Senior Lent Term Roundup

LENT TERM ROUNDUP

Senior School

What has been going on at

Latest News

British Humanitarian Aid – Thank You

Well done, Kelly!

I would like to say a big thank you to the Wellingborough School Community – we filled the van! Huge thanks go to all members of our community that have given financially and donated material goods. The clothes have been delivered to Ukraine and financial contributions have gone towards the transport, helping those who are in desperate need at this time

Stephen Hill, School Chaplain

Mr Holman was delighted to present Kelly in our Catering Team with her certificate (and gold star badge!) awarded to her as Chartwell's Colleague of the Quarter Kelly was nominated by another member of the team, Jackie, for being such a star, always having everyone ' s back, and doing so with a permanent cheery smile All students, and many parents, will know Kelly from behind the serveries, but she's also near-ever-present at other events, be they after School or at a weekend As selfeffacing as she will be, please do feel free to congratulate Kelly on her achievement

Kirstie Brimm, Catering Manager, Chartwell’s

What we can learn from World War One competition

Year 9 news revolves around the 'What we can learn from World War One' competition that we ran at the end of Michaelmas term, in conjunction with the Board of Trade This Government Department contacted me in relation to an Old Wellingburian who later worked at the Board of Trade and was killed during World War One

The Board have a memorial within their building which includes his name (which coincidentally was Selby) and in order to commemorate 100 years of this memorial, they were looking for some work from a school with a connection

Every pupil in Year 9 produced an entry of their choice such as a poem; poster; artwork; diary entry or letter and all were original and very moving. Merits all round. Some very hard decisions finally decided the winner from each class: Emily, Dexter, Oscar, Anuli, Holly, Sienna, and Poppy Special prizes went to Poppy, Yr8 and Stella, Yr13, who entered just for the love of History

The overall winner was Will who wrote a brilliant poem including the names of Old Wellingburians lost in WW1 He also decorated it with a hand drawn lion and donkey, representing the view that brave young men (lions) went to their deaths due to poor decisions by leaders (donkeys)

An email from the Board of Trade this week said: I thought I’d just drop a note to say how amazing I thought the display by your pupils was in our lobby It was a real privilege to see their work I found one poem in particular – “Presumed” – both beautiful and moving Thank you for all the hard work that went into putting this together

Year 12 PHSCE

Throughout the Sixth Form we encourage our pupils to develop their critical thinking Critical thinking is the ability to interpret, evaluate, and analyse facts and information that are available, to form a judgment or decide if something is right or wrong More than just being curious about the world around you, critical thinkers make connections between logical ideas to see the bigger picture

The pupils have researched and presented ideas to their peers encouraging them to look at the validity of their sources and consider how to present and, at times persuade their audience towards a viewpoint Legalisation of drugs, the climate crisis, immigration, fake news, and the reasons to be vegan are some of the topics chosen Alongside these fascinating debates has been the launch of Work Experience week by Mrs Arber

Fiona Burgess, Teacher of PE

Privilege and an Honour

The 8th September 2022 marked a very sad day for the nation, the day Her Late Majesty the Queen died The only monarch we had ever known and most of our parents had ever known Her reign was the longest of any British monarch – 70 years

As the news broke across the country and world, my Dad was busy putting into place all that he and his team had spent many years planning for After the plan was activated, Dad wouldn't return home until after the funeral on the 19th September

Working on such an event was a huge honour and privilege which far outweighed the hours of work involved

On the 2023 King’s birthday honours my Dad was awarded an OBE for the part he played in the arrangements for the funeral of the late Queen

Before half term on 6th February, we were invited to Winsor Castle where he had his investiture and received the OBE medal It was a very special day With the news of the King the previous evening the award was given by HRH the Princess Royal My Dad was very calm, but I think my Mum had the nerves of everyone It was surreal, parking in the grounds of Windsor Castle and walking in I wanted to try and remember everything We were guided to the Waterloo State Room and were briefed on what to do When we walked into the room where the ceremony took place I remember being amazed and a little star struck on just how wonderful the whole situation was

A wonderful honour paying tribute to a much loved and respected Queen.

Jamie, 10PS

House debating

Emma, the Academic Prefect, introduced a new competition this year in the form of House Debating This has been a great way for the Year 7 and 8 to interact with the Sixth Former’s in their Houses who have acted as mentors and assisted with debate etiquette as well as public speaking skills Currently Cripps’ are in the lead with the Inters and Seniors competitions still to follow This has been a popular introduction as it requires a different skill set and has allowed for some communication between a wide variety of year groups

Culture Day

We celebrated Culture Day 2024 and it was wonderful to see the students dressed in traditional clothes or the colours of a particular country, some were blended with costumes for their assembly! The conversations this has generated between students has been incredible At lunch time there was an array of stalls and activities in the Senior School Hall, and we ended the day learning some Latin Fusion dance moves A fabulous Whole School celebration

