It’s been an incredibly busy few months for Careers in School, in fact the entire year has been bursting with activity and exciting opportunities for our students.
Careers Fair
Our annual Careers Fair in March was a huge success and continues to grow year on year, and both exhibitors and students outdid themselves this year. Attendance was fantastic, and exhibitors left delighted with the quality of conversations they had with students. We are pleased to confirm that the Careers Fair will return next academic year on Saturday 6 March 2027.
Talks in School
Numerous talks have taken place over the last few months, including:
Barclays – speaking about apprenticeships and graduate/intern positions
Careers in Veterinary – Sam Fowler (OW) spoke about his career as a vet and routes into the profession
Google – Mrs Gill (current parent) very kindly came in and spoke about her role within Google and the careers available within her company
Careers in Journalism and Media – James Tzanoudakis (OW) spoke about his career as a sports journalist and presenter for Town TV
Forensic Psychology – Lucy Overton, a Chartered and Registered Senior Forensic Psychologist, spoke about what it is like to work within the prison service and what a typical day is like
Being a Paramedic – Matt Strudwick (OW) spoke about how he became a paramedic and the differences between qualifying through university or an apprenticeship, as well as what a typical day looks like
Getting into Politics – Tom Turner (OW) spoke about his journey into politics and how saying yes to opportunities has led him to interview Rachel Reeves, meet other politicians and visit Westminster
What is a Gap Year? – Mrs Stafford delivered a talk about the different Gap Year opportunities and spoke to students about things to consider
Clinical Psychology – Lily Felton (OW) spoke about her route into becoming a Clinical Psychologist and published author, and how important it is to embrace rejections, keep going, and most of all, take whatever opportunities arise
Events
Besides lunchtime talks, students have also been able to take part in various events:
Five students from Year 12 were invited to attend the MSC Games, an annual event held at MSC’s head office in Ipswich. Students from four different schools not only learned about the different careers within MSC, but also took part in a series of shipping and logistics-style challenges, developing strategies and competing for points throughout the day. The students had a fantastic day, and we look forward to hopefully being able to take part again next academic year
Annual trip to UEA for Year 12 students
CV Session for Year 12 students
BT Insight Day for students in Years 9 and 10, where they learned about BT networks, experienced the Outreach Lab, visited the Network Operations Centre and, perhaps most excitingly, tested out the different stations in the Technology Showcase
A Day in the Life of a Trainee Solicitor was open to students in Year 12 to attend, to see what a typical day is like. Parent Lizzy Ferguson kindly hosted the event, which covered topics such as routes into the industry. Students also worked through a number of different tasks, prioritising requests, sorting emails, completing paperwork and generally getting a feel for what a trainee may be asked to do
We visited the UCAS Discovery Event at the University of Suffolk with Year 12, which was a great opportunity for them to start seriously looking at which universities they are interested in, speak with them, but also see universities they may not have considered
Year 9 students got to experience a Vet Experience Workshop, where those students interested in the industry were shown how to bandage an animal, basic suturing patterns, and gloving and gowning for surgery
Mock Interview Day for Year 12 was a huge success, with students having to prepare their CV and apply for roles, and then be interviewed by industry experts. Thank you to Maddy Houchell (OW) from MSC, Adele Gordan from Reed, Lizzy Ferguson (current parent) and Pauline Lifton (from our very own Head of People at Woodbridge School) for conducting the interviews and giving feedback
In summary, it has not only been quite a term, but a truly remarkable year! Amongst all these talks, events and workshops, students have also been able to receive one-to-one guidance as needed.
None of these opportunities would be possible without the support of our alumni, parents and employer partners, and we are incredibly grateful for their continued involvement.
Excited for the year ahead, we would encourage everyone to save the date for next year’s Careers Fair, Saturday 6 March 2027. If you have any career-related questions or would like to get involved in our careers programme, please contact Mrs Sharon Stafford, Careers Advisor, at sjstafford@woodbridgeschool.org.uk.
With just days to go until the first performance of this year’s Shakespeare on the Lawn next week, we met with two characters from The Comedy of Errors, Antipholus S and Dromio, played by Year 9’s Rebecca and Giles.
We joined them as they rehearsed under the shade of the trees on the Chapel lawn. With props beginning to be placed in position it was the perfect opportunity for actors to go through their lines, consider their entrance and exits, as well as their physical position on the ‘stage’. Out on the lawn it was also the perfect chance to practice voice projection, remembering that some of their audience will be some distance away as the lawn is packed out with audience members on both nights traditionally!
They were also performing without scripts for the first time, with lots of enthusiasm and energy; they embraced the opportunity and it was an impressive run through of a particularly challenging scene for all.
