Category: Sixth Form News

Last Saturday, March 7, the Chamber Choir took over the stunning space of St Michael’s Church, Framlingham, for a concert that was as polished as it was heartfelt. Under the direction of Claire Weston our Head of Singing, and accompanied by James Davy on the piano, the ensemble gave a continuous performance that kept the audience enthralled from start to finish.

The acoustics of St Michael’s were the unofficial star of the night. This stunning church in the heart of Framlingham with its impressively high stone arches gave the choirs voices a natural, shimmering resonance—perfect for the haunting opener, James MacMillan’s O Radiant Dawn. Whether it was the classic polyphony of Victoria’s Ave Maria or the sombre beauty of Chorum’s rendition of Purcell’s Thou Knowest Lord, the choir’s blend sounded effortless in the copious space.

A real highlight was César Franck’s Panis Angelicus. For this piece, the choir’s own multi-talented students stepped forward to form a string quartet tutored by Woodbridge School’s cello specialist Nadia Alzapiedi. It was a lovely, intimate moment that contrasted perfectly with the more minimalist, “icy” textures of Arvo Pärt’s Morning Star.

As the set moved into more modern territory, the mood lightened but the quality remained high. Elaine Hagenberg’s There Was a Time was a cinematic treat, while the familiarity of The Rose and You Raise Me Up clearly hit a chord with the crowd.

The energy really ramped up for the finale. The spiritual Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel was full of rhythmic punch, followed by a lightning-fast, witty rendition of John Rutter’s Sing a Song of Sixpence. The sheer vocal agility needed for that last one was impressive and sent everyone home on a high.

Huge credit goes to Claire Weston for pushing the choir to such professional heights, and to James Davy for his masterful support. It was a brilliant evening of music-making in a magnificent setting.

With news from our U13A, U13B, U14A, U14B, U14C, U15A, U15B, U15C, Senior 1st and U16 Netballers, our report holds details of matches and play from our Head of Netball, Mrs Gray.

It was another busy week for our Netballers, with league tournaments as well as nine matches. Our U13Bs played in a League Tournament at Ipswich School Sports Centre, our Senior 1st and U16s played Farlingaye, while our U12Bs also took part in a League Tournament, this time at St Jo’s. With our U13Bs meeting St Felix and yet another League Tournament for our U13As at Northgate, there were also six fixtures at Felsted for our U14A, U14B, U14C, U15A, U15B and U15C teams.

The 1st VII and U16s had two strong wins against Farlingaye. Having played against both sides in the Michaelmas term we know they are strong and not to be underestimated but, on this occasion, both Woodbridge sides took command of the games early on and carried that through to the end. Some outstanding team defence from our 1st VII but a well-deserved and outstanding performance by Player-of-the-match for Year 13’s Georgia G and for the U16 squad Year 11’s Eve and Isabelle H.

On Tuesday our U12B squad played in one of the local league tournaments, a challenging afternoon against all A squads but came away with a win, a loss and a draw.

On Wednesday our U13B team played a very enjoyable and evenly matched game against St Felix. The lead swung from one side to the other throughout the game, but Woodbridge pulled away in the final quarter to take the win. A strong squad performance but very well-deserved Players-of-the-match Year 8’s Ellie and Hollie.

The U13As had a very successful afternoon at the U13 League tournament, winning all games bar one which they drew and winning overall on goal difference.

We travelled to Felsted on Thursday to play six fixtures at U14/U15 level with our Bs and Cs in both age groups winning their fixtures, once again showing what great depth we have in our year groups. Although the A squads didn’t win on this occasion, they competed well and good progress is still being made.

Well done to Players-of-the-match: Year 9’s Elle, Mariella, Clemence, Imogen and Cecily and Year 10’s Tabitha, Charlotte, Phoebe and Georgia.

Drama students travelled to Colchester’s Mercury Theatre last Friday, to watch The Manningtree Witches; a thrilling world premiere that tells the true story of England’s first Witchfinder General, and wrenches the women he killed out from the shadows of history and into the spotlight.

Adapted by award-winning Mercury Playwright and screenwriter Ava Pickett and directed by Natasha Rickman, this gripping historical drama is a fiercely modern exploration of fear, control, and what happens when women’s voices are silenced.

