WGS shares World Book Day with Cressida Cowell and over 750 pupils from 20 schools across the region
ALSO IN THIS EDITION: Year 6 Adventures in Arthog
Sixth Formers visit Morocco to teach primary school children
Triumphant return of the House Talent Show Competition
Welcome to the latest edition of ‘The Independent’, showcasing news, events and activities from Wolverhampton Grammar School over the Spring Term.
This term, our expanded Careers Department has been hard at work opening students’ eyes to a wide variety of sectors and professional opportunities. A group of nine Year 11 and Sixth Form students took part in a virtual work experience scheme in investment banking which kept them busy over eight lunchtimes. Students from Year 9 to Upper Sixth attended a Psychology and Public Services Careers Fair at School, speaking to representatives from the West Midlands Police, the West Midlands Ambulance Service and the Armed Forces among other employers.
March was Creative Networking Month, giving students the chance to engage during lessons and lunchtime talks with a number of professionals from the creative industries which, with around 2.3 million jobs, make up 6% of the UK economy. Among our visitors we welcomed former WGS students: actor and singer Me’sha Bryan (OW 2001) and music executive Jonathan Badyal (OW 2007), along with Birmingham-born author Mike Gayle and the artist Zarah Hussain. 32 Year 8 students enjoyed an eye-opening visit to Sky Studios in London, where they learned about careers in television and audiovisual media.
The Spring Term has also provided plenty for us all to enjoy in the creative and performing arts. Our excellent class of Lower Sixth A Level Art students exhibited their work to great acclaim in the Viner Gallery, and a select group of Art students contributed to an exhibition of sculptural projects at the Newhampton Arts Centre in Wolverhampton. Meanwhile, on the stage, Years 3 and 4 put on an entertaining portrayal of Hansel and Gretel and the Senior production Shakespeare in Love
played to three sell-out audiences. An uplifting Dance Showcase provided exceptional feel-good entertainment over two nights in the penultimate and last weeks of term, featuring individual dancers and groups from Year 3 to Upper Sixth. Also in the last week of term, the Spring Concert offered an engaging and enjoyable programme of instrumental and vocal performances.
The desire to reach out and make a positive contribution to society, close to home and further afield, continues to inspire and motivate large numbers of our students. Charity fundraising is driven by well-attended committees and clubs in both Junior and Senior School as well as by the new Diversity Champions group in Senior School. The annual Coast 2 Coast Challenge, celebrating its 25th year, is well into the training stage. The team has chosen to run in support of Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity, and there has been a strong start to fundraising; more details are on page 21. Between its inception at WGS in 1999 and this year’s anniversary outing, 248 students will have completed the challenge alongside countless members of staff and parent supporters, covering 4,280 miles between them and raising over £100,000 for 25 different charities. It’s a wonderful tradition, and we shall look forward to the next 25 years!
Year 6 students have continued their Friday afternoon litterpicking missions around Bantock Park and other nearby spaces, garnering much praise from members of the public. Opportunities for Senior School students continue to expand, including the ongoing Discover Reading Project run by Head Librarian Mrs Rowley in conjunction with our partners at Southern Connecticut State University: following a period of training, Sixth Formers are working with reluctant readers and their families from a number of our partner primary schools,
improving their reading confidence and their desire to read for pleasure. This academic year, I have been delighted to forge a link with an educational charity in Morocco, which enabled an inaugural group of Lower Sixth Formers to spend their February half-term teaching English to children at a primary school in the countryside outside Marrakech. They had a truly life-changing experience, which you can read about on page 14.
Finally, huge congratulations to our Under-11 boys (Year 6) who outplayed a number of tough opposition schools to emerge as regional champions in their Independent Schools’ Football Association age-group. I wish them the best of luck for the national finals in May!
Alex Frazer Head
Congratulations to Lower Sixth student, Jaipal Uppal, who has been elected as the Chair of Wolverhampton Youth Council.
Jaipal and fellow Sixth Form student, Stefan Pataki, joined the Youth Council in September, after being nominated by WGS History and Government & Politics teacher, Mr Taylor, to represent the School. Jaipal and Stefan were amongst 50 other young people aged 11-18 from across the city who attended a ceremony at the Civic Centre’s Council Chamber in November to be officially named and welcomed by the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Sandra Samuels.
Wolverhampton Youth Council has been in operation for 20 years, with this year’s
group being the largest membership recorded. The Youth Council meet once a fortnight to discuss issues and projects within the local community, alongside attending additional events such as scrutiny panels with Wolverhampton Council and youth summits. Current projects and issues that the Youth Council are discussing include recycling and the cost of living.
Both Jaipal and Stefan are hopeful of a future career in politics and we wish them the best of luck in their endeavours. We are very proud of their involvement in the Youth Council and look forward to seeing the projects they help to get underway.
Congratulations to Year 9 students: Trishna, Sophia, Riches and Sanuka who were selected as finalists to represent the School in the Year 9 Aristotelian Award.
Congratulations to 15 of our Year 11 and Sixth Form students who have been awarded for their achievements in the British Physics Olympiad (BPhO) competitions hosted by the University of Oxford. These prestigious competitions are designed to encourage the study of physics and recognise excellence in young physicists.
Upper Sixth students, Olu and Vishwas, participated in Round One of the Senior BPhO in November and both achieved a Silver award, putting them in the top 36% of the 2,830 students who took part nationally.
This was followed by 13 Year 11 students taking part in the Intermediate Physics Challenge Online. George, Marc and
Mason achieved a gold award, placing them in the top 16.8% out of 5,653 students nationally. Six students received a silver award, and four achieved bronze.
Thank you to Mrs Wainwright for encouraging and organising the entrants and well done to all our students.
The Award, which is in its second year, was launched by The Perse School in Cambridge to promote the development of independent research skills in young people. Children in Year 9 from across the UK were invited to write a 1,500word essay chosen from five titles in two categories: Arts/Humanities or Sciences.
All Year 9 students at WGS entered a School competition, from which four finalists were selected by Assistant Head, Mr Yarnley, to enter the main competition on behalf of WGS. WGS Head, Mr Frazer, congratulated the students and presented them with prizes.
