The 93-strong Army section of the CCF held their annual Minden Dinner on Wednesday night, during which cadets enjoyed a superb three course meal prepared by our fantastic catering department. The traditional toast was made to the King by one of our junior cadets, Year 9’s George, and speeches by Capt Capjon and our Head of Army, Year 13’s Ethan. You can read Ethan’s inspiring speech below.
“Before I start, I Just want to say a massive thank you to the catering staff for providing us with some amazing food as usual, and another massive thank you to Mr Garvie, Mr Capjon and Mr Stollery for organising this special evening.
I am extremely proud to be a part of the CCF, and more importantly, to be in charge of the commendable Army Section. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as an army cadet, and it has taught me many lessons about myself and has also taught me key skills that I can take with me further into the future.
Being in the army section has definitely taught me about my own personal perseverance and to never give up when times get, quite honestly, extremely rough. It has also helped me to become skilful and useful when working in a team of people, not only in high pressure combat situations, but also in tame classroom settings. I am sure that the majority of you will feel the same way and hopefully will want to continue to be a part of the CCF, and I can’t recommend enough that you do. We as students have been given a unique opportunity to be a part of something bigger, not many schools have this opportunity, so I encourage you to make it worthwhile not only for us, but also yourselves.
I have had some amazing times in the CCF. I can’t help but comment on the core memories I have made sleeping in the freezing cold on overnight, whilst Mr Garvie prowls around with his ominous red torch to make sure people go to bed! CCF is all about having fun and making these memories. For you keen army cadets in the room tonight, I would highly recommend signing up for combat cadet once you get the chance. We have a promising team this year, and we have promising teams to come.
As my time in Woodbridge School comes to a close, I just want to draw your attention to Mr Stollery, Mr Garvie, Mr Capjon, and the officers that you see every Friday afternoon; they are the backbone of the CCF and especially the army section. The CCF would not be what it is without these people. Many things happen behind closed doors to ensure that Woodbridge School continues to have arguably the best CCF around.
Finally, a toast to the Royal Anglian regiment, which we as a school are connected to, and the honour that comes along with sharing a cap badge.
Ladies and gentlemen please be upstanding for a toast to the Royal Anglian regiment – to the Royal Anglian regiment.”
Clash of the Chess Titans has been a seven-game match for Year 12’s Rowan and Nikolai, two of the School’s strongest players. Competing to discover who is indeed, the best Chess player in School, they’ve been surrounded by the noise and support of their fellow students through each and every move.
Our Head of Chess, Dagne Ciuksyte shared her report from each of the games:
With a time control of 10min+1sec/move for the whole game, the first game was won by Rowan, with only 12 seconds left on the clock, while Nikolai had just two! Trying to play a sideline variation, prepared in advance for Rowan’s King’s Indian Defence with Black, backfired for Nikolai who had entered the match with immense confidence. At the right moment, Rowan struck in the centre of the board, using a tactical motif, to stop Nikolai’s attempt to attack on the kingside. The result: 1-0 in Rowan’s favour.
Nikolai lost the second game as well, much to his frustration. Rowan was a strong opponent, whose pieces seemed to be on the right squares at the right time to open up Nikolai’s king’s hiding place in this game. The result: 2-0 in Rowan’s favour.
In the third game, Nikolai had a strong formation around the centre in the King’s Indian Defence again, realising that in order to win against his confident opponent Rowan, he would need to play in the most solid way. This strategy worked nicely bringing a win to Nikolai. The result: 2-1 in Rowan’s favour.
In the fourth game, the players battled in the French Defence Exchange variation with Rowan getting material advantage at one point and losing it later. In the time trouble, the position was a theoretical draw with both players rushing to make their moves within one second of increment per move! At one point, Rowan slowed down and ran out of time. The result: 2-2.
In the penultimate game, yet another complicated and rich in strategic decisions, Samisch variation in the King’s Indian Defence appeared on the board. This time, Rowan gained material advantage, kept it and pushed Nikolai to losing on time. The result: 3-2 in Rowan’s favour.
The sixth game saw Rowan winning all the way through – on the chessboard and on time, but it was Nikolai who eventually won! Rowan made only one wrong move, which doesn’t sound much, but was enough to throw away all the hard work built up to that point. He was disappointed to say the least. But this is what Chess is all about, as both our brilliant players know only too well – but for every disappointment a player may feel, there’s also the equal joy and happiness of an unexpected win. The game was closely followed by a huge crowd of fellow students, cheering both players on, celebrating all moves. The result: 3-3
The final was won with a tie-breaker – the Armageddon game! Nikolai was White with 10 min + 1 sec/move, needing a win to take the match. Rowan was Black with 8.5min + 1 sec/move, but a win or draw would have given him the overall win. The Armageddon game came with ups and downs for both of our players. Nikolai put pressure on Rowan during the middlegame, but misplayed it somehow and got himself into a losing position. Fortunately for Nikolai, both players were low on time, but it was Rowan who ran out of it first!
