Exploring performance skills, teamwork and critical thinking, alongside deepening their understanding of the theatre and deepening their experience development, our GCSE and A level Drama students have been busy with their practical and scripted exams in School. Combining skills and theoretical knowledge, the curriculum enables students to develop as directors, performers and critical thinkers.
Year 11 Scripted Examination
A practical component of the exam for our Year 11 students, they were assessed on their ability to create and develop ideas in order to communicate meaning for theatrical performance. They also had to apply theatrical skills to realistic artistic intentions in live performance.
Year 12 Devised Practical Examination
Our Year 12 Drama and Theatre students took their Devised Practical exam, a component during which students are assessed on their ability to create and develop ideas, communicating meaning for theatrical performance, applying theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance. Devised for their ‘Creating Original Drama’ examination, students performed Outsiders, influenced by the methodologies of The Paper Birds. Assessed on their ability to create and develop original ideas when working from a chosen stimulus, students worked extremely hard to produce a diverse, innovative and exciting programme.
Jacob, Freya and William’s performance explored the ongoing conversation surrounding asylum seekers and immigration in the UK. They used the verbatim-inspired techniques and research-led, real‑life storytelling methods of The Paper Birds. Through a blend of political speeches, public reaction and lived testimony, the performance examined how narratives are shaped by social media. Their piece moved from the bold, staged world of political campaigning to the personal and unsettling experience of the asylum-processing system, before sharing the mixed views of ordinary people whose opinions reflect the divisions across the country. By representing these perspectives side-by-side, the piece challenged viewers to question what they hear and how humanity is often lost in political debates. Ultimately, their performance aimed to provoke compassion, responsibility, and to consider what it truly means to take back control in a society shaped by diversity and change.
Year 13 Scripted Examination
Year 13 Drama and Theatre students’ work has been created as part of their ‘Making Theatre’ examination, and was performed live in our Seckford Theatre. In Year 13, students must learn how to contribute to text-based drama in a live theatre context for an audience. Their work must also be influenced by the methodologies of a chosen practitioner or company. The students worked enormously hard to produce diverse, and exciting work influenced by practitioners Frantic Assembly (group 1) and Punchdrunk (group 2).
Group 1, Emily, Isaac, Phoebe and Luke
Group 1 performed Abi Morgan’s Lovesong which intricately weaves the story of one couple at two different stages of life: the beginning, when their love is passionate and exciting and the end when it is subdued but by no means extinguished. The past and present were interlaced and the two worlds blended together through reflective flashbacks. Inspired by the methods of the theatre company Frantic Assembly, students used innovative interaction with the set to help transition seamlessly through the co-existing worlds. Storytelling through physicality also played a key role in their work. By creating stylised moments students were able to unlock the subtext of the script and delve deeper into the emotions of the characters and the nuanced relationships between them. Our students’ aim was to convey the message of their piece beyond the parameters of the theatre, hoping that the audience left with an appreciation of the fragile yet precious nature of time.
Group 2, Georgia, Fergus, Eve and Poppy
Group 2’s performance of King Lear was a fresh take on one of Shakespeare’s tragedies. It explored a world in which Lear’s mental deterioration and loss of control over his kingdom is a result of his dementia. Students used the symbol of the storm within the play to represent Lear’s destructive mind. The piece immersed the audience, placing them at the forefront of the action, including when Lear divides his kingdom between his children, feeding his two pernicious daughters’ endless thirst for power. Punchdrunk’s ethos is to envelop the audience wholeheartedly within the performance, so they feel physically and emotionally involved.
Students performed hoping that their audience left the theatre with a new perspective on Shakespeare’s story.
Commenting on their hard work, dedication and focus during these exams, our Acting Head of Drama, Mr Williams, shared
“It’s been wonderful being a part of what these students have been able to devise and create. They’ve been completely committed to these exams, and put in 100%, if not more! They form an important part of the GCSE and A level course and so their commitment and hard work are admirable and encouraging. I’ve been proud not only to have helped support and teach them, but to watch them perform with such passion and enthusiasm.”
