Looking Forward - Looking Back

Welcome to the second newsletter from Loreto College's Sixth Form. Although it is a short Half Term, nevertheless it is a packed one with mock examinations for both Year 12 and 13 students and the completion of UCAS applications for Year 13 students are the main headlines but there is so much else going on we hope that you enjoy the latest installment of life in the Sixth Form at Loreto College.

Also, if there is anything you want to see in the newsletter, please contact Mr. Mitchell and we will endeavour to include your ideas in the newsletter.

With all good wishes from the Sixth Form Team.

Springtime in Lent

Dear parents, students and families,

Another half term has gone by like lightening. We can all be so proud of our inspiring Year 12 and Year 13 students who lead from the front in all walks of school life. The senior students are the leaders of the school community and this is evidently reflected in the myriad of activities they all engage with.

As we enter the second half of the spring term, our minds turn to Lent which is always an opportunity for renewal and reflection. Our Year 12 and Year 13 students will be busy in their studies, but the College is always mindful of those less fortunate and we have a collection of Lenten fundraising activities in place for the new half term.

May I take this opportunity to wish all the Loreto family a peaceful and happy half term break.

Mr Mahon

Our Year 12 students have begun the work placements for their T-Levels. All students have impressed with their commitment and engagement and this looks like it is going to be a very valuable experience for them. This will foster independence and confidence which will give students freedom and access a wide range of opportunities in the future.

Our Sixth Form students participated in the Mary Ward Week activity on sincerity and considered a wide range of issues relating to honesty and integrity. these activities were led by Mrs. Mason Clark and we thank her for all guidance and support in these lessons.

The Sixth Form have participated in a series of new lessons for PSHE - for Year 12 embarking on a series of lessons on risks and for Year 13 exploring topics surrounding relationships - which encourage students to search critically for answers to some important questions in life.

This Half Term has seen joy in all places ranging from the Christmas Revue to the Year 13 Winter Ball. Wonderful times! What has been particularly impressive with many of these joyous events is that our students have taken the lead in organising so many of these events. Students have devoted an enormous amount of energy and vision into making such memories. Thank you!

Natalie, a Year 12 student, entered the Frankly Speaking Competition held at the US Embassy. Her speech on the Black Panther Party and how it relates to the democracy of the Founding Fathers. This resonated deeply with the Mary Ward value of Justice.

Congratulations to everyone - it has such as busy term with Mock Examinations dominating the Half Term - but we got there! It's great to see a new member of the Sixth Form Team - the ginger cat who keeps trying to enter the Sixth Form Centre and gets caught every time!

Our highlights of the term include the Year 13 Winter Ball - we are very grateful for everybody's contributions in the form of decorating the Hall, buying tickets and supplying the music: it was a brilliant turnout and everyone looked so good in their dresses and heels.

Also, a huge congratulations to everyone who has completed their UCAS applications, we're wishing everyone the best of luck and are very excited to see where we are all heading this time next year.

Like last Half Term with the Christmas Revue, we are going out with a bang with the Culture Day on the last day of Half Term and we are so looking forward to celebrating diversity and identity with everyone!

The Autumn Term ended with the wonderful tradition of the Christmas Revue organised by the Head Girl Team - and what a joy it was! By common consent one of the best Christmas Revues ever at Loreto College, the Head Girl Team had spent much of their spare time in the Autumn Term planning, writing scripts, recruiting and filming staff amongst all the many tasks that come with such an endeavour. All this hard work paid off in spades with a hugely enjoyable and inclusive Christmas Revue.

Highlights involved Loreto's Answer to Strictly Come Dancing featuring Mr. Downes and Ms Kennedy, The Masked Singer with a masterful performance from Ms Baptisto, a variety of memes based on TikTok favourites and a live performance from Nativity showcasing the dancing talents of Ms Bell as the Star of the Tree. We enjoyed The Queen's Speech from none other than Mrs Thompson wishing us all a very happy Christmas. Also, an unexpected cameo from Mr Downes and Shrek raised the roof. The Christmas Revue ended with a brilliant video featuring so many of the Loreto Community from staff and students in every year group busting some moves to Kelly Clarkson's classic Underneath the Tree.