What has been going on in Headmaster’s Dinner Year 13

One of the big events of this term was the Headmaster's Dinner, which is one of the many steps on the outward journey for our Year 13s They are now at the stage where, with just a few weeks to go until Study Leave, the opportunity has to be taken to think about each occasion as it happens, however mundane it may seem - the last assembly, the last Chapel, the last lesson with a particular teacher It will feel very different for these students when they enter the nether world of sort-of-beinghere during their exams, and that slight sense of disconnect needs to be preceded by taking a long look at things they've taken for granted for so long, be it the Dining Hall or the Senior School Walk or the top courts - those locations within which many of their memories were created So many people look back on their last year of school and remember it fondly, but it's very easy at the time to let it pass without breathing it in and soaking in the moment

Future Destinations

Oxford

We extend our congratulations to Clara (Year 13) who, after an arduous application process, has been offered a place to read Classics at Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford We are immensely proud of her and know with absolute confidence that she will achieve the grades to take up her place

Gap Year

Despite receiving offers for university, I have decided to take a year out and travel to New Zealand and Australia I have gained a position working in a school in the South Island of New Zealand, which will allow me to gain experience and valuable skills before university, whilst also enabling me to travel to the other side of the world and experience their different culture Toby, Y13

Norland Nanny

Below, one of our Year 13 students shares her experience of exploring career and course options, and the importance of keeping an open mind

My Norland journey started off at the University/Careers fair held by school during the Michaelmas of year 12 My friends and I walked into the 6th form centre where I immediately met Kate Morgan, a representative from Norland, who asked if I had considered a career in childcare To be honest I was slightly taken aback by this question as childcare was a profession I had not thought about before or discussed with any adult previously, but chatting to Kate made me start to think Kate and I spent over 30 minutes chatting about different skills and what Norland are looking for in applicants - a love for people and caring for others She gave me some leaflets and invited me to their next open day, as well as recommending me to watch a documentary on Norland to find out more for myself A career with a highly empathetic side appealed to me but never before had I considered Nannying

I decided to go to an open day to look a bit further As we arrived, Kate was welcoming people and she recognised me This calmed my nerves about following a path I had no previous knowledge on Her warmth and passion for her profession made me want to learn more as well as instilled confidence in me that I had the potential to become a Norlander The talk was led by Dr Jannet Rose, the Principal of Norland, students and Norlanders as well as some of the lecturers In this talk Dr Rose described childcare professionals as 'brain architects' For me, the cogs in my head started turning after hearing this phrase I was learning that there was more to nannying than playing with children Looking at the academic qualifications which came with this course concreted this possibility of nannying being a vocational yet highly academic profession which I had not deciphered when looking at the societal view of being a childcare professional

At the end of Year 12, I did my work experience at a special needs school, Simon De Senlis, to help me decipher which element of working with children I wanted to look at To further this, I emailed around for work experience at local nurseries resulting in a job which I worked 3-4 days a week all summer This helped me to learn the routines and create bonds with children between 1-5 and helped me develop these skills to support their development

Towards the end of the summer, I booked onto the October open day for Norland I got to meet students in all their departments and chatted to them about their time at Norland as well as their academic studies I found that the students at the open days were really honest with their opinions and their love for their course Their passion for their studies as well as their careers that they displayed was what convinced me to apply and go for an interview, which was quite a nerve-wracking process Norland similar to other universities hold zoom sessions or drop-ins to ask questions outside of open days Its Norland Unwrapped sessions with area specialists and students to help discuss queries and concerns allowed me to ask any questions I had since the open day

I applied for 4 Early Years degrees and 1 primary teaching degree resulting in two interviews, an unconditional offer and two lower grades offered My Norland interview came first, for which I found support in members of staff at school as well as by getting in contact with my managers As well as this help, the Norland website offers you to the chance to speak to students, so I asked them questions about their interviews It consisted of a group interview and presentation as well as a one-on-one interview The one-on-one interview was slightly more intimidating for me as I struggle with my self-confidence so talking about myself makes me quite nervous However, through interview practice at school I was able to draw on key points which demonstrated my skills and experiences as well as my values and strengths which helped me to show myself positively

I have since received my offer for Norland starting September 2024 as a part of Set 48 which I am delighted to put as my firm offer on UCAS

Emma S, Y13 Nevill

New Leadership Team

Not unlike an improvement in the weather, the smell of mown grass or blossom starting to appear on the trees, the selection of senior student positions marks progress towards the summer and, as a consequence, the end of their time at the School for our Year 13s, as they relinquish those positions as part of concentrating on the upcoming A level exams, enabling Year 12 to step into their shoes and become the ultimate role models for the School

A significant number of students put their hat in the ring for a leadership position This involved letters of application and, for some, interviews and leadership tasks Being a Head of House or a Prefect carries substantial weight, and we are indebted to those students for their assistance in the smooth running of the School and for representing Wellingborough so expertly

It gave me great pleasure, therefore, to announce these roles, which I did in front of Years 11 – 13 in Chapel I am absolutely confident that they will do a great job and I look forward to working alongside them

Heads of House

Cripps’, Luke Nicholls

Garne’s, James Kay

Marsh, Cerys Davies

Nevill, Delphine Kenney

Parker Steyne’s, Gurjeevan Dhaliwal

Platt’s, Ryan Burns

Weymouth, Emmie Seamarks

Prefects

Heads of School, Zara Reeves and Henry Walker

DH of School (Academic), Giacomo Morris

DH of School (Co-Curricular), Evie Fernley

DH of School (Operations), Honor Corrigan

DH of School (Pastoral), Noor Ibrahim

Charity, Ella Bryant

Digital, Joe Cooke

Student Council, Heather Farquharson

Sustainability, Kitty Thompson-Hurry

Year 7, Zorhann Giraud

Year 8, Emily Watts

Sport National Hockey Bronze!

