Category: Woodbridgian Weekly
It’s been a busy week for Netball, as the first fixtures and tournaments of the term have taken place. With some of our players new to Senior School, they were taking to the court on behalf of Woodbridge for the first time – it was exciting and intense! But whether a single match or tournament, the players all gave their all in somewhat chilly conditions at times, and enjoyed their experiences.
On Monday, our U12A team, made up of Year 7’s Issy, Florence, Lily, Darcey, Bronte, Chloe, Lucy, Chloe, Sofia and Sophie, played away to Farlingaye. It was an impressive first match for our U12s, they played a super game which ended with a win for Woodbridge 20-2, well done to all of our players, Issy was chosen as the opposition’s Player-of-the-match with Darcey and Sophie voted Players-of the-match by their teammates.
On Wednesday, our U13B team of Year 8’s Katherine, Daisy, Nina, Emily, Hollie, Kitty, Iris, Georgie, Tati, Bella, Abigail, and our U12B team of Year 7’s Chloe, Bronte, Coco, Emilia, Vivienne, Sophia, Lola and Emma, headed to Framlingham to play against their U13A and B sides respectively. The U13Bs started a little slowly but came into their own more in the second half of the match showing great character. A loss of 27-3 but lots of progress made. A well-deserved Player-of-the-Match went to Katherine.
Our U12B team played against Framlingham’s U13B side tremendously well, coming out as winners with a score of 16-2. Congratulations to our opposition Player-of-the-Match, Sophia, and Player’s Player of the match – Chloe.
And lastly, but by no means least, our U14B team of Year 9’s Elle, Pip, Ella, Clem, Kirsty, Lilia, Isabella, Jemima, Honor, Imogen and Maizie played in the local league tournament together. Unfortunately, they came away with a loss, losing 1 and drawing 2 matches, but against mainly A team opposition they fought incredibly hard.
Well done to all of our teams and players, it’s been a great week of Netball, and we look forward to future matches as the term progresses!
Surrounded by over 225km of ski slopes, some of our Year 11 and 12 students spent six brilliant days in La Plagne, France just before Christmas – not only enjoying the stunning scenery, but taking daily tuition at the local ESF ski school.
As well as developing their ski skills, they also had a film night, a quiz, went bowling and attended the opening night of the ski season.
Everyone enjoyed a jam-packed few days, and Year 12’s Freya shares her experience and thoughts on the trip below.
“Each day, we skied for three hours in the morning, stopped for lunch, and then returned to the slopes for a further two hours in the afternoon.
We were supported by excellent instructors who helped everyone build confidence and improve their technique, with access to a wide range of blue, red and black runs suitable for all abilities.
The weather was cold and wintry, and the snow conditions were very good, making skiing enjoyable throughout the week.
In the evenings, we took part in a variety of activities, including bowling, a quiz night, a film night (watching Cool Runnings), visiting a pizza restaurant, and spending free time in the town centre.
On the final day, awards were presented: Year 12’s Bea received Most Improved, Year 12’s Ed won Best Crash, Year 11’s Harry was awarded Best Skier, and I received Happiest on the Slopes.
Overall, the trip was an unforgettable and a really funny, enjoyable experience. Thank you to all of the teachers who made the trip possible.”
In the freezing conditions of Sunday just gone, our athletes (having long trained for this event, and through the Christmas holidays too!) took to the start line in their various age groups at the Suffolk Cross Country County Championships at Holbecks Park in Hadleigh – one of the first main races of the 2026 calendar.
Runners across the country in the same week, would be competing in their local county race, and those U13 upwards compete for the top 6-8 finishes in their age group, hoping for county selection to run at the prestigious UK Inter Counties Cross Country, which is once again at the infamous course at Wollaton Park in Nottingham on 7 March.
U11s
TheU11 Girls and Boys kicked off the day, attacking the frozen conditions with their usual resilience. Woodbridge School had one girl and three boys competing – and all four came home in the top 10 with a Gold medal in tow for Ava! Huge congratulations to this young, tenacious team of Year 6 students:
U11 Girls:
- Ava – 1st place
U11 Boys:
- Charlie – 4th place
- Archie – 7th place
- Sam – 9th place
U13s
Running for her club, Year 8’s Chloe Berry achieved another gold for her club in the U13 category with a whopping lead of just under a minute clear of second place. Year 7’s Florence was also an impressive 7th girl in the same age group!
