Month: September 2014

As part of our topic “All About Me” the Reception children have been focusing on toys. This week they had a Teddy Bears Picnic in the Queen’s House garden. They listened to stories, sang songs and enjoyed a lovely picnic including teddy shaped jam sandwiches prepared by themselves earlier in the day. Great fun was had by all!

A new headmaster and a recently-appointed charity chief shared a first experience in their roles at a school’s annual speech day. Both embarking on their first year in the job, Neil Tetley, new head at Woodbridge School, and Roger Wright, who became chief executive of Aldeburgh Music in March, addressed pupils for the traditional ceremony. On his first public engagement in Suffolk, Mr Wright said he had heard much about the school’s musical reputation and explained how it could bring people together and bridge divides. He also applauded the range of international initiatives available to pupils. Mr Tetley commended the warmth and community of the school, as well as recent exam success. National achievements in sports and music were also included, as well  as charity work across the school, which had raised more than £50,000 for 50 organisations.

Woodbridge School’s Senior School Speech Day took place on Saturday 13 September, and again the audience, and our guest speaker, Mr Roger Wright, the new CEO of Aldeburgh Music, were wowed by this remarkable celebration of achievement. As each pupil came up to receive their prize, Deputy Headmaster Michael Streat read a brief description of their notable achievements during their time at School, and it was remarkable how many of the pupils were not just proving to be highly successful academically, but had also taken part in a huge range of other activities such as sport, drama, MUN, languages, music, or art, and enjoyed further success in each of these areas too. Woodbridge’s pupils embrace the opportunities open to them at the School, and nowhere is this more evident than at Speech Day.

Speech Day also saw the first major public appearance by new Headmaster, Neil Tetley, who along with Chairman of the Governors, Roger Finbow, and guest speaker Mr Roger Wright, spoke on the subject of the positive nature of change. Roger Wright also spoke powerfully on the subject of the unity of our fellow man, all joined under one sky. An inspiring and humbling day, and the School would like to thank all those who came to join us on this most special occasion.

On Friday 5 September, Abbey pupils enjoyed a morning of special outdoor learning activities within the School’s beautiful and diverse grounds. The aim of the morning’s activities is to provide pupils with the opportunity for learning in the outdoor environment, using a variety of natural materials. The pupils enjoyed a number of activities including den building, leaf rainbows and whittling sticks which they then used to cook marshmallows on the camp fire.

The Abbey offers a weekly outdoor activity club each week, during which pupils can enjoy activities similar to those offered by Forest Schools. This means pupils are able to experience the wealth of natural learning that The Abbey’s grounds can offer, enjoying its extensive streams, woods and wildlife.

The new children in Reception have had a busy first week in school. With the topic “All About Me” as their focus, they have been painting pictures of themselves, drawing family trees, creating paper plate faces and making new friends. The children have enjoyed activities in the outside area as well as experiencing their first music, French and P.E. lessons. What a wonderful start to school life!

At Woodbridge School, today is the first day of term for our pupils and for our new Headmaster Neil Tetley. On taking his place in the Headmaster’s Office on the first day of term, Neil Tetley said “I am very much looking forward to welcoming new and existing pupils back to school. Woodbridge is an outstanding school and I am very excited about getting to know the pupils and staff that make up this exceptional community.”

Neil was educated at Epsom College and the Selwyn College, Cambridge where he read History. He joins us from Sevenoaks School where he was Deputy Head. Before that he taught at King’s College School, Wimbledon, and at the International School of Brussels.

Neil is married to Laura and they have two sons, Charles and Henry, who both also start at Woodbridge School today.

“Our two very different sons have both loved the school.  Woodbridge’s human and humane approach distances itself from other institutions.  From our experience, the pupils are always at the centre of the school’s attention and the guidance they received has been quite brilliant.  Thank you.”