It was another great day for Suffolk Schools on a national level last Saturday, with nine Woodbridge School athletes competing on the Suffolk team, facing tough competition from major counties across England. Up to 44 county teams fielded their best eight runners in each race. With some fantastic results to report back with, we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our runners, not only in this prestigious event, but for all their achievements this winter as this now marks the end of our Cross Country season at Woodbridge School. Wishing everyone good luck for their coming track season, in the meantime our report from last Saturday is below.
Inter Girls, Years 9 and 10
The Inter Girls race went off first and Suffolk were 29th team, with the first girl for the team coming 71st individually. Year 11’s Romilly placed 145th overall and 3rd for her county.
Junior Boys, Years 8 and 9
The Junior Boys were next up, where Year 9’s Dex battled it out for a top 10 finish. To put the actual battle in context, the 7th, 8th, and 9th positions crossed the line clocking the same gun time, one dipping in front of the other. Dex earned a superb 7th position which qualifies him to run for England in the SIAB Home International in Bangor, Wales, this Saturday. This is not only an outstanding achievement but also makes Dex only the third Woodbridge School athlete to achieve this representation and the only Suffolk athlete of any age now in the England team. The team, which included five Suffolk Junior Boys in the top 50 overall, also secured a Silver national team medal.
Junior Girls, Years 8 and 9
The Junior Girls followed, getting a brilliant start in their race. Year 8’s Chloe placed 30th, first for Suffolk. Chloe, who is a year younger in this age group, was a mere 25 seconds off 10th position which would have secured her England selection. This is certainly something for her to consider for future English Schools’ races. The second Suffolk team member placed 31st. Year 9’s India J was 3rd home for her county in 74th place. Year 9’s Ella was 4th home for the team in 76th, and Year 9’s Alexandra placed 92nd and 7th home for Suffolk. These top 100 finishes are phenomenal and helped the Junior Girls’ team secure 5th position overall.
Inter Boys, Years 9 and 10
The Inter Boys were the fourth race of the day and over their fast paced 4.5km course, Suffolk came 34th team, with Year 10’s Hamish 124th and Year 10’s Digby 222nd – 2nd and 4th home for their team.
Senior Girls, Years 11,12 and 13
Although Woodbridge School had no Senior Girls running, Suffolk was 20th team overall with two in the top 30 finishers.
Senior Boys, Years 11,12 and 13
And the grand finale would be in the last race of the day where Suffolk’s Senior Boys took to the stage, packing six athletes in the top 50! Year 13’s Angus was 164th and was part of the team that took home team gold and The Wigan Cup. A truly magnificent result for this Suffolk team, many of whom train together regularly. What a great way to end the last English Schools cross country journey for some of these runners, including Angus. Wishing you all the best with your onwards journey in running.
Lastly, we are extremely proud to wish Dex good luck this weekend in his race in Bangor, running for England. Enjoy the fantastic experience!
Top class results don’t come from nothing, it is relentless work year in year out with careful planning and training, never faltering through adverse conditions or dark winter morning training runs.
“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, self-discipline, and effort.”
Jesse Owens
Last week we saw games for our U12A, U12B, U12C, U13A, U13C, U15A, 1st VII and 2nd VII Netball teams, including away games, tournaments and at home in School. Mrs Gray, our Head of Netball, shares more about these matches, our players and their performances.
It was another busy week of Netball last week with two tournaments and seven fixtures played across all age groups.
On Monday our U12As competed in the final U12A tournament winning two matches, drawing one and losing one, finishing 3rd place overall on this occasion.
On Tuesday we welcomed two U13 sides from St Jo’s, our U13A with additional B players included on this occasion and our U13Cs. Both convincing wins for our sides and a great opportunity for some U13Bs to play with the As. Well done to Players-of-the-Match Year 8’s Nina, Elodie and Najma.
On Wednesday our U12Cs competed in the league tournament, this was the second time this team have competed in the tournament, which is mainly against A teams from other schools. A better afternoon than the first tournament with a couple of wins – two wins, two draws and three lost. Everyone played well and shared the Player-of-the-Match and captaincy in the matches.
