Category: Senior School News
Dressage Show, Martley Hall, Saturday 5 February
Parents from Woodbridge School organised and held a dressage show at the beautiful Martley Hall in Easton recently, in response to so few dressage qualifiers being held less than two hours’ travelling distance away from School. Organising and hosting a show for Suffolk and Norfolk schools, our team of extremely dedicated and efficient parents ensured the event ran smoothly and was enjoyed by all who attended.
Although the day started bright and dry, the wind came in rather quickly and icy temperatures followed. However all competitors coped admirably in what some might consider to have been an Artic blast!
Woodbridge put forward four teams in both the Prelim and Novice categories, and the results were as follows:
Prelim Warm Up:
1st Sophia Y10 /Kells Diamond Lad 73.64%
2nd Lois Y9 /Irish Dancer IV 71.8%
3rd Edie Y7 /Beauty 67.27%
Prelim Team:
1st Eve Y9 /Just Paddington 75.19% (PB for Eve)
3rd Lois Y9 /Irish Dancer IV 74.23%
4th Lucy Y11/Twngwndwa Benjamin 71.92%
7th Issy Y11/Adolphus 71.15%
9th Sophia Y10/Kells Diamond Lad 69.8%
Novice Team :
2nd Lucy Y11 /Heritage Attica 71.88%
4th Ada Y11/Heritage Juno 71.25%
5th Ada Y11/Izzitop 70.20%
6th Issy Y11/Dawn Chorus 70.2%
7th Eve Y9/Tullibards Clover 70%
8th Ada Y11/Up for a Party 69.58%
Elementary Individual:
Joint 1st Ada Y11/Izzitop 69.28%
3rd Issy Y11/Dawn Chorus 68.21%
4th Ada Y11/Up For A Party 66.79%
Special mention goes to Jasmine Y5 from the Prep on her pony Valendro Amber Dancer with a great score of 66.1%. Definitely one to watch!
With the top two teams and top four individuals qualifying, they go through to the Nationals which take place in October. We’re also delighted that Year 11’s Oscar and his lovely horse Jaldo who sadly had to withdraw from the Novice, will still be eligible to contest the Novice with the rest of his team in October.
Forest Edge Show Jumping Competition, Sunday 13 February
Sunday 13 February Woodbridge attended and competed in the Forest Edge Show Jumping Competition, with the following results achieved:
60cm Edie Y7 6th Individual
70cm Zac Y7 4th Individual
70cm Team 4th Harry Y7, Zac Y7, Edie Y7
80cm Oscar Y9 1st Individual
80cm Team 2nd Oscar Y9, Zac Y7, Phia Y10 and Harry Y7
90cm Oscar 3rd Individual
90cm Team 3rd Oscar Y9, Lois Y9, Phia Y10, Issy Y11
100cm Team 5th
110 Ada 6th Individual
These results mean that the 80cm team, as well as Zac and Oscar qualify for the Nationals which take place in Keysoe in October, with the 70cm and 90cm team plus Ada going through to the Plate Championships also at Keysoe in October. Well done to everyone that took part!
With over 150 goals scored and just 33 conceded so far this season, there’s plenty to celebrate in netball for Woodbridge. Below you’ll find match reports for our U15A, U14A, U12A, U12B, U12C/U13C teams, including final scores, Player of the Match and highlights from the games.
U15A Triangular Fixture Woodbridge v Ipswich High School & Kesgrave, Monday 7 February READY
Our U15A netball squad welcomed IHS and Kesgrave for a triangular fixture on Monday 7 February; each school playing a 3 x 8 minute match against the other two teams.
Both IHS and Kesgrave were unknown quantities as Woodbridge have yet to play them in the league, and after a slightly below par performance recently against Westbourne, it was really important for players to step up and play the level of netball this very talented squad is capable of delivering.
And deliver they did! The team were dominant in both matches, their attacking play was fast moving, well timed and demonstrated some excellent vision, with penetrating through balls from Issy and Nancy in centre court roles through to our attackers. Our shooting trio, Charlotte H, Skyla and Charlotte C, were on absolute top form, converting opportunities with ease.