We await the results of the national competition and wish all our finalists good luck.
Reading for pleasure was royally celebrated on Thursday 2nd March, as over 750 school children from 20 schools across the region joined our Year 5 and 6 students at a special World Book Day event with the much-loved children’s author and World Book Day Trustee, Cressida Cowell. A packed Wolverhampton Grand Station was a sea of colour with costumes ranging from the BFG, Anne of Green Gables and Cruella de Vil to Willy Wonka, Where’s Wally and many more!
The How to Train Your Dragon author and Waterstones Children’s Laureate (2019-2022) Cressida Cowell spoke to the children about her latest children’s book Which Way to Anywhere, inspiring them to have the confidence to put their own stories down on paper and to read as much as possible for pleasure. In sharing her personal journey to becoming a best-selling author, Cressida excited the young audience with her tales of magical worlds and linked a love of reading to being successful in life, regardless of background.
As an ambassador for the National Literacy Trust, Cressida told us that for one in seven children, a World Book Day book is the first book they will own. At WGS we are so lucky to have the wonderful Mrs Rowley and Mr McAllister organising events and activities through the Jenyns Library but this is not the case nationally where only one in seven primary schools has their own library. It was therefore extra special to share our World Book Day celebrations at Grand Station and to see every child gifted a signed, hard-back copy of Cressida’s latest book, thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Merchant Taylors’ Foundation.
Following Cressida Cowell’s author visit, our pupils have started to draw maps showcasing the whereabouts of events in the books they are reading, once again showing that true passion for reading and its vivid impact on our children’s imagination. Many thanks for your continued commitment to inspiring a community of young readers across Wolverhampton, Zoe and the WGS team.
Returning to Wolverhampton Grammar School, it was the turn of Years 3 and 4 to take part in a draw-a-long with Cressida in the Jenyns Library. They were able to ask her lots of questions and it was a fantastic end to a busy day of World Book Day activities in the Junior School.
We thank Mrs Rowley and Mr McAllister for their amazing work in pulling this huge event together and bringing World Book Day to life. We hope you enjoy the photos which capture some of the wonderful book costumes and the event at Grand Station.
Cressida Cowell’s bestselling series, How to Train Your Dragon has been the focus
for this term’s Discover Reading Project. Supported by our fantastic team of Sixth Formers, children and their parents from Merridale and Caldmore Primary Schools have taken part in interactive story sessions and designed and made their own dragons. The Discover Reading Project is delivered at WGS in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University and is designed to boost literacy skills whilst inspiring reading for pleasure. Families all receive free books and resources to enable them to continue their reading journeys at home.
In addition, to ensure that all students were truly inspired to read on World Book Day, the Jenyns Library distributed free World Book Day books to students across the Junior and Senior Schools.
Enjoying the World Book Day event at Grand Station.
Throughout the term, members of BBC Young Reporter Club have been finalising their entries for this year’s competition. It has been fascinating to learn about the news stories that matter to our community. This year’s entries include topics surrounding musical theatre and a lack of engagement from boys, the impact of food allergies on eating out, and the link between heading a football and dementia. As part of this year’s research, we have supported our students to undertake interviews with specialists.
Young Reporter members interviewed the UK Executive Director of the Concussion Legacy Foundation and OW Alastair Norton, who successfully established his own theatre company after graduating from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.
On Tuesday 31st January, students visited Heavenly Desserts in Wolverhampton to interview an allergy specialist. In addition to gaining a valuable insight into how they safely prepare food for customers suffering from nut allergies and coeliac disease, students were treated to a selection of their delicious desserts.
Other interviews have seen BBC
Towards the end of term, we were excited to work with BBC Young Reporter to put on an event during National Careers Week. Students from St. Peter’s Collegiate School, Codsall High School, Aldersley High School and Coppice Performing Arts School joined our Year 11 for a day of media skills. Topics included finding out about fake news, disinformation and the tools to help navigate news; content creation sessions, podcasting and information about the skills and experience needed to work in the creative industries. Activities and workshops were delivered by a range of BBC staff from BBC News and local radio, alongside BBC Academy trainers.
Over 500 children in Years 3 - 11 from across Wolverhampton entered this year’s Wolverhampton Young Authors’ Prize competition, organised by WGS librarians Mrs Rowley and Mr McAllister. They were asked to write an original 400-word short story based around the theme of ‘Hope’. 108 Finalists from WGS and seven local schools were invited to attend the Grand Final which was held in Big School on Tuesday 14th February.
Award-winning children’s author, Cliff McNish, attended the event to share his advice with the budding young authors and to announce the winners who have had their stories read and recorded by Cliff himself. Cliff is best-known for his debut fantasy series The Doomspell Trilogy, which has been published in 26 languages worldwide.
Congratulations to Dylan in Year 4 who won the Year 3 – 5 category, with his wonderful short story Cinammon lost at the train station, and Siya who came
runner-up. Elinor in Year 11 was also judged Highly Commended. The winners were delighted to have their stories recorded by Cliff and to receive their trophies. You can read their winning entries on our school website.
Guilherme Karsten delivered a monstrously entertaining presentation to children from Reception to Year 2, along with visiting pupils from Merridale Primary School. As an author and illustrator, Guilherme’s work has been published in over 15 languages. His books have also won worldwide recognition with awards such as the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB)’s Golden Plaque in 2019, the Golden Pinwheel Grand Award (China) in 2019, and the Jabuti Award for ‘Best Illustrated Book’ (Brazil) in 2021.
Guilherme’s event marked the UK launch of his latest book, Are You a Monster? The event featured a draw-along, an interactive story time and a visit from a very special monster from Guilherme’s book.
On Wednesday, 1st February, author Andy Jones visited the Junior School to share his latest book, Bob vs the Selfie Zombies, with children in Years 4 and 5. Andy’s inspiring presentation was filled with creative writing tips, humour and zombies! Children left the event fully enthused to discover more about Bob’s time travelling adventures. Thank you to Merridale Primary School, Christ Church Junior School and St Bartholomew’s Primary School for joining us for this event.
