Category: Senior School News
Woodbridge school equestrian team have competed in three National qualifying competitions this term already. With details from Forest Edge, Poplar Park and Brook Farm, our reports below include details of the competitions, riders and their performances.
Forest Edge, Show Jumping
Travelling to the Forest Edge Arena in Norfolk for Show Jumping, our riders were there to qualify for the NSEA Championships, which take place in Addington in October. It was a successful day for the Woodbridge riders, with Year 8’s Jasmine starting off with a win in the 60cm warm up, followed by all four teams qualifying. It was also a win for the 70cm team, comprised of Year 8’s Jasmine, along with Year 7’s Daisy, Kirsty and Tati. The 80cm teams of Year 7’s Daisy and Tati, Year 9’s Grace, with Year 10’s Harry and Daisy, saw Harry and Year 10’s Edie qualify in first and second places. The 80cms teams of Daisy, Grace, Tati and Harry (team 1) and Daisy, Harry and Edie (team 2) qualified in first and second places respectively. Edie, Harry and Grace also went on to win the 90cm jumping. Well done everyone!
Poplar Park, Eventers Challenge
The next qualifier was a local one at Poplar Park on Saturday 15 February. This was an Eventers Challenge which is a mix of show jumping and cross country. Both 80cm teams qualified, with our team of Year 10’s Edi, Year 9’s Grace and Year 7’s Daisy taking the win; while our team of Grace, Year 10’s Zac Y10 and Daisy came in second place. We also had individual qualifiers with Year 8’s Kirsty taking second place in the 70cm, while Year 9’s Grace not only won the 80cm but also came second in the 90cm to qualify for the NSEA Championships at Hickstead in May. It certainly was a good day for Woodbridge, especially Grace, congratulations to all of them.
Brook Farm, Eventers Challenge
An Eventers Challenge at Brook Farm in Essex on Sunday 23 February saw our team of Year 7’s Daisy and Tati, with Year 9’s Grace go on to win the 70cm. The 80 team of Year 7’s Daisy, Year 9’s Grace and Year 10’s Harry also won, as did the 90cm team of Year 10’s Harry, Zac and Edie, with Year 9’s Grace. Individual qualifiers saw Daisy come in first place, while Grace came in third in the 70cm, while Harry took first, Daisy took second, and Grace took third place in the 80cm. Grace also took first place in the 90cm, while Harry took fourth. Another wonderful day for Woodbridge at Brook Farm, well done everyone.
Our U13 Girls Cricket team, made up of Year 8 players, enjoyed an action-packed day at Inspire Suffolk on Monday, finishing as runner-ups in the ECB Girls U13 Schools Indoor County Competition.
The team got off to a fantastic start, which saw Woodbridge restricting RHS to 55 from their 8 overs, thanks to some fantastic bowling from Year Ella and Jasmine. A strong chase from Woodbridge saw them canter over the line, with Alexandra batting brilliantly.
In game two, Woodbridge came up against Ipswich and were outplayed with both the bat and the ball, resulting in a loss. In game three – a win needed to progress to the afternoon’s finals – Woodbridge won the toss and bowled well, with India J and Lottie the pick of the bowlers. Excellent batting from Rebecca and Evie saw Woodbridge chase their target down with a few overs to spare.
After a bite to eat for lunch, Woodbridge who finished second in the group stages, found themselves playing Orwell Park in the semi-finals; Orwell Park had won the other group. Batting first, some fine shot making from the batters, especially Jasmine and Alexandra, followed by some strong running from the rest of the team, saw Woodbridge score 74 in their eight overs. Orwell started nicely, but some good fielding and tight bowling from Imogen and Lottie saw Woodbridge slow the scoring down and eventually win and move into the final.
Ipswich were the opponents in the final, with the girls looking to make amends for their defeat earlier in the day. Woodbridge batted first, Jasmine and Lottie continued their good form and helped Woodbridge post a solid 71 from their eight overs. Despite India B’s great catch, Woodbridge weren’t able to keep the Ipswich batters in check for long enough, as they cruised home to victory with a few overs to spare.
