Agent Newsletter Around the World in Eighty Days
Meet Lauren Spencer, Global Partnerships & Recruitment Manager
What an absolutely fantastic start it has been to my new role as Global Partnerships & Recruitment Manager for Loughborough Schools Foundation! No sooner had I started the role in November 2025, than I was travelling to Seoul to meet many of you at the ST ALPHE Seoul event, and then onward to Hong Kong, to distribute some LGS-branded Christmas baubles to our agent partners, ahead of the festivities.
March 2026
2026 has equally seen a very busy and exciting start to the year, with participation in ALPHE Malaga and Bangkok (where ALPHE Asia has just wrapped up), and I’m now on my way to Taipei. It has been an absolute pleasure meeting so many of you on the road, putting faces to names and establishing what I hope will be long-standing relationships for many years to come.
For those of you who I have met to date, you will know that I am a fresh face to the K-12 Sector but have been involved in the international recruitment landscape for more than 20 years, in a HE-focused capacity. The transition to schools has been a welcome breath of fresh air and, although the current recruitment landscape in many markets is definitely not without its challenges, the sense of camaraderie and support within the Schools’ Sector is only too clear to see.
I feel incredibly lucky to be working for such a dynamic and welcoming school. I am a strong believer that “the people make the place” , and the pupils and staff alike make Loughborough Grammar a brilliant place to be.
What has struck me most, during my short time at the School, is our “best of both worlds” ethos – the strong benefits of a boys’ education within a Co-Ed social environment, and the comfort and security of a stunning campus, located within easy reach of the town centre and major cities. I can completely appreciate why Loughborough Grammar School is a place where our boys flourish and find their true identity.
Over the next few months, I will be travelling to Turkey, Portugal and Mainland China, as well as a return to Hong Kong. I will also undoubtedly see many of you at the London Networking events. Please do get in touch if there is anything I can do to support you or your teams, be it further information regarding our exciting Immersion Opportunities, an enquiry relating to the Mercia Football Camp we are hosting this Summer, or Military Boarding. I am here to help and support. I very much look forward to meeting more of our partners in the near future, and working together to welcome even more overseas pupils to our beautiful campus.
Celebrating culture and diversity
Culture Week at Loughborough Grammar
School encourages our pupils to learn more about countries across the globe, through a variety of engaging, pupil-led workshops and activities. It celebrates the rich diversity within our community and fosters a strong sense of belonging.
Taking place during Children’s Mental
Health Week, this year’s Culture Week also incorporated the theme: ‘This is My
Place’ , to highlight how positive wellbeing can be promoted through inclusivity.
All pupils were given a Culture Week ‘passport’ in which they could collect stamps by attending a range of lunchtime workshops. Alongside staff, many of these sessions were led and delivered by our pupils. A selection of these activities included:
An immersive Indian classical music workshop
Painting traditional Diyas
A Chinese food and writing workshop
A workshop on Afrikaans culture
A ‘paint your own Lucha Libre Mexican mask’ workshop
A session on Hungarian food and culture
A dedicated bake sale with traditional bakes from all of the world; Bangladesh, Nigeria, India, Belarus, Jamaica, St Lucia, South Africa and the Czech Republic.
Sharing stories about heritage from all over the globe, Culture Week offered our boys the chance to gain further insight into the lives of the pupils and staff they interact with on a daily basis.
International Dinner
Our International Dinner, which took place at the very beginning of February, was a huge success, as boarding pupils from across the Foundation enjoyed a fantastic celebration of Loughborough Schools y and each boarding pupil invited a friend to ntegrated our boarding pupils are into the life
Economics Olympiad
An incredible 14 of our Year 12 students qualified for the regional stage of the Economics Olympiad and were outstanding ambassadors for both the Economics department and the School. The highlight of the day, however, was that three of our students have progressed to the National Finals!
The Economics Olympiad is designed to inspire young minds to think critically about the forces shaping our world, and to empower them to become the innovators and leaders of tomorrow. Progressing to this stage places our students among the strongest young economists in the region and nationally. The journey ultimately culminates in Ancient Olympia, Greece, where the top five UK students will go on to represent their country at the International Final in August 2026.
This achievement reflects the ambitious culture being developed within the Business and Economics Department and the commitment of the teachers who challenge and support our students to aim high.
Bringing classics to life
The cast of Romeo and Juliet, consisting of pupils from Loughborough Grammar and Loughborough High School, took to the stage at Leicester's
Curve Theatre last week to perform at the Shakespeare School’s Festival.
Pupils in Years 9 and 10 impressed the organisers and audience with their unique production. It was a long day of working together as a team through tech and dress runs, but a wonderful opportunity to perform in a professional theatre.
Six steps to Six Nations
The prevalence of sporting stars on our screens means our boys are not short of athletic role models. The current Six Nations Championships, for example, have been surrounded by extensive television and media coverage, ensuring any and all legendary moments are documented across the global stage.
We’re incredibly proud to see two Loughborough Grammar School alumni, Christophe Ridley (LGS 2011) and Andrew Jackson (LGS 2004) holding refereeing roles in this year’s
Six Nations Championships and our Head of Rugby, Emyr Lewis, has shared his own tips for rugby success.
Read more!
On the horizon...
Our annual Spring Concert is set to return to the De Montfort Hall stage in Leicester this March. Our flagship ensembles and Year 13 soloists, alongside Year 7 pupils from across the Foundation, have been working hard in rehearsals to deliver a fantastic musical showcase.
Senior footballers are preparing for the return of Floodlit Friday - a football event that showcases the sporting talent of our team - which will be taking place at local football ground, Quorn FC.
Rehearsals for our annual CCF Review are taking place during Thursday afternoon enrichment sessions, ready to be showcased in May.