Congratulations to Nikolai, and well done to Rowan; both of these players have been exceptional, respectful, kind and supportive of one another – true sportsmanship throughout every game. Well done to them and thank you to everyone who supported them throughout.
Last week was another busy one for Hockey, with Performance Programme sessions, one-to-one lessons and no less than eight boys Hockey matches in four days. Sharing more about these matches, our players and progress, read our report from Mrs Rix, Head of Hockey.
I am pleased to share the coaches’ reports for the respective teams’ matches, including the 1st XI, U15A, U14A and Juniors 1 to 3.
Woodbridge 1st XI vs Ipswich School – Mr Flatt Reports
Woodbridge 1st XI returned to action twice last week. The boys produced some attractive hockey in their away fixture against a strong Ipswich School 2nd side but ultimately fell to a narrow one goal defeat. Year 12 goalkeeper, Ed, earned a well‑deserved Player-of-the-Match award for an excellent performance that kept Woodbridge in contention throughout.
Woodbridge vs Culford – Showcase Fixture
On Thursday evening, we hosted Culford for our showcase fixture. The teams met previously at the County Cup and played out an action-packed and tightly contested goalless draw. With the Regional Finals approaching, the squad was eager to deliver another confident display. Woodbridge started brightly, moving the ball well and controlling possession. The defensive unit looked composed in their outletting and consistently challenged the Culford forward line. Despite the positive start, Culford struck twice before half‑time. Their opener came from a quick attack down our left, and the second followed from a long corner where Woodbridge were punished for not marking tightly enough inside the circle.
At the break, the team regrouped, focusing on the many positives in the performance and recognising that the scoreline didn’t reflect the balance of play. The response was immediate. Woodbridge came out with renewed energy and intent, and a precise pass into the Culford D found Year 12’s Jasper, who expertly deflected the ball home. Moments later, Year 12’s Arlo levelled the match, spinning sharply with his back to goal and pushing the ball past the Culford keeper.
The game continued at a frantic pace, and although Woodbridge had momentum, Culford regained the lead with a well‑constructed move finished at the back post. With five minutes remaining, the Woodbridge team made a bold tactical call, withdrawing their goalkeeper to add an extra outfield player. The pressure paid off. Vice‑captain, Year 12’s Tom, seized his moment, striking a superb shot to beat the Culford keeper and bring the game level once more.
The final whistle confirmed a thrilling six-goal draw, a fair result for a match full of quality, character, and drama. Player-of-the-Match was awarded to Year 13’s Alasdair for his outstanding contribution.
Woodbridge Juniors vs Langley
Midweek, three Junior teams played against Langley and made it a clean sweep, with some exciting Hockey and many magic moments.
The Junior 1s dominated the early stages of the match, with Year 8’s James E being particularly difficult to contain at forward and Year 8’s co-captain Max showing his quick hands, eliminating in midfield and dictating the direction of play well. The GK made some quality saves before James was rewarded with a goal. Langley got one back which proved to Woodbridge they could not be complacent despite being the superior team.
Early in the second half Year 8’s Jack deflected another classy goal at a penalty corner – this becoming a bit of a trademark for him. A few minutes later he struck again to seal the game for Woodbridge, this time from a sharp rebound at the corner. Lots of rotations gave boys playing time in various positions. Hunting the hattrick, Jack found himself at forward for the closing minutes. A magic moment so nearly materialised when Max, from his own D, threw an aerial to reach Jack in the other D – interventions and lost touches – the elusive goal was not to be but what a cracking bit of play. Player-of-the-Match was awarded to James.
Mr Walsh was jubilant after the Junior 2s enjoyed their first win of the season in a dominant but nervy victory over Langley. Solid work rate from the Year 7 defensive unit of Rupert as GK, Ralph and Maëlan gave the foundation to push forward and attack freely. The midfield of Year 7’s Fletcher and Christian (scoring the first goal) along with Year 8’s James C, worked tirelessly to move the ball wide and get it into the D. Year 8’s Miles showed his pace and power up front. The opposition goalkeeper did amazingly to restrict Woodbridge to only two goals. Special mentions go to Year 7’s Max for putting in his best performance of the season, Year 7’s Nathaniel making his Junior 2 debut and to Year 7’s Ted for impressive play in forward and defensive positions and creating and scoring a goal!
