Wakefield Girls' High School Review Magazine 2024-25 by Wakefield Grammar School Foundation

WGHSREVIEW

The ofﬁcial magazine of Wakeﬁeld Girls’ High School 2024-25

CLASS OF 2025

WGSF PRESENTS GUYS AND DOLLS

ACTIVITY WEEK

OUR MUSICAL YEAR

SPORTS UPDATE

RESIDENTIALS

Artwork by Elizabeth Kirk-Smith

Welcome

Students are the focus of everything we do at WGHS and the opportunities for them to ﬁnd what they enjoy and excel at are endless. Helping and supporting each individual to ﬁnd their own path is central to everything we do. As you can see from this Review, every school year moves at such a pace because we are such a busy school. This year we have seen so much activity, been part of so many amazing things and all with that common thread of a joy of learning and our students being Together, Empowered and Aware.

You will see in this bumper edition of the WGHS Review just how busy we have been with academic trips and challenges, house events, music concerts, drama performances from Year 6 (Oliver with a Twist), Key Stage 3 (Arabian Nights) and Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 (Guys and Dolls). You will also see some wonderful sporting achievements, individually and as part of a team, on both local and national level. In addition to all the other ‘extras’ we offer including our Pathways to Success programme, Duke of Edinburgh and, very importantly, how we care about people and issues within our wider community through our commitment to supporting fundraising for various charities - with raising funds for Wakeﬁeld Hospice being our main focus this year.

Students at Wakeﬁeld Girls’ High School have a powerful voice at all ages and they have been quick to reﬂect on what is important to them as we merge with QEGS to become QES in September 2026. They are already focusing on opportunities to come together at mixed events in order to provide a seamless transition, while reminding us passionately about what is important for us to keep from the WGHS heritage and traditions as we merge. It is great to hear that Founders’ Day and the Carol Service are high on their list alongside the Sixth Form Christmas Revue.

As Associate Head of WGHS, I am so proud of our current students and the way they conduct themselves. They advocate for themselves and for others in our wider community. They love to get involved in the full life of the school from academic study to co- and super-curricular involvement and by just having genuine fun. They recognise that they are not all the same and so proactively choose to celebrate what each and every member of the community can bring to their school experience. I am also proud of our alumni and all their continued contributions to our school community - for which I am very grateful. Thank you for supporting our students in so many ways, your support, sage words and advice are always so well received and valued.

I want to thank everyone who is part of our community for their contributions to this Review but also for everything they do to make WGHS the wonderful school that it is.

Mrs

Judith Tingle - Associate Head

WGHS REVIEW

We are grateful to all the girls and staff who have contributed to this magazine. A particular thank you must go to the girls in the Creative Writing Club and Student Leaders: Amelie Stephenson and Amelia Parkin for their contributions. If you have any comments or would like to submit images or text for consideration please contact The Editor, WGHS Review Magazine, Wakeﬁeld Girls’ High School, 1 Wentworth Street, Wakeﬁeld, West Yorkshire, WF1 2QS. This 2024-25 edition covers the period Summer 2024-Summer 2025. Artwork on front cover by Elizabeth Kirk-Smith. Artwork on rear cover by Abi Lane.

Once a High School Girl, always a High School Girl.

Editor, Mrs Jennie Megson Designed by Shufﬂe CMS Ltd

TOGETHER, EMPOWERED, AWARE

YEARS 3-8: TRIPS, EVENTS AND RESIDENTIALS

INCOMING HEAD GIRL TEAM

CELEBRATING THE

Senior

OUTGOING

HEAD GIRL TEAM

2024-25

Head Girl

Eleanor Tingle

Deputy Head Girl

Alice Morrison

Senior Prefects

Widad Abubakar

Lynne Barber

Emelia Batty

Roisin Daly

Henrietta Gibson

Jemima Otter

Amelia Parkin

Molly Robinson

Leina Tordoff

Jae Yim

These experiences have helped us shape our own ambitions and goals. I’m excited to see where life takes us next, knowing that the foundations WGHS provides will empower us to achieve great things and build futures we are excited about

”

Class of

Being

2025

Head Girl has been one of the most rewarding and challenging roles of my school life

My time at Wakefield Girls’ High School, and in the position of Head Girl, has been truly influential in shaping who I am today and who I will be as I take my next steps beyond Sixth Form. Being Head Girl has been one of the most rewarding and challenging roles of my school life. From representing our school at events to driving positive change based on student voice, I’ve grown in confidence, resilience and leadership. But most of all, I’ve learned the value of teamwork and community. The Head Girl team has been an incredible group to lead. Every member brought something unique, and together we’ve aimed to make a genuine impact. I’m especially grateful to the support my Deputy Head Girl and Senior Prefects have given me as their dedication is the reason our team has thrived.

WGHS is a place that empowers and uplifts, fostering passions and preparing us for the challenges ahead. I hope every student continues to push boundaries, support one another, and believe in their ability to achieve; I know the next team will continue this legacy, and help to drive change.

At WGHS, every student is encouraged to pursue their own individual journey, and it’s been inspiring to see how each person in my year group has embraced the many opportunities this school offers. These experiences have helped us shape our own ambitions and goals. I’m excited to see where life takes us next, knowing that the foundations WGHS provides will empower us to achieve great things and build futures we are excited about.

Ellie Tingle - Head Girl 2024-25

In our ﬁrst meeting after we had been announced, we decided that we were going to be a proactive Senior Prefect Team and try to lead the school by example. We believe that we’ve hit these targets as it was a joy to be part of the Senior Prefect Team that got stuck in at every event we attended and we hope we have been positive role models for the younger students.

Our roles as your Head and Deputy Head girl became even more important once the merging of the two schools was announced. We dedicated our time to helping the governors and staff communicate with the student body as well as feeding back the concerns and opinions of our community. It was a real privilege to be able to meet with the governors and to be the spokespeople for our school, voicing our ideas on how we could bridge the gap between us and QEGS. Our time in office has definitely been a brilliant experience and gave us many exciting opportunities even if standing at the front of assembly to finish them without a script was daunting. It was a privilege to be your Head and Deputy for the past year and also to be a part of such a driven Senior Prefect Team.

Alice Morrison - Deputy Head Girl 2024-25

2025 Leavers’ Ball

“ ”

The Leavers’ Ball was a fantastic way for the whole year group to come together and celebrate their time

events Senior Class

WHERE GIRLS HAVE EACH OTHER

CELEBRATING THE

Junior

Yet another unforgettable year...

What a fantastic year it has been for Year 6! From exciting trips and creative challenges to impressive performances, the girls have embraced every opportunity with enthusiasm, curiosity, and teamwork.

In the autumn term, the students visited Eden Camp in Malton as part of their World War II studies. The immersive museum experience brought history to life, with highlights including military vehicles, blackout exhibits, and a lively 1940s puppet show. The visit concluded with a special dance performance choreographed by Mrs Moorhouse, making it a memorable and meaningful day.

During the spring term, Year 6 took part in Money Week, which focused on developing ﬁnancial awareness and enterprise skills. As part of the Tenner Challenge, students worked in mixed groups to design and run their own small businesses. Using a £10 budget, they created products or services to sell to younger pupils. The event, held in Hartley Pavilion, was a great success, raising money for charity while allowing the girls to practise budgeting, marketing, and teamwork.

In June, the class set off on their muchanticipated residential trip to Edale in the Peak District. Blessed with beautiful weather, they enjoyed a wide range of outdoor activities including canoeing, hiking, caving, and tower building. The experience helped develop resilience, independence, and a love for the great outdoors.

The year concluded with the high-energy production Oliver with a Twist – a humorous and modern retelling of the Dickens classic. The girls shone on stage, showcasing their talent, conﬁdence, and creativity.

We are so proud of everything they have achieved this year.

Eden Camp

Creature Ark

Anti-bullying week

Edale trip-caving

Enterprise challenge

Class of 2025

Science Wizardjpg Enterprise

Christmas Decorations

Microscope work

WWII presentations

World Book Day

Christmas decorations HC

Christmas Party

Cathedral Visit

Class assembly

Edale

IT’S THE WAY WE EMPOWER EVERYONE TO ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL

Activity

Experience Week challenged and inspired our students to tackle a diverse set of problems in groups, and individually, with an emphasis on our school values: Together, Aware and Empowered. The students had the opportunity to learn, develop and master a range of skills. The activities inspired and enthused our students whilst challenging their thinking.

During Experience Week, students in Years 7-9 worked collaboratively to plan and produce a short play in French, Spanish, and German in just one day. They took on roles in acting, sound, lighting, costume, and marketing, producing posters, guides, and props to complement the performances. Some students engaged with a new language, embracing the opportunity to discover different sounds and words, while others coached those new to the language and showcased their understanding from lessons. We witnessed an abundance of musical and theatrical

talents during the performances and were impressed by the positive contributions and teamwork the students demonstrated.

A highlight was the Creative Challenge for Year 8 and 9 students, which kick started our fundraising efforts for Forget Me Not Hospice. Students collaborated and innovated, transforming old desks into vibrant, colourful, and appealing designs. These upcycled desks will be auctioned off next academic year, with all proceeds going to this worthy cause. It was inspiring to see their fantastic enthusiasm and the amazing prototypes they produced, making the judging process wonderfully difﬁcult.

Year 9 team building at Rother Valley

week!

And the fun didn’t stop there! Our Year 8 pupils enjoyed a morning packed with laughter, team bonding, and general good fun. Each form chose a theme to dress up as – we had Minions, Care Bears, Mario Bros, and Men in Black, to name just a few. In their forms, they took part in sports day races, a quiz, chocolate and skittles games, and a ‘chill out’ with an ice-pop. It was a great morning ﬁlled with laughter, team bonding, and general good fun.

Our Year 9 chemists went for a fascinating ‘What’s in our Water?’ stretch and challenge day at the National Mining Museum. They conducted real-world analysis, collected water samples, measured the pH and oxygen content, and analysed iron in efﬂuent. Plus, they experienced life as a miner by heading underground – a powerful blend of science and history!

Adding to the week’s excitement, we also held our creativity workshop, where students planned, wrote, and performed poems they had created. Our Year 7 Science Fair also took place in the Hartley Pavilion. After seven weeks of dedicated work, students proudly showcased

Year8Team Building

their self-devised projects, sharing their scientiﬁc discoveries with a wide audience.

We also held year group trips. Year 7 had an unforgettable day at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, exploring the vast enclosures and spotting incredible animals like lions, tigers, and giraffes up close. The walk-through areas let us get closer to lemurs, wallabies, and cotton-top tamarins, making it feel like a real safari adventure. Each form also took part in an education session on animal adaptations led by a member of the zoo staff; not only did they learn about biological adaptations in animals such as hyenas, camels, polar bears, and rhinos, there was also an opportunity to handle giant African land snails and Madagascan hissing cockroaches.

House Science Fair

Year 8 Tables for Charity

Year 9 team building at Rother Valley

Year 8 Team Building

Year 7 Visit to Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Year 8 Biology Field Trip

House Science Fair Year 8

Modern Foreign Languages

THE FUN AND JOY OF LEARNING A LANGUAGE!

A true celebration of communication and culture:

Modern Foreign Languages at WGHS & QEGS

From October to May, we had the pleasure of welcoming our wonderful Language Assistants: Linda (Bremen), Claudio (Tenerife), and Mickael (Paris). Their energy and cultural insight enriched lessons across both schools. Through culture clubs, small group work, and one-to-one conversations, they supported our students - particularly in Years 9–13 - with enthusiasm and dedication. From junior Spanish sessions to coaching A-level debates and supporting the Cultural Bake Sale, they became valued members of our school community. A heartfelt thank you to all three, we wish them well in their next chapters.

German themed activities

Students crafting languages for peace posters

Language assistants Claudio, Linda and Mickael

MFL

Debating Success

at St Peter’s School, York

In February, six WGHS and QEGS students showcased their talents at the MFL Debating Competition at St. Peters in York. Competing in French, Spanish, and German, they impressed with their ﬂuency and sharp argumentation. Our German team made it to the ﬁnals—an incredible achievement!

European Day of Languages & Languages for Peace

September brought a week-long celebration of languages and unity. Highlights included crêpe-making, Language Taster Lessons, currywurst costumes, and Bauhausinspired peace posters. A true celebration of communication and culture.

Trip to Nice

In October, students from WGHS and QEGS enjoyed an unforgettable trip to Nice, France. Against the backdrop of the stunning French Riviera, they explored local landmarks, took part in immersive French language lessons, and experienced daily life in a Francophone setting. Highlights included visiting the old town, climbing Castle Hill for panoramic views, and sampling delicious Provençal cuisine. Students bonded over beach walks, café outings, and cultural excursions that deepened their appreciation for the language and lifestyle. The trip offered a perfect balance of education and relaxation, and left everyone with new conﬁdence in their French and cherished memories to last a lifetime.

Mrs Claudia Donau-GreenHead of Modern Foreign Languages

SHINE & Cultural Events

From crafting German-style Christmas cards to baking sweet treats from around the globe, WGHS brought cultures to life. Our Cultural Charity Bake Sale raised £180 for Wakeﬁeld Hospice, while giving everyone a chance to sample international ﬂavours. During SHINE, Year 6 pupils from our community explored German Christmas traditions—learning about Nikolaus, discovering the story behind the (decorative) pickle hidden in the Christmas tree, and enjoying the delicious taste of Weihnachtsplätzchen. A festive blend of fun, culture, and learning.

We are learning Japanese!

Nice Trip during October Half Term - C’ était fantastique!

SHINE Year 6 - Crafting German Christmas decorations

Our linguists after a full afternoon of rounds of debates, chats and biscuits

Hola Barcelona!

Our Year 8 and 9 students embarked on an incredible trip exploring the vibrant and historic city of Barcelona. They thoroughly enjoyed soaking up the culture, from wandering through the stunning old town to marveling at Gaudi's iconic Sagrada Familia and the quaint Parc Güell. With glorious sunny weather throughout, they even got to savour a delicious traditional tapas meal which everyone loved.

Rhineland trip

Rhineland trip

WGSF

Deutschlandreise 2025

Our trip to Germany has been an interesting and exciting adventure which helped us use more of our German and practise our speaking skills and improve. We could also enhance skills like independence, care, and respect for other people. We have learned about culture and history at the Burg Eltz (castle) and about the German myth of Lorelei which we passed on the boat trip on the river Rhine. We also had great fun at the Freibad (outdoor swimming pool), and Phantasialand. The place where we stayed by the Rhine provided amazing views and the sightseeing on the whole was fantastic.

These are few opinions from our friends about the trip:

Liza:

“My personal favourite was Phantasialand. I also liked the swimming pool and I loved how it was a mix of sightseeing and fun stuff.”

Sheaa:

“I think the whole trip was a very memorable trip because I felt like everyday was organised and had something to do. I really enjoyed the whole trip but my highlight was going to Phantasialand because of all the exquisite rides.”

Sophie:

“I really enjoyed the vineyard and cable car tour because we got to speak to people in German and that was a really memorable experience.”

Overall, it was a wonderful experience - one that we would love to do again and would recommend to anyone interested in German.

Winter Bullen and Liliana Moczynska - Year 9

YOU’LL LOVE THE WAY WE ENCOURAGE CREATIVE WRITING

Andromeda

“This is Co - Captain Walker from MedLiner 6. We have been hit. The ship is in critical condition.”

An automated voice chimed from the intercom. “Connection Unavailable. Please try again later.”

“Alrighty then…”

Ben’s voice was eerily calm, his shallow, slow breathing barely audible over the roaring and crashing of the dying engine. He slumped against the wall, crimson streaming from the wound on his shoulder. Despite his immense pain, he gritted his teeth and called out to the ship's interface.

“MedLiner. Report. Engine status.”

“Hello, Benjamin. Engine Status: Failing - nearing combustion.”

“Great,” he groaned and leaned his head against the cold, steel wall of the ship. The edges of his peripheral vision began to blur, and he felt himself slipping away.

“BENJAMIN WALKER! DON’T YOU DARE!” The all familiar voice of his girlfriend, Valerie Foley, snapped him back into reality.

“Val?” His voice grew even weaker, only just a whisper. Val dropped to her knees beside him, brushing the hair from his face.

“Shhhh. Save your strength.”

“The engine...”

“I know, I know. Arlo told me. I could really do with him right about now.”

WOOSH!

“Yes, Mistress Foley?”

The robot dog materialized out of seemingly thin air and with a whizz and a crash, skidded across the ﬂoor to Val’s feet. Arlo was the third passenger aboard the MedLiner, Val and Ben’s faithful animal companion. He was created over 60 years ago in the depth of Medliner 6 by its previous captains, and, despite some rust and a couple of loose hinges, he was thriving.

