Category: Sixth Form News
In late September five of our age group Cross Country teams had qualified to compete at the regional round of the English Schools Cross Country Cup. The Regionals took place on Thursday 7 November, and we are extremely proud to report that three of the five teams have now qualified for the Nationals by finishing in the top three.
Such is the athletic strength and depth in Essex, Woodbridge School is one of only two Suffolk schools that will be represented at the Nationals.
Special mention to our two individual medal winners, year 8’s Dexter who won Gold in the Junior Boys race, and to Year 13’s Iwan on taking bronze in the Senior Boys race.
Woodbridge School Cross Country has now qualified one or more teams for the National Finals every year since 2016 (Covid year excluded). That is an amazing eight years in succession!
A streak that will no doubt end one day, but for now we celebrate the continuity and brilliant achievements of our young athletes. There are over 6,000 secondary schools in England, with the competition open to all schools across the country.
Only 27 schools will line up at the National Final in each age group race.
Teams qualifying were:
Junior Girls – A resounding team victory, with our four scorers 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th (a score of 28 points, with second 66 points and 3rd 75 points).
Junior Boys – Regional Champions by just two places across four athletes, with our four scoring athletes in 1st, 6th, 8th and 13th (a total of 28 points, with second 30 and third 55).
Senior Boys – A relieved squad qualifying in third place with our four scorers 3rd, 17th, 19th and 21st (a score of 60 points with the winners at 22 and second at 55).
Our Inter Boys ran exceptionally well to finish a strong 6th (scoring athletes in 5th, 33rd, 42nd and 43rd), and Inter Girls completed our line up with a 10th place finish (9th, 45th,49th and 62nd).
Congratulations to every athlete and good luck to those teams competing at the Nationals in Leeds on Saturday 7 December!
Invited to the University of Suffolk earlier this week, Year 13 students spent time talking about studying Psychology at University and how to set up research, as well as using some of the specialist equipment in the department.
Talking through a range of items and techniques, Dr Rachael Martin, Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Course Leader for MSc Applications of Psychology, shared and demonstrated some of them with the students’ help and participation; they began by experiencing eye-tracking glasses which monitor how the eyes behave when wearing them.
After a lovely lunch, our students were invited to learn about and experience some of the biological equipment used to track and monitor the brain, using lights to alter mood through close contact glasses.
It was an excellent experience for our Year 13 Psychology students, particularly those applying to study this subject at university, this will certainly be useful when completing their UCAS applications.
Speaking about the students, Dr Rachael Martin shared, “They had very well-informed research ideas – I was impressed!”
Just before half term, our RAF Battle of Britain dinner took place in School, honouring and remembering the heroes of the historic battle. Paying tribute to the brave individuals who fought for our freedom by defending the skies, during the Second World War, their victory blocking the possibility of invasion and creating conditions for Great Britain’s survival. Our students enjoyed a delightful three-course dinner, followed by speeches from Miss Tattoo and Year 13’s Hugh our Head of RAF, whose you can read below.
Ladies and Gentlemen
We are here tonight to remember and honour the brave and often gruelling efforts of the men and women who were involved in the Battle of Britain. Taking place over the course of four months, from July to October of 1940, the battle was a hard-fought air campaign which significantly altered the course of WWII. RAF fighter planes doggedly defended Britain’s airspace against the Nazi Airforce, the Luftwaffe, preventing Hitler from gaining the air superiority which he needed to invade Britain.
As the battle was at its fiercest during mid-August 1940, Sir Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister addressed the House of Commons and delivered a speech that became famous for one line. “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. “This message resonated through the country, acknowledging the courageous efforts of the RAF, Polish and Commonwealth pilots who were fighting over the skies of Britian and mainland Europe. It reassured a nation which was facing its darkest days of the war and sent a message that Britain remained both defiant and capable of resisting Nazi Germany.”