The Junior 3s finally had their goal scoring boots on! And the floodgates opened properly. It was a superb performance from the team against Langley. The boys played some excellent, fluid Hockey which resulted in some great goals being scored. Year 8’s Charlie E scored four super goals, whilst others chipped in with some good finishes too – two from Year 8’s Luke, and one each from Year 7’s Ben, Joe, Millar, Stanley and Nathaniel. Well done to Player-of-the-Match, Charlie.
Woodbridge U15A (Year 10) vs Langley – Mr Brous Reports
This match has to be one of the most interesting matches I have witnessed. The team had a challenging start, conceding two goals in the first two minutes of the game – the forced extended journey to Magpies and the knock-on effect on mental and physical prep taking its toll.
However, we quickly regrouped, and the next 20 minutes remained goalless. Several key performances from Pranav and Barnaby got us back into the game, and a superb move from midfield set up Alex to score next. The second half was a cat and mouse affair and goalless until the dying minutes. Both teams had their chances, but it was Langley who scored an opportune goal to seal the win.
This was a game of character and spirit. Going two goals down quickly, then recovering, is a testament to their grit and determination. Pranav and Barnaby were joint Players-of-the-Match for their superb efforts in defence and midfield respectively.
Woodbridge U14A (Year 9) vs Langley
The U14A team seemed to feel the chill of the wind at Magpies and were slow to warm-up into their game, despite an early penalty corner conversion from Jospeh, cooly flicked into the bottom corner. Woodbridge took some time to work out and break down the more unconventional style of play from Langley. Woodbridge aimed to do the hard work and damage while playing with the wind but seemed to be at their best working against some serious gusts in the second half.
The second half saw the team move the ball better, avoid conflict and creating lovely goal chances. Alfie P scored a brace early in the half to take the game away from Langley and allow Woodbridge to experiment with players in different positions. Vice-captain, Theo, completed the scoring for Woodbridge.
Josh was awarded Player-of-the-Match for his influential play in midfield and a superb cameo at centre back.
Students celebrated phenomenal results, as part of the Suffolk team, at this year’s UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships, which took place last Saturday, 7 March. The Suffolk U17 boys team even made local headlines, with their podium finish and Bronze medal, alongside other Suffolk age group teams, competing against the best the UK has to offer.
Suffolk Team results:
U13 Girls 15th
U13 Boys 35th
U15 Girls 14th
U15 Boys 5th
U17 Girls 27th
U17 Boys 3rd
U20 Men 9th
Senior Men 20th
Senior Women 9th
Across these teams, Woodbridge School had twelve representatives and nine of our runners contributed to being in the top four scorers of those age groups, with others keeping the other counties at bay!
Best Individual Performances:
Year 8’s Chloe was a standout performance of the day coming home in the U13s category in 5th position, which is incredible for her age. Her finishing time to note was only seven seconds adrift of a podium finish. This sets Chloe on a brilliant track for her first ever English Schools in Liverpool this Saturday. Chloe’s team came 15th overall out of 41 teams with Year 7’s Florence coming in 281st, having a very brave run and super strong sprint finish home in her first nationals race.
In his category, with his innate belief and ability to deliver consistently great performances, Year 9’s Dex finished 16th place, a year young in this age group. This is outstanding and puts Dex in a brilliant position heading into the English Schools final this weekend where he will then be top of his age group in the Suffolk Schools’ team. Dex’s U15 team were Suffolk’s second best team result on the day finishing 5th overall. Year 10’s Hamish played a significant part towards this result, coming home in a superb 31st. Year 10’s Digby came in 126th and this also helps displace other runners for his Suffolk team.
Year 13’s Angus had a brilliantly strong run coming home in 69th position for the U20 mens race and helped his team gain a 9th position overall.
Year 11’s Romilly was 111th in the U17 girls race; her strength hugely noticeable flying up those hills knocking many places along the way!
Our U15 Year 9 girls delivered their usual strong performance for the county with Ella K coming home as second Suffolk runner and 68th overall with her year group teammates, India J came in 82nd and Alexandra closely following in 89th. India B came in 136th then did a great job of displacing other runners for her team.
Another mention goes out to Year 8’s Florence and Oliver L, and Year 9’s India B who ran their first ever inter counties race.
All in all, an impactful day with great achievements by the Woodbridge School runners, and it’s worth noting many of whom are running a year young in their categories which makes the results even more impressive.
Good luck to the nine Woodbridge School athletes competing for Suffolk Schools at the English Schools Cross Country Championships in Liverpool this coming Saturday, which will mark the end of the season for all those athletes competing.
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.