Talking to Rebecca and Giles, it was clear to see how excited they are about next week’s performances.
Antipholus S – played by Rebecca
Antipholus of Syracuse enters The Comedy of Errors as one of the identical twins at the heart of the play’s chaos. He is shaped by a deep curiosity, a sharp intelligence and a lingering sense of displacement. Thoughtful and constantly searching, he arrives in Ephesus determined to find his long‑lost twin brother, and much of his behaviour throughout the play is driven by this quest for identity and belonging.
“The rehearsals have been a really good experience, and they’ve really helped me understand the language of Shakespeare – I wasn’t very comfortable with the language at first, and now I’m really enjoying it. It’s lovely to be outside rehearsing too, it makes it more real and you can imagine performing on the night! I’m probably most excited about the whole performance coming together; we’ve all worked really hard, and spent a lot of time together making sure everything’s right; from acting to props to costumes – it’s been brilliant to be part of this.”
Dromio – played by Giles
Dromio of Syracuse is Antipholus’s loyal servant and one half of a pair of identical twins, bringing much of the play’s humour and energy to the stage. Known for his quick wit, sharp wordplay and fast‑paced banter, he acts as the comic engine of The Comedy of Errors. Despite often finding himself confused by the chaos around him, Dromio remains devoted to Antipholus and does his best to help, even when he doesn’t fully understand the situation. His lively personality and comedic timing make him one of the most entertaining and memorable characters in the play.
“Most of my scenes involve me running around – my character has a lot of energy and expression! I’ve enjoyed getting to know everyone in the play, and been able to spend time with people I wouldn’t usually have had the chance to. We’ve had to learn how to work together, to understand each others’ characters, know how to react on stage – even when we’re not speaking in that particular part of the scene. My character has quite a challenging accent, but it’s been a great experience learning how to deliver that. I’ve really enjoyed the humour in the play too, it’s made rehearsals fun – and I know we’ll all feel the same way on performance nights.”
Make sure you come along on 30 June and 1 July; tickets for both performances are selling fast, so make sure you get yours at ticketsource.com/woodbridge-school-drama/.
Having hosted and sponsored the Young East Anglian Artist competition and exhibition once again this year, Woodbridge School Prep is delighted to share that a 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winner, along with a Highly Commended piece have been selected; these pieces were exhibited alongside 250 other chosen from submissions to the competition, at the John Gibbins gallery in Woodbridge last weekend, from 19 to 21 June. Congratulations to those children and well done to everyone who took part.
A community centred, philanthropic event that captures the imaginations of children at local primary schools across the region the competition has captured the imagination of thousands of budding young artists from across the region. The theme for 2026 was ‘Discovery’ which is at the heart of all creativity; the thrill of uncovering something new, the quiet wonder of a hidden detail, or the bold leap into the unknown! Having been invited to reflect on discovery through their art, the amount and quality of artwork submitted has been nothing short of phenomenal and we would like to thank everyone who took part, it’s been an utter delight to see the different kinds of art children have shared.
This has also been a wonderful opportunity to continue to support the chosen charity for this competition, Cancer Research UK; having raised over £5,000 across the years the competition has been running, we’re honoured to continue to support the charity, with funds raised helping to fuel real-world breakthroughs. Funds have already been raised by each entrant contributing and making a minimum donation of £2.50 per piece of artwork, and more will be raised when selected pieces will be sold after the exhibition of artwork closes.
Once again thank you to everyone who took part, those behind the scenes at Woodbridge School Prep and in the gallery organising and managing the competition and exhibition, and to everyone who took the time to pop along and see the amazing artwork shared by children from nursery age to Year 6, from schools across Suffolk. Thank you also to our wonderful judges, Alice Ridley, Laurel Berry, Spadge Hopkins and Amanda Warren.
There were two early starts for Woodbridge athletes over the last two weeks, first was the East Area Prep School Championships in Bedford on Friday 5 June where year 6, 7 and 8 competed with athletes from 53 Eastern region schools.
Those athletes who finished first and second were rewarded with a place in the East team to compete against the other regions at the National Prep School Championships in Birmingham on 1 July at the prestigious Alexander stadium where the European Championships will be being held this summer. It was a busy day with 27 athletes from Woodbridge School competing in a variety of events.
National qualifiers were: Year 8’s Chloe with a win in the 1500m for the third year running, Year 7’s Ralph who took 2nd place in discus, and the Year 7 4 x 100m relay team of Walter, Max, Stanley and Callum who came in 2nd place.
