News From The Grove - Winter 2022

The Newsletter of Woodhouse Grove School

Green Grove News

Mrs Howard, our new WGS Sustainability and Energy Officer, tells us about her previous experience, her new role, and how the school is improving its sustainability.

“I previously worked within procurement for a veterinary diagnostic laboratory so was constantly looking for savings and improvements in efficiency across the business. I am also a trustee of Otley 2030, a climate action community group, with a goal to make Otley a carbon-zero, sustainable and fair town by 2030. These combined experiences have led me to this role at Woodhouse Grove School which will allow me to pursue my passion for sustainability.

In my role, I have responsibility for all areas of energy, waste and water across all the school sites. I will be working to reduce the school’s carbon footprint and measure our progress and will also be engaging students on this issue through an eco-committee.”

Sunny side up! The Grove goes solar!

Our biggest initiative so far has been to install 546 solar panels on the sports centre roof – almost a square km of power!

With the serious issue of global warming in mind, not to mention increasing fuel prices, this initiative made complete sense. The panels, installed by Wigan based company Perfect Sense Energy, will generate 184,809kWh of energy in the first year – powering 10-15% of the school site. This will have a significant impact on the school’s energy bills – not to mention, its carbon footprint.

Mrs Howard added:

"I was thrilled to have the support to proceed with a solar panel installation within my first year here and it really displays the school's commitment to sustainability. It is heartening to have the ability to generate our own clean, renewable energy at school. And, with ever increasing electricity costs, it makes financial sense too."

Other school initiatives underway:

• Increased recycling – we have quadrupled the volume of waste we send to recycling since the beginning of the year. This is through recycling in the kitchen and additional recycling bins around school.

• A 15p discount at Woody’s café is offered to students and staff who bring a re-usable cup for hot drinks.

• Our aim of growing our own produce started with our orchard; six apple trees were planted behind Chapel, funded by a grant from the Tree Council.

• The amazing Riverbank Project, championed by Mr Lambert, has recently seen the planting of 420 saplings this Winter, as well as the ongoing clearance of invasive weeds as part of flood alleviation.

• A new school-wide computer ‘sign out’ policy will help to reduce the amount of power used overnight.

• The implementation of a Building Management System is underway which will remotely control the heating, allowing different areas to be switched on and off more easily.

• We have reduced mowing on the mound in Summer to allow for greater biodiversity and wildlife to thrive.

New Head of History

Remembrance Service

On Remembrance Sunday, we held a Service in Chapel to honour all those who lost their lives in conflict, including many Grovians. Thank you to Reverend Drost, the choir and Mr Tedd for a wonderful and fitting service. A full school two-minute silence was observed on Remembrance Day, accompanied by the playing of the Last Post.

Anti-Bullying Week

There were lots of activities organised for Anti-Bullying Week from 14th to 18th November. Themed assemblies which focused on this year’s message Reach Out, were complemented by Odd Socks Day and Whisper Wednesday (Wispa bars given out for kindness). Pupils also wrote kind messages on bunting and enjoyed lunchtime buns.

This term, we are delighted to welcome a new Head of History, Mr Firbank; a teacher with over 20 years’ experience. Mr Firbank is passionate about history and loves travelling around the world visiting Historical sites and places. His other interests include football and fitness, along with reading and spending time with his family.

Frank Roper Sculptures

The loan of these works prompted an unusual setting for a Year 12 lesson. Design and Technology students visited chapel to see the sculptures, as they have been looking at the sand-casting process in theory lessons with Mr Birkett. It was great to be able to discuss how the sculptor used this method in his work which then linked to the theory knowledge required for A-level DT.

We welcomed Professor Ann Sumner, Chair of the Methodist Modern Art Collection, into school to give an illustrated talk about the sculptor Frank Roper (1914 – 2020). Four of his aluminium sculptures from the Stations of the Cross, are currently on loan to school and are displayed in Chapel.