A huge thank you and much gratitude must be shown to the Head Girl Team for all the hard work, brilliant creativity and generous spirit in producing such a magnificent show.

It is with great pride that we share Natalie from Year 12's experience of making a speech at the US Embassy today. Natalie independently researched the Frankly Speaking Debating Competition - organised jointly by the Benjamin Franklin House and the US Embassy - and supported by the Sixth Form Team and Mrs Moran, was successful in her application to participate. The competition is designed to promote the power of the spoken word and to encourage Sixth Formers to explore the issues surrounding American independence and democracy. Natalie spoke eloquently and with great lucidity on the themes of civil rights, the freedom of speech and the influence of the Founding Fathers.

To speak with confidence and insight in front of an audience including the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Warren Stephens, and a wide range of students, teachers and US officials, Natalie deserves a huge amount of credit and Mrs Moran, who accompanied Natalie, shared that Natalie was extremely impressive and her speech inspired sincerity and truth - core Mary Ward Values in action.

Here is Natalie’s report on her experiences at the US Embassy -

On the 5th February, I had the opportunity to take part in a speaking competition that was held by the Benjamin Franklin House in collaboration with the US Embassy. In preparation, me and 11 other participants had to create a discussion on the topic of free speech, which was remarkably interesting to hear many different interpretations of the prompt.

During the competition, I was able to talk to other competitors and got to enjoy seeing their viewpoints- some of which we held the same! What was really good was that my speech on the Black Panther Party also helped some of the audience understand other parts of the Civil Rights Movement that aren’t as widely known. It was also great to see the enthusiasm and the spirit through their speeches speaking on topics such as Britain’s leadership in 2010 and the Founding Father’s integrity.

As well as this, holding it at the US Embassy allowed me to visit this prestigious place for the first time in which its history was displayed around the rooms. We also had a talk from the Ambassador to the UK showing our international relations.

I really enjoyed this experience overall and got to hear amazing talkers and meet new people!

Our T Level Software Development students had an excellent first meeting with Omniplex Learning St Albans on the 14th of January 2026. From the moment we arrived, the team at Omniplex were exceptionally professional, welcoming, and genuinely invested in creating a positive experience for every student.

The session was incredibly valuable and educational, offering students a real insight into industry expectations, workflows, and the evolving landscape of digital learning technologies. The staff were clear, knowledgeable, and engaging—taking time to answer questions, share experiences, and highlight the skills that matter most in the field.What stood out most was the team’s enthusiasm and willingness to support our learners.

They spoke passionately about the opportunities within the sector and demonstrated a clear commitment to helping young developers grow. This had a noticeable impact on our students, who left the meeting feeling inspired, motivated, and excited about their future pathways.Our students are incredibly enthusiastic about the opportunity Omniplex has opened up for them. The experience not only broadened their understanding of the industry but also boosted their confidence as they prepare for their upcoming industry placement.

Overall, the meeting was a tremendous success, and we are extremely grateful to Omniplex Education for their time, professionalism, and support. We look forward to building on this partnership in the months ahead.

Our Year 12 students began their T- Level work placements during this Half Term. Our intrepid reporter, Freddie, shares his experiences of working with Stylideas Ltd.

I went on my first work placement at Stylideas Ltd, where I helped with 3D printing, R&D, attended meetings, and assisted with AI. It was an amazing experience, and I would highly recommend taking the opportunity to do work experience with any company if you can. Thank you to the school and the kind people at Stylideas Ltd for making it possible. I am looking forward to the upcoming placement days.

