Category: Senior School News

Our U14A, U14B and Senior 1st Hockey teams have been in action, with plenty of learning and development opportunities throughout. With news of matches versus Finborough and New Hall, our reports below share details of players and performance.

Woodbridge U14A and U14B vs Finborough

Our Year 9 U14A and U14B teams produced two great performances against Finborough before half term. Our teams showed determination and professionalism from their warm-up and all throughout the game, being a true credit to our School.

The U14B match was somewhat chaotic in the opening quarter, with players from both teams excited to play, but not both teams as focused on the task at hand. Once over the initial exchanges Woodbridge found a good structure and started to move the ball around with more control. Player-of-the-Match, Mariella was influential in this, getting the ball in midfield and making good passes or runs to beat lines. Mariella scored the opening goal from the top of the D before setting up India B for the second.

Woodbridge consolidated at half time, focusing on what has been going well and wanting to build on the positive play from the first half, but aware of traps to avoid. Maizie to tackle continued to distribute well, doing so with growing composure and accuracy as the game progressed, and also moved into central midfield with success. Isabella L was rewarded for her industrious play with a goal before Cecily scored her second in as many matches to secure a very well-deserved win for the team.

The big squad must be commended for how they responded to everything asked of them and for the learning throughout the match.

The U14A followed suit in how they prepared for the match, managing their own warm-up and target setting. Following a quick reminder about how they would press and a focus for out letting, the team went on the pitch determined to deliver a clinical display. This they did!

The defence and midfield lines provided good structure from the start which allowed for excellent build-up play to get the ball in the attacking area. Here India J and Jasmine were threatening, being very well supported by Kirsty and Rebecca. As the game progressed the forwards started to lead purposefully to fill key spaces and made more complementary runs which made for exciting attacking play. Alexandra as right back proved pivotal in attacks in our own half and as a threat outside the attacking D. Ella was a revelation at centre back, managing proceedings like a veteran. India J scored the opening goal before Imogen M added a second before half time.

In the second half the team continued to improve their defensive press which made it difficult for Finborough to find a flowing rhythm. With the opposition relying on physical carries and hard, direct passing, our players were up to it to intercept and slow runners down whenever needed. This took immense concentration and work ethic to never let up, as any gaps or a moment of not working back could result in goals against. The second half remained goalless but not short of action.

India J was named Player-of-the-Match. Special mention to Imogen G, Bella, Issy and Sienna who played their best matches of the season so far.

We are very proud of both U14 teams who showed how much they have learned tactically and improved technically during the first half of the season. Well done also to players in the A and B teams, who had run brilliantly in the Cross Country race earlier in the day, before playing their hearts out on the Hockey pitch in the afternoon.

Woodbridge Senior 1st vs New Hall

The Senior 1st team went straight into a match after half-term, playing their postponed match against New Hall at Ipswich Hockey Club last Tuesday.

The team continued their positive momentum from the first whistle. Fast paced Hockey was played, showing structure and skill and it was not long before chances were created. Year 12’s Charlie put Woodbridge ahead halfway through the 1st half. Our team definitely had the upper hand, but New Hall threatened to break through courtesy of some very speedy ball carriers. Luckily this was matched and Year 12’s Lyrah and Millie dealt with attacks up the flank. Shortly before half time, New Hall scored a reverse stick goal into the roof of the net, which was awarded after the umpires conferred.

Frustrated to be all square at half time, Woodbridge consolidated what they were doing well and knew they just had to keep playing in the same way and more goals will come. Year 12’s Bea was again a powerhouse in attack, threatening whenever in possession and giving good passes, and never letting up when defending. After another threatening carry by her there was a deliberate foul in the D. Bea slotted the resulting penalty stroke with composure to take Woodbridge ahead again. Through Year 13’s Lara, Nancy and Georgia and Year 12’s Eve the team kept pushing forward and got their third goal, scored by Year 11 debutant, Frankie. Seconds from the end New Hall got a second but the team had done enough for another great win, playing great Hockey!

