A fantastic celebration of our beautifully diverse school community.
World Book Day with Dame Jacqueline Wilson
Senior production of Twelfth Night
Lower Sixth students enter F1 in Schools competition
I really enjoy this time of year. The summer is about to start and that brings the students out onto Moreton’s Piece at lunchtime to enjoy the sunshine. It is a great spectacle at WGS.
All our students have been busy this term and as I edit the script for my end of term assembly, I am reminded just how much goes on in School week after week.
Recently we held our first ever ‘We are WGS Day’, celebrating culture and identity within our school community. This was preceded by an inaugural Community Iftar and what a success it was. We look forward to observing and celebrating many other occasions that are important and representative of our diverse school community in the future; this was just the starting point for learning more about each other’s cultural heritage. Thank you to Mr Wood, Mrs Keeley, Mrs Worsey, Miss Grew and Miss Kailey for all their hard work.
Some of our Year 8 and 9 students had the opportunity to be ball assistants at Wembley for the EFL Cup. They were all great ambassadors for us and I know the FA are keen to use our students again in the future.
In the Senior School, staff, Year 11 and Upper Sixth students have been particularly busy finishing off specifications as they enter the final push towards external examinations. As Easter is so early this year, it really is important to make a good start at revision so that students make the most of their time in front of the teachers next term – we want them to check their understanding and learning of the work covered before the GCSE and A Level period gains momentum.
You can read about Twelfth Night in this magazine, and last week I
was once again, really impressed by the lively, comedic modernised version of the Medieval Mystery play Everyman, performed by our Upper Sixth Theatre Studies group. I am always so amazed by the quality of our drama here at WGS. Next term, look out for the sale of tickets to our Lower School production of The Chrysalids, based on the novel by John Wyndham. Performances will take place just before May half term.
In the Junior School, our youngest have had a productive term with plenty of extra-curricular opportunities in sport and music on top of fantastic work in the classroom. Year 6 were able to test their resilience and teamwork on a residential trip to Wales, and we were honoured to welcome Dame Jacqueline Wilson and current Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho, to mark World Book Day at WGS. Thank you to Mrs Rowley who works tirelessly to secure the very best opportunities for our children to ignite their passion for reading.
As always, it is impossible to fit everything into this termly edition of Independent but I hope you enjoy reading about all the marvellous things that our students have been doing.
With best wishes
Nic Anderson Head
Blue Monday is generally the name given to the third Monday in January, so coined due to a combination of factors including post-Christmas debt, broken New Year’s resolutions and miserable weather. Luckily the WGS Wellbeing Team came to the rescue and the Monday blues were chased away with our first ever WGS Smile Day! Mrs Rowley and Mrs Keeley welcomed students to the Jenyns Library for lots of positive activities to ensure everyone left with a smile on their face.
On Tuesday 6th February we celebrated Safer Internet Day and joined the nation in advocating for a safe and positive online experience for all, especially our students. Junior School pupils had a busy day using resources from the UKSIC (UK Safer Internet Centre) to learn how to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.
Mrs Keeley, Head of Wellbeing, was delighted to welcome parents from across the School to our annual Wellbeing Evening on Tuesday 5th March. This year’s focus was on understanding how technology can benefit young people and how we can take measures to protect them against potential harm. Mrs Keeley, Mr Yarnley, Miss Jones and Mr Phillips, from the charity yGam,
gave presentations on the Wellbeing curriculum at WGS, the use of technology to aid revision, digital wellbeing, as well as gaming and screen addiction awareness. It was also an opportunity for Miss Kailey, Head of Careers, and Mrs Worsey, Head of Psychology, to talk about careers in Mental Health and Wellbeing. A special mention must go to our Digital Ambassadors who presented to parents on what it feels like to be a young person in the Digital Age. We hope all our parents found this a useful evening. To find out more about Wellbeing at WGS, please visit Firefly or our School website
In the Senior School, newly appointed Digital Ambassadors began their work alongside Mrs Keeley and Mr Langford, to represent Student Voice on the themes of digital wellbeing, online safety and technological progress. Digital Wellbeing includes how to keep children safe online and also how to successfully embrace the potential benefits to learning and health. From consulting on whole school policies to highlighting advancements in technology such as artificial intelligence, our student Digital Ambassadors have had a busy start to their new roles!
Congratulations to our Wellbeing teachers who along with a group of other key staff, successfully completed the City and Guilds Training about Gambling and Gaming Education. This has led to the School gaining a new nationally recognised accreditation.
Our Wellbeing staff are dedicated to protecting our students from the dangers of the online world and continue to be passionate about keeping them safe, healthy and happy. Together with our student Digital Ambassadors they will be creating a short film for the Gambling Education Hub to increase awareness about the harm of online gambling. Three student ambassadors have been invited to represent WGS at the Merchant Taylors’ Digital Wellbeing Conference in May.
Imagine a school where you can celebrate who you are, in a community that is welcoming, warm and supportive. That’s exactly what WGS is all about!
Last summer we held our first EDI Day, a day centred around equity, diversity and inclusion, where students took part in a range of activities that spanned many aspects of cultural life, including sport, languages, art and religion. We also created our own WGS Diversity mural which proudly sits alongside Moreton’s Piece.