Other top ten finishers were:
3rd – Year 7’s Sofia – 800m
3rd – Year 8’s Matilda, Belle, Katherine, Chloe – 4 x 100m relay
4th – Year 7’s Ralph – shot
4th – Year 7’s Callum –100m
4th – Year 7’s Walter – 200m
4th – Year 7’s Sofia, Florence, Sophia, Issy – 4 x 100m relay
5th – Year 7’s Issy – javelin and 200m
5th – Year 7’s Walter – high jump
5th – Year 7’s Tweel – discus
5th – Year 8’s Archie – 800m
6th – Year 8’s Ollie – 1500m
7th – Year 8’s Miles – hurdles
7th – Year 7’s Florence – 1500m
9th – Year 8’s Katherine – 100m
9th – Year 8’s Martha – javelin
9th – Year 7’s Stanley – javelin
9th – Year 8’s Will, Seb, Archie, Miles – 4 x 100m relay
10th – Year 7’s Ralph – shot
The rest of the team included: Year 8’s Elodie, James and Luke, with Year 7’s Anasuya and Alex. Well done all on a busy and long day!
Our second early start was for the Regional A Final of the Track and Field Cup for both the qualifying girls teams on Tuesday 9 June in Thurrock. A team of twelve/fourteen students have to cover all events between them, doing two each (one track one field), scoring points for their distances and times.
Junior girls are a mix of Year 7 and Year 8 and inters Year 9 and Year 10. It is a difficult competition with athletes often having to compete in their second or third best events in order to maximise team points.
It was a tough competition for the Woodbridge School students, competing with the best schools from Essex – but they rose to the occasion working hard and producing some great performances.
Top scorers were: Year 8’s Martha with 43, year 8’s Chloe with 42, Year 9’s Alexandra with 41 Year 9’s ,India J with 37, Year 7’s Issy with 36, Year 9’s Imarah with 34, Year 7’s Sophia with 34, Year 8’s Katherine with 33, and Year 10’s Eirann with 30. Both teams finished in 11th place.
Thank you to the staff helping and parents supporting and a very big well done to all the athletes who gave maximum effort and were a great credit to Woodbridge School.
29 of our Year 9 students from our Français en Plus class travelled to Morzine in France and spent a week experiencing everything this alpine village has to offer; with lessons in the morning and afternoons spent in the mountains. From paddleboarding, climbing, hiking to an exceptional viewing point of Mont Blanc and treetop adventures, to taking part in a biathlon, zip wiring and dipping in the water at the bottom of a waterfall, it’s been an incredible experience for everyone and the perfect opportunity for students to not only understand more about the culture, but to practice using their French in preparation for their GCSE course starting next year.
Issy and Henry shared more about the trip, their experience and the adventurous activities!
Izzy, Year 9
“The Morzine trip was an unforgettable trip – it has definitely been one of my favourite so far.
The day we were travelling we stopped at Genève and got to walk around the town and the flower clock and got to see the big water fountain called ‘Jet d’Eau’. In Morzine, we did French lessons in the morning, and for one of lessons we went to a market and had the chance to try lots of different foods, as well as talk about and ask how much thing were in French.
I feel like we all came back home and had learned much more French. I really enjoyed the activities that we got to do, consisting of paddle boarding, biathlon, climbing, hiking and tree top adventure. These activities were so much fun, and everyone always had a smile on their faces.
We had a bingo night one night run by Maizie and I which was really fun. We all made so many memories there and loads of photos were taken to remember everything. This trip is such an amazing opportunity to go on. Overall, such an amazing experience!”
Henry, Year 9
“This year marked the first trip to Morzine for Woodbridge School, and it certainly set high standards for years to come.
Following a very early start on Sunday morning, we landed in Genève and were given free time to roam around the city in groups. Some groups went to the famous fountain, others explored the local cafés. By mid-afternoon we boarded a coach for a drive which took us through the winding mountain roads of the Alps. Once in Morzine, we had time to relax for the remainder of the day.
During the following days, the activities included: paddleboarding on an alpine lake, a biathlon, rock climbing up a cliff, hiking on a mountain and ziplining over a waterfall as well as climbing on alpine trees – my personal favourite was the lake as the views were spectacular. On the hike, we had the opportunity to see Mont Blanc, which is the highest mountain in the Alps, it was an amazing sight.
After all the activities for the day were finished, we spent time exploring Morzine. The town itself is surrounded by breathtaking views, and we could even occasionally see the ski resort of Avoriaz.
But we didn’t only do activities, every morning we had immersive French lessons, where we were encouraged to speak mainly French. We were taught by native French speakers, who gave us fun activities for each lesson ad encouraged to use our French throughout the day!
It was such a great trip, by the final day I didn’t want to leave!”