Co-curricular Clubs

Festive Fun with Friends

Some of our newer clubs have been extremely popular this term, with a staggering 56 players at the Dungeons and Dragons launch night in September. Nine of the regular players took on the role of 'Dungeon Master’, managing their own team and mentoring new players, which really helped the club to grow.

We also saw record numbers at the first DT Club meeting with 34 pupils from Years 7 to 9 working on ideas for the 2022 Bradford Manufacturing Week (BMW22) competition: 'Tech for Good'. They had to design a product that could help work towards one or more of the UN's sustainability goals.

The Friends of Woodhouse Grove (FOWG) kicked off the term’s social events with a bingo night. Mr Eaglestone was a charismatic host for this well supported event and even managed to include some maths lessons in his compering!

Attention then turned to the festive season, starting with the Christmas shopping fair. Shoppers enjoyed familiar and new stalls, great food and several student LEAP stalls. The FOWG calendar, featuring student photos, was on sale, as well as the ever-popular raffle tickets.

Our Modern Languages Club members have been very busy this term. Students have been decorating 'calacas' inspired by the Mexican celebration of Día de los Muertos and watched the film Coco to gain inspiration for their own designs.

Year 8 club members researched artists from France, Germany and Spain and delivered confident and engaging presentations on Goya and Frida Kahlo.

Year 7 Students celebrated European Day of Languages by creating a country or language themed hat. The creativity this year from all students was exceptional.

The shopping fair was swiftly followed by Christmas wreath making with Alison, from Flowers of Guiseley. Her expert guidance along with mince pies, mulled wine and prosecco made this a very enjoyable evening.

FOWG have more events planned for 2023, including the return of the highly competitive quiz night. Keep an eye on the FOWG Facebook page for details.

HMC Projects Day

In November our HMC (The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference) Scholars attended the inaugural HMC Projects Day hosted by Barnard Castle School. They were given background information to the HMC programme as well as a personal development session, and the opportunity to meet scholars from their own country based at other HMC schools. They were great ambassadors for the school and the highlight of their day was a visit to The Bowes Museum, where they saw paintings by Canaletto, Goya and others. We look forward to hosting next year’s regional event.

Bradford Manufacturing Week, October 2022

Senior students visited a number of local companies as part of Bradford Manufacturing Week.

TF Automation hosted three different groups of Design and Technology students, providing them with hands on experience of industrial robotics and automation and an insight into the world of manufacturing and engineering.

Poet Laureate

Congratulations to Mischa Dentico, Year 11, who became our new Grove Poet Laureate, winning with her beautifully crafted poem, 'Cold Sundays'. With more than 20 entries, Mrs Sharpe was astounded by the high standard of all who entered and urges all participants to keep writing! We look forward to hearing from our resident poet, Mischa, throughout the year.

At Airedale International Air Conditioning Head Office, sixth formers observed activity on the highly computerised shop floor, met employees from different departments and listened to talks from the Managing Director and the Global Head of Marketing.

Christeyns UK also hosted students from Years 12 and 13. The group toured the production plant before splitting into teams to design, produce and market their own washing up liquid. The teams used their presenting skills to market their product to the Finance Director who declared Team Sparks as overall winners.

Imogen Idle, our Marketing Prefect, caught up with fellow Sixth Formers to find out about recent educational trips that have enhanced their learning at The Grove.

Biology Trip, Cranedale

English, Media and Arts trip, London

We started our trip with a Justice and Journalism tour; learning about the history of newspaper journalism. Evie I particularly liked this part as I have applied for a journalism degree! Eimhir

We also visited the National Theatre for a tour and saw the set design of The Crucible. After this Mr Keegan took us on a ‘meandering’ route through the heart of London to Pizza Express! Evie

My favourite part of the trip was the Great Gatsby immersive theatre! Live theatre is a required element of my Drama A-level studies and it was an amazing performance! Eimhir

For me, it was definitely the Warner Brothers Harry Potter studio tour. The costume and set design inspired me to apply for the Warner Brothers apprenticeship scheme over Summer. I also enjoyed seeing how film makers construct their sets through green screen effects, lighting and costume. Evie

Geography Trip, East Coast

We travelled to Mappleton beach and carried out various practicals such as measuring the size of sediment and recording wind speeds. For the human geography element in Scarborough, we worked with an external company recording pedestrian count, diversity of restaurants and fulfilment of living. We also visited the famous Flamborough Head.