Back in the middle of November, the 1st XI hockey squad were worthy winners of the Tier 3 Midlands Finals held at Rugby School This tournament victory qualified the team for the National Finals, held on Monday 5th February at the impressive Nottingham Hockey Centre, Europe's largest hockey centre outside of The Netherlands We met at 2:15pm at School on the Sunday and made the straight forward trip to Nottingham in time for a training and familiarisation session on one of the five astroturf pitches! Buoyed by an excellent session we travelled to our superb accommodation in the city centre before heading out to Pizza Express for our team meal, where we also got the chance to catch up with recent leaver and hockey coach, Miss Short! Following a good night's sleep, and breakfast the next morning, we headed back to the hockey centre for our warm-up and official photo shoot prior to our first group game At 11:15am we played Brentwood School where we initially struggled to get a foothold in the game, going a goal down at the break The following 15 minutes provided some of the highlights of the season as we scored three excellent goals to run out 3-1 victors This provided the necessary confidence boost that we were not there simply to make up the numbers! Our next game against Wilmslow High School saw us get off to the perfect start with a goal inside the first 45 seconds! From then on, the game was controlled in a professional manner and the squad played some very good passing, team hockey, to eventually run out deserved 2-0 winners That left a straight shoot out for top spot and a place in the National Final in our last group game against St Mary's School, Ascot Our opponents knew that they had to win the game to progress, and they came out fighting hard and deserved their 2-0 win, which agonisingly meant we missed out on a place in the National Final on goal difference! The whole squad did a superb job of picking themselves up from this disappointment as a bronze medal match against second in the other pool, Caterham School, beckoned Determined not to leave Nottingham empty handed the whole squad battled brilliantly from first whistle to last, and a superb penalty corner routine saw us emerge as 1-0 winners, taking home a deserved bronze medal in the process! Congratulations to every single player in the squad who represented the School so admirably The effort and attitude on display throughout the day encompassed exactly what team sport is all about My sincere thanks to Mrs Burgess for accompanying the squad throughout the weekend and to all of the staff, parents and even OWs who made the trip to Nottingham to support the team on the day It was certainly a day that will live long in the memory!

George Houghton, Parker Steyne’s Housemaster and Teacher of PE and Games

Football

The U14 and U15 boys travelled to Oxfordshire to play Abingdon School They were a regular part of our fixture programme before Covid Hopefully this is the beginning of more fixtures against this opposition in the future Some incredible goal scoring feats taking place in these three games Joe Claypole (9Cr) scoring a hat trick for the U14A, Harry Moloney (9Ga) bagging 4 goals for the U14B, and not wanting to be outdone Hayden Wright-Forrest (10Ga) scoring a phenomenal 5 goals for the 15A team In the 1st XI and 2nd XI, there were 13 players making their Senior debuts Some of these players are new to the school and were playing their first competitive fixture for the school, whilst others making their first appearance in the Seniors having made the transition from the U15's last season There is lots for the boys to work on in training, both individually and collectively, but lots of promise for a positive season ahead Although the teams will be disappointed to have lost and drawn respectively, Stamford are strong opposition and the reigning Mercian League Champions

Jonathan Dean, Head of Football & Housemaster of Cripps’

House Football

House Football

Please see the results below from House football which has taken place In all three age groups the boys played in a competitive and sportsmanlike manner Juniors (Year 7 & 8)

Parker Steyne's Platt's Cripps' Garne's Inters (Year 9 & 10)

Platt's Cripps' Garne's Parker Steyne's Seniors (Year 11-13)

Platt's

Parker Steyne's Cripps' Garne's

Thanks to all staff involved, both during Games with scoring and refereeing but also to staff in House for your support with putting the teams together

Jonathan Dean, Housemaster of Cripps’ & Head of Football

Cricket

My hopes for the upcoming school cricket season Here, one of our Sports Scholars looks forward to the next few months

The upcoming 2024 cricket season will be for our Year 7 group, the first time playing on a Saturday morning and fulfilling a full fixture schedule I believe our priorities for the season are; to improve our skills, play as a team, celebrate each other's success, be as successful on the field as possible and most importantly to enjoy our cricket My personal goals for our school team are to score runs, take wickets, be respected by our opponent and to set an example in helping and supporting my fellow teammates