A fantastic day of learning and much to look forward to heading into the outdoor season in a month’s time.
Last week we hosted the Suffolk Preliminary Round of the Have Your Say Languages Competition, welcoming around 150 students and 25 members of staff and visitors from local schools.
This popular competition is organised by the Association for Language Learning (ALL) Essex and East Anglian Branch. Students work in pairs on a chosen dialogue in Spanish, French or German, which they perform in front of the judges and other competitors.
On the day, Year 7’s Alex and Harriet, Year 9’s Millie and Marina, and Year’s 10 Cleo and Aldara were excellent ambassadors for the School, competing in their respective categories.
Special congratulations to the following students who have gained a place in the final, which takes place on 14 May 2025 in Colchester:
Year 8 Spanish
Diego and William
Rebecca and Evie
Year 9 Spanish
Millie S and Isabella
Bay and Freya
Year 10 Spanish
George and Oliver
Year 7 German
Arthur and Miles
Year 8 French
Isabella and Pip
Year 10 French
Maxim and Elijah
Well done to everyone who took part, for showing resilience, initiative, and a real flair for languages!
On Saturday, three Woodbridge School Cross Country Teams travelled to Leeds to compete in the National Final of the English Schools Cross Country Cup.
Schools need to navigate a County round and a Regional round to earn the right to line up at the start of the Nationals; the event is open to all schools across the Country. With over 6,000 secondary schools in England, only 27 were at the start of each race. Woodbridge School had teams in three of the six age group races, an achievement which in itself matches a best ever for the school.
Woodbridge School has now qualified one or more teams for the Nationals every year since 2016. And wow, what a day it turned out to be!
Saturday saw the National Final of the English Schools Cross Country Cup in Leeds, in the centenary year of English Schools Athletics.
Turns out a school so often celebrated for its academic and arts achievements can also compete with the very best athletic schools in England, with team Gold for our Junior Girls, team Gold for our Junior Boys and an Individual Gold for Dexter. A brilliant run by Year 8’s Dexter to take the win at a national event. Senior Boys were 27th last year, and a much improved 16th this year.
It was announced at prizegiving that the double Junior victory is unprecedented at this national event. They mentioned that they were so pleased it went to a school that had twice hosted the national final in recent years on behalf of English Schools, which is obviously great PR for Woodbridge School on the national stage.
There were so many happy athletes and parents, and well-deserved, after training tirelessly through all weather, weekends and holidays.
Full results:
Junior Girls – Team Gold – National Champions:
India J (Year 8) 9th
Alexandra (Year 8) 13th
Chloe (Year 7) 16th
Ella (Year 8) 22nd
India B (Year 8) 55th
Imogen (Year 8) 76th
(Woodbridge win with 60 points, second was 92 points and third 94 points)
Junior Boys – Team Gold – National Champions:
Dexter (Year 8) 1st
Olly (Year 8) 18th
Josh (Year 8) 24th
Alfie (Year 8) 26th
Otis (Year 8) 35th
Archie (Year 7) 56th
(Woodbridge win with 69 points, second was 97 points and third 108 points)
Senior Boys – 16th:
Iwan (Year 13) 28th
Angus (Year 12) 47th
Bruce (Year 13) 68th
Jasper (Year 11) 97th
Sam (Year 12) 119th
Congratulations to every single athlete, out there competing with the very best in the country!
A special day for the profile of Woodbridge School on a national athletic stage, and a huge thank you to all staff and parents supporting the team in Leeds.
Looking ahead, this coming weekend, 13 of our athletes will compete for Suffolk County at the UK Inter County Cross Country Championship in Nottingham and we wish them every success!
Covering the foundations of voice work: breath, releasing of tension, centred and being grounded in the body, and clarity, Mrs Lockwood, our Head of LAMDA and voice expert, held a Vocal Masterclass for Scholars and Enrichment students from Years 10 to 12 earlier this week in our Seckford Theatre. Year 9’s Lola shared her thoughts and experience, as well as how she feels she benefited from the exercises.