My favourite part of the trip was Miss Alimundo’s excellent reversing skills! Just kidding, it has to be the Scarborough fish and chips.

I am interested in taking Geography at higher education so A-level geography was an obvious choice. I also enjoy learning about the human aspects, especially change in place topics.

We undertook a range of experiments during our stay, studying the distribution of species in different ecosystems and identifying them.

The best part of the trip was the required practical when we set up a belt transect in the rock pools to measure the distribution of limpets down the shore. I also loved setting the Sherman traps for humanely capturing small mammals and seeing what we had caught in the morning.

It was fun to celebrate an 18th birthday that coincided with our nights away!

I took A-level biology because I love the subject, but it was also essential for me as I am hoping to study veterinary medicine at university.

Evie Burns and Eimhir Robins

Isla Swarbrigg

Lucy Lund

Studying Abroad

A Grovian education prepares students for life in the modern world; gaining confidence and resilience; becoming more independent; and being curious about the world around them. This year, a record number of leavers chose to study abroad and we caught up with former pupils, Charlie Plein and Liza Solomanchuk, to find out more.

What are the best things about studying abroad?

My favourite thing is getting to see the world, immersing myself in different cultures and traditions, and dispelling myths and stereotypes. Studying abroad gives a unique perspective on modern issues and a fresh outlook on anything you are looking at. Liza

What are the most challenging aspects of studying abroad?

With the huge workload and long terms, not seeing friends and family that much has been challenging. I am also struggling to find time to do all the things I want to do. Charlie

Are you enjoying it?

Yes! It has been great fun so far; you get an insight into different cultures and see different places. I have even found a rugby club! I would definitely recommend applying to a university abroad, there are so many interesting cities around the world; why limit yourself to the UK? Charlie

Charlie is studying Mechanical Engineering at ETH in Zurich. It is a Bachelor degree with a year abroad, followed by a Masters and Liza is studying Psychology as part of a Liberal Arts curriculum at the Abu Dhabi campus of New York University (NYUAD for short).

Why did you choose to study abroad?

I am fluent in German and have always been an international person and absolutely loved Zurich when I visited in the summer. I didn’t finally decide until a week after results day –giving me only two weeks to pack. Charlie

Looking back, I realise that I have always wanted to study overseas! This mindset first brought me to the Grove two years ago, so going to UAE wasn’t a difficult step. I think, travelling while studying improves your understanding of how the world works, introduces you to different places and cultures, teaches you how to handle tricky situations and fosters soft skills. Liza

How did you choose your university?

ETH Zurich is a highly ranked university with an international feel and lots of freedom to choose projects, both as part of your degree and optionally, such as the student space race. Oh, and the Alps are right on my doorstep! Charlie

Apart from the permanent summer weather, I chose the UAE because of it’s rich culture and history, fast-paced development, cosmopolitan cities, entrepreneurship ecosystem, modern facilities, and top-ranked universities. Liza

Are you enjoying living independently?

The majority of students at NYUAD are new to the country too, so we are all in the same boat. Again, thanks to my experience as a boarder, I haven’t had any difficulty adjusting to the new environment and have even become a ‘laundry expert’ in my residential building! Liza

What do you miss about the Grove?

The feeling of community, knowing everyone you meet and of course the food! Charlie

Everything! My friends, teachers, boarding staff, Miller house, and the fields... Not to mention the school gym and the atmosphere in boarding just before Christmas. Liza

How have the Grove benefitted you?