We will plan to learn as a group and as individuals where we need to improve and where we need to focus, keeping things simple - sticking to watching the ball, catches win matches, bowling at the stumps, concentrate for every ball, encouraging each other and of course listen to our coaches

I am also delighted to be selected for the county u12 squad for the upcoming season after months of trials (30 hours in total over the Autum/Winter months) This will be my 4th year in the Northants pathway, and I am looking to build on my success from last year I was the top run scoring batsman for the County u11s last year, so I am looking to retain this award at u12 For the forthcoming county season, I am looking to equally focus on my bowling, and particularly my technique Last season I bowled well but did not take as many wickets as I should have done. I am working with Mr Loye, our cricket coach and with the county to improve in this area. Overall, I cannot wait for the forthcoming cricket season for representing school, club and county

Luca Carlier (Year 7, Platt's)

Rowing

Yes, you read that right but no, we haven't found a way to persuade the swans to vacate their favourite spots on the Nene One of our Year 11s, Tom Bryan (Cripps'), is not only preparing for his GCSEs but is one of 40 students nationwide to have been selected for the GB Rowing U16 Sculling Camp over Easter Tom has been in fine form of late, winning a number of races alongside his partner in their boat, a pupil from NSB (Tom is on the right in the photo, towards the bow) Most recently, they competed in the Eastern region qualifier

tball

have had so much success this season and we uder of them They came Runners-up in the ade it through to Regionals They have also whole Netball season unbeaten which is such hievement This team has worked incredibly the court to improve both tactical and ut also to develop teamwork and skills

13th March our U12A and U13A Netball teams nty Netball Cup held at Oundle Throughout ch played 6 different schools from around the A group came 3rd place and our U12A group year groups are so hardworking and always e so we are so proud of this group for such an ement

again has had a fantastic season in which ost 1 game and have won all the others ke the U14As the U15As came runners-up in with a fantastic effort This year group are so prove and consistently work hard. They have talent, and we look forward to welcoming r Netball next year

heir last fixture of the season v Northampton hat a season they have had, and they have ell as both individuals and as a team This team ainst some strong opposition, and never fail to tion and resilience For some, this will be their re as their sixth form journey comes to an u all the best and hope to see you still on the done to all

, Sports Graduate Assistant

What has been going on in

House?

Marsh Update

Marsh has been working hard and coming up with as many ideas possible to help raise as much as we can in support of our chosen Charity, Cynthia Spencer Last term we decided to organise a clothes sale for Weymouth, Nevill and anyone in Marsh to come and rummage through the boxes and buy some items All of us in Marsh brought in clothes that we no longer use or want anymore, from jeans to hoodies The girls in sixth form had lots of fun helping out at break and lunch to raise as much as we could, in the end we successfully raised £206 10 On Friday 24th November, we held a parent social dinner event to aid in raising money for our charity and offer the chance for Year 7 and 8 parents to integrate into the house community It has been a long process in organising this since September: the table plans, music, decorations, especially the food being served, but in the end the meal was a massive success in which the parents of Marsh and a few members of staff enjoyed a 3-course meal and a student-run bar We concluded the night with a game of heads and tails to add to the charity funds, which raised a total of £365 just by itself We managed to raise a total of £847 96 On behalf of Marsh, I am truly grateful for the amount that was donated by all the parents that came and supported the House and all the help from the catering team and the girls in the House that were brilliant waitresses throughout the evening

Katie Dodge, Head of Marsh

Cripps' Update

House Update: Cripps’ I think it is fair to say that the Lent term has been a busy one, both in Cripps’ and across the school more widely I have been really impressed with the way the Year 11 and Year 13 boys have conducted themselves both in the build up to, and during their mock examinations They are now at the stage where they need to take on board the excellent feedback they will receive from their academic teachers and ensure they put in place a targeted revision programme ahead of the final examinations In addition to the various resources available on Firefly and online the form tutors have also shared some top tips and excellent revision methods with their tutees Furthermore, we were grateful to Isabelle A (13WY) who led a recent House assembly for us about the Adapt revision App It was an excellent presentation and I know that some of the boys are now using this resource and finding it very useful The form tutors and I wish all of the Year 11 and Year 13 boys every success in the forthcoming exam season Away from academia, it is also a very busy term for House competitions At the time of writing the boys have taken part in or are preparing for: House Music; House Debating; House Maths; House General Knowledge and House Football to name but a few activities I was privileged to watch the Cripps’ boys take part in House Music last Friday morning My thanks go to all the boys involved for the time and effort they put into preparing for their performances I must publicly thank Thomas N (12CR) who coordinated the schedule and cajoled a few of the boys into taking part As HM, I now have a much clearer picture of the musical talents within the House and know who I will be asking to lead with House singing rehearsals come the Michaelmas term In the coming weeks and months, we will have a few House activities taking place On Wednesday 27th March our outgoing Head of House will be organising a House football tournament, followed shortly after the Easter break with the Overnight Row (Friday 26th into Saturday 27th April) which will raise funds for the House charity, Alzheimer's research UK I must finish by expressing my gratitude to Findlay H (13CR) for his sterling work as Head of House this year, and to the other Year 13 House prefects for their support By the time you read this on Friday afternoon/evening the Year 12 pupils taking on roles as School Prefect/Head of House for 24/25 will have been announced by the Headmaster My

