Winter Newsletter 2025

GOLBORNE HIGH NEWSLETTER

EDITION

WWW.GOLBORNEHIGH.WIGAN.SCH.UK

WINTER

Winter 2025

REMEMBRANCE

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On Remembrance Sunday, Mrs. Hayes and our Head Prefects, Izzy B, Connor W and Cadet Amelia T proudly represented Golborne High School at the Golborne Remembrance Sunday Parade. They joined the procession to the Golborne Cenotaph Memorial, where they laid a wreath on behalf of the school and observed a two-minute silence at 11 a.m. Following the ceremony, they had the opportunity to meet local councillors, Jo Platt MP, and Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester. It was a moving and memorable occasion, and an honour for our school to take part.

On the 11th November the whole school fell silent for 2 minutes in remembrance of our fallen soldiers. Thank you to Cadets: Amelia T - Y11, Liam D - Y11, Rocco P - Y11, Finley R - Y11, Ben W - Y11, Lucia P - Y9, Isaac T - Y8, Charlie G - Y8, Head Boy - Connor W, Head Girl - Izzy B, and to Mrs Hayes for playing an incredibly moving performance of 'The Last Post' which captured the respect throughout the school.

In the week running up to Remembrance Sunday, Year 7 pupils at Golborne High School read Remembrance Day poems in tribute to those who fell during the First World War. A big thank you to Year 7 pupils, Ffion, Leighton, Isaac, Chester, and Alys.

Page-Turner

Page-Turner Book Fair Sparks Reading Fever

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Reading for pleasure plays a powerful role in supporting pupils’ academic achievement and personal wellbeing. This November, pupils had the opportunity to celebrate reading, discover new authors, and even help the school earn free books through the Scholastic Book Fair.

The fair was a tremendous success, offering a wide selection of titles that sparked curiosity and encouraged a genuine love of reading and learning.

And don’t forget—our fully stocked library is open every lunchtime throughout the academic year, providing all pupils with a welcoming space to explore new stories and enjoy books all year round.

Strings of Strings of Success Success

Isla Hits All the Right Notes with Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Academy Congratulations to Isla in Year 11, who earlier this year earned a place in the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Academy Orchestra and performed as a violinist in their latest concert. The orchestra is currently celebrating its remarkable 75th season.

Rehearsing weekly, the orchestra delivered an outstanding performance to a full house, showcasing three pieces: Beethoven Coriolan Overture, Op. 62 (9') Soon Hee Newbold The Iliad (Fall of Troy) (6') John Powell (arr. Sean O'Loughlin) How to Train Your Dragon Medley - 'This is Berk', 'Coming Back Around' (7') Well done Isla

Silver, Bronze, Silver, Bronze, and a and a Whole Whole Lot of Lot of Sparkle!

Sparkle!

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YEAR 7 EVA SHINES AT NATIONALS! Congratulations to Eva in Year 7!

Eva proudly represented the The Wire Gymnastics Club at the 2025 British Disability Gymnastics Championships, held at Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Stoke-on-Trent. Her hard work, dedication, and team spirit truly shone as she achieved an outstanding result — five British medals in the Junior Category 2: three Silver and two Bronze. A fantastic achievement — well done, Eva and Team Wire!

Flying the Flying the Flag Flag TIA MAKES TIA MAKES HER HER MARK MARK ON ON THE INTERNATIONAL THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE! STAGE! Congratulations to Tia in Year 11, who represented the England U16 Women’s National Team in an international friendly against the United States U16 Girls’ National Team at St. George’s Park in October.

Despite England’s 2–1 defeat, Tia made a fantastic impact, scoring England’s only goal in the 76th minute, finishing a rebound after the U.S. goalkeeper saved the initial shot.

A brilliant achievement!

Fighting for Fighting for Fitness Fitness

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Trio Punches Above Their Weight at Liverpool Showdown!

Fantastic work from Y7 Blake, Y8 Austin, and Y11 Luan, who proudly represented Fighting for Fitness Gym in Golborne at a Mixed Martial Arts competition held at the ASPIRE Centre in Liverpool earlier this month. All three pupils performed exceptionally well across both the stand-up and MMA events, demonstrating skill, determination, and great sportsmanship.

Well done to all involved!

Neive Reins Neive Reins Supreme!

Supreme!