Fast forward several months and the sterling work of our Diversity Champions and staff has created a more inclusive environment for our students. This term, the school calendar has been peppered with celebrations to recognise the varied make-up our WGS community. These have included marking LGBTQ+ History Month, Chinese New Year, International Day of Women in Science, Ramadan, Holi, Easter and Neurodiversity Week, with plans already underway for a Vaisakhi celebration and more in the Summer term.
The launch of ‘We are WGS Day’, was a culmination of our EDI celebrations, and what a joyous day it was - a jam-packed day of activities that celebrated the many cultures and identities that make up our student and staff body. Students were invited to express themselves through fashion and came to school
in clothes reflecting their culture or interests. A school-wide fashion show in Big School saw students and staff take to the catwalk to showcase outfits from stunning sarees to karategi and everything in between, the outfits were a vibrant reflection of our WGS community.
At lunch time, there was a chance to taste foods from all over the world, learn to tie a turban, take part in mehndi and face painting or dance along to some dhol drumming. With some geek culture, a USA and Cornish corner and storytelling from around the world over tea, spirits were high and everyone had a fantastic time. Later that afternoon there was zentangle art and an African drumming workshop in the Hutton, plus breakdancing, kabaddi and inclusive volleyball in the Sports Hall. The Sixth Form Common Room was taken over by DJ Nick Singh and students learnt the art of Bhangra dancing. A huge thank you to Mr Wood, Mrs Keeley and Mrs Worsey for masterminding the day which was a true celebration of what makes WGS such a special place.
During the Spring term we have welcomed 12 visiting schools and over 200 visiting pupils to WGS to inspire a love of reading. As part of World Book Day we welcomed not one but two Children’s Laureates! It was a privilege to welcome best-selling author Dame Jacqueline Wilson on World Book Day itself, and the following week our infants were captivated by an interactive session with the current Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho, author of the Luna Loves series with his illustrator Fiona Lumbers.
To encourage reading throughout World Book Day month, the Jenyns Library hosted a Scholastic Book Fair with many tempting reads. Thank you to all parents who supported our Book Fair which has generated £500 worth of new books for the library, as a result of the total amount purchased.
It was lovely to focus on our older students as part of our latest author events programme. Award-winning writer and historian Paul Dowswell visited WGS on Thursday, 18th January to talk to Year 10 IGCSE History students about the plight of refugees in Britain before, during and after the Second World War.
Paul’s talk concentrated mainly on the lives of Jewish refugees in Britain and how attitudes towards them evolved over time. His fascinating insights were complemented by readings from his latest adult non-fiction book, Aliens: The Chequered History of Britain’s Wartime Refugees. Many thanks to Paul for an informative presentation.
Wolverhampton Young Authors’ Prize Paul Dowswell, kindly returned to WGS for the Grand Final of this year’s Wolverhampton Young Authors’ Prize. Hundreds of children in Years 3-11 from across Wolverhampton were challenged to write an original 400-word story based around this year’s theme of ‘Heroes’.
102 finalists from WGS and eight local schools were invited to hear this year’s winners announced, and celebrate their story writing skills, creativity and imagination. Paul recorded the prize-winning stories as audiobooks after the final. These are available to listen to on the School website: https://wgs.org.uk/wyap2024
Congratulations to our winners:
Years 3, 4 and 5:
Winner – Jayden, Wolverhampton
Grammar Junior School
Runner-up – Edward, Christ Church Junior School
Highly Commended – Farah, Woodthorne Primary School
Years 6, 7 and 8
Winner – Karina, Goldthorn Park Primary School
Runner-up – Maya, St Peter’s Collegiate Academy
Runner-up – Jessica, Wolverhampton
Grammar School
Highly Commended – Pelumi, Blue Coat Academy
Years 9, 10 and 11
Winner – Ellie-Mai, Beacon Hill Academy
Highly Commended – Sophie, Codsall Community High School
Luna Loves Gardening, the newly published children’s book by Joseph Coelho, was the perfect way to entice our infants into our newly established Bennett Story Garden. Together with Mrs Rowley and Mr McAllister, Reception, Year 1 and 2 thoroughly enjoyed making insect houses, sowing seeds and decorating their own plant pots.
Thank you to Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho and illustrator, Fiona Lumbers, who helped us to continue our World Book Day celebrations, enthusing our youngest pupils with an interactive storytelling and drawing session which included fun facts about gardening, all inspired by Luna’s latest adventure. Luna loves tending plants, learning about insects and sharing her love for the community garden. In the book, Luna finds out about plants from across the world and learns that every seed tells its own story.
WGJS were joined by 63 pupils from Goldthorn Park Primary School, Merridale Primary School, St Mary and St Chad CE First School and St Bartholomew’s Primary School.
Towards the end of term, The Bennett Story Garden hosted a special picnic to celebrate the latest stories to be included in the garden. Children in Years 1- 3 from across Wolverhampton were challenged to write an original story about a common garden animal set in The Bennett Story Garden. The winning entries have been made into audio files for students, staff and visitors to listen to within the Garden, all narrated by a children’s author, Kate Innes. Each story has been digitally added using a QR code, along with their illustrations, to signage in the Garden.
Congratulations to our winners: Samarth – Hedgy the Hedgehog, Jasmyn –Isabella the Bunny and Maisie – Ruby’s Leafy Catastrophe.
Two of our winners: Samarth and Maisie, plus members of their families, enjoyed a picnic tea at which the winning stories were heard and their artwork seen. They also enjoyed a seed planting workshop in The Bennett Story Garden and received a bespoke goody bag.