Apart from teaching me a great deal of maths and physics, the Grove taught me how to become an independent, confident and resilient person along with many other things. Charlie

Thanks to my prior experience as an international student at the Grove, my transition to the UAE went smoothly. I didn’t have to worry about being away from home, adjusting to the new environment, and managing my time efficiently - because I had already learned this at the Grove. Liza

Into the Spotlight

In November a selection of talented students from Year 7 and 8 took to the stage of the Grove Theatre for the annual 'Into the Spotlight' show.

The evening was presented by Year 8 students, Xavier Spanton-Namany and Henry Fox, who introduced a range of acts using entertaining material they had written themselves.

A celebration of musical and dramatic talent - acts from all areas of the performing arts were showcased. The audience were treated to a cellist, two pianists and two singing soloists, in addition to two monologues, a duologue and two wonderful group singing performances featuring music from the musical 'Six' and the 2021 chart hit 'Memories'. These performances were punctuated by some fabulous drumming.

With such an array of talent at such a young age, it's fair to say that the future of performing arts at the Grove is in very safe hands.

Blue Stockings

Our fantastic senior drama production portrayed an inspirational true story from the late 1800s.

The play is set in Cambridge in 1897 and follows the true story of some of the first women to attend college but who were not given the right to gain a certificate. The forward-thinking professors and the passionate, intelligent young women had to push for change without risking losing the place of women in education altogether.

In the play, thanks to the effort of Girton's Headmistress Mrs Welsh, along with Miss Blake and Mr Banks, a vote is held for women to be given the right to graduate. However, only the male scholars can vote and the women

in the play feel helpless as they are told, by threatened male scholars, that they have no place in science and education but belong in the home.

The play follows four lead female students: Tess, played by Lily Sugden, Year 13, has aspirations to be an astrologist;

Club News

Our new Drama and Media Club was launched in September teaming up students from all year groups to create their own production companies. The first project was to film a Halloween trailer called ‘The Ghost of the Grove’.

Celia (Kadiatou Barry, Y13) doesn't want to choose between love and education; Carolyn (Eimhir Robins, Y13) is an outspoken, well-travelled doctor in the making; and Maeve (Amilia Newsome, Y13) faces the burden of her social class as well as the prejudices against her gender.

Our leads and wonderful cast of actors, backstage crew and staff, have all worked incredibly hard on this production and felt it was important to remember the fights our predecessors faced in order for women to gain recognition, and be in the more fortunate position we are today. A highlight was the visit to Leeds Playhouse to source the authentic 19th century costumes.

Year 7 pupils from Children's Theatre Club made shadow puppets to tell the story of Beauty & the Beast and Jack & the Beanstalk and performed for visitors during Open Morning.

School of Rock

School of Rock rehearsals are underway for next term’s production. The show will include a live band both on and off stage, featuring talented student musicians from Years 9-12. Tickets will be available on ticketsource in the New Year.

New Faces in Grove Boarding

Festive Season

Top Left: Mr King Top Right: Mr Dobson Bottom Left: Mrs Bradburne Bottom Right: Miss Winks

A mix of new and familiar faces in boarding this term. Mr King takes on the role as Head of Boarding after 5 years as Director of Sport and is looking forward to working with the boarding team and promoting our boarding offer around the world. “I want to create even more opportunities for students and to encourage them to embrace everything that the Grove has to offer - be it academic, co-curricular or pastoral.”

Mr Dobson, who has lived in Brodwell House since joining the Grove 5 years ago, becomes Head of Boys' Boarding and finds boarding life very rewarding; seeing young people come together to share their different cultures and life experiences.

Mr Dobson loves everything sport and outdoors – teaching both GCSE and curriculum PE (as well as Maths) throughout the day and also running our basketball teams and helping with outdoor activities such as Duke of Edinburgh. “My highlights at Woodhouse Grove so far are the school trips to Uganda and Iceland; both truly unforgettable experiences.”