Find out more about the play from Year 10’s Henry.

“The Manningtree Witches at Colchester’s Mercury Theatre is a compelling historic production set in the 17th century. The characters of Rebecca West and Matthew Hopkins elevate the experience bringing the 17th Century into the 21st.

I really enjoyed the switching between the atmospheres of eeriness and witchcraft to satirical comedy which brought a laugh to the crowd, including mentions of various Essex and Suffolk towns. Rebecca acted as narrator, switching between past and future in an awe-inspiring way. This, along with the onstage ‘fog’, brought a constant sense of mystery.

The lighting and sound effects added to the tension, especially the big flood lights behind the actors, which brought maximum impact and allowed this play to have a ‘wow’ factor. I thoroughly enjoyed this production and I know my peers did too.”

We are delighted to announce that 57 of our students have won awards in the UK Linguistics Olympiad, a challenging competition which assesses logical reasoning and sensitivity to language. Celebrating 10 Gold (which are given to the top 5% of the country), 16 Silver and 33 Bronze, congratulations to all of them, detailed below.

Breakthrough (Level 1, for Year 7/8)

• 8 Silver
• 8 Bronze

Silver

• Year 8’s Archie
• Year 8’s Barney
• Year 8’s Jordan
• Year 8’s Harriet
• Year 8’s Harry
• Year 8’s Lucie
• Year 8’s Robin
• Year 8’s Stefan

Bronze

• Year 8’s Arthur D
• Year 8’s Jack
• Year 8’s Matilda
• Year 8’s Ollie
• Year 8’s Sebastian
• Year 7’s Coco
• Year 7’s Hector
• Year 7’s Lily

Foundation (Level 2, for Year 9)

We gained 10% of all Golds nationally, although our pupils comprised 5% of all entries.

• 4 Golds
• 4 Silvers
• 8 Bronze

Gold

• Freddie
• George L
• Henry
• William

Silver

• Diego
• Hexi
• Max
• Oliver C

Bronze

• Alex S
• Arthur
• Eleanor
• Charlotte
• Isabella B
• Isabella C
• Otto
• Toby

Intermediate (Level 3) – 23 awards (for Year 10)

We gained 10% of all Golds nationally, although our pupils comprised 4% of all entries.
The grade boundaries were also very high, with a Gold set at 91.4% and a Silver set at 84.5% and above.

• 4 Gold
• 4 Silver
• 15 Bronze

Gold (all of these have won a Gold three years running)

• Pranav
• Seth
• Xan
• Alexander

Silver (84.5% was the grade boundary)

• Millie Sm
• Isabelle
• Layla
• Marina

Bronze

• Abigail
• Arabella
• Barnaby
• Bay
• Ella E
• Millie St
• Evie
• Freya
• George
• Hadiya
• Isabella G
• Jemima
• Milo
• Sheryl
• William S

Advanced Solo (as previously reported, Year 12 students)

• 2 Gold (2.7% of all Golds awarded nationally – 2/75)
• 2 Bronze

Gold

• Alexander C
• Sam L

Bronze

• Jack C
• Aurelia H

Last week, some of our students from Years 10 and 12 travelled to Greece, visiting sites such as Athens, Delphi, Olympia and Mycenae, on our Classics Trip. Visiting sites and seeing first-hand the archaeological finds and art covered in various GCSE courses, the trip was an enriching and enjoyable experience, as Year 12’s Alexander C and Year 10’s Freya explain in their reports. Thank you to everyone involved in making the trip such an enjoyable experience.

Year 12’s Alexander C

“The Monday after coming back from our trip I was struck down by torrents of questions, most of them asking “How was Greece?”. Were I not still suffering from the implications of our 1.00am return back home, I might have answered something within the region of, “When you nigh on whisper on the stage of the theatre at Epidaurus and are understood by those sitting on the highest seats fifty-six rows up; when you race down the ancient Olympic stadium to the same finish line which all the finest athletes of the Hellenic world would have trained years to cross first.