Well done to each player who contributed so well to a complete team performance. Player of the Match went to Millie, for an outstanding all-round performance!

The team continued to work hard at practices for the rest of the week, working on their skills and team play, preparing for their Regional Finals, and always trying to better themselves and having fun in the process. Well done to this group for all that are putting in.

Last week, Junior Scholarship and Enrichment students joined the Drama Department for the sequel to last year’s Suffragettes workshop. Furthering the groundwork that was laid down in the first workshop, this session allowed them to explore their dramatic writing skills alongside physical devising.

Year 9’s India J shares her review of the workshop.

“On 6 November, our School held an inspiring Suffragettes Drama workshop for Year 7, 8, and 9 girls, with some amazing Year 10 girls helping out.

The session focused on the story of the Suffragettes and how Emmeline Pankhurst and the Suffragettes fought fearlessly for women to gain the right to vote.

The workshop was very moving and brought all the women in the room together in a truly empowering way. Part of the session involved writing speeches using phrases that began with “We will…” and “We will not…”. We wrote as many as we could in three minutes, then worked in pairs to choose ten of our favourite phrases. Using these phrases, we created freezeframes that featured the lines we had written.

At the end, everyone shared their performances, and some amazing and powerful work was showcased, leaving us all inspired by the Suffragettes strength and unity.”

Following their recent trip to Taicang in China, our six exchange students have returned with tales of travel, culture, cuisine and discoveries!

Attending school each day, they thoroughly enjoyed the immersive experience of learning Mandarin alongside fellow students, as well as enjoying art and calligraphy.

With trips to places of interest in the local area, including Suzhou, Shaxi and guided tours of the centre of Shanghai, it’s clear to see they’ve all had an incredible experience and that it’s been the trip of a lifetime.

Year 11’s Martha shared,

“I had a brilliant time in China, I loved experiencing the culture, food and traditions. The trips out of school were amazing and interesting. I’m so glad I got the opportunity to go on this trip.”

Thank you to our hosts, and to our students who embraced the challenges of the trip and threw themselves into everything with willingness, kindness and excitement.

22 students from Years 11 to 13 have been taking part in their Silver and Gold Practice DofE expeditions in the Peak District National Park, beginning by training with their group supervisor ahead of taking part in a three-day walking expedition.   

Carrying all of their equipment and camping out overnight, it was an excellent opportunity to continue to develop learned skills and understand mistakes and how to correct them.  

With rain and shine along the way, the students had an excellent few days, in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.  

They will now plan to complete their assessed expeditions during the Easter holidays next year in the Lake District. 

Leaving from School in the early hours of last Saturday morning, 23 students across Years 10 to 12 set off for Krakow, and within two hours of landing, they were in the Main Square of the Old Town, learning more about the history of the city. Students then visited the Galicia Jewish Museum which included an emotional talk from a Holocaust survivor. It was an interesting and tiring first day in Poland.

On Sunday, students took a guided walking tour around the Jewish district, and this included a visit to the Eagle Pharmacy to learn about some of the incredible individuals who defied the Nazis as part of the resistance movement. They also visited the Oldest Synagogue in Krakow, as well as the Jewish Ghetto Memorial and the Jewish cemetery.

They then visited Auschwitz-Birkenau, which was the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp; learning more about the Nazi regime and its horrendous atrocities. The visit provided the opportunity for students to understand more about the harsh realities of history, supporting their classroom learning around this topic, and it was clear to see the impact this had on everyone.

After a sobering day, the evening was spent at the hotel enjoying supper, with a chance to decompress after what was an emotional and grounding day. Students spent their final day in Krakow on Monday, exploring Wawel Castle, with some choosing to visit the Cathedral, which included a climb to see Sigmund’s Bell and time down in the Crypt seeing the final resting place of individuals who they had found out about during our walking tour.

Departing for home later that day, it’s fair to say they all had an incredible few days in Poland; thank you to everyone who made the trip possible, and to our students who represented themselves and the School impeccably.