Platt's update

Since our last update in November, Platt’s have had a busy time The Platt’s House Service took place on Sunday 3rd December, which was well attended by both parents and students My thanks go, in particular, to Noah, Matthew, Krishna, Oliver, Pip (Year 13), Giacomo (Year 12), Will (Year 10) and Noah (Year 8) for reading and for the collection, as well as to Thomas C and Thomas D (Year 12) and Oscar and Daniel (Year 9) for providing some fantastic musical performances From collections on the day and in advance of the day, we raised £53 50 for our House Charity, Cancer Research UK On the final Tuesday of term, we also hosted our annual Christmas movie and pizza night Much to my personal delight, Arthur Christmas was the winning movie, and Domino’s pizza was enjoyed by all. Despite the feedback that I had over-ordered on the Meat Feasts (there should be more chicken / ham and pineapple next time apparently), the evening was enjoyed by all, and it was great to have Year 7 and 8 students joining us for the first time for a house event In total, the evening raised over £200 for Cancer Research UK Next term our fundraising efforts will ramp up even further, as we prepare for the inaugural Platt’s House 12 hour run on Saturday 22nd June Emails will be coming out to parents with further details after the half-term break but, if well attended, we are hoping that this could become a landmark annual charity event for Platt’s Finally, as we approach half-term, I would like to wish all House members and their familie boys the best of l

Sue Curley, Teac

GARNE'S UPDATE

The Lent Term meant that most talk in House is divided between football and the mock exams, with Years 11 and 13 both having further important exams after half term

The Michaelmas Term finished with the boys of Garne’s performing admirably in the House Dodgeball competitions, and we are looking forward to all the other inter house competitions this term has to offer

This term we ran our annual table tennis championships, and also a new table football tournament with all funds raised going toward The Cransley Hospice, and I thank our Prefect team in advance of organising and leading both these events

We loved everyone’s favourite competition, the House Pancake Race, and we retained the trophy for a third year in a row

Weymouth UPDATE

Reflecting on the last half-term and all that has been going on, it was certainly a very busy one The Weymouth Chapel Service was a lovely occasion for the House to gather The string quartet, the readers, Bella, and Ishika who sang solos, those who helped with the collection, the Chapel Choir, the girls who helped to serve refreshments, and our School Chaplain Steve, all contributed to making it a special occasion

Our assemblies this term have been enjoyable and very informative We started off the New Year with girls receiving snippets of paper on which they’d written their New Year’s resolutions last year; some had forgotten all about them but many managed to fulfil their plans and set to work writing a new resolution for 2024

Each year we revisit the history of Weymouth House so that the Year 9 girls, and girls new to the House are fully aware of its moving and unique story Therefore, I thought that knowing a little bit about how the other Houses came to be named was important The girls and tutors were intrigued to learn about H E Platt and P A Fryer and the impact they had on the School; it was fascinating to see pictures of the School in the past and to try and work out which building, room or area still existed or how they had changed. Miss Mistry then led a personal, heartfelt assembly outlining her involvement in and huge support for the DEI group; the girls learnt a lot of life’s lessons in this assembly Then we had one Year 12 group presenting the meaningful history of Valentine’s Day – who knew that in Germany, Germans exchange chocolate, flowers, and pigs (not real ones, just ornaments or a picture!) Another Year 12 group did a presentation on Inspirational women; these varied from Michelle Obama to Leah Williamson to Ada Lovelace, amongst others It was interesting to see who the girls had chosen and how it reflects their interests and what they consider inspirational

We enjoyed a visit from the Year 8 Weymouth girls who did a “getting to know each other” game with Year 9; with little visits into the House, this will hopefully prepare them for September We also had a House breakfast and a raffle, raising more contributions to our House Charity, Free Periods We’ve had lots of achievements in the sporting arena this term to date; Annie B was chosen has Captain of the 1st VII School Netball Team, and along with Ella L, Rebecca, Anna A, Annie brought in their Bronze Medals from the National Hockey Finals – an excellent achievement

In addition, we have Emily H, Martha D, Charlotte R and Poppy M (vice-Captain) competing with the Under 15 Girls Cricket Team in the County Indoor Finals next week – good luck girls! We’ve also had some notable individual performances from Pollyanna S in Water Polo – who brought in her medal for the House to see, as well as Lauren R who has gained a place in the Regional Cross-Country Championships

Nevill UPDATE

Firstly, congratulations to Mrs Carlie Woodard who has been appointment to the role of Housemistress of Nevill and will come into post at the start of the Trinity Term Mrs Woodard is currently the Year 10 tutor and is well known by all the girls in Nevill, which will allow for a smooth transition of responsibility Mrs Woodard joined us in September and teaches Psychology, Sociology and Biology As a previous Head of Year and Head of Post 16 at her previous school, she has a wealth of pastoral experience. Miss Emily Kemp will be joining the Nevill House team (and the Geography Department) as the new Year 10 tutor; I am sure the girls will extend a warm welcome to her