New to the Grove family are Mrs Bradburne (Head of Girls' Boarding) and Miss Winks (Senior Boarding Tutor) who have worked together at a previous boarding school.

Mrs Bradburne has been teaching for 20 years, mostly in boarding schools and believes that a boarding house should be a home from home, with every pupil able to be themselves. “I am thoroughly enjoying my first term herethe boarding community and whole school have been very welcoming.”

Miss Winks is a qualified Youth Worker, a District Commissioner within Girlguiding and enjoys reading and eating out. “I'm loving WGS so far and am looking forward to the rest of the year with the girls in Miller!"

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Miller girls enjoyed an afternoon of Christmas craft with hot chocolate and catchy Christmas tunes; the boarding houses have decorated their Christmas trees and everyone enjoyed a chilly but fun day at the ice rink.

We have some new faces in our boarding houses for 22/23 as well as some more familiar ones!

Boarding pupils and staff had an early start for their traditional beginning of term trip to Alton Towers Theme Park. A fantastic day, and clear that there are a few thrill seekers amongst our boarders, and staff!

The rewards wheel of fortune is back. Brodwell boys spun the wheel for treats such as an extra ten minutes before lights out or free tuck for a week; or conversely, they found they had extra kitchen duties if they lost!

Halloween came a little early to our boarding houses so that all of our Boarders could get involved before the half term break. Pumpkin picking, pumpkin decorating and, of course, pumpkin pie as well as a Halloween party!

Alton Towers

Boarding Snapshot

Spooky Events

As another academic year starts, we welcome our new Director of Sport, Health and Fitness, Mr Bradburne.

“I have immensely enjoyed my first full term at The Grove. We have a hard-working, extended PE team here and I would like to thank those parents who have already introduced themselves to me on various touchlines and sides of courts.

My basic philosophy for Grove Sport moving forward is that we look to find opportunities for pupils to represent their school and find their ‘thing’, whilst appreciating the sporting history of Woodhouse Grove. I believe that participation builds performance and will look to continue to develop an inclusive programme.”

It's a Try English Schools’ Cross Country

It

Ellie spoke to Years 7 and 8 about all aspects of her career so far; from the happiness of scoring that try in the World Cup final, to her pre-match routine and sporting heroes. Year 7 also got hands-on rugby coaching from Ellie as she joined them in their PE lesson.

Later that day, Ellie offered personal advice on creating a good sport/school balance in a Q&A session with more than 30 students from our Grove Athlete Education Programme.

Leeds Rhinos Senior Contract

Congratulations to Fergus McCormack, Year 12, who has signed a full-time senior contract with Leeds Rhinos ahead of the 2023 season.

Fergus, who plays half-back, has spent the last two years in the club’s Scholarship Programme and recorded six tries in five games in 2022. He was one of twelve players from the Under-16s to sign for the club’s Academy for 2023, but this new deal will see him join up with Rohan Smith and the first team squad for pre-season.

was a privilege to welcome back Old Grovian, Ellie Kildunne, shortly after her return from New Zealand, where she scored the first try for England in the Rugby World Cup Final.

In November, six cross country squads competed in the regional final of the English Schools' Cup. There were some great individual performances; Maisey Bellwood winning Inters Girls with teammate Charley Clark-Taylor in third and Archie Peaker winning the Inters Boys race. Both the Junior Girls and the Inters Boys squads have qualified for the National Finals in Leeds in December.

Junior Girls

England Masters – Team Silver

Congratulations to Mr Tedd who recently qualified to compete for the England Masters Cross Country team at the 2022 British & Irish Masters Cross Country International in Dublin in November.

Mr Tedd placed tenth in his age group and was 4th scorer for the English team who won the team silver medal.

WGS Tour of Park Runs

We are encouraging our extended Grovian community to participate in five local Park runs this academic year, benefitting from fresh air and communal exercise. The first of these took place at Roundhay Park in November and we were delighted that despite the rain, more than 40 students, staff and supporting parents ran, jogged and walked the 5km course. Anyone wishing to join them for future park runs, can sign up on Firefly.