Year 11’s Sophie P shared her thoughts on the trip,

“Our trip to Krakow was full of different activities from visiting castles to exploring the old town.  We left early on Saturday morning so that we could visit several places in the afternoon such as the Cloth Hall and Galicia Museum, where we also heard from a Polish Holocaust Survivor; it was interesting  to see pictures of her and her family before the war.  On Sunday we walked to see a plaza with chair statues, each one represents 68,000 Jewish citizens killed in WW2.  Next to this plaza we also got to visit the pharmacy where Oscar Schindler hid Jews from the Nazis, and we also visited areas in Krakow where the movie Schindler’s List was filmed.  We ended the day with a trip to Auschwitz; we saw different parts of the camp including the railway where everyone was sent unknowingly walking to their death – Auschwitz was an enlightening and thought-provoking experience, and was the highlight of the trip for me.  On the final day of the trip, we got to explore the Wawel Castle and see the Cathedral before heading back home.” 

As rehearsals continue in Seckford Theatre throughout the week – and now at weekends – for November’s Sixth Form production of The Trial, we recently met with our Design students involved in collaborating with our Drama team on the programme design.  With the designs taking shape for our bespoke programme, it was great to talk to Year 12’s Selena and Laura about their thoughts on progress so far, as well as how it feels to be working on such an exciting project. 

Selena: 

“This is another great opportunity working with the Drama and Design Departments.  After learning more about the plot of the play, we were given the chance to think outside the box, so each design ends up with different elements included, from different people.  I truly enjoy the process of producing these pieces and working on this drama collaboration again.” 

Laura: 

“I’m really drawn towards these Drama and Graphics collaborations, as we are always given a lot of creative freedom when given a brief, making each design unique and personal – but we are also given a lot of support from both Drama and Design.  It’s a fun way to explore more styles and different ideas I wouldn’t have thought of within the Design curriculum.  It is also gratifying to see your own work on the programme as a finished product alongside everyone else’s work.” 

As the finishing touches are put into place, we look forward to sharing the students’ final design with you very soon; in the  meantime, tickets are now available from ticketsource.co.uk/woodbridge-school-drama/the-trial/e-gpedrqo for both performances of The Trial on Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 November.  

Joining Mrs Parker and her Year 7 students in the classroom recently, we were invited to sit in on their lesson around geometric sculpture – the students’ brief: Create a balanced geometric sculpture from cardboard – learning how to convert a 2D drawing into 3D design.

Taking inspiration from Max Bill (1908 – 1994), a Swiss artist and industrial and graphic designer, students focused on creating their own version of a specific piece of his artwork.

Sharing an image of one of his geometric sculptures, Mrs Parker asked the students to identify characteristics that they could see, and they happily shared a myriad of features and words they associated with the design, including: symmetry, contrast, abstract, simplistic, bold, sharp and more; demonstrating the many different interpretations of his artwork.

They then set about drawing out their ideas using felt tips and a ruler; creating their 2D designs, before being asked to create these designs using cardboard – creating their 3D sculptures.

Identifying the differences between and similarities of 2D and 3D was an integral part of the lesson, and has been the pathway of this particular project for these Year 7 students; this lesson being part of a series looking at this particular element of Art.

After creating and sharing their colourful 2D designs, students had the opportunity to create them in cardboard, using the chomp saw, a unique piece of apparatus in the Art department known to be a safe power tool for cutting cardboard with ease. Mrs Parker first held a demonstration, followed by the students using the saw independently – and so their designs began to spring to life. Colouring each piece of cardboard, there was also consideration of where colours should ‘sit’ on their individual designs, and Mrs Parker revisited the discussion students had recently had about the colour wheel, and how colours next to one another are complementary, while those opposite them on the wheel offer contrast.

The lesson was a brilliant opportunity not only for learning, but for expression; students shared their thought processes, ideas and learnings throughout the lesson, as they created their very own balanced geometric sculptures.