Year 7 Star Gallops to National Pony Racing Glory Congratulations to Neive in Year 7, who has been crowned the 2025 National 138cm Champion in the Racetech Pony Racing Points Series with her pony, Little Galway Girl.

Across the series, Neive and Little Galway Girl delivered outstanding performances, completing seven rides and achieving an impressive four wins and three second-place finishes—all in open races. She also secured a memorable double at her local racecourse, Haydock Park, in May, winning on her first outing with her pony Down Mexico Way. This success follows an excellent 2024 season in which Neive finished second in the series, with her very first win taking place at Ascot Racecourse.

Neive is now both eligible and qualified to compete at the highest level of pony racing: The Racecourse Series, which stages pony races before or after the main card at meetings across the country.

In October, Neive also had the incredible opportunity to travel to France for a five-day internship with top jockey Christophe Soumillon as the only English intern. The intensive training at the Soumillon Academy prepares young riders not only for flat racing but also for competing at speed over hurdles. This was a fantastic opportunity, and Neive has been invited back for 2026.

Winter 2025

WINTER

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Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Golborne High wonderful Winter Showcase this year. We hope the

School

event brought warmth, joy, and a touch of winter magic to your season.

A huge well done to all the pupils who took part—our soloists, The Golborne High Session Orchestra, the GHS Rock and Pop Choir, and everyone involved. You made the evening truly unforgettable and gave us all something to be proud of. Well done!

Winter 2025

SHOWCASE

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Celebration In November we held our highly anticipated Class of 2025 Celebration evening, dedicated to honouring their outstanding achievements. The event garnered enthusiastic attendance from former pupils, parents, faculty, and governors. Adding a creative touch to the evening, Year 9 pupil Isaac graced the audience with a captivating musical performance, and the Art Department presented a fantastic showcase of GCSE artwork from the class of 2025.

In keeping with tradition, the ceremony included the distribution of GCSE certificates, subject awards, and the presentation of special accolades, ensuring a fitting acknowledgment of the remarkable accomplishments of our Class of 2025.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who attended and helped in the running of this amazing event, including staff, school governors, Mrs. Byrne (the chair of governors), our senior prefects, the head girl and boy, and our fantastic guest speaker and Golborne High alumnus, Lily Cunliffe. A very special thanks to the Golborne High School class of 2025. You made this an evening to remember, and we wish you all the best of luck for the future!

Winter 2025

Evening This year, we were delighted to present;

The Susan Knowles Memorial Plate for outstanding achievement in Sport Studies to Fraser. B The Phillip Kennedy Award for Excellence in Mathematics to Riley. B The Anthony Thompson Award for peer support to Elizabeth. U The Civic Shield for service to the community to Holly. G The Avis Freeman Award for Outstanding Achievement to Sophie. R The Headteacher's award for Outstanding Progress to Joseph. H and The Headteacher's Prize to the Head Girl and Head Boy to Layla. F and Harley. L

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E E S S GGCChowcase

e s a c w o h S S t t r r AA We proudly hosted our Class of 2025 Celebration Evening in November. Alongside presenting awards and GCSE certificates, we unveiled a gallery of outstanding GCSE artwork, highlighting the remarkable creativity of this year’s cohort. Seeing such a diverse range of pieces displayed together for the first time was truly inspiring and offered a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and showcase the incredible work from the Class of 2025.

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World Work Day of

In November we hosted our combined World of Work Day and annual Careers & Apprenticeship Evening. These inspiring events offered our pupils the chance to connect with representatives from a diverse range of businesses, local colleges, further education institutions, and training providers. It was a fantastic opportunity for pupils to gather valuable information to help shape their next steps after leaving Golborne High School.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended, with special gratitude to all the providers for generously sharing their time and expertise, guiding our pupils toward achieving their future aspirations.

Winter 2025

Careers’ Apprenticeship Evening &

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Lights, Careers, Action!

BBC Bitesize Inspires the Next Generation

We were proud to host the BBC Bitesize Careers Tour for pupils in Years 7–10. The event offered an exciting opportunity for students to take part in a panel-style discussion featuring BBC presenter Jasmine Takhar alongside three professionals from our local area: Ellie Riley, Ranging and Assortment Manager at Adidas; Dumi Senda, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Lead at the BBC; and Daniel Skae, Design Technician at the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

The panel shared their individual career journeys and explored a wide range of topics, including qualifications, personal experiences, advice on work experience, and the key soft skills needed in the workplace. Pupils also had the chance to engage in an interactive Q&A session, asking their own questions and gaining valuable insights directly from the speakers.