Defensively the entire team were strong which making life very difficult for the opposition to move the ball down court, and regularly turning the ball over in the centre third. When the ball did reach our defensive end comprising Florence, Georgie and Marina, they were there applying the pressure, regularly intercepting and forcing errors.
Overall it was an excellent afternoon of netball with two convincing wins for Woodbridge. Our Player of the Match was Charlotte H. Well done girls, overall results below:
Woodbridge v IHS – Third scores 5-5, 11-6, Final result 18-9
Woodbridge v Kesgrave – Third scores 11-6, 21-8, Final result 36-10
U14A Woodbridge v Ipswich School 25 – 1, Thursday 10 February
Meeting with Ipswich School’s U14 team recently was not only a fantastic win for Woodbridge U14As but a very strong whole squad performance. Ipswich have considerable height at both ends of the court, but it was pleasing to see that the tactics we had worked on to combat this worked to good effect for the majority of the game.
The first quarter was tight, both teams settling into the match with the end score a marginal 4-3 to Woodbridge. But Woodbridge dominated and pulled away in the second quarter; our attack was well thought through and fast paced, led by Lara who had the freedom to run following a change of opponent. Excellent play from Scarlet, Georgia and Emily, who with patient work around the circle edge, were able to take advantageous shooting positions and produce well converted shots.
By half time Woodbridge were leading 13-6 and the second half was much closer, meaning it would have been easy for Woodbridge to lose their heads under the pressure – but they didn’t. The team continued their effective attacking play with Nina now in at WA, feeding the circle incredibly well. The team battled hard and were immense in terms of defence throughout the court, particularly in the defensive shooting circle where Juno kept the tall shooter under pressure while Georgia, who was playing a tricky tactical role marking her GA and also dropping back onto the GS to stop a front ball, turned the ball over a large number of times.
Additional defensive pressure from Issy and Scarlet made life very hard for Ipswich, and although we lost the last quarter, the team had done enough overall to win the match 25-21. Player of the Match went to Juno, but well done to all the girls, it was a truly impressive game in terms of how it was handled.
Special mention to Rosie who is a key member of the U14A squad, but who we have sadly lost for a short while due to a horrible ankle injury – wishing her a speedy recovery and looking forward to having her back on court.
U12A Woodbridge v Fram Prep 14 -10
Last Wednesday Woodbridge U12A team played Fram Prep’s Junior 2nd team, which was made up of both Year 7 and 8 girls. Matches were played back-to-back due to the gusty winds, and as a result were cut short to three of eight minutes, as we had to fit six matches in during the afternoon.
With height on the opposition’s side, Woodbridge knew they needed to ensure they came forwards for the ball and continued to drive forwards until the ball was safely in their hands. The first third saw the ball travel to each end, but unfortunately the shots were not happening. However, once the shooters got their eye in, it was a different story, and Woodbridge went ahead by one goal 4 – 3.
During the second third, Woodbridge found their feet and started to turn over Fram’s passes; Pip, Eva and Rosie made some super interceptions to prevent the ball being distributed to the opposition’s shooters and Annie, Georgia and Felicity controlled the centre court by driving forwards to receive the ball, passing it into our shooting circle. Amelie and Izzy’s movement in the attacking circle improved as they began to dominate their defenders and not allow themselves to be dominated. Rebounds were also chased down to ensure possession of the ball, and although tiredness throughout the game was clearly evident with a number of our team having been busy with musical rehearsals and performances, this did not stop the team putting their all into the game and coming away with a brilliant win, 14 – 10. Player of the Match went to Georgia, but well done to all the girls!
So far in all matches, Woodbridge have scored 150 goals and have only conceded 33, which is just fantastic. Well done everyone, we look forward to our matches against Ipswich High School on the Wednesday after half term.