Our successful Discover Reading Project in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University continued this term, with families being gifted the books One Snowy Night by Nick Butterworth, in which Percy the Park Keeper’s desire for a good night’s sleep is interrupted by a host of animal visitors, and Paddington’s Easter Egg Hunt by Michael Bond and Karen Jankel, in which Paddington organises an Easter egg hunt for his neighbours.
Families have enjoyed making and decorating their own snowmen and Easter eggs, writing original diary entries and solving clues in their very own Easter egg hunt. The project has continued to develop both their literacy skills and a love of reading with the help of our trained group of Sixth Form students.
Could WGS score a hat trick? After Luke became our second consecutive winner last year, with his report on Tackling the Issue of Concussion in Grassroots Football, eight new hopefuls have stepped up to enter this year’s competition.
Their topics include The Danger of Space Debris, Making Swimming More Affordable and Accessible to Young People and Encouraging Boys into Ballet. As well as researching their own topics, the students conducted interviews in person and virtually with a host of experts in their field, such as Poppy
O’Toole, members of the UK Space Agency and local GP, Dr Hynes. Congratulations and good luck to Alex Hynes, Omar Khan, Lola Moore and Harry Talbot in Year 7 and Nalin Atmakur, Mason Holles, Ajeet Sumal and Harry Wade in Year 12.
Luke Hemmings, 2023 West Midlands winner worked with the BBC this term in creating his video report which was aired in February. Read more about his experience on page 20.
World Book Day at WGS is always an occasion to remember for children across the City. In previous years, children have been on a Turbo-charged mission with David Baddiel, on a Gruffalo adventure with Julia Donaldson and transported to magical worlds by Cressida Cowell.
World Book Day 2024 at WGS welcomed Dame Jacqueline Wilson to Big School to meet 450 excited children from 12 schools, many of whom were dressed as well-known characters from Jacqueline’s books. Jacqueline is a former Children’s Laureate, and in 2008 she was appointed a Dame. As one of Britain’s bestselling and most beloved children’s authors, she has written over 100 books and is the creator of characters such as Tracy Beaker and Hetty Feather. More than forty million copies of her books have been sold worldwide.
Jacqueline’s event was extra special, as it marked the release date of her latest book: The Girl Who Wasn’t There. In the book, Luna and her little sister Aurora go to live in a tower. It’s almost like they’ve stepped inside a fairytale. But everything is not as magical as it first seems. The tower needs patching up, their Dad still doesn’t have a job and they’re not even allowed in the room up at the very top. Luna starts to suspect if there really is a curse on the tower – and will she be able to break it?
When asked about her spine-tingling new book, Jacqueline Wilson said: ”I’ve always been fascinated by Follies, especially those towers built in the middle of nowhere with no apparent purpose. I wondered what it would be like to live
in one. My child narrator Luna isn’t sure about her new home, especially when her little sister Aurora starts talking about her mysterious new friend…. It was great fun to write a ghost story with a modern twist.”
Children left Jacqueline’s event thoroughly entertained and eager to read their signed copies of The Girl Who Wasn’t There. Thank you to Mrs Rowley, Mr McAllister and Authors Aloud UK for making this event possible; this was certainly another World Book Day that will inspire children to explore the magic of reading for years to come.
Thank you to Alex and Mya who spent the day on work experience with the Marketing Department. They had a fantastic time speaking to students and staff about their favourite books and capturing the magic of World Book Day through photos and video. Not only did the event take place in Big School, but it was also live streamed to classrooms around the school. Our WBD reporters were kept busy covering the whole school, including calling into the Junior School to spot lots of different book characters. They edited their content and posted these on our social media channels attracting lots of likes!
One of our highlights of the academic calendar, the Senior School production, made its return to the Hutton Theatre for three outstanding performances in February. This year, our incredibly talented students and staff took on Shakespeare’s classic comedy of mistaken identity: Twelfth Night.
Thank you, as always, to our dedicated students, many of whom were performing for their last time at School, and the wonderful Creative Team: Ian Tyler, Director; Ray Curran, Musical Director; Jon Wood, Production Coordinator; Lighting Design by Josh Joyner, Costumes and Prop Design by Mary Mullock, and Set Construction and Design by Kevin Petford, Michelle Harris and Liam Taylor.
In the history of WGS productions, this was actually the sixth production of Twelfth Night. The first took place in 1954 in Big School. Later productions moved to the Derry Hall in 1962, 2002 and 2003. The purpose-built Hutton Theatre opened in Autumn 2007 and the first production of Twelfth Night was performed in Spring term 2015. Former students enjoyed returning to see the current set when they
attended the Old Wulfrunians’ Drama Reunion at the beginning of half-term. Thank you to the Development team for digging out lots of photos, videos and programmes of earlier WGS productions, these were enjoyed by our returning OWs.
We are now looking forward to our Lower School Production of The Chrysalids, based on the novel by John Wyndham. The production will run for three nights from Wednesday 22nd May to Friday 24th May.
“Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.”
A ship is wrecked on the rocks. Viola is washed ashore but her twin brother Sebastian is lost. Determined to survive on her own, she steps out to explore a new land. So begins a whirlwind of mistaken identity and unrequited love. The nearby households of Olivia and Orsino are overrun with passion. Even Olivia’s upright housekeeper Malvolio is swept up in the madness. Where music is the food of love, and nobody is quite what they seem, anything proves possible.
