ahead. Have a wonderful and well-deserved half term break. 

Rob Alexander, Head of Hybrid at LPS Mayfair 

Year 11 History students were led through a focused revision session for their current unit on Migration, with a focus on expansion and empire in Africa and India. This fed into revision for their upcoming mock examinations in November.  

Students were taught a variety of methods such as brain blurts, mind maps, source analysis, and definitions of keywords making a helpful crib sheet to use for GCSE revision later in the year. A common misconception for our Year 11 students is that simply reading a textbook count as comprehensive revision, when in practice, less than 20% of this information is absorbed and able to be recalled later. Collaborative and application-based revision is far more effective at helping students remember what they’ve learned in class.  

Some tips to try at home in preparation for mock exams: 

• Writing flash cards, and testing yourself or friends  

• Making colourful posters of key topics  

• Writing vocab lists with key words, events, names, numbers and dates  

• Brain blurts – give yourself 2 minutes to write down as much as you remember on a specific topic  

• Teaching others! This is the most effective form of revision  

Well done to Algy, Andrew and Sam in Year 11 for working so hard in this lesson and writing fantastic 8-mark answers on the Scramble for Africa. 

Hattie Creese, Head of Humanities 

Our Year 12 Economists took their macroeconomic learning beyond the classroom by diving into the experiences of different countries to explore one of the key challenges facing economies worldwide: unemployment. 

They explored how differences in economic structures, labour markets and wider economic conditions can lead to very different unemployment challenges across the world. By sharing their findings, students explored how economic theory informs policy decisions and was a fantastic opportunity for our budding economists to think critically, make international comparisons and appreciate the complexity of policymaking. Most importantly, they saw how studying economics helped them make sense of real-world challenges and the choices governments face in trying to improve people’s lives. 

Ramya Nair, Teacher of Economics  

In each newsletter, we’ll be putting one of our houses in the spotlight, sharing the stories, successes and opportunities that help foster the strong sense of belonging, leadership and community at the heart of school life. 

Hyde House goes from strength to strength 

It has been a fantastic start to the year for Hyde House, with students embracing opportunities to connect, support one another, and contribute to our growing house community. 

One of the highlights of the term was our house bonding walk, which brought together students from across the year groups. Students were paired with house buddies, creating valuable opportunities for older students to act as role models while helping younger students feel welcomed and supported. These relationships are already making a positive difference, with one year 11 student providing guidance and encouragement to a year 7 student as they settle into school life, helping with organisation, time management, and confidence. 

We have also enjoyed celebrating student achievements through our house assemblies. A special congratulations goes to Jenny and Emma in Y9, who are currently leading the house points table with an impressive 22 points each. 

Our vertical House System continues to be a real strength of the school community. By bringing together students of different ages, it creates a strong sense of belonging and encourages friendships across year groups. Older students have opportunities to lead and support others, while younger students benefit from their experience and feel part of something bigger from day one. 

At the heart of Hyde House is our motto, “Better than Yesterday.” Inspired by James Clear’s Atomic Habits, the phrase encourages students to focus on small, consistent improvements. The idea is simple: positive habits and incremental progress can lead to remarkable results over time. It is a philosophy that reflects the determination, resilience, and growth mindset we aim to foster in all our students. 

There is plenty to look forward to next half term. Hyde students will be taking part in the inaugural Great LPS Bake Off, a house competition inspired by The Great British Bake Off. Alongside some friendly rivalry and impressive baking, the event will raise money for Mencap, combining house spirit with support for a worthy cause. 

With strong relationships already forming across the house and plenty of exciting initiatives on the horizon, Hyde House continues to go from strength to strength. View the full gallery of pictures here.

Luke Ebbs, Pastoral Lead & Teacher of History

Exploring the world through food 

This term, pupils have enjoyed a range of special themed lunches alongside the regular menu, bringing variety, discovery and celebration to our dining hall, affectionately known as The Greyhound Inn. The name is a nod to the site’s history: in the 16th century, a coaching inn for local travellers stood on this spot before the beautiful house was built. Today, The Greyhound Inn remains a lively and welcoming space where pupils can enjoy lunch, take a break, catch up with friends, and chat with both peers and teachers.

For Language Week, children explored flavours from around the world, sampling dishes inspired by Jamaican, British, Japanese, Italian and Chinese cuisine. To mark Anaphylaxis Awareness Week, pupils were treated to an allergy-friendly menu featuring chicken wings, homemade wedges, roasted mixed vegetables and apple and cinnamon crumble served with dairy-free cream, demonstrating that inclusive dining can be both delicious and exciting. 

Black History Month was celebrated with a vibrant menu inspired by African and Caribbean cuisine, including Jamaican jerk chicken, rice ‘n’ peas, Nigerian jollof-style pumpkin and chickpea rice, followed by Melva cake with spiced custard. The month concludes with Halloween-themed cupcakes, adding a touch of seasonal fun to lunchtime. 

There is more to look forward to after half term, with the launch of a new break-time food offer for Sixth Form students. Developed in response to student feedback and following a successful tasting event, the menu will provide even greater choice and flexibility throughout the school day. 

These themed events are part of our commitment to providing a varied and enjoyable food offering, encouraging pupils to experience new flavours, celebrate different cultures and make lunchtime a memorable part of the school day. 

Perry and the LPS Mayfair catering team