July 2025
We were delighted to welcome our new-to-Luffa Year 11 students for a fun and engaging team-building day. This year, the Army ran a varied carousel of challenges—some more fun than others!—designed to build confidence, teamwork, and resilience. As you’ll see from the photos, all students got stuck in despite the heat. During the break, they enjoyed drinks and snacks in the Sixth Form Centre, where they mingled with current Year 12s. We ended the day with food on the green—sunshine, shade, and lots of conversation. It was fantastic to see new connections beginning to form and, hopefully, the first steps toward new friendships that will help ease the transition to Sixth Form life.
Stella Richi, Deputy Head of Sixth Form
As part of their work on the swashbuckling 19th century smuggling adventure story Moonfleet, Mrs Stone’s Year 7 English class were transported back in time at Chichester’s Novium Museum.
The workshop focused on Chichester's rich history of pirates and smugglers and was both educational and entertaining, with an array of displays that brought the past to life. One of the highlights was a short video that gave a dramatic overview of how a terrifying band of local south coast smugglers operated along our coastline. The infamous Hawkhurst Gang have certainly left their mark: from a gibbet in Selsey, to the Smuggler’s Stone on the Broyle Road, both serving as a reminder of the harsh punishments for smugglers.
We also took part in several interactive group tasks, including looking at authentic clothing worn by smugglers, complete with secret pockets in coats and false heels in shoes. The museum also featured a collection of silks, lace, a leather cat-o’-nine-tails and other artefacts — the most unusual being a beautiful compressed and embossed block of tea; at the time, the most efficient way to transport loose tea from China.
The trip was a fascinating insight into the daring and dangerous lives of pirates and smugglers, and it made our local history feel vivid and exciting. So, next time you’re in and around Brandy Hole Lane, have a think about whose footsteps you’re walking in!
Jas Stone, Teacher of English
The School is fortunate to currently be hosting a display on the little known Chichester Suffragist, Madge Turner. Although the national campaign for votes for women is well known, local campaigners have often been overlooked. The Chichester Women's History Group have organised an exhibition highlighting Madge's local links, and the wider local campaign for the vote (including an airship bound for Westminster!). After some time at the University of Chichester and Chichester College, we are the first school to host the exhibition. It will stay with us into the Autumn term, and helps ensure that we shine a light onto an often overlooked part of history. This will complement work that Year 8 and Year 9 will do next term on women's history and 'forgotten history', aiming to create a fuller, more inclusive picture of this nation's past. My thanks must go to Chichester Women's History Group for lending us the exhibit, and to Miss Sutton for her hard work in helping to curate the display.
Justin Barnett, Head of Humanities
Year 8 Geography Students enjoyed a day at West Wittering Beach to bring to life classroom learning on coastal landforms and coastal management.
Armed with ranging poles, clinometers, tape measures and plant identification sheets, students worked brilliantly as teams to carry out a transect across the sand dunes to see how sand dunes change with distance from the sea. Drawing on the expertise of the Chichester Harbour Conservancy staff, students also examined coastal management strategies used to protect West Wittering from erosion and flooding and students discussed the pros and cons of groynes, beach nourishment, sand dune regeneration and rip rap.
After lunch students worked in teams to create some wonderful sand dune sculptures which they expertly presented to a panel of judges. The knowledge they had gained and the creativity they showed was great to see.
Throughout the day, students impressed staff with their enthusiasm, teamwork, and thoughtful questions. The weather was mostly kind, the views were beautiful, and despite some sandy shoes, everyone returned with a much deeper understanding of coastal geography!
A huge thank you to all staff who helped make the trip possible — and to parents and carers for your continued support.
Megs Wilburn, Team Leader of Geography
On an exceptionally hot day in July Year 12 A-Level Product Design students and members of the Bishop Luffa GreenPower team had the fantastic opportunity to attend the world-renowned Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The trip offered students the chance to explore cutting-edge future technologies, witness racing car development, and gain insight into innovation within car manufacturing and design. From electric supercars to advanced engineering concepts, students were immersed in the very latest developments across the automotive and technology sectors. Despite the intense heat, it was a hugely enjoyable and inspiring day for all involved. Students returned with fresh ideas and a deeper appreciation of the real-world application of design and technology.
James Bonney, Head of Design and Technology
This year’s Sports Day at Bishop Luffa was a truly unforgettable event, packed with record-breaking performances, vibrant house spirit, and a thrilling finale as Ridgeway and Wilson were crowned joint overall winners after ratification of the results.
From the moment the Red Arrows soared overhead in a breath-taking flyover towards the end of proceedings, there was a real sense of excitement in the air. The sun shone brightly throughout the day, adding to the energy and colour brought by students proudly wearing their house-coloured tops and face paint. Whether competing, cheering or helping to run events, every corner of the school field was filled with enthusiasm and teamwork.
In a day filled with fierce but friendly competition, eight school records were broken, a testament to the incredible talent and determination of our athletes. Record breakers included:
Marnie Powell (8Wilson) – new record in the 150m.
Reuben Shewan (9Wilson) – records in both the 200m and 400m.