U12B Woodbridge v Framlingham College Prep School 9-7
Due to adverse weather, this match took place in the dome and so needed to be shortened to thirds. To add to this, unfortunately, the Woodbridge team was missing three significant players for this match who were greatly missed. However, the girls did not complain about the fact that they were playing out of position and rallied enthusiastically to the task in hand.
In the first third the Woodbridge girls took time to settle, giving the ball away too easily and finding difficulty feeding the circle. Framlingham took the advantage and won that third 3-0. In the second third, Woodbridge worked hard to regain composure, were more organised and found the rhythm to their game. The passes managed to find our shooters resulting in three goals being scored.
In defence, Honor, Chloe and Amelia stayed tight to the opposition limiting the sore to just one goal. Woodbridge won the second third 3-1 as finally the Woodbridge team really found their flow. With fluid passing from centres Esmee to Grace, to Frankie and into Emilia, shooting was extremely accurate; Grace and Emilia scored six goals during that third. Again, the defence worked hard with Esmee intercepting many balls in the centre court play, but Framlingham did manage to score three goals. The final result was 9-7 to Woodbridge, with Chloe receiving player of the match.
U12C/ U13C Netball match v Framlingham 10-6
Another match that had to take place in the dome due to bad weather, and shortened to third, the U12C/U13C netball team took on Framlingham at home on Wednesday, securing another win for the team!
Woodbridge showed their breadth of skill, with shooters Rocky, Sukie, Mila and Isabelle all absolutely on form; unfortunately Teddi was unable to play. Captaining the team, Ella played extremely well in mid-court, working hard and linking play. Jemima also has a good game, making some very strong passes to her team which opened up the play. Likewise, defender Laura executed some fine passes, while Olivia was solid as ever in her role as GK, and Martha was also effective in her defending role, plus it was great to have Evie back having recovered from her recent injury. Mila was awarded Player of the Match by the opposition, but it really was very much a whole team effort and we look forward to our next match.
Suffolk Schools Athletics have announced the team to compete at the English Schools Cross Country Championship in Kent on Saturday 19th March. The highlight of the winter season for young athletes!
Trials for this prestigious event started in October with over 1,200 athletes from 83 Suffolk Schools competing. Since then Woodbridge athletes have competed in four races attempting to secure one of the coveted 48 places (six teams of eight across the age groups), going on to compete at English Schools; an event where the top eight athletes from 44 counties compete for both individual and team honours.
Although five minors competed for Suffolk at Anglian Schools, only students from Year 8 and above are invited to race at English Schools.
Students from 25 schools will make up the team of 48 athletes. And Woodbridge can now officially and proudly confirm our entry is at the top of the team representation table, with eight athletes across the age groups. This is more than double the next best Suffolk school who have three, and if you consider that some Suffolk Schools have around four times our student numbers it’s clear to see what an achievement this is.
A fantastic achievement for our cross country athletes and just reward for all their hard work. Congratulations to the following:
Junior Girls (Y8 & 9) : Charlotte Y8
Junior Boys (Y8 & 9) : Angus Y9
Inter Girls (Y10 & 11) : Eloise Y10 and Ruby Y11
Inter Boys (Y10 & 11) : Henry Y11
Senior Girls (Y12 & 13): Amy Y12 and April Y13
Senior Boys (Y12 & 13): Kit Y13
In addition to those competing, Eloise (Y8) has also been selected as a reserve for the Junior Girls.
We hope the athletes continue to train well over the next few weeks and wish them every success at English Schools.
Mrs Rix reports on the championship finals in Nottingham.
The Girls 1st Hockey team set off on Sunday afternoon for Nottingham to take part in the England Hockey U18 T4 Championships Finals! Ella W and Esme still had the small task of all day rehearsals for Grease, and got on the road a bit later to join the team for dinner. (As an aside we can’t wait to see Ella and Esme perform on a completely different stage next week!). It was great to finally be on our way after starting the journey back in September, winning the Suffolk County Cup. Then getting through the Regional Qualifying rounds, before winning the East Finals to have the honour to represent the region at the finals. The team continued preparing, training twice a week, through mocks, starting their netball season, Year 11’s playing at the Regional Netball Finals a weekend before, two great training games against the 1st team Boys and the U15A boys… Finally our the day had arrived.