“If music be the food of love play on.”
This term our Year 9s and Year 11s have been busy consulting with the Careers Department about their career aspirations and the all-important decisions for their next steps in education.
As well as 1:1 advice, Head of Careers, Miss Kailey, has also ensured that a number of educational visits have taken place covering a variety of disciplines. These have ranged from exploring fashion and design at the Jimmy Choo Academy in London to networking with sports professionals at Edgbaston Cricket Ground and exploring animal anatomy and skeletal systems with Meducators UK and Mei Mei Fung, final year student at the Royal Veterinary College.
During National Apprenticeships Week in February, students from Years 11, 12 and 13 had the opportunity to hear directly from employers who visited the School about their current apprenticeship vacancies.
We welcomed Brittney and Jake, current apprentices at Collins Aerospace to share their journeys, as well as to talk about the current apprenticeship opportunities available within various departments at Collins Aerospace. As we go to print, we are delighted to learn that 12 WGS students from Years 9 to 12 have subsequently
secured work experience placements with Collins Aerospace in the Business, IT and Engineering Departments. Congratulations to Harjai, Rebecca, David, Sienna, Davina, Haleen and Zara (Year 9), Vishwa (Year 10), Harvir, Malaika, Reuben (Year 11) and William (Lower Sixth).
It was a pleasure to welcome back Gillis Robbie (OW 2021) to talk to students in Years 10 - 13 about apprenticeship opportunities with Kennedys Law. Gillis is currently working towards a career as a solicitor, specialising in Medical Law via the apprenticeship route.
Another highlight of the term was National Careers Week in March, a UK wide initiative that promotes careers guidance across all schools. WGS offered workshops to students in Years 7 to 12, to further enhance their careers related learning and employability skills.
The week began with a Year 8 Enterprise Day which saw students working in teams to create a solution to a real life business problem. Their mission: design a sustainable JCB machine of the future for a specific sector. Congratulations to winning team ‘The H1ve’ (Nechells) for their futuristic agricultural machine! Thank you to Nikki and Caroline from The Inspirational Learning Group for hosting a fantastic day.
Across the week other activities included: a Finance Taster Day at Aston University attended by 13 Lower Sixth students who were able to sample taster lectures in degree level Accountancy and Finance; a careers in photography showcase by Head of Art and former professional photographer, Mr Taplin; a careers in Maths focus for Year 7 and guided careers research for Year 8.
The week ended with a visit from ‘See Her Potential’ who provided a thought-provoking theatre workshop on gender equality in the workplace for our Year 9 students.
The workshop included a performance telling the story of eight inspirational women, who have achieved incredible things despite gender and societal bias, a fitting way to also mark International Women’s Day. Many thanks to Sophie, Saskia and Alicia for working with our students.
We continue to promote work experience opportunities and seek business partners. Please do contact Miss Kailey if you are able to welcome a WGS student, even for one day of work placement. The Marketing department hosted two work experience students, Mya in the Lower Sixth and Alex, from Thomas Telford School. They gained real life work experience in marketing our World Book Day activities and promoted these on our social media channels.
Harry and Priya joined the cast and crew of Harlequin Pantomime Productions to gain valuable work experience. They used their A Level Theatre Studies skills to work in key technical roles and impressed so much that they have both been invited to audition for next year’s production… Oh yes they have!
Have you ever wondered why there aren’t more girls taking Computer Science? It’s a fact: Computer Science is still a maledominated field, and that’s something we’re working to change at WGS.
We believe that Computer Science is for everyone, and we’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where girls feel welcome and supported. That’s why WGS is participating in the National Centre for Computing Education’s ‘I Belong: encouraging girls into computer science’ programme.
This programme equips teachers with the resources they need to break down stereotypes and empower our female tech pioneers of the future. “From AI to healthcare technology, Computer Science is the fastest growing STEM subject and holds the key to solving some of humanity’s greatest challenges. Hence, facilitating diversity in the workforce is crucial.” says Mr Langford, ‘I Belong’ Champion and Teacher of IT & Computer Science at WGS.
Thank you to Willows Dental Practice for providing a careers insight day to six of our students. Well done to Sachi, Jasraaj, Arjun and Jai in the Lower Sixth, and Amber and Dami in Year 10, all of whom got hands-on with 3D scanning, milling, printing dental appliances, fillings and practising stitches. They were also lucky enough to meet a variety of professionals within the practice.
Are you ready to join the next generation of tech innovators? Why not come along to Code Club and put your skills to the test: Tuesdays, 1.05pm in room 47, open to all senior students.
Did anyone spot a Triceratops and T-Rex stomping around the Junior School towards the end of January? Fear notthey were here with Katherine from the Education Group to teach Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 all about dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric life!
Not fangs this time but teeth of a smaller variety as Reception discussed the importance of dental hygiene and learnt how to look after their teeth by using proper brushing techniques and making good food choices. Thank you to Dr Wingrove for her tips to ensure Reception smiles keep on sparkling!
This term, Year 1 have been designing and creating fabulous outfits for their favourite teddy bears. It all started with a detective mission – they became fashion inspectors, checking out outfits on all different kinds of teddies. Mrs D’Arcy even brought in her very own Paddington bear, who shared stories of his adventures (and possibly some secret fashion tips!).