The trip to Harry Potter World is always a popular one with our students, who experience all things Harry Potter at Leavesden Studios near Watford. From Dumbledore to Snape and everything in between, our students were enraptured with the visit. I shall leave it to Loreto College's answer to Rita Skeeter [but far nicer!] Marianne to give us a full account of the visit.

Last week, our school had the exciting chance to visit the Warner Bros. Studio – Making of Harry Potter tour, and it was one of those days that felt special from start to finish. Through the magical grasp of Harry Potter, it felt like stepping into a working archive of the creative industries. The trip was open to the A-level Performing Arts subjects, so it was a big event filled with energy. Everyone was excited for various reasons: some for filmmaking and music, others for design and art, and many of us simply because we’ve grown up loving Harry Potter.

It was a delight to celebrate the success of Year 12 students passing the Step Leadership Foundations Course this term. The course aims to explore the issues surrounding good leadership and the course focuses on the key attributes of teamwork, personal qualities, influence, identity, character and perserverence. This course was entirely voluntary and it was impressive to see so many of our Year 12 students complete this course with great merit. Successful students were awarded with a certificate in assembly and it was marvellous to read the personalised comments on each certificate celebrating student development and success.

Congratulations to Annie, Heloise, Laura. Grete, Lisa, Samarah. Esther, Julia, Oluwaseun and Pragya for their excellent participation and completion of this leadership programme.

The Year 13 Head Girl organised a tremendous Winter Ball for all Year 13 students and they had an amazing time with a photo booth, chocolate foundation, the latest tunes, a tasty feast and dressed in classy gowns. Marvellous Times. A massive round of applause must go to the Head Girl Team who invested a huge amount of time and energy into making this evening a stellar success.

It is with great pleasure to share the work of a new initiative led by Year 12 students who are producing a regular Science Magazine. The magazine has been shared to all students via Edulink and the next issue will support the school's Lenten fundraising. Abby from Year 12 gives us some more details on this brilliant project.

We are proud to introduce the Loreto Science Magazine club, a year 12 student led group aiming to provide a platform to share and explore different scientific ideas. The club is open to all years and encourages curiosity and creativity within sciences.

The club is led by Abby, Laura and Niamh from Year 12. Writers include Bernice and Heloise from Year 12 and Alexa and Lily from Year 8 and the cover artwork is designed by Charis from Year 12.

As the season of Lent approaching, we will be selling copies of our next issue for our chosen charity — Cats Protection. If you would like to contribute by writing a magazine page , feel free to message us on teams! (20kanaml@loreto.herts.sch.uk)

In the meantime, we would like to invite you to read our latest issue from January which has been shared on Edulink and support us! We hope you enjoy exploring the exciting world of science with us!

During the Autumn term a team of Year 12 students took part in the Accumulator Challenge - a fundraising initiative set up by Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care. Loreto has been taking part in this challenge since 2019 and, every September, the charity gives £30 to a new Year 12 team. The team’s challenge is to raise as much money as possible by Christmas and (as a bit of friendly competition!) each team tries to raise more money than the team the year before!

It is brilliant to share that this year’s team have raised the most money ever!

Total: £2,415!

This, in itself, is a fantastic amount but it also means that, since 2019, the Loreto Year 12 Accumulator Challenge teams have cumulatively raised a total of £11,760 for Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care.

Huge congratulations to this year’s team - Amelie, Amy, Chiara, Freddie, Isabella, Joelle, Niamh, Peggy-Rose, Tosin, Samarah and Serena.

The new activities for the Enrichment Programme began straight after the Mock Examinations. New activities on offer include Bowling, First Aid, Historical Walks and Cooking for University. Thank you to all teachers who are contributing to this programme and the students are gaining a full measure of enjoyment out of them.

Empowering our sixth formers with Placer💫

In a follow-up workshop, our T Levels Digital Software Development students dived deeper into the platform’s work-readiness modules and the DISC personality assessment. By exploring traits like Decisiveness, Impact, Support, and Certainty, students learned to better understand their professional preferences and how to communicate effectively in the workplace.