“Arlo, I need you to go retrieve the medi kit. He’s losing a lot of blood. I think the bullet is lodged in his upper deltoid, but I can’t be certain.”

“Yes, Mistress Foley.” Arlo nodded his head, scooting towards the exit.

“Now we have to ﬁnd a way to ﬁx this blooming engine. Or get out.”

Val began to pace the room, hands folded behind her back, head bowed, desperately searching for a solution in the corners of her immensely intelligent mind. Her mind was racing, her breathing fast. Could they get out in time? How long until the ship ultimately implodes? Will Ben even survive for that long?

“Come sit with me, Val. Quit stomping around.”

“I’m not stomping!”

“Yes you are!” Ben lifted his non-injured arm and waved to the spot next to him. “Sit. You’re breathing so quickly you’re going to pass out.”

SELECTION OF SENIOR CREATIVE WRITING

She sighed. “You are intolerable, Walker. I give up.”

Ben grinned as Val settled down next to him, some colour returning to his face momentarily, “You just can’t resist my charm.”

“What charm?”

“My overwhelming handsomeness?” he questioned with a smirk. “My brave, charismatic personality? No?

Seriously Val, I..” Ben stopped abruptly with a wince as his shoulder jolted. Blood was still pouring out of the fresh wound, now staining the ﬂoor a macabre mahogany.

“Here, Ben. Let me tie this around your shoulder.” Val tore off the hem of her trouser leg, securing it tightly around the gash.

“Thanks. Now where’s that dog got to?”

“I’m not sure.”

With a screech and a frazzle, the airlock door, which Arlo had exited through earlier, swung open. The pair swung the heads round to face the open doorway.

“M-m-mainte-n-nance r-r-equi-re-d.”

Squeaking and crunching along the ship’s ﬂoor, Arlo appeared in the doorway, almost entirely split in half. Val immediately scrambled to her feet, sprinting towards the sparking dog. Wires were protruding out of its head and torso, the rubber coating torn. Shrapnel was caught in the snapped, jagged edges of his side.

“Oh my gods! Arlo! What happened?” Val yelled over the cacophony of crashing and sirens now blaring from the ship's mainframe control panel.

“I h-h-h-h-h-have been d-dama-g-g-ge-dd-dd b-b-y enem-y-y w-w-ea-p-o-ons-s-s.” Eye lights dimming, the dog began to shut down, unable to stay online any longer.

Val crouched next to Arlo, who was now just an empty steel frame, tears trickling down her face. Before Ben came along, this robot dog had been her closest and only friend, the only thing keeping her sane on this lonely, endless mission.

“Goodbye, Arlo. See you in Elysium,” she whispered. Turning her back, she walked solemnly back to her boyfriend.

“C’mere Val. It’s alright, love.” Ben reached out his hand and pulled her close as she buried her head in his unharmed shoulder.

Bullets whistled round the hull of the ship as the enemy advanced. The engine was fatally damaged, and there was no access to the rest of the squadron. They were alone. And stranded.

“We need to get out of here, Ben.”

“What about the mission?”

She scoffed. “It’s a blumming suicide mission. I’m not leaving us to die here.”

Ben pondered over their situation, eyes lighting up with an idea. Val stared at him intently, looking for an answer.

“Well, there is a way…”

“That’s incredibly risky… but smart. I’ll give you that.” She shook her head. “What if it goes wrong? What if it can’t carry both of us? That stupid machine hasn’t been used in decades!”

“It’s worth a try.”

Val said nothing, just nodded and set off towards the safe. “What’s the code?”

“1301. Your birthday.”

She smiled. The mission may be painful and inﬁnite, but at least she had someone to care for her. Retrieving the object from the safe, she returned to where Ben was sitting.

Val ﬂicked it in her hand. “Vortex manipulator, eh? Let’s see this thing in action.”

She clicked the on button. It ﬂickered, sputtered, and turned off. Both let out a disappointed sigh.

“Oh well, it was worth a tr-”

Light erupted from the manipulator strapped around Val’s wrist, ﬁlling the room with a warm glow. She squealed, helping Ben to his feet.

“Hold my hand. I’m setting it to 5 minutes ahead, at the base camp.”

He gripped her hand. “They’re gonna give us grief for coming home empty handed.”

“Oh well,” she chuckled, “but on a serious note, Ben, if this doesn’t work, and we get caught in the crossﬁre -”

“Which we won’t,” he assured her.

“I said IF. If it happens, I’ll see you in Elysium. Promise?” “Promise.”

Azariah Heppinstall - Year 8

Roots

Roots wind deep beneath the soil

In secret, silent, ancient toil

From every seed, they gently creep

A promise made, a trust to keep

Roots sit calmly under my skin

A gift granted by past kin

In every storm, in every drought roots anchor ﬁrm, they do not doubt

They tell me stories of the past

Of places different, held fast

Holding their duty strong to heart

To say goodbye, to drift apart

They hold the earth in tender grip

Never to let the memory slip

Like a ancient folk song once set not to let go, not to forget so, when you wander far and wide remember roots are there inside in every heart, a hushed trace of where you've been, and who you've faced

Emily Oldroyd - Year 12

Travel writingScottish highlands

As we continued driving, the views of the Scottish glens just kept getting better. All of a sudden, the two further hours until we got to Fort Augustus didn’t seem very long at all. Every time I looked out of my car window, it was a different scene. From warm and sunny villages like Glencoe to mist-covered, snow-capped mountains towering over me like Buachaille, I had never been anywhere as surreal before.

Finally, after eleven hours in the car, we arrived in Fort Augustus. It is a small village with a 17th century former monastery, previously called St.Benedict's Abbey which is now apartments. I looked up, the ornate, majestic monastery building stood before me. Every door was a grand archway and the building was perfectly symmetrical. Although I was tired from the long drive up, I could not ignore my surroundings or my excitement, so my family and I went to explore the grounds. At the front of the building was a luscious, green grassland and a perfectly kept cricket pitch. I could just imagine myself playing there. Towards the back of the building was a cemetery for the monks that previously lived there. Identical, white headstones placed in faultless lines covered much of the grass.

The Highlands are well known for their dramatic landscapes, but the thing that really caught my eye right now was the wildlife. Every way I turned, I could see a rabbit lolloping along or a deer grazing in the unrestrained ﬁelds. The abundance of wild sheep seemed almost amusing to me. Because it was Easter time, there were also a lot of new plants, with ﬂowers blooming and baby animals roaming around them.

Later on in the day, we went into the main part of the village. Running down the centre of the streets was the canal that led to Loch Ness - one of the most famous places in Scotland. Each time a boat came down the canal, everybody stopped what they were doing to watch the locks open. At times, the large crowds of people could be a bit inconvenient but it didn’t phase me too much. As it was starting to get dark, the canal was lit up. Atmospheric lights lined the sides and the water glowed all shades of red, yellow and blue.

Towards the end of the day, we went inside the monastery, my voice echoed in the corridors like someone was repeating what I said over and over. The most exciting part of the interior was the games room. In the middle of the centre hall was a ping pong table. It wasn’t what I expected in such a magniﬁcent room but it made for some fun games chasing the ball around as it bounced off the walls.

Just before it was time for us to go to sleep, my family and I walked to the edge of the loch one last time. It was quite cold and dark but I didn’t mind. Maybe I would just catch a glimpse of Nessie! Every small ripple in the water added to the suspenseful silence of people hoping they might just watch something come up from underneath the glossy layer of blue. Nothing did that day, but we remain ever hopeful.

Rebecca Trout - Year 8

IT’S THE WAY OUR GIRLS LOVE SCIENCE

It’s all about the chemistry

A highlight of the year was our WGHS Year 13 team ‘Bunsen Burnouts’ (Tilly, Lynne, Eve, Jae and Kareena) who came an impressive 24/80 in the Cambridge Chemistry Race in February. This national competition saw our students answering a series of challenging chemistry questions using only their notes and textbooks. The team were given a special mention for the accuracy of their answers and were the top performing school in Yorkshire.

Further success was had in the Sixth Form Chemistry Olympiad with 3 silver and 7 bronze awards with particular congratulations to best in school Evie.

The summer term saw our Year 12 chemists take part in the RSC’s Schools’ Analyst competition. This year the students were asked to evaluate the suitability of an old industrial area for building new houses. They were provided with soil samples and used analytical techniques such as chromatography, test tube reactions and titrations to determine whether the ground was suitable for building houses on. Congratulations to Gabby, Victoria and Arianna who were crowned school champions.

As part of Key Stage 3 experience week in June, the department took the whole of Year 9 to the ‘What’s in our water?’ stretch and challenge day at the National Mining Museum. Here the students analysed the content of iron in efﬂuent after they had collected water samples, measuring the pH and oxygen content. The students also went underground to experience what it would have been like to be a miner over the past one hundred years.

Dr Duerden-Brown - Head of Professional Excellence, Head of Chemistry, EDGE Coordinator, Associate Assistant Head

A year of discovery and delight Physics Department highlights:

This year has been a dynamic and inspiring one for the Physics Department, ﬁlled with curiosity, creativity, and challenge. We were delighted to welcome Miss Loftus to the team, whose inventive practical lessons and clear explanations quickly became student favourites.

Across all year groups, students embraced the excitement of physics. Year 11 deepened their thinking as young physicists, while Year 13 honed their exam techniques with forensic attention to Examiners’ Reports - while also enjoying a unique exploration of the physics behind Star Wars! Year 10 thrived using innovative Faded Paired examples to master complex calculations, and Year 8 trialled Topic booklets to support independent learning.

Year 9 took a bold leap, starting their GCSE course early in preparation for the uniﬁed curriculum at the new Queen Elizabeth’s school. Meanwhile, Year 7 Science Club was a hive of hands-on creativity, building motors and engineering successful egg drops.

At Sixth Form level, students rose to the challenge of the prestigious British Physics Olympiad, and many gave back through the Physics Clinic, guiding younger learners with conﬁdence and enthusiasm.

The department also seized every opportunity to connect classroom learning with the wider universesharing safe viewing tips for the solar eclipse, and guiding students through celestial events like meteor showers and planetary alignments. Year 10 even ventured into science communication, producing imaginative entries for the Institute of Physics’ “Eurekas” video competition.

It’s been a year to remember - full of discovery, collaboration, and joy in learning.

Mr Hannard - Head of Physics

YOU’LL LOVE THE WAY WE LOVE TO LEARN, TO QUESTION, TO RESEARCH AND GO THE EXTRA MILE

Simply the best biologists! Year 13 biology field trip

In October, our Year 13 students once again spent three days in Filey, on the North Yorkshire coastline. They explored the rocky shore on Filey Brigg and used a variety of ecological sampling techniques to study the distribution and morphology of various organisms which live on the rocky shoreline, including limpets, dog whelks, beadlet anemones and several species of brown seaweed. They then promptly applied their new-found knowledge to plan and carry out one of the A-level required practicals.

Here are Year 13 student Charlotte’s thoughts on the trip:

The biology trip was one of the best school trips we've had as we learnt so much doing practicals on Filey Brigg and being able to completely lead your own practical was so much fun and really useful for us to be able to properly understand the techniques. And, it had the added bonus of being able to spend time with everyone while still learning in an active environment

”

Biology competitions

It has been another busy year on the competitions circuit, with four Sixth Form students taking part in the British Biology Olympiad in February, 36 Year 10 students completing the Biology Challenge in May and 15 Year 12 students entering the Intermediate Biology Olympiad in June.

In the Sixth Form, Evie B (Year 13) and Lynne B (Year 13) won silver awards in the British Biology Olympiad. Sara SC and Ishani K won silver, and Martha M and Holly BW both achieved bronze in the Intermediate Biology Olympiad.

In Year 10, Olivia won a very impressive gold award, Fran C, Anaya P, Yasmin T and Evie W won silver, and Annabel B, Freya G, Annabel G and Khadeeja S won bronze awards. Well done to our biologists.

Dr Barber - Head of Biology

The Duke of Edinburgh Awards

YOU’LL LIKE THE WAY WE VALUE SMILES AS WELL AS SUCCESS

The Duke of Edinburgh Award has enjoyed a remarkable year, with new faces joining the leadership team and participants achieving extraordinary things across all levels. Between April 2024 and March 2025, our students dedicated an impressive 1,469 hours to volunteering - supporting their communities through everything from Park Run marshalling and charity shop work to animal care, coaching younger pupils, and getting involved in environmental projects. Alongside this, students pushed themselves in the Physical and Skills sections, whether by reﬁning existing talents or embracing entirely new challenges such as drawing, learning an instrument, learning a language, completing Couch to 5k and becoming involved in team sports or other types of adventurous activity. Their resilience, creativity, and determination have been an inspiration. The highlight of the year, of course, was the expeditions which took place in June. Bronze participants in Year 9 braved intense heat on their Wakeﬁeld trek, showing

teamwork and grit as they camped at Woolley Edge before completing their journey to Walton Colliery. Although a few of them have vowed ‘never again’ it was pleasing that so many are already considering continuing on to do Silver. Our Silver participants rose to the challenge of the Peak District, contending with heavy rain and steep climbs but finishing with high praise from all of their assessors and plenty of camaraderie making it a very special (and tiring) occasion. Meanwhile, our Gold groups embarked on a memorable fourday expedition in the Yorkshire Dales, covering more than 70 km and reflecting on the culmination of their D of E journey at Wakefield Girls’. Their perseverance, good humour, and support for one another shone through at every stage, and we look forward to celebrating their successes once they have submitted all of their evidence at each section and the award verifications are complete.

Mrs Walker and Dr Durell

IT’S THE WAY WE GIVE STUDENTS THE SKILLS AND RESILIENCETO SUCCEED

Exam News 2025

Success for Wakefield Girls’ A-Level and GCSE pupils

A-Level and GCSE results days mark the culmination of dedication and perseverance at Wakeﬁeld Girls’. Moments of real joy were met with laughter, congratulations, and heartfelt embraces, as pupils look forward with excitement towards new journeys ahead. Every pupil at Wakeﬁeld Girls’ has contributed so much to our school community, demonstrating unwavering commitment to the delicate balancing act of academic rigour, extra-curricular enrichment, and leadership.

This year, 45% of all GCSE grades were at levels 9–7, with over a quarter of grades at 8 or 9. We are proud to celebrate the achievements of all Wakeﬁeld Girls’ pupils, with numerous outstanding individual performances. In particular, 25 pupils achieved nine or more GCSEs at grades 9–7, while 37 pupils were awarded at least one of the coveted grade 9s. Across the full range of ability, many pupils exceeded their benchmark expectations, reﬂecting their hard work and determination.

At A-Level, over two-thirds of pupils achieved A*-B grades, reﬂecting the high academic standards of Wakeﬁeld Girls’. 37% of all grades were A/A*, and 20% of pupils achieved three or more A/A grades* – outstanding achievements for this ambitious year group.

This means 77% of Wakeﬁeld Girls’ students have secured places at their ﬁrst-choice universities to study a wide range of disciplines, including Classics, Law, Psychology, Medicine, Finance, and Engineering. Prestigious institutions include UCL, Durham, Newcastle, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Loughborough, Warwick, York, and Exeter, as well as universities in South Carolina, USA, and Tbilisi, Georgia. A further three students have gone on to exceptional apprenticeship opportunities.

I am so proud of our pupils and all they have achieved. They have shown grit, determination and perseverance, and both students and staff deserve huge credit for their hard work. These results reﬂect not just academic success but the personal growth and contributions our girls make to the wider school community.

Judith Tingle Associate Head

Our musical year: Onwards and

Our musical year started with a bang as we celebrated our Founders’ Day in words and music. Though quieter without Mrs Bentham, we managed a spirited rendition of We Belong Together, while Mrs White’s Secret Choir stole the show with their captivating singing from the Jubilee Hall balcony.

At Cabaret Evening our talented and glamorous singers once again did us proud helping the audience to ‘de-stress’ and connect with their emotional sides. December brought lovely musical presents in the form of our Christmas singalong service at the Cathedral and our farewell to Ms Boyes who fronted the staff band singing ‘We are Family’.

In the new year our GCSE Musicians gave a delightful concert in the ‘CSC’ (our new favourite venue) trying out their GCSE performance coursework on a ‘live’ audience.

Much of the term was given over to preparations for our school show, Guys and Dolls, in a colourful and entertaining production masterminded by Mr Besford and Mr Jarvis.

Our May concerts gave us an opportunity to show the range and depth of musical talent at WGSF. Expertly programmed and directed, the performances involved pupils from Year 5 to Year 13. A special mention must go to the departing Year 13 students, many of whom have places to study music at university and conservatoire.