Elodie Hill (10King) – beat the record that had sat since 2018 by two tenths of a second in the 1500m.
Sophia Haskins (8Otter) – set a new best in the triple jump.
Lukas Mikolatis (10Wilson) – delivered a standout performance in the boys’ multi-event within a very competitive field.
The results across year groups reflected strong performances across all houses. Year 7 was won by Sherborne, Year 8 by Wilson, Year 9 by Otter, and Year 10 by Ridgeway. After all points were tallied, Ridgeway and Wilson emerged as joint overall winners of Sports Day 2025 – a fitting end to a day defined by close competition and House pride.
More than just a sporting event, Sports Day brought the whole school community together. The support from students, staff, and families on the side-lines created an atmosphere of unity and encouragement. Whether setting records or simply giving it their all, every student contributed to a memorable day.
Congratulations to everyone and thank you to everyone who helped make the day such a success. Here’s to an even bigger and better Sports Day next year!
Tim Godfray, Team Leader of PE
Recently Year 10 GCSE Computer Science students swapped the classroom for a trip to Bletchley Park, the top-secret home of WWII codebreakers.
The day started off with a "Breaking Lorenz" workshop. While many have heard of Enigma, our students learned about the even tougher Lorenz cipher, used by German High Command. They got stuck into some of the clever thinking the original codebreakers used, even applying binary and XOR logic – key parts of their GCSE course – to understand how the fiendish code was cracked.
After a quick stop for lunch, students explored the historic site, soaking up the atmosphere in the famous codebreaking huts. A real highlight was the "Age of AI" exhibition, which brilliantly connects the pioneering work of the past to the technology that's shaping our future.
The trip ended at the National Museum of Computing. It was amazing to see the world's largest collection of working historic computers. Seeing the rebuilt Colossus – the world’s first electronic computer – and a functional Bombe machine in action really brought the story to life. It was a great way to see how computing has evolved from giant, secret machines into the technology we use every day.
It was a brilliant day that connected the dots between their lessons and the real world. Seeing the birthplace of modern computing has left everyone feeling inspired!
Helen Williams, Team Leader of Computer Science
The Bishop Luffa Green Power F24 team hit the road once again for the second heat of the racing season, this time heading to the fast and technical Blyton Park circuit, just north of Lincoln. With temperatures high and competition fierce, the team proved their resilience, focus, and engineering excellence.
The race event began with a lengthy but excited journey up north. The evening was spent on a cultural walk around the historic city of Lincoln, where the team soaked in the stunning sights of Lincoln Cathedral and Castle, taking time to relax and discuss race tactics ahead of race day.
Race day – Tuesday 8th July – kicked off with an early breakfast and final car checks. The team’s vehicle, Mercury, was race-ready thanks to the dedication and technical skills of the student engineers - Luke Pendry (9Ridgeway), Joe Chisnall (10King) and Lucas Barty (10King). With two intense races on the agenda, the team knew they needed precision, speed, and strategy.
In both races, the Bishop Luffa team showed incredible teamwork and determination with drivers Mylo Boarer (8King), Harry Bonney (7Ridgeway) and AJ Lewendon (7Ridgeway) tackling the demanding corners of Blyton Park with confidence. The result? An impressive 3rd place overall finish, earning them a well-deserved spot on the podium and valuable confidence towards the F24 finals being held at Goodwood race circuit on Sunday 12th October 2025.
It was a long and hot day, but the team’s hard work paid off. The drive home was filled with celebration and pride, knowing their efforts had secured another success in an increasingly competitive season.
A huge congratulations to all involved – drivers, pit crew, engineers, and supporting staff, Mr & Mrs Bonney– for representing Bishop Luffa School with such enthusiasm and professionalism.
James Bonney, Head of Design & Technology
On Tuesday 15th July, the Year 8 Latinists went to Bignor Roman Villa. Under threatening skies that produced the occasional shower, we had a fascinating tour of the mosaics and artefacts by a former Bishop Luffa student, then students worked through a number of activities and translated myths that related to the images in the villa. The weather turned clement for our picnic on the grass and we enjoyed the stunning views and the sheer delight of having this extraordinary site all to ourselves.
Chloë Barnett, Teacher of Latin
Earlier this term, a group of young leaders from across the Bishop Luffa learning Partnership had the opportunity to attend our second biennial Young Collective Worship Leaders Conference. This is an event co-designed by our students and clergy team to empower and inspire student leaders.
Held at Chichester Baptist Church, the conference brought together students from schools across the partnership to share ideas and develop their leadership gifts and skills. Over the course of the day, students participated in interactive workshops led by our chaplain, clergy team, staff and student leaders. They also had the privilege of listening to our inspiring keynote speaker, the Bishop of Horsham, Ruth Bushyager. She particularly challenged and guided us in exploring our theme of ‘Story’ and linking to our key verse from Micah 6:8.
Our students returned with fresh ideas and renewed motivation to lead with confidence, compassion, and creativity. “A different experience from a normal school day that helped give me confidence to take back when leading both in school and out,” said one of the students.