Callum shared,

“I really enjoy Art lessons, you can let your mind go wild, and really be creative!”

Talking about choosing Art as an option in the future Lucy said,

“I love the teacher, the experiences and the lessons – I’m learning so much, I might consider choosing Art as one of my options because I enjoy it so much.”

Sharing his favourite creations in Art lessons so far Aiden said,

“I absolutely loved making balloon dogs, I learned lots of new skills and it was so much fun!”

Talking about how much she enjoys Art, Anasuya shared,

“I literally can’t take the pen from the page when I’m drawing, I love it. I really enjoy experimenting too.”

Mrs Parker shared,

“Year 7 is predominantly about enjoyment and fostering a love of making things. Throughout the year we cover a range of materials through the teaching of short, but nonetheless productive, projects. The children are always incredibly enthusiastic and open minded to taking creative risks and it is these qualities which are so important when it comes to developing as an artist!”

To find out much more about Art, including GCSE and A level Art at Woodbridge School, visit woodbridgeschool.org.uk/the-arts/art/.

Leading into half term, our Hockey teams delivered more amazing performances, great results and fantastic achievements; saving the best for last it seemed, before a little half time break.

Woodbridge Junior 1st Team at U13 In2Hockey

Monday started with the Junior 1st team competing at the U13 In2Hockey Suffolk Cup, an event from which the top two teams will progress to the Regional Finals. The team prepared well, setting team and individual targets at the start of the day. A big focus was placed on the process and making every moment count which would lead to the best possible outcomes.

The opening match against RHS was a tense affair and end to end; chances either end, and Year 8’s Najma making a telling save close to the end of the match, to maintain the lead and a win for Woodbridge. Year 7’s Issy scored the first of her six goals of the day to put Woodbridge in the winning position. The match was swiftly followed by a 1-1 draw against Old Buckingham Hall. Issy again put Woodbridge ahead and the team were seconds away from the win, however an avoidable turnover resulted in a penalty corner against us, and as the final whistle went OBH got their equaliser.

No breaks between matches to brood over the missed opportunity too much, Woodbridge went out hard against Ipswich School and took an unassailable three goal lead before half time. Year 8’s Chloe and Year 7’s Sofia scored field goals before Issy calmly converted a penalty stroke. The Junior 1 team kept this goal scoring momentum going in their final pool game against Orwell Park, attempting to top the pool with a win. A ‘champagne goal’ was scored before 60 seconds had passed, Issy scoring the first of her hattrick in this game. Sofia scored the fourth to make for a resounding win.

A tough semi-final against Fram College now lay ahead, and as expected, both teams produced skilful hockey and disciplined structure. Woodbridge had the upper hand, but the Fram goalkeeper kept them in the game. Year 8’s Martha finally broke the deadlock with a well-taken opportunity. Defenders and goalkeeper, Year 8’s Juno and Najma and Year 7’s Lily did their bit to nullify Fram’s chances, but it was all very tense! Woodbridge played out for the win, being congratulated by their neighbours, graceful in defeat, knowing it was a real battle.

The final against Finborough awaited. Would our team have the mental and physical energy left to win it, knowing they had already achieved a major goal – qualifying for the Regional Finals by making the County final? The opponents came out the physically stronger team with some powerful carries and exciting rotations, which caused some confusion to the Woodbridge structure. Despite an early chance going Woodbridge team’s way, it was Finborough who was the more dominant team, scoring an unanswered goal in each half. County Champions were not to be this year, but what a display from these young players, and achieving a little bit of history of their own. Lessons learned about Finborough to put into action during the block fixture later this term. And on to the Regional Finals at the end of November for this exciting, talented team.

Year 7’s Sofia and Lily, and Year 8’s Juno, Martha, Chloe and Najma were all recognised by teammates and staff for their telling contributions during the day, but the outstanding Player-of-the-Day was awarded to Year 7’s Issy.