Whilst the efforts of the ‘few’ will go down and be rightfully remembered, I want to tell you a story from another point of view. A story that represents the ‘many’. The many ground crew, the many radar operators and the many women of the ATS just to name a few, all of whom allowed the pilots to stay operational and in the skies, even in the most appalling of conditions. Thousands of ground crew supported the pilots. Their efforts kept the Spitfires, Hurricanes, and other planes fuelled, armed, and repaired throughout those long months. It was these ‘many’ of ground crew, controllers and supply staff who would continue to serve the RAF in theatres around the world for the rest of the war.
Corporal Robert Whittell Smith, known as Bob, was one of the ‘many’. Bob was serving at RAF Middle Wallop on August 14th. Around 5:15pm in the afternoon, a Luftwaffe Junkers 88 Bomber broke through the cloud over Middle Wallop airfield. As the alarm sounded, sending the ground crew and pilots into action, the bomber dropped its deadly payload. As Bob and his maintenance party were working frantically to close one of the enormous steel plate doors of the aircraft hangars, the bomb crashed through the ceiling, blasting the door clean off its hinges. Bob, alongside his comrades, was crushed by the door, dying instantly.
While the pilots and airmen dogfighting in the British skies are rightly recognised for their combat roles, it’s important we remember the men and women on the ground like Bob, who also gave their lives to win the peace and freedoms we enjoy today.
This message rings true just as much as now as it did then. With growing instability in our world, and the threats to peace increasing, it is important that all of us learn from our time in the CCF. Whether you are thinking about a future in the military or not, I urge you to take forward the RAF’s values of respect, integrity, service and excellence, and use these to forge a better society for all.
Since joining the CCF RAF section in Year nine, I have had the opportunity do so many things that men like Bob would be amazed by. From gliding, to flying to drill, CCF has become an integral part of the week, making every Friday a new challenge and an opportunity to learn different skills.
The best way I can describe what CCF has meant to me, is to share a few experiences.
In Year 10, as part of the AST team we were competing at the regional competition. After doing well in shooting, command tasks and aircraft recognition, it was time for the main event, the drill. I remember looking over and seeing the faces of some rival schools, pressed up against the hanger window, waiting for us to make some slip up. But unfortunately for them and lucky for us, there was no mistake. We claimed the top prize for drill and third in the overall competition.
However, the good news didn’t last long, because snow and icy conditions meant the coach coming to collect us had skidded off the road. As it got later and the temperature got colder inside the drafty hanger, we played pass the parcel with one hot water bottle in an effort to stay warm and while away the time.
Eventually many hours later, our replacement coach did arrive and all 13 members of the AST team as well as a very relieved Miss Tattoo stepped on board. It had been a long day, and we were all tired, but we had no end of fun, and it’s amazing what you end up doing when trying to keep yourself warm and entertained.
Another story comes from a summer RAF camp on a base near Preston, just outside of Blackpool. Around 20 minutes away from our arrival, Miss Tattoo received a phone call informing her that the chef due to be cooking our food for the next week had just caught covid. This meant that unless a replacement could be found, the camp would have to be cancelled. After a few frantic hours and some strings pulled in very high places, a chef was secured for the week, but, it would be a couple of days before he was to arrive. Until then, we were left with two options for our evening meal: Option 1, Miss Tattoo, with her expert culinary knowledge cooking for all of us, option 2, get a takeaway. It is safe to say that there was one very happy kebab shop owner in Blackpool that night.
On a serious note, we had the most incredible week, and I will always remember flying upside down over Blackpool, looking UP and seeing the pier and amusement arcades below.
What I am trying to say with all this is…… just jump in and get involved. Was I always any good at some of the things I chose to do? No. When gliding I required the sick bag multiple times, but until you try something …. you don’t know. So, when Miss Tattoo reminds you about an incredible opportunity for the seventh time in a row – I beg you to please, please just say YES. You won’t regret it, and if you are not going to try something new now, then when?
I hope that all of you here tonight have as good and enjoyable time as I have had in this section.
So just go for it! Seize the opportunities.
Please be upstanding for a toast to the Royal Air Force
Year 11 Drama Students’ Trip to see Touring Production of Come From Away
On the Friday before half term Year 11 GCSE Drama students made their way to Norwich Theatre Royal to enjoy the touring production of Broadway’s Come From Away. This Olivier award winning musical charts the incredible real-life story of the 7,000 air passengers from all over the world who were grounded in Canada during the wake of 9/11, and the small Newfoundland community that invited these ‘come from aways’ into their lives. Year 11’s Patrick loved the show and was keen to share his thoughts.
