Woodbridge School is celebrating fantastic GCSE results, with excellent outcomes in a wide range of subjects, from Biology and Computer Science to Photography and History, underscoring the sheer breadth of the Woodbridge School curriculum.
Below are the headlines from our GCSE results 2026:
56% of grades were 9-7, considered to be ‘straight A grades’
Grade 8 was the most common grade with 21% of grades at this level
More than one grade in every six at Woodbridge School was a grade 9
Two students achieved an outstanding 10 grade 9s, and twelve students scored 10 or more grades 9-8
Shona Norman, Head of School
“I am delighted to recognise the outstanding efforts of our students and congratulate them on their impressive GCSE performances across a broad and challenging range of subjects. These achievements reflect the hard work, commitment and resilience that they have shown throughout their studies, and they should be proud of what they have accomplished. Beyond the classroom, this year group has made a significant contribution to the life of the School, embracing opportunities in sport, the arts, leadership and service. I would also like to thank our dedicated staff and supportive families, whose encouragement has played such an important role in our students’ success. We wish them every success as they continue their educational journey.”
Karl Hayward-Bradley, Deputy Head Academic
“I am delighted to recognise the outstanding efforts of our students and congratulate them on their impressive GCSE performances across a broad and challenging range of subjects. These achievements reflect the hard work, commitment and resilience that they have shown throughout their studies, and they should be proud of what they have accomplished. Beyond the classroom, this year group has made a significant contribution to the life of the School, embracing opportunities in sport, the arts, leadership and service. I would also like to thank our dedicated staff and supportive families, whose encouragement has played such an important role in our students’ success. We wish them every success as they continue their educational journey.”
During the last week of term, our annual Sports Day took place; an opportunity for every student to participate and enjoy sports together.
It was another wonderful event, and what an atmosphere – the whole School took part and we were delighted to see lots and lots of our parents, family and friends in School, showing their support and cheering our athletes on from the sidelines. The students ran, jumped and threw, doing their absolute best to get maximum points for their houses, improve PBs and break School records.
Throughout the School year, our young athletes have continued to perform superbly, improving and impressing over and over again, ever-focused on PBs and School records – and this year’s Sports Day was no exception!
Year 7 records broken:
Seckford House – new record in the Mixed Relay with a time of 1.01.08
Year 8 records broken:
Chloe B – new record in the girls’ 200m with a time of 27.70.
Year 9 records broken:
India B -new record in the girls’ 300m with a time of 44.09
Alexandra – new record in the girls’800m with a time of 2.26.27
Dex – new record in the boys’ 1500m with a time of 4.21.12
Annott House – new record in the Mixed Relay with a time of 57.65
Well done to all of the competitors for giving their all, many thanks to all of the staff involved on the day and in the lead up to Sports Day and to the parents, family and friends supporting.
It was brilliant to hear the students cheering each other on and congratulating and sharing in each other’s achievements, our community encouraging, supporting and celebrating together.
Miss Norman recently announced and congratulated our new Heads of School for the academic year of 2026/2027, sharing that it was a unanimous decision, and the students chosen represented our School values, were exceptional role models and conducted themselves impressively during their interviews.
Congratulations to Year 12’s Charlotte and Alex on their appointment, and to Valentina on securing the position of Deputy. Having met with them recently, they’ve shared their thoughts about and aspirations for the year ahead in their positions, as well as what they hope to achieve and how they plan to support others in School.
Meet Alex, Charlotte and Valentina:
Alex, Head Boy
“To be Head Boy is certainly a daunting task with an impressive lineage to live up to, but it is one which I am incredibly honoured to have been entrusted with. I am eager to go about it as best I can; no doubt aided significantly by Charlie, with whom I have a great friendship, having journeyed through the School together since Reception.
Woodbridge has nourished me since the very beginning, and it has done a great deal to mould me into the person I am today, so I intend to use this as an opportunity to give back to the School, so that future students may have a similarly fantastic experience.
Throughout my time here I have been fortunate enough to have had a great deal of friendships stretching across the boundaries of year groups; since I have found the value of these connections to be truly unequalled, I would like to encourage them even more to further strengthen our community, be it via mixing of academic circles, inspiring excellence in younger students and developing the supportive character of the older ones, or even fun events outside of the classroom.”