It is a testament to the academic prowess and talent of the girls in the Year 13 group that all those who have applied to UCAS have received offers so early and for many of them, they already have several offers. As they and Year 11 move into the ‘business end’ of their courses and exam period, we wish them all the very best of luck for the exam period Year 11 will be undertaking their mock exams when they return after half term, and I hope this brings them reassurance that they are on track to achieve their target grades and helps identify any areas they might wish to focus on further

On a sporting front, we would like to congratulate Mimi (Year 12) for her success with the 1st XI Hockey team in winning Bronze at the Tier 3 National Schools Championships at the beginning of this week Well done also to Maisie (Year 10) for her excellent performance in the U15 ECB Indoor Cricket Reginal competition and we wish her and the team the very best of luck for the next round

As I sign off my last Newsletter as Housemistress of Nevill, I would like to thank all the girls and parents who have been so kind and supportive over my 18 year tenure It is with some sadness that I relinquish the role but excitement to undertake a new role that stills offers me the opportunity to watch the girls progress through their time in the Senior School and to be in the privileged position to see them thrive and succeed.

Jill Livingstone, Nevill Housemistress and Teacher of Geography

CCF

In an era where holistic developmen offer comprehensive training progra Combined Cadet Force (CCF) The CC pivotal role in shaping young minds leadership qualities It has been inst country, celebrating its 75 birthday t see, so you can understand why its f embedded in both State and Indepen

This term I had the pleasure of accompanying our “Combat Cadet” team to the regional competition For the majority of the cadets this was their firsttime firing weapon systems, reacting to enemy fire and learning about the difficulties of living in the field However, what was more important was the concept that the team was an independent unit, led and supported from within. Fail or succeed it they owned it

Year 7? What went on in

What a busy couple of terms we have had The Year 7 Christmas Disco in December was a hit and students have continued to suggest key events that year 7 would like to do

Students voted for a visit to The Hub in Northampton, organised the first week back after half term There was a full sign up to attend and it was wonderful to see them enjoying themselves without a care in the world Thank you to our wonderful Year 7 Tutor team who again facilitated this event into the evening Thank you to parents for supporting the students’ ideas and organising transportation

We held re-elections for Form Captains in January and our half termly meetings continue to yield wonderful ideas, including inter- form football, a year 7 treasure hunt, Inter-form ‘sports’ eg tug of war etc , garden club, cake sales and an outing to Boost trampoline park We are looking forward to the better weather and the chance to make these suggestions reality

Students have taken part in many competitions and events including House Music, Spring Concert, Rock and Blues night As I write, Year 7 students are taking part in their House football and House netball competitions. We recently held the Maths challenge and they have completed the House General Knowledge quiz this week Coming up is Pancake Race postponed from before half term break due to the awful weather I look forward to seeing them compete in this, I’m sure they don’t know what to expect but this has always had a large turnout of supporters and some very competitive participants Wishing them all lots of luck for a lovely day

Of course, amidst all these fun and extra-curricular events is the academic side to school life I am very impressed by the students focus and work ethic, especially at such a young age and often have feedback from their teachers that they are a pleasure to teach As a Year group, they are enthusiastic and determined to do well

A quick mention of End of Year exams, due to commence on the 13th of May Students have already had support in PHSCE lessons and tutor time for revision techniques, study skills, and managing their stress levels The main aim is for these exams to be used as a tool to support their learning Students can experiment with revision techniques, so they know what helps them the most and get support with time management and planning Students can always ask for help from their tutors if they have any questions or concerns about this element of the academic experience

Kerry Varney, Housemistress (Year 7)

Curriculum

Updates

In support of the Book Trust’s Bookbuzz scheme, all Year 7 and 8 pupils have been given an opportunity to choose their own book to take home and keep from a list of 16 titles The scheme was launched in an assembly before the end of the Michaelmas term, at which a number of pupils and staff spoke enthusiastically about the books they love or were reading at the time The texts on the Bookbuzz list are all carefully selected by a panel of experts to ensure quality, suitability and to encourage reading for pleasure

This term in the Modern Foreign Languages department we were pleased to welcome a trainee teacher as part of the National Modern Languages SCITT programme Brenda Pino joined us for her second placement at the start of January and will be with us until mid-June Working with trainees is an opportunity for us all here to help someone get off to a great start in their career, whilst also listening to fresh ideas ourselves

Psycholog

After graduating, Lucy worked as so we heard what life is like worki various challenges, often due to a This experience aided Lucy with h application and we were thrilled to and now hopes to be accepted on Psychology We wish her the very forward to inviting her back to hea

Molly wrote: “It was great having L she told us all about her time study g p y gy and how she found volunteering opportunities within th psychology field Her experience as an assistant psychol super interesting to hear about and has helped me think what I might want to do in the future Ella commented: As someone applying to do a psycholog it was great to talk to someone who's been through the p Some great stories from her journey so far, as well as som advice for the future!"