Year 11’s Patrick
Come from Away was an amazing production from which I will take away a plethora of useful techniques. I was intrigued by their use of set and props; a few chairs and tables, as it showed how you can use a few objects to create the illusion of a diverse and big set. The actors’ use of multi-rolling and the characters’ sense of community taught me how I, as a theatre maker and performer, could take something seemingly basic, yet integral, to create an enormous sense of community and inclusivity. For me, this is certainly something I will take away and use in future performances.
I think that it is very important for GCSE students to see live theatre, as watching performances in person can really alter one’s dramatic process. Personally, I believe it helps and improves your way of thinking and gives you an abundance of ideas to take away and use in your own performances.
Ahead of half term our U14, U16 and U19 netballers took part in the South Suffolk Tournaments, with some fantastic results and lots of learning and development opportunities. With three tournaments in two days, we knew it was going to be a busy one!
Woodbridge U14s vs. Ipswich High, St Jo’s, RHS, Ipswich School and Farlingaye
The U14s started off on a beautiful Monday afternoon, which felt just like summer. Our first match was against a strong Ipswich High team, one which had beaten us in the league tournament two weeks ago, so the pressure was on. We managed to find our feet from the starting whistle and put on a strong performance. Coming away with a 6-4 win was a good start.
Next up were St Jo’s. Level pegging for the whole game until the final 10 seconds of the game where they went ahead by one goal. This dampened our spirits, but the girls knew they had to step up a gear against RHS in the next match. Another competitive and similar match to the previous one, but luckily we went ahead by one goal and won 9-8. With two matches left to go, it was all the play for.
Our match against Ipswich School was yet another match with end-to-end netball. Unfortunately, again, we lost by one goal (5-4) and the same was repeated in our final game v Farlingaye. Our shots were unfortunately not converted, and we lost 7-10, which resulted in us coming in 4th place, so just missing out on a place at the county round. A lot of lessons were learned during the afternoon, but the girls should be proud of how they played and conducted themselves.
Woodbridge U16s vs. Farlingaye, RHS, St Jo’s, Ipswich High School and Ipswich School
Faced with five games on a sunny afternoon at Rushmere, the U16s arrived up for the challenge. We played Farlingaye first and were able to put a good win under our belts with some great shooting, defending and centre court play. With the team consisting of both Year 11s and Year 10s, it was the first time they had come together on court.
Next up were RHS, and unfortunately an injury sustained to one of our players meant we were a bit out of sorts and narrowly lost – having to put one of our shortest players in as a direct defensive replacement didn’t help! We then were up against St Jo’s and won 12-2, putting on a solid performance which we knew we had in us. Next it was Ipswich High, and in a tight game they just took the edge. Ipswich School were our last opponents and after only being down one at half time put up a good fight, but they were just that little bit ahead of us all game, unfortunately. Finishing in 4th place was a great achievement seeing as we lost a player in the second game. A real learning curve and great potential shown from the whole squad. Well done!
Woodbridge U19s vs. RHS, Farlingaye, Northgate, Ipswich School A and B team, and St Jo’s A and B team
What an afternoon! The U19s had a super successful tournament, challenging at times, but managing to keep their cool, playing together as a team and dominating their opposition. With 120 goals scored and only 35 goals against, it shows the depth of both our attacking and defensive players.
First up was RHS, and the team settled very quickly and found their rhythm, resulting in a 19-2 victory. Next was Ipswich School B team, followed and Farlingaye where we came away with two wins, 17-3 and 15-7. Northgate were next, and this being our fourth match on the bounce, legs were tired, so we found the game challenging in the first half. Luckily, we picked up the pace and won 17-7.
Our last three games were against Ipswich School and St Jo’s A and B teams, and both schools’ A teams had both won all their games so far, just like us.