We also welcomed Holmwood House to the valley courts in School, to play against our U12B side. Well done on the strong win and to Players-of-the-Match Year 7’s Emilia and Emma.
On Thursday our U14Cs travelled to Holmwood House for an U14C fixture. Although a loss on this occasion an enjoyable fixture enabling all players to compete well. Well done to Player-of-the-Match Year 9’s Jemima C-O.
Thursday also saw the Dome come into force enabling a fixture at risk of being cancelled thanks to high winds to still go ahead. Our 1st and 2nd VIIs played against Framlingham in fast and competitive games, with some very impressive netball played by all present. Some fabulous support on the sidelines from family and fellow students certainly helped encourage and support our players. Another two strong wins for our Woodbridge squads, well done to Players-of-the-Match Year 13’s Isobel and Year 12’s Lyrah.
Onto next week with another 16 fixtures to be played and enjoyed!
What a wonderful afternoon of music and talent we had at the Guitar Recital in the School Hall on Thursday 12 March! Thank you to everyone who came, and of course to our students, who performed brilliantly. Our Director of Music, Jonathan Woodley, shares his report from the evening.
The concert featured an incredibly varied program that showcased our students’ skill across both classical and contemporary styles; our audience treated to impressive classical performances, including Year 11’s James playing Carcassi, Year 10’s Grace performing Molinaro, and Year 8’s Bella playing Molino.
This was beautifully contrasted by modern hits, with Year 10’s Evie performing McCartney’s Blackbird, Year 7’s Fletcher playing Passenger, and Year 7’s Stuart taking on Nirvana.
Other highlights included Year 7’s Sam’s performance of Legend, Year 9’s Isaac’s rendition of Steely Blue, and a brilliant performance of Gary Moore’s Parisienne Walkways by Year 12’s Matt.
The event reached a fantastic finale with our Guitar Ensemble performing Recuerdos Del Camino, a piece written by our very own guitar teacher, Mr Plackett.
A huge well done to all our talented young musicians for such a delightful afternoon of music!
The 93-strong Army section of the CCF held their annual Minden Dinner on Wednesday night, during which cadets enjoyed a superb three course meal prepared by our fantastic catering department. The traditional toast was made to the King by one of our junior cadets, Year 9’s George, and speeches by Capt Capjon and our Head of Army, Year 13’s Ethan. You can read Ethan’s inspiring speech below.
“Before I start, I Just want to say a massive thank you to the catering staff for providing us with some amazing food as usual, and another massive thank you to Mr Garvie, Mr Capjon and Mr Stollery for organising this special evening.
I am extremely proud to be a part of the CCF, and more importantly, to be in charge of the commendable Army Section. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as an army cadet, and it has taught me many lessons about myself and has also taught me key skills that I can take with me further into the future.
Being in the army section has definitely taught me about my own personal perseverance and to never give up when times get, quite honestly, extremely rough. It has also helped me to become skilful and useful when working in a team of people, not only in high pressure combat situations, but also in tame classroom settings. I am sure that the majority of you will feel the same way and hopefully will want to continue to be a part of the CCF, and I can’t recommend enough that you do. We as students have been given a unique opportunity to be a part of something bigger, not many schools have this opportunity, so I encourage you to make it worthwhile not only for us, but also yourselves.
I have had some amazing times in the CCF. I can’t help but comment on the core memories I have made sleeping in the freezing cold on overnight, whilst Mr Garvie prowls around with his ominous red torch to make sure people go to bed! CCF is all about having fun and making these memories. For you keen army cadets in the room tonight, I would highly recommend signing up for combat cadet once you get the chance. We have a promising team this year, and we have promising teams to come.
As my time in Woodbridge School comes to a close, I just want to draw your attention to Mr Stollery, Mr Garvie, Mr Capjon, and the officers that you see every Friday afternoon; they are the backbone of the CCF and especially the army section. The CCF would not be what it is without these people. Many things happen behind closed doors to ensure that Woodbridge School continues to have arguably the best CCF around.
Finally, a toast to the Royal Anglian regiment, which we as a school are connected to, and the honour that comes along with sharing a cap badge.