Year 8’s Oliver L came home in a superb second place achieving a Silver medal, four seconds shy of the leader. This is such a significant improvement and testament to his relentless hunger to do well and training in the last four months.
U15 Girls
The U15 Girls kicked off the longer of the courses run on the day and in the face of much adversity they prevailed once again in the true Kenyan style formation:
- Year 9’s India J – 3rd place
- Year 9’s Ella – 4th place
- Year 8’s Alexandra – 6th place
All securing qualification for their Suffolk county team in March.
U15 Boys
Our U15 Boys followed promptly afterwards and powered home:
- Year 9’s Dex – 1st place
- Year 10’s Hamish – 3rd place
- Year 10’s Digby –6th place
- Year 9’s Josh – 10th place
Again, the top six from this race will all qualify to run for Suffolk.
U17s Women
The U17 Women’s category is another strong one and Year 11’s Romilly powered home in 3rd place securing a Bronze medal for her club Bury Pacers. She also goes through to the Inter Counties.
U20s Men
Our final athlete, Year 13’s Angus had the absolute race of his season so far and showing no signs of letting up, crossed the finish line in a brilliant 2nd place. His true grit was obvious from early on and through gritted teeth, to fend off a competitor attempting to close in on his hard earned position, he managed to cover the last 100m in a super speedy 13 seconds! Well done Angus for such a great achievement!
Finally, huge congratulations for all our runners who got out there on Sunday – the terrain was tough, the conditions were brutal but once again Woodbridge School students’ running tenacity prevailed.
Good luck to all our qualifiers representing Suffolk in March. Such a proud moment to be able to run for your county!
Free of charge and offered to schools in our local community and beyond, our Primary Enrichment Programme workshops are tailored to suit the age of those attending, boosting interest and learning in STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths). They encourage children to develop new skills and gain hands-on experience across various curriculum subjects, strengthening and broadening knowledge – through fun and engagement.
Intended to bring genuine joy and enjoyment to children as they learn, and to support teachers to deliver key factors on the primary curriculum; complimenting and supporting what they are already delivering in school. Attending workshops takes children out of their classrooms and own school and allows them to experience and become confident in new environments; another aspect of growth and development that is just as important as learning.
Providing an exciting and dynamic mix of topics and skills our workshops support local primary school children in exploring a variety of topics and experiences, from Science, to construction and engineering, as well as History.
LEGO Workshop with Martlesham Primary Academy
Supported by The Brickologists, ‘We Build, We Play, We Learn with LEGO’ workshop, hosted at Martlesham Primary, invited children from Years 3 to 6 to get creative, while learning and having lots of fun with LEGO building system! Children became engineers as they built windmills, robots and various different vehicles; The Brickologists providing an engaging, hands-on learning platform for them to achieve educational goals while enjoying the LEGO.
Crusade/History Workshop with Grundisburgh Primary School and South Lee School
Year 5 and 6 children from both Schools went on a historical Crusade, while at Woodbridge School on two different days in December. Travelling back almost 1,000 years in time, children went on a historical journey to discover more about the Crusaders and the challenges they faced. Working in small groups, children used team work and creativity to take part in several highly interactive sessions, working against the clock to solve a series of challenges – the ultimate goal, to successfully conquer the city of Jerusalem! Travelling to and from the School on a minibus, the entire day was one of excitement and discovery!
Science CSI Workshop with Birchwood Primary School
Travelling to Woodbridge School by minibus, as if that wasn’t exciting enough, 31 children from Year 6 were thrilled to be learning in our science labs together, where they donned their lab coats and protective goggles! Tasked with discovering and investigating what our cells look like, they used microscopes which offered an entirely new perspective on everyday objects, as well as some from nature. Learning how to make their own samples to view under intense magnification, they also experimented by taking samples of their own cheek cells!
This is just a selection of the Primary Enrichment workshops on offer through our programme, and the learning and fun had by children attending. Recognising the value of these workshops, not only to local primary school children and teachers who attend, but to our own students who participate and assist with the workshops, we’re delighted to continue offering these workshops. If you’d like to find out more, or enquire about your school attending in future, please email primary_enrichment@woodbridgeschool.org.uk.