Stepping on the court to face Ipswich, the girls knew they couldn’t afford to make any mistakes or allow the opposition to dominate. The game was end to end during the first few minutes of the first half, then unfortunately, we allowed Ipswich to take control of the game and we did not play to our strengths, which left us 8-5 down at half time. The half time talk was positive and constructive – we needed to play to our strengths and expose the opposition’s weaknesses, and that is exactly what we did. Scoring four goals on the trot after converting our centre passes and turning over Ipswich’s, we were level pegging. The final minute was nail biting (especially for me on the sideline!), the girls fought with everything they had and played brilliantly, especially dominating the 6ft 5″ Goal Shooter! We went 13-11 ahead and the final whistle blew…we had done it!
Elation was an understatement! Still on our high, we faced our last two matches knowing that we had to win them both in order to be 1st place overall, and we did just that. Our final scores were 15–4 against St Jo’s A team and 24–1 v St Jo’s B team.
A superb afternoon of netball. Well done to the team on their amazing performance and thank you to all the spectators. The team look forward to the County finals on Saturday 16 November at ISSC, where the top two teams will head to Regionals in January.
Our Woodbridge riding team attended the NSEA Championships during the half term break, from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 October 2024.
The first competition took place on the Friday, with Year 7’s Tati and Daisy competing in the 70-75cm Showjumping Championship. Both riders rode clear rounds but were not quite quick enough against the clock for a top eight finish, but did very well placing 18th and 20th out of 61 riders.
Then followed a very busy Saturday with all the riders competing. Two teams took part in the 80-85cm show jumping; both teams had a clear but also poles down and finished 22nd and 26th out of 43 teams.
Having qualified with the most points in the East region, Woodbridge competed against the top schools from the other eight regions in the Regional Points League team Championships.
The whole Woodbridge squad took part including Year 7’s Daisy and Tati, Year 9’s Grace, Year 10’s Edie, Harry and Zac, and Year 12’s Lois, finishing in 4th place. Congratulations to all our riders, a superb achievement where each rider had to jump at height from 70cm up to 1m, with the best five rounds scoring for the team.
On Sunday Grace, Harry, Edie and Zac stepped up to jump in the 90-95cm Championship. A very technical and up to height class which our riders handled brilliantly, finishing on 8 faults in 15th place out of 34 teams.
It was a show of’ stepping up’ for many of our riders, and although no championship titles were taken home, it was an educational weekend with very valuable experience gained.
Well done Team Woodbridge!
Our Senior Hockey teams went into their mid-season half term break with some great wins over Langley, capping off a very positive first half of the season. Our report from Mrs Rix, our Head of Hockey, shares details of matches, players and scores.
The 2nd team dominated from start to finish, scoring two goals in each half. Taking a positive lead allowed the team to try different positions and self-manage their coaching points, under the guidance of Mr Pineo and they did so very well. Goals on the day were scored by Year 12’s Lily, Phoebe R and Phoebe D, and Year 11’s Eloise. Player of the Match was Phoebe R with another strong performance, making a real impact in her first season at Woodbridge School.
The 1st team joined in the winning smiles, having fought hard for a three-goal victory over their opponents from Norfolk. Woodbridge had great build-up play, moving the ball with confidence all over the pitch, and being positive and vocal in their communications. Chance after chance was created and there too many near misses in the first half, really, building frustration and pressure for Woodbridge. But, finally a classy near post deflection by co-captain Year 13’s Millie broke the deadlock. A technical pep-talk by Year 11’s Bea about how to make the most of our goal scoring chances, sent the team out with new determination. Langley had more counter-attacks and Woodbridge had to be at their best to reduce their chances, while at the other end the Langley goalkeeper was getting better and better, doing well to keep everything thrown at her out. But a great reverse stick shot, well placed in the bottom corner, by Year 12’s Nancy, took the game away from Langley before Year 13’s Sophia scored another cracker – this time an undercut front stick shot into the top corner! A complete and dominate team performance with so many things to celebrate, also showing in a three-way share of the Player of Match award – Year 13’s Sophia, and Year 12’s Georgia and Lara.
Well done to these two teams who have worked hard so far and deserved their success for the progress and purpose they have shown.
Photo below of our 1st team after 3-0 win against Langley.