Netball Success

A successful term for our fencers who competed in two Northern Youth League tournaments. 12 WGS fencers competed at the latest event held in Wetherby – and this was a debut competition for three of our new Year 7s. Well done to Miranda and Rosalind Bayliss, Dexter Small and Charles McLarnon, all Year 9, who won bronze medals in their U14 events handed to them by the Mayor of Wetherby.

A busy October for Kira Grahamslaw, Year 11, who competed for the GB Cadet Epee squad in two tough competitions in Budapest and Belgrade. Kira has also just qualified as a Level 2 fencing referee in both epee and foil.

Fencing Cricket

We are delighted that, for the seventh year running, Woodhouse Grove has been named as one of the UK’s top 100 best cricketing schools in The Cricketer Good Schools Guide 2023. The esteemed list is drawn up based on extensive selection criteria, including the quality of facilities and coaching and the breadth of fixtures programmes. The competition to be included is fierce and our investment into the new outdoor cricket nets last Spring was one of the highlights of our application this year.

Our new Head of Cricket, Mr Randhawa has already started planning and training with all year groups and both boys and girls and said “I am very proud to be part of a school so invested in its cricket; proven by our inclusion, yet again, into this prestigious guide.”

Well Done to Max Chaplin Year 10, who, as part of the Yorkshire U14 squad, won the Royal London U14 National County Championship Final beating Surrey by 3 wickets in a very tense match.

For the first time at Woodhouse Grove, all three of our netball teams go through from the initial round of the National Cup finals as category winners. A highly competitive day with games lasting just 7 minutes each way; the stakes are high as only 2 teams go through to the next round.

A huge well done (and good luck) to Jess Strudwick, Year 11, who has been selected for the Welsh U17 Netball squad with her first game for Wales against Worcester University in December.

Congratulations also to the following girls who, following highly competitive trials, have been selected for the Leeds Rhinos Netball Pathway Programmes.

U19 - Harriet King

U17 - Summer Anderson, Grace Ross and Phoebe Turner

U16 - George Rayner, Lexie Cadman and Jess Strudwick

We are also delighted that Cleo Hainsworth and Bella Strudwick in Year 8 have been selected for the Manchester Thunder U13 Pathway.

Congratulations girls on such a fantastic achievement.

New Starters

What made you apply to work here?

A very warm welcome to all new staff and pupils who have joined us this term. We caught up with Mr Gallucci, our new Assistant Head (Operations) to find out more about him.

Harvest Time

I was very excited to work somewhere new and Brontë has an excellent reputation, within both the state and independent sectors. The job itself sounded great to me –operations is all about logistics and planning which I enjoy greatly.

What has surprised you most compared to your previous schools?

The sheer number of extra things that we offer to our pupils – including wrap around care and all of the clubs on offer after school; lots of trips already on the way; weird and wonderful events like the Brontë Bonanza and the PJ Party. In other schools where I’ve worked, we have also done lovely things, but there are just so many more and they are bigger at Brontë!

It was lovely to finally have the whole school together for the Harvest Festival in Chapel, despite the atrocious weather! The pupils sang beautifully and Mr Marshall was very involved! Thank you for the donations of food, which have been forwarded to Bradford Foodbank and for the collection, which raised £353.00.

Knitwits

What are your interests out of school?

Outside of school, my major hobby is Scouting. I’ve been a Scout, and then a leader, since I was 6 years old and have done all sorts on my scouting journey. I am now hopefully offering Life Skills and Adventure to hundreds of young people across the Keighley Scout District.

I’m a bit of maths and computer geek which means that spreadsheets are right up my street, and I’ve got them for everything, which comes in handy at work! I also love to watch films, read books and play the piano (a little).

We are just about to have our first baby so I am sure this will top the list and nudge most of my other interests out of the way!