I’d like to thank all who have invested so much time and energy in music making at WGSF. The next generation of young musicians is already making its mark with three of our Key Stage 3 pupils playing at national level in orchestra, concert and brass band ensembles. Onwards and upwards!

Mr Meredith - Acting Co-Director of Music

December brought lovely musical presents in the form of our Christmas sing-along service at the Cathedral and our farewell to Ms Boyes who fronted the staff band singing ‘We are Family’

”

upwards!

A joyous year of music in the Junior School

What a truly vibrant and exciting year it has been for music in the Junior School! From our very ﬁrst performance at the Harvest Festival at St John’s Church - featuring the Under 11 Choir and some of our most gifted instrumentalists - it was clear we were in for something special.

Christmas brought a sparkling array of performances. Year 5 and 6 pupils moved and inspired audiences as part of Wakeﬁeld Hospice’s Light Up A Life concert, while our own production of Glad Tidings was a joyful celebration of musical talent, enhanced with glorious contributions from the Under 11 Choir, Junior Strings, and our vibrant senior ﬂute and brass ensembles.

The Under 11 Choir also enjoyed a hugely successful collaboration with the Skelmanthorpe Male Voice Choira much loved tradition and a heartwarming highlight for pupils and parents alike. Not to be outdone, Years 3 and 4 enchanted us all with their charming performance of Baboushka, supported beautifully by the Under 9 Choir.

January roared into life with our unforgettable trip to Young Voices 2025 at Shefﬁeld Arena. Singing and dancing as part of a 5,000-strong choir, our pupils truly embodied the spirit that music is for everyone.

The Inter-House Young Musician of the Year competition saw record participation, culminating in stunning performances from our ﬁnalists and the winners being Rebecca Dean and Lauren Trout. Mackie House once again took top honours.

Our Spring Concert was the crowning glory - a dazzling celebration of ensemble and solo music, joyful singing, and sheer musical enthusiasm. Over 130 pupils from Year 2 through to Year 6 performed with passion, conﬁdence, and heart. What a year it has been!

Mrs White - Acting Co-Director of Music

A dazzling celebration of ensemble and solo music, joyful singing, and sheer musical enthusiasm “ ”

Guys and dolls

When I auditioned for Guys and Dolls, I knew I was going to make unforgettable memories; what I didn’t know was the friends I was going to make along the way, bonding over trying to learn lines the night before, and choreo that everyone forgot on the ﬁrst night (sorry Katie).

From the ﬁrst rehearsal to the ﬁnal curtain call, a fabulous show was formed, with sass, energy and love of theatre. I really enjoyed the community of the musical, with the changing rooms full of girls (and guys) helping each other with makeup, hair and quick changes. The talented cast and stage crew worked weekends and after school to bring

the breathtaking musical to life. The show was full of laughter, support and encouragement every step of the way. When the big night finally arrived, everyone’s hard work paid off staggeringly. The audience was wowed by our dazzling costumes (my favourite was the bushel and peck outfits), impressive sets put up in minutes, and of course the main roles’ show-stopping performances. As the curtain fell on our final performance, we all celebrated knowing we had made an astonishing show.

Ella Woodhouse - Year 9

TheCastof guys and dolls

Nicely-Nicely Johnson Theo Fisher

Benny Southstreet James Taylor

Rusty Charlie Marlon Walsh

Sarah Brown OIiva Portman

Abernathy Alana Glennan

Agatha Harriet Womack

Calvin/Police Evie Wright

Martha/Cuban Dancing Girl Riya Bhagat

Harry the Horse/Crap Shooter Danny Le

Lt. Brannigan Ruby Key

Nathan Detroit Ayan Sinha

Angie the Ox/Cuban Dancer Tanaka Katema

Miss Adelaide Gabrielle Estlin

Sky Masterson Oscar Smith

Joey Biltmore/Mission Band/Crap Shooters

Edward Williams

Mimi Molly Buttterworth

General Matilda B. Cartwright Amelie Williams

Big Jule Raza Tauseeque

Master of Ceremonies/Waiter/Texan Wife Zoya Khan

Ferguson Matilda Bellas-Crookes

Vernon Annie Earnshaw

Drunk Inigo Edward Crap Shooters

James Liwonde

Barad Sheikholeslami

Alexander Day

Alexander MacInnes

Raza Tauseeque

Charlie Buck

Luke Gallagher

Mohamed Toure

Hot Box Girls/Havana Girls

Ella Woodhouse

Emily Oldroyd

Eleanor Terry

Sophie May

Isabella Robinson

Anika Sinha

Poppy Chappell

Daisy Hobbs

Mission Band/Police/Havana/Street Scene

Penelope Bellas-Crookes

Lydia Sykes

Phoebe Lyth

Annabel Brewin

Arabian Nights

We really enjoyed Arabian Nights as I thought the story was very interesting and varied. It gave good opportunities for everyone to take part. The use of physical theatre was fun and even though the puppets creeped me out a bit I thought they added a lot to the play making it an even more fun experience. It is a great way to meet new people and make friends over shared interests of theatre. There are many fun memories we have made during the time we did the productions such as things like “energy circles” helping to build up the excitement and calm any nerves before the show. There was karaoke in the changing rooms and funny fails during dress rehearsals adding to the overall exciting atmosphere.

Eleanor Terry - Year 9

Meet thecast

Charles Buck KASIM: Ali Baba’s brother

Anika Sinha KASIM: Ali Ba

Hiba Abrahim Sorceress/Hangman/Aunt/Steward’s Wife/Thief

Gracie Nawaz -Wright Page/Girl

Jay Worby KING

Harriet Dews BABA MUSTAPHA: A cobbler

Matilda Cuncliffe Doctor’s Wife

Ella Woodhouse BIRD

Barad Sheikholeslami SHAHRAYAR: The King

Edward Barnecott DERVISH

Theo Fisher ALI BABA

Henry Field-Andrews

VIZIER: Chief Advisor to the King, and father to Shahrazad and Dinarzad

Daniel Jones HAROUN

Danny Le PERVIZ: Watchman/Thief

Alexander McInnes BAHARMAN: Hangman

Zack Mahovo CAPTAIN of the thieves

Alex Day STEWARD

Haviisha Balakrishnan SECOND SISTER

Lydia Garrad-Ingram ALI BABA’S WIFE

Zoya Khan SHAHRAZAD: A clever young girl

Samhita Kumar DINARZAD: Shahrazad’s little sister

Phoebe Lyth Ali’s son

Harriet Sanderson MARJANAH: A clever slave girl

Tamila Shahbaz YOUNGEST SISTER

Eleanor Terry QUEEN/Woman

Valentina Le Chief

Emilia Callaghan MERCHANT/Uncle

Esme Hill Beggar

Patricija Joksaite Tailor’s Wife

Adrina Yavari PARIZADE

Mahesha Theivanather Porter

James Skipp ES-SINDIBAD/a porter

Harriet Womack ELDEST SISTER

Hana Azaer Customer/Friend

Lydia Sykes Head Cook

Madeline McKensie Thief

Oliver Walsh Thief/Uncle

Theo Lighten SIDI 1

Luke Gallagher ABU HASSAN/SIDI 2

Anwitha Amalakatta AMINA: SIDI Haroun’s wife

Daisy McKensie Druggist/Baker/Mother

Tara Rehal BRIDE

Isbabel Taylor Maid

Evie Walton JESTER/Marriage Broker

Kamsy Mba Thief/Fakir

Alex Maclnnes Doctor/Thief

Year 6 present…

Oliver witha Twist

On Monday 23rd June, we were delighted to welcome family and friends of the Foundation to Jubilee Hall for our annual Year 6 summer production.

This year, our talented Year 6 students took on the much-loved classic Oliver Twist – but with a modern, humorous spin! Inspired by the original novel by Charles Dickens, Oliver with a Twist brought new life to familiar characters with witty dialogue, catchy songs, and a few surprises along the way.

The production featured a lively selection of musical numbers that showcased the students’ fantastic vocal talents and boundless enthusiasm. Huge thanks go to Mrs White, who supported the girls in learning and perfecting the songs.

A very special thank you to all the staff who made the show possible: Foundation Director of Drama Mr Besford, Mrs White, Mrs Grundy and Miss Coe. We are also incredibly grateful to Mrs Patrick, Mrs McGrath, Ms Robson, Ms Gibson and Mrs Moorhouse for their brilliant work on props and costumes.

With both a matinee and evening performance, it was a true celebration of our students’ creativity, teamwork and conﬁdence. Thank you to everyone who came to support!

MEET THE CAST

Poppy as Oliver

Phoebe as Fagin

Isabel as Nancy

Livvy as Artful Dodger

Emie as Bill Sykes

Eve as Mr Brownlow

Evie as Mrs Bedwin

Priyah as Charlie

Caelynn as Sergeant Swatt

Imogen as Rose Maylie

Sienna as Kags

Winnie as Constable Cuffs

Edith as Mrs Grimwig

Harriet, Ophelia and Mariead as Narrators

Raeyen as Mr Grimwig

Milly as Mr Bumble

Lauren as Mrs Maylie

Serene as Crackit

Idun as Constable Copper

Isla as Magistrate Fang

Orla as Pip

Olivia F as Constable Clue

Frankie as Nickleby

Anaya as Philip Layla as Ben

Libby as Cratchit

Penelope as Fezziwig

Phoebe E as Nell

Isabella as William

Amy as Vendor (Edward)

Emaan as Copperfield

Olivia H as Fred

Lily as Havisham

Amelia as Vendor (Beatrice)

Hasana as Flintwinch

Bella as Harry

Nemisha as Vendor (Alice)

Nemisha as Chuzzlewit

Millie as Gradgrind

Layla as Court Usher

Kabisha as Server

Artgallery

Here’s a selection of some of the amazing talent from our A-level and GCSE exam students

Abi Lane

Ella Stenton

Shalom Oyakhilomen

Scarlett Leighton

Ellie Tingle

Sharon Li

Amelia Parkin

Freya Johnson Grace Bentley

Artgallery

Here’s a selection of some of the amazing talent from our A-level and GCSE exam students

WAKEFIELD GIRLS ARE CREATIVE

Abi Lane

Grace Hyett

Rucha Gowda

Georgina Ellis(

Angel Achato Shola Roberts

Megan Rosendale

Amelia Parkin( Eleonora Green

Elizabeth Kirk Smith

Natalie Gwasera

Ella Manson

Artgallery

Here’s a selection of some of the amazing talent from our A-level and GCSE exam students

Freyja Brandon

Claudia Holmes

Maryam Jamal

Georgina Ellis

Lola Wooler

Ellie Tingle

Poppy Crabtree

Megan Rosendale

Natalie Gwasera

Freyja Brandon

Ellie Gilbert

Wakeﬁeld: where our Art students experience ﬁrst hand inspiration

The Art Department has been incredibly lucky this year to be invited to take part in two workshops with the Art Department from QEGs. The ﬁrst was ﬁgure drawing and the second with renowned artist Ian Murphy. The latter workshop not only inspired the Year 13 students but also provided excellent inspiration to students lower down the school. These opportunities are invaluable to students and teachers alike.

The Art students in Year 9 and above went on a residential trip with the Textiles, Food and D&T Departments to London. Here they visited the National Portrait Gallery to see work by Francis Bacon and gain valuable ﬁrst hand inspiration at The Natural History Museum. They even managed to ﬁt a trip to Oxford Street for some much needed retail therapy.

Lower school has also taken advantage of their trips to Salts Mill, Crosby Beach and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park by producing exciting work inspired by artists’ work seen and experienced. I would like to thank Mrs Vare and Mr Spall for leading these varied trips to gain inspiration beyond the classroom. In June, we also enjoyed an amazing Art Exhibition where work by the students was displayed in Hepworth and the Forrest Building.

Mrs Critch - Head of Art & Textiles

Year 10 trip to Crosby Beach

Workshop with the renown

Getting inspired by David Hockney artwork at Salts Mill gallery

Textiles

The year started in Textiles with a First Friday career talk by Jess Worth who works in PR at the Victoria Beckham brand. She had just returned from the Paris Fashion Week and gave our students a valuable insight into working in the fashion industry.

Year 10 students enjoyed a screen printing workshop at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in October with the artist Sarah Jane Palmer. We then invited her back into school at a later date to deliver sessions to Year 12 and for a Parent and Daughter workshop. These Parent Daughter sessions are always very popular and were followed up in March when the embroidery artist Nikki Parmenter delivered an excellent workshop.

The Textiles students in Year 9 upwards were invited to go on a residential visit to London during the October half term. We all had an amazing time, visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum to see the Naomi Campbell exhibition and visiting the British Museum to get inspiration for their own work when they returned to school. We even managed to ﬁt in a show in the West End.

All students have produced great work this year and I would like to make special mention of the Textiles examination classes who have worked incredibly hard and created work of which they should be very proud. Mrs Critch - Head of Art & Textiles

We all had an amazing time, visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum to see the Naomi Cambell exhibition and visiting the British Museum to get inspiration for their own work when they returned to school. We even managed to fit in a show in the West End

”

Our first co ed artist workshop

Wakefield: Where delicious delights are made

The Food and Nutrition Department has been a busy hub of activity this year, with students from Year 3 upwards enjoying making quality foods, and learning about food provenance, nutrition, and food safety principles. Open Day in October saw students from Years 9,10 and 11 preparing food illusions for our guests to sample. In the run up to Christmas, a PTA event invited parents and students to bake and decorate a Bouche De Noel, the MFL Department visited us to make crepes, and Happy Cafes bustled on Friday lunch times, with hot chocolate and biscuits free gratis!

Of course the really important part, the lessons themselves, are happening daily, with students as young as seven timetabled to cook during their Creative Carousel. Students from Years 7 to 9 have shone in their practical assessments, as they designed and made savoury scones, plant based meals and celebration desserts respectively. Students in Years 10 and 11 have succeeded in their NEA practical examinations where they have made three complex dishes in 3 hours with their examiner watching every move and recording their skills. This is a daunting 3 hours for the students.

Here’s just a tiny peek at the work that the students have done this year in Food & Nutrition.

Biddy

Maher - Head of Food and Nutrition

YOU’LL LOVE THE WAY WE ARE INNOVATIVE

A Busy Year for our Designers at WGHS

It has certainly been yet another very busy year in Design and Technology at WGHS. In Key Stage 3, Year 7 have researched cultural events to create some wonderful pewter cast pendants. Year 8 have been working collaboratively with Mr Ryding and the Eco Schools Committee to make designer themed Air Bird n Bee boxes. Year 9 have had their architect’s heads on to research, design, and model sustainable amazing spaces from recycled shipping containers

Year 10 have been busy getting to grips with their new GCSE course but managed to take some time out to attend the annual Rotary Competition. Whilst we didn’t win, we were runners up in both the foundation and intermediate categories and joint runners up in the advanced.

Finally, Year 11 spent much of their time this year working hard on their GCSE NEA. They made a diverse range of fantastic outcomes which will hopefully get the results in August.

Mrs Cairns - Head of Design and Technology

IT’S THE WAY WE EXPLORE AND LEARN

A fascinating year for Religion, Philosophy and Ethics at WGHS

After the phenomenal and memorable RPE/Geography trip when we took 55 students to Japan in Summer 2024, it was a little quieter for the RPE Department this year. Nonetheless, our assemblies and annual Year 9 trip to a Buddhist and Meditation Centre were enjoyed by all participants. We went to the Jamyang Buddhist Centre in Leeds, where Tibetan Buddhism in the Mahayana tradition is studied and practiced. The students had a talk from a practicing Buddhist as well as having the symbolism of the centre’s shrines explained. We also experienced a very welcome meditation session and a post-visit debrief in the LRC.

Fascinating topics were addressed in our regular RPE whole-school assemblies. These included the philosophical concept of Utilitarianism and a ‘Celtic Christmas’ which the Year 6 House Captains co-delivered. We had an enthusiastic Year 7 RPE group who met every week with Mrs Heptinstall since September to create assemblies. The ethos of the group was to ﬁnd out about different religious festivals, but also to discuss key themes of interest. Respecting the beliefs of others and sharing experiences has been very beneﬁcial, and their most recent assembly was about religious and secular Spring traditions. We also welcomed recent alumna Zaina Khan into school who talked about her burgeoning career in radio broadcasting and advocacy for mental health. We discussed the skills that studying RPE at A-level provided, and the successes and challenges of her career.

Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to the success of the RPE Department this year.

Mrs Keegan-Phipps and Mrs Heptinstall

Zaina K Assembly

Buddhist Centre Leeds

Inside the Buddhist Centre Leeds

Shrine in Buddhist Centre Leeds

YOU LOVE THE WAY WE DEVELOP TOGETHERNESS, EMPOWERMENT AND AWARENESS

Wakeﬁeld: Where we inspire a love of reading

The LRC has been buzzing with Culture and History this year with events including Culture Day, Eid Party, Black History Month, Women in Science and Readathons. These events have raised over £500 for the Yorkshire Children’s Charity and the Al Mustafa Welfare Trust.

