Head’s Welcome

The Autumn term has been one of innovation and restoration, with both impulses propelled by our desire to define the School for 2021-22 around the needs of its community, after 18 months of being shaped by powerful external factors.

Before reflecting on achievements since September, I salute the 2021 Upper Sixth leavers and Year 11 students for their excellent results: they worked hard against a challenging backdrop and showed a fabulous standard of attainment through our rigorous system of Teacher Assessed Grades. They have my admiration for their positive attitude and resilience, and their teachers my thanks for guiding them through the process.

Our major innovation has been the introduction of Infant classes at Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, making WGS an all-through school for the first time in our 509-year history. We were prepared for a gentle start but demand was so high that we opened up in September with 47 children across the three classes – twice our initial assumption. All our youngest children are making fantastic progress, and I am in awe of the work being done with them by Mr Peters, Head of Junior School, the class teachers Mr Griffiths, Mrs Stanton and Mrs D’Arcy, and all the teaching assistants and other support staff. It is incredible how naturally the Infant children have fitted in: for many of us, it already feels as they have always been part of the School.

In the Senior School, students from Year 8 to Upper Sixth are relishing their new Houses, Jenyns, Moreton, Nechells and Offley: a system which was part of the School until the 1990s, redesigned and relaunched for September 2021 as our pastoral organising principle to enhance continuity of care and to allow for more fun competition across a range of endeavours from sport, tug-of-war, photography, baking and quizzing to name just a few. As with the Infants, the system is already so fully embraced by students and staff that it is hard to believe it is actually new.

Extra-curricular activities, such an important part of WGS life, have been firmly restored for all ages and interests. As The Independent goes to press, I am looking forward to attending my first Christmas Concert ‘in real life’. Over in the Hutton, rehearsals are well advanced for A Midsummer Night’s Dream next term, with Mr Tyler and Mr Wood promising an interpretation to lift all spirits. There has been plenty of enjoyable and successful sport for girls and boys across various disciplines. I have just returned from Wycliffe College in Gloucestershire where we played an inaugural senior mixed hockey match: an interesting insight into the way some opportunities in school sport may now be moving.

Finally, I am sad to say that Mrs Carrie Bennett has decided to step down from her post as Director of Marketing & Communications, to concentrate on her recovery following an extremely challenging cancer diagnosis one year ago. Mrs Bennett joined WGS in 2014 and has served the School not only with exceptional professionalism and skill but also great love and kindness. She renewed our website and promotional materials, led a caring and effective team encompassing Admissions, Marketing and Reception, brilliantly managed all the School’s communications and publications, and played a leading part in our move to Firefly, iPads and wider digitisation which served us all so well during the pandemic. Just as important as the many achievements that Mrs Bennett has to her name at WGS is the fact that she found time to be a friend to so many: a wise counsellor to colleagues throughout the School; a reassuring point of contact for parents, especially when new; a patient and compassionate figure for students. I know I speak for our whole community when I wish her the very best for her continued return to full health.

Alex Frazer Head

A cause close to their hearts

On Saturday 30th October, Upper Sixth students Rosie Bennett, Katie Goodridge, Anya Rogers and Katie Joyner took part in the Race for Life Pretty Muddy 5k muddy obstacle course.

The team have now raised over £2,200 for Cancer Research UK after scrambling over the A-frame and crawling through the mud pit!

If you would like to make a donation and help raise valuable funds for life-saving research against Cancer, please visit: https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk. org/team/rosie-and-katies

A new era for Wolverhampton Grammar School

Wolverhampton Grammar School officially became an all-through, co-educational independent school at the start of the academic year as we welcomed children in Reception, Year and Year 2.

The children have flourished during their first term at School taking part in a range of activities in and outside of the classroom, from celebrating key festivals in Reception to learning about Castles, Kings & Queens in Year 1, and being introduced to the Recorder in Year 2. We're incredibly proud of all our children for embracing School life so well.

NEED TO GET IN TOUCH?

There are still various ways that you can remain in contact with School over the festive period:

Email correspondence via info@wgs-sch.net

Telephone: 01902 421326

Parent Portal Social Media: @WGS1512

Wolverhampton Grammar School Official

Wolverhampton Grammar School Wolverhampton Grammar School

If you, or your child, is having any technical difficulties with the Portal or work set online, contact School by using any of the channels above and we will ask the IT team to contact you.

If your child is a student at our School and you have a COVID related question or query, please email covid@wgs-sch.net

Term resumes again on Monday 10th January (a ‘red week’ for the two week timetable).