9 January 2025
Dear Parents, Guardians and Students/Annwyl Rhieni, Gwarchodwyr a Myfyrwyr
A very warm welcome back to the first school week of 2025! Our first order of service this week is to commend and celebrate the spectacular Christmas carol concert that ran for two nights over the 18th and 19th of December. Personally, I don’t want to attend a Christmas concert that doesn’t feature the Time Warp or Ghostbusters!
The concert was magnificent and included an entertaining rendition of a specially adapted ‘LHS Christmas Carol.’ We would like to congratulate the students and staff who worked away like little elves to bring us a music and drama collaboration that was brimming with comedy, joy, and Mr Grinstead’s epic dance moves.
The performance showcased the work of musicians, dancers, singers and actors. As always, it was amazing to see such an inclusive cast and crew. Students from Year 7 through to 13 (and beyond) thoroughly enjoyed the entire performance.
Whilst many schools are scaling back the provision for the Expressive Arts, our passion and commitment grow stronger with every exceptional performance. Here are a few action shots!
Thank you to governors, staff, students, parents, and alumni for supporting the concert. Thanks also go to a few folks that we will name. Thanks go to Elinor Maizey for the set and prop design, to Ruben Kelman for leading the box office, to Mr Fox for the construction of the stage and backdrop and to Mrs Bruma for leading and supporting the LHS signing choir that melted our hearts. We also commend the chilling performance given by Elizabeth Bates as Ebenezer Scrooge!
We would also like to thank our exceptionally talented and growing LHS Performing Arts Alumni for coming to support the evening, and even signing, playing and singing in the performance. We hope that those performing on the stage over the two evenings will return to us to continue the tradition.
We would also like to thank our wonderful PTA who work tirelessly to raise vital funds for the school and kept everyone refreshed. If you would like to join the friendly PTA, please email them on:
Finally, they avoid it at all costs, but I cannot finish without expressing our sincere thanks and admiration for the energy that was found by Mr Grimstead, Mrs Brown, Mrs Cumpstone and Mr Wolverson in the final weeks of term to stage, arrange and choreograph the concert.
They event found time to organise the interesting staff performance! Well done to the staff who put aside their dignity, attached glow sticks to their limbs, and performed a ‘dance’ of sorts to the song Sleigh Ride!
I can’t wait to see what next years staff number will be.
Last, but not least, putting on performances like this allows students to be part of something very unique and very special. Friendships are kindled across the ages, and lifelong memories are forged.
You only have to stick your head behind the scenes for a brief moment to see just how much the students enjoy themselves!
This now leads to one final announcement – the unveiling of the summer show!
This summer, Llanishen High School presents a production of ‘MADE IN DAGENHAM’.
This gritty musical follows the O’Grady family in late 1960’s East End London. Rita O’Grady works as a machinist in the Ford Dagenham River Plant producing the upholstery for thousands of cars every day. Her and her 186 colleagues are downgraded pay scales and decide to ‘Stand Up’. Quite literally, the rest is history!
We invite you to come and join us for what promises to be, as always, a fantastic display of the Expressive Arts talent at LHS. The show will be running from Tuesday 1st to Thursday 3rd of July 2025. Put it in your diaries now!
Singing for City Hospice
We would like to thank everyone who sang in St David’s before Christmas to raise money for City Hospice. They raised a whopping £2,820.47! This is the most they have ever taken at this kind of event so it’s absolutely incredible. We look forward to supporting them further in 2025.
Finally, can we congratulate another two students on achieving a year-long streak on Duolingo for French. They are Daniel Micklewright and Lewis Jeffries in 8H. Well done both. Let’s see if you can keep it going through 2025!
Well done to all members of the school community for re-engaging with school life this week. We hope everyone is well rested and ready for a term of hard work.
I look forward to bringing you more news and updates next week.
Thank you for reading/Diolch am ddarllen,
Mrs Sarah Parry, Headteacher