The tournament day started with frosty pitches, delaying the team practice time and the start of the event. Everyone was keen to get going and when the short practice time was finally allowed every player looked in good form. The first match saw Woodbridge dominate their opponent, Oxford High School, but just not getting the ball to go in the goal. Great goalkeeping at both ends kept things very close. Woodbridge kept peppering the goal and stuck to their principles, showing good midfield and defender transfers, getting lots of balls up to the forwards early and defending with structure and discipline. Finally the work and persistence paid off when co-captain, Clara slotted the goal which proved to be the winning one. Woodbridge showed composure to run down the clock and take a close but well deserved win.
Next up was Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Woodbridge again dominated, but kept being denied throughout the first half. In the second half it was Woodbridge who had to defend a bit more. The match was intense and you just felt more time was needed, but in the end the clock ran out and a draw still left us in a very good position. It was all to play for in the final pool game against Hill House. The early exchanges again belonged to Woodbridge, again being denied by the post, good goalkeeping and luck to the opposition. Hill House scored against the run of play, before Woodbridge came back when Molly swept a reverse stick effort into goal. The match became more and more physical with all players pushing the limits. Hill House was awarded a surprising penalty stroke, but Issy was up to it! What a save! And we were still in it. Another decision went against Woodbridge late in the game, resulting in a penalty corner, which ended in a goal after a few phases. No time left to get back into the game despite the team working so hard in the dying seconds. Sport is such that you sometimes feel you have been robbed, but the true team of character they are, the players stuck to their principles of humility and integrity and took their loss and got ready to give their all in the Bronze medal match.
Enough has been said and written, so lets just say it was a match to remember for all who were there and a part of it. The hard work the team put into that game, like it was their first of the day and no sign of fatigue, is still unbelievable. Too many magic moments to report on (match winning tackles, saves, passes, presses – and Molly’s drag flick!), and ultimately pure joy for a group of players who have been through so much this season: won and lost together, laughed and cried together – and who now own a Nationals Bronze medal.
Well done to each and every player. Thank you to the parents for the fantastic support in Nottingham and from back home. Thanks to the staff who have supported the players and helped them to manage all that they do. Three cheers for the 1st team who have shown us excellence, character and respect in everything they have done on and off the pitch. We say farewell to our Year 13’s who leave a legacy and a bit of history behind.
On Saturday 5 February, Woodbridge School were proud to host the Anglian Schools Cross Country Championship on behalf of Suffolk Schools. A wonderful spectacle as our athletes, staff and parents came together with Suffolk Schools Athletics to showcase the School to a wide East of England audience. Unsurprisingly our grounds looked spectacular in the sunshine, with the team preparing the site to its usual excellent standard, it certainly was a sight to see.
Fifteen athletes from Woodbridge represented Suffolk Schools (two of the original seventeen were unfortunately off ill) as Suffolk competed against strong county teams from Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire.
For the seventh time in succession Woodbridge School athletes won medals at this event, with Suffolk winning six of the twenty four medals on offer in total; three won by our very own athletes: Year 11’s Ruby won Gold in the Inter Girls, Year 11’s Henry took Silver in the Inter Boys and Year 7’s Felicity a Bronze medal in the Minor Girls.
There were three further top ten finishers from Woodbridge: Year 13’s April came 5th in the Senior Girls, Year 12’s Amy came 8th in the Senior Girls and Year 6’s Alice came 9th in the Minor Girls.
It really was a wonderful day for all who took part, congratulations to everyone who participated.
Full results were as follows:
Minor Girls:
Felicity (Y7) 3rd place
Alice (Y6) 9th place
Romilly (Y7) 15th place
Sophie (Y7) 26th place
Minor Boys:
Digby (Y6) 47th place
Junior Girls:
Eloise (Y8) 35th place
Rose (Y9) 41st place
Aurelia (Y8) 42nd place
Junior Boys:
Angus (Y9) 28th place
Inter Girls:
Ruby (Y11) 1st place
Eloise (Y10) 18th place
Inter Boys;
Henry (Y11) 2nd place
Senior Girls:
April (Y13) 5th place
Amy (Y12) 8th place
Senior Boys:
Kit (Y13) 26th place
For most of our Minor athletes this will mark the end of a very busy, yet successful cross country season.