We are proud of the students for leading and participating in their conference with enthusiasm and maturity. Alongside this, we would like to thank Chichester Baptist Church for kindly providing our venue and hosting our conference. Our thanks too, to all the amazing clergy and staff who took part in the conference and for their prayer, time and inspiring leadership.
Angela Smith, Assistant Head Teacher - Spiritual Direction
Students at Bishop Luffa School were already smiling as they picked up their results this morning, as most knew that they had secured places at university or on degree apprenticeships before they arrived at school. They will soon be leaving Chichester to study at universities across the country. Exeter is the most popular destination, followed by Cardiff, Southampton and Bristol.
The range of subjects that students are going on to study is equally broad. The most popular degrees are in the subject areas of Law, Business, Engineering and Science but there are students who will be taking up places to read History and Russian, Animation, Interior Architecture, Digital and Media Design, Speech and Language Therapy, Hair Make-Up and Prosthetics, Journalism, Building Surveying, Japanese Studies and Musical Theatre, to name but a few!
Aaron Butters was awarded the most A-levels overall, with 5, which included three A*s. Aaron is now off to Oxford to study English and German.
Lydia Willmot-Day achieved a clean sweep of A*s, in Biology, Chemistry, Geography and the EPQ. She is taking up a place at Keble College, Oxford, to study Biology. Grace Relf also secured a clean sweep of A*s, in Economics, English Literature and Law. Grace will be studying Law at Exeter.
Zoe Smyth will be studying Natural Sciences at Cambridge, before starting officer training at Sandhurst. Zoe won a prestigious scholarship from the Army, who will be contributing to the costs of her course. She achieved A*A*A*A.
Paige Woodley-McDonald is one of the first students on the new Astrophoria foundation degree programme at Oxford University, where she will be studying Ancient and Modern History, having achieved BBB.
Joy Redding achieved three A's and has secured a place at Homerton College, Cambridge University to study Veterinary Medicine.
Medicine courses are highly competitive and Mason Nally, Jess Jameson and Liesl Pilgrim managed to secure places at Southampton, Cardiff and Aston to train as doctors. Noah Rowland is also off to the University of Surrey to study Paramedic Science and Imogen Rippon will study Children's Nursing at Oxford Brookes.
Traditional university degrees are not the only options available to students. Laura Taylor battled through rounds of interviews to win a highly sought after higher degree apprenticeship at the BBC. She starts work at Broadcasting House with the news team in September and will eventually gain a degree from Aston University in Management and Sustainability.
Lola Hart won a place at a music conservatoire in singing and songwriting following an audition. Edward Bromell successfully auditioned for a place at a London drama school. Many students, such as Ella Harley, are off to complete Art Foundation courses before embarking on degree-level study.
Head of Sixth Form Jamie Saunders said: ‘Students received the rewards that they deserved for their hard work today. Behind each result there are examples of sacrifice and resilience from the young people involved and their families. We wish them well for the next chapter of their lives.’
Students at Bishop Luffa school are celebrating their success this morning as they open their GCSE results.
BEATING THE ODDS
One Bishop Luffa student lived through an exam nightmare that would have stopped most people in their tracks. Harry Hatfield broke his arm the day before his GCSEs started. He came straight from the operating theatre to school to sit his first exam. While other students were revising, Harry was being called away from his books to receive treatment. Harry’s family and his teachers were resigned to Harry not getting the grades he deserved, under the circumstances. This morning Harry is not only celebrating passing all of his GCSEs, he received 6 top grade Level 9s! His Head of House, Kate Hurry, said: ‘many students wouldn’t have been able to study through the pain that Harry endured, let alone sit exams. We are all so proud of him for what he has achieved and hope that he has an easier time with his A-levels!’
BROAD CURRICULUM
While many schools have cut back on courses, Bishop Luffa School has kept a wide range of subjects on offer at GCSE, including Latin, Music and Dance. Over half of the students who studied Latin achieved grade 7 or higher, with a third of students being awarded Level 9 – the top grade. Chloë Barnett, Head of Classics, feels that Latin has a lot to offer students. ‘Latin is great fun to study, but it is also challenging! Young people who meet that challenge get to hone two complimentary skills: creativity and discipline. I am incredibly pleased with all of them for their personal achievements this year.’
Music and Dance had similar success. Deputy Head Teacher Stuart White sees the positive impact that the school’s broad curriculum is having on its students. He said: ‘students who choose Arts subjects often get their best grade in these subjects. Many children who find Maths and English hard excel in the Arts. If these subjects are closed to them after Year 9, school can seem like an uninspiring place to be. These students not only achieve, but they want to come to school’.
The school’s highest performing students were Amelie Cannon, Maria Coutinho, Harry Hatfield, Kathy Nightingale, Isaac Siddle, Abigail Taylor, Stanley Wilkes and Emily Wood, who all got at least five Level 9s.
Austen Hindman, Head Teacher of Bishop Luffa School, said: ‘our aim is for our students to have a full life. As well as achieving their academic goals, they have also been on trips, performed in plays and concerts, led worship in primary schools, competed in sports and raised over £20, 000 for their school and House charities. They are a remarkable group of students and we hope that they continue to lead such busy and fulfilling lives.’