Our knitters have now started knitting Christmas decorations; little Santa hats and Christmas puddings with a Lindt chocolate inside. We are very proud of their dedication and perseverance – some really skillful knitting.

Ashdown Pumpkin News

Pumpkins have featured strongly in Ashdown Lodge this term. Nursery children spent some time looking inside the pumpkins, talking about the seeds and what the inside of a pumpkin feels like. Reception made a 'magic potion' which involved scooping out the insides of the pumpkin and then experimenting by putting bicarbonate of soda, washing up liquid, food colouring and vinegar in it. They had lots of ideas about what might happen, such as it ‘exploding and bubbling’.

Remembrance Service

Brontë Garden

Following our Assembly of Remembrance, the school community came together for a two minute silence in front of the poppy display that pupils had created. Grove pupils attended and played the Last Post.

Our Brontë Knitwits worked very hard for six weeks to ensure their homemade poppies were finished in time and proudly showed them off at the service and in Art Club, Year 1 & 2 thought about why wearing poppies is so important and then used watercolours to create their own poppy art.

The gardening sessions between September and November have been very fruitful! Enthusiastic pupils (and staff) have been tidying, weeding, seeding, planting and harvesting under the expert guidance of Mr Lambert and the polytunnel has been re-covered with the help of local allotment holders.

Our staff team also installed water butts and have been creative with pallets and old banners to make some compost bins for food and garden waste.

Gardening Club have successfully grown potatoes, red and white onions, sweet corn, mange-tout peas, runner beans, carrots, courgettes, tomatoes, chillies, cucumbers. Much of the produce has found its way into the Brontë kitchen and any surplus has been sold to raise funds for Candlelighters. Gardening Clubs are now suspended, but Spring crop rotations are being planned as we write!

Non-uniform Day

Clay Creations Club have been very industrious. The children enjoyed making and decorating clay owls earlier in the term and are currently working on Autumn leaf bowls. Year 3 also made use of the clay to sculpt Egyptian masks for their Ancient Egypt topic.

Clay Creations School Council Voting Day

Our non-uniform day raised over £500 for Children in Need - thank you for your support and thanks to our Reception pupils who made some delicious Pudsey biscuits. We also threw odd socks into the mix which created some interesting outfits! Odd Socks Day is part of Anti-bullying Week to recognise uniqueness and individuality and was accompanied by a super assembly earlier in the week by our Anti-Bullying Ambassadors.

School Council voting went digital! Candidates made speeches to their peers and put forth their manifestos.

Congratulations to our School Councillors: Ella Clark (Head of School Council), Hettie Sugden, Rebecca Chapman, Wilfred Holt, Alexandra Amedzro, Pippa Dowsland, Hisham Hamid, Freddy Marshall, Reuben Tyldsley, Taylor Harrison, Florence Leigh, Acer Biscoe Cilenti, Bonnie Curtis and Hughie Lammas.

Rugby

Our rugby teams have done quite a bit of travelling so far this term. They have been to Yarm and Aysgarth for individual fixtures as well as QEGS in Wakefield for the Harrison Cup. The boys played well with 2 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses.

In the HMC rugby festival, our contact team won 4 of their games and the non-contact team scored dozens of tries between them.

Cross Country

A team of Brontë runners joined pupils from The Grove for the Leeds League cross-country races. For some, this was their first experience of a cross-country competition and they have now enjoyed two races, with two more to come.

We entered a number of Brontë teams into the HMC cross-country event at Barlborough Hall. Great running, an excellent effort from all participants and, above all, fantastic team spirit.

What a great term for our netballers. Years 3 to 6 have enjoyed a number of fixtures against Moorlands, Richmond House and Westville House amongst others. The players are learning all the time; improving their coordination, timing and above all, teamwork.

In particular, Year 3 showed great determination and teamwork in their first ever netball fixture against Westville House. They were losing 3-1 going into the last quarter, but after a quick team talk, the girls came back fighting to win 4-3.