Hilary Arimoro, Head of Psychology and Housemistress

ComputerScience

The Lent Term is always a busy time for exam years, and for the first time in the Computer Science department we have four academic years all taking exams

Our Year 9 students are part-way through their Entry Level qualification; having already taken their Computer Systems exams they are now hard at work preparing for their Computational Thinking exams and working on their projects Year 11 are on their final approach to GCSEs in June

Our Year 12 students will be the first group at Wellingborough School to take the Cambridge International AS level examination this year, followed by their A2 level examinations next year Year 13 are preparing to take their A level examinations, and also putting the finishing touches to their non-exam assessment projects

Earlier in the academic year I wrote about the Bebras international computational thinking competition, in which our students achieved excellent results across the age groups Every year, students who attain a result in the top ten percent of Bebras competitors nationally are invited to take part in the Oxford University Computing Challenge The Oxford University Computing Challenge is a UK-wide competition organised by Hertford College, Oxford Competitors have to write computer programs to solve problems of increasing complexity This year, a record 20,795 students took part in the OUCC across four age groups, and Wellingborough School fielded an impressive 22 competitors across three of the four age groups Three of our competitors achieved Merit awards in the competition, significantly above the national average, and they are pictured below following the presentation of their certificates by the Headmaster

Geography

We finish the term saying goodbye to one of our department colleagues, Mr Wiseman Mr Wiseman's teaches the A level course and his passion for Geography is always shown through his enthusiastic teaching particularly noticeable on our Year 12 London Trip last week Mr Wiseman led this trip and shared his extensive knowledge and interest in urban Geography Mr Wiseman will be missed by his Year 12 class and his colleagues in the department, but we wish him every success at his new school

Sociology

February half term witnessed me rather fortunately stepping foot on the 7th continent, only fairly recently discovered itself, and better known as Antarctica They say ‘the only way is up’ but I can assure you from the distance I travelled from my home in Northampton, it was the closet to the south pole I was ever going to get and certainly down This was the last expedition voyage of the summer season, and by the time you read this, it is now likely to be a mass of ice and inaccessible to human life, bar those few surveyors on the continent who stay for winter for sustained observation and scientific research and endeavours

As a human, a social interactionist, I am now proud to be 1 of 0 005% of the global population with such a privilege It was the most unimaginable thing to do, and my soul is nourished and fulfilled as a result, it was a dream come true My stories and experiences will undoubtedly enrich and inspire students of Sociology and all those wonderful young people I am fortunate enough to teach and meet

The expedition team itself was a diverse demographic, along with the diversity of the expedition cruise passengers The youngest being aged 20, the eldest, 94 My tales are already enlivening my teaching and students naturally have 101 questions about how vast and of course what it was like I am now an Antarctic Ambassador and cannot help but draw parallels from my polar desert experience to the inhabited world We live in such a vast and diverse world; I continue to encourage all Year 12 students to get involved and make plans to open their minds and be curious of the blend and hybridism of cultures of all those who migrate and inhabit our planet The marine and bird life was a priority for me whilst down there and of course not to forget the wonder of the awesome icebergs

Back firmly in Wellingborough Year 12 pupils are delving into theoretical concepts in relation to families and households in the UK It can be hard to get your head around that, ‘ one size fits all’ when it comes to choice, longevity of personal relationships Does it really matter as long as we are truly happy? The curriculum routes for this new A level have well and truly been explored and travelled academically this term Key theories and concepts within are slowly being embedded and are more secure with the passage of time Sociology Sixth Form students in Year 12 have been exploring the gains and pitfalls of all types of research methodology with Mrs Woodard This has witnessed Year 12 analysing statistics, looking for trends and patterns and how we need to be careful and cautious as to how we can interpret them set of data validate a theoretical perspective and or how can it be se bias and unconvincing? Just some of the challenges faced by stude recently: is quantitative data more reliable than qualitative and who An ongoing problem in society, one could argue

As part of the Education topic delivered by Mrs Arimoro, students h enjoying their learning and further exploring all things in relation to learning and outcomes Scary really when students have to be inves and evaluative and even, introspective themselves given the subjec They focus on school performances whilst being on roll at Wellingb School themselves Achievement and gender, achievement and eth some hot topic areas of debate Students have experienced varied a learning styles, which witnessed some more recently playing teach carrying out whole class presentations Sociology students presente professionally and confidently They were rated by class mates, lear one another enhancing peer to peer engagement, learning with and

A few Year 12 students have asked for support with their work expe placements for later in the academic year which is really encouragi g Perhaps this new A level is just about having the intended impact of broadening the horizon of choice for our sixth form curriculum offer University choices, courses and careers are being considered and talked about and if that is not testament to its academic value and rigour, I am not sure what is