Well done to our students who were brilliant and a big thank you to those that made the trip possible, in particular the staff who were travelling alongside them.
Year 9 students have returned from an action-packed week in Spain, visiting Salamanca on their Spanish study trip. Known for its rich history, Salamanca is home to medieval landmarks, grand churches, historic universities and some of the best urban viewpoints in the country, as well as museums, exhibitions and a superbly diverse food scene. Attending daily lessons, they’ve been able to completely immerse themselves in the language and culture of this beautiful city, making the most of this wonderful opportunity.
Sharing more about the trip and their own personal thoughts and experiences, we spoke to Izzy who was excited to tell us everything they’d managed to pack into a week in the province.
Izzy, Year 9
“My School trip to Salamanca was an amazing experience that I really enjoyed. During the visit, we explored the beautiful cathedral and learned about its history and impressive architecture. We also took part in a salsa dancing session, which was great fun and helped us experience a popular aspect of Spanish life.
Another highlight was visiting the car museum, where we saw a fascinating collection of vehicles from different periods, including a Ferrari F1 car from the 2021 season.
Walking around the city, we admired the colourful street art, which added character and creativity to the streets. One of the best parts of the trip was staying with host families.
In the evenings, we enjoyed delicious tapas and had the chance to try a variety of traditional Spanish foods.
My hosts were incredibly kind, welcoming and helpful. They made me feel comfortable from the moment I arrived and were always happy to talk and help me practise my Spanish. Overall, it was the best school trip I have ever been on!”
Thank you to staff that travelled with our students, and to everyone for making this an unforgettable experience.
Last week Drama Scholarship and Enrichment students were given the opportunity to explore a new play, Suzie Miller’s Inter Alia, which premiered at the National Theatre in July 2025. This opportunity was broken into two parts, a seminar style session on Monday, followed by a practical workshop on the Wednesday led by external facilitator Jordana Golbourn.
Jordana Golbourn is a Community Theatre Maker. For over a decade her work has taken place in schools, theatres and women’s prisons across the U.K., New York, Thailand and Germany for companies such as Almeida Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Theatre Royal Stratford East and Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation. Her work draws on the personal, community and political narratives of the artists she collaborates with, celebrating their individuality and imaginations with a process driven by play, curiosity and honesty.
Year 12’s Edward and Year 10’s Isabella share their experiences of both.
Edward, Year 12
“We began the series with a seminar led by Issy about Inter Alia. The session provided useful insight into the play’s themes, context and dramatic intentions.
Throughout the session, we explored the text in detail, looking at the different roles that the protagonist, Jessica Parks, takes on. We delved into her actions as a mother, wife, judge, and friend, highlighting the complexities of her character.
Issy explained key ideas clearly and encouraged an in-depth discussion, helping us think more critically about the text and its relevance to contemporary audiences.”
Isabelle, Year 10
“On Wednesday we welcomed Jordana Golbourn to host a workshop based on the play. The play explores gender contrasts, motherhood, and modern masculinity through realistic dialogue, making it an interesting text to work with.
During the workshop, we split the scene into beats to identify changes in the characters emotions and objectives. This made the script easier to understand and helped us create a clearer performance. We also experimented with repeating the last word of each line spoken by another character and saying the next line when we heard the impulse word, which encouraged active listening and helped us show genuine reactions to what was being said.
Overall, the workshop was very effective and gave me useful rehearsal techniques that I can apply in future performances.”
Congratulations to our brilliant Biology students who performed exceptionally well in this year’s British Biology Challenge – achieving 6 Gold, 6 Silver, 12 Bronze, 7 Highly Commended and 10 Commended awards.
Well done to the following students on their achievements:
Gold: Year 10’s Layla-Jayne, Francesca, Jemima, Barnaby, Xan and Hadiya
Silver: Year 10’s Abigail C and Sheryl, Year 9’s Sophie, George L, Otto PS, and Eleanor B
Bronze: Year 10’s George, Arabella, Pranav, Erin, William B, Georgia, Milo, Evie, Maxim and Seth, Year 9’s Diego and Rebecca B
Highly Commended: Year 10’s Amelia, Charlotte MW, Phoebe, Emilia, Anthony and Sophia, Year 9’s Toby
Commended: Year 10’s Guanlin, Rufus and Jack, Year 9’s Bethany, Kirsty, Oscar, Isabella Br, Ariane, Clemence and Alex S
This prestigious competition, made up of two 25-minute multiple choice papers, provided a rigorous test of both curriculum knowledge and wider scientific knowledge.
Our students demonstrated not only a strong understanding of topics studied in lessons, but also an impressive ability to apply knowledge gained from reading, engaging with natural history programmes, and taking an interest in current biological issues and the natural world around them.