A huge congratulations to the exceptionally talented cast of this year’s Senior Production of Shakespeare in Love. They delivered three successful sold-out performances of the charming
of the Elizabethan theatre in London 1593. It begins with a young William Shakespeare pondering over what he should compare “thee” to…
by wealth and class and the constant possibility of personal and financial disaster. Perhaps not such a far-away world after all!
A very proud Mr Tyler commented, “Taking a film script, which is heavily reliant on visual effect, and translating the same excitement and dramatic action to a stage is a daunting task, but thanks to the wit of the original script, a wonderful set, stunning costumes and a talented and hardworking cast of actors - it was a really great evening of theatre! Love, laughs, sword fights and a comedy dog - what’s not to like?! We were completely sold out each night and the audiences revelled in the fun and energy of this captivating production of Shakespeare in Love. A palpable hit!”
We are now looking forward to the Lower School Production of Macbeth next term. From Wednesday 24th May to Friday 26th May, Years 7-10 will take to the stage in Splendid Theatre Company’s engaging and entertaining one hour reworking of Shakespeare’s classic play. Plenty to look forward to!
Do you know your Tyrannosaurus from your Triceratops? Reception certainly do! Returning to the classroom after the Christmas break, they were greeted by a new dinosaur den which they have had lots of fun playing in.
A visit to West Midlands Safari Park provided a wonderful conclusion to our Spring term learning. Throughout the term, Year 2 had been studying Kenya and Africa in their topic work and art studies, as well as writing about animals in their non-fiction writing. Tour guide Adam was impressed with the facts that the children could recall as he took them on a guided coach tour of the park. The children learnt all manner of fascinating facts including the fact that all the new animals born in the park in a given year have a name with the same initial letter.
In 2023 this is the letter L, and sure enough a baby zebra born the day after the WGJS visit, was named Lola.
Plenty of dinosaur-themed learning activities followed as the children enjoyed learning all about prehistoric reptiles. They drew pictures and discussed their favourite parts of The Dirty Great Dinosaur by Martin Waddell, which they found very funny in places.
In Art this term, Year 1 have studied the works of Italian artist, Arcimboldo, and French artists Paul Cezanne and Henri Matisse. They learnt lots of facts about each artist including about their life growing up, early influences and the style of art they eventually became famous for producing.
Then it was time to plan their own dinosaur adventure stories by setting up new scenes with their small dinosaur figurines. With the help of their dinosaur friends Reception also learnt lots of adjectives such as bumpy, scaly, noisy, and long – well done everyone!
Lily was wondering if any might share her name in the future!
In the afternoon the children had the chance to get up, close and personal with meerkats, lemurs and penguins before watching a sea lion show - the clear highlight of the day.
Mrs D’Arcy was most impressed with the lovely pieces created by the children in the style of each artist – from pictures made with natural materials to still life using watercolours and Matisse-inspired fruit collages our Year 1 artists have a fantastic gallery of work to look back on this term.
Year 3 have thoroughly enjoyed their Humanities studies this term and are now experts on all things Roman! The children discovered how life in Britain changed considerably as the Romans established trading routes and eventually invaded and stayed in Britain. Life in Britain underwent considerable change as the Romans set up housing and a very successful army. Year 3 studied lots of different aspects of life creating mosaics, enjoying a Roman feast and learning about the many Roman gods and goddesses that were worshipped.
Year 4 have produced some fantastic river models in their Humanities lessons. They used card to build the river, painted it and then labelled the key features. They then carried out their own research before writing a nonchronological report on a chosen river, including the Nile, the Ganges and the Amazon. To end their topic the children were tasked with designing their own flood-proof home and came up with some fantastic designs!
The term’s highlight was the day Titus, a Roman Centurion, visited the Junior School. The children were able to try on pieces of Roman armour and handle some weapons and artefacts. They were also instructed how to go into battle and tried out several of the battle formations using shields to create different formations to fend off the enemy.
Following on from their super presentations on natural disasters, Year 5 have been discussing the layers of the earth. They were very focused when they heard that they were going to be using chocolate to help them learn about tectonic plates! Working in groups the children created slides to show the three different movements: convergent, divergent and transverse/conservative with the visual aid of oozing mars bars!
Turn over to read about Year 6’s adventures in Arthog...
At the end of January, Year 6 enjoyed an action-packed few days in Arthog, Wales. Their teamwork skills were tested to the limits and the many challenging activities such as gorge walking and orienteering provided some wonderful adventures.
After tucking into a filling breakfast, the groups were split into underground mining, canoeing, gorge walking and hiking for the first full day of activities.
Mr Palmer’s group scrambled energetically up the floors within an old slate mine, ate lunch by candlelight and found out about the history of the slate industry before emerging at the top of Wrysgan mine, then hiking back down to the minibus.
Burgers and curry to cater to all tastes were wolfed down at dinner before the last activity of the day – the night line –which allowed students the opportunity to show their leadership skills.
After a winding journey and plenty of ‘ooohs’ and ‘aahhhs’ at the beautiful Welsh scenery, Year 6 arrived at Arthog Centre just before 1pm. The children soon knuckled down to the hard task of making beds – not as easy on a top bunk as some found out – their first foray into teamwork!
The first day’s activities ranged from balance games in the rope area, to rope swing group work and a quick walk to the beach. A hearty dinner was followed by a lovely night-time walk along the Fairbourne railway.
Meanwhile, the other groups both had a wonderful time gorge walking and canoeing – two perennial favourites. The gorge provided its usual thrills and spills of freezing water in wellies and culminated in the infamous ‘gorge splash’. Canoeing on the lake was great fun; ball games and races were enjoyed and no matter what the boys say – Mrs Jones won the race!
Miss Gibbons’ group loved their hike over the ‘dragon’s back’ hill of Pared y Cefn Hir with lunch inside a temporary shelter, before making a bushfire and finishing off the day with some beach dune scrambling.