Woodbridge U12 County Cup Success

The U12A team sent us into half term on another high. The ten-strong team of Year 7 players travelled to Culford to take part in the recently established U12 In2Hockey County Cup for the first time. No one quite knew what lay ahead as the team brought together players from different Junior teams. What was certain were the motivation, talent and ambition of the team ready to compete.

The opening game of the event was against Finborough Woodbridge dominated and scored two well-taken goals, one by Florence from a penalty corner and a field goal scored by Vivienne. Looking comfortable, Woodbridge perhaps relaxed a bit and let Finborough get a goal back, which made for a tense few final minutes; but the team held strong to start with a win.

Next was ultimate event winners, Culford, who beat everyone else at the tournament – but not this team, who just never gave up! Culford went ahead, and Martha had to be alert in goal to deny more goals. Woodbridge kept making half chances and just when Culford thought the game was done, Coco scored the most wonderful deflection past the GK. 1-1 and another point on the board.

The story was much the same against Ipswich School. Woodbridge had to come from behind again, after Ipswich scored a scrappy penalty corner goal. This time it was Emilia S who passed the perfect ball to Coco who made no mistake in from of goal to equalise and keep the team’s competition alive.

Against RHS Woodbridge camped in their attacking half, having to guard against threatening counterattacks. This, captain Chloe Y and fellow defenders Emma and Emilia B, did well. A goal from Vivienne broke the deadlock after peppering the RHS goal. It was all to come down to the final match against Ipswich High School, the winner to finish second in Suffolk and qualify for the Regional Finals.

Woodbridge showed their skill and made chance after chance but could not convert, both teams now tired! Despite the dominance things nearly got away from Woodbridge but Martha made a number of great saves to keep things level and hopes alive. Finally, Florence scored from a penalty corner to give us the lead. The team managed the closing minutes well to win and make it to the Regional Finals at the end of November; unbeaten with three wins and two draws to show for their efforts on the day.

A great day with a new team and at a new competition and another bit of history written by this group of players. Coco was the Player-of-the-Day playing so much as a forward, attacking so well, defending so well and scoring some telling goals!

The Junior 1st team and U12 Team join our Senior 1st Team in taking part in the Regional Finals during the second part of the season. Well done to all three these teams.

Woodbridge 1st Team vs Fram College 2nd Team

This brings us to the 1st team who produced their best performance in a number of seasons when they hosted Fram College’s 2nd team – the first match under lights for the season. From the start Woodbridge played at a high tempo and moved the ball very well, across the midfield, around the back and up to the forwards. Support around the ball was influential along with good decision making on the ball, which allowed Woodbridge to control possession well and have great build-up play. Year 13’s Georgia and Year 11’s Eve were hard to keep at bay at outside midfield while Year 12’s Charlie controlled the central part of the pitch and getting Year 13’s Lara and Year 12’s Bea into the action, both who showed athleticism and skill in attacking areas. Woodbridge were unlucky not to convert in the first half, the closest miss coming when a great deflection from Bea hit the post.

Two minutes into the second half the luck would change. Another perfect press saw Charlie win the ball in midfield and dribble past a number of stunned Fram players and calmy put the ball in the back of the goal – a deserved lead for Woodbridge. Woodbridge didn’t let up but could not break through. The players defended with such discipline and structure that Fram found it difficult to build momentum with their possession and expose gaps, as there weren’t many. Year 13’s Eve made a very welcome return to the team after an illness and her experience and decisive leadership at the back was telling.

A few minutes from the end of the game, Woodbridge secured the win, after a penalty stroke was awarded when Year 11’s Izzy was denied a sure scoring chance. Year 12’s Bea made no mistake and the score was doubled.

This was a very clinical and professional performance from the 1st team, ending the first half of the season on a high. Congratulations to Year 10’s Annabelle who made her first team debut and joint Players-of-the-Match who were Captain Lara and Bea! Good luck to the team for a busy second half-term ahead.

Woodbridge Junior 2nd and 3rd Teams vs Orwell Park

A new-look Junior 2nd and Junior 3rd team took on teams from Orwell Park on Wednesday before half term.

