An Introduction to Wisbech Grammar School
An all-round education that inspires‌
An all-round education that inspires… At Wisbech Grammar School, academic excellence is at the heart of our educational approach. We believe that educational development is not simply confined to the classroom or laboratory, but can be found in the art rooms, drama studios, sports fields and music rooms. We go beyond the narrow confines of exam specifications, giving a unique, all-round educational experience. The School has fantastically talented teaching staff, who develop a strong rapport with pupils, enabling them to negotiate their own individual learning pathways. Pupils at both the Prep School, Magdalene House, and the Senior School are positively encouraged to discover and follow their passions. The holistic education offered across the School provides the ideal foundation for fulfilling potential at school, university and beyond.
Our scholarship and bursary programmes enable children who excel, either academically or across a breadth of areas, to experience all that the School has to offer and to fulfil their potential. Bursaries provide financial assistance to pupils who would not otherwise be able to take up the offer of a place, and may be awarded alongside a scholarship.
To really experience all that is inspiring about Wisbech Grammar School, we encourage you to visit when we are in session. Please contact the Admissions Team to arrange a tour and to meet both staff and pupils.
“A dynamic and progressive school with passionate and caring staff; achieving great results in the East of England and far beyond.” Parent of children in Prep School and Senior School
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Wisbech Grammar Academic
Wisbech Grammar School is a community populated by individuals instilled with a sense of purpose and passion. We are proud to be one of the oldest academically selective HMC & IAPS day schools in the country and offer our pupils a most remarkable learning experience. Beneath the surface, key components explain why we continue to perform at the highest level in both exam results and pupils successfully going on to study at their first choice university.
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We send pupils to Oxbridge, Medical, Veterinary and Dentistry schools as well as Ivy League universities in America. We also provide support and advice to pupils wishing to pursue alternative onward journeys. Education at Wisbech Grammar School is a journey where each pupil learns to take responsibility for his or her own learning. We encourage pupils to be involved in all areas of the curriculum and part of our success is undoubtedly due to the commitment of our incredibly talented staff.
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Wisbech Grammar Co-curricular
The School’s educational philosophy is rooted in an understanding that each pupil has different strengths and distinct qualities. Our primary focus is to develop these strengths, instilling a passion for learning and educating in the broadest sense, an example being a pupil’s journey through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme from Bronze to Gold. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme is the world’s leading youth enrichment award, giving our pupils the opportunity to be the very best they can be.
Sport WGS offers an all-inclusive sports curriculum that gives every pupil the opportunity to engage in sport at all levels. We offer team sports including Rugby, Hockey, Netball, Cricket and Athletics, as well as a range of individual sports and fitness sessions. With our Elite Sports Programme, we offer pupils who want to pursue sport at a higher level expert coaching with our team of highly qualified sports coaches along with support from our Strength and Conditioning Team including our Physiotherapist.
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Performing Arts Performing Arts is an extremely popular element of our extended curriculum and many of our pupils take advantage of the variety of school productions and stage performances; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was a huge success and played to a nightly full house at The Angles Theatre in Wisbech. The Music Department also play a prominent role within the School with orchestras, choirs, steel bands, bespoke instrument tuition and performances throughout the year showcasing the multitude of musical talents within the School. Our Dance Studio offers pupils access to top level coaching from visiting dance companies.
Co-curricular Clubs We offer many options for pupils to enjoy an extensive array of clubs as part of their timetabled curriculum with the school day from Archaeology to Astronomy, Philosophy to Politics, Shakespeare to Steel Band and Young Enterprise to Young Engineers.
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Early Years
Prep School
Discover who you are… Early Years
Prep School
The first years of a child’s life are when the foundations are laid to pave the way through their educational journey.
As children progress through Prep School, they have the opportunity to flourish and reach their true potential through extended learning, confidence building and a commitment to succeed. Dedicated staff focus on each child as an individual, discovering their strengths and weaknesses to encourage them on their learning journey so that they reach Senior School as confident, academically curious and effective learners.
When children enter our Kindergarten the values of the EYFS curriculum are embraced to provide your child with a stimulating, child-led environment encouraging their thirst for knowledge and understanding of the world. In the Early Years there are three aspects to the Learning Environment: The Indoor, The Outdoor and The Emotional. In our Kindergarten, we consider all these aspects to be equally important and have developed our learning spaces to encourage independent learning in all areas of the EYFS curriculum.
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“We celebrate the many achievements of our children in and outside of school. Failure is part of learning and with us children are encouraged to deal with that positively so they are prepared for the next challenge with a sense of ‘I can do’.” Keryn Neaves Senior Deputy Head, Magdalene House
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Senior School
Discover who you are… Lower School
Middle School
The Lower School begins with ‘Manor Adventure’ in Norfolk - a weekend of challenging activities and friend-making, which is a fantastic start to the Senior School.
It is in the Middle School that specialism really begins to show in pupils as their selected subjects are explored in much greater detail at GCSE level. Pupils are taught study skills before they embark on their exams in order to allow them to understand how best they can achieve their academic goals. The pursuit of extracurricular interests, whether they be dramatic, musical, sporting, charitable volunteering or schemes such as The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards, continues to be encouraged as these provide a release from the pressure of academic study and enriches all-around personal development.