For Junior and older, Suffolk Schools will now select a reduced team to compete at the English Schools Championship due to be held in Kent during March; we are extremely hopeful that there are still eight Woodbridge School athletes in contention.
A fantastic day, well done to every athlete and a huge thank you to everyone that contributed to the organisation and running of the event and to all those that came along and supported the athletes.
And as if the day wasn’t brilliant enough, Suffolk Schools took the overall team title!
The Pro Corda Chamber Music Festival, a national festival which exclusively promotes and celebrates chamber music within schools, took place this week and Woodbridge fielded four teams from across year groups.
The Glam Quartet – Iris (Y12), Asmee (Y12), Oliver (Y11) and Jasmine (Y11).
Brass Attack – Margot (Y8), Lara (Y7), Alice (Y9), Noah (Y9) and on drums – Joe (Y8).
Tono Trio – Lily (Y8), Lyrah (Y8) and Alex (Y8)
Burkitt Trio – Georgia (Y9), Will (Y9) and Oscar (Y8)
Set in a recital room and the beautiful barn, which were not only an acoustic treat but visually very impressive, each of the groups performed really well. Adjudicator, Mr Quatermaine, provided each team and student with valuable feedback, giving our young musicians lots to think about and consider. It was a truly affirming experience for all who took part, congratulations to all of them, we look forward to hearing if any of our teams have been invited to the semi-finals.
Listen to a snippet from the Glam Quartet here.
It’s been a busy few weeks for Woodbridge students in sports, our hockey and football reports below hold the details and scores you’ll want to read about.
NETBALL
From the U16s and U14s Regional Finals, to the and U19, U16 VII, U13A, U13B, U12A friendly and league matches, it’s been a jam packed couple of weeks for the School’s netball players and all reports show the team are demonstrating superb skills and potential with some incredibly wins. We report on each match below.
U16s Regional Finals 29 January
The School’s U16s put on a fantastic display of netball and teamwork recently in the Regional Finals which were held in Welwyn Garden City. The team’s excitement of staying in a Travelodge didn’t overshadow their competitive nature and the whole squad should be incredibly proud of how they played and conducted themselves on court.
The first game was tough, losing to Brentwood (the eventual winners who went on to represent the East at the Nationals) but the girls never gave up – after the first half we were just two goals behind.
Next it was the turn of Grays Convent School, who we beat in a very close game finishing 9-8 with some superb shooting from Charlotte H and Steph and overall a great game thanks also to Charlotte C, Izzy, Flo and Libbie too.
A 7-7 thriller against Norwich High School for Girls saw our defenders Freya, Lucy, Elsa and Ada put in what can only be described as a stellar performance. The next match was against Stephen Perse Foundation, and although we had a comfortable lead by half time, the opposition came back at us hard – but we still went on to win the match 8-6.
Our final game was against Sandringham School, and we knew they were strong before we even set foot on the court. We really did put up a great fight in all areas of the court and game, but they steamed ahead over us finishing the game on 12-19.
This left us in third in our pool just missing out on the semi-finals, but it was a fantastic performance from every member of the quad, and some really great play, attitude and behaviour from Woodbridge. Special mention to Izzy who joined us after an illness and also to Georgie who unfortunately couldn’t make the matches. Thanks also to Miss Hinton for scoring, and to Miss Sanders for organisation as well as Mrs Richardson for everything she does for us all.
Well done girls, we’re extremely proud of you – bring on next year!
U14s Regional Finals 29 January
Qualification for the Regional round of the National Schools Competition is a huge achievement in itself and something which the U14 A team should be very proud of. And although the Regional Finals day did not perhaps work out as we had hoped there were a great many positives to take away from it.