Nigel Corrigan, Head of Sociology

Classics

It has been a busy term for the Latin GCSE and A level students, who have been working hard on revision for their mocks and have been attending weekly clinics in preparation for their upcoming exams We have now finished all of the course content and students are looking forward to having some dedicated time to revise and the opportunity to create resources – we have flash cards and coloured pens at the ready! The Year 11 students have taken an active lead in their revision lessons, by preparing a handout on a chosen grammar topic and then teaching the rest of the class about it I was impressed with their clear explanations and the way they handled some challenging questions from their peers, which thoroughly tested them They each received lots of positive feedback and the opportunity to be more independent in their learning proved to be an excellent way of revising – I think we may have some budding teachers in the group! Year 10 are making excellent progress and have shown great dedication in learning the vocabulary for their weekly tests, as illustrated through the number of stickers we seem to be getting through – well done to Lauren Reeves who has not dropped a single mark on a vocab test so far this year! We have a variety of revision methods in use, from flash cards to online quizzes, but the key is little and often, as Year 11 will be able to attest to!

Lower down the school, the theme of revision continues as Year 7 have achieved some impressive results across the board in their recent assessment, demonstrating the strong foundations they have made this year, and we hope to see lots of students opt to continue their learning of Latin next year In Year 8, students have been exploring the ancient world a little closer to home, as we have been looking at how Britain changed following the Roman invasion in AD 43 It’s exciting to know that we have this history right on our doorstep in the form of the ancient site that is currently being excavated at Chester House Estate (which Year 8 students visited last year when they were in Year 7) and Northamptonshire even gets a mention in our textbook! Year 9 have continued to explore Virgil’s epic poem, ‘The Aeneid’, and have produced some excellent translations which re-tell the story of Aeneas and his journey to fulfil his destiny

As we have reached the end of Lent, we look forward to what Trinity term entails (hopefully including a competition for Years 7 and 8) and also wish our exam groups the best of luck

Emily Amos, Head of Classics

History

The History Department welcomed Mrs Ovenden this term and we love the energy, rigour and enthusiasm she has already shown with her Year 7 and 9 History classes Year 13 deserve a big well done, as they had clearly put in some dedicated revision over the Christmas holidays Their mock exams (last week) confirmed that even in the pressure of the exam hall, they can all write essays which are fully analytical, stylish and highly persuasive It is a pleasure to see how this skill has developed over two years and it will be of great benefit to them, whatever their chosen career The task now for Lent and Trinity terms is to build the speed of their factual recall, so that the excellent analysis is supported Year 12 had a shock this week, when the seldom heard words 'role play' were used in a History lesson The use of humour and novelty can bring a flattish topic alive, so we have embarked on a comedy role play about the religious resistance to Charles I's imposition of Laudianism in the 1630s Sellotaped-on clipped ears to represent Prynne, Burton and Bastwick's punishment was a highlight Recent assessments have shown that all pupils have made strong progress in their nuanced and supported evaluations of historical sources They are all signposting their answers, which enables the examiner/reader to effortlessly understand their line of argument, which is indicative of one of the skills of a top grade answer

Year

12 History

Year 11 are moving very nicely through the last of their four GCSE topics; Power and the People It is quite challenging, as it looks thematically at moments of change 1170-present day The themes include the role of significant individuals, religion, taxation, war and violence We aim to finish the course by February half term and then start structured revision Targeted clinics for all Historians are now underway each week, with each pupil assigned to a group, which may not be their class teacher Attendance has been a very pleasing 100% I'm hoping that parents have been asked if question structure posters can be stuck up in bedrooms, so that some subliminal revision can take place Year 10 are into the swing of all things GCSE History They moved to their second topic 'America 1920-1973' at the end of Michaelmas term We are currently assessing the causes and consequences of Prohibition and we then move on to the Wall Street Crash, Great Depression and FDR's New Deal Their language in exam answers is much more precise and whilst we bore ourselves with how many times we ask for 'this meant that ' ; 'this led to ' ; 'this suggests that ' , it always elevates answers and means they are analytical, rather than descriptive

Firstly, thank you to every student who entered the Art Competition!

We had some fantastic entries this year from both Year 7 and Year 8, it was a really strong field, we were delighted to see such a range of media and ideas

Every student who entered the Art Competition has been given a commendation for their efforts

Our winners were chosen by Mr Holman, and each received an Art Pack:

Year 7 Winner – Elise Pettican

Year 8 Winner – Isabelle Aldwinckle

Many thanks again to everyone who entered:

Year 7 – Elise Pettican, Olivia Zhao, Oscar Lim, Ola Onakoya, Nathaniel Davis

Year 8 - Poppy Jones, Josh Strutton, Olivia Odell, Beatrice Swanson, Isabelle Baxby, Isabelle Aldwinckle, Levi Cox.

Please keep an eye out for the next art competition!

London Trip

The Year 12 London Trip was a great success. We started off in The City heading East through Spitalfields market, Brick Lane, North Greenwich where we took the cable car across the river and ended up at Stratford. Students gained more insight into changes and issues in urban areas such as regeneration and residential segregation which relates to their Settlement topic.