Year 9’s Lola
“The workshop initially brought a sense of tension and self-awareness, but Ms. Lockwood quickly eased this with an exercise where one person danced while the other mirrored their movements. This helped shift the focus away from self-consciousness and onto the partner. Mrs. Lockwood also highlighted how tension affects posture, voice, and balance.
I realised I hold tension in my back and knees, and she introduced several exercises to help release this, which were beneficial both for theatrical movement and daily life.
Overall, the workshop taught me how to better control and relax tension in areas I hadn’t been aware of before, providing valuable tools for both performance and everyday situations.”
With news of matches, players and scores, our Netball news rounds up games played before we broke for half term, and those since we’ve returned.
Woodbridge 1, 2 and 3 vs Framlingham College
Before half term, the Senior 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams hosted Framlingham College. All three teams put on great performances and came away with three out of three wins. Both the 2nd and 3rd teams had close and extremely competitive and physical games, however, they fought hard until the end, and both came away with 24-22 and 17-14 wins.
The 1st team had a stormer of a game, but the score does not reflect how close the game felt. Our shooters were on fire, defenders intercepted lots, including rebounds, and the centre court players worked tirelessly. Coming away with a 33-9 win was a good way to start the half term!
This Week’s Netball
This week, we have played 17 matches against local opposition (Ipswich High and Ipswich School) resulting in wins, draws and unfortunately, some losses – but no matter the score, there’s always so much learned in these games.
The U14A and B teams came away with two solid wins at home to Ipswich High on Monday and on Thursday, they played Ipswich School, but unfortunately could not replicate their performance. The Bs were drawing until the final minutes of the game, then allowed the opposition to go ahead by 2 goals.
The U14Cs played Ipswich School too and worked hard, coming away with a win 22-8. This squad is one of our largest in the school, but whichever combination goes on court to play, they work superbly together!
Woodbridge vs Ipswich School
We put seven teams out against Ipswich School, with the U12A, B and Cs playing away and the U13 A, B C and D teams at home. The U12 teams had shortened matches indoors due to the weather, but all three teams put on good performances and came away with three solid wins. The U12C team prevented the opposition from scoring, which was great! The progress this team has made is exceptional – it was a pleasure to be able to watch them whilst umpiring, putting into play, everything we have focused on in practices and games lessons.
The U13s had tougher games at home. The As put on a superb fight against an extremely strong team and although they lost, they should be commended on their effort and resilience as they never gave up. The Bs again, had a positive game but unfortunately lost by two goals in the very last minutes of the game and the C team fought all the way to a 12-12 draw. Credit goes to the U13D team – their first match of the season resulting in a 17-8 win!
Well done all.
Woodbridge Senior Teams
This week, all four senior teams faced Ipswich School, in some tough and competitive matches. At times it was evident that we had had a break from Netball while on Half Term and although we only came away with one win (1st team in a nail-biting and stressful 34-33 game!), the girls didn’t give up.
Our Hockey teams ended the first half term on a high, with some good performances and excellent results; you can read more about them below.
Woodbridge Junior 1 vs Orwell Park
Wednesday before half term, all six of our Junior teams played against Orwell Park, coming away with four wins and one draw.
The Junior 1s started tentatively, neither team willing to be the aggressor but Woodbridge executing their plan without the ball expertly, to force Orwell Park to play in a different way. Year 8’s Theo and Alfie subbed on and changed the game with a positive injection of energy, communication and attacking intent. With his first touch, Theo drove inside and had a sharp shot at goal after beating three players; it missed, but now it was game on!
The next opportunity in the D, Year 8’s Griff had a hard shot to put Woodbridge ahead. The teams exchanged a few more ‘punches’ in the first half, both scoring one more goal but neither really getting the upper hand. The second half saw our boys do what they set out to do – dominate and take shots! Year 8’s Otto put Woodbridge ahead before Year 8’s Joshua extended the lead. A lapse in defensive concentration saw Orwell Park play up their favoured right and score a well worked team goal. This made for a tense finish to the game, if it was not for co-captain Otto firing a bouncing rebound into the back of the goal to restore the two-goal lead.
A well-deserved win for this hardworking and motivated team. Player of the Match was awarded to Otto.