The U15A team proved too strong for their counterparts from Ipswich High School. Playing this fixture away is always tough, with different pitch conditions to get used to and our team adjusted well to make sure the pace of their game remained the same. Year 9’s Ella and Jemima joined the team and made an impact with their positive communication, distribution and defending. Midfield play through Year 10’s Eve, Rosa, Harper and Year 9’s Annabelle kept the Ipswich High defence moving from side to side before releasing quality passes to the forwards who worked super well together. Great rotations between Year 10’s Frankie, Amelie and Izzy confused their markers and allowed Woodbridge to set up great chances, and score goals at regular intervals, despite outstanding play from the Ipswich High goalkeeper. Goal scorers, Year 10’s Amelia and hattrick hero of the day Year 10’s Amelie P, brought lots of smiles, celebrations and high fives. Our Year 10 goalkeepers Eva and Emma also made their mark with a clean sheet, good communication and concentration to make important saves when called upon.
Well done to each of the team who played so well on the day. We look forward to seeing what the second half of the season will bring.
Photo below of our U15A team vs Ipswich High School 4-0.
As rehearsals continue for this year’s Sixth Form production of Frankenstein, we met up with Year 13’s Finlay and James, along with Year 12’s Isaac to talk about their characters and looking ahead to performing. Catching them mid-scene, they were rehearsing the part of the play where we see Dr Frankenstein searching for body parts with which he would later create his creature.
As well as rehearsing their lines, our students were working with Miss Mayes our Head of Drama, considering props and suggestion of scene; in particular for this scene it’s not going to be practical to show grave digging and body parts, so discussions took place around how our young actors might suggest different elements and moments that are important parts of the story.
It’s a pivotal part of the play, Dr Frankenstein is thoroughly excited to be retrieving body parts for his creature, whilst also pretending to be saddened at the thought of the person or persons those parts might belong to, having died in order for him to realise his dream. There’s a certain art in terms of acting as though you are pretending to feel an emotion – quite a challenge for Year 13’s James who plays the part of Dr Frankenstein, but one he’s thoroughly enjoying, as he explained when we spoke to him.
Year 13’s James, Dr Frankenstein
“This is probably the most complex, nuanced production and character I’ve ever taken on – it holds far more depth than many of the other characters I’ve played in the past School productions I’ve been lucky enough to be part of, but I’m absolutely thrilled to be taking it on!”
He continued,
“As an English A level student, I’m particularly enjoying being able to really analyse the character, certainly more than I might have in the past, it’s a fascinating character – and production. A story known by many, but an interesting adaptation, our production focuses on the Creature’s point of view rather more than Dr Frankenstein’s. The audience will realise very quickly that our production is very different to the novel, and that we’re not trying to replicate Mary Shelly’s story.”
Year 13’s Finlay, Ewan, Orkney Islander
Talking about his character Ewan, an Orkney Islander who is, in this particular scene, assisting Dr Frankenstein with the retrieval of body parts from graves, Finlay shared,
“Ewan is in charge of a little section of the island, he manages it alongside his nephew Rab, played by Isaac, who he likes to control! He’s mostly interested in money and seems to have little conscience about the fact that he’s digging up bodies for Dr Frankenstein – he’s mostly interested in the money he’s making!”
Explaining his biggest challenge, he said,
“This character has a very strong accent, but I’m working really hard to perfect it, I want to make sure he comes off as authentic in the play. He’s got lots of humour, well, this particular scene has – even though in essence it’s quite dark, as we’re digging up graves, and he’s been a real change in character compared to others I’ve played in the past, and a complete contrast in terms of the level of seriousness and depth of this character, in comparison to that I played in Jack Absolute! That in itself has been exciting, I’m enjoying embracing a more masculine character, with a very different dimension in that he’s extremely self-centred – there’s so much darkness in Frankenstein, and if you look closely enough you’ll see it in almost all the characters!”
Year 12’s Isaac, Rab Ewan’s Nephew
Carrying on from Finaly’s interview, Isaac shared,
“I too am finding the accent to be my biggest challenge – but it’s great fun trying it out and I’m looking forward to offering the audience an authentic character in the performances.”