Next, the designers got to work. They brought in their own special teddies from home and used them to create perfectfit templates. Using colourful felt and sparkling decorations they were soon
able to bring their teddy bear tops to life. The topic ended with a teddy bear fashion show and a chance to show off their amazing work to each other. Who knew teddy bears could be so stylish? Well done Year 1!
On a mission to learn all about Kenya, Year 2 have been busy brainstorming everything they know and everything they want to discover about this exciting country as part of their topic ‘Sensational Safari’.
First stop: They explored a giant map of Africa, pinpointing Kenya’s location and spotting mountains, lakes, and cities. Just like real explorers, they zoomed in on Kenya to get a closer look at its amazing features.
Next up: Working in pairs, they became junior explorers, writing and answering questions about Kenya on post-it notes. They answered each other’s questions and discovered lots of fascinating new facts.
The children have really enjoyed their studies and were especially excited to see some of the animals that can be found in Kenya whilst making their own West Midlands Safari trip.
Spring term welcomed back the popular Humanities topic of the Romans, the highlight being a day spent with Roman Officer, Dominic, learning all about the Roman Empire.
The day started with a re-enactment of the story of a tyrannical king and the founding of the city of Rome. Next, Year 3 put their knowledge to the test with a game of Delta, using replica Roman coins. Just like the Romans themselves they had to use their numeracy skills to win!
The children learnt some Latin phrases whilst marching in formation and reenacted a Roman army attack. Their Roman adventure didn’t stop there. They discovered more about everyday life in Ancient Rome, from chariot racing to gladiators. They even learned a surprising fact – both the Celts and Romans used urine to make blue paint, wash clothes, and even brush their teeth!
The most exciting part of the day was the chance to handle real Roman armour and weapons. This really brought their topic to life.
Learning about rivers can be a lot of fun, especially when you get to build a 3D model of one! This is exactly what Year 4 did;
using cardboard, newspaper, tissue, paint and other materials, they created some fantastic models which helped them to create a glossary to define the different features of a river, such as the source, tributaries and the mouth.
Their studies have covered where water comes from, the water cycle and where some of the world’s major rivers are located. A field trip to the Wolseley Centre to conduct a river case study was the perfect way to put all their learning into practice.
As part of their enrichment, Year 5 and 6 enjoyed a visit by the Young Shakespeare Company. Four actors performed Shakespeare’s all-involving historical story of Henry V in a fast-moving fullycostumed interactive production.
The play was brought vividly to life around and among the children, at times including the whole audience to create such dramatic scenes as the coronation of King Henry V with the rousing cheer “God for Harry, England and St George!”, the preparations of the English soldiers as they get ready to set sail for France and the precisely staged Battle of Agincourt.
Throughout the performance the children were actively involved and encouraged to explore the motives, thoughts and feelings of the characters. A thoroughly enjoyable morning was spent in the Hutton Theatre and our thanks go to the Young Shakespeare Company for their energetic performance.
As the end of January approached, the excitement in Year 6 was mounting. The much anticipated outdoor adventures in Arthog were just around the corner…
Monday 29th January
After a journey with plenty of twists, turns and lots of rain, Year 6 finally arrived in Wales and set about preparing their bunks and finding out who their room mates were to be for the trip. Much-needed waterproofs and rucksacks were handed out and it was soon time for the first activity.
Team building was the name of the game for the first day. Pupils were challenged to communicate, trust and care for each other whilst completing tasks. One group then managed to pop to the beach before dinner!
Fun was had on the night line before it was time to get some rest.
Tuesday 30th January
What a difference a day makes! The torrential rain had disappeared and a beautiful sunrise and blue skies greeted our happy explorers. It was a welcome surprise, alongside an almost unprecedented, good first night’s sleep.
Mr Griffiths’ group enjoyed an exciting trip to the old Wrsygan slate mine near Blaenau Ffestiniog; hiking up the beautiful hills and climbing up the chambers within the mine.
Perhaps the greatest views of the day were afforded to Mrs Jones’ group who climbed ‘the Barmouth slabs’ above the Mawddach Estuary with some roped pitches and belaying to challenge them.
The day was rounded off with some orienteering in the dark before an early night.
Chef Cath’s legendary breakfast (catering expertly for the many dietary requirements) was devoured by 42 hungry children and this set them up perfectly for the day.
Mr Palmer’s and Mrs Parkes’ groups alternated between canoeing and gorge walking, with many pupils bravely opting for either the ‘lake dip’ or ‘gorge splash’ at the end of the session.
Wednesday 31st January
Mr Palmer was in his element carrying out his room inspections for the second day. The competition to award points for the tidiest room involved a thorough group room tidy followed by a rigorous inspection after breakfast. Extra points were awarded for: shoes lined up neatly and quilts with an ‘ironed’ appearance. Singing songs to Mr Palmer also proved a way to score a few bonus points!
Although the sun didn’t shine, the children wrapped up warm and dived headfirst (some literally) into their new experiences. What a privilege it was to see the children being brave, kind, funny, helpful and resilient on their residential.
Thursday 1st February
Pinch, punch, first of the month!
According to the instructors, after ‘Moody Wednesday’ often comes ‘Amazing Thursday’. Indeed, Thursday represented the turning point in the week, where the children discovered that they are far more capable than they had previously believed they were.
This new-found confidence led to reaching new heights and performing more technically demanding skills such as stand-up canoeing, assisting belaying when rope climbing, and confident roped ascents inside the slate mines.