This term has seen Year 12 students continue to work on a module on Safety and Risks as well as examine the documentary Secrets of the Conclave which outlined the issues surrounding last year's Conclave.

Year 13 focused on preparing for their mock examinations in the first half of this Half Term with a particular focus on last minute revision tips that encourage low stakes and high impact activities. After the mock examinations, Year 13 students resumed working on the PSHE module on Relationships.

Congratulations to all the Year 13 students who have completed their UCAS applications. Over 70 students from Loreto have applied a wide range of course from universities across the country. We are exceptionally proud in the way students have put together your applications and the offers so far have been amazing and bode well for the summer.

Both Year 12 and Year 13 have had mock examinations this term and in their assemblies, they were given three late revision tips to try to help them prepare for the timed assessments. This was what was shared with our students.

Eat Well - For the short-term, eating well boosts your stamina, so that you can sustain study. For example, dark chocolate, blueberries and chickpeas all have short term benefits to boost brain power and concentration.

Exercise Well - Making sure you build in some exercise/physical movement during the exam season. Short, daily exercise sessions will boost brain power and maintain balance.

Sleep Well - Students who maintain a regular 7 to 8 hour sleep pattern have a far superior ability to find solutions to problems compared with those who do not. Make sure you have a regular sleep routine.

Keep It Short - The average brain has an optimum concentration period of around 20 minutes. Maximise this by completing short, sharp revision activities.

Keep It Active - Choose revision activities that are short and active - focus on activities that help you apply information and knowledge rather than ‘Parrot-Fashion’ learning.

Keep It Focused - Remove all distractions which can become an obstacle to bringing your full attention to completing a short, active revision activity. Switch off your phone, turn off the tv or radio and keep it focused.

A-Z - Write a list of the alphabet, choose a topic and think of a word that links to the topic for each letter of the alphabet.

Revision Clock - Make you own and fill it in!

Connection Maps - Write 12 items of knowledge on a connected topic. Draw lines between the items of knowledge and on the line write an explanation of the connection between them.

Make Your Own Resource - Don’t rely on pre-made material. The best revision originates from making your own resource.

Turn comments into an action plan for the next piece of work.

When you receive feedback that you might perceive as negative, it is easy to take it personally. Take a step back and come back to a bit later when you feel calmer.

12F - Miss Ratna and Mr Ransom

For good feedback, reflect on what you did that lead to success and replicate it next time. For bad feedback, clarify your misunderstandings and ask for help if you need it - you should always feel that if you did the same work again now you could get a better mark.

12J - Miss Jeffery

Use feedback to set one clear, actionable target rather than trying to change everything at once. Separate yourself from your work, a critique of your work is not critique of you.

12S - Miss Murphy

There will always be something you can improve. Focus on that.

12T - Miss Waygood

Remember, it's meant to help you get better! Ensure it is broken down into manageable steps that can be actioned and then always review to ensure you have consistently improved.

13F - Mr Carter

13J came back from study leave looking a little subdued but have since recovered their positive energy and made some excellent contributions to form time. Rhada Mohindra AKA - IT guru suggested the following comment for how to advise students on approaching the next few weeks at school following the mock exams: 'Failure to prepare is preparing to fail'. I would add to that 'Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!'

13J - Ms Jaques

Feedback is only worthwhile if you act on it. Whether it is good or bad, reflecting on your feedback and using it to improve your future work is crucial to making progress.

13S - Mr. Knowles

A message from Mrs. Wicks.

Well done to many of you who have created LinkedIn profiles - it's a great professional platform to be a member of.

Our LinkedIn account is: Loreto College | St Albans, Herts

Please make sure you select the right one - see screenshot.

Email: admin@loreto.herts.sch.uk
Website: https://www.loreto.herts.sch.uk/
Location: Loreto College, Hatfield Road, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3RQ

Phone: 01727 856206