The team started strongly with opportunities to win their first game against Brentwood School; however the eventual outcome was a loss by 6 goals to 7, however, we were the closest result to this team who ended up being overall winners and qualifying for the Nationals.
Our losses elsewhere were often by very narrow margins and mainly down to some decision making under pressure, and/ora few missed shots on goal. Defensively though, throughout the day the team were nothing short of impressive. The team applied pressure on the court throughout which enabled our defence to turn over the ball on a regular basis. Our win was our reward of the day when we came up against Grays Convent School winning by 5-1.
The girls represented themselves and Woodbridge School superbly and were a pleasure to be with. On a day when it would have been easy for heads to drop they were resilient, fought hard and supported each other. Well done everyone, onward and forward to the next challenges for this very talented team.
Overall results were as follows:
Woodbridge v Brentwood Lost 6-7
Woodbridge v Norwich Lost 2-4
Woodbridge v Bedford Girls School Lost 2-6
Woodbridge v Grays Convent School Won 5-1
Woodbridge v Herts & Essex High School Lost 3-10
Woodbridge v Stephen Pearse Foundation Lost 6-8
U16 VII Woodbridge v Ipswich School 25-20
The girls put on a fantastic display of teamwork which enabled them to win against Ipswich School earlier this week in what was a very close game throughout. Alongside some excellent shooting from Florence and Steph which gave us a real advantage, Elsa (who went on to become Player of the Match) and Freya defended brilliantly meaning Ipswich were only ever under pressure.
Libbie was stellar as Centre, always there to support the shooters and the defence as she held the centre court together with the help of Ada, Isobelle and Lucy.
It really was a great game to watch and play, the team demonstrated real potential which is something we’re seeing in every match so far this term, the girls have every reason to believe in themselves. Thanks go to parental support from the sidelines too, it’s so important and means so much to everyone who plays.
U13B Woodbridge v Farlingaye 13-13 friendly
The U13B team played a friendly against Farlingaye at home last week, and although the girls took a quarter to get into the game they then found their feet.
At half time the score was 8 – 6 to us, with Margot R working hard in defence alongside Meda and Valentina who helped out by picking out lots of interceptions. Freya, Bea and Ellie worked well in the centre and attacking third, feeding the shooting circle effectively. Lily and Scarly’s shooting was consistent, fighting for rebounds well resulting in Lily being nominated as Player of the Match.
The last quarter saw the girls’ tiredness kick in which unfortunately allowed Farlingaye to catch up by scoring four goals to our three; resulting in a final score of a 13-13 draw. A lovely match to umpire and watch, the girls should be extremely proud of how they played – well done everyone.
U12A Woodbridge v Culford 34-11 friendly
The U12A team continued their winning streak with a strong performance against Culford at home. From the starting whistle, the girls put into action some of the set plays which they have been focusing on and practicing recently, which were certainly effective, and Amelie and Izzy’s shooting was excellent!
At the end of the first quarter, the team were winning superbly 11–2, but a change of positions was in order to allow the girls to try out different positional roles due to the match being a friendly. Eva, Rosie and Pip worked tirelessly in defence, intercepting a number of overhead passes and timing their moves to pick the ball up mid-flight. Georgia, Annie and Felicity’s centre court play was also strong; chasing down any loose balls to use to their advantage and supporting the shooters around the circle edge effectively.
This fantastic and solid performance resulted in the team coming away with a 34 – 11 win. Well done to everyone, and congratulations to our Player of the Match Georgia.
U19 Woodbridge v Farlingaye 9-28 League Match
The U19s, who have only recently been put together as a team due to mock exams and other commitments, played their first league match together against a strong and slick Farlingaye earlier this week.
The team took a while to find their feet as a number of them had been playing hockey for the Michaelmas term and had not played any netball since 2020, so it’s fair to say they were a little rusty! This was reflected somewhat in our passing which was rushed and challenging for our own players at the beginning, as when in possession of the ball the team were panicking.