The adventure continues throughout the Lower School, where pupils are inspired to work and play hard. Academic study is at the heart of much of what we do, but we also focus on developing existing interests and skills and fashioning new ones. Participation in sport, drama and music are encouraged and pupils’ contributions across these areas are celebrated. “As Section Head I am responsible for all things related to the well-being and success of our pupils from 1st Form (Year 7) to 3rd Form (Year 9). The typical size of a tutor group in the Lower School is around 20, which means pupils get to know their tutor really well, and vice versa.” Tom Calow Head of Lower School
“In order to achieve their very best in the classroom, it is vitally important for pupils to strive to find a balance with outside-theclassroom activities. With our small tutor groups, pupils have one to one contact with their Form Tutor enabling the Tutor to support their pastoral and academic needs.” Al Duncan Head of Middle School
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6th Form
Discover who you are… 6th Form Academic learning is at the heart of everything we do, but our 6th Form is about opening as many doors as possible for pupils and making their next step one that makes the most of their potential.
but at the same time they are also looking for life skills, employability, resilience, initiative, and independence – and that’s exactly what our 6th Form experience delivers.
We encourage pupils to look beyond the classroom and prepare 6th Form pupils for the wider world with a lot more than a series of impressive results. Universities and employers acknowledge that academic achievement is very important,
Our pupils take ownership of their learning by furthering their profile academically and indulging their interests outside the classroom. By taking on leading roles such as Senior Prefect, Team Captain or leading an extra-curricular activity, they demonstrate responsibility and maturity. Similarly, more pupils than ever before are taking The Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver or Gold Awards, which shows fantastic lifeskills and commitment.
“Wisbech Grammar School 6th Form provides an environment in which pupils are able to reach their full potential. I feel constantly challenged to push myself to exceed what is expected. I have learned so much about myself and what I am capable of through the continued support that is provided. The School is special for so many reasons; the incredible people I have met, the opportunities given to me and the sense of community embodied throughout.”
Through a holistic education, pupils leave the 6th Form with both the skills and mind-set needed to enter the ‘real world’ with confidence.
Maddie Booth Former 6th Form pupil
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Wisbech Grammar Scholarships
Scholarships are awarded to talented and dedicated pupils who show outstanding potential academically, or who represent the School’s ethos of an inspiring all-round education through contributions both in the classroom and either across Art, Drama, Music or Sport. There are two types of scholarships available at Wisbech Grammar School – Academic Scholarships and All-Rounder Scholarships. There are three entry points for both types of scholarships - Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12. Where a scholarship is awarded, a fee remission of £1,000 per annum is offered, rising to £1,500 per annum for 6th Form pupils. Our Academic Scholars are high achievers academically and All-Round Scholars are very strong academically but also offer a specialism in Art, Drama, Music or Sport. Scholars will be expected to attend academic based extracurricular activities and enrichment lectures, as well as being seen as positive role models for other pupils.
How to apply for a scholarship? Our Scholarship Programme is open to all existing pupils at Wisbech Grammar School and prospective pupils who may wish to consider our School. Parents of prospective pupils are asked to register and complete the standard admissions process. They can then apply to be considered for a scholarship, alongside our existing pupils’ applications. Those applicants who meet the scholarship requirements will be invited to attend the annual scholarship assessment week in January/February of the year before entry.
All-Rounder Scholars would be expected to meet the following criteria Drama: demonstrate notable success in, and an aptitude for, drama. Applicants are likely to have made a notable recent contribution to drama at their present school or in wider dramatic activities. Art: show great potential within the field of art and design as demonstrated through outstanding abilities, evidence of a creative and inventive mind at work, and a passion for the world of art around them. Music: show musical potential, for example, a Year 7 candidate would be expected to have Grade 5, Year 9 candidate at least Grade 6, and a Year 12 candidate should have the potential to achieve Grade 8 during the 6th Form. Sport: make a significant contribution through competing at a high standard in their chosen sport, typically County standard or above, and at A-team level in other sports.
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The process for admission in 5 simple steps
“We understand that choosing the right school and getting the right support for your child is a big decision and the Admissions Team is here to help you every step of the way.” Sandra Taylor Head of Marketing and Admissions
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Visit us
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Register
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Taster days & entrance assessment
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Offer
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Join the School
You are more than welcome to visit the School to experience what makes us special. This could be at one of our Open Events or an individual visit at your convenience.
Register your child for admission by completing our Registration Form and paying the Registration Fee. Bursary and Scholarship Application Packs may also be requested.
Once registered, your child can attend a taster day with their prospective year group. During the day they will experience the exciting curriculum and extra-curricular activities available. Your child will also sit the entrance assessment and meet with the Headmaster.
We will contact you to let you know if we are able to offer your child a place.
The start of your child’s educational journey with us begins once you have accepted a place. You and your child will be invited to our Welcome Events and become part of our School community.
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Further Information To experience all that Wisbech Grammar School has to offer you and your child, we welcome individual visits where you can have a tour of the School and meet the Headmaster. The next step is to register for admission using the Registration Form, which will be provided on enquiry. We will then arrange a taster day for your child to join a class and experience life as a pupil, followed by an entrance assessment.
If you have any questions related to admission to the School, please do not hesitate to contact the Admissions Team: 01945 586 750 admissions@wisbechgrammar.com You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter @wisbechgrammar to keep up to date with all of our pupils’ achievements and news about the School.
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Wisbech Grammar School Chapel Road Wisbech PE13 1RH 01945 586 750 admissions@wisbechgrammar.com wisbechgrammar.com