Ladies and gentlemen please be upstanding for a toast to the Royal Anglian regiment – to the Royal Anglian regiment.”
Clash of the Chess Titans has been a seven-game match for Year 12’s Rowan and Nikolai, two of the School’s strongest players. Competing to discover who is indeed, the best Chess player in School, they’ve been surrounded by the noise and support of their fellow students through each and every move.
Our Head of Chess, Dagne Ciuksyte shared her report from each of the games:
With a time control of 10min+1sec/move for the whole game, the first game was won by Rowan, with only 12 seconds left on the clock, while Nikolai had just two! Trying to play a sideline variation, prepared in advance for Rowan’s King’s Indian Defence with Black, backfired for Nikolai who had entered the match with immense confidence. At the right moment, Rowan struck in the centre of the board, using a tactical motif, to stop Nikolai’s attempt to attack on the kingside. The result: 1-0 in Rowan’s favour.
Nikolai lost the second game as well, much to his frustration. Rowan was a strong opponent, whose pieces seemed to be on the right squares at the right time to open up Nikolai’s king’s hiding place in this game. The result: 2-0 in Rowan’s favour.
In the third game, Nikolai had a strong formation around the centre in the King’s Indian Defence again, realising that in order to win against his confident opponent Rowan, he would need to play in the most solid way. This strategy worked nicely bringing a win to Nikolai. The result: 2-1 in Rowan’s favour.
In the fourth game, the players battled in the French Defence Exchange variation with Rowan getting material advantage at one point and losing it later. In the time trouble, the position was a theoretical draw with both players rushing to make their moves within one second of increment per move! At one point, Rowan slowed down and ran out of time. The result: 2-2.
In the penultimate game, yet another complicated and rich in strategic decisions, Samisch variation in the King’s Indian Defence appeared on the board. This time, Rowan gained material advantage, kept it and pushed Nikolai to losing on time. The result: 3-2 in Rowan’s favour.
The sixth game saw Rowan winning all the way through – on the chessboard and on time, but it was Nikolai who eventually won! Rowan made only one wrong move, which doesn’t sound much, but was enough to throw away all the hard work built up to that point. He was disappointed to say the least. But this is what Chess is all about, as both our brilliant players know only too well – but for every disappointment a player may feel, there’s also the equal joy and happiness of an unexpected win. The game was closely followed by a huge crowd of fellow students, cheering both players on, celebrating all moves. The result: 3-3
The final was won with a tie-breaker – the Armageddon game! Nikolai was White with 10 min + 1 sec/move, needing a win to take the match. Rowan was Black with 8.5min + 1 sec/move, but a win or draw would have given him the overall win. The Armageddon game came with ups and downs for both of our players. Nikolai put pressure on Rowan during the middlegame, but misplayed it somehow and got himself into a losing position. Fortunately for Nikolai, both players were low on time, but it was Rowan who ran out of it first!
Congratulations to Nikolai, and well done to Rowan; both of these players have been exceptional, respectful, kind and supportive of one another – true sportsmanship throughout every game. Well done to them and thank you to everyone who supported them throughout.
Last week was another busy one for Hockey, with Performance Programme sessions, one-to-one lessons and no less than eight boys Hockey matches in four days. Sharing more about these matches, our players and progress, read our report from Mrs Rix, Head of Hockey.
I am pleased to share the coaches’ reports for the respective teams’ matches, including the 1st XI, U15A, U14A and Juniors 1 to 3.
Woodbridge 1st XI vs Ipswich School – Mr Flatt Reports
Woodbridge 1st XI returned to action twice last week. The boys produced some attractive hockey in their away fixture against a strong Ipswich School 2nd side but ultimately fell to a narrow one goal defeat. Year 12 goalkeeper, Ed, earned a well‑deserved Player-of-the-Match award for an excellent performance that kept Woodbridge in contention throughout.