‘Wacky Wednesday’ as the instructors now refer to it, saw the children starting to get a little tired from the challenging activities and later nights. However the day was still as action-packed as any other. The grey, slate town of Blaenau Ffestiniog is well known for its slate mines and two groups went into the Wrsygan mine.
Miss Gibbons’ and Mr Palmer’s groups ventured to a beach slightly further away with excellent ‘slab’ type rocks for scrambling and climbing. The students enjoyed finding crab claws, as well as trying the challenging harnessed climbs as the waves crashed into the shore just metres away.
The evening’s activity was a quieter one: a fun, mini orienteering exercise around the centre, which tired legs, minds and bodies hugely appreciated!
On the last full day Miss Gibbons’, Mr Cothey’s and Mr Palmer’s groups finally got round to the canoeing and gorge walking activities. Canoeing was tricky, with the wind determined to blow everyone onto the far side of the lake. Gorge walking, as ever was exhilarating with some brave souls fully submerging after the mini natural water slide.
Climbing on the beach with Ms Guidotti’s group allowed the opportunity to scale a large rock slab and attempt some ‘weasling’ through boulders which provided some hilarity.
Mrs Jones’ group ventured a little higher into the wind for their climb, with some children proving that scaling the heights in the cold was very much their cup of tea.
In the evening, leader Jay, a legendary storyteller, regaled the children with the story of the Welsh faerie folk under the waterfalls of a Cadair Idris, followed by Abraham Wood’s travellers’ tale of poor old Jack the farmer. It was a wonderful end to a busy week.
Following our successful return to overseas trips in the Autumn term, we were pleased to run two more trips this half-term – a welcome return to the ski slopes in Austria and a brand-new volunteering opportunity in Morocco.
The exciting Moroccan link was forged by French-speaking Head, Alex Frazer on a recent visit to meet with Saâd Baddou of Association Aghbalou, an educational charity, and staff at L’École de Douar Shib, a primary school 15 miles outside Marrakech.
Normale Supérieure de Marrakech (part of the Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech) who are currently studying for teaching degrees; they helped them by translating in Arabic and French when communication barriers arose.
It is believed that this is the first time that anyone has brought school students from overseas to teach and as a result the project attracted the interest of the Moroccan Education Minister and local press. We felt very privileged to be a part of the work that is being sponsored by Association Aghbalou to embed additional educational programmes in the school. Investment has already benefited L’École de Douar Shib with better classroom and playground facilities and our visit was also to serve as good publicity for the inspiring work that is happening there which is certain to have a measurable impact on pupils’ academic and pastoral development.
Ten eager Lower Sixth students were quick to sign up for this once in a lifetime experience and began six weeks of training with Mrs Grigat-Bradley, learning useful teaching skills to equip them for the classroom. Arriving in Morocco, they enjoyed a day of acclimatisation and cultural activities before beginning their programme of teaching. This consisted of three hours of English tuition every morning with other subjects such as Art, Music and Sport taught in the afternoon. Students were supported by students from L’École
Maisie, who is interested in becoming a teacher, found her interests in education were furthered by her time in Morocco and shared her experience: “The children in my class didn’t speak any English but they were able to learn from us and start using words and phrases both inside and outside the classroom. It was rewarding to see the growth in their use of language by the end of the week. It has certainly made me even more determined to pursue a career in teaching.”
This life-changing opportunity has made a truly memorable impression on all the students involved and we look forward to continuing this partnership and seeing many more students benefit from these visits.
Early on a Saturday morning a group of 41 students and six staff, set off to Obertauern for a week’s skiing and other fun activities. After a day of travelling, a warm welcome greeted the group who then set off to explore their rooms before enjoying a traditional Austrian meal.
A fantastic week of skiing was enjoyed by all, with great conditions despite some unusually warm weather. With four ski instructors assigned to the party, there was something to suit everyone based on experience and skill level. Everyone made excellent progress during their four hours of lessons each day. Both beginners’ groups were skiing all the way down the
mountain by the end of the week, and the intermediate and advanced groups tackled many of the harder black slopes on offer at Obertauern.
Après-ski was equally enjoyable with plenty of fun activities arranged for the evenings. The first night was spent bum boarding before enjoying hot chocolate under the stars. Other activities during the week included a quiz and fun challenges and activities in the hotel, a pizza night in a local village where students made their own individual pizza, sports games, bowling and the standout favourite – a visit to the local water park.
On the final day there was just time for a four-mile hike to a local café to enjoy a hot chocolate before catching the coach to the airport.
Skiing was obviously the highlight, but the combination of all the evenings’ activities made for a wonderful trip which was enjoyed by all and will be fondly remembered for a long time. All the instructors, and several members of the hotel, commented on the politeness and thoughtfulness of all of our students, which we were very proud to hear.
This term our WGS artists have been treated to some fantastic opportunities to meet with professional artists. Jamie Millichamp (2019 OW) delivered a Zine workshop with students from across the Senior School. A Zine is similar to a magazine but with a difference - Zines are usually self-published by the writer/ artist/creator rather than commercially sold. They are a collection of images and text, sometimes as a collage, and can be photocopied to make distribution easier. Students explored what a Zine is and how to make one from a single sheet of paper!
Towards the end of term, award-winning contemporary British Portrait Painter, Jane French ran an oil portrait painting workshop over in the Art Studio for our Sixth Form artists. They also benefited from her guidance on the portraits they would be including in their A Level portfolios.
Our Sixth Form Viner Society students led Year 10 artists to select a theme and develop their idea using their chosen materials. They worked as individuals and in small groups to independently
create three-dimensional works. Each piece reflects a subject that was important to them, with work showcasing concepts linked to relationships and the environment. Students’ work will be exhibited as part of a regional project at Newhampton Arts Centre.
Building on traditional Fine Art skills, our own Viner Gallery opened its doors with a Lower Sixth Exhibition combining soft pastel, oil paint and sculpture to explore a diverse range of themes and subject matter from Shakespeare to Horror cinematography.