Or I might have said, “when you stand below the rock where the war-god Ares was put on trial and the apostle Paul first began to spread word of Christianity; when you focus your gaze to realise that there isn’t a single straight line in the entire Parthenon; when you stand at the Greeks’ centre of the universe below the towering flanks of sacred Parnassos in hallowed Delphi; when you march up to the same colossal gate Agamemnon would have marched up to on his return home to Mycenae from ten years marshalling the armies of Greece in Troy”.

I might also have said, “when you have experienced these things (steered by the supreme fount of all Hellenic wisdom that is Dr. Stern), your understanding of everything you’ve ever studied about ancient literature, history, indeed, people, shifts – they all become tangible, and you, in the future, feel the echoes of their present. Greece was great!”

Year 10’s Freya

“Last week a group of students from Year 10 and 12 went on a five day Classics trip to Greece. Spending every night in a new town or city, we visited one historical site after the other. From visiting Sounion and the Acropolis on the first and second days, through hiking up to the enigmatic Oracle of Delphi, to recreating a frieze next to the temple of Zeus in Olympia, and best of all listening to three Year 12s perform a section of ‘Medea’ from the top of the Epidaurus Theatre and being witness to the ingenious acoustics.

We packed every site, museum, tour and activity possible without any intervention of a goddess or two into the days, making the trip truly unforgettable!”

Woodbridge Senior 1st and 2nd XI Hockey teams played New Hall this week. With news of our players, those matches and our results, read our report below from our Head of Hockey, Mrs Rix.

Woodbridge 1st XI vs New Hall

Determined to respond after a frustrating result before half term, intent was clear from the first whistle. The warm‑up was sharp, the preparation had been strong all week, and the boys took the pitch with confidence. The start, however, was not what they had planned.

New Hall capitalised on a quick break down the right-hand side, slipping through a couple of missed tackles before walking the ball into the net inside three minutes. It was a disappointing blow, but also the spark Woodbridge needed. From that moment, the tempo lifted and the team began to take control.

Sustained pressure led to a series of short corners, and it was the fourth that finally brought the breakthrough. In classic fashion, Year 12’s Alex H stepped up and struck cleanly from the top of the circle, drawing Woodbridge level before the interval and giving the side real momentum.

The second half saw the team at their best; they moved the ball with purpose, created multiple 2v1 opportunities, and looked dangerous on every counterattack. Their reward came when Year 12’s Jasper picked up the ball at the top of the D and, with composure, slotted it into the bottom-left corner to give Woodbridge a deserved lead.

The final minutes demanded resilience. New Hall pushed hard for an equaliser and removed their goalkeeper for the last five minutes, throwing everything forward. Year 12 GK, Edward, produced several crucial saves, and the defence stood firm under intense pressure. In the final play of the match, Woodbridge faced a last‑second short corner, but the entire unit held their nerve to secure a fully earned victory.

A performance full of character, quality, and maturity — and a result the boys can be proud of. Player-of-the-match was awarded to Alex H.

Woodbridge 2nd XI vs New Hall

The 2nd Team produced almost a mirror match at home. After going behind in the opening minutes with a breakaway goal against the run of play, Woodbridge composed themselves and started to grow into the match.

They were up against an unorthodox playing style which was hard to break down, especially in deep defence as half chances remained unrewarded. The team stuck to their guns, tried to do the right things and improved as the game went on.

It looked like New Hall was going to get away with a lucky win, then, Year 12’s Arthur produced two fine goals with impressive individual skill in the last ten minutes of the game. The first a reverse stick strike and the second a pirouette squeeze shot into the top corner! Woodbridge ended worthy winners with Player-of-the-Match going to Arthur.

Big thanks to Year 11’s Jeremy, who helped out the opposition as an extra player, with a very impressive performance in defence, much to the frustration of his usual teammates.

Well done to our Netballers who have had an incredible week, with 10 out of 10 matches won by Thursday.  With news of a League Tournament for our U14A players, and various matches for our Seniors as well as U12A, U12B, U12C, U13A, U13B, U13C teams, our report holds details of matches and players 

 
Our Netballers came back after half term straight into a busy week of matches, thankfully the weather was a little kinder to us this week, with no rain meaning fixtures were played in the sunshine!  
 