This year’s Carol Service at St Mary’s Church, Woodbridge was once again a highlight of the School calendar, and performed three times to ensure every student has the opportunity to experience it. It remains an important and poignant moment in the educational year, offering space for reflection, celebration, and a shared sense of community for students, staff, alumni and their families.
The services were led by our very own Reverend Ian Wilson, whose warmth and guidance provided a thoughtful spiritual thread throughout each gathering.
The Chamber Choir led a beautifully crafted Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, opening with an atmospheric introit of Tavener’s A Christmas Round. During the first service, the low afternoon sun streamed through the stained-glass windows, bathing the choir and congregation in warmth and coloured light, adding a serene, almost timeless aura to the occasion.
Our Head, Miss Norman, reminded us that the Carol Service – and the work of the Chamber Choir – is ultimately about the feeling each individual takes away with them. This sentiment was reflected in the thoughtful choice of anthems that punctuated the biblical story of the birth of Jesus and in the students’ sincere performances throughout.
The choir sang under the watchful and encouraging eye of Claire Weston, our Head of Singing, whose guidance and high expectations help the students achieve an exceptional standard each year. Claire shared,
“I am immensely proud of the choir and the musical heights they consistently reach, and this year was no exception.”
James Davy’s skilled and impressive organ playing underpinned the entire service, enriching each carol and moment of reflection with both musical sensitivity and grandeur.
A particular delight was Jamie John Hutchings’ arrangement of Silent Night, written and gifted especially for this year’s service and performed with accompanying sign language by the entire ensemble. Gjeilo’s setting of The Coventry Carol provided one of the most striking moments; its haunting harmonies filling the church with this well known carol in a new setting.
The climax of the service came with a newly arranged Personent Hodie by A. Mortensen, a little-known composer from Aldeburgh. The piece’s vibrant energy and fresh character offered a memorable finale, made even more special by the composer’s presence at Thursday evening’s performance.
In the weeks leading up to the services, the choir members demonstrated admirable commitment and focus. Their dedication in rehearsals was clearly reflected in the poise, confidence, and musical excellence they brought to each service. Across all three services, the students’ musicianship, hard work, and sense of occasion shone through, making this year’s Carol Service a truly uplifting celebration for the entire school community.
This year’s Nativity performed by Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 was a fun retelling of the traditional Nativity story as The Fleece Force.
Set in a bustling Bethlehem during the census, a group of enthusiastic sheep police officers carried out the tricky task of keeping order as the town filled with visitors to be counted.
As Constable Woolly and Constable Jumper were working very hard to control the ever-growing crowds their day became even more eventful when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, tired from their journey and searching for a place to stay. With no room at any of the inns, they eventually ended up in a humble stable.
Meanwhile, out on the hills, shepherds were visited by a host of angels who brought news of a very special baby’s birth. The shepherds hurried into town, much to the confusion of the sheep police, followed soon after by Three Wise Men who had been guided by a bright star.
All the visitors, along with The Fleece Force themselves, eventually gathered at the stable where they discovered the newborn baby Jesus.
It was a joyful performance celebrating the Christmas messages of peace, hope, joy, and the importance of everyone finding their place – a wonderful showcase of the children’s hard work and enthusiasm.
We are incredibly proud of all the children who took part and a huge thank you to Mrs Petts, Mrs Duehring and our Year 6 musicians who helped make this year’s nativity so jolly.
Our Rugby teams have enjoyed an exciting second half to the season, highlighted by impressive victories across the age groups and teams.
A few recent standouts being the U12s who secured a strong 50-5 home win against Ipswich High, while the U15s delivered a determined performance to defeat RGS Colchester.
Most recently, the 1st XV continued their fine form with a hard-fought 36-12 victory over Northgate with a particular highlight being Year 12’s Arthur G making an excellent break from fullback and offloading in the tackle to Year 11’s Zach C who finished in the corner.
With just one competitive fixture remaining for the senior squad – a final showdown against RGS Colchester on Tuesday with the current Year 13’s playing their final match for the School – the remaining Rugby age groups now looks forward to rounding off the season with a series of spirited inter-house matches.
December may have had only twelve and a half School days, but they have certainly been busy days in Careers.