Student Librarians

Our Student Librarians took the lead on a number of events organised by the LRC this year. They have had a positive input into selecting fiction and non-fiction books, and had opportunities to read and review books, encouraging our reluctant readers to browse our collection of resources and read.

They challenged the teachers to a Readathon over Christmas. During this period over 250 books had been read by both teachers and students. Whilst teachers peaked early, our students didn’t give up so easily, leading to a very close win for our students.

This year our students were actively involved in the Culture & Diversity Committee. Our Student Librarians led part of the meeting discussing forthcoming dates and events. Mrs Iqbal arranged hot chocolate and pastries in recognition of their hard work during this year.

“I am a Student Librarian and enjoy the involvement of being part of a team. This year at the LRC we have had a jam packed year full of exciting events and displays that we have promoted to encourage our students to read. I like coming here as the atmosphere is always welcoming and comforting.” Savannah - Year10

Our Learning Resource Centre is a welcoming place, whereby we inspire the love of reading, promote wellbeing and create a positive study space.

Mrs Iqbal - LRC Manager

Student Librarians

Charities News

2024-25

This year, the Charities Committee has once again organised and led a number of events raising awareness, funds, and collecting items to help others in our local, national and international community. They work hard to create a calendar of fun and enjoyable events for the school community to enjoy. At the time of writing, a grand total of £9714.41 has been raised by our amazing school community.

Mrs Phillips - Charities Coordinator

Christmas Fayre

Junior Section Wakefield Hospice Christmas Concert

Christmas Fayre

Tombola - Foundation Charity Fair

St. Catherine’s Food Collection

Splat the Teacher - Foundation Charity Fair

JUNIOR SECTION:

YOU’LL LOVE THE WAY JUNIOR SPORT AT WGHS CONTINUES TO CREATE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS

CROSS COUNTRY

The Foundation House Cross Country competition saw excellent participation from all Junior Section runners. Varied courses across the WGHS and QEGS playing fields tested each age group, with runners demonstrating significant resilience and determination, culminating in several exciting finishes. Our Year 6 students also competed in two Wakefield Schools’ series races, where they gained valuable experience and achieved credible results against older competitors.

Cross Country Team

The

“ ”

diverse program spanned numerous dance styles, from country and cheerleading to ballet, Bollywood, tap, and lyrical

DANCE

This year's Dance Evening at QEGS theatre was a vibrant showcase, featuring the winning routines from the Year 3 to Year 6 House Dance ﬁnals. Adding to the excitement, seven standout performances –including solos, a duet, and trios – were chosen from the Year 5 and 6 Dance Showcases. In a wonderful display of collaboration, 38 students from the Junior Section joined their Senior counterparts for the event. The diverse program spanned numerous dance styles, from country and cheerleading to ballet, Bollywood, tap, and lyrical, all brought to life with catchy music and colourful costumes. The Musical Theatre group’s rendition of ‘Revolting Children’ from Matilda provided a lively ﬁnale to the evening.

SWIMMING

Year 5 and 6 students enjoyed competing in individual and relay events at the IAPS time trials hosted at Queen Ethelburga’s. While no students qualiﬁed for the National ﬁnals this year, Thea W came incredibly close! Her impressive time of 33.69 seconds in the 50-metre freestyle placed her 23rd, just shy of the qualifying time of 37.65 seconds in 20th place. Well done, Thea – a promising future awaits! Additionally, two of our teams participated in the ESSA relays at GSAL, providing another platform for our swimmers to demonstrate their abilities.

Harriet’s solo

Musical theatre dance Poppy’s solo

IAPS Swimming

Year 5 House Dance

NETBALL

This netball season has been a resounding success, with our teams engaging in dynamic and competitive play. We’ve had fantastic participation, with over 50 students representing the U10 and U11 A, B, and C teams in matches. The commitment to development is clear, with 66 students regularly attending training. The U11 A team’s achievement of an undefeated season is particularly noteworthy. Moreover, the U9 team’s excellent netball skills indicate a bright future for this age group.

This netball season has been a resounding success, with our teams engaging in dynamic and competitive play “ ”

HOCKEY

This hockey season saw our teams face a diverse range of opponents, resulting in many closely fought matches where resilience and determination were clearly evident. Our Under 11 squad demonstrated their competitive spirit at the regional IAPS tournament at Loughborough Grammar School, progressing to the cup quarterfinals before a narrow defeat by The Elms. The U11s also qualified for the Yorkshire round of the In2Hockey competition, where, despite a strong performance, they finished third in their pool and did not advance to the North final. This year also marked the successful introduction of Under 9 matches, which were played in a fun, noncompetitive atmosphere and thoroughly enjoyed by all participants.

U10 & U11 Netball vs Hill House

U9 Netball vs St. Peter’s

U9 Hockey Festival

U10 & U11 Hockey

IAPS Hockey at Loughborough

CRICKET

The opening pairs cricket match of the season saw our U10 and 11 squads take on Hill House in a contest that showcased impressive batting and fielding from all our students. Their hard work in recent weeks was evident as they put their skills into practice. Both matches were competitive affairs, marked by powerful hits and sharp fielding, resulting in exciting catches, wickets, and a flurry of boundaries.

Miss Boughton - Director of Sport (Junior Section)

HOUSE EVENTS

The Junior Section has been a hive of activity this year, with a vibrant calendar of House events spanning a wide range of sporting disciplines. Students have enthusiastically participated in competitions across hockey, netball, dance, cross country, and cricket, fostering both teamwork and healthy rivalry. While Clayton House has demonstrated considerable strength, securing the majority of victories to date, the Year 5 students representing Mackie House have proven to be a formidable force, celebrating three well-deserved wins of their own. The inter-House spirit remains high as the year progresses, with more opportunities for success on the horizon.

Year 5 students representing Mackie House have proven to be a formidable force, celebrating three well-deserved wins of their own “ ”

U10 11 Reindeer Run

U9 Athletics vs Shefﬁeld

Year 3 House Dance Finalists

U10 Netball vs Hymers

SPORTS PRESENTATION EVENING 2025

On Friday 16th May, our students came together once again to celebrate their sporting achievements and reﬂect on the remarkable progress made throughout the past year. It was also an inaugural event for some of the boys who were representing the U18 Mixed Volleyball Squad.

It was a privilege to hear from our sports representatives, who delivered engaging and thoughtful speeches highlighting the successes and memorable moments from their seasons across a wide range of disciplines, including Athletics, Cross Country, Tennis, Equestrian, Badminton, Cricket, Volleyball, Indoor Hockey, Hockey, and Netball. We were honoured to welcome back Leah Crisp as our distinguished guest speaker for the evening. Leah, an alumna of WGHS, shared the inspiring story of her swimming career, which gained signiﬁcant momentum after leaving school. Specialising in distance freestyle events, she rapidly rose to prominence on the national stage, securing multiple British titles in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events. Her outstanding performances earned her a place on British Swimming’s elite pathway programme and selection for international competitions, where she proudly represented Great Britain.

A deﬁning moment in Leah’s career came in 2024, when she achieved her lifelong dream of competing at the Paris Olympic Games as a member of Team GB. Her participation on the world’s most prestigious sporting stage stands as a powerful testament to her years of dedication, perseverance, and resilience. Leah’s story exempliﬁes the values of commitment, sportsmanship, and national pride.

In addition to her athletic pursuits, Leah also secured a place at the University of Bath – a leading institution renowned for both academic and sporting excellence. There, she pursued a demanding degree in Economics and Mathematics while training at a world-class level through the university’s highperformance swimming programme. Balancing the rigours of elite sport and academia is no small feat, yet Leah has managed both with exceptional discipline and focus. Her success serves as an inspiring example of what can be achieved through effective time management and unwavering determination.

During the evening, special recognition was also given to our Year 13 leavers, whose contributions to sport at WGHS have spanned over ten different disciplines. Presentations were also made to the Most Valued Player which was awarded to Cece, in acknowledgment for her extraordinary commitment and support to her teammates, even while sidelined by injury.

Alongside this in an unprecedented decision, the North Shield was awarded jointly to three Netball teams, in recognition of their outstanding performances in the U15 SIS Competition and the U16 & U18 Netball National Finals.

Finally, individual students were recognised for their exceptional contributions throughout the year, and medals were presented in celebration of their dedication and national achievements;

MEDALS:

Maddie Fish - Synchronised Swimming

Lucy Prentice - Karate

Amelia Parkin - Karate

Lilly Mae Wood - Badminton

VOLLEYBALL:

Senior Volleyball has gone from strength to strength over the past year. It all began with a landmark WGHS vs QEGS A-level PE volleyball match – a match the girls obviously won – setting the tone for what was to come. Following that, the mixed volleyball team was born, and what a seasonthey’ve had.

After an early victory against Greenhead College, the mixed squad entered the AOC League, facing off against teams from across the North of England. This was no easy feat. Many of their opponents boasted national-level players – seasoned athletes with experience at the highest levels. But our team rose to the challenge. They never allowed themselves to be intimidated, consistently displaying fantastic energy, commitment, and a desire to improve.

While Jamie might describe their playing style as “chaotic,” it’s fair to say that over the season, that chaos has become much more controlled. What’s been truly special is seeing students from WGHS and QEGS train and compete together for the first time. This collaboration has offered a unique learning experience: the boys have gained valuable insight into technique and tactical play from the girls, while the girls have been inspired by the boys' relentless drive and fearless approach – even if that sometimes involves diving feet-first or hurtling toward a brick wall!

The U16 team has also enjoyed a fantastic season. Regularly pushed in training by the U18s, they’ve had opportunities to compete in Volleyball England Grand Prix events, growing in confidence and skill. One standout moment was hosting a touring school from Argentina. Our U16s showcased composed, threetouch volleyball to secure a well-earned victory. For many, this was their first experience of competitive volleyball – made even more memorable by the chance to connect, share stories, and learn about another culture.

Lower down the school, volleyball continues to flourish and is loved by students of all ages. To meet demand, we now run three separate clubs across Key Stages 3, 4, and 5. Our senior players have become incredible role models for the younger ones – not only improving their own skills but also giving up time to umpire and coach. This has helped to break down barriers between year groups, fostering friendships and creating a true volleyball family – one that supports, motivates, and inspires each other to always be better.

U16 team

U18 mixed team action shot

DANCE:

Dance Evening

On Monday, 28th April, more than 60 students from Year 3 through to Year 13 took to the stage for our highly anticipated annual Dance Evening, held in the QE Hall. The event provided an invaluable platform for students to showcase their remarkable talents across a diverse range of dance styles, to an enthusiastic and supportive audience of family, friends, and staff.

Throughout the evening, the audience was treated to an impressive array of performances, spanning genres such as ballet, bhangra, tap, and contemporary dance. The showcase culminated in a dynamic and spirited musical theatre performance inspired by Matilda, which brought the evening to a rousing close before the final collective bow. Performances included solos, duets, and group pieces, many of which reflected the students’ cultural backgrounds, personal interests, and creative expression. Each piece was met with enthusiastic applause, reflecting the pride and admiration felt by all in attendance.

Notably, the majority of the dances were choreographed by the students themselves, demonstrating not only technical ability but also a high level of creativity, initiative, and artistic vision. Their dedication and passion were evident in every movement and routine.

Congratulations to all the performers for an outstanding evening of dance. Your hard work, commitment, and talent were truly inspiring.

CROSS COUNTRY:

This year saw a strong squad of 16 junior runners enter the Wakefield League Cross Country events. Unfortunately, due to building works at Outwood School cancelling the first fixture of the season the runners were left with only the fixtures at Silcoates and QEGS to show their abilities. Harriet was the only Senior runner to participate and she finished 4th at QEGS and 3rd on the hilly and challenging Silcoates course. This meant that Harriet, along with 6 Junior runners, qualified to represent Wakefield in the West Yorkshire Championships at GSAL in February. Another hilly and challenging course meant that Harriet just missed out on gaining a place in the West Yorkshire squad for the National Finals.

Over the past year, the Equestrian team has enjoyed great success across a range of disciplines

Harriet was the only Senior runner to participate and she finished 4th at QEGS and 3rd on the hilly and challenging Silcoates course

”

EQUESTRIAN:

Over the past year, the Equestrian team has enjoyed great success across a range of disciplines. Kicking off the summer season, Chloe Ellam and her pony James competed in a one-day event at Northallerton Equestrian Centre on July 7th. They scored 35.8 in the dressage to place 3rd, followed by a clear show jumping round, and after some unlucky crosscountry faults ﬁnished 6th overall.

Following this, Florence and Tilly Smith continued the eventing success at Epworth on September 29th. In the 70cm class, Florence and Ted scored a 34 dressage but picked up time penalties crosscountry to ﬁnish 11th overall. Tilly and Manny competed in the 90cm class, scoring a 34.3 dressage and jumping double clear, with just a few cross-country time penalties to ﬁnish 12th.

EQUESTRIAN:

Chloe and her sister Phoebe then also had strong results at the County Showjumping at Northallerton on January 19th. Phoebe and James delivered two clear rounds in the 50cm and 60cm classes, ﬁnishing 5th and 8th respectively. Chloe and her horse Murphy then had their turn, having 4 faults in the 60cm to ﬁnish 16th and 12 faults in the 70cm to qualify for the 2025 Winter Championships. Tilly Smith and her horse Manny also impressed at the Yorkshire Equestrian Centre in the British Showjumping competition, winning both the 100cm and 110cm classes.

Continuing with the jumping, in arena eventing Isobel Wood has also been successful on her new horse Fizz, jumping clear in the 80cm at Richmond to ﬁnish individual 3rd and win the 90cm as a part of her riding club team to qualify for the ﬁnals.

Most recently, several riders enjoyed a successful winter dressage season, qualifying for the Trailblazers Final at the prestigious Addington Equestrian Centre. At the second-round qualifier at Sykehouse on May 5th, Isla Needham and her pony Prince won the Novice section with 66.8%, and Florence Smith and Ted finished 2nd on 66.4%. Isla also won the Prelim on 67.61%, while Florence placed 4th in the Intro (63.18%) on her second pony, also named Ted, meaning the team had four qualifications out of four tests.

The season highlight was undoubtedly right at the beginning, with the 2024 Hickstead National Championships, with Isla placing 5th nationally in the Pop-up Dressage Intro-B final with a score of 66.52% and the team finishing 12th out of 150 schools in the Mochara Inter-Schools final, with strong prelim tests from Isla and Jessica Blake to score 65.77% and 67.69% respectively, and a Novice score of 61.79% from Tilly securing a team average of 65.08%. In the Eventer’s Challenge, Jess finished 6th in the 95cm with a double clear, while she and Tilly both faced some tough luck in the 105cm on a technical course.

Overall, it’s been a fantastic year ﬁlled with outstanding results. None of this would be possible without the tireless support of parents and the invaluable admin help of Mrs. Tingle, so we’d like to say thank you for helping our team grow and succeed. We’d also like to wish luck to all of our

CRICKET: West Yorkshire Champions

The 2025 Indoor Cricket season marked the culmination of four years of dedication and hard work for our U15 team. Since Year 7, this group has committed themselves to developing both their skills and understanding of the game, and this year their effort was no different.

Their journey to becoming West Yorkshire Champions is a testament to their talent, teamwork, and tenacity. Throughout the season, their game awareness and technical ability have stood out, setting a high standard for school sport.

In a thrilling county round, the team claimed a well-earned victory over GSAL, highlighting just how far they’ve come. While a narrow defeat in the regional round brought an end to our campaignand saw GSAL progress to become eventual national ﬁnalists - it only underscores the ﬁne margins in sport and the quality of our squad.

Every player should be incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved. To reach this level is no small feat, and their journey from enthusiastic Year 7s to regional contenders has been truly inspiring.

BADMINTON:

Badminton continues to thrive at our school, with an increasing number of pupils participating enthusiastically in weekly clubs and training sessions. The sport has seen strong engagement across all year groups and interest and commitment remain high.

Our Key Stage 3 & 4 players have played Rishworth School in several friendly ﬁxtures to provide valuable match experience and to foster a strong sporting relationship. All players demonstrated commendable skill and teamwork throughout these encounters.

This season our particular highlight came from our Key Stage 4 team, who delivered an outstanding performance in the West Yorkshire round of the National Schools' Competition, emerging as winners. We then went on to represent the school in the regional round, where we performed exceptionally well and ﬁnished as runners-up –a signiﬁcant achievement and testament to their hard work and dedication.