The Art Department are now busy preparing for the annual Summer Show on Saturday 1st July which traditionally brings together the final pieces of art produced by our A Level and GCSE students. The large scale A Level pieces are all individually hung from the roof of the Hutton Theatre, providing an extraordinary setting for some truly exceptional pieces of work. GCSE student work will be displayed in the spacious Viner Gallery.
Congratulations to all our artists!
At the beginning of March, WGS artists met artist Tom Hicks to learn about his ongoing urban photography project, ‘Black Country Type’ which focuses on words and typography within the post-industrial Black Country landscape. Tom took the students on a short photo walk around the city to capture their own photos. A selection of the work produced will be displayed at Wolverhampton Art Gallery this summer.
Our U11 boys’ football team have continued to enjoy an incredibly successful season following their win at the Plate Competition at the IAPS Nationals in November.
On Wednesday 18th January, they won the Cup at the annual Matty Thacker Football tournament at Winterfold School. Over the course of the day, the team were victorious in all eight of their games, keeping a clean sheet. Their outstanding team performance led to qualification for the Cup Competition which they proceeded to win 5-0 with a thoroughly dominant display in the final.
Following on from this success they went on to win the ISFA Seven-a-Side Midlands competition. The major tournament, hosted by Repton School, saw 13 teams from across the region battle it out to become Midlands Champions. The teams were split into two groups, with the WGJS team facing high quality opposition including RGS The Grange, The Blue Coat School, King’s St Alban’s, The Elms, and Leicester Grammar School.
After winning three of their group matches and narrowly losing one, the team needed to win their final match against RGS The Grange to qualify for the semi-finals. It was an incredibly tense game, but WGS managed to come from 1-0 behind to win 2-1; with thanks to Ted who scored a fantastic equaliser and Harry who scored a freekick in the final minute. The whole team performed exceptionally and played their part in the eventual win, well done Harry, Owen, Zane-Cole, Nolan, James, Aarin, Jayden and Ted.
In the semi-finals, the boys beat a formidable Warwick Junior School team 1-0, progressing to the final where they beat The Elms 1-0. By winning the competition, the team have qualified for the ISFA National Finals which will take place at St George’s Park (the England team’s training centre) on 2 May.
Thank you to Mr Griffiths who has coached the team to success and congratulations to the boys - we wish the team the best of luck for the National Finals.
Congratulations to Lower Sixth student, Ryan, who won a bout in March contributing towards the Midlands Cup by a TKO in the second round. We wish Ryan the best of luck for the rest of the competition.
Ryan is also one of three Sixth Form students who run a weekly MMA club for students in Years 7 and 8.
Girls’ Football at WGS has gone from strength to strength over the past season, with both our U13 and U15 teams qualifying for their respective City Cup Finals. Both finals were played at Compton Park which was a fantastic experience for the girls.
The U13s were runners-up in the City Cup after an incredibly tense final against Our and St Chad Catholic Academy on Monday 20th March; whilst our U15 girls beat St Edmunds 6-0 in the Cup semi-final and also went on to play a very strong Our Lady and St Chad Catholic Academy side in the final, finishing as runners-up.
In the boys’ competitions, there have been mixed fortunes with our Year 8s and Seniors leading the way. The U13s beat Colton Hills 8-0 in round one and St Matthias 2-0 in the quarter final, but sadly lost by one goal, 4-5, against Thomas Telford UTC in the Wolverhampton City Cup semi-final. They also reached the quarter-finals of the Independent Schools’ Football Association Cup.
However, the U18s are still in the mix after winning two matches, 1-0 against St. Edmunds in a replay and 2-1 in a nail-biting victory versus SWB in the semi-final. We wish them luck for the Cup Final to be played at Old Wulfrunians FC after the Easter break. Good luck to all involved.
A group of 19 Year 9 students have been training for their Level 1 Sports Leaders’ qualification over the last two terms. This has involved delivering events for local schools under the Wolverhampton Schools’ Partnership. They hosted an Indoor Athletics competition for 60 Year 5 and 6 pupils from three local primary schools in November and in January, a Multi-Skills event was run for 50 Year 1 and 2 pupils from three local schools, focusing on agility, balance, and coordination.
During the course students have learnt the skills and behaviours of a Sports leader, how to plan and deliver sports activities, effective communication skills, organisational and motivational methods of delivery and how to adapt activities to meet participants’ needs. As the term drew to a close, all students successfully completed their final assessment and were awarded their coaching qualification. Congratulations!
Congratulations to our Sports Leaders.
Congratulations to two WGS gymnasts:
Charlie Hulme (Year 11) and Jamie Reyner-Corbett (Year 7) who were both selected to compete at the Gymnastics British Championships in Liverpool at the end of March. This was following successful performances at the English Open Championships, the second biggest competition in the country - a fantastic achievement in itself!
Charlie did extremely well against tough competition in the U18 Men’s category. Meanwhile, Jamie competed in the Women’s Artistic Aspire category, finishing an incredible 4th out of 39 on the Floor Apparatus and finishing 8th overall. We are extremely proud of both of them.
At the start of the term, the City Indoor Athletics Championship took place. WGS entered boys’ and girls’ teams in all age groups and there was success for our Year 7 boys who were crowned City Champions and our Year 8 and Year 10 girls’ teams who were runners-up.
Congratulations to the U13A Netball team who only conceded one game all season and came away with gold medals beating The Queen’s School, Chester, in a tight final at the Packwood Haugh Tournament. At the very end of term they were named City Champions; whilst the U14s came runners-up.
The U15s have also seen success, recently winning the City Tournament. They played a round robin and didn’t lose a single game – congratulations girls!
Cricket continues to be enjoyed by boys and girls alike, even in winter when our U13 and U15 teams competed at the county indoor cricket competition. The U15 girls did well to reach the final, and the U13 and U15 boys’ teams both won their finals. At the end of term, our U15 boys took part in the Wolverhampton Schools Championships competing amongst 10 schools and were winners of the semi-final competition.
As the term came to an end, Junior and Senior School students and staff joined together for an early morning Spring Fun Run around Moreton’s Piece and the Valley.