Talking more about his character he said,
“Rab is great fun to play, he’s very simple minded with a drive for food, and food alone, but that in itself is joy to play, and he offers small moments of comic relief in a dark and gothic production. I’m really looking forward to performing and I especially enjoy when we begin to rehearse in costume with full stage props and set – it’s so exciting and absolutely brilliant as the play starts to come together when we’re all on stage acting together. I’ve had smaller roles in past productions, so this is a big character for me to play with some big and important scenes – and I can’t wait!”
Designing Frankenstein
As well as rehearsals in School, other elements of the production have been in progress – in particular the design of the programme which our audience will receive upon arrival to the theatre on both nights of the performance.
Design students Year 11’s Lexi, Laura and Selena, along with Year 13’s Lola and Alina, have been working hard behind the scenes – literally – on a rather intricate design. Briefed a few weeks ago, they’re progressing extremely well, now meeting to share their individual elements of the design with one another and with Mrs Cracknell, Head of Design. She shared,
“The students have been working hard on individual parts of the overall design – each designated a body part to create which will come together to create one body – the emphasis being on each of those body part designs being individual since this echoes the Creature, made up of different parts of different people. As the designs have been shared it’s been interesting to see how they’re all unique yet have one common element, quite by coincidence – they’re all rather mechanical designs.”
She continued,
“It’s uncanny really, but it has meant that the overall design is coming together beautifully and easily from a structure purpose, as they all come together to create one overall image for the programme. Our next step is to create that singular image and design text to sit in the design, something we’re going to be focusing on next.”
From the students’ point of view this has been a great exercise in receiving a brief and discovering for themselves how to deliver what is needed within the dictated timeframe. Mrs Cracknell shared,
“This project offers them a real-life scenario in terms of what it is like to work with a client, in that our Drama department has requested this design be produced and delivered, setting them requirements and deadlines. The project clearly demonstrates the importance of meeting a brief and delivery of different elements, as well as relying on other people’s support and involvement – It’s a great example of a real-world project that they might be involved in beyond School. They’ve met every part of the brief so far and I’m excited to see the next stage evolve.”
Frankenstein will be performed in our Seckford Theatre on Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 November 2024.
As part of Field Day last week, our Director of Music, Jonathan Woodley, encouraged students from Years 10 to 13 to consider what they might like to do, rather than dictate the session himself.
Ever enthusiastic and highly ambitious and creative, these young musicians decided they would like to record cover versions of songs by Etta James and Nina Simone.
Mr Woodley commented on his decision to hand the power over to his students for their Field Day activity,
“By giving students the freedom to make these kinds of choices it empowers and motivates them, as well as creating desire, interest and broadening their approach to making music – it’s the perfect storm!”
He continued,
“I explained to each of them that I wouldn’t be writing the music for them, they would have to figure out the chords for themselves and work together to put on a performance ahead of recording it. I take a similar approach with all of my students – encouraging them to learn to play with sheet music as well as without – playing by ear is just as important a skill for young musicians, and one that is often overlooked. Every lesson, rehearsal and even this Field Day is an opportunity to learn, to improve and to realise what they’re able to accomplish with hard work and focus.”
Talking more about his approach to teaching music in general he shared,
“Even when we have a band or an orchestra, I have an expectation of each musician taking ownership of the part they play – pardon the pun – and ensuring that they have a learning opportunity each and every time. There’s little point giving them a piece of music they could easily perform, the purpose of learning more about themselves, their instruments, playing together and music in general is to stretch them, taking them out of their comfort zone slightly and most importantly give them the opportunity to improve – which they always do!”
He continued,
“I’ll often hear students share their concerns that they can’t play the piece they’ve been given in an orchestra, worried it’s beyond their current capabilities – but that’s the whole point, and by the end, when it comes to the live performance, they can always do what they worried they couldn’t. Because they’ve learned to!”
It’s clear to see the students thoroughly enjoyed Field Day, and by all accounts they recorded some super music. Well done everyone!
With news from our Junior 4, Junior 1, U14A, U14B and Senior 2nd teams, this week’s Hockey report holds details of matches, players and highlights in terms of development and outcomes.
