Queen’s Croft High School - Headteacher Blog

What a lovely thing to share today! 👏🧵

A huge well done to Alfie in Year 11, who's just finished sewing a beautiful memory quilt for his sister, made entirely from her baby clothes. He's worked on this during Talent and Enrichment, and the care and effort he's put into it really shows. What a special gift for his sister to treasure forever.

We also want to give a shoutout to Mrs Neville, who's been guiding Alfie through the process. We know her for her science expertise, but it turns out her creative craft and sewing skills are just as impressive! Thank you for giving our pupils the chance to learn skills like this.

So proud of you, Alfie! 💙

Sam and Letitia (Co-headteachers) | | |

🎶 Music in Motion at St Giles Hospice 🎶

Today, our Music in Motion Choir had the privilege of visiting St Giles Hospice in Lichfield, where they delivered a truly moving and heartwarming performance.
Through a powerful combination of singing, dancing, tears, and laughter, the group created an unforgettable experience, one that many have said was one of their best performances yet. ❤️

Staff at the hospice shared with Miss Wittenberg:

"The staff really needed this. They work in a very emotional environment, and having an opportunity to cry and let out their emotions was so important. We have never had anybody come into St Giles that has had a bigger impact."

We're incredibly proud of the compassion, talent, and dedication shown by our students.

A huge thank you to St Giles Hospice for welcoming the choir so warmly, and to Miss Wittenberg, Mrs Thompson, and Mrs Follows for making this special visit possible.

🎤 What's next?

Music in Motion will be busking in Lichfield next Friday, and we'd love to see as many of you there as possible, come along and support our amazing performers!

Sam and Letitia (Co-headteachers) |

Following on from our post last week, here's an update on even more of our incredible pupils who've been out in the world of work!

💎 At Majick Blend Holistic Store, one pupil learned all about stock control, customer service and even the difference between man-made and natural crystals, including a busy market day!

🐠 At Pets at Home, one of our pupils worked on deliveries, the shop floor and the warehouse, as well as feeding the animals and cleaning the fish tanks.

🏫 Our pupils in primary schools have shone brightly! At Scotch Orchard, one pupil supported maths and reading one-to-one, while at Rocklands another impressed staff who remembered her from primary school and praised how far she's come. At Lantern Primary, one pupil was trusted with his own fob and built lovely relationships with Early Years pupils.

🍽️ At Bar 55, two of our pupils worked alongside the head chef, making batter for fish and chips, prepping homemade coleslaw and serving customers front-of-house.

🌧️ At Beacon Park, one pupil braved the wet weather with the Parks Team across Beacon Park and Stowe Pool, looking very smart in his Parks Team jacket!

🤝 At Liberty Jamboree, two pupils took part in community projects including a ceramics session at a care home, a sports tournament, a community book stand at Tesco and one even caught a fish!

🚛 At the Freightliner National Training Centre, one pupil reviewed HGV safety footage, sat in a truck to learn about vehicle checks and will complete a certified first aid course.

💻 With Central Learning Partnership ICT Support, one pupil worked across three schools, auditing Wi-Fi access points and dismantling laptops to learn about repairs.

💇 In a local salon, one of our pupils has truly come out of her shell, washing clients' hair and chatting confidently with customers.

⚽ And back at Queen's Croft, one pupil has been leading warm-ups and invasion games in our PE department, showing real potential as a future educator!

We're so proud of every single one of our pupils. They've shown confidence, responsibility and brilliant work ethics, and they're proving just how ready they are for adulthood and the world of work. 💚

Sam and Letitia (Co-headteachers) |

What a fantastic week for work experience! 🌟

We've had a record breaking 20 pupils attending individual work placements this week, with 5 already being asked to come back and help out in the future. We couldn't be prouder!

Here's a flavour of what our amazing pupils have been up to:

🛍️ At Michaels Menswear, one of our pupils impressed everyone with his polite, enthusiastic and hardworking attitude. He helped with stock, deliveries and even served customers on the till, which he absolutely loved!

💻 At South Staffordshire College, another pupil supported the ICT team across three campuses, dismantling and rebuilding a laptop, helping staff with technical issues and even writing a professional email about phishing awareness.

🌳 At Kingsbury Waterpark, one of our pupils worked alongside the rangers, supporting den building and fire lighting with a school group, helping with site maintenance and touring the reserve in the buggy, which was a definite highlight!

Our pupils have shown enthusiasm, reliability and a brilliant work ethic all week, developing real skills and confidence for their futures. A huge thank you to all the employers who've welcomed them so warmly.

Sam and Letitia (Co-headteachers) |

🎶 Music in Motion at Darwin Court Care Home 🎶

Our wonderful Makaton choir returned to Darwin Court Care Home this morning for a very special performance, sharing a joyful morning of singing and signing with the residents.

The students performed a fantastic selection of songs from ABBA, Amy Winehouse and Michael Jackson, and it wasn't long before the residents were clapping, smiling and even dancing along!

Our students represented the school brilliantly, demonstrating our values through their excellent behaviour while raising awareness of SEND and the power of Makaton as a communication tool.

After the performance, they spent time chatting with residents about school life, clothes and the choir, creating some truly heartwarming connections.

A special mention to:

✨ Ella, for showing great kindness and engagement during her conversation with a resident

✨ Sophie, for her courage and fantastic dance moves, which brought so many smiles

✨ Billy, for his enthusiasm, brilliant dancing and his confident bow at the end of the performance

It was an uplifting morning for everyone involved, and they're already looking forward to their next performance at St Giles next week!