Tech Talk
The month began with us welcoming Marc Whiting, a Year 13 parent, who shared his career journey and how he landed a role at one of the biggest tech companies in the world. But his talk was about much more than securing that job. Marc spoke about his experiences in school, the challenges he faced, his path after Sixth Form, and the opportunities he seized along the way. Above all, he highlighted how resilience, determination, and staying focused on his ‘North Star’ led him to where he is today. If there was one key message to take away, it would be this quote:
“I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”
Wayne Gretzky
NHS Webinar
Next was our monthly NHS Webinar, which this time focused on Diagnostic Radiography and the routes into this field. It is always fascinating to learn about the variety of roles within the NHS, as well as the innovation it continues to bring.
British Airways
We also welcomed Old Woodbridgian (OW) Henry Tasker back to the School to speak with a Year 12 student about his experience with British Airways when he was in Year 11; what it was like and how to apply for the programme. It was wonderful to see a recent OW sharing his insights.
Careers in Law
Careers in Law proved to be a popular lunchtime talk, hosted by OW and Governor Florence Paul, along with Polly Hester, a Year 13 parent. They gave students valuable insight into the diverse pathways available within the legal field.
ESNEFT Careers Fair
Finally, myself and Mr Cooper took 20 students to the ESNEFT Careers Fair. This annual event, held at Trinity Park, is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore the wide range of career fields within the NHS; whether that be Finance, HR, Speech and Language Therapy, Surgery, and everything in between. Students especially enjoyed the interactive activities, from wearing a fake pregnancy belly to learning how to gown up for theatre. They truly had the chance to experience it all.
Thank you to everyone for their time and contributions. This month has truly highlighted the strength of our parent and alumni network, along with our connections to local organisations, in helping us deliver a fantastic careers provision.
Over the weekend two Woodbridge School cross country teams travelled to Princethorpe College to compete in the ESAA Cross Country Cup Finals. The schools need to navigate a County round and a Regional round to earn the right to line up at the start of the Nationals. With over 6000 secondary schools in England, only 28 were at the start of each race. Woodbridge School had two teams both in the Inter age group (Year 9 and 10). Woodbridge School has now qualified one or more teams for the Nationals every year since 2016.
This is the ninth time our students have made the final, and fifth medal so far! In 2016 we won the Gold, 2018 Bronze, 2024 Double Gold and now 2025 our first Silver medal which last weekend was gained by our girls team. This in an outstanding achievement. For the boys it was not to be this year, and they finished in a very commendable 8th place with two of our athletes, Dex and Digby in the top 13 home overall. Both teams showed great determination to run so well on a tough very, very muddy course, a proper cross-country course!
Huge congratulations to our Inter Girls team of Year 10’s Alice, Year 9’s Alexandra, India J, Ella, India B and Imogen.
Congratulations also to our Inter Boys team of Year 10’s Digby, Hamish and Harry, along with Year 9’s Dex, Josh and Ollie.
With top ten finishes from both teams for Alexandra and Dex, individual results were:
Inter Girls – Alexandra 9th, India J 16th, Ella 17th, Alice 38th, India B 52nd and Imogen 104th.
Inter Boys – Dex 6th, Digby 13th, Hamish 79th, Josh 80th, Ollie 102nd, Harry 137th.
These results are incredible, and demonstrate the hard work, passion and commitment of our young athletes – well done to all of them!
Our last week of Hockey matches just kept the smiles coming, with more highlights to celebrate. In this last report of the season, we share stats, celebrate our Year 13 players and highlight some of the last matches played, including a shout out to another team ending their season unbeaten!
The Stats
Over the course of the Michaelmas Term our girls’ teams played 85 full length matches in the respective age groups. These delivered 50 wins, 14 draws and only 21 losses – quite a feat from our players. 196 goals were scored; only 94 conceded. Our amazing goalkeepers kept 32 clean sheets and we had 81 different goal scorers from Year 7 to 13! Five hattricks were scored over the season, and the top goal scorer in 11-a-side Hockey (Years 9 to 13) was Year 10’s Eirran with 10 goals for the U15A team over the season. For Years 7 to 8, playing 7-a-side, it was Year 7’s Issy and Sofia with 13 goals each! Two teams remained unbeaten over the course of the season in their Wednesday matches, the Junior 1s and Junior 2s.