Woodbridge vs Culford – Showcase Fixture
On Thursday evening, we hosted Culford for our showcase fixture. The teams met previously at the County Cup and played out an action-packed and tightly contested goalless draw. With the Regional Finals approaching, the squad was eager to deliver another confident display. Woodbridge started brightly, moving the ball well and controlling possession. The defensive unit looked composed in their outletting and consistently challenged the Culford forward line. Despite the positive start, Culford struck twice before half‑time. Their opener came from a quick attack down our left, and the second followed from a long corner where Woodbridge were punished for not marking tightly enough inside the circle.
At the break, the team regrouped, focusing on the many positives in the performance and recognising that the scoreline didn’t reflect the balance of play. The response was immediate. Woodbridge came out with renewed energy and intent, and a precise pass into the Culford D found Year 12’s Jasper, who expertly deflected the ball home. Moments later, Year 12’s Arlo levelled the match, spinning sharply with his back to goal and pushing the ball past the Culford keeper.
The game continued at a frantic pace, and although Woodbridge had momentum, Culford regained the lead with a well‑constructed move finished at the back post. With five minutes remaining, the Woodbridge team made a bold tactical call, withdrawing their goalkeeper to add an extra outfield player. The pressure paid off. Vice‑captain, Year 12’s Tom, seized his moment, striking a superb shot to beat the Culford keeper and bring the game level once more.
The final whistle confirmed a thrilling six-goal draw, a fair result for a match full of quality, character, and drama. Player-of-the-Match was awarded to Year 13’s Alasdair for his outstanding contribution.
Woodbridge Juniors vs Langley
Midweek, three Junior teams played against Langley and made it a clean sweep, with some exciting Hockey and many magic moments.
The Junior 1s dominated the early stages of the match, with Year 8’s James E being particularly difficult to contain at forward and Year 8’s co-captain Max showing his quick hands, eliminating in midfield and dictating the direction of play well. The GK made some quality saves before James was rewarded with a goal. Langley got one back which proved to Woodbridge they could not be complacent despite being the superior team.
Early in the second half Year 8’s Jack deflected another classy goal at a penalty corner – this becoming a bit of a trademark for him. A few minutes later he struck again to seal the game for Woodbridge, this time from a sharp rebound at the corner. Lots of rotations gave boys playing time in various positions. Hunting the hattrick, Jack found himself at forward for the closing minutes. A magic moment so nearly materialised when Max, from his own D, threw an aerial to reach Jack in the other D – interventions and lost touches – the elusive goal was not to be but what a cracking bit of play. Player-of-the-Match was awarded to James.
Mr Walsh was jubilant after the Junior 2s enjoyed their first win of the season in a dominant but nervy victory over Langley. Solid work rate from the Year 7 defensive unit of Rupert as GK, Ralph and Maëlan gave the foundation to push forward and attack freely. The midfield of Year 7’s Fletcher and Christian (scoring the first goal) along with Year 8’s James C, worked tirelessly to move the ball wide and get it into the D. Year 8’s Miles showed his pace and power up front. The opposition goalkeeper did amazingly to restrict Woodbridge to only two goals. Special mentions go to Year 7’s Max for putting in his best performance of the season, Year 7’s Nathaniel making his Junior 2 debut and to Year 7’s Ted for impressive play in forward and defensive positions and creating and scoring a goal!
The Junior 3s finally had their goal scoring boots on! And the floodgates opened properly. It was a superb performance from the team against Langley. The boys played some excellent, fluid Hockey which resulted in some great goals being scored. Year 8’s Charlie E scored four super goals, whilst others chipped in with some good finishes too – two from Year 8’s Luke, and one each from Year 7’s Ben, Joe, Millar, Stanley and Nathaniel. Well done to Player-of-the-Match, Charlie.
Woodbridge U15A (Year 10) vs Langley – Mr Brous Reports
This match has to be one of the most interesting matches I have witnessed. The team had a challenging start, conceding two goals in the first two minutes of the game – the forced extended journey to Magpies and the knock-on effect on mental and physical prep taking its toll.
However, we quickly regrouped, and the next 20 minutes remained goalless. Several key performances from Pranav and Barnaby got us back into the game, and a superb move from midfield set up Alex to score next. The second half was a cat and mouse affair and goalless until the dying minutes. Both teams had their chances, but it was Langley who scored an opportune goal to seal the win.