The Junior 2 team, made up of Year 7 players, worked hard to take a two-goal lead at half time, Sofia and Issy scoring. We all know 2-0 at half time is a dangerous score, and Orwell Park duly launched a comeback to score first in the second half. The score remained the same until two minutes from the end when Darcy scored a lovely goal – well deserved for playing so well all game – closely followed by Sofia’s second of the game.

A great win for an enthusiastic team who worked very hard! Darcy, Coco and Florence were all in race for Player-of-the-Match, with Florence ultimately taking the honors.

The Junior 3s followed suit with a convincing win over their counterparts from Orwell Park. The game gave lots of experience to players and definitely lots of fun was had. Year 8’s Elodie was Player-of-the-Match, also scoring two goals. Goals were also scored by Year 7’s Emilia S and Year 8’s Tati.

Well done to all the players who represented the School during the first half of the season. Lots learned and lots of enjoyment gained from playing together and competing. Next week we will report on the great U14 matches against Finborough.

Our Equestrian team had an incredible weekend at the NSEA Addington Championships during half term, with every rider performing brilliantly and showing great competitiveness throughout the event. Our riders included: Year 8’s Daisy and Tati, Year 9’s Jazzy and Kirsty, Year 10’s Avery and Grace, and Year 11’s Harry and Zac.

Our riders kicked off the show with the 70–75cm Jumping with Style team, featuring Daisy, Avery, Tati, and Kirsty, who rode beautifully to finish in 6th place. Our 80–85cm Team of Harry, Tati, Daisy, and Kirsty followed with another strong performance, securing 5th place.

Later that day, two teams competed in the 70–75cm Showjumping Championships; the top eight teams from the first rounds qualified for the evening jump-off. Our team of Daisy, Tati, Kirsty, and Jazzie placed 8th, earning a spot in the jump-off. Daisy, Tati, and Kirsty all delivered three clear rounds with quick times, climbing the leaderboard to finish an impressive 4th overall.

The second class of the evening was the New Windsor Challenge 90–95cm Showjumping, where Grace, Zac, and Harry represented team Woodbridge. The atmosphere was electric, and all three riders produced outstanding clear rounds, finishing in 3rd place — a fantastic result in a highly competitive class.

Saturday marked our riders’ second day of competition, starting with the 80–85cm Showjumping Championships; following the same format as the previous day, the top eight teams advanced to the evening jump-off. This time, both our teams made it through! Daisy, Kirsty, Zac, and Harry rode superbly to take 2nd place in a fast and exciting jump-off, while our second team of Grace, Harry, and Daisy finished a strong 8th.

Riders also competed in the 90–95cm Jumping with Style Championships, where our team of Grace, Zac, and Harry delivered another excellent performance, finishing in 4th place.

Congratulations and well done to all of our riders!

Photo credit: Spidge Event Photography

As well as events and activities throughout the first half of Michaelmas term which we’ve featured over the last few weeks in our newsletter and on our socials, Mr Gunn is delighted to share a round-up of life at School House in general.

“We have returned to boarding in School House with great excitement, as new students have brought wonderful positivity and energy, making Welcome Week an exceptional start, full of fun and enthusiasm.

A new Welcome Office has been created, giving boarders a friendly space to greet Matron as they sign in and out, which has already had a very positive impact. The Lubbock Lounge has also been upgraded with new sofas and seating, providing a more comfortable and welcoming environment.

Alongside this, we have launched the wider co-curricular boarders’ activities programme, offering Scrabble, pottery with Mrs Gunn, chess, calisthenics, cooking, and many more enjoyable evening pursuits. With regular activities, trips and social events, such as this term’s visit to Cambridge, Southwold and Indoor Go-Karting to name just a few, students have really made the most of every opportunity to get to know one another better as well as explore the School and surrounding areas.

We look forward to the October half term break, and sharing more news of events and achievements from our boarders in the weeks to come.”