The Junior 2s increased their goal tally for the season by four more! They made hard work of their fifth win on the trot though, going ahead early on and looking comfortable. However, Orwell Park would not just give up. Taking advantage of great play from their goalkeeper, and less intensity and indifferent decision making from Woodbridge in the second half, Orwell got back into the game scoring three goals. Excellent goalkeeping from Year 8’s Olly and Max prevented more. Woodbridge managed to hold on to their one goal lead as the final whistle went. Some relief but also showing how taking your early chances gives you the upper hand. Goals on the day came from Year 7’s Oliver W and Max R and Year 8’s Michael (2). Joint Players of the Match were our super goalies, Olly and Max.
The Junior 3s and 4s achieved comfortable wins, sharing pitch time around and players testing their skills and knowledge in a variety of positions. Goals for the Junior 3rd team were scored by Year 8’s Toby, Giles, Tom C and Alfie R.
The Junior 5s were disappointed with their performance in a one goal defeat. Basics and striking accuracy let them down, having created enough chances. At the other end Orwell Park manage to convert more, despite another Player of the Match performance from Year 7 goalkeeper, Arthur. Year 7’s Miles scored for Woodbridge.
The Junior 6 players remain unbeaten with their draw against Orwell Park. The cold weather didn’t help the performance but the team did enough and the goal from Year 7’s Willam was a highlight.
Woodbridge U14 vs Ipswich School
Thursday 13 Feb, the last match day of the half term, saw our U14s, U15A team and 1st team in action.
The U14 team, made up of Year 9 players, was really up for their match against Ipswich School U14B. The team set work rate and good ball speed as their non-negotiables and answered the call to be professional in all they do on and off the pitch. A bit against the run of play, Ipswich School went ahead thanks to a breakaway from their speedy and skillful midfielder. Shortly after, to much excitement, Anthony scored our first goal of the season – and what a cracker it was, with excellent passing play up the left hand side, two touches in the D and bang!
Woodbridge extended their lead soon after half time through George before Pranav scored a third. This was when the Ipswich School comeback started, scoring two unanswered goals to level the scored! In the closing minutes it looked unclear whether Woodbridge would be able to hold on to the draw, but goalkeeper, Seth made sure. And then, Harry scored the winner!
Deciding a Player of the Match was hard; Pranav and Barnaby played top matches without a rest in defence and midfield but the team decided it was against Arthur, for his excellent goalkeeping in the first half and then lending speed and aggression to the forward line in the second half.
Woodbridge U15A vs New Hall
The U15A team travelled to New Hall to face tough opponents. Having gone a goal behind in the opening minutes, the team’s character and skills were tested. Working hard to deny any more goals against them the team kept pushing, feeling they are the better team, but needing to prove it with goals. Finally, one was forthcoming, courtesy of Year 10’s Oliver R to get a draw. A very decent result at a tough away venue. Well done, gentlemen.
Woodbridge 1st vs Fram College Albert XI
The 1st team ended the first half of their season on a high. Good pre-match marketing saw a handsome crowd gather for the much-anticipated match against Fram College Albert XI after School. The game was played in good spirit, with both teams showing good discipline, sportsmanship and fluid skills. Woodbridge took an early lead thanks to a goal from captain, Year 13’s Luca. The lead was doubled, rather fortuitously, when a good penalty corner strike from Year 11’s Tom was deflected into the goal by the Fram defender. The game was end-to-end; Woodbridge having the better carries to break lines thanks to Year 13’s Alfie dominating the midfield, and midfielders and defenders passing the ball well to change channels and feed the forwards. Year 13’s Hugh had a composed performance at center back, setting the tone for the rest of the team. Year 11’s Arlo came close to scoring on his debut while Year 11’s Oscar P also had a strong first match for the 1st XI on the right flank.
Woodbridge scored their third early in second half, Luca again being clinical in the nine-yard area, to take the game beyond a come-back from Fram. The clean sheet was secured thanks to a great left hand save from Year 12’s Ethan, deflecting a great shot heading for the top corner.
Well done to the team for a clinical and controlled performance and thanks to staff, students and family who came to support the team.