There were House points awarded to all those taking part and prizes for the bestdressed and for the fastest boy (Ryan Mehan) and fastest girl (Zena Asbury). A celebratory bacon roll and hot chocolate were enjoyed in the Derry afterwards!
Along with the huge sense of personal achievement for the students involved, it is customary for the event to raise much needed funds for charity. This year, our runners have chosen to fundraise for Place2Be, the UK’s leading school-based mental health charity, providing support to children, families and school-based staff when they need it most. One in six children and young people now have a diagnosable mental health issue. That’s five children in every classroom with a condition like depression or anxiety.
Fundraising began in earnest on 21st March with a samosa sale and the team are off to a great start with £1,320 raised to date.
You can join friends and family in making a donation:
This year’s Coast 2 Coast Challenge will be the 25th time that a group of WGS students have run the 170 miles from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire as a tag team in just 24 hours.
The 2023 team is made up of: Ashwin, Charlie, Charlotte, Chris, Dylan, India, Matthew, Reuben, Tia and Zena. They have already started their 16 weeks of training before, during and after school, including braving some of the more extreme wintry weather we have experienced this term! Their challenge will start at 7am on Saturday 27th May from St Bees, with the aim of arriving in Robin Hood’s Bay by the same time the following day.
www.justgiving.com/page/wgscoast2coast2023.
Meet this year’s Coast 2 Coast team.
On Wednesday 22nd and 29th March, 80 young dancers took to the stage to a sell-out crowd for their 2023 Dance Showcase. Students from Year 3 to Upper Sixth performed dances they had been learning throughout the year, in a range of styles. Miss Manning was so proud of how her students inspired each other to be bold, confident and fabulous - cheering each other on, every step of the way.
It was wonderful to welcome back former pupils to watch the show including last year’s Dance Captain, Kate Fitzpatrick (OW 2022).
Our very first senior dancers at WGS, Sophie Burnell and Emily Hunt (OWs 2018), were also delighted to present the Dancers’ Dancer Award during the showcase. Congratulations to this year’s winner: Millie Wyant.
“Here at WGS we strive for excellence, building confidence and skills in an environment where students feel supported and at home. Our dancers showed that beautifully on stage in our Showcase and we are incredibly proud of them all. A special thank you to our current Dance Captain, Jenny Chan, for being a wonderful role model to all our dancers.”
Miss Manning, Dance Teacher
The addition of a helipod outside the Derry was an exciting sight as students came to school on Thursday 23rd March. As part of our Wellbeing Programme, students have the opportunity to learn about the world of work and specifically careers that are linked to Wellbeing. It was therefore a pleasure to welcome back Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, who visited earlier in the term to teach CPR to Year 7, to speak to Year 9 and also visiting students from Smestow Academy.
Kay Starkey from MAAC explained that the charity started in 1991 and is a helicopter-led emergency medical service covering six Midlands counties. The charity responds to some of the most traumatic incidents including cardiac arrests, road traffic collisions and sports injuries. Their aircraft can reach remote locations to attend to patients unreachable by land ambulance.
After the talk students were able to explore the helipod (a decommissioned MAAC helicopter) to understand more about how real casualties are airlifted to hospital. Junior School students also enjoyed a visit to the helipod and were guided around the aircraft by Mark Richardson, Events and Logistics Co-ordinator.
Other Wellbeing activities this term have included discussions in response to the rise of social media influencers and a ‘Keeping safe from Crime’ production by Loudmouth Theatre. Mrs Keeley was also delighted to welcome over 100 senior school parents and students to her first Wellbeing Evening, which covered topics such as revision tips and coping with exam stress, internet safety, careers and wellbeing through fitness.
Congratulations to Lower Sixth student, Emily Connor, for delivering a fantastic presentation at the Articulation Prize 2023.
The Articulation Prize is an annual competition that invites post-GCSE students aged 16 - 19 to deliver a 10-minute presentation to an audience about a work of art, artefact, or architecture of their choice. Over 1000 young people compete annually in regional heats and finals held in museums and galleries in 10 regions across England.
Emily was selected to represent WGS at the regional heat at Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry, judged by award-winning writer, educator and
performer, Casey Bailey. Emily spoke with incredible confidence about the work of American artist, Suzanne Lacy, renowned for socially engaged practice and an art style involving collaboration and participation, usually focusing on political issues.
We are very proud of Emily for her amazing achievement. Thank you to WGS Head of Art, Miss Bowater for supporting Emily’s entry to the Prize.
Congratulations to Head Boy, Vishwas, who beat the current school record of 187 by reciting 224 digits of Pi! Meanwhile in the Junior School, Evelyn in Year 5 recalled an incredible 189 digits of Pi to set a new Junior record!
This Spring, the Junior School have been especially busy putting together their Year 3 and 4 show, Hansel and Gretel, which was written by our very own Mr Peters.
From an evil witch to dancing woodland creatures, the children have enjoyed getting into character with face paint and costumes alike. With Miss Austin as director and choreographer, the two show nights were an all-singing, all-dancing affair that delighted and dazzled our proud parents. Well done to all involved.
Charity Club has been a popular addition to our extra-curricular clubs and activities at WGS this year. Headed up by Mrs Young, our new Charity and Community Action Co-ordinator, it has regularly seen over 60 students in Year 7 to Sixth Form in attendance each week.
Our four senior Houses have worked hard to support a number of local causes and received an overwhelming response from the school community. Thank you to all our WGS families for supporting with donations: over 750 hygiene products for the Haven (Nechells), food donations for The Well (Offley), clothes donations for The Way Youth Zone (Moreton) and support for a blind penalty shootout to raise money for Eyecan (Jenyns). In addition, teachers delved into the archives to support Year 7’s ‘Guess the Baby’ competition, raising funds for Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice.
Other fundraising activities this term have included two samosa sales, the first in aid of the DEC Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal, and the second to kick-start fundraising for the mental health charity, Place2Be, which is the Coast 2 Coast chosen charity this year.