Sam and Letitia (Co-headteachers) |

🎶 A Wonderful Visit from a Familiar Face! 🎶

We were delighted to welcome back former pupil Jayden Lauder to Queen's Croft today!

Jayden left us in 2023 and went on to study Multimedia Level 1 at Lichfield College. We're so proud to share that he's progressing brilliantly and is now working towards his Level 3 qualification in Music.

A talented musician, Jayden plays both the keyboard and electric guitar, and he has his sights set on a career in the music industry, with ambitions to join a band one day. Watch this space! 🎸🎹

During his visit, Jayden noticed lots of changes around school, commenting on how well the space is being used, and he was especially impressed by our Sixth Form Centre. He spent time reconnecting with friends who are now in Post-16 Year 13 and catching up with staff who taught him during his time here.

Jayden fondly remembered performing in front of the whole school and taking part in our talent show, memories we treasure too!

It's always a joy to see our former pupils thriving and following their dreams. Jayden, the door is always open, and we can't wait to hear about your next steps!

Sam and Letitia (Co-headteachers) | |

🏏 Runners Up at the Lord's Taverners Cricket Tournament! 🏏

What a fantastic day our KS3 cricketers had on Tuesday at the Lord's Taverners Cricket Tournament!

With 6 teams competing, our players stormed through their first 5 matches, winning each one with ease. The final game came down to a nail biting clash against a Stafford school with a very strong bowling and batting line up, and although we narrowly missed out on the win, our team came away as proud runners up!

The whole squad were outstanding, showcasing so many of the skills they've learnt in lessons. Brandon pulled off a fantastic one handed diving catch, while the girls truly stole the show. Hanna and McKenzie proved a formidable batting partnership, and Courtney's fielding was exemplary.

A special mention must go to Archie, who joined us as part of his work experience and was brilliant as our players' coach. His decision to select Hanna as a player turned out to be an excellent call!

Huge thanks to Miss Jones for organising and leading the event, to our very knowledgeable and experienced cricket coach Miss Roberts, and to all the staff who supported on the day.

As always, we're so proud to see our students out representing our school. Well done, team! 👏

Sam and Letitia (Co-headteachers) |

🐉✨ Year 7 Mythical Workshop ✨🐉

This term, Year 7 are exploring the exciting world of myths and legends in their English lessons, and what a way to kick-start the topic!

Today, our pupils were lucky enough to take part in a fantastic mythical workshop, where they had the opportunity to meet a variety of dragons 🐲, listen to fascinating myths, and discover a range of incredible mythical creatures 🦄.

They also enjoyed mythical bingo and a fun quiz that really brought the topic to life! 🎉

They all had a brilliant time, and it's safe to say our Year 7s are well and truly inspired for the term ahead! What a fantastic way to begin a new topic! 🌟

Sam and Letitia (Co-headteachers)

| &Legends | | |

🌟 We're Hiring at Queen's Croft High School! 🌟

We're so excited to share not one but TWO fantastic opportunities to join our incredible team here at Queen's Croft! If you're a passionate, dedicated teacher who wants to make a real difference in young people's lives, we'd love to hear from you. Please share this as far and wide as you can!

👩‍🏫 Vacancy 1: SEND Teacher
📋 Permanent | 32.5hrs per week
📅 Start: September 2026 (or as soon as possible)
💰 MP1–MP6: £32,916 – £45,352 + SEN1 allowance £2,787
💰 UPR1–UPR3: £47,472 – £51,048 + SEN1 allowance £2,787
✅ ECTs are very welcome to apply!

🔬 Vacancy 2: SEND Teacher with Science (TLR)
📋 Permanent | 32.5hrs per week
📅 Start: September 2026 (or as soon as possible)
💰 MP1–MP6: £32,916 – £45,352 + SEN1 £2,787 + TLR2 £3,527
💰 UPR1–UPR3: £47,472 – £51,048 + SEN1 £2,787 + TLR2 £3,527

⏰ Key Dates (both roles)
Closing Date: Monday 8th June, 10:00am
Shortlisting: Monday 8th June
Interviews: Wednesday 10th June

Queen's Croft is a 200-place secondary special school for students aged 11-19 in Lichfield, proudly part of the Primitas Learning Partnership. Our vision is to and we give every one of our pupils the opportunity to be their GREATest self!

Here's what our pupils say about why Queen's Croft is GREAT:

💬 "The amount of opportunities everyone has compared to mainstream schools is incredible."
💬 "It's fun and I enjoy the lessons."
💬 "I've represented the school in sports and done lots of fun things like bike riding and cooking."

Sound like your kind of school? We'd love to meet you! 👇

🔗 Apply online here: https://recruit.sampeople.co.uk/Jobboard/Vacancy/Search?TrustId=192&establishmentIds=1486&Distance=100

Sam and Letitia (Co-headteachers) | |

🚗 NCP Car Park

Important Safety Notice -

We've noticed that cars are increasingly parking in the small, unmarked area at the entrance to the main NCP Car Park, on both sides of the access gate. This is reducing the flow of traffic to a single lane, and it's sometimes causing a complete blockage when vehicles are trying to enter and exit at the same time.

This can be dangerous, especially in the mornings when pupils are crossing the road from the NCP Car Park to get to school. A congested entrance makes that crossing significantly more dangerous.

We'd ask everyone to please avoid parking in the unmarked areas at the entrance, even for a few minutes. Keeping that part clear in both directions makes the whole area safer for everyone, and most importantly, for the pupils.

Thank you for your support with this. We want drop off and collection to be as safe as possible for everyone.

Sam and Letitia (Co-headteachers) | |