Learning about not only the creative part of the design process, but the tools, machinery and thought processes required to design and create an object, our Year 8 students have been busy working on making their very own money boxes – in either an elephant, owl or penguin shaped design.
Using stencils, students set about cutting out and shaping wood into their desired design. Talking to students, it’s clear to hear that it’s been challenging but enjoyable process, as Kirsty, shared,
“This has been really good fun, and it’s been great to learn not only about the material we’re using, but about the tools and machinery available to help us create our money boxes. We’re given the right amount of independence in this class, so we can grow in confidence – and really enjoy Design.”
She continued,
“Everyone in the Design department is so helpful and informative, there aren’t many subjects where you have as much independence as this!”
Under the watchful eye of Mrs Cracknell our Head of Design, and Mr Hardman our Design Technician, students are guided, supported and encouraged to learn and try new techniques and learn different skills. Mrs Cracknell shared,
“Although it might sound quite simple, this project covers learning about the material we’re using, how it behaves, what it’s like to work with, as well as what tools and machinery can give the best finish.”
Henri and Oliver have both enjoyed cutting the wood in particular, and Oliver commented,
“It’s so satisfying seeing it all come together – when you have all the pieces you need and you finally get to create what you’ve been visualising, my favourite part has been sanding down the wood and using lots of different tools – I’ve learned so much.”
Henri spoke about what he enjoys the most about Design, saying,
“I really enjoy having the chance to work independently, and just being creative!”
Enjoying the independence, Imogen commented,
“I love these sorts of projects. We get direction, assistance and support at the start, but then we’re given the freedom to work independently, while constantly able to collaborate and discuss with others in the class. We’re all learning from each other as well as from Mrs Cracknell.”
Talking more about why she enjoys Design she shared,
“There’s so much freedom to be creative – and it’s the creativity I love the most.”
With many of their money boxes close to completion, they were recently exhibited in School; an opportunity for parents, family and friends to see and understand their work; their individual creativity was clear for all to see. Mrs Cracknell commented,
“It’s great to work through a process, a project and for the students to see their creativity and designs come to life. In this case it’s an item they can keep and use, something to remind them of what they can achieve in Design.”
It has been such a busy half term on the Netball front, with 46 matches and three tournaments being played across various age groups; and an exceptionally successful one as the teams have won 36 matches and drawn two!
A particular highlight so far has been our successful matches against Finborough across the Junior (Year 7 and 8), Inter (Year 9 and 10) and Senior teams – 13 matches all in one week, resulting in 11 wins and two draws, which is outstanding.
Junior Teams
The Juniors have also enjoyed matches against St Jo’s, RHS, Culford, Fram, Orwell Park and Holmwood House. The improvement the teams have made over this half term has impressed and thrilled us all and is testament to the girls’ hard work and commitment.
The U13As played a tight match against Finborough, resulting in a draw – we were winning until the last goal for the opposition being scored in the last second of the game.
The U13B, U13C and U12B teams enjoyed their matches against Finborough, where they were successful and the U13D and U12C teams played in a friendly match versus The Prep School during their Games afternoon, where a great deal was learned, including some of the Prep girls playing 7-aside netball for the first time. Well done!
There was some lovely play from a combined U12A/U13A team (as several of the U13s were representing the school at Cross Country in Coventry), who played in a triangular against Fram and Culford, dominated versus the other school’s B teams and then went on to win a nail-biting final against Culford As in a very short five minutes each way game!
The U12As are currently unbeaten this season and they has shown superb progress on the court already. Putting into action what they have been learning in lessons and in extra-curricular practices, is certainly working! Their grit and determination cannot be faulted.
U14 and U15 Teams
The U14 and U15s have played St Jo’s, Farlingaye, RHS and Finborough in some exciting matches.
So far, the U15As have scored an impressive 218 goals with our defence containing the opposition to just 78 against. Currently unbeaten this season, they are looking forward to more competitive matches next half term, where they can continue to defend this winning streak.
Meanwhile, the U14B and Cs, and U15B and C teams have scored a total of 218 goals between them with only 78 goals scored against, demonstrating the quality and depth we have across these year groups.