Charlie, Head Girl
“I am truly honoured and excited to take on the role of Head Girl for the next academic year. My time at Woodbridge has been shaped by the family feel, camaraderie, dedicated and inspiring teachers and the wide variety of opportunities available beyond the classroom. These experiences have not only enriched my education but have helped me grow personally. I am extremely thankful for all the support I have received, and I hope to use this role to contribute positively to the School community and do my best to give a little back.
Personally, I am extremely passionate about sport and welcome the opportunity to champion sport at Woodbridge. I would love to increase the awareness of sporting events across the School, to encourage more people to see what amazing talent is on display. I want every student to leave with a lasting appreciation for sport and physical activity. By working with the sports department, I hope to help students discover activities they enjoy and can continue beyond School.
I am excited for the year ahead and the opportunity to interact more with younger students. I hope to build strong connections, be approachable to anyone who needs support, and ensure that every student’s voice is heard and represented.
I am really looking forward to working with Alex. We have a great friendship, and have known each other for a very long time, so I know we will work well together. Emily and Issac, our predecessors, have been such fabulous role models and have certainly left big shoes for us to fill, but luckily, they have been very kind and supportive as we step into these new roles.”
Valentina, Deputy
“I really am very grateful to have been appointed Deputy Head of School. I have grown from finding my place within the School to feeling a strong responsibility to help others do the same.
Listening, sharing ideas and ensuring that every voice feels valued is a priority for me. I aim to be approachable, dependable and genuinely useful to everyone in order to strengthen links across all year groups so that we all benefit from each other’s role in the school community as a whole.
By mentoring younger students and working with students during events and visits, I believe we can extend the positive impact that the School has beyond its own gates. Through the Primary and Secondary Enrichment Programmes, we make sure that other young people in our wider local community benefit from the opportunities Woodbridge has to offer.
Our greatest strengths lie in the relationships, shared experiences and sense of belonging that bring together students of different ages, backgrounds and interests . A strong community is built through shared spaces. But more importantly, it is built through kindness, respect and mutual support; I look forward to playing my part in further developing this wonderful environment where everyone feels welcomed, valued and able to contribute.”
This year’s Shakespeare on the Lawn was spectacular, lively and great fun to watch, and our audiences were delighted to be transported to 1970s Brighton as our Year 9 actors performed The Comedy of Errors under the shade of the trees on the Chapel lawn, while enjoying their picnics.
Full of energy, laughter and delight, from the moment they stepped out onto the ‘stage’ the play came to life, and so did our audience – toes tapping and heads nodding to the familiar sound of selected classics from the 1970s.
For those less familiar with the play, The Comedy of Errors follows not one, but two sets of identical twins, separated in childhood and unknowingly reunited in the same city. What unfolds is a whirlwind of mistaken identity, confusion, and comic chaos, as characters chase the wrong people, misunderstandings spiral, and absurd situations pile one upon another – until, at last, everything is joyfully resolved.
As the evening cooled and the light softened, the ‘stage’ truly came into its own; clever use of space and brilliant props meant the action unfolded all around the audience, drawing everyone into the confusion and keeping eyes constantly engaged, wondering what was going to happen next and where the actors might appear from! Wherever you were seated, there was always something happening and something to see. As the setting sun caught and reflected from the props hanging in the trees, it felt rather special to be drawn into this world of theatre.
Our Year 9 students delivered their lines with confidence and clarity, navigating Shakespeare’s language and the play’s intricate, fast-moving plot with impressive ease. The comic timing was excellent, with laughter rippling across the audience exactly where intended, creating a real sense of shared enjoyment between performers and spectators.
Every student, whether on stage or working behind the scenes, gave their all. Their enthusiasm was evident throughout; they looked confident, composed and, most importantly, as though they were thoroughly enjoying the experience. From cleverly staged moments to playful physical comedy, props, costumes and well-timed entrances brought Shakespeare’s world vividly to life.
The combination of choreography, lighting, and expertly handled comedic moments ensured that the performance captured the spirit of Shakespeare’s writing – full of wit, mischief and joyful confusion. It is no small achievement to bring such a complex play to life so successfully, and our students should be immensely proud of what they accomplished.
We would like to thank everyone who came along to support this year’s production, as well as our dedicated Drama department, whose guidance and encouragement have clearly been central to bringing The Comedy of Errors to the lawn in such spectacular fashion.
We also hope that audiences enjoyed the opportunity to take home some unique merchandise created by our Design students, who once again produced a beautiful range of items and programmes. Their work not only captured the spirit of the production but also raised valuable funds for charity.
