Month: July 2014

What have you done to my son?  He came to you with no confidence,
very shy and is now leaving as a young man who has assurance and self-belief.

Woodbridge school has offered me a wealth of opportunities since my first day and throughout this time I have attempted to embody the Woodbridgian ethos of exploration and hard work. Through these values I have gained the skills and confidence required to captain the 1st Rugby team as well as become the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet. Moreover it has better equipped me to take on the challenge of Head of School alongside Lorna Bennell.

To have been selected as Head of School for this year was an immense honour for me, an achievement made more potent when you consider the inordinate level of talent and potential of my peers whom epitomise the overall nature of the school. This is most reassuring for myself as there is now a very dedicated group of senior prefects ready to work together in this exciting time of transition.

It is truly a pleasure to be part of Woodbridge School and the sixth form in particular where a blend of pupil maturity and staff maintain the perfect balance between independence and pastoral care, between relaxation and hard work. This creates a stimulating environment where the students are eager to learn and surpass their expectations.

Lorna Bennell- Head Girl

“My time here at Woodbridge School has been an incredible experience. It has been a privilege to be a part of this community since I joined Queen’s House. There is a great rapport between students and teachers and this creates an atmosphere for all pupils to thrive in. I have been very thankful for the countless number of opportunities which have been provided by the school and the hockey tour to Holland where we were coached by a world number one athlete was definitely a highlight. Everyone is warmly welcomed here at Woodbridge no matter what year you join and the support network of staff ensure that any problems you face are always quickly resolved.

Woodbridge has lead me to develop a passion for hockey, which has made me determined to achieve my full potential in this sport, and I am now captain of the first XI hockey team and currently training at national level. The pupils at Woodbridge prove it is possible to take part in a number of sporting, musical, or CCF activities, to name a few, whilst still gaining high academic achievement.”

It is always a great moment when that spark is ignited,
and it proves just what can be achieved through effort and perseverance.

Our aim is to offer each child a tailor made education,
not just hope that they fit into ready to wear.

Yes, we care for our students, but more importantly we care about them.
We are incredibly proud of our students and the young adults they eventually become.

CCF Canoeing Expedition – Norway summer 2013

Norway wasn’t just about the experience or the achievement, it was about the people. The tranquil Norwegian fjords were destroyed by the gushing sound of seven canoes hurtling down the Telemark canal and I’m not just talking about the paddling. “Team Smalan”, consisting of Sam Staines and Alan Mobbs (they even had the T-shirts!), had the peculiar ambition to become Adele, which they subjected the rest of us to with their howling imitations!

Two days of hiking, four days of canoeing as well as a canoe familiarisation day all equalled to one great experience. The first day was spent travelling to Norway, buying food, arriving at the first campsite and buying a tarpaulin because the boys sharing one of the tents had in fact forgotten to bring a tent. And so “Terry the Tarp” was born.

This campsite also was home of a table tennis table, which witnessed an epic game of champions with Freddie Watson’s ninja skills coming out on top. Another interesting campsite facility was a trampoline type thing we called “the blob”, that was later used to practise section attacks, led by “Mr Marine” James Thorp.

Most would imagine Norway as quite a cold country, well I did anyway, but it was actually very hot and called for factor 30-50 most days. One person who might have underestimated this was Jack Popay, who needed to wear a leg brace after he dislocated his knee just weeks before the trip. Jack ended up with rather a bizarre tan line.

It was also light the majority of the time which caused some sleepless nights but being very organised (Moira reminded me) the girls managed to get a great night’s sleep every night.

On the second day we walked (climbed) up a 600m ascent over just under a kilometre. One of our guides, Matt , showed us the flora around us, from cloud berries to wood sorrel. In Norway wild camping is permitted as long as you are 100m away from houses, so when we got tired and saw a nice spot by a lake we stopped and pitched our tents for the night. This was the first of many of the first evenings spent cooking army ration packs (Miss Richardson’s favourite), swimming/bathing and playing cards. The next day, as a quick warm up, we walked up to a peak and then carried on back to the original campsite for the canoe familiarisation day the next day.

On the fourth day we spent paddling, getting used to the canoes as well as our canoe partners which ended, not surprisingly, in a tactical water fight.

Then we were off. The great canoeing venture had started. In between the picture-taking of beautiful scenery there was always a game of ‘Animal, Mineral, Vegetable’ going on, in which Will Farthing would always win by picking an obscure bird that no one had ever heard of. On the water, one of our favourite activities would be to wait for one of the bigger boats or ferries to go past and ride the mini waves they left behind. Whilst camping on beaches or beach-like areas, we all set up our tents except the boys who set up their tarp. On this terrain setting up a tarp would have proved tricky for anyone but basha-expert Charlie “Chazz” Butt had no troubles.

We did in the end learn some Norwegian. Everyone ended up buying “BaconOst” for their lunch, and so we put Thorp and Watson on the case and they deduced that the word for bacon was bacon and that the word for cheese was ‘ost’. With expert knowledge like this, I’m sure they’ll stay solving mysteries for a long time yet. All in all it was truly an unforgettable experience!

All parents are invited to join us at the Redstone Library in the Senior School at 7pm on Monday 22nd September 2014. We will review and approve the previous year’s accounts and appoint the new committee members for the new academic year.

Should you wish to stand for the 2014/2015 committee please email our current secretary Sarah Wigzell at sarah.wigzell@gmail.com

There will be drinks served after the meeting. We look forward to seeing you there.

“Stop our son growing older, then he can stay at The Abbey forever!!!”

“We have been incredibly pleased with the excellent progress our daughter has made under [her class teacher], who I have to say has been one of the finest teachers we have dealt with…We have nothing but praise for the excellent education and pastoral care we have consistently received at both Queen’s and The Abbey for which I thank you.”