Another highlight of the term so far has been the U14A’s match away to Finborough where they fought back from a large half time deficit to draw an exciting game. Incredible to watch, Miss Sanders returned to School having lost her voice!
The U14Cs had a super match against Finborough too, as Mr Davis reported, “We found ourselves ahead by 25 goals at half-time and so had a ‘lucky dip’ with the bibs. The girls loved having the opportunity to play different positions. These are very talented netballers who find themselves in a highly competitive year group – in other year groups, and in other schools, they would find themselves playing in much higher teams. Netball is strong at Woodbridge”.
Senior Teams
Lastly, to the Senior teams who, due to mocks, started their season a little later, but have been kept busy ever since. The first block fixture was against RHS with five senior teams playing (which included everyone who has chosen Netball on a Tuesday afternoon as their Games option). It was lovely to see everyone playing; we even had girls who had never played before taking part which was wonderful.
The 1st team had a stormer of a game, resulting in a 37-8 win. At half time, positions were all changed, with our defenders going in to shoot and vice-versa. It was an enjoyable match where a lot was learned, and they have since kept the momentum going with incredibly impressive wins against both Finborough and Ipswich High School.
The 2nd team put on great performances against Finborough and Ipswich High, demonstrating their super teamwork and determination as a newly formed team. In the match versus RHS, there was some excellent play and shooting, and we had appearances from Year 10’s Amelie, Georgia and Eve, due to some players missing to attend a Drama workshop.
There was also an excellent team display from the 2nds and 3rds with the girls playing in combined teams against Finborough and in all different positions! A great afternoon where we were in control of the match. Very well done!
All four senior teams are looking forward to their next matches against Ipswich School, Felsted and Norwich High School for Girls next half term and our matches against Framlingham this week will be reported on then too.
I’d like to thank all the players and coaches for their hard work, and the parental support from the sideline. I wish everyone a restful and relaxing half term and look forward to the next half term (Miss Sanders).
This week, sold out audiences at our Seckford Theatre were treated to a fantastic adaptation of Mark Haddon’s novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Offering a unique insight into the life of Christopher Boone (Year 11’s Sam L), a 15-year old boy who is on the autistic spectrum, the play charts Christopher’s journey as he tries to uncover the mystery of the death of his neighbour’s dog, Wellington.
After diligent investigation, which has been strictly forbidden by his father for reasons unknown to Christopher, he successfully discovers the identity of the killer but unwittingly uncovers some well-kept and very confusing family secrets; and all while gaining an A* in A level Maths.
Told directly through the eyes of Christopher, we begin to understand how his logical and detail-orientated mind processes the world around him, and how his straightforward approach elicits different responses from the characters he encounters. From the ever-patient teacher Siobhan (Year 11’s Eloise), the kindly Mrs Alexander (Year 10’s Annie), his conflicted mother Judy (Year 11’s Lexi), his loving but flawed father Ed (Year 11’s Edward) and the other people that cross his path, the play deftly covers themes of neurodiversity, mental health, trust and the complexity of family relationships.
Performed with intelligent choreography and a striking set and production, it is ultimately Christopher’s personal growth in confidence that wins the day – he is indeed capable of anything!
Many congratulations to the cast and crew, a superb performance and production, well done to everyone involved on and off the stage. Audience members were abuzz after the performance commenting:
“Totally stunning performances all round. You know these things are good when you forget it’s a school production and are just fully invested into the story. Well done!”
“An absolutely superb performance of an important issue in society. The students were magnificent in their portrayals of the characters and it was a real highlight of the year.”
“The passion, enthusiasm and dedication shown by the Year 10 and 11 cast last night was amazing. At times it was hard to believe that they were just students. Everyone did an incredible job, and the main characters were just awesome! Christopher certainly took us on a journey of highs and lows. Well done and thank you!”
“Wow! The show was nothing short of exemplary – such a mature and convincing cast. Sam executed the role with sensitivity and delivered confidently the finer details required of such a complex character. What a treat to watch.”
“Another outstanding performance from all involved.”
Photo credit: Mike Kwasniak