Now I am in Year 6, I have been playing netball alongside my friends since Year 3. We train every week after school in netball club and in Friday games lessons. In training we work on our passing skills with lots of drills, and fun games which help us to work on our movement round the court. We try playing different positions to match our individual skills best. The attacking players will then work on their shooting while the defenders work hard on marking and intercepting the ball. The best part for most of us is the matches we get to play on Friday afternoons against other schools and the week after we focus on any areas that we need to develop. Our game play is always improving as a result. We enjoy working as a team, and most importantly have lots of fun! Thanks to Mrs Couzens, Mrs Aspley, and Miss Whitby-Eccles for coaching us.

By Lucy Edgar, Netball Captain

Swimming

Our swim team was in action recently in a triangular gala against Bradford Grammar and Ashville College. There were some very close individual and relay results and a fantastic atmosphere. Well done to the Brontë team, who came second. At Brontë House we are fortunate to have the use of the Grove pool from Year 1 – pupils at this early age can gain confidence and skills that could save their lives as well as preparing them for racing in the swim team in the future.

Why do I love netball at Brontë House School?

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

Years 3 to 6 were very excited about their trip to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Leeds Playhouse. Orlaith Curtis, Year 6 tells us about the trip.

“The character who stood out for me was Veruca Salt, who was played by Kazmin Borrer. The set was amazing and they did extremely well in the scenes where each child disappears. I loved how they put their own twist on the story, but kept the main parts the same. As in the original plot, Charlie Bucket managed to find the last of the five golden tickets to win a chance to look around the Wonka factory. He took his grandad (Joe) on a magical tour around the factory. At the end the audience went wild for Charlie.”

Temple Newsam Tudors

Year 5 at Flamingo Land

Year 4 had a really fun day on their trip to Temple Newsam. They impressed everyone with their knowledge of the Tudors, their enthusiasm, their impeccable behaviour, as well as their dressing up skills and role play!

Year 5 enjoyed their day out at Flamingo Land which helped their understanding about animals of the rainforests. They met some of the creatures and learnt about their habitats, adaptations, and how zoos help with conservation.

Going Wild at Yorkshire Wildlife Park

On their day trip to Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Year 6 took part in two workshops. The first was all about the classification of animals; they touched real camel fur and ostrich feathers and held a giant African land snail and a giant hissing cockroach, as well as meeting Monty the snake.

The second workshop was about evolution and how animals have adapted to their environments. Did you know that polar bears have transparent fur? Scientists have no idea why! Everyone showed a keen interest, asked some excellent questions and displayed a fantastic level of existing knowledge.

After the workshops, they saw a huge variety of animals around the park including, polar bears, baboons, tigers, leopards, giraffes, rhinos, lemurs, wallabies and lions.

They also saw an Amur leopard which is the most endangered cat in the world, with only 35 left in the wild. This ties in nicely with an English topic on endangered species.

Y1 Harewood House

Year 1 recently spent the day at Harewood House and toured the Bird Garden. They had fun watching the playful penguins swim, jump, waddle and be fed their favourite fish of sprats. The children asked lots of questions and learned that the Humboldt Penguins live in warmer climates along the rocky coasts of South America. They made penguin hats before finishing the day with a walk through a willow maze in the Woodland Wonderland.

Diary Dates

Spring Term 2023

Boarders return Tuesday 3rd January from 6pm

Term begins Wednesday 4th January at 8.30am

Half term begins Friday 10th February 4pm

Boarders return from 6.00pm on Sunday 19th February

Term recommences Monday 20th February at 8.30am

Term ends Friday 31st March 4pm

Summer Term 2023

Boarders return Sunday 23rd April from 6pm

Term begins Monday 24th April at 8.30am

Half term begins Friday 26th May 4pm

Boarders return from 6pm on Sunday 4th June

Term recommences Monday 5th June at 8.30am

Term ends Friday 7th July Midday