As always, we are incredibly proud of our students. Seeing the Chapel lawn filled with family, friends, staff and Old Woodbridgians, all sharing in an evening of laughter and live theatre, made for a truly memorable occasion.
We were thrilled to welcome staff from EDF into School once again, to facilitate our annual Year 9 Enterprise Day; this fantastic event gives students valuable insight into the world of work – and is also great fun!
The day began with an introduction to EDF and the wide range of careers available within the energy sector, giving students a valuable insight into how science, engineering and business work together in a real-world context.
Students were then challenged to work in teams, forming their own companies to complete an engineering and enterprise task. Using a limited set of materials, each team designed and built a freestanding structure capable of supporting a load (a marshmallow!), while also considering cost, potential profit, safety and overall design.
Alongside the practical build, teams developed presentations to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges which included our Head, Miss Norman. Explaining their design process, teamwork and decision-making, as well as challenges faced. The competition encouraged students to think creatively, problem-solve under pressure and develop key communication skills.
The winning team wasn’t necessarily the one with the most profit or the tallest structure; teamwork, collaboration, and time management were all taken into account – congratulations to Elsie, Imarah, Otto P-S, George L and Fergal.
It was also wonderful to be able to extend a similar workshop to Year 9 students from schools in our local community, as part of our secondary enrichment programme. Students from Holbrook Academy, Stoke High School and Farlingaye High School took part in the workshop.
In total, 11 teams from across the participating schools took part, including a team of our Indian exchange students; across the day the standard of teamwork and enthusiasm, skills and application of knowledge was extremely high. The day provided an excellent opportunity for students to engage with industry professionals, gain insight into future career pathways, and experience the importance of collaboration in a dynamic and supportive environment.
Thank you to everyone who took part, including our own students and those from Holbrook Academy, Stoke High School and Farlingaye High School; the feedback was immensely positive:
“The workshop was collaborative and innovative, it was great to see the different streams coming together.”
“It was so engaging!”
“It was a good level of challenge, we had to be considered but also bold in our decision making.”
“It was a great chance for collaboration as well as development of oracy skills.”
“The workshop, staff and hospitality was wonderful and we were delighted to be part of it.”
This year’s Young Musicians’ competition was a magnificent showcase of the vibrant musical talent thriving across our School community, with each finalist delivering a performance of immense skill, maturity, and focus.
With the standard of performance being exceptionally high, our esteemed adjudicators, Ben Goble and Ben Watson, faced a truly unenviable task in selecting the winners. We are very grateful for their expertise and encouraging feedback, and we also extend our warmest thanks to Maciej Kassak for his brilliant collaborative piano accompaniment throughout the night.
A huge congratulations goes out to every single musician who took to the stage; your passion and poise made it an unforgettable evening. We are delighted to share the official results:
Grades 1–4 Category:
The winners’ medal went to Year 9’s Miles for a captivating Guitar and vocal performance of Blackbird by Lennon/McCartney. We had two joint runners-up in this class: Year 7’s Millar, performing Australia by the Manic Street Preachers, and Year 10’s Rufus, performing Fall by Justin Bieber.
Grades 5–6 Category:
Year 9’s George took first place with an outstanding guitar and vocal performance of Run by Snow Patrol. Year 9’s Hexi was named runner-up following a beautiful piano performance of One Summer’s Day by Joe Hisaishi.
Grades 7–8 Category:
In a remarkably competitive field, Year 9’s Esme secured the category win with a stunning flute performance of The Great Train Race by Ian Clarke. The runner-up spot was awarded to Year 10’s Erin for a deeply expressive piano rendition of Reverie by Claude Debussy.
The evening concluded with the presentation of our major overall trophies.
Junior Young Musician (Years 7–9):
Awarded to Year 9’s Henry for a deeply moving and masterful piano performance of Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy.
Senior Young Musician (Years 10–13):
Awarded to Year 10’s Alex for a breathtaking, virtuosic alto saxophone performance of Csardas by Vittorio Monti.
Thank you to all the parents, staff, and peers who came out to support this wonderful celebration of music.
As the academic year draws to a close at Woodbridge School, children from the local area have continued to join us and to take part in our Primary Enrichment Programme workshops. Developing new skills and gaining hands-on experience across various curriculum subjects, our programme helps strengthen and broaden children’s knowledge, while bringing genuine joy and enjoyment as they learn.