By the end of the first quarter, the score was 4–2 to the opposition, demonstrating how long it took both teams to settle into the match. But as soon as the girls calmed down and thought about their passing, they were successful in starting to use the channels of the court more.
Unfortunately Farlingaye’s defence were tall and strong – and put lots of pressure on Woodbridge shooters. Combined with the excellent shooting skills they demonstrated, rarely missing a shot, it was clear to see how the match might end. Woodbridge’s fitness levels were also not what they could have been, so we did begin to struggle, especially playing indoors – but all of these factors are something the team can learn from and focus on – every game is an opportunity to develop!
Congratulation to Ella P walked away with Player of the Match.
U19 Woodbridge v Ipswich School 7-40 League Match
Our second U19 league netball match this week was against an extremely strong and well-practiced Ipswich School, who had narrowly missed out on a place at the Regional Finals back in January.
Playing against a team who had been playing together since September was always going to be tough, but the girls were still up for the challenge, despite the fact that most of them were tired or struggling to walk as they had been at the hockey Nationals the day before and were not home until late!
The squad of ten rotated around to ensure tiredness did not get in the way too much and to give those legs a bit of a break. Lottie worked tirelessly in defence picking out lots of tips and interceptions with Molly and Evie supporting her, and our centre court players Jess, Ella S, Ella P, Ella W and Clara. Working hard to try to distribute the ball effectively down the court, those players supported our shooters Emily and Izzy, who were fighting extremely hard in our shooting circle. Unfortunately this served only to play to the opposition’s strengths, making it very difficult to get the ball in and shoot.
We know that practice as a team does pay off, so the team looks forward to spending the next few sessions working on tactical weaknesses and turning them into strengths.
Congratulations to Izzy H awarded Player of the Match.
U13A Woodbridge v Ipswich School 28-8
Some fantastic teamwork and shooting resulted in a convincing win for the U13A team today, demonstrating superb movement in our attacking circle, Elosie and Millie worked hard throughout the match. The centre court players including Charlie, Lily, Margot, Aurelia and Lyra played incredibly well as a unit, connecting the defence and the attack beautifully.
In defence, Scarlett, Lyrah and Bea won rebounds resulting in additional pressure put on the opposition’s shooters.
Well done girls, it was an incredible match and a well-deserved win. Thank you also to the support from parents, grandparents and our Head of School Miss Norman.
FOOTBALL
There was an action packed match in football last week when the Senior 1st team held their latest match against Finborough on Tuesday 1 February. From the outset it was a full-blooded and hotly contested match – forget the pasteurised simulacra you see on the television, this was full-on grass roots football and a pleasure to watch.
Unfortunately Woodbridge had a disastrous start which saw them conceding two early goals through defensive errors, but they slowly fought their way back into the game. But it just wasn’t enough and some very good chances went begging and late on when we were chasing a goal or two, we conceded again on the break.
A largely untried and untested team for the new term, they’re certain to bond on the pitch, slowly but surely. But for now, every player left the pitch knowing that although the match wasn’t won, the final score being 3-0 to Finborough, they had been involved in an excellent battle. Well done boys.
One of only a few Schools in the area to offer Leatherwork and Silversmithing as part of the curriculum, Woodbridge School students have the opportunity to learn these traditional artisan skills from Year 9 onwards and produce high quality products that they can be proud of and keep forever.
Leatherwork
Students are given the opportunity to personalise their own leatherwork by selecting from an array of textured leather hides, finishing with coloured thread of their choice and embossing their initials.
Students also learn how to use and make templates, dye cut with press knives for mass production using a hydraulic press and hand stitch using traditional techniques and hand tools used in many industries including fashion, automotive, equestrian and product design.
Silversmithing
A variety of professional silversmithing techniques and processes are taught, including annealing and silver soldering.
Students have the opportunity to learn how to measure and fit their own bespoke sterling silver band, with the option to create a signet ring or a stacking ring choosing their own gemstones. They will also be taught how to create a bezel and set their stones using traditional metal hand tools, polishing and buffing their final piece to a high shine.