We started the week hosting the third U14A league tournament, these have been an enjoyable set of tournaments.  Some excellent shooting from our U14A players throughout, celebrating three wins and coming away with just two losses.  

 At the time of writing we have played nine fixtures against Ipswich School (three Senior matches and six Juniors), winning them all, which is an excellent set of results.  This coupled with a win for our Senior 4s against St Felix has seen a successful week so far.  

The 1st team match against Ipswich School was a close fought affair with Woodbridge holding a narrow lead throughout.  It looked like we were going to let that lead slip in the final quarter, and we did for a short while, but a last-minute run saw us take the victory.  We look forward to the re-match at the Friday Night Lights event in March.  

 On Wednesday our Junior teams (U12 and U13 players) all enjoyed some very well-matched fixtures against Ipswich School – with some of the results not necessarily reflecting the competitiveness of the games, but a great set of wins.  Wonderful to see all teams out playing fixtures and the squads continuing to develop well.  

Well done to all of the players of the matches this week: 
Year 13’s Georgia G, Emily and Tabitha, Year 11’s Georgia C, Amelie, Annie, Sophie and Isabella, Year 8’s Emily, Ava, Madeleine and Georgie and Year 7’s Lily, Sofia, Coco and Joe.   

In a first-of-its-kind theatrical production for Woodbridge School, students from every year performed A Night at the Musicals on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings this week. The show was the product of an intense and exciting 72-hour workshop with our Drama team, Head of Singing, Miss Weston, Singing teacher, Miss Barnes, and choreographer and OW, Kath Clements.   

Huge congratulations to everyone involved, on and off the stage, both performances were incredible and it’s clear to see how much the students enjoyed this unique experience. We hope you had the chance to see the show for yourselves, but if you didn’t, our review shares more details about the project. 

A Night at the Musicals Review 

As the audience sat in anticipation, you could hear the whispers of, “So, what songs will they be singing?” and “Do you know how many numbers they’re going to perform?”. We were about to embark on a journey of discovery as we sat back to watch the curtain go up on what turned out to be a wonderful evening of musical theatre. 

With 64 students from across the School performing together, it was always going to be something special – you would certainly be forgiven for thinking they’d had weeks rather than days to devise, rehearse and prepare for the shows. 

From the outset, our emcee, Year 13’s Fergus, had the audience captivated. We looked forward to his introductions throughout the show. His presentations were a clever addition to the programme, to help take the audience on a journey through a variety of numbers, giving context to each one in the most fun way you can imagine. 

‘Ease on Down’ from The Wiz opened the show with a bang; the stage came to life, and set the scene for the following numbers. Students donned jeans and a branded A Night at the Musicals t-shirt. The understated staging, was brought to life with the energy and passion of each performance. 

Moving through the musicals, audiences enjoyed a seamless variety of hits from across the ages and stages. 

From Matilda’s ‘Naughty’, ‘Luck Be A Lady’ from Guys and Dolls, ‘Teachers’ Pet’ from School of Rock and ‘Don’t Tell Mama’ from Cabaret, to ‘Ex Wives’ from SIX, and ‘Does Your Mother Know’ from Mamma Mia, the stage was a whirlwind of dancing, singing and even guitar solos which rocked the theatre. ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’ from Mamma Mia was a beautifully gentle end to the show, rounding everything off perfectly.  It’s fair to say there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

As the students came to the stage to receive their applause and take a bow, they sang and danced to ‘Come Alive’ from The Greatest Showman, a fitting end to such a vibrant evening of entertainment. 

Congratulations to everyone who took part, on and off the stage, to those that sang, danced, played guitar and kept our audiences tapping their toes in their seats. Despite the fact that these students must have been mentally and physically exhausted from the intensity of the last 72 hours, it never showed on their faces or in their performances. Well done also to our teachers and other members of staff who made the show possible – it’s definitely one we will never forget. 

Last week produced not only constant rain but some impressive Hockey, despite the bitterly cold and wet weather. This included wins for our Senior 1st and 2nd teams, the U14A team and Junior 1s playing in their respective County Cups and a win for our Junior 4s.