From Science workshops and Drama workshops to K’Nex Challenges, Computational Thinking, and a chance to learn more about cells, our workshops take children out of their classrooms and allows them to experience and become confident in new environments.
It’s an absolute pleasure to welcome, host and teach children from schools in our surrounding area, we’re also delighted that our own students benefit from the programme as they regularly participate in workshops, helping to support children’s learning and experience. The programme is free of charge, can be tailored to most year groups, exploring a variety of topics that will inspire and delight children – and can provide support for teachers with subjects on the syllabus.
If you would like to find out more about Primary Enrichment at Woodbridge School, especially how your own school can get involved, our new programme is now available to view and workshops can be booked, visit woodbridgeschool.org.uk/community/primary-enrichment/ for more details and we hope to see you soon.
For now, please do read more about the children who have been visiting and what they’ve been getting up to!
K’Nex Workshop
13 children from Years 3 to 6 at Bredfield Primary School joined us for a K’Nex earthquake challenge, excited and keen to get stuck in! Challenged to save the people of San Francisco, they had to design and build a tower using K’Nex that could withstand our earthquake simulator. It was a super interactive workshop aimed at improving children’s ability to problem solve, work in teams and build models – and everyone had a great time!
Computational Thinking
Delving into algorithms, tinkering, debugging, and using perseverance, to enable them to solve logical problems using our Micro:bit Robots, 21 Year 5 children from Martlesham Primary explored a variety of computational thinking concepts, keywords and techniques, the workshop culminating in a team challenge at the end of the session.
Drama Workshop
South Lee Prep School thoroughly enjoyed our Drama Workshop, where they got to spend time in our Seckford Theatre, as well as take part in a range of games and exercises to explore Shakespeare’s text in an active way. Exploring both the language as well as central themes and characters from the chosen play, they had a wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed the experience – leaving with much more understanding of not only Shakespeare, but of how it feels to perform and learn in a professional theatre!
Cells Workshop
Using our microscopes to find out what our cells look like, 32 year 5 children from St Pancras Primary School joined us for our cells workshop. Providing these children with an entirely new perspective on everyday objects, they learned how to use the microscopes safely and effectively, and had great fun looking at interesting samples from nature as well as their own cheek cells. They were also excited to learn how to create slides for themselves.
Year 7 Junior French trip students had an amazing weekend in Dèsvres, making the most of the opportunity to do and visit as much as they possibly could!
As well as visiting a magnificent aquarium, taking part in archery, aéroballe and even learning circus skills, they also took part in orienteering and visited la biscuterie Dhardelot, Les Chocolats de Beussent, the Montreuil-sur-mer market, and squeezed in time for lunch at the beach. It was an educational and enjoyable jam-packed weekend during which they immersed themselves in the culture and language.
Hear more about it all from Coco and Walter.
Coco:
“I was very excited before we set off on our trip, driving to Dover then going across the Channel on a ferry. After arriving in France we drove to a biscuit factory and learnt how to make the delicious biscuits.
We then arrived at the chateau and after a tour and an amazing dinner we did a night-time scavenger hunt. In the morning we learnt how to ask for food in French and bought our own food from a French market and ate it at the beach. We also visited a chocolate factory and learnt about cocoa beans and chocolate making.
The next day we went to an aquarium, the largest in Europe, and saw some amazing fish, sharks and a manta ray! This was my favourite part of the trip as I loved all the fascinating sea life. After lunch at the chateau, we split into groups and did activities such as archery, orienteering, circus tricks, and a game called aeroball which involved trampolining and basketball.
On the last day we travelled back to England on the shuttle and arrived back at Woodbridge School. I really enjoyed this trip, especially the aquarium and I liked learning circus tricks, and it was great to gain more confidence in my French speaking.”
Walter:
“Last weekend we spent three amazing days in France. We visited handmade chocolate and biscuit factories, as well as Nausicaa aquarium – I liked the aquarium in particular seeing all the fish and the seal show.
We stayed in a little chateau near Boulogne with great food and nice staff. We would do activities in the morning and afternoon and then played games in the evening.
I really enjoined the market where we had to buy food then make our own lunch, it really helped my French trying to ask for things in French at mealtimes and at the shops/ market.
I really wish I could do it again!”
Four Athletes Selected to Compete at English Schools Finals
Last weekend eight of our athletes competed for Suffolk in Kings Lynn at the Anglian Schools Championships; in various events across the track and field, this was the regional round of the very decorated English Schools Track and Field final.