Apart from our usual midweek matches, we competed in four County Cup Competitions. Our teams did amazingly well in these England Hockey Area Competitions. The 1st team, Junior 1s and U12 teams competed at the U18, U13 and U13 Regional Finals respectively after finishing in the top two in the County. We have had several players selected for Suffolk and Year 10’s Jemima B has been selected for the East Talent Academy.
What a season it has been!
Woodbridge Junior Teams
Our Junior teams finished their season on a high with a clean sweep over Langley with our Junior 2s, 3s and 4s taking on the U13A, B and C teams from Langley.
The Junior 2s started slowly after their last journey to Magpies but once they got going there was no stopping them. A win and another three goals scored (two from Year 8’s Ava and one from Year 7’s Chloe Y) to end the season unbeaten, with six wins and two draws, scoring 22 goals in the process and conceding just four!
The Junior 3s stormed to another convincing win, scoring three goals while Year 8’s Kitty kept a clean sheet. Year 8’s Elodie and Tati scored our goals. The Junior 4s won by the same scoreline, with Year 8’s Ellie scoring a hattrick of goals.
A pretty impressive last day of Junior matches – three wins, nine goals with only one against.
Well done to the players who didn’t play matches but continued to work hard on their technical ability in their games lesson and were pretty impressive mastering 3D attacking skills.
Woodbridge U15B vs RHS
The U15B team showed real fight and character in their last match of the season against RHS. Coming back from behind twice to draw the game was pretty impressive especially considering the awful weather conditions. The heart and desire shown by the team was a real highlight. Year 10’s Sophia scored both goals and Year 10’s captain, Isobel was named Player-of-the-Match.
Woodbridge Senior Teams
The last word goes to our senior teams.
The 1st team ended things with a good, but perhaps sometimes frustrating match against Langley. The team had to learn to adjust to these frustrations and just play. The Langley keeper kept everything out in the first half, until Year 12’s Bea stepped up to take a penalty stroke, which she converted well to send Woodbridge ahead. At the end of the first half Woodbridge had to deal with a period of sustained pressure from Langley which spurred the team on to be tougher and more clinical to use their chances and take the game away from the opposition in the second half. Player-of-the-Match, Bea, again was influential with line-breaking carries to get into the D and make chances, and ultimately goals. The first of these came with the perfect pass which Year 13’s Lara deflected well, before Bea scored the third in a clinical finish after a good attacking carry. Year 13’s Eve was influential at the back as well as getting involved in attacking areas and having shots at goal. A fun and convincing win to end a very positive season for the team.
The 3rd team hosted RHS for their last match. It was a hotly contested game with both goalkeepers being kept busy. It was great to see Year 11’s Eva back in goal and making such an impact in the game. Year 12’s Valentina scored when she found herself in the D, following an amazing solo run which saw the line to goal open up. The game ended in a draw, but hockey, sportsmanship and fun together were the real winners. Thanks to Mrs Scahill and this group of players for their commitment to this Hockey season.
Lastly, our 2nd team got two wins from two matches to cap off a great second half of the season and wrap things up with a last-minute winner. On Tuesday last week they faced Langley School and outplayed them with a very convincing win, showing the experience our group has. Goals were spread round and scored by Year 13’s Phoebe D (2), Lily G, Georgia G and Year 11’s Frankie (2) and Amelia. Player-of-the-Match was Lily G in her last match for School.
The 2nd team also featured in the last match of the season, against Fram College 3s under lights on the astro, last Thursday. This was a real nailbiter and left everyone on the edge of their seat until the very end. Many staff watching complemented the team on the constructive and attractive hockey they played. Year 11’s Amelia scored the opening goal before Fram College drew level. Woodbridge pushed for the winner in the closing stages with Year 13’s combining well. With time ticking away, the team made an overload count, getting numbers in the D, where Year 13’s Phoebe R scored the winning goal. A fitting end and fitting celebrations to draw the season to a close. Player-of-the-Match was awarded to Year 12’s Scarlett.
Last Competitive Match for Year 13s
It’s with a sad and happy heart that we saw our Year 13 play their last competitive matches for School – happy because of the players and people they have become, and sad because we don’t want it to be over. We are grateful to each of these girls who have given so much to Hockey at School, some from Year 3 when they started playing in matches, some playing their first matches in Year 7, some from Year 12 when they joined 6th Form and some making a return to hockey in their final year of School. Thank you: Lara