This was a game of character and spirit. Going two goals down quickly, then recovering, is a testament to their grit and determination. Pranav and Barnaby were joint Players-of-the-Match for their superb efforts in defence and midfield respectively.
Woodbridge U14A (Year 9) vs Langley
The U14A team seemed to feel the chill of the wind at Magpies and were slow to warm-up into their game, despite an early penalty corner conversion from Jospeh, cooly flicked into the bottom corner. Woodbridge took some time to work out and break down the more unconventional style of play from Langley. Woodbridge aimed to do the hard work and damage while playing with the wind but seemed to be at their best working against some serious gusts in the second half.
The second half saw the team move the ball better, avoid conflict and creating lovely goal chances. Alfie P scored a brace early in the half to take the game away from Langley and allow Woodbridge to experiment with players in different positions. Vice-captain, Theo, completed the scoring for Woodbridge.
Josh was awarded Player-of-the-Match for his influential play in midfield and a superb cameo at centre back.
Following the phenomenal success of our Primary Enrichment Programme at Woodbridge School, the Secondary Enrichment Programme for secondary school students was launched late last year, and is already proving to be as popular. The programme provides an exciting and dynamic mix of topics and skills which appeals to so many areas of interest, and is intended to bring genuine joy and enjoyment to all within its learning. Not only is it also a great opportunity for local schools and their students, but for our own, to build on their leadership skills and give something back to the community, in line with our School’s values through participation and support in various ways.
Provided free of charge to secondary schools in our community and beyond, the workshops allow students to develop new skills and gain hands-on experience across various curriculum subjects and beyond, strengthening and broadening their knowledge of possible career prospects. The programme also incorporates and considers The Gatsby Benchmarks, a series of guidelines that were developed by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation for schools, colleges and educational institutions, to ensure students receive high quality careers advice and support. Our Secondary Enrichment programme is aligned with the benchmarks, supporting students’ personal development and career readiness through targeted, high quality experiences.
Year 9 and 10 artists from Beccles School enjoyed a sculpture workshop in School, where they experimented and created, leaving with an intriguing outcome. Best of all, you can use it directly in your coursework. No cost, no pressure – just a chance to get excited, motivated, and explore new ideas in a relaxed, creative space.
Dance Workshop, Stoke High School
Attending an energetic, contemporary dance and choreography workshop, Year 9 students from Stoke High School spent time developing confidence, working on teamwork and individual expression. From learning the foundations of contemporary dance through fun, practical movement and phrases, to exploring how to create your own dance sequences and working together in groups to experiment, problem-solve and develop your own choreography everyone enjoyed exploring their creativity!
Fuel the Future Show, Stoke High and Farlingaye Schools
Students from Stoke High and Farlingaye Schools joined us in our Seckford Theatre for Fuel the Future, celebrating the beginning of British Science Week by watching the Royal Institution Science’s brilliant show. Presenters explored the chemistry and physics of fuels from the past, present and future, discovering the effect of carbon dioxide on our planet, and why plastics can be such a problem. Diving into the science behind generating electricity sustainably and storing it, using batteries, the audience also learned how water can be used to power explosions, explaining what sustainability is through an array of exciting demonstrations.
Vet Experience Day, Gilberd School
Supported by the Central College of Animal Studies, Year 9 students from Gilberd School in Colchester spent two hours taking part in a workshop designed to provide a taste of the life of veterinary nursing. Taking part in a variety of activities covering basic animal care, including how to bandage, perform a basic suturing pattern, perform the WHO method of cleaning hands, gloving and gowning for surgery, and identifying the use of instruments, equipment, specimens and more, it was an exciting and hands-on experience for everyone involved.
With several more workshops planned for the remainder of the School year, we look forward to continuing to welcome students from local secondary schools as part of this ongoing and evolving programme.
Thank you to everyone who’s attended, as well as those visiting the School and delivering these brilliant workshops.
Students celebrated phenomenal results, as part of the Suffolk team, at this year’s UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships, which took place last Saturday, 7 March. The Suffolk U17 boys team even made local headlines, with their podium finish and Bronze medal, alongside other Suffolk age group teams, competing against the best the UK has to offer.