Lunchtime inside the mine was eaten by candlelight, allowing the pupils to imagine what life might have been like for 12-year-olds who worked there during the Victorian era.
Throughout the trip, visits to the site’s mini shop guaranteed the usual souvenirs that fill pencil cases and hopefully some gifts will have come home to brothers and sisters, lucky enough to receive an ‘Arthog bear’.
As the last evening’s activity got underway, the children happily reflected on an amazing few days. Thank you to Mr Griffiths, Mr Cothey, Mr Palmer, Mrs Parkes and Mrs Jones for taking the children on such a life-changing trip. Great memories were made and we are sure that the children will look back on their experiences with fondness and pride.
On Monday 26th February, the Junior School participated in their second annual RE Day. This year’s theme, ‘Special Places’, allowed the children in our younger years to learn about places of worship, while students in Key Stage Two focused on the concept of pilgrimage. As part of this event,
we were exceptionally privileged to be joined by visitors from six different faiths: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism, all of whom generously gave up their time to share their knowledge, expertise and insight with us. Children and staff alike were enthralled by the artefacts, explanations
and first-hand experiences shared by our guest speakers. Throughout the day, the whole school was engaged in a range of exciting, creative and reflective activities, all of which were designed to broaden our students’ understanding of, and respect for, the beliefs held within our wider community.
As we broke up for half-term 46 students and six teachers were headed for Bad Gastein in Austria for the 2024 Ski Trip. Despite the extremely long journey of 16 hours, buoyed by anticipation and with a little help from George’s playlist, the excitement levels didn’t wane and our skiers arrived exhausted but full of enthusiasm for the skiing ahead.
The following morning after collecting skis, boots and poles, the students were introduced to the instructors. Firstly there were test runs to sort out the ski groups and then the skiing began in earnest. Luckily there was plenty of snow affording good runs for all levels. The first evening was a Tyrolean treat, a highlight for many. This was an opportunity to experience local music and dancing and to try out the many different instruments that were on offer, such as a ‘singing saw’.
For everyone, skiing was an enjoyable experience, littered with many stand-out moments and views to last a lifetime. Spirits were kept high with a daily ‘No I-Deer of The Day’ competition which involved the recipient having to wear a silly deer hat over their helmet for the entire day of skiing. There were some honourable winners throughout the week but Dr Pounder was a popular choice to wear the hat in the airport and on the plane home after boasting about his slalom skills and subsequently falling over at least twice!
Aside of skiing, other evening activities including a swimming session, an ice hockey match, a quiz night and an awards presentation. Perhaps, the most special part of the ski trip is the bonds that are formed between students of all ages that last beyond the trip and continue after the return to school. Thank you to Mrs Dyer and Miss Jones for leading this year’s trip, along with Dr Pounder, Mr Martin, Mr Munson and Miss Gibbons.
Huge congratulations to Lower Sixth student, Eve, for delivering a fantastic presentation on ‘The Danger of Minimalism’ at the West Midlands regional final of the Articulation Prize 2024 in January.
Eve was invited to deliver a ten minute presentation at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry, alongside nine
other 16-19 yearolds from the region. This is a wonderful achievement and we are all very proud of Eve.
2023 BBC Young Reporter and West Midlands Regional Winner, Luke Hemmings, recently had a dream come true when he joined Sports Presenter, Dan Pallett, and Senior Presenter/Journalist, Nicola Beckford at the BBC Studios in Birmingham. He also spoke with Breakfast Presenter Rakeem Omar live on BBC Radio WM.
A keen footballer since a young age, Luke is now a qualified referee and enjoys refereeing local matches for the Stourbridge District Youth Football League. The Wolves fan was inspired to make his winning report after watching Raúl Jiménez suffer a fractured skull following a header during a match against Arsenal in November 2020. During his recent filming debut Luke was lucky enough to speak to Dr Matt Perry who featured in the BBC’s Code Red documentary about Raúl’s injury.
Luke shares with us, “Being chosen as the West Midlands winner gives me hope for the future and the experience of recording my report with a professional crew was amazing. I really hope that you will see me on the TV or hear me on the radio again one day!”
This year, 13 Year 12 students entered the Senior Physics Challenge, part of the UK Physics Olympiad run by Oxford University, and 16 Year 11 students entered the Intermediate Challenge. Out of nearly 5,000+ students in each Challenge, six WGS students secured the Gold Award meaning they were placed in the top 16.8% of the country. A further 14 students gained a Silver Award and 10 their Bronze Award.
These outstanding results are a testament to the dedication of our students and the commitment of our Physics department in providing
students with opportunities to challenge themselves and deepen their understanding of the subject.
Many thanks to Mrs Wainwright for co-ordinating and supporting this year’s entries and congratulations to all our students on a successful competition!
Recently members of the Lower Sixth took part in the final of the F1 in Schools regional competition hosted at Aston University. Two teams were entered: Polaris (pictured in pink tops) and Allcures Racing (white tops). Thank you to Mr Villafrati for supporting the teams throughout the process. We are extremely proud of both teams for their dedication, innovation and above all, superb teamwork. Kyla shares here report on this exciting opportunity:
It was WGS’s debut into the competition which meant we had no idea what to expect. As we entered the main competition room to set up our pit displays, we analysed and engaged with all the other teams present. We were all immediately taken aback by the level of competition around us. There were 27 teams in the development class (the class that both Polaris Racing and Allcures Racing entered) and there were 39 teams overall. As it was a regional competition, all the competing racing teams had ventured far and wide from Silverstone to London. There was certainly a wide variety of teams present.