Badminton at our school continues to go from strength to strength, and we look forward to building on this success in the coming year.

Badminton Squad

NETBALL:

U15 team

The U15 Netball Team has had a fantastic season, with regular training, including EDGE sessions alongside the U16 and U18 squads. Both A and B teams saw success in Saturday fixtures, with strong performances against GSAL, Prince Henry’s, and Tranby.

At the Wakefield Area Tournament, the A team were crowned champions, while the B team narrowly missed out on the semis - impressive given the freezing conditions!

Our biggest achievement was reaching the Sisters in Sport National Finals, at Loughborough University, placing us in the top 4 school teams nationally. After strong wins in the regional rounds over Harrogate Grammar, Bradford Grammar, Withington, and Yarm, despite narrow losses to Berkhamsted and Gordons, in the finals we showed grit and determination throughout.

U19 team

The finals were unforgettable - on and off the courtwith highlights including the team dinner and having the game televised in Jubilee Hall for the first time.

U16 team

The U16 squad showed incredible strength and depth this season, building strong team cohesion and a genuine friendship across Years 10 and 11. When they stepped onto the court, they meant business.

At the U16 West Yorkshire round of National Schools, they faced rivals Bradford Grammar, Woodhouse Grove, and Prince Henry’s. None fully anticipated the squad's strength, and they progressed undefeated as West Yorkshire Champions.

Regionals raised the bar, but the team rose to the challenge. Their ability to turn over the ball and convert chances made them unstoppable, earning them the title of undefeated Regional Champions and a place at Nationals alongside the U19s.

Nationals brought both fun and challenges — from silly games at TGI Fridays and a ‘big sleepover’ to a tournament day full of highs and lows. Tough losses to Yarm and Putney contrasted with thrilling victories that showcased the squad’s resilience and spirit. It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Co- Captain of the U16 squad Annabel Massey. Annabel, thank you for all you have done for school sport and we will really miss you.

It’s been an incredibly successful season for senior netball. Despite being a small National Schools Squad, we dominated the West Yorkshire round, including a win over our arch rivals Woodhouse Grove. Training was tough to coordinate due to A-level commitments, but our strong team bond showed at regionals, where we performed well, only losing to QE.

Reaching the National Finals again was a proud moment, especially with two WGHS teams qualifying. While we didn’t place as hoped, our sportsmanship was recognised with the prestigious ‘Endeavour’ award from England Netball, unanimously voted for by tournament umpires.

The first VII gained strength with Annabel, Ella, and Charlotte joining for the U19 Sisters n Sport team. Highlights included wins over Woodhouse Grove, South Hunsley, and St Peter’s York. Though a loss to Cheadle Hulme in the last 8 was tough, we came back to beat them at Nationals, proving we can compete with the best.

As Senior Captain, I would like to say how much I will miss playing netball at Wakefield Girls’. I have absolutely loved every opportunity to play and being with you all, our senior netball team and leading you, has reminded me of how great being part of school sport is. On behalf of myself, Maddy Ducker, Maddy Patel and Molly, your Year 13 leavers, we want to thank you to all of you for your commitment this season to all the teams and I really hope to hear that you continue to go out there and smash it for the years to come. Thank you to Mrs Manson and Mrs Robinson for all you have done for us. I hope everyone knows how lucky they are to have such amazing coaches.

U15 Netball Squad

Key Stage 3 Netball

Throughout this season, at Key Stage 3 we have had over 70 students represent the school at Netball. We have played local, regional and national competitions, where students have had the opportunity to develop their standard of play and tactical awareness. It was great to see so many students attend and enjoy the netball clubs on offer whilst developing their knowledge of all the positions on court.

The U12s have embraced the start of their netball journey and have been attending squad and open practices on a regular basis. They had great success at the District Tournament with the B team reaching the semi-finals and the A team becoming overall champions. During Saturday fixtures although not all the score lines have gone in their favour they have shown resilience and determination and this has had a positive impact on their last few matches where they worked well together as a team unit and have gone on to win their games.

Our U13s have had a really positive season with their highlight being reaching the 4th round in the U13 Sisters in Sport shield competition. They have had consistent results in their Saturday fixtures, winning all their games apart from a narrow defeat against GSAL where they only lost by one goal. Throughout the season they have achieved a consistently high standard of scores and have worked hard in defence to minimise their opposition’s goal scoring opportunities.

The high point of the U14 teams season was the A team becoming Area champions and the B team reaching the semi-finals. Both the A and B teams have been working hard on keeping possession of the ball, which has had a notable impact on their play. Both teams finished their season in great form, with superb wins against Tranby school.

Netball continues to thrive across the year groups and we hope to maintain our success at the Area Tournaments next year.

NETBALL MASTERCLASS

Our performance netball squads had the exciting opportunity to meet with the exceptional Beth Cobden (England Roses and Loughborough Lightning) and take part in a netball masterclass. Our students were privileged to spend an afternoon absorbing invaluable insights and benefiting from the motivating coaching of such an inspiring role model.

The session served as crucial preparation for our U16 and U19 squads, who were eagerly anticipating the England Netball National Schools Finals. Our U15 squad also joined the masterclass, gaining essential skills and confidence as they prepared to compete against the top four schools in the country at the Sisters in Sport Cup in Loughborough.

Beth Cobden’s expertise and passion were truly inspiring, and her guidance will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on our athletes. We are immensely thankful for her generous contribution of time and knowledge. Her coaching has provided our students with the tools and motivation necessary to excel in their competitions. Thank you, Beth, for your remarkable support!

U14 Netball Squad

HOCKEY:

Our senior teams have competed in numerous competitions over the past two terms. Our U19 ISHC started the season strong with a tremendous 7-2 win against Mount St. Mary’s, including a hat trick for Molly and a brace for Lucia. Unfortunately their second game was much tougher away at Kings Macclesfield where, despite long periods of pressure, were unable to score and sadly lost 1-0. They then moved into the Plate competition where once again we did not have the luck of the draw and ended up with another lengthy away trip to Kirkham.

Our U18 squad have also competed in National Schools this season. In the first round, they came up against Bradford Grammar and Silcoates and achieved excellent results against both! They demonstrated some outstanding teamwork with constant positional changes and goals from numerous members including Henny, Holly, and Charlotte! In the Yorkshire Finals, our U18 squad started steadily with draws against Mount St. Mary’s and Tranby. However once they found their flow they were able to successfully defeat both Queen Ethelburga’s and Silcoates. This placed them as runners-up on goal difference to successfully qualify for the next round.

In the Regional Finals, they started well with a 1-0 win against Mount St. Mary’s with a goal from Ellie. However, their squad was sadly depleted through illness and injury so the lack of substitutes took its toll in the following matches with losses to Dame Allan’s and Durham. Despite the disappointment of not having a full strength squad to compete for the title, the team should be very proud of their final standing of third in the North East.

Our U16 squad played some fantastic hockey in their Yorkshire round of National Schools, beating Cundall Manor 2-1, Mount St. Mary’s 3-0 and St. Mary’s 2-0. This meant that they qualified for the next stage as Yorkshire Champions!

In the Regional Finals, they started well with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Dame Allan’s, thanks to a well worked penalty corner goal from Libby. They then faced the challenge of playing reigning National Champions Yarm in the final. Sadly, they were undone by the Yarm penalty corners to finish the match with an agonising 1-2 scoreline. The team were devastated not to have reached the National Finals, but should be incredibly proud of all the progress they have made and to be able to call themselves North East Runners-Up.

Finally, we would also like to give a shout out to our fabulous U15 team. Despite having had more limited success on the pitch over the years, they have continued to train and play with so much enthusiasm and have really turned a corner with their performances this season! The top highlights came in the win against Rishworth, including a hat trick for Annie, and the fabulous 5-1 thrashing of local rivals Silcoates, where this time it was Annabel who was the hat trick hero! We hope that they will continue to improve and continue the fantastic hockey legacy at WGHS.

U16 Hockey

U18 Hockey Squad

U18 Hockey

INDOOR HOCKEY: Key Stage 3 Hockey Report:

We have spent our EDGE sessions training hard for the Indoor Season and this year got the opportunity to test our skills against the QEGS boys during these sessions! Despite a number of our multitalented squad also having to train for netball during EDGE, we went into the North East Finals feeling well prepared and excited to compete.

Our U18s started with a nerve-wracking win against Hymers with a winning goal coming from Henny with the last touch of the game! We also picked up three points against our longstanding rivals RGS Newcastle with a further two goals from Henny. Despite some fantastic goals from Libby and Gabby, we were unfortunately narrowly beaten by GSAL, St. Peters and Scarborough College. This meant that we could only finish in fourth place this year and were unable to challenge for a place in the National Finals.

Our U16 squad faced a tough group draw which included the top two teams from last year’s competition. Despite being a year young for the competition, they battled hard and achieved a 1-1 draw with Bradford Grammar, thanks to a well worked penalty corner goal from Captain Kate. Another moment to celebrate came from Annabel when she finished an excellent solo goal against an outstanding Scarborough side, but unfortunately this was not enough and we finished in third place in our group and did not qualify for the semi-finals.

Another moment to celebrate came from Annabel when she finished an excellent solo goal against an outstanding Scarborough side “ ”

The U12, U13 and U14 Hockey squads have grown in strength as the season has progressed, showing great enthusiasm on the pitch, in training sessions and during fixtures. The squads have trained during their games sessions and during extra-curricular practices after school. They have also had the opportunity to showcase their skills and develop their game play through a busy schedule of Saturday matches.

The U12 A and B team squads have had fantastic success against local teams, such as Silcoates. Mount St Marys and Tranby, where they have worked as a unit to defend and create lots of great goal scoring opportunities. It has also been fantastic to see the resilience the squads have shown against some tougher opposition. Their unity and work ethic has always remained high, and they have reflected and learnt from some of the more challenging matches, and hopefully they can build and learn from these experiences next year!

The U13 squads have also shown dedication to refining their technical skills, and developing their match play and tactical understanding. Both squads have had a fantastic turnout on a Saturday, and in particular the B team has grown in strength and numbers, with lots of new students enjoying the sport and wanting to represent the school. In addition to the Saturday matches, the U13 A team represented the school in the In2 Hockey National schools competition. They played some fantastic Hockey to progress through to the Yorkshire finals, but struggled to create goal scoring opportunities, which meant they were knocked out of the competition at this stage.

The U14s have faced some tough opposition this season however, it has been evident that the team has grown stronger with every game, not just in terms of skills, but also in their mental toughness. Wins against Rishworth School, Hymers College and participation in the Yorkshire Tournament were particular highlights. Their ability to bounce back from setbacks, stay focused, and push through are all skills that will serve them well moving forward.

All three squads should be extremely proud of their achievements this year, and hopefully all players are excited to continue their hockey journey next season.

U16 Indoor squad

U13 National Schools Hockey Squad

U14 National Schools Hockey Squad

TENNIS:

The summer term has been jam-packed with tennis ﬁxtures for students from Years 7 to 11, and it has been fantastic to see practices so well attended each week.

The U13 and U15 teams competed in the West Yorkshire Schools Team Tennis League and demonstrated great commitment in both singles and doubles play. The U13 team faced a tough opening match against Crossley Heath but ﬁnished the season on a high with a strong win over Bradford Grammar School, clinching victory in a championship tiebreak. The U15 team had an impressive season, winning all their group matches. On Tuesday, they faced Crossley Heath in the ﬁnal to decide the West Yorkshire champions. Although the match was tied going into the doubles, Crossley Heath narrowly secured the win. A massive well done to all students involved in both competitions - we look forward to seeing them build on this success next season.

Key Stage 3 students also enjoyed friendly ﬁxtures against Silcoates and Mount St Mary's. It was brilliant to see so many different players taking part in doubles matches throughout the summer. The Key Stage 3 team representing

WGHS at the Junior Tennis Festival at St Peter's performed particularly well, losing only one ﬁxture all day - to GSAL. They ﬁnished joint top on wins with GSAL and Pocklington, and placed third overall based on rubbers won.

The season concluded with a fun and inclusive tennis tournament organised by our fantastic Sports Leaders during the ﬁnal practice session. It was a great opportunity for students from all year groups to compete in a friendly and encouraging environment.

In the last week of school some lucky students had the opportunity to go to Wimbledon. The students had a great time watching some top level tennis and of course buying some Wimbledon memorabilia, which included a classic oversized tennis ball, which they could get signed by some of the players.

All students involved in Tennis Club this term should be immensely proud of their achievements and progress in the sport — and thankfully, the sunshine most weeks helped keep spirits high!

Mrs Hunter

U14 Junior tennis squad

U15 tennis squad

U13 action shot

Wimbledon

U13 Tennis squad

U13 action shot

U12 and U13 tennis squads

ATHLETICS: ATHLETICS REPORT 2025

Throughout the summer term girls of all ages and abilities have been working hard in their lessons and during practices at lunchtime and after school. Many girls have been rewarded with some excellent performances in a number of events and have achieved personal goals as the summer season has progressed.

In the English Schools Track and Field Competition, both the Senior and Junior teams put in a fantastic performance in the first round at Thornes Park to finish in first place and qualify as West Yorkshire Champions. As a result, both qualified for the Regional A Finals, with the Senior team being the highest scoring qualifier in the whole of the North Midlands!

Both teams then travelled to Derby for the Regional A Finals in June. There were some outstanding performances in both track and ﬁeld with Eleanor scoring a massive 22 points on the Junior Girls’ Hurdles and Bea matching this score in the Inter Girls’ Javelin. Unfortunately, despite these moments of individual brilliance, the overall team scores did not end up as high as we had hoped and the Inter Girls ﬁnished in 4th and the Juniors in 5th. Despite their disappointment not to progress further in the competition, both squads should be incredibly proud of their achievements.

FOOTBALL:

In June, a number of girls were selected to represent Wakeﬁeld in the West Yorkshire Athletics Championships. Lexie and Georgia were selected for the 100m, Bea and Hettie for the Javelin, Kate in the Shot and Dulcie in the High Jump.

Unfortunately due to a clash with the Duke of Edinburgh Expedition and other sporting ﬁxtures, these students were unable to compete on the day. Multi-talented Eleanor in Year 8 met the qualifying standard for both the Junior Girls’ Hurdles and Long Jump and opted to jump in the competition. Despite being a year young for the age group, she pulled off a fantastic personal best jump of 4.45m with her sixth and ﬁnal jump to win the competition and become the West Yorkshire Champion!

Overall there have been some fantastic performances throughout a very short but busy athletics season. Many girls have achieved personal bests and a lot of athletes have now set themselves new targets for the future.

Mrs Morgan

Eleanor, West Yorkshire Long Jump Champion

SENIOR SPORTS DAY 2025

Full of ﬁne performances, celebrations and camaraderie

On Friday 20th June, we held our annual Sports Day. This was a fabulous event with all students from Years 7-10 competing for their house teams. It was fantastic to see the camaraderie on the day, with students cheering on their own year groups as well as those from other age groups from their house. The highlight of the day was when Mr Harris anchored the staff relay team to an excellent (although slightly controversial win) against the Year 12 students! There were some excellent individual performances on the day with Mila, Eleanor, Jess, Georgia, Amy, Dulcie, Hettie and Matilda being awarded Victrix Ludorum medals for their ﬁne performances across both the track and ﬁeld.Congratulations must also go to the house winners as follows:

Year 7 - Lee Year 8 - Lee Year 9 - Clayton Year 10 - Clayton Overall house winners - Clayton

SENIOR

JUNIOR SPORTS DAY 2025

A fantastic day of competition and a new 400m record!

Our annual Junior School Sports Day, held at the WGSF track, saw every student participate in a fantastic day of competition. Students tackled a variety of traditional track and ﬁeld events, alongside more lighthearted races like the egg and spoon, skipping, sack race, and an obstacle course.

Despite the very hot and sunny weather, students were well prepared with caps and sun cream, and stayed hydrated thanks to our reﬁll stations. The heat certainly didn't dampen their spirits or their performance, with everyone competing to a high standard.

A new Sports Day record was set by Mollie in Year 3, who impressively shaved over a second off the 400 metre record! In total, 31 different students across the four year groups proudly took home gold medals and a cup. Following previous year's popular sustainable wooden medals, updated designs were awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, along with stickers and cups for all event winners.

The day concluded with the much-anticipated House relay. After tallying points from both the individual year group relays and the mixed year relay, an incredible outcome emerged: a three-way tie for the House relay between Clayton, Mackie, and Lee, all scoring 18 points!

JUNIOR

The Creative Carousel continues to be a success!

3/4 Art

Each week, both year groups studied a different artist to help develop their artistic skills and to encourage them to express their own interpretation of the natural world around them.