Woodbridge Senior 2 vs RHS

On Tuesday Mr Walsh’s 2nd team played their first match of the season against close rivals, RHS. Woodbridge started very strong and peppered the opposition goal but could not convert their possession into goals. What started looking like it may be a one-sided affair, slowing shifted momentum as the opposition got more into the game. What transpired for the rest of the afternoon was a quite exciting end-to-end match, forcing both defending units and GKs to be at their best. Year 11’s Barney finally broke the deadlock with a well take penalty corner strike, simply too fast for the keeper to block. Year 12’s Ben was awarded Player-of-the-Match for some pretty impressive tackling and play at left back. Other notable performances came from Year 11’s Oliver M and Ambrose and a solid Captain’s performance from Year 12’s Henry.

Woodbridge Junior 4 vs Ipswich High School

The Junior 4s followed this match with a good performance of their own against Ipswich High School under lights. The team showed resilience in the challenging conditions and their enthusiasm could not be thwarted. Goals came from Year 8’s Luke and Arthur and Year 7’s Joshi. Year 7’s Oliver W kept a clean sheet supported by Year 7 defenders, Augustin and Sam. Player-of-the-Match was awarded to Luke for some excellent ball control and contributions to this win. Well done to all the boys who were very well organised and so determined for this match.

Woodbridge Junior 1, 2, and 3 vs Old Buckenham Hall

The sun came out on Wednesday to bring some welcome warmth and brightness, but it did not bring winning smiles. A tough Junior block away against OBH saw our Junior 1s, 2s and 3s lose their matches. The Junior 2s did, however, again deliver a really promising performance in a one-goal defeat, progressing well in how they moved the ball, linked up with each other and attacking positioning. Final decision making and skill execution in the attacking D to get the rewards is the next step.

The Junior 3s were disappointed with their loss. The boys created plenty of big opportunities with some excellent Hockey but were unable to capitalise. OBH were clinical in their attacking third and converted their chances. Year 7’s Ben was the only Woodbridge goalscorer, on a day where many could have found themselves on the scoresheet. Year 7’s Nathaniel was named Player-of-the-Match.

The Junior 1s had to dig really deep in their match. The team went ahead courtesy of a field goal scored by Year 8’s Ollie in the 5th minute. The tides quickly turned and it was all OBH for the rest of the half. By half-time the match was well and truly over in terms of a score line and targets had to be reset. The team responded well and showed true character in how they came out to play, being much tougher and braver without the ball and more disciplined and faster with the ball to create chances. A big loss on the day, but big lessons learned which would put the team in good stead for the County Cup later in the week. Player-of-the-Match was Year 8’s Barney.

U14 County Cup Success – Another Team to the Regional Finals

The U14A team endured the worst of the weather all Thursday morning when they competed at the U14 County Cup. The top two team progress to the Regional Finals and with the talent and potential in this group the team set their sights high. The day did not start the way we had planned – Woodbridge was shocked against RHS when two goals against the run of play was enough to see RHS take the win, despite our boys being the better team. The players did not quite fire on all cylinders to make their early chances count and it would cost them in the end. A great penalty corner goal was scored by Year 9’s Joseph to bring the scores level but alas RHS had the last laugh.

The team knew any more ‘slip ups’ and it would be the end of their ambitions in this National Competition. We again went one goal down against Culford and it looked like it might possibly be the beginning of the end. But one thing is certain, this group of players never gives up! They got better and better and Culford could only compliment their play at the end of the match. Year 9’s Alfie P scored from a penalty corner before Year 9’s Dex scored a cracking winning goal a couple of minutes from the final whistle.

The last match was against Ipswich High School. Only a win would do, ideally a big one. Fatigue from giving all they had and having to manage the bitter cold was setting in and it took a mammoth mental effort to play well. This the team did well enough. Year 8’s Ollie put Woodbridge in front with a well-timed hit from the shoulder of the D before captain, Joseph, scored from a penalty stroke. Joseph scored his second of the match with the final play of the game, converting a perfectly executed penalty corner move. Job done! The U14A team securing their place at the Regional Finals in March, following in the footsteps of the Senior 1st team. Alfie, Dex and Joseph were contenders for Player-of-the-Day, with Alfie taking the honours.