Suffolk Team results:
U13 Girls 15th
U13 Boys 35th
U15 Girls 14th
U15 Boys 5th
U17 Girls 27th
U17 Boys 3rd
U20 Men 9th
Senior Men 20th
Senior Women 9th
Across these teams, Woodbridge School had twelve representatives and nine of our runners contributed to being in the top four scorers of those age groups, with others keeping the other counties at bay!
Best Individual Performances:
Year 8’s Chloe was a standout performance of the day coming home in the U13s category in 5th position, which is incredible for her age. Her finishing time to note was only seven seconds adrift of a podium finish. This sets Chloe on a brilliant track for her first ever English Schools in Liverpool this Saturday. Chloe’s team came 15th overall out of 41 teams with Year 7’s Florence coming in 281st, having a very brave run and super strong sprint finish home in her first nationals race.
In his category, with his innate belief and ability to deliver consistently great performances, Year 9’s Dex finished 16th place, a year young in this age group. This is outstanding and puts Dex in a brilliant position heading into the English Schools final this weekend where he will then be top of his age group in the Suffolk Schools’ team. Dex’s U15 team were Suffolk’s second best team result on the day finishing 5th overall. Year 10’s Hamish played a significant part towards this result, coming home in a superb 31st. Year 10’s Digby came in 126th and this also helps displace other runners for his Suffolk team.
Year 13’s Angus had a brilliantly strong run coming home in 69th position for the U20 mens race and helped his team gain a 9th position overall.
Year 11’s Romilly was 111th in the U17 girls race; her strength hugely noticeable flying up those hills knocking many places along the way!
Our U15 Year 9 girls delivered their usual strong performance for the county with Ella K coming home as second Suffolk runner and 68th overall with her year group teammates, India J came in 82nd and Alexandra closely following in 89th. India B came in 136th then did a great job of displacing other runners for her team.
Another mention goes out to Year 8’s Florence and Oliver L, and Year 9’s India B who ran their first ever inter counties race.
All in all, an impactful day with great achievements by the Woodbridge School runners, and it’s worth noting many of whom are running a year young in their categories which makes the results even more impressive.
Good luck to the nine Woodbridge School athletes competing for Suffolk Schools at the English Schools Cross Country Championships in Liverpool this coming Saturday, which will mark the end of the season for all those athletes competing.
Last Saturday, March 7, the Chamber Choir took over the stunning space of St Michael’s Church, Framlingham, for a concert that was as polished as it was heartfelt. Under the direction of Claire Weston our Head of Singing, and accompanied by James Davy on the piano, the ensemble gave a continuous performance that kept the audience enthralled from start to finish.
The acoustics of St Michael’s were the unofficial star of the night. This stunning church in the heart of Framlingham with its impressively high stone arches gave the choirs voices a natural, shimmering resonance—perfect for the haunting opener, James MacMillan’s O Radiant Dawn. Whether it was the classic polyphony of Victoria’s Ave Maria or the sombre beauty of Chorum’s rendition of Purcell’s Thou Knowest Lord, the choir’s blend sounded effortless in the copious space.
A real highlight was César Franck’s Panis Angelicus. For this piece, the choir’s own multi-talented students stepped forward to form a string quartet tutored by Woodbridge School’s cello specialist Nadia Alzapiedi. It was a lovely, intimate moment that contrasted perfectly with the more minimalist, “icy” textures of Arvo Pärt’s Morning Star.
As the set moved into more modern territory, the mood lightened but the quality remained high. Elaine Hagenberg’s There Was a Time was a cinematic treat, while the familiarity of The Rose and You Raise Me Up clearly hit a chord with the crowd.
The energy really ramped up for the finale. The spiritual Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel was full of rhythmic punch, followed by a lightning-fast, witty rendition of John Rutter’s Sing a Song of Sixpence. The sheer vocal agility needed for that last one was impressive and sent everyone home on a high.
Huge credit goes to Claire Weston for pushing the choir to such professional heights, and to James Davy for his masterful support. It was a brilliant evening of music-making in a magnificent setting.