As we assembled our pit display board we aimed to ensure its presentability and make sure we worked together to efficiently get the job done. Our car had to be sent off for ‘scrutineering’ at 8:30am, along with any engineering drawings or renderings. This process was one of the most nerve racking due to the judges meticulously scrutinising our car against the F1 in Schools’ regulations.
Our first order of business was the welcome presentation. As we all gathered in the large hall nerves began to surface as the host discussed all the undertakings of the day. Each team had their own personalised itinerary. Up first, Allcures Racing had to give their verbal presentation which they used as an opportunity to describe their journey and purpose for entering the engineering competition. Meanwhile, my team Polaris, had to submit our enterprise portfolio which outlined all the finances and sponsorship that we had gained to fund our entry into the competition. Next for Allcures, was their race which put them into 6th place at that moment, with a total time of 1.742 seconds.
Throughout the day there were various breaks which allowed each team a little respite from the competition’s intense nature. During this time, we took the initiative to do some much needed reaction time practice. Each member of Polaris took turns to discover who had the quickest reaction time. This was important as during the race the reaction time can make a significant difference in the total time for the car to finish its sprint.
Once we had discovered that Emmanuel had the fastest reaction time he was given the job of firing the Polaris car down the track. The whole team was tense. Excitement raged through us all as the Polaris car rocketed down the track in record time. Celebrations flooded through the team as it was initially shown on the leader board that Polaris had the total fastest race time as well as the fastest reaction speed. The Polaris Racing car recorded a total time of 1.533 seconds.
As soon as the racing was over, Polaris had to take to the stage again and give an engineering and design presentation to a panel of judges. We then finally had to give our Brand Identity presentation. This included describing the team’s ethos, the purpose for our logo and uniform, as well as the community action and advertising that we had done.
Lastly, it was time for the Award Ceremony; we all sat eagerly awaiting the results. Allcures Racing achieved an honourable 20th place overall. The Polaris team finished at an impressive 6th place with a nomination for the best brand identity, as well as having the second fastest reaction time overall. Unfortunately, WGS did not take home a trophy this time but we learnt and absorbed invaluable knowledge to strengthen the teams for future competitions.
A taste of the big time at Wembley 20 Year 9 students have been chosen to represent the School as Ball Kids at several major EFL Cup events taking place at Wembley Stadium over the coming months. This exciting opportunity comes courtesy of former professional footballer and Chair of the English Schools’ Football Association Council, Marvin Robinson (OW 1998).
Students were selected for this prestigious opportunity based on their commitment to football at WGS and knowledge of the game. The group have been trained by the EFL to deliver the new multiple ball system, which involves placing eight balls at strategic points
around the pitch to minimise delays and keep the action moving. What a once-ina-lifetime opportunity!
As we approach the end of term, over 100 WGS students have spent a collective 2,015 hours undertaking physical activity towards the physical section of their Gold, Silver and Bronze awards since this time last year. From hours spent in the swimming pool to the hockey pitch, we are so proud of their dedication and efforts.
Congratulations to our DofE Leader, Mr Martin, who recently celebrated a phenomenal 10 years of service to the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Mr Martin’s dedication has helped countless students achieve their DofE goals, not only at WGS, but also at his previous school, Beacon Hill Academy.
Mr Martin took over from Mr Mason who also recently celebrated his own 10 years of service. We are incredibly grateful to them both, and all the staff who have been involved with DofE at WGS over the years.
On Tuesday 12th March we hosted the U11 2nds Netball Festival. Players received coaching and had the opportunity to play a number of short games against visiting schools: Prestfelde, Old Hall, Birchfield, Stafford and Hallfield. Great fun was had by all and special congratulations to those players that received the most improved and best teamwork awards!
Congratulations to our U13 and U15 Boys’ Indoor Cricket team for winning the South Staffordshire competition. They went on to represent South Staffordshire in the County Finals with the U13s being crowned County Champions. Well done!
In the final week of term the U13A Netballers gave an outstanding performance to win all their games convincingly and take the City crown. Additionally the U13Bs performed fantastically, securing third place overall after narrowly losing the semi-final by just one goal. Congratulations also go to our U16s who came third in the City Tournament and the U14s who came second.
Our annual fun run had a colourful make over this year in celebration of the Hindu festival of Holi, which marks the arrival of spring and the end of winter. Junior and senior students and staff really entered into the spirit of the occasion and crossed the finishing line in a kaleidoscope of colour, a joyous way to welcome spring! The fastest boys and girls went home with an Easter egg treat.
Meet our Coast 2 Coast team 2024! Jack, Krish, Will, Sophia, Ella, Lily, James, Mia, Isla, Charlie and Daniel will be running the 170-mile relay from St Bees to Robin’s Hood Bay at the beginning of May half-term. The annual challenge which celebrated its 25th year last year has raised in excess of £100,000 over the years. This year’s team have chosen to support the eating disorder charity Beat. The first fundraiser took place in the final week term with a samosa sale. Please do show your support by visiting the Just Giving page: https:// www.justgiving.com/page/wgscoast2coast2024
We were delighted by the response to our first every Urban Photography Competition held this term. The idea was first mooted by former Head of Art, Emma Bowater, and taken on by her successor Christopher Taplin as one of his first projects at WGS.
