Category: Senior School News
Last Friday, 11 November 2022, a one-day workshop presented by The Well HQ, called Sport In Her Shoes, took place in School. The event was aimed at supporting girls, boys and teachers in understanding and being able to talk about and discuss the female body, how it works and how to approach challenges so that girls can continue to participate in sport and physical activity at all times.
In partnership with Best of Suffolk, The Well HQ co-founders Dr Emma Ross, Dr Bella Smith and Baz Moffat presented different workshops throughout the day. Dr Emma Ross is a female athlete health specialist and former Head of Physiology at The English Institute of Sport who was also the lead for the SmartHER project within the UK High Performance System from 2016 to 2020. Dr Bella Smith is a GP in Woodbridge and specialist in women’s health. Baz Moffatt is a former GB rower and now a women’s health coach with expertise in pelvic health.
The day began with a whole School introduction to girls, boys and staff, followed by different workshops relevant to different Year groups. The introduction delivered by Dr Emma Ross, focused on specific differences in the male and female body and physiology with some great examples of common misconceptions as well as assumptions in sport as well as other parts of life. For example, the fact that crash test dummies for car design are based on a male physique therefore do not represent female drivers which clearly has implications for safety. More recently the introduction of PPE during the Covid pandemic saw female healthcare workers struggling with face masks as the design was based on a man’s face. A world primarily designed for men has massive implications, and the examples here are just the tip of the iceberg; females not being able to rise to the level of their goals because a system doesn’t support them is just not acceptable and so the day began with the students’ minds focused on the need for consideration and change.
Throughout the rest of the day, a number of Year group specific workshops took place, providing information and an opportunity for discussions on subjects including: the menstrual cycle, the power of female centric nutrition, breasts, bras, pelvic floor, injury and concussion, coaching girls and the female mindset. Speakers also discussed the social-political context of gender gaps inherent in the world of sport, exercise and physical activity.
The biggest aim of the day was to reduce embarrassment, increase education and encourage more support and conversations on matters that affect girls and women every day. Confirming that girls should not be held back by their female physiology, the day explored misconceptions, confirmed facts and provided advice and support for girls and boys at Woodbridge. From learning that you can gain a mile over a marathon by wearing the correct sports bra to understanding the impact of the menstrual cycle and products designed to reduce the impact on your sporting life, it was a captivating and informative day for everyone.
Comments from students about this particular part of the day included, “It was just so interesting. I play regional and county netball so everything was relatable, for example I just attended the breasts and bra seminar and I had no idea I should be wearing a sports bra!” as well as, “It was intriguing and interesting, really eye opening and inspiring – I hadn’t realise the damage you could do by not wearing a sports bra, and the improvement it could make to your sporting performance.”
One of our Year 11 students said they had thoroughly enjoyed the day, commenting, “It was so engaging! The idea of fitting sport around women rather than the other way around made so much sense. And it was so important that boys were part of the conversation because after all, they’re going to have consider these issues and challenges in their future lives – here at School and beyond in their working life.”
Dr Bella Smith commented on the day saying, “We know how beneficial exercise is, both physically and mentally, so for girls to be held back by their own physiology and hormones is crushing. What we’ve been teaching and talking about today is what I like to call ‘body literacy’; no one knows and understands their body better than you – you are the expert. And so by understanding what’s going on, what support there is available and being able to talk about it without feeling ashamed or embarrassed, means we can understand ourselves and each other more and make improvements that benefit everyone.”
Summarising the event, Ralph Pruden, Head of Sport, Fitness and Health at Woodbridge School said, “We have to make sure that girls have the same opportunities in sport as boys, and that means providing support to enable them to continue to play sport at all times. Today has been incredible, the School has been filled with conversations from the workshops and there’s been a real sense of comfort around the subjects they’re talking about – which is exactly as it should be. I’ve been impressed by the students’ approach to the subjects discussed.”
With research1 showing that 64% of girls drop out of physical activity and/or sport during puberty, it’s vital this subject is approached, understood and communicated to everyone, and Woodbridge School was delighted to host the event. Having hosted a meeting with parents ahead of the event, and inviting staff to participate and join in the seminars on the day, every possible step was taken to support the development of understanding and to facilitate and inform conversations.
On Saturday 12 November, five of our cross country teams competed at the Regionals of the English Schools Cross Country Cup. Our region includes the might of Essex, one of the largest and strongest running counties in the country.