The Year 3 pupils experimented with the collage technique of Henri Martisse; created images using print blocks, after looking at the work of Mark Hearld; recreated Kandinsky’s trees and created modern art images in the style of Hundertwasser.

In Year 4, the pupils’ focus was on mark-making. They looked at the different techniques used by Van Gogh, Yayoi Kusama and Joan Mitchell before creating their own works in the style of these artists before going on to produce a ﬁnal piece.

Mrs Oxtoby

3/4 D&T

‘Mechanisms and motion’ has been the theme in D&T this year. Year 3 have investigated levers and linkages to make ﬂying bats and illuminated animals. Year 4 have looked at cams to create snapping crocodiles and moving monsters.

Mrs Cairns

3/4 Textiles

Year 3 leaf printed a pattern onto fabric using acrylic paint and cotton calico material. They embroidered detail on their leaf print using running stitch and further embellished it with buttons and beads. This was then sewn onto a small drawstring bag with their initials embroidered on the back.

Textiles in Year 4 has been based on the work of textile artist Anne Kelly. Students created a landscape scene on a felt background. Detail was added using the textile techniques of appliqué, felting, reverse appliqué and embroidery.

Mrs Houston

The fourth year of the Creative Carousel in the Junior Section has been full of impressive pieces of art, complicated coding and some intricate designs.

3/4 Drama

In Drama, the girls have enjoyed using a variety of narratives as stimuli for some fantastic work this year. They have used conscience tunnels, hot seating and thought tracking to investigate many different characters’ thoughts and feelings and then used well-chosen actions and words to portray them. It has also been great to see the girls developing their collaboration skills and conﬁdence as they performed with enthusiasm in front of their peers.

Mrs Rowbotham

3/4 Robotics

“Robotics with Mr Bray is the best! We made robots using lego and then we coded them to do cool things. Some of the buildings had twelve stages to make the robots; others had more than 30. We used the chromebooks to code, improving our knowledge of block coding and seeing how it affected the robots or vehicles we built. I loved these lessons.”

Mr Bray

3/4 Food & Nutrition

In Food & Nutrition this year the students have practised knife skills, measuring, mashing, rubbing in, grating, folding, scissor snipping, combining, shaping, beating, portion control, and baking, and all whilst maintaining high standards of hygiene and safety. Year 3 students enjoyed making recipes that linked to their work on different continents, whilst Year 4 students reinforced their learning about solids, liquids and gases. There was lots of talk about carbon dioxide, steam and air expanding in the heat of the oven to make their risen baked creations.

Edie in 4VH said, “My favourite part was cooking the apple and cinnamon muffins; they were delicious. They are very good at teaching us; everything was very good. The cookies I would definitely do again. I loved the fruit salad in the first week and sharing it with my family.”

Mrs Maher

5/6 Art

This academic year, our Year 5 and Year 6 pupils have demonstrated impressive creativity and skill in their ceramic art projects. The Year 5 students embarked on an ‘Under the Sea’ themed unit, crafting intricate tiles and delicate pinch pots inspired by organic textures. Their work beautifully explored marine textures, colours, and forms.

Meanwhile, Year 6 students took inspiration from the natural world around them, creating stacking pots that celebrated the fascinating visual textures found in fruits and vegetables. Their pieces showcased an impressive understanding of form, texture, and artistic interpretation, transforming everyday produce into stunning ceramic artworks.

Mrs Vare

5/6 D&T

Year 5 have been busy in the workshop, using lots of different tools and equipment to make seed bombs and wooden catapults to help transform their gardens into pollinator friendly spaces.

Betsy in Year 5 said, “I really liked the machines and making the seed bombs. I liked decorating the box and using the camera.”

Evvie in Year 5 said, “My favourite part was using the machinery even though it was really hard.”

Year 6 have strengthened their knowledge of Medieval Crime and Punishment by making working models of pillories (no Barbies were harmed) and torture racks (some stretchy men didn’t survive!) Year 6 students are brutal!

Milly in Year 6 said, “I enjoyed this because I got to use many new tools I haven’t used before and create things linked to my humanities work.”

Mrs Cairns

Textiles

Year 3 enjoyed learning about weaves in the context of Mexican culture. We took inspiration from the colours and patterns and then developed a weave ﬁrstly using paper and then using yarns. Certain groups even managed to create a woven eye for their Christmas trees.

War was the theme for the Year 6 Textiles work. Students were moved when watching a video showing the Art installations by Paul Cummins, where 888,246 ceramic poppies cascaded from the Tower of London. They then went on to create a textural piece of textiles art using the sewing machine and hand stitching.

Mrs Phillips and Mrs Critch

5/6 Drama

Year 5 and 6 have been learning about storytelling techniques in Drama and how to use some basic theatre skills like still image, monologue, physical theatre and mime. They have learned the secret of improvisation and how to build an idea of another person’s suggestion. Students then applied all these skills to tell a well-known story, such as a fairytale, but in an interesting and creative way.

Mr Besford

5/6 Robotics

We have been fortunate enough to use some new ‘kit’ in Robotics this year. The Spike Lego has enabled lessons on debugging, trial and improvement of a ‘hopping frog’ race. This along with the yoga wheel that tracked accuracy of movement and creation of a breakdancing stick person that changed their groove depending on the code, meant there was never a dull moment!

Mr Rowley

5/6 Food & Nutrition

It’s been a fun and hands-on year in Food and Nutrition! In Year 5, the children have been busy learning a range of food prep skills while thinking about where our ingredients come from and how to make sustainable choices. They’ve loved getting stuck in and discovering how different ingredients work in recipes – and tasting their creations, of course!

Year 6 took things back in time, exploring wartime cooking and rationing. They learnt how to make do with limited ingredients, just like families did during WWII, while building on their cooking skills and learning what each ingredient brings to a dish.

What the pupils said:

“I loved food and nutrition this year, I enjoyed following recipes and making food that I will cook again at home. My favourite recipe was shortbread - it was delicious!” - Amelia 6HC

“Cooking the pizza was my favourite: I had never made my own pizza before!” - Winnie 6HC

“I found the minestrone soup interesting - it helped develop my cooking skills and gave me an appreciation of food eaten during WWII.” - Serene 6HC

Mr Rowley

IT'S THE WAY WE EXPLORE AND LEARN

Geography beyond Wakeﬁeld:

Field trips and eco-school

aspirations

It feels like only yesterday we were setting off to Tokyo for last summer’s exciting Japan adventure. We've loved having those photos on display, reminding us there's a world outside Wakeﬁeld. This year has been less adventurous, but it's given us a chance to regroup as we build up for another exciting visit to Iceland next spring.

Last October, we spent a fine day in York with a large group of Year 11 students. We assessed flood management schemes in a city prone to floods. The height of the River Ouse had crept up in the days before the visit and gave us an understanding of why the flood defences are necessary.

We were also away with Year 12, preparing for their A-level projects at the Cranedale Centre near Malton. We had a wonderful time – they even had ﬂasks of hot drinks to take out in the ﬁeld. The February weather wasn't ideal, but it was as good as we could have expected. Even the rain and the North Sea crashing over the sea wall at Hornsea did nothing to dampen our spirits.

It’s been a year of strong progress as WGHS works towards Eco-School status for the next academic year. Our goals of biodiversity, transport, and energy have all seen new initiatives. These include the Sixth Form Car Share, ‘Save energy’ posters, a biodiversity map of the school site, and over £250 raised for good causes. This success is all thanks to the dedicated, hardworking students on the committee.

Mr Tribe - Head of Geography

Flying the flag at the Bridestones, Dalby

Living the dream at Flamborough Head

The Foss Barrier Students by the River Ouse

THE ITALIAN JOB AND MURDER MOST HORRIDJUST ANOTHER CLASSICAL YEAR

Senior Classicists travelled to Rome in the delightful autumn: students studied huge amounts of evidencebuildings, sculpture and interior decor - from their courses. The usual sites were visited - Colosseum, Forum, and a dry Trevi Fountain. With a Classical focus we visited Vatican City only for a handful of Roman statues: we had a whole Roman city - Ostia - to see later that day! Students were resilient, adaptable and interested, making each trip unique. Back in Italy in February, 2025 was memorable for a late ﬂight change and long journey to Gatwick. The cloud’s silver lining: an extra half day in Italy and Neapolitan pizza on Vesuvius overlooking the Bay. Super Year 8 students sped round amazing Pompeii, covered almost every inch of Herculaneum and Naples Museum, saw all the little, less frequented sites (and superb new Stabiae museum), enjoyed gelato, fries and shopping in Sorrento. We look forward to one last WGHS Naples trip in 2026, and future joint ventures, kicking off with Greece in the autumn.

A-level students were in Warwick in January for the annual Ancient Drama Festival. This year was Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, with lectures on imagery in performance, including blood red for the King’s killing! We all enjoyed travelling with our friend Mrs Oliver and her students from The Read School. Next year will be the remaining plays in the trilogy and lectures by our friends at Warwick always broaden the horizons of our staff and students.

Mr Hargreaves - Head of Classics

Naples

Sacred Way, Rome

Warwick Drama Festival

IT'S THE WAY WE EMBRACE CHALLENGES

The Power of Maths at WGHS

This year, Maths students enjoyed the challenge of cracking a tricky problem or two. Years 7-11 were invited to take part in the annual Alan Turing Cryptography competition set by the Mathematics Department at the University of Manchester. The codes sent to the students ensured they used their problem-solving, mathematical and computer science skills. Held over six weeks, students received weekly merit points for entering and for each correct answer. The ﬁnal winners were 3rd place: Sacchi Singh, 2nd place: Azariah Heppinstall and for the second year running 1st place: Elizabeth Bowett.

Meanwhile a fantastic 300 students took part in the Senior, Intermediate and Junior Maths Challenge competitions. The questions are designed to be challenging (the clue is in the name) and to get the students thinking outside the box.

Overall 108 bronze, silver or gold certiﬁcates were awarded. Particular congratulations go to Sharon Li, Amelia Martin, Rebecca Trout and Florrie Anderson who all qualiﬁed for the follow on Kangaroo rounds in their age groups and to Amelia and Sharon for obtaining a silver and bronze respectively in the Kangaroo round.

Back in January, 15 Year 11 students travelled to St John’s College, Cambridge to gain an insight into studying Mathematics at university. The day kicked off with the question ‘Why is Maths so powerful?’ before the students heard about careers ranging from researching ﬂuid dynamics, forensic modelling, climate modelling and commodity trading. After lunch, they were treated to a tour of the campus before hearing all about the university application process.

WGHS Founders Day Celebrations

Women’s Day Assembly

Year 10 takeover Sixth Form

Hands Across Wakefield

Women’s Day Assembly

Year 10 takeover Sixth Form

Hands Across Wakefield

WAKEFIELD WHERE WE SMILE AND HAVE FUN!

Year 3 get muddy and scare away Anglo-Saxon invaders

Our year began really well with an exciting and hands-on visit to Meanwood Valley Urban Farm where we learned about the different rocks around us and how they were formed. We loved the ‘dinosaur trail’ and went back in time to see what the Earth was like millions of years ago. Making soil was lots of fun; we didn’t have a few hundred years to do it properly, but most of us loved getting our hands dirty in the process!

We enjoyed our Christmas celebrations which ended with a lovely Year 3 and Year 4 performance at St. Austen’s Church, attended by friends and family. We told the story of ‘Baboushka’ through narration, poetry and music and what a great success it was! We loved our ﬁrst real performance in Juniors’.

We are all budding scientists in Year 3 and we have learned so many new things! We love hands-on experiences and our visit from Mags at Creature Ark was no exception during a busy Science Week in March. We met tarantulas, snakes, rats and all kinds of other creatures while learning all about their habitats and the way they feed and survive.

Our Humanities lessons have taken us back into the past where we learned about the different people that have invaded Britain, such as the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. Our learning culminated in our residential visit to York where we learned more about the legacy of the Vikings in Britain. We loved living as real Vikings at Danelaw village and we learned about the way they lived and how they spent their time. We especially enjoyed scaring off an awful Anglo-Saxon invader who was trying to steal our food!

World Book Day 2025 - we dressed as amazing people who interest and inspire us

3CW ﬁnd out about different rocks and testing rocks with acid

An exciting day when Year 3 enjoyed a visit from the Science Wizards!

A busy and muddy day with 3JB at Meanwood Farm

3JB Christmas puddings with a Christmas message to decorate the tree!

Where Year 4 have a natural desire to learn

What a busy time we have had in Year 4! From fabulous workshops and curriculum days to exciting visits and residentials, the girls have consistently shown determination, resilience and a natural desire to learn.

In the autumn term, the girls visited Leeds City Museum as part of their ancient Egypt topic. They deepened their knowledge and understanding of life in ancient Egypt and very much enjoyed taking part in an exciting mummiﬁcation workshop. The end of the term was also marked by a fantastic production of ‘Baboushka’. The girls delivered their lines with clarity and conﬁdence and thoroughly enjoyed performing their songs in St Austin’s Church.

During the spring term, Year 4 got involved in a host of different activities from World Book Day to Science Week. They also used their historical enquiry skills to learn about ancient Greece. A particular highlight was our ancient Greek day where the girls immersed themselves in activities to develop their knowledge and took part in the WGHS ancient Olympics! The girls then shared their knowledge in an informative assembly for the school and in a showcase for the Year 4 boys.

In the summer term, it was time for our eagerly-awaited residential visit to Whitby in North Yorkshire. The girls once again showed independence, resilience and conﬁdence as they spent two days in beautiful Whitby learning about the human and physical geographical features of the area. It was a wonderful experience to round off an incredible year. Well done Year 4!

Year 4 Science week visit

Year 4 Egyptians visit to Leeds Museum

Year 4 Residential trip to Whitby June 2025

Wakefield: Where Year 5 face new and exciting challenges

Year 5 started the year off by taking a step back in time on a thoroughly enjoyable and informative visit to Armley Mills Industrial Museum in Leeds. Suitably dressed to embody the role of a Victorian child, the students were immersed in what life was like in the 1800’s. Through authentic role play activities in the schoolroom, we understood the harsh realities of school life, many children attending school having already spent a morning working in the mill or down the mines. We handled our dipping pens with care, making sure not to ‘blot our copybook!’

Next came our Recycle Centre visit. In our humanities topic on sustainability, the students learnt how to be globally responsible citizens and how we can all contribute to a greener future by being more aware of how we use the world’s resources. To further enrich our understanding, the students visited Wakeﬁeld Recycle Centre to explore how communities are responding to the challenges faced by our planet.

Finally, we ended the year on a fabulous high - our residential. This was a three day residential at Robinwood, an activity centre in Todmorden. Robinwood was the perfect place to help reinforce ideas outside the classroom through new and exciting challenges. There were a variety of activities available at Robinwood: Archery, Canoeing, Caving, Climbing, Night Line, Raft Building, The Giant Swing, Team Challenges, Trapeze and Zip Wire. We all had a great time trying new things but a ﬁrm favourite was the zip wire. Some were nervous at ﬁrst because, but once they tried it - they didn’t stop!

Robinwoodcanoeing

Armley Mills, Victorian Classroom 5AB

Robinwood

Armley Mills, Victorian Classroom 5SM

Recycle Centre, inspecting the containers

Recycle Centre, working hard

Year 6 Residential: Edale, Peak District, May 2025

From Wednesday 14th to Friday 16th June, Year 6 students enjoyed a fantastic residential trip to Edale, nestled in the heart of the Peak District National Park. Blessed with glorious weather throughout, the trip was the perfect mix of adventure, learning, and personal growth.

Set against the stunning backdrop of rolling hills and wideopen landscapes, the students took part in a range of exciting outdoor activities designed to challenge, inspire, and build conﬁdence. These included a scenic hike, canoeing on calm waters, tower building to test teamwork and problem-solving, and caving, where the girls bravely explored underground passages with head torches and helmets.

Linked to their geography topic of Mountains and Rivers, the trip provided a valuable opportunity for hands-on learning in a natural setting. The hike in particular allowed students to observe the features of the landscape they’ve been studying in class.

Throughout the three days, the girls showed fantastic teamwork, resilience, and enthusiasm. Whether working together to build the tallest structure or encouraging one another through narrow caves, they supported each other every step of the way.

It was a joy to watch the students grow in conﬁdence and independence while making lasting memories with their friends.

Miss Coe and Mrs Grundy

Year 6 Trip to Eden Camp

On Thursday October 17th, Year 6 girls visited Eden Camp in Malton as part of their World War II studies. The trip provided an immersive experience, taking students from the war's announcement to its conclusion, featuring historical artefacts and scenes. The pleasant weather allowed exploration of the museum’s huts, including exhibits on the Blitz and life during the blackout.