Hockey Team in the Spotlight: Junior 4s
Our Junior 4s have had a great start to the Hockey season – unbeaten so far and scoring lots of goals. Eleven goals have been scored in their four matches at time of writing and only three conceded.
This team is learning how to grind out positive results, with a good mix of Year 8 experience and composure, and Year 7 enthusiasm and desire to learn. After a big win over RHS and a satisfying draw against Fram College’s 3rd team, the team took confidence into two matches last week. These two games were contrasting wins but proves how a good team gets it done.
Against Ipswich High School U13C, our team grew in confidence throughout the game and started to play nice attacking patterns. This confidence came from solid defending and distribution from our left and right back, Year 8’s Mazie and Isabella, and saves from our two goalies, Year 7’s Nina and Najma. Goals came at regular intervals, two by captain and Player of the Match, Year 8’s India, and one each by Year 7’s Georgie and Year 8’s Amber who made an immediate impact when she came on the pitch with strong passing and a great set piece play at the short corner. Year 8’s Jemima worked tirelessly in midfield and forward positions and was a real play maker for the team. A very nice win to go into the tough game against Norwich School the next day.
This time the team scraped and battled for their win, but so they did. The only Woodbridge team to get a win against the tough Norwich opposition on the day, Jemima continued her spirited play and scored both Woodbridge goals!
Well done to the 4s for such a great half term. Miss Sanders loves coaching you and we love how you play with such good team spirit and enjoyment.
More Hockey Highlights
After the amazing success of Woodbridge School Prep U11’s winning the U11 County Cup, the Junior 1 team was determined to leave their mark on the U13 County event.
Strong performances and mature game management under pressure in their three pool matches, saw the team qualify for the semi-final. This game against Ipswich High School was a great tournament knock out game. Woodbridge executed their plans well but could just not build as much attacking momentum as in the previous two games. A great PC strike was the thing that beat us.
Not deflated, Woodbridge approached their battle against Barnardiston for the third place with their usual search for excellence. After a great power goal by captain India, we played the game out to secure the 3rd place in the County.
One of the many magic moments of the day was a sublime diving stick save by Year 8’s Clem against OBH to keep our lead, a well taken quick free hit and solo goal by Year 7’s Chloe and a all-round Player of the Day performance by Year 8’s Alexandra. Goals on the day were scored by Year 8’s Ella (2), India (2) and Chloe (Y7).
The U14B team of Year 9 girls, are also showing how much they are learning and enjoying playing together. A completely dominant performance against RHS last week, saw them only come away with a draw, but deserving so much more. Lovely passing hockey and good decision making, combined with strong defending allowed Woodbridge to make so many chances. It was just the last touch eluding them, or the GK getting in the way. Imogen was a star up front and deservedly voted as Player of the Match by our team. Marina was dominant in midfield as was captain, Isabel. Mr Wheelhouse will be very proud of the way the team executed their “3 x SPEED” (ball… thoughts… feet). Freya in goal was a game changer at the end too, having to make important saves when there were dangerous breakaways. Well done to this team; such a great group of players and people.
Mr Brous reports
The U14A team also had an end-to-end game at Rushmere, playing against an Ipswich School U14B/A combination team. Mr Brous reported on the match.
This match was a fiercely competitive, and well-balanced in terms of match-up. We dominated the first 10 minutes, but their keeper was outstanding and made several great saves. As the match progressed Ipswich gained in confidence and began to make in-roads into our defence. With fatigue setting in, we began to lose control and started making passes that were intercepted, allowing for Ipswich to counter-attack. However, the defence remained strong, and several impressive saves by Bay kept us in the match. We held on through some strong attacks by Ipswich in the last five minutes to draw the game. Special mention must go to Lottie, who worked incredibly hard up and down the pitch, and was the teams’ Player of the Match.
Our Senior 2nd team made the long journey to Wymondham, to take on their U16A team. It was a journey well worth making as all reports from the match were about how well our team played . A solid win with goals from Year 12’s Lily as well as Year 13’s Amelie and Millie.
Well done to these teams and all the others who represented our School so well last week and over the whole half term.