Last year, some of our WGS Artists were lucky enough to accompany artist Tom Hicks on one of his famous photo walks around Wolverhampton to capture their own unique urban images. Using his work as inspiration, students, parents, staff and OWs were invited to ‘submit a digital image that captures your urban environment’ and to explain briefly why their chosen image had been captured.
The competition and resulting exhibition were held in memory of Keith Powell (OW 1948). Keith who sadly passed in 2020, was a keen photographer and cine film maker. His family made a generous donation in his memory to fund a £1,000 Digital Arts Scholarship to be awarded to a Sixth Form leaver pursuing a related degree at university, the Keith Powell Prize for Digital Arts to be awarded at Senior Prizegiving, and £100 in prize money for the student winner of this year’s inaugural competition.
As part of the exhibition, it was also wonderful to feature some poetry inspired by the shortlisted photographs. Many thanks to Mr Payne for working with his English students to create these beautiful poetic illustrations. All the entries were recorded in a commemorative catalogue which can be viewed online
Thank you to Tom Hicks who chose our winners and to Keith’s daughter, Elizabeth, who were both able to join us for the Exhibition. Well done to everyone who submitted an entry and helped to create such a fabulous display; congratulations to our winners and runners-up.
Staff Winner Mark Blything
Highly Commended
James Margetts
Highly Commended
Elianna Botchway
Highly Commended
Catherine Chung
Highly Commended Ajeet Sumal
Student Winner
Maxwell Jones
OW Winner
Year 6 pupils had the thrill of performing alongside a staggering 5,000 - 8,000 other school children at the annual Young Voices Concert held at the Resorts World Arena, Birmingham. Young Voices started in 1997 and has since become the largest children’s choir concert in the world, breaking four Guinness world records. It was a wonderful experience for all the children who were wowed by the sheer scale of the production and all the amazing professional artists that performed.
Another Junior School highlight was the return of the Toscana Strings for a day of Music enrichment. The quintet all studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire and adapt stories to music. This year’s performance was Wind in the
Willows set to the music of Elgar and included sections from Salut d’amour, La Capricieuse, Pomp and Circumstance No 1 and 4, Nimrod, Troyte, Serenade for Strings, Nursery Suite, Cello Concerto and Bavarian Dances. Mr Peters will be pleased to learn that the children recognised a few of the pieces because they had already heard him playing them!
Two highly successful Teatime Concerts were held this term. The Junior Concert was very well attended and delighted the audience with a record 28 performances including piano, trumpet, violin, flute, xylophone and drum kit. The Recital Hall was at full capacity for the Senior Teatime Concert involving students from Year 7 up to Upper Sixth, many of whom were performing for the first time. Well done to all our musicians!
Another performance opportunity came with the Dudley Festival of Music. This year we entered 62 students across the Junior and Senior Schools in a highly competitive competition held over two weekends in March. Congratulations to our 34 prize winners, including 18 class winners. Special mention must go to Catherine Chung who won all three of her vocal classes, competing against adult vocalists in two of them. An impressive haul of trophies came back to WGS!
Amongst the Class Winners, our Big Band received a Distinction and the following comments from their judge, “Playing had energy, real focus and a convincing performance – toe-tappingly good!”
Over the course of the the Spring term 18 students were entered for the ABRSM, Trinity, Rock School and LCM examinations. Early congratulations go to: Sophie Adams (Violin, Grade 8 Distinction), Olivia Woodall (Violin, Grade 7 Distinction), Esha Dudrah and Charlotte Salmon (Musical Theatre, Grade 8 Merit) and Summer Bloor (Musical Theatre, Grade 7 Distinction). We wish our remaining students good luck for their forthcoming results.
At the end of term we awarded the prestigious Music Honours’ ties to Favour Apata, Esha Dudrah, Leah Gopal, Uttiyo Raychaudhuri, Dharam Sangha and Sophie Adams.
We also congratulate Ms Guidotti on her MA in Music Psychology in Education, Performance and Wellbeing. Ms Guidotti graduated in January after spending two years studying and researching how music affects human behaviour, emotions, cognition, and perception; deepening her understanding of the complex relationship between music and the human mind in a variety of settings.
The Spring Concert brought the term to a grand finale and entertained with exquisite performances. The evening featured solos from Catherine, Favour, Esha, Uttiyo and Dharam and a spectacular performance from David Osamudiamen as Hamilton, supported by the newly formed Musical Theatre Ensemble.
House Competitions were competitively fought over the Spring term across the Junior and Senior schools!
If you would like to hear more about anything featured in this edition of The Independent please contact the School email: marketing@wgs-sch.net
Wolverhampton Grammar School
Compton Road
Wolverhampton
WV3 9RB
01902 421326
www.wgs.org.uk
@WGS1512
Wolverhampton Grammar School Official
Wolverhampton Grammar School
Wolverhampton Grammar School
Tuesday 9th April
Term begins for all students
Saturday 27th April
Year 5 Secondary School Discovery Day
Thursday 2nd May
New Year 7 Parents’ Evening
Monday 5th May Bank Holiday (school closed)
Monday 27th May to Friday 31st May
Half-Term
Thursday 20th June
Sixth Form Open Evening
Monday 8th July
New Junior School Parents’ Evening
Thursday 11th July
Term ends (School finishes at 12.30pm)
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