Students particularly enjoyed learning about military vehicles and participating in a 1940s puppet show, where they sang along to classics. The day culminated in a special dance performance choreographed by Mrs Moorhouse, making the trip both educational and memorable. Overall, it was a fun and enriching experience that deepened their understanding of World War II.

Eden Camp

A Selfie with the Military Vehicles

A visit to the Air Raid Shelter

Puppet Show

A walk down memory lane

An evening hike up Mam Tor

Caving in the Giant’s Hole

Arriving at Edale YHA

The ice breaker challenges

Canoeing is fun!

Year 7 had lots of fun at YMCA Lakeside

“I learned new skills, gained confidence, and really improved my communication with others. I also made new friends and strengthened existing friendships!”

“I loved how our groups helped everyone become better friends!”

“Jumping in the lake after raft building was the best – we didn’t care how wet we got; it was all about having fun!”

“I loved how pretty the scenery was and the rafting, but these are just a few things I enjoyed as my favourite thing was definitely spending time with my friends and of course the food”

“I think it was an amazing trip. I loved doing abseiling because I was the first one to do it in my group and I got VERY nervous. I also enjoyed rafting as we got to play and jump in the water after with our friends which was very fun”

“The best thing about the trip was swimming in the lake after our raft collapsed!”

“The campfire was the best activity because it brought everybody together and the staff made it really enjoyable”

“Sharing rooms and having hot chocolate at the end of the day with friends made everything even more special”

Whatagreatyear for Year 8 pupils

We have achieved lots and enjoyed lots togethera trip to Rassams, joint Disco with QEGS, charity events raising money for Wakeﬁeld Hospice and a careers competition.

Mrs Phillips - Head of Year 8

WGHS House News 2024-2025:

We have had a magniﬁcent year of House events. From our whole school ‘Massaoke’, cross foundation crosscountry competitions and becoming National Quiz champions, our pupils have embraced the opportunities. Our fabulous Heads of House: Gabrielle (Blakey), Arianna (Clayton), Sophia (Lee) and Isobel (Mackie) have created highly competitive and engaging vertical form time where every other week pupils from each house are mixed together and tasked with cryptic, creative, physical or analytical challenges for points and prizes. We have celebrated whole house and individual success, have used pupil voice to continually strive to increase participation in voluntary events and have appointed four new Heads of House to bring new energy and ideas for the academic year 2025-26: Maya (Blakey), Charlotte (Clayton), Elizabeth (Lee) and Maryam (Mackie).

Mrs Manson - House Coordinator

A triumphant Clayton team joyously celebrating their win

A well deserved break after completing all the escape rooms during House Fest morning

Head of House Leadership team

Interhouse Cross Country Battle

JS Haiku Competition Winner - Rose from Lee House

House Conker Competition 2024

Senior National Quiz Competition Winners

Wakefield Girls’ High School has achieved national acclaim by securing first place in a prestigious competition to find the UK’s most knowledgeable pupils.

The contest, organised by What on Earth! magazine, saw 300 schools from across the country enter four-person teams, culminating in an electrifying live final at Stationers’ Hall in London. The competition’s secondary school category ended with Wakefield Girls’ High School emerging victorious, defeating finalists from The Harvey Grammar School in Folkestone, to claim the top prize.

This year over 300 schools participated, and following an internal House competition to form the team and then online heats, our fantastic team emerged victorious, winning the Senior National Competition. What an incredible achievement by Rebecca, Azariah, Amelia, and Dominique! We couldn’t be prouder of them. A special thankyou to Ms Keegan-Phipps for organising this event and continuing to empower our students and make us all very proud.

Their dedication and hard work truly paid off. As a late entry, they had less time to prepare and revise compared to many other schools, making this achievement even more special. Everyone at WGSF is incredibly proud of you all!

Junior Section: Spelling Bee

On Wednesday 5th March 2025, the Junior Section held its annual Spelling Bee in the Jubilee Hall. Students from Years 3 to 6 were excited to take part, eager to earn valuable house points and represent their year groups. The event began with a written spelling test for all students, from which the top 20 scorers progressed to a spoken round within their houses. Each house then selected its two top spellers to compete in the ﬁnal.

The ﬁnal was held in front of an enthusiastic audience of peers and staff. Finalists were called to the stage to spell challenging words aloud through a microphone. Despite the pressure, all students performed with conﬁdence and composure. The quiet, focused atmosphere added to the intensity and excitement of the competition.

Winners from each year group were as follows: Catherine Anne (Year 3), Azmina (Year 4), Hanna (Year 5), and Priyah (Year 6), who impressively won for the second year in a row. All ﬁnalists earned house points, with top positions receiving up to 200 points.

The event was a great success, showcasing not only spelling ability but also teamwork, resilience, and house spirit. Congratulations to all who took part!

Winners of the What on Earth School Magazine Quiz 2024

Looking ahead

WE SAY HELLO TO OUR INCOMING HEAD GIRL TEAM AND HOUSE OFFICIALS 2025-26

HEAD GIRL

Arianna Pascale

DEPUTY HEAD GIRLS

Charlotte DArcy

Gabrielle Estlin

SENIOR PREFECTS

Molly Butterworth

Freya Gatenby

Sophia Hilton

Fleur Hornsby

Ishani Kundu

Edie Lewis

Tracy Manyewe

Victoria Marchlinska

Alice McKinlay-Smith

Aoife Mctigue

Eiliyah Pervaiz

Sara Sarlak-Chiva

Nancy Tidy

HEADS OF HOUSE

Blakey - Maya Aziz

Clayton - Charlotte Ashton

Lee - Elizabeth Kirk-Smith

Mackie - Maryam Jamal

‘It is an honour to be standing here today...’ - the nine words I opened my hustings speech with and now, two months into my new role, they still resonate with me. Becoming Head Girl is a privilege I value greatly, especially during such a pivotal year of growth and change for the Foundation.

This year brings a significant shift as WGHS and QEGS unite. Through this process, I’ve come to understand that change often brings uncertainty, but I am determined to be a pillar of stability and support. I want to help others find comfort in transition, and reassurance through our shared school values of empowerment, self-awareness, and togetherness. Leading with these values, I aim to help pupils find their identity and sense of belonging within this exciting new chapter.

I am incredibly fortunate to work alongside such a thoughtful and driven team. Charlotte, Gabby, the Senior Prefects, and I are dedicated to leading with kindness, integrity, and compassion. Together, we are focused on delivering the changes students want to see, both now and as part of the evolving foundation.

We feel strongly about honouring the legacy of WGHS. This school has shaped generations of confident, intelligent and compassionate young women, and we are determined to keep old traditions alive; not losing the spark that makes Wakefield Girls, Wakefield Girls.

As the school moves forwards, we are excited about the year ahead and eager to collaborate closely with staff and students to shape a nurturing and inclusive school community.

Arianna Pascale - Head Girl 2025-26

Gabrielle, Arianna and Charlotte

Arianna Pascale

IT’S THE WAY OUR GIRLS ARE SURROUNDED BY ROLE MODELS

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR JUNIOR HEAD GIRL TEAM!

Head Girl Tilly and her Deputy, Meera are looking forward their leadership roles as WGHS Juniors Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl 2025-26.

Heads of House

New Head Girl Team for 2025-26

This year’s Farewells

We've had some amazing staff come through the WGHS gates over the year, bringing a wealth of talent and experience as well as many happy memories.

Heidi-Jayne Boyes

Head

Ms Heidi-Jayne Boyes joined WGHS as Head in September 2018 and since then every decision she made had her pupils at the very centre of it. She cared passionately about making sure they all felt safe, included, known and valued and that we as a school should do everything we can to support them to achieve. Ms Boyes cares passionately about teaching and learning, continuous professional development and creating an inclusive school community as well as allowing students to develop a joy of learning and have lots of fun.

Nick Meredith

Acting Co-Director of Music

She is an inspiring female Head who leads from the front and provides an excellent role model of what girls can achieve, while genuinely believing in empowering girls and supporting them to achieve their life goals. As a parent wrote ‘There are leaders and leaders with presence, Ms Boyes is of the latter kind.’

Together, empowered and aware are the school values that we have grown to live and breathe under her leadership and all you can ask of any Head is that they leave their school in a better place than they found it. Ms Boyes has certainly done that and the legacy she left continues as she moves to an exciting new opportunity in Bath where we know she will continue to inspire and guide the young people and staff she leads.

Mrs Tingle - Associate Head

Where do you start when writing about a legendary figure who lives and breathes their subject? Nick has been the architect of such a vast array of musical productions and performances over the years, for WGHS, for WGSF and for the city, via Wakefield Music Service, that it is difficult to quantify. Always the consummate professional, Nick’s all inclusive approach to ‘music making’ has to be admired by colleagues and countless students and parents alike, as many will reflect on his pivotal role at school concerts, ensembles, carol services, Cabaret Evening and training orchestra events, to name a few; often orchestrated from and inspired from his second home, Willows!

I recall a WGHS Summer Reunion a few years ago when several alumni ran up to the Willows front door on a sunny Saturday afternoon in June recounting their musical experiences and wishing Mr Meredith was available to speak with. When he opened the door, amidst another day of music making, the delight on their faces was clear for all to see. It said much for the respect and admiration in which he is held by so many people.

I get the distinct impression that Nick’s departure from WGHS and the wider Foundation will provide even more time in which to play, produce and enjoy his music.

Mr Eggleston - Deputy Head

Ann Potts

Head of History and Assistant Head of Sixth Form

Doing justice to Mrs Potts’ 22 years at WGHS is impossible. The impact she has had on so many young lives in her time at school is unquantifiable. A truly brilliant History teacher, she is the reason that hundreds of students have fulfilled their potential over the years - many of them falling in love with the subject and pursuing it beyond their school career. When she took over as Head of Department she adapted the History curriculum to make it more inclusive and relevant to current pupils as we reflect on the past through a more modern lens. As a Form Tutor, Head of Year and pastoral lead Mrs Potts has been instrumental in the life of the school - a key pillar in our supportive, secure and nurturing community.

I know I speak for many, when I say that Mrs Potts’ departure will leave a real hole in our staff room. As a colleague, she has been ever supportive, empathetic and generally rock solid in every way. We will all miss Mrs Potts as she leaves for adventures beyond the classroom and time out with her cherished family.

We wish her absolutely all the best for whatever comes next. Удачи!!

Mr O Shaw

Jim Shaw

Head of English

Mr Jim Shaw joined WGHS as a teacher of English in September 2011 and since then he has contributed in so many different areas to school life. He has held numerous Pastoral and Academic roles and ﬁnally became Head of English in 2023. In all these roles support, guidance and inspiring his students has remained central to everything he has done and many students have gained from his knowledge, enthusiasm and support.

Kathy Dale

Modern Foreign Languages

After manyremarkable years at WGHS, we bid farewell to a truly inspiring educator and cherished colleague. Ms Dale’s unwavering dedication to the Spanish language and her deep passion for teaching have left a lasting impact on students from Years 7 to 13. Her vibrant lessons brought language and culture to life, sparking curiosity, building conﬁdence, and fostering a genuine love for learning. Her annual immersive residential trips to Salamanca in Spain have profoundly shaped the academic and personal growth of countless young minds, leaving memories that will endure for years to come.

As Head of Department as well as beyond the classroom, Ms Dale has demonstrated extraordinary strength and resilience. She faced adversity with courage, grace, and determination. Energy, professionalism, and warmth have long deﬁned her presence at WGHS.

Her unwavering integrity and steadfast dedication have been a guiding light to those around her. She led by example, uplifted others, and consistently put students at the heart of all she did.

We’ve all enjoyed his great ability to read stories and poems with many and varied accents, really bringing the words to life. He has chosen numerous readings and helped write numerous speeches for school events and his choices are always thought provoking and cause the audience to reﬂect.

He has also encouraged and guided students to read publicly with conﬁdence and maturity, a skill invaluable in school and in the world beyond. We want to wish him all the best as he moves towards new challenges and an opportunity to take some time to take stock and decide what comes next.

Mrs Tingle - Associate Head

Dr Liam McNamara

English

Dr Liam McNamara (or ‘Dr Mac’) as he has been known to dozens of teaching groups over his years at the school is a true WGHS institution and hundreds of students have beneﬁted from his teaching and pastoral care.

We are deeply grateful for the legacy she leaves - a legacy of perseverance, excellence and heart. As Ms Dale embarks on new professional adventures, she takes with her our deepest respect, sincere admiration, and warmest wishes. She will be dearly missed.

¡Gracias por todo y buena suerte en tu próximo capítulo!

The Languages Department

Dr McNamara has always been held in great esteem by students and staff alike; his high classroom expectations, clear communication of ideas and exemplary subject knowledge have meant that his teaching groups have always been well-equipped for exams and known they are in safe hands.

Another aspect of Dr McNamara’s teaching practice that deserves mention is his great dedication: he has gone above and beyond to support his students, from leading lunchtime clinics to conducting one-on-one coursework support sessions.

Dr McNamara's teaching groups and staff members who speak to him regularly also will bear witness to another personality trait: his wry, dry sense of humour; it has been to their great regret (although not to his) that successive Year 13 cohorts have tried and failed to convince him to appear in the annual Sixth Form Revue! Dr Mac will be greatly missed and remembered fondly for the huge impact he has had at WGHS.

Jim Shaw - Head of English

This year’s Farewells

Clare Richards

Classics

Clare joined WGHS in 2002 after a varied start to her career teaching Classics and Spanish in London and Yorkshire, and English as a foreign language in Spain. Clare also studied modern Greek in the 90s, and took a sabbatical to work as a travel rep in Corfu. Her lifelong love of learning and exploring also sees her take a leading role in the Castleford Archaeology Group, organising regular tours abroad.

Rob Webster

Maths

Rob joined WGHS in 2019 from Rotherham, at the same time as I became Head of Department. He started his working life as a manager at Betty’s Tea Rooms, before becoming a bank manager and then deciding to retrain as a Mathematics teacher. During his time at WGHS Rob has taken on many roles. He was the KS3 coordinator overseeing a much needed overhaul of the scheme of work and the Head of Learning Innovation championing the introduction of Walkthrus. Drawing on his experience as a magistrate he delivered ‘Mock Trials’ during EDGE. He led the Sound and Light Team for several whole school productions and was a union rep, helping the staff to navigate a smooth transition to the new Queen Elizabeth School.

Clare’s colleagues and students have appreciated her high standards of scholarship and support, expecting and nurturing the same levels in all those she has worked with. Her summers have usually been spent almost entirely in Greece, and when not exploring islands by motorbike, new Latin and Greek set texts have been meticulously prepared for the next year’s teaching. Her experience as a former Head of Department has always been generously shared and her hospitality is legendary.

When Tim retired in 2012, Clare kept going ‘to keep busy’; there is no chance of her idly wasting her time. Clare’s expertise and care will be missed (just as some of us miss visits from Scaley and Ernie, her bearded dragon and parrot) but you may just ﬁnd that she’s your travel rep somewhere in Greece…

Dr Durden-Brown - Head of Chemistry

Sue Jenkins

Maths

Sue joined WGHS in 2014 from Kings School, Pontefract and it soon became clear that she brought with her a wealth of knowledge and experience. An excellent practitioner, her meticulous approach means that countless students have beneﬁtted from her teaching. Her work as a senior examiner has provided both staff and students with invaluable insights into exam techniques.

Sue has always got stuck in with the wider school life whether that be taking part in a House tug of war or performing on the stage in the Sixth Form Review. She has accompanied various school trips abroad including ones to Barcelona, Iceland, Pompei and Paris. Deﬁnitely retiring early, Sue is looking forward to embracing new challenges, spending more time with her family and playing more tennis. The Maths Department will miss her greatly!

Mrs Rees - Head of Maths

His home life changed dramatically in his time at the school. He met and married Anna and welcomed Hettie, their daughter, into the world, and I hope his move to Dronﬁeld Henry Fanshawe School allows him a little more time to spend with his family. Very laid back and not easily ﬂustered, we will miss Rob’s calm presence around the Maths Department greatly.

Mrs Rees - Head of Maths

Sarah Hakin

Maths

Sarah joined WGHS in 2023 from Honley High School. It was clear from the beginning that being a working mum of two young boys she had honed her time management and organisational skills to a ﬁne art and many of us have beneﬁtted from her calm presence and ‘can do’ attitude over the last two years. She got stuck into all aspects of school life from day one, from organising coding competitions, to delivering ‘Fun with Dyes’ on EDGE, to setting Easter treasure trails in her role as Head of Mackie House.

Sarah’s students have all been very lucky to beneﬁt from her thorough approach to teaching and her enthusiastic use of whiteboards has ensured that no student is left behind. As she embarks on the stressful double whammy of changing job and moving house this summer I know her organisational skills will come to good use. The Maths Department will miss her greatly and our loss is deﬁnitely Trinity Academy Cathedral School’s gain.