The aim of the BBC Bitesize Careers Tour is to raise awareness of diverse career pathways and inspire pupils to think about the wide range of opportunities available to them—both locally and beyond.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS OF UTILITA EFL GIRLS CUP Photo with permission from Wigan Athletic Trust

Congratulations to all our pupils who received a Headteacher's Award this term!

Mrs Stott met with pupils to celebrate their recent outstanding success and achievements. These awards recognised excellence in sporting achievement including the fantastic win from our girls in the Uitilia EFL cup in who played at Laithwaite Park in November, Individual Success and progress, Positive ATL, extra curricular/community work, attendance and Year 11's completing their Duke of Edinburgh Award. Well done all.

Winter 2025

A SNEAK PEEK AT

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SUCCESS

YEAR 11 GEAR UP FOR EXAM SUCCESS Our Year 11 pupils took part in their Mock GCSE Results Day in November, giving them an invaluable preview of the experience they’ll encounter for real in August. The event encourages pupils to reflect on their current progress and consider the steps they need to take as they work towards their exams in May. In the coming weeks, we will be introducing a range of effective revision strategies, techniques, and principles to support and empower them as they navigate this important stage of their academic journey.

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YEAR 11 YEAR 11 COOK COOK UP UP CONFIDENCE CONFIDENCE FOR GCSE FOR GCSE SUCCESS SUCCESS As part of their preparation for the upcoming GCSE assessment, Mr. Thompson’s Year 11 Food Technology pupils took over the kitchen to prepare and cook a range of fresh ingredients. Working to a strict time limit, they refined their knife skills, made their own pasta and sauces, and carefully and creatively plated their dishes ready for service. It was an excellent practice session that allowed pupils to build confidence and gain valuable experience ahead of their final GCSE assessment.

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From Classroom to Cosmos Pupils Go Interstellar!

Pupils stepped into the WonderDome experience with Miss Hillidge and embarked on a breathtaking cosmic journey. Guided by the fantastic presenter, Ben, they explored the wonders of our Universe in a thrilling, immersive adventure designed to spark curiosity and inspire a love of discovery. From the formation of planets to the birth and death of stars, from launching rockets to imagining footsteps on distant worlds, pupils enjoyed an unforgettable experience that brought the marvels of space right into school.

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SHOCKS, SCALPELS, SHOCKS, SCALPELS, AND AND SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHS SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHS AT THE AT THE THACKRAY THACKRAY MUSEUM MUSEUM In December History pupils visited the Thackray Museum of Medicine, the UK’s largest independent medical museum. They immersed themselves in imaginative and engaging galleries, exploring the remarkable world of medicine—from the grimy streets of Victorian Leeds to the groundbreaking advances that have shaped how we care for ourselves and one another.

Pupils learned about the brutal and unhygienic realities of Victorian-era surgery, experiencing the sights and smells of an operating theatre where procedures were swift, painful, and often fatal due to the absence of pain relief and an understanding of germs. They then explored the pioneering work of James Simpson, whose use of chloroform transformed anesthesia, and Joseph Lister, whose antiseptic techniques dramatically improved patient survival by reducing shock and infection.

The visit concluded with an exploration of the museum’s interactive exhibits, including a hands-on gallery about the history of digestion—complete with recreated sights, smells, and textures, and even a real 12th-century piece of medieval poo. It’s safe to say pupils got to the bottom of how the digestive system really works!

THE GOLBORNE WAY AWARDS

Winter 2025

The Golborne Way Awards marked a momentous celebration of achievement at Golborne High School as we proudly celebrated our pupils who have exceeded expectations by embodying The Golborne Way. The Arts Theatre served as the backdrop for staff and parents to honour pupils who had shown exemplary behavior, embraced the Golborne Way principles, and exceeded expectations in various aspects of school life.

In a festive atmosphere, awards were presented to pupils for achievements in After School Activities, Excellence, Honesty, Outstanding Behavior, Engagement in Lessons, Politeness, Questioning, Reading, Resilience, Tolerance, and Wearing the Uniform with Pride.

The event was well-attended and featured wonderful performances from pupils Isaac and Seren, an inspirational reading from Sofia, and a lovely message from our senior prefects.

Congratulations to all our award winners for their remarkable achievements!

THE GOLBORNE WAY AWARDS

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