On Red Nose Day our Charity Ambassadors partnered with TV chef Sabrina Gidda (OW 2005) to raise an amazing £1,000 for Pancreatic Cancer UK, an amount that shall be doubled by the Freddie Green & Family Charitable Foundation in partnership with the charity. Sabrina recently became an Ambassador for Pancreatic Cancer UK after sadly losing her mother, Sukey, to the illness in October 2021.
Sabrina kindly visited the WGS Charity Club at the beginning of February to discuss potential ideas for a collaborative fundraising event. Inspired by Sabrina’s successful career as a chef, our WGS Charity Ambassadors were keen to plan an event that incorporated her passion for food. Students and staff were challenged to pipe and decorate their own cupcakes and enter them into a House competition to be judged by Sabrina. There was an
incredible buzz around Big School as everyone piled in to show their support for the charity. Thank you to Holroyd Howe who baked and provided 800 cupcakes for decoration. Congratulations to the winners of the Cupcake Competition: Darcie Rose (Year 7), Tom (Moreton, U6), Amarachi (Nechells, Year 11), Mya (Jenyns, Year 11) and Nimrah (Offley, Year 11). Sabrina also piped hundreds of cupcakes to be sold to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer UK .
Money was also raised through a nonuniform day encouraging senior school staff and students to come dressed in red (representing Comic Relief) and purple (for Pancreatic Cancer UK). There was a prize for the ‘best-dressed’ – well done Mrs Dixon and Angelina in Year 7!
At the end of February, 18 Year 10 students were joined by students from Beacon Hill Academy for a day immersed in Oxbridge preparation as part of a “Pathway to Oxbridge” partnership programme created by Head of Careers, Miss Kailey.
The programme is designed to support students who wish to pursue Oxbridge applications from Year 10 through to the end of the process in Year 13. The event held in our Sixth Form Centre, was attended by numerous presenters who provided advice and guidance to the students; all guest speakers had either graduated from Oxbridge, experienced the application process, or had been offered a place in the next academic year.
Amongst the presenters were Head, Mr Frazer; Deputy Head, Mr Hughes; and Teacher of Business and Economics, Mrs Keys, who all attended Cambridge University. We were also delighted to virtually welcome Katie Naylor (OW 2018) who graduated from Oxford University in 2021 with a Degree in Neuroscience. Upper Sixth students Vishwas and Tom who have just been through the Oxbridge application process also came along to speak of their experiences. Vishwas has recently accepted an offer to study Engineering at Oxford University in the next academic year and Tom was placed in the ‘Winter Pool’ at Cambridge University but after much thought and consideration, has decided to accept an offer for Veterinary science at
Nottingham University. Tom reflects that his experience in preparing for Oxbridge enabled him to be accepted at another highly regarded university.
The day of talks was followed by a visit to Oxford University for a campus experience day, where students were able to speak to current Oxford undergraduates and dine in the famous Oriel College dining hall.
Year 8 students were excited to visit Sky Studios in London to experience a day in the life of an employee at Sky. The 32 students enjoyed a tour of the studio, seeing the Sky media workforce in action; they even witnessed the live filming of Sky Sports.
The afternoon was spent at the Sky Academy, working in teams and using the latest technology to produce a short film. Students learnt about the different media roles, such as editor and camera operator, choosing from a range of green screen backgrounds, directing scenes and even choosing outfits from the wardrobe!
It was a wonderful day, with everyone leaving the studio excited about the prospect of a future career in TV and Media. Who knows, we might be seeing one of them on our screens in the near future? Thank you to Miss Kailey for organising this insightful trip.
Personally, I found Sky Studios very interesting and informative but most of all quite insightful as it showed me the roles and effort that goes into making a movie. I think that it was especially useful as it let me know that a career in media is not just acting but also editing and many other important roles. Even if you don’t want to be a news presenter or a reporter then maybe editing or filming from behind the camera is for you.
FarisThis term Mr O’Malley, Head of Design & Technology, took Sixth Form students Alex, Carter, Dan, Rohan and Sam to Loughborough University for a two-day engineering workshop with engineers from HS Marston Aerospace Limited.
The visit was made possible through the Industrial Cadets Scheme, a nationally accredited programme that partners students with industry-leading experts. WGS has been participating in the Industrial Cadets Scheme, formerly known as the Engineering Education Scheme, for over 20 years and has partnered with the likes of GKN AutoStructures, Ansaldo Nuclear Engineering Services Limited and Corus Hot Rolled Processing Centre.
We asked Lower Sixth DT Scholar Dan, to tell us more about the project:
“Our partner company is HS Marston Aerospace Limited; we are designing a new test chamber for their dry matrix test stack (jet engine coolant transport plating their product). To do this we need to overcome
various challenges such as pressure, creating an adequate seal to ensure it is airtight, and the cost of the solution, as well as many other issues. All the research for the product is done by us, then the partner company helps to ensure the data is correct and whether the design will work. We will then produce a final solution and present our design to the owners of the company, which they will then implement into their facility.
“In the workshop we were planning to make some basic to-scale models of our initial ideas, then improve upon them during our visit to Loughborough University. We started by sorting our pre-made pieces, which we cut at school using the laser cutter, into the areas they needed to be in for the start of construction. On the first day we assembled our first two designs and glued them, leaving them to cure overnight. The next day we began the construction of the final and most complex prototype. Loughborough University provided us with all the tools and equipment we needed to finish the prototype, as well as
adding improvements and further detail to them. We used our additional time in the workshop to begin our product write-up and the documentation of the design and manufacture process. We also started to make a new prototype which is currently being researched and developed so it is up to standard with the other prototypes.”
Thank you to HS Marston Aerospace Engineer, Jack Law, and his colleague Ambrose Morris for their fantastic mentorship. The team will continue to work on the project until they are ready to make a formal presentation to HS Marston’s senior team, including their CEO.
Good luck to Eve and Nalin who have been supported by WGS to apply for an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship. To date 14 OWs have benefited from the scholarship programme since 2014. As well as a £500 bursary award, students are linked with an engineering company to gain valuable work experience.