Their success reflects their enthusiasm, and genuine interest for biology, and we are incredibly proud of their outstanding achievements; congratulations again to all of them.
Woodbridge School Prep is delighted to once again be hosting and sponsoring the Young East Anglian Artist competition and exhibition; a community centred, philanthropic event that captures the imaginations of children at local primary schools across the region; engaging the prowess of thousands of budding young artists. The theme for 2026 is ‘Discovery’ which is at the heart of all creativity; the thrill of uncovering something new, the quiet wonder of a hidden detail, or the bold leap into the unknown!
Children have been invited to not only reflect on discovery through art, but also to help fuel real-world breakthroughs; the last four years have seen this competition raise over £5,000 for Cancer Research UK, and proceeds from the competition will continue to support this fantastic cause – creating opportunities for lifesaving discoveries, better treatments and more hopeful futures.
The competition also offers children the chance to have their artwork displayed in a professional gallery, artwork invited from nursery age to Year 6 in schools across Suffolk.
This year’s judges include Alice Ridley, Laurel Berry, Spadge Hopkins and Amanda Warren:
Alice Ridley studied theatre design at Nottingham Trent and then fine art at London Fine Art Studios. She strives to provide beauty through the medium of oil and charcoal, skilfully conveying the complexity of light. She is an inspiring art teacher to others and is a frequent exhibitor in East Anglia. Her outdoor love of rural Suffolk and capture of the simple snapshots of home life, are richly conveyed in her paintings.
Laurel Berry is a Suffolk-based painter inspired by the wild, both in the natural world and in the way paint moves across canvas. Her work captures the energy and emotion of wildlife through layered textures, wobbly lines, and expressive brushwork. Each piece is a small act of connection between the viewer, the subject, and the living world we all belong to.
Spadge Hopkins’ work is informed by experience gained during a creative career that involved product design, music and engineering. Currently he works in metal and ceramics and also produces prints using various techniques. His metal sculptures often involve the use of void and shadow. Recent subjects have included music icons, natural history, automobiles and autobiographical themes exploring the past in an attempt to make sense of the present.
Amanda Warren uses a variety of media to create artworks imbued with a sense of mythology, time and place. For the past two summers she has worked in the Time Team dome at Sutton Hoo, collecting and developing ideas and engaging with visitors interested in the process. Paper, natural materials and textiles come together to create evocative pictures and vessels.
Judging all entries, a 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winner, along with a Highly Commended piece will be selected. These will be exhibited alongside 250 other pieces of artwork, chosen from submissions to the competition, at the John Gibbins gallery in Woodbridge from 19 to 21 June 2026.
Funds have already been raised by each entrant contributing and making a minimum donation of £2.50 per piece of artwork, and more will be raised when selected pieces will be sold after the exhibition of artwork closes; all proceeds also going to Cancer Research UK.
We do hope you have the opportunity to visit the gallery and see some of the splendid artwork local children have created for yourselves.
Thank you to everyone who entered the competition, we’re excited to find out and announce our prize winners, and look forward to sharing more news with you once that selection has taken place.
Huge congratulations to our Equestrian team, Year 10’s Grace, Year 11’s Harry and Zac and Year 13’s Eve, on winning the HWA Intermediate 90-95cm Team Eventers’ Challenge Championships at the National Schools Equestrian Association Championships last week at Hickstead. This now totals five Eventers’ Challenge team wins in the last four years and is an incredible achievement – well done!
Our team of Year 9’s Kirsty, along with Year 8’s Daisy and Tati, also took second place (just one second behind the winners!) in the 70-75cm Showjumping County Championships – another incredible achievement.
Our report from Equestrian Coach Jake Hall shares more.
Jake Hall, Equestrian Coach
“Another year, another NSEA Championship Title!
We are beyond proud of Team Woodbridge School at this year’s NSEA Championship Hickstead on winning the 90-95 Eventers Challenge Championship. Our team of Year 10’s Grace, Year 11’s Harry and Zac and Year 13’s Eve, held first place position from early morning until the end of the day; it is an incredibly huge achievement to take this title.
Woodbridge then went on to take second place in the 70-75cm Showjumping County Championship, congratulations to our riders Year 9’s Kirsty, along with Year 8’s Daisy and Tati. They each jumped round one clear, then went on to all jump a second round clear – and very quickly. Coming in just one second behind the winners, this was another incredible achievement, well done everyone!
Thank you to all the riders for being not only brilliant riders but also for making these trips so much fun. Huge shout out to their parents who are so dedicated – we couldn’t do it without you!”