There were some great individual performances with three of our athletes recording top ten finishes:
Romilly (Year 8) 5th in the Junior Girls
Angus (Year 10) 6th in the Inter Boys
Amy (Year 13) 6th in the Senior Girls
Our overall team results were as follows:
Junior Girls – 6th
Junior Boys – 11th
Inter Girls – 5th
Inter Boys – 10th
Senior Girls – 3rd
The highlight of the day was the final race where our Senior Girls team finished 3rd and in doing so qualified for the National Finals, due to be held in Leeds on Saturday 3 December 2022.
A fantastic effort and achievement from Year 13’s Amy, Year 12’s Isobel and from Year 11’s Eloise, Ellen and Phoebe.
Amy has been in a qualifying team for Nationals every year of her senior school career, setting her own individual piece of Woodbridge School history! (This ignores 2020 of course, where the event was cancelled due to Covid).
Congratulations to every athlete, thank you to parents and staff for their support, and the very best of luck to the Senior Girls!
Our Careers Fair took place in School last weekend on Saturday 12 November, with students and parents from Years 7 to 13 invited to attend. Mr Richardson, Head of Careers at Woodbridge School reported on the event.
Stuart Richardson, Head of Careers
The organisation of the event felt very much like the organising of a party; you spend months planning, and organising, and ensuring everything is ready, to then on the day, waiting with bated breath for the exhibitors to arrive.
They arrive and you let out a mini sign of relief, one part of the puzzle has fallen in place!
Whilst the exhibitors set up and make themselves comfortable, familiarising themselves with their surroundings, you then start the anticipated wait to see if all the hard work and preparation has paid off – ultimately if anyone will attend.
10am comes around and the doors open and public arrived! The final sigh of relief, we have a Careers Fair!
After many months of hard work, our Careers Fair successfully launched! Our first since the pandemic and it was fantastic. We had over 40 exhibitors from various organisations including universities, colleges, institutes, business charities and public sector organisations, and the event was extremely well attended by both our own students, as well as many others from local schools.
We thank you all for your support and can’t wait to welcome you to our next one in 2024!
Ahead of our sell out performance of Romeo and Juliet next week, we recently met with the actors playing the love-struck couple, Year 12’s Esmee and George.
Talking about his part as Romeo, George explained that he had his eyes on the prize from the very beginning, “Everyone auditions the same scene rather than specifically for a character in the play, but from the very first moment I heard we were performing Romeo and Juliet, I wanted the role. Romeo is a challenging character, emotional and confused at times, and I want the audience to like and perhaps relate to him rather than see him as a dumb-struck fool which he can appear to be at times.” He continued, “We’ve given the play a modern look on Shakespeare; we want people to see how the play can look and feel relevant and relatable.”
George recently found and confirmed his passion for Drama, the turning point being when he played the role of Vince Fontaine in Grease. Having only joined Woodbridge School in Year 9, he’s now taking Drama A level and hopes to go into law, understanding the advantages drama can give him in such a career. “Performing helps me with confidence and self-motivation, from learning the lines ahead of rehearsals so I’m completely prepared, to making sure I’m at every rehearsal fit and ready to perform, listen and learn – it’s a great experience that I know will help me beyond School.”
Meanwhile, Esmee is no stranger to a theatre production, having played the part of Patty Simcox most recently in Grease, one of the Von Trap children in the Year 7 musical The Sound Of Music and participating in a plethora of drama activities and clubs outside of School. Esmee hopes her Drama A level will take her to drama school, with aspirations of studying musical theatre and drama. Much like her fellow student and actor George, Esmee wanted the main part in the production from the get-go, and commented, “Juliet’s very different to any other part I’ve played in a School production – and there’s a different side to her character I’m really keen for the audience to see.” She continued, “Ordinarily Juliet can be portrayed very much as though she’s a victim in the story, but the way we are performing the play and the way I’m performing the character the audience will see that she’s very much more head strong and much less damsel in distress!”
Equally committed and enthusiastic about her performance Esmee shared her preparation techniques with us confirming, “The key to being able to manage nerves before any performance is to make sure you’re prepared and rehearsed. I try to keep calm, knowing how nervous I can get, put myself through a vocal warm up and practicing mindfulness ahead of the performance.”
Joined by a team of fellow students, working hard in rehearsals to ensure they’re ready to perform and entertain on the night, everyone taking part is looking forward to next week and continuing preparation and rehearsals.
With the performance taking place on Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 November, and at the time of writing this the news breaking that tickets are sold out, the audience is in for a treat as Romeo and Juliet is performed in the round in The Seckford Theatre next week.
Last weekend Fight Director Isaac Fullbrook came into School to work with the cast of Romeo and Juliet on choreography and fight scenes. Having recently delivered Fight Direction for Ink Festival, Isaac who lives in Bristol, spent two hours working through the basic principles of stage combat before working exclusively with actors who have fight sequences in the upcoming production.