Woodbridge 1st vs Framlingham 2nd

The 1st team hosted Framlingham 2nd team under lights and in front of an appreciating crowd on Thursday evening. Woodbridge had most of the possession in the first half but were not clinical enough with it in the attacking third. As the game progressed things seemed to slow down a bit. This was something Woodbridge had to fix after going into half time with nothing to show for their efforts.

The second half started with speed and power and almost instantly the reward came when Year 11’s Harry took advantage of a wayward defensive touch to tip the ball into the goal for Woodbridge before a minute had passed. Woodbridge hoped the floodgates would open, but it did not, and Fram stood strong in defence as well as creating chances of their own. Woodbridge continued to control the ball the better of the two teams and saw out the match for a well-earned win, and big plans of where they still want to get better.

U13 County Cup

The Junior 1s bounced back brilliantly at the end of the week, playing good hockey at the U13 County Cup. The team executed a new press with success against their toughest opponents and played the attacking style of hockey they have been working on. This takes hard work (mental and physical) and good decision making all the time!

Two wins (against Ipswich School and Barnadiston Hall) and a draw (against Orwell Park) on the day was a very good outcome for the team’s efforts and the boys received plenty of complements for their play and behaviour.

There were lots of highlights and magic moments, including the overall tactical execution, aerials thrown by Year 7’s Walter, great saves by Year 8’s GK Harry, incredible skill and work rate from Year 7’s Charlie and classic goals from Year 8’s Max and Jack (2), a hattrick from Year 8’s Ollie, and consistent good play by our Player-of-the-Day, Barney!

Woodbridge School is delighted to announce that two of its students have been awarded prestigious Oxbridge offers. This achievement reflects not only their exceptional academic ability and dedication, but also the unwavering support of our teaching staff and the vibrant learning environment that the School strives to provide for all of its students.     

Year 13’s Dina has an offer to read Engineering at Peterhouse, Cambridge. 

“I am absolutely delighted and so grateful to receive an offer to read Engineering at Cambridge; I’ll be learning from the best professors in the field, it’s truly unreal!  The application process was of course challenging, however I did enjoy it, mostly because of the support and guidance I had from Miss Wright, the Oxbridge Co-ordinator, as well as Mr Allen and Mr Cooper; their help with interview preparation was brilliant, particularly from a maths, human and physics perspective.  Woodbridge School has shaped me as a person, I have been surrounded by brilliant teachers, their support and kindness helped me every step of the way.”  

Year 13’s Sofiia has an offer to read History at The Queen’s College, Oxford.

“I am absolutely thrilled to have received an offer to read History at The Queen’s College, Oxford.  Our Oxbridge Co-ordinator, Miss Wright, guided me through every step of the application process starting from Year 12, and her support was especially valuable in organising mock interviews for me.  Studying A level History at the School has also made me feel challenged intellectually, which greatly helped with the interview.  The School has been incredibly supportive, and my successful application, without doubt, owes a great deal to it.”  

Miss Norman, Head at Woodbridge School shared,

“An Oxbridge offer is a remarkable achievement and a reflection of determination and sustained focus, and is a moment of great pride for the entire Woodbridge community.  This recognition is a testament to Sofiia and Dina’s hard work, perseverance, and academic promise – and only the beginning of their journey beyond School. We are immensely proud of their achievements and of the staff who have guided them with such dedication.  These offers mark an exciting milestone in their academic journeys, and we look forward to seeing all they will accomplish in their futures beyond School.”  

Our students’ success in securing Oxbridge offers is a testament to their determination, intellectual curiosity, and the supportive community that surrounds them here at Woodbridge School.  These offers mark an exciting milestone in their academic journeys, and we look forward to seeing all they will accomplish in the years ahead.

Miss Wright, Head of Academic Scholars and Oxbridge, said, 

“I am delighted for Sofiia and Dina. Both are extremely strong academically and have a very impressive track record of success. They worked extremely hard throughout the process of applying to Oxford and Cambridge, and they thoroughly deserve their success.”