Our U15 Netball Team had clearly benefitted from their training session with Loughborough Lightning at the beginning of the week, progressing all the way to the finals of the County Championships yesterday. Our Year 10 team won every game in their group round convincingly, going on to win their semi-final game against Trent College 6-2. They then met the team from Repton College in the final, whose players showed much improvement on last year. Unfortunately this proved a match too far for our team, despite playing a brilliant game. Well done to all for making it to the finals, and especially to Ella, the player's player of the tournament.

Tickets for the Easter Concert on Tuesday 9 April are now available to buy on WisePay (Ticket and Event Bookings folder). The evening will feature the Senior Orchestra, Senior Wind Band, Jazz Band, Brass Ensemble, Senior and Junior Choirs and other groups. There will also be refreshments during the evening, provided by the Parents' Association of Lady Manners School. Tickets are priced at £6 for adults; £3 for students and senior citizens.

Sixteen of our Year 10 and Year 11 Netball players travelled to Loughborough University Netball Centre yesterday for a Loughborough Lightning Match Day Experience. The event was hosted by super league club, Loughborough Lightning and included a tour of the University campus. Our players then had a coaching session with a Loughborough Lightning Coach. Our students learned a lot from the training session, particularly working on their defensive skills. As a finale, our netball players were able to watch Loughborough Lightning v Wasps in a Vitality Netball Super League fixture. Not only that, but they were ball girls for the nail biting match, gaining courtside seats in the process. It was a fantastic match for them to witness, with a nail biting finish as Loughborough Lightning came from behind to win by one goal in the last few seconds of the match! The final score was 60-59. It was a great day that was enjoyed by all – and some of which was even visible on Sky Sports, which televised the match!

Our youngest netball teams had a successful afternoon yesterday. Our U13A, U13B, U12A and U12B teams played those from Mount St Mary's College. Scores were: • U13A won 10-3 • U13B won 10-3 • U12A won 6-0 • U12B won 9-1 Well done all! A special mention goes to each of our players of their matches: Maddy, Louise, Grace and Erin.

Earlier today, students from across all year groups were invited to hear Consultant Neurologist, Dr Gary Dennis from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust share his knowledge in a seminar entitled 'Sleep Deprivation and Memory'. Dr Dennis spoke of the reasons that sleep is so crucial, the impacts of sleep deprivation, what prevents good quality sleep and – helpfully, with the summer exam season approaching – the importance of sleep in learning and retaining information. While most of us know that good quality sleep is necessary, the biological reasons for this are not commonly known. The fascinating lunchtime session opened the eyes of the students in the room as to why sleep is the perfect therapy. Good sleep patterns improve many aspects of life including memory, risk of injury, risk of suffering from dementia, and (remarkably) attractiveness! We are very grateful to Dr Dennis for enlightening us, and hope that the students put their new found knowledge to good use.