This term has seen a flurry of fabulous musical activities in the Junior School. Wonderful singing, composing, and recorder playing in weekly classroom lessons, the joyful sound of instrumental lessons ringing through the music department and an array of extracurricular clubs has ensured that our young musicians remain inspired and musically nourished.
tunes, songs from musicals and classical music blended gloriously to provide a joyous and eclectic musical afternoon.
At the end of term children were visited by the immensely talented Toscana Strings Quintet. Through music, dance and storytelling, children were captivated and inspired by the beautiful presentation of the The Monkey Puzzle, a book by Julia Donaldson.
In February, Years 3 and 4 were treated to a trip to The Symphony Hall where they were dazzled by the 80 strong City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The programme of music, specifically designed for KS2 children, included pieces composed by Brahms, Silvestri, Shostakovich and Elgar.
The termly Teatime Concert played host to over 30 fabulous solo and ensemble performances. Rock classics, TV theme
A group of students from Years 5 to 8 recently took part in one of the largest children’s choir concerts in the world on Tuesday 10th January. They joined the Young Voices choir of over 6,000 children at the Resorts World Arena for a day and evening of song.
and his band and witnessed incredible performers such as vocalist Heather Small, the Beatbox Collective and violinist Anna Phoebe. Here at WGS we have thoroughly enjoyed practising plenty of songs and dance moves and as always it was in an incredible experience to take part in this vocal spectacle.
Y9 and GCSE music students were treated to a DJ workshop with a professional disc jockey 2NV. Following a careers talk, students then had lots of fun trying out his decks and mixing their own tunes. Mrs Cuthbert has purchased some decks for school and looks forward to running a DJ club in the near future!
During the show the children sang with professional conductor David Lawrence
We also welcomed Jonathan Badyal (OW 2007) from Universal Music to talk to students about his incredibly inspiring career journey. Jonathan’s musical career began in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport where he campaigned to protect the Grime industry. He currently works as Director of Communications at Universal Music UK.
Congratulations to Devina, Sophie, Jasamaar, Sachi, and Summer who were selected to perform in the Wolverhampton Music Service’s Recital Evening at the end of March representing WGS. Many parents, directors, staff and students joined us for our Spring Concert which focused on Chamber music this year and showcased our Upper Sixth Music Scholars. We also invited a professional quartet to accompany our concerto and aria performances.
Congratulations to Lower Sixth student, Catherine, who won the Vocal category of the Wolverhampton City Rotary Young Musicians’ Competition. The event took place on Sunday 5th February at the Wolverhampton Music School. 13 of Wolverhampton’s most talented young musicians were selected to perform on a variety of instruments from Drum Kit to French Horn. Catherine was joined by fellow WGS students: flautist Charlotte (Year 10), and violinists Jasamar (Year 10) and Sophie (Year 11) who also delivered splendid performances. Catherine went on to compete in the District Finals in March where she performed extremely well against a highly talented field.
We are so proud of our young musicians; to be selected to perform at this standard is an exceptional achievement. This is the first time we have entered this competition. The quality of music-making was exceptionally high.
Mrs Cuthbert, Director of Music
Due to the bad weather at the end of last term, both the House Netball and Football were completed this term. The outcome of the netball went down to the final competition with Moreton finishing in top position. This year’s House Football winner was Nechells
The bleep test was once again a huge success with over 20 sixth formers and staff joining in to compete for their House and determine the overall average score. A special mention must go to Ryan Mehan in the Lower Sixth for the highest individual score of 13.8. This year’s results were both higher and closer than last year which means as a school we are getting fitter!
And this year winners, retaining their title with and average bleep test score of 7.5 was Moreton.
Mixed hockey continues to be very popular and there was an excellent turnout for all year groups. Year 8 brought the competition to it’s conclusion on the penultimate day of term. Congratulations go to the winning House - Jenyns
House competitions come in many guises and the Minecraft competition hosted by Mr Jones had a royal theme and was hotly contested by around 40 students. Congratulations to Nechells who were the overall winners and well done to our individual winners:
House points were amassed as hundreds of students joined in a cupcake decorating competition in Big School to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK. Charity Ambassador and OW Sabrina Gidda was overwhelmed by the support from WGS:
“I would like to say a huge thank you to the WGS charity team for helping plan this event and for volunteering their time to help deliver such a brilliant day. It is tremendously special to see students of all ages realise the difference they can make when they come together - and in this instance I am so honoured they chose to support Pancreatic Cancer UK. Thank you to everyone for helping raise such vital funds - and for creating such a memorable day.”
Friday 17th February saw the return of the highly anticipated WGS House Talent Show. Each House put forward two acts to battle it out on the Big School stage. Hosts, Head Prefects, Vishwas and Ella, did a fantastic job hyping the audience and introducing each act. From a voice and piano duet to a tap-dancing ninja turtle - it was an action-packed show enjoyed by all. Well done to all our wonderfully talented performers.
Whilst our wonderful Old Wulfrunian judges, Dave Cant (OW 1963) and Andy Husselbee (OW 1979) deliberated over
the winner, we were lucky to witness an exceptional rendition of “Boyish” by Japanese Breakfast, by last year’s winner, Tar (Lower Sixth).
Congratulations to Elianna Botchway (Year 9) who won this year’s competition for Offley, with her elegant ballet dance.
We are proud to share that alongside a samosa sale on the same day, the show raised an incredible £822.22 for the Disasters Emergency Committee’s TurkeySyria Earthquake Appeal.
The theme of this year’s Junior House Music Competition was Eurovision! Congratulations to all our WGJS musicians for their individual and group performances. The winning House was Campbell, who won with an impressive performance of Puppet on a String by Sandie Shaw.
It was fantastic to see the return of the WGJS House Swimming Competition this term. Organised into width and length races, it was wonderful to witness all of the participants enjoying the competitive, yet friendly, inter-house competition.
Congratulations to Barnes, who won, earning their House 20 points. Well done to all involved and thank you to Miss Bassett for organising this major event (for the first time since 2019!). The House Swimming Competition will now return as an annual favourite.