Four of these students have been selected for the Suffolk team to compete at The English Schools Final, taking place in Birmingham over two days on the 10 and 11 July. A big well done to Year 10’s Hamish, Year 9’s Dex, Alexandra and India B on their qualification and we wish them the best of luck in Birmingham.
Read more about this event and all of our amazing athletes that took part, in our report from our Endurance Running Coach, Elisa Bostock.
The Junior Boys kicked of the middle-distance events on the track with Year 9’s Dex taking on the race early as he led home his Suffolk team with them all crossing the line in 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions! Dex won in 4:14 – just outside his PB.
Year 10’s Ben then raced in the 100m and got a PB against some very strong opposition in the Inter Boy’s category. Ben also came 2nd in his Long Jump.
In the Junior Girls 100m, Year 8’s Katherine, who is also County Champion over this distance, came 9th overall.
Year 9’s Imogen M led her 300m heat in the Junior Girls race until the last 30 metres and then placed 5th overall. Imogen also came 5th in the High Jump.
Year 9’s Alexandra led the Junior Girls 800m from the beginning with Year 9’s India B chasing well. Alexandra won with a spectacular kick from 300m to go with India hitting a personal best time and coming through the line in 3rd place.
Year 10’s Hamish led the way in the Inter Boys for his 800m and powered home in 1st position with a time 1:59 which is not even his PB!
Year 9’s Imarah, after a long wait over the day for her event, came a brilliant 3rd in her Discus.
Huge congratulations to all those Woodbridge School students who competed for their county at this tough event, where the standards keep on going up and up!
As confirmed at the beginning of this article, since Saturday’s success four of our young athletes have been selected for the Suffolk team to compete at The English Schools Final, which is incredible.
Next up for our athletes in the meantime is the National Prep Schools which takes place next Wednesday, also in Birmingham, at The Alexander Stadium. Watch this space for results from our Year 7 and 8s!
Last Friday, in rather warm but beautifully sunny conditions, our June Field Day took place, with students taking part in various activities across the School and in the local area.
Army
A fantastic 24hrs was had in the field. On Thursday night we conducted two exercises – one for the Year 9 cadets and another for the Year 10s. The Year 9s had their first go at working at night with patrol skills and night noises. The Year 10s had a patrol which culminated in information gathering and contact drills. On Friday there was a rotation of different stands for the Year 9s which included navigation, a sniper stalk, fire and manoeuvre and patrolling. The Year 10s conducted their first section attacks. Thank you to everyone for making it successful.
Royal Navy
Our Navy cadets spent their field day at Nacton and Waldringfield. They initially set up camp and cooked their evening meal and then took part in various evening activities until the early hours. With axe throwing, a variation on rounders, provided by the NCOs in the remaining light, and a blind trail through the woods, they then enjoyed a form of hide and seek in the dark woods, followed by a UN/enemy-based activity in the dark. Friday morning started with a PT session and then, after breakfast and striking camp, they split into two groups – one went canoeing on the River Deben and one stayed on site to use the land yachts (although sadly there wasn’t quite enough wind) and did some archery and more axe throwing, with the groups changing over at lunchtime.
RAF
RAF cadets enjoyed taking part in the overnight field exercise, designed to develop teamwork and problem-solving skills. Working in patrols, they navigated between activity locations, gathered intelligence from friendly agents, tested their artillery accuracy and demonstrated their marksmanship skills. Throughout the exercise, cadets were required to communicate effectively, make decisions under pressure and adapt to changing situations. The overnight event provided a realistic and engaging environment in which students could apply while enjoying a memorable outdoor experience.
High Ropes, Trampolining, Art, Music and more
Year 7 and 8 students took to the high ropes on a visit to Go Ape, while Year 12 Sports Leaders delivered support through teaching in the morning, followed by a reward of an afternoon of trampolining at Jump! Students had the opportunity to lay some lyrics down in Music, while others went climbing in Norwich for the day. With our golfers playing a round of 18 at Ufford Park and artists settling down by the river to draw in the morning sun, there was also an opportunity for students to help prepare the props for The Comedy of Errors, our Shakespeare on the Chapel Lawn production.
It’s fair to say that everyone enjoyed all of the activities; it was another great Field Day for Woodbridge School. Thank you to our students for getting stuck in and making the most of the activities, and to all of our staff who enabled it to happen.