Experimenting with metal-work techniques on such a small scale encourages a number of transferable skills including precision, dexterity and accuracy, the applications for which are significant and could include careers involving surgery or precision engineering for example.
Students took part in the South of England Cross Country Championships last Saturday at Beckenham Place Park in London. Such is the depth in the South, that the standard at this competition was effectively half the country – that’s some pressure on those taking part, but also very, very exciting!
Year 11’s Ruby finished 13th in the U17 girls, with April Hill (Y13) finishing 13th in the U20 womens. Not to be outdone, Henry (Y11) came 15th in the U17 boys. All three were top finishers for their club Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, in their age group.
This week the King Henry VIII relays took place in Coventry. The largest English Schools Cross Country relay in the country, the girls finished second when the event was last held two years ago. We had some outstanding results with Ruby (Y11) running the third fastest leg for the girls and the 4th fastest all time, over 22 years that the girls have been racing – amazing Ruby, well done!
Continuing with the girls, our girls team which included April (Y13), Amy (Y12), Eloise (Y10) and Ruby (Y11) finished 4th with the top five making the podium and receiving medals and badges celebrating their achievements and 50 years of the event.
Over to the boys, the boys team came 23rd out of 48 teams, which in itself is some achievement. Staying with the boys, Henry (Y11) ran the 3rd fastest boys leg and will go joint 15th on the all-time list over the complete 50 year history of the boys event – stunning Henry, well done!
Looking ahead, this weekend Woodbridge has the privilege of hosting the Anglian Schools Cross Country Championships on behalf of Suffolk Schools and has 17 athletes taking place as part of the Suffolk team.
Eight races start at midday on Saturday with the best athletes from Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Suffolk competing against one another for honours.
Just the top 80 athletes from each of the five counties will compete in each race, with races from Year 6 to 13 combining two years at a time.
We are incredibly proud of all our athletes, a huge well done to everyone. And we wish those taking part in Saturday’s Anglian Schools Cross Country finals, being hosted at Woodbridge School, the very best of luck.
There has been a hive of activity in our Music department at School recently, from Lunchtime Live to a trip to Aldeburgh to enjoy the delights of the De Beauvoir Trio. We’re also looking ahead to the National Pro Corda Chamber Music Festival which is taking place next week on 8 February. Director of Music Emma Kent reports for us here:
Lunchtime Live
This week saw our third Lunchtime Live performance of the academic year, and what a delight it was! With 19 separate pieces played by a variety of students playing at different levels on different instruments such as violin, piano, double bass and trumpet, our virtual audience were treated to a number of pieces from the James Bond theme tune to more traditional Mozart an Verdi. Students performing as part of Lunchtime Live have the opportunity to experience live performing, which is an important part of learning and playing any instrument. We were extremely proud of all those who took part – well done everyone!
De Beauvoir Trio
Last Friday, 28 January, 11 music scholars and GCSE musicians had the opportunity to travel to and experience what can only be described as a jaw dropping performance and example of immaculate culture from De Beauvoir Trio at Aldeburgh’s Jubilee Hall. The trio comprises young, upcoming musicians, sponsored by Britain Arts, our Next Generation artists. It truly was a masterclass in performance and we felt extremely lucky to have experienced it. The bus journey back from the event was buzzing, our violinist particularly discussing the different bow techniques use and demonstrated to perfection!
Pro Corda Chamber Music Festival
Next week on Tuesday 8 February, four groups from School will be competing in the National Pro Croda Chamber Music Festival being held at Leiston Abbey. Our four groups include:
- Glam Quartet (string quartet): Year 12’s Iris and Asmee and Year 11’s Oliver and Jasmine
- Brass Attack: Year 7’s Lara, Year 8’s Margot and Joe (on drums) along with Year 9’s Alice and Noah
- Tono piano trio (violin, cello and piano): Year 8’s Lily, Lyra and Alex
- Burkett piano trio (violin, cello and piano): Year 9’s Georgia and Will, and Year 8’s Oscar
We wish them well and look forward to them possibly going through to the semi-finals!