Year 12’s Lala attended the workshop, and explained, “I found Sunday’s workshop to be a hugely insightful experience and I feel that it definitely developed the creative attitude within the cast. To trust your peers in a hugely physical environment completely relies on the fact that we are all working to achieve the same thing; a tense, action filled atmosphere.”
She continued, “Inviting a new creative perspective into our workspace is always exciting as a drama student and Isaac allowed us to play to our strengths whilst incorporating his extensive knowledge. I think everyone gained something new from the workshop and I’m excited for everyone to see what we have created!”
This is the first time we’ve held such a masterclass in School, and we’re hopeful it’s the first of many since it was so well received, students really engaged and it will definitely ensure our audience gets to see some intense fight scenes during the performance of Romeo and Juliet next week.
This week Miss Norman was delighted to recognise and celebrate Heads Commendations with students. Year 9’s Bea received a commendation from the chair of her committee at the Manchester Cheadle Hulme Conference; she had drafted, presented and debated her own resolution with much older students, particularly impressive for a Year 9 student.
Year 11’s Sklya was recognised for her contribution to a debate at the MUN Manchester Cheadle Hulme Conference, where more than 30 schools attended including Warminster, Shewsbury and Bristol Grammar. She received a ‘highly commended delegate award’.
Year 11’s Ewan was selected among many applicants for the position of Guest Chair at the MUN Manchester Cheadle Hulme conference. He moderated a debate with more than 30 participants from some of the most prestigious independent schools in the country.
Year 12’s Henry received his commendation from Miss Norman in recognition of him winning the London Mini Marathon and also giving a fabulous interview to media during which he represented the School extremely well.
Year 12’s Isla received her commendation in recognition of having recently co-opted on to the Woodbridge Town Council’s Climate and Ecological Emergency Committee.
Year 12’s Ada was recently selected to ride in the Junior GB Eventing team in the 2* Short international friendly against Ireland and so was recognised for this superb achievement and commitment to equestrianism.
Congratulations and well done to each and every one of these students for their achievements.
We are delighted to be starting a new annual Michaelmas exhibition called Insight, showcasing work at our Senior School from all students in Years 6 and 7 who have each responded to a particular brief. Alongside this we will also be exhibiting new work from Year 12.
This show offers something different and complementary to our existing suite of yearly shows. Firstly, we have never exhibited Prep school work at the Senior School and secondly, Year 7 is a special time; it is the start of the Senior School experience and as such an opportunity to be challenged in new ways and understand your potential with fresh insight.
Year 12 are equally at the beginning of a fresh start; the end of GCSE and the beginning of A levels is a momentous time for students and their families. The Year 12 students have just finished their induction in which they tried out lots of different approaches to making and they are now considering what they might focus on; their exhibits are the first fruits of this progress.
Most exhibitions offer insight at the end of a course, but not the genesis; this is an opportunity to see rising stars grapple with what they will become; the lines are not clear, the work is experimental and we can reveal in seeing a snap shots of the beginning of things rather than the end.
The show is open from 4.30pm to 5.30pm on Tuesday 6 December. Please come along and share the invitation with any and all interested parties.
Our DofE students were busy over the October half term break, working towards their gold and silver awards in various ways.
Some of our Silver DofE students set off on their practice expedition, undertaking activities at the Harrold Odell Country park in Bedfordshire. Carrying full kit and camping out for two nights and hiking for three days, the Year 11 students had to complete seven hours of daily planned activity, covering approximately 16km each day. Weather conditions were good for the time of year but this didn’t prevent a few boots getting completely stuck in thick mud! The practice expedition gave the students the opportunity to hone their skills ready to undertake the three day qualifying expedition next year.
Meanwhile 20 students from Years 11 to 13 travelled to the Peak District National Park for their expeditions, with one Gold assessed group, two gold practice groups and one silver practice group. After training days with their group supervisor they then took part in four day (Gold assessed group) and three day walking expeditions; carrying all their expedition equipment and camping out overnight. Luckily apart from their final day on expedition where it poured down they enjoyed unseasonably warm, sunny weather.
Well done to everyone that took part, congratulations on your awards, students listed below:
Group 1 Gold Assessed: Year 13’s Lily, Sasha, Tilly and Ella
Group 2 Gold Practice: Year 12’s Abdulla, Ed, Izzie H, Izzie M and Jonny
Group 3 Gold Practice: Year 12’s Esmee, Chloe, James and Theo
Group 4 Silver Practice: Year 11’s Charlotte, Florence, Hugh, Ollie B, Ollie J, Oscar W and Martha
Group 5 Silver Practice: Year 11’s Will, Fred, Henry, Samson, Oscar H, Jack and Harrison
During half term, 44 students and four members of staff embarked on the first overseas sports tour for a number of years – the Paris Rugby tour. Setting off in the early hours and making progress through the tunnel and to Paris for their first stop at the Eiffel Tower, the students had the opportunity to walk around the surrounding area, getting the coach travel out of their system.
With the hotel located just outside the Disneyland complex, it was perfect for the School party, allowing unlimited buffet breakfasts and evening meals; for those with adolescent boys this was clearly fantastic news as it guaranteed that the boys were fed and watered well every day.
The tour saw the group visit the Montparnasse Tower with views over Paris, unfortunately the low cloud obstructed some of the more famous landmarks, but being 250 metres above the Paris Skyline was thrilling. The Stade De France was an excellent tour, giving students the chance to sit in the changing rooms and run out onto the pitch as their idols have, and as they have seen on TV. A river boat cruise along the River Seine provided an opportunity for everyone to relax and enjoy the views around Paris in the sunshine; from the Eiffel Tower to the Notre Dame cathedral and the Statue of Liberty.
Whilst the emphasis of the tour was about having fun and enjoying each other’s company, the tour was also about playing rugby, and both teams (U14 and U16) played two matches whilst on tour.
Unfortunately the French opposition was a little strong on each occasion, however the games were very competitive and enabled the students to play on some excellent surfaces at two great venues against two clubs who hosted the boys exceptionally well.
The players of the tour were:
U14 – Year 8’s Isaac, Ollie and Liam, and Year 9’s Angus
U16 – Year 11’s Tolly, Oscar and Year 10’s Archie
Tourist of the week – Year 9’s Oliver for all his help, talk and classic one-liners throughout the week.
Thank you to all that came on the tour and we look forward to the next one soon.
Our Equestrian teams celebrated their most successful year at the National School Equestrian Championships at Keysoe from Thursday 20 to Sunday 24 October. The most successful Suffolk team, Woodbridge had nine riders taking part over four days up against the best school riding teams in the UK, having qualified in eight team and four individual events.
Woodbridge had five top eight team places from our eight team competitions, rewarded with rosettes, prizes and of course a bucket!
Woodbridge riders were winners of the regional points league 2022. The team with the most points in each county gained from competitions over the year is invited to compete. Two riders jump 70cm, two jump 80cm, two jump 90cm and two jump 1m against the clock. Top 5 scores to count. Our team was Year 12’s Oscar, Year 11’s Sophia, Year 10’s Eve, Lois and Oscar, Year 8’s Harry, Zac and Edie.
Other top results included:
Eve Y10 winning the 1.10m Jumping with Style on Laddie.
Oscar T coming third in the 80-85cm Jumping with Style on Cliff
The team of Year 8’s Harry and Zac, with Year 10’s Oscar and Sophia came third in the 80-85cm Show Jumping. They were competing against 34 teams. They finished in 7th place after the first round, which meant that they were into the jump off. This was very exciting as the top eight teams all compete again; Sophia achieved a clear round with the fastest time to help move the team up four places into 3rd place.
On Saturday evening we supported Year 8’s Edie who had been selected to represent the South of England team in the Nations Cup. Four teams of four riders from the South of England, the North of England, Wales and Scotland compete for the cup over eight jumps against the clock. It was a very fast and exciting competition. Scotland won the Cup and Edie and the South of England team finished in 3rd place.
Well done to Year 7’s Grace who competing in her first Nationals came team 8th in the 70-75cm Show Jumping together with Year 8’s Harry, Zac and Edie.
Full results below:
Thursday 20 October:
· 70-75cm show jumping 8th Edie, Grace, Harry, Zac
· 70-75cm jumping with style 6th Edie, Harry, Zac
Friday 21 October:
· 80-85cm show jumping 3rd Harry, Oscar T, Zac, Sophia
· 80-85cm jumping with style 6th Edie, Harry, Oscar T, Sophia
· Year 10’s Oscar individual 3rd
Saturday 22 October:
· 90-95cm show jumping 21st Eve, Lois, Oscar, Sophia
· Eve individual 5th
· 90-95cm jumping with style 14th Eve, Lois, Oscar, Sophia
· Year 10’s Oscar Individual 10th
· RPL 1st Oscar G, Eve, Sophia, Lois, Oscar T, Zac, Edie, Harry
· 1.10m Pony Individual Eve 9th
· 1.10m Horse individual Oscar G 12th
Sunday 23 October:
· 100-1.05m team show jumping eliminated
· 100-1.05m jumping with style individual Eve 4th
· 1.10m individual Eve 1st