Mrs Rees - Head of Maths

Elizabeth Taylor Learning Support

After sixteen years of supporting our students across the Foundation, Elizabeth is hanging up her teaching hat in order to pursue more of her many hobbies.

There are many, many reasons why Elizabeth will be missed in school; the constant air of calm and consideration, even in the most chaotic of times, is something that staff and students alike have come to rely on as well as her good humour and wise words. Elizabeth has contributed to the wider life of school by supporting visits and residentials and by being a key member of the staff band vocals group! She has accompanied numerous DofE trips - indeed one year she went on all the Bronze, SIlver and Gold expeditions! Her love of adventure and the unknown was displayed when she went on trips to Botswana, Zambia and Madagascar helping students backpacking, volunteering and safariing. She was a muchvalued member of staff on the Paris-sightseeing trip with Year 8 as well as London with the Design and Technology Dept. Her favourite and most memorable time though is when she took the opportunity to be an integral part of the inaugural Pingree, Boston USA exchange.

She has always had a passion to ensure that every student in her care feels supported and empowered to learn. Her numerous tips and tricks for learning have contributed to the development and success of many students and they and we are grateful for all she has done at WGHS.

Mrs Fisher and Mr Eggleston

Vicky Gardiner

Foundation Director of Learning Support

Mrs Vicky Gardiner joined the Foundation Learning Support Department in January 2017 and immediately had an impact on the students she taught. Her passion lies in supporting every individual to make the most progress possible, ensuring they are not disadvantaged in the classroom or examinations and that they develop key skills to help them overcome any difﬁculties they might face. These skills are invaluable for all students and her approach as Foundation Director of Learning support was to continuously look for new ways to make our provision better. We as a school as well as numerous individual students and parents are incredibly grateful for the life changing support offered by Vicky and her department. We would like to thank her for all she has done across the Foundation and wish her all the best for the future.

Rebecca Arundale

Learning Support

Although Rebecca has only been with us for a couple of years, she has made a big impact on the department and the students she has supported. She has brought positivity, enthusiasm and a wealth of experience and knowledge to her role and has embraced everything being a teacher in Learning Support has thrown at her, even when completely out of her comfort zone!

In a short amount of time, Rebecca has really thrown herself into contributing to wider school life with some of her endless creative talents - be that singing in the ﬂash mob, running mindfulness sessions or crafting, and I know and that she has enjoyed her fair share of trips and outings with the students!

Rebecca really does go above and beyond for the students she supports and the pupils in her new class are very lucky to have her doing the same for them in her new venture.

Lisa Barrett - SENDCo

Dr Jonathan Korosi

Teacher

of Biology

Dr Jonathan Korosi has been a passionate and inspiring Head of Biology at Wakeﬁeld Girls’ High School from 2003-2021, and has continued part-time since then. A former QEGS student, his connection to the Foundation runs deep - his father also led Biology at QEGS. After studying Medicine and Biochemistry in London, Jonathan switched to teaching, working in York and Norwich before returning to Wakeﬁeld.

Mrs Tingle - Associate Head

Known for his enthusiasm, especially for physiology, Jonathan brought lessons to life with hands-on activities using ECGs, spirometers, and more. He made even the dullest experiments fun, often involving cake or sweets, and transformed the department into a well-equipped, thriving hub of learning. His signature tie-dyed lab coat and old dissection guide became legendary, as did his custom worksheets ﬁlled with cartoons and 1980’s rock music references.

Beyond the classroom, he has contributed to many memorable trips, from Coast-to-Coast bike rides, Duke of Edinburgh expeditions and a science conference in Disneyland, in addition to numerous biology ﬁeld trips to Dale Fort, Blencathra, Malham and more recently Filey. We wish Jonathan all the very best for the future.

Dr Barber - Head of Biology

Robert Fraser Biology

As we say goodbye to Rob, we celebrate the many contributions he has made across the Foundation. Since joining QEGS in 2017, he has been a calm, creative, and dedicated presence, bringing innovation to every role. In his ﬁnal year, he also brought his talents to WGHS, quickly becoming just as valued—whether supporting Biology, Chemistry or Finance. From guiding curious Year 6 pupils through bubbling yeast experiments and fossil-making in the ‘big labs’, to delivering captivating lessons using freeze-frame animations of the sliding ﬁlament model, his passion for science has left a lasting impression.

A calm and unﬂappable presence, his versatility saw him seamlessly support Biology, Chemistry, and Physics across both QEGS and WGHS—often at a moment’s notice. He also championed co-curricular activities, leading the supercurricular Finance course for Sixth Form students across the foundation. Beyond the classroom, he was the driving force behind squash at QEGS, running the QED club, founding an after-school squash initiative, and encouraging boys and girls to compete in tournaments.

As he moves on to new adventures, we thank him for his outstanding service, unwavering commitment, and unique spirit. We wish him the very best for the journey ahead.

Dominic Higgins and Siân Barber - Heads of Biology

Sally Christie

School

Nurse

It is fair to say that a collective sigh spread around WGHS when it was announced that ‘Sally Matron’ would be leaving for pastures new. Sufﬁce to say that Sally has been a highly trustworthy and reliable colleague to so many students andstaff over the years. Always calm, reliable and knowledgeable she could always be relied upon for a rapid response to any medical issues or needs and brought with her an air of reassurance that usually meant, ‘everything would be ok’.

Georgina Jackson

Partnership Coordinator

It’s never easy to bid farewell to a colleague, especially one with a big personality like Georgina. G, as a lot of us affectionately call her, is not just a work colleague, but also a good friend. She has this infectious love for travelling and adventure, and she has a knack for finding deals! She’s the go-to person if you want to know more about using air miles and discount codes and so on. G can always be counted on to share her tips on all things travel and bargain-related. Her stories of past travels, future plans and cleverly planned holidays were a highlight for many of us in the office. Beyond her passions for exploring and smart savings, she is also a proud mother of two amazing daughters, both of whom attended Wakefield Girls’ and have now moved on to the corporate world and University.

From work experience and the day to day running of the school to partnership work and events management, G has played an invaluable, and often relentless, role in maintaining the high standards and protocols of WGHS. In economic terms, she is the ‘invisible hand’ that keeps things moving seamlessly. As she embarks on her next chapter, we wish her all the happiness and new adventures life has to offer.

Mr Eggleston - Deputy Head and Mrs Fisher - Admin Support Manager

Jo Dell

Head of Marketing

In her own unassuming way, Sally was a pivotal cog in the modus operandi of WGHS, ranging from the daily queues outside her office and INSET contributions to providing important insights at Health & Safety meetings to regularly checking on people’s wellbeing. Perhaps her earlier career in the Army was the catalyst to being unflappable and appreciative of the ‘bigger picture’. I vividly recall doing an assembly with Sally when she reflected on her Army career and achievements with typical modesty and humility. It said everything you needed to know about her as a person and as a professional. Whilst her new journey in York continues to evolve, I think that there will always be a ‘piece’ of Sally that is forever WGHS.

Mr Eggleston - Deputy Head

Jo was undoubtedly the ‘architect’ behind some of the most enjoyable and exciting events of recent times. As Head of Marketing she was continually thinking of new and innovative ways to showcase the school, its students and their achievements. This ranged from the ‘after party on the Quad’ following Founders’ Day and EmpowHer to Instagram Live and the digital careers convention, Careers Insight Week. Her boundless enthusiasm and energy never ceased to amaze me as she moved from one event to the next, always taking the time to value everyone’s opinion.

During our weekly meetings our imagination would often run riot as we discussed countless initiatives that we didn't have the resources to implement, but it didn't stop us thinking or trying, be it via social media, Livestorm, on the school walls or outside the front entrance! Whatever Jo could do to promote WGHS in the best possible light, she would. She never stopped thinking or trying to improve the school’s market position and as she met more and more stakeholders her enthusiasm and drive increased. Sufﬁce to say that WGHS’ loss is St Mary’s gain. Her new role as the school’s Director of Marketing, Admissions and Communications is tailor made for her.

Mr Eggleston - Deputy Head

This year’s Farewells

VIM Leavers

Thank you Mr Dodd, Mr Urbanski, Mrs Garside, Ms C Goddard and Mr Allen - all long standing VIMs (visiting Instrumental Musicians) - for the part they’ve played in shaping the music making of our pupils at WGSF. Their brilliance as practitioners, wisdom as educators and support as colleagues have been inspiring for all of us who havebeen lucky enough to work with them. Their contribution has added lustre to the Music Department during their time here and they will be sorely missed. We wish them the very best for all that life and music can bring to them in the future.

Mr Meredith - Acting Co-Director of Music

Philip Cresswell

School Gardener

It has been a while since Philip first entered the grounds of WGSF in the spring of 1977. Since then it is fair to say that his ‘handiwork’ can be seen everywhere, from the QEGS lawn and ‘school-coloured’ flower beds to the cobbled yard and quad at WGHS. His longevity and consistency go hand in hand, almost to the extent of taking his work for granted. Over the years many of us have come to expect the school grounds, lawns, flowers beds and plants to remain aesthetically pleasing and beautifully manicured every day, irrespective of the weather conditions or time of year. And to think that he still finds the time to grow many of the plants himself. To say he will be missed is therefore an understatement. His talent, humility and dedication to WGSF and all that it stands for is plain to see. He can now look forward to having more time for his own garden, his family and Leeds United! I will miss seeing him around school and having the odd chat about football and plants!

David Wilson Digital Services

Dave joined WGHS in 2022 from a trust in the Horbury and Ossett area, fresh from an apprenticeship Being sat right next to our ofﬁce door, many students have beneﬁtted from his warm support - mainly with Chromebooks, which became his domain to oversee soon after he started. He also proved invaluable to the smooth operation of examinations, whether this was through ensuring the transfer of electronic controlled assessment work, or by supporting the invigilators with technology in the exam rooms.

Dave was a key member of the Digital Services Department, and will be sorely missed as he moves into an analyst role across the way at the College.

Luke Noble - Acting Deputy Head of Digital Services

George Clay

Digital Services

In a career change from working in the Police, George embarked on a network engineering apprenticeship at WGHS at the start of 2019. Shortly thereafter, I did the same at QEGS, and from this point on we were often dispatched to the more technically challenging issues together. He quietly referred to us as ‘the founding fathers of the network’!

Though quite often in the background ensuring the school network was maintained and operational, he also provided much-needed assistance in the smooth running of the Chromebook scheme, as well as front-facing elements such as the display screens around the school. He also used his passion for photography to support the need to make in-person events virtual during COVID, from smaller in-school assemblies up to the Carol Service from Wakeﬁeld Cathedral.

George has decided to return to the Police, where we wish him all the best in his new unit.

Luke Noble - Acting Deputy Head of Digital Services

Mr Eggleston - Deputy Head

This year’s Farewells Junior section

John Lister

Foundation

Technical Director

John has been the Foundation

Technical

Director for over 18 years, mostly working in the background supporting the pupils and staff at WGHS achieve their digital aims without being seen. His professionalism was clear in setting the scene and joining the school networks together, the servers and the computers, migrating to google and setting up the 1-1 Chromebook scheme. The High School and its students have been a pleasure for John to support even when working out of a tiny office without windows on the top floor of STC! He particularly enjoyed being part of school life away from IT whether it was running round the field on the first “Do it for Dawson”, being part of Mr Eggleston's cricket team that had his bowling over the field by the WGHS team and driving a minibus on Mr Carlin's famous national 3 peaks fundraiser.

Kate Fear

PE (Junior)

After 21 dedicated years as a PE teacher at Wakeﬁeld Girls’, Miss Fear’s contributions to the school are immense. A veteran of countless residentials, including visits to Castle Head and adventures to London and Bletchley Park, she also led numerous ski excursions and netball trips to Boreatton Hall.

She possessed a highly versatile skill set, teaching PE and Games throughout the school, alongside science, religious education, textiles, and more recently food and nutrition. Her priority in every lesson was to ensure each and every child was making progress and developing in terms of skills and tactics but also in developing a love for sport.

Passionate about netball and tennis, Miss Fear ﬁttingly organised many memorable trips to Wimbledon. Her competitive spirit was legendary, especially in the ﬁercely contested staff vs students netball matches. Her meticulous planning of training sessions and team selections demonstrated her unwavering commitment.

Her infectious enthusiasm extended beyond the sports ﬁeld, evident in her fantastic festive outﬁts for reindeer runs and creative costumes for World Book Day and European Day of Languages.

We wish to thank John for everything he has done for WGHS and in John’s words: “Some things are good on their own, but even better together”.

Kevin Brooke

Head Caretaker

Mr Brooke, Head Caretaker, joined the school in 1996 and has played a pivotal role in keeping our school clean, tidy and working like a machine each and every day. Whether it is getting chairs out for every assembly, getting rid of rubbish, clearing up spills and ﬂoods, boarding up broken windows and so much more, Mr Brooke and his army of support staff make sure we can do everything that happens in our massively busy school. In the 29 years since Mr Brooke arrived we have become a far busier school both in and out

Famously fueled by cheese and crackers, Miss Fear’s tireless work ethic often saw her as the last to leave, ensuring every detail was perfect for upcoming events. An inspiration to students and a cherished friend and colleague, Miss Fear will be deeply missed.

Miss Boughton - Director of Sport

of the school day, so his ever present calmness and helpfulness has been essential. We are sure he won’t miss that walkie talkie or phone call when someone says ‘Please could you just....?’

Mr Brooke is a highly skilled electrician and often in high demand, but rumour has it that he will pursue a new business venture in the canine world in the not too distant future. In the meantime he will get the opportunity to spend time with his wife Donna and their daughters and perhaps even sneak in a boating holiday to Norfolk. He can look back on a long career at WGHS with pride and distinction.

Mrs Tingle and Mr Eggleston

Helen Boughton Director of Junior Sport

When Helen joined the Foundation in 2018, it was initially going to be for a year. However, she really quickly felt at home within the Foundation and her decision to stay on has been to the beneﬁt of the school and all the pupils Helen has inspired in the years since.

Helen took over the role of Director of Junior Sport in 2023 and through her passion and hard work has expertly led the sporting life of the Junior Section ensuring our sport for all philosophy continued whilst providing opportunities for sporting excellence too. With her energy, enthusiasm and care for each student, Helen has been a fantastic role model for pupils and she embodies all that we wish students to develop into.

The whole hearted approach Helen brought to school life is exempliﬁed by all she has done outside of lessons, volunteering for trips, organising ﬁxtures and joining in wider school events. The manner in which she threw herself into House competitions as the leader of Clayton House for two years was infectious - her peapod costume will live long in the memory!

As Helen leaves the foundation to enjoy time travelling with her partner in their campervan, we all wish her the very best for the new adventures that are ahead.

Mr Rowley - Director of Junior Section

Lily Haughton

WGHS Junior and Pre-Prep

Lily can always be relied upon to be hardworking and put the pupils ﬁrst. Therefore, when the Junior Section was formed four years ago and some volunteers were needed to work an extra lunchtime shift after Pre-Prep lunch were required, it is no surprise that Lily volunteered. Whether busying herself in the lunch hall or helping the girls with equipment in the playground, Lily could be relied upon to make sure lunchtime ran smoothly. We all wish Lily a long and happy retirement and look forward to when she comes back to visit the girls.

Mr Rowley - Director of Junior Section

Marilyn Brooke Cover Secretary (Junior)

In the four years we have been WGHS Junior Section, Marilyn has been a reliable and caring presence in the playground. Often surrounded by the girls, especially the Year 3 classes, Marilyn was excellent at making the pupils feel known. The pupils really enjoyed sharing their creations, dances and news with Marilyn and she was always open and patient with them as they did. As Marilyn leaves the Foundation, we wish her a long and happy retirement. Maz, you are welcome back anytime but be prepared to be mobbed by the girls, who miss you already!

Mr Rowley - Director of Junior Section

Melanie Sykes-Moorhouse

Teaching Assistant (Junior)

Mel joined the foundation in 2007 and has been bringing energy, enthusiasm and positivity to her role as teaching assistant and after school care manager ever since. Initially working in Mulberry House, Mel has been part of the Junior Section staff since it became part of the through school, also running the after school care provision and summer camps for several years.

Mel will be remembered for her talent at building positive relationships with the pupils, the wholehearted way she approached each lesson and her willingness to give new experiences a tryforest school lessons a classic case in point. This openness and resilience made her a real role model for the pupils and she will be missed by both the pupils she has inspired and the staff she has worked with. I am sure Mel’s move into the care sector, helping young people gain independence and life skills, will be a real success. It is the ideal profession for such a caring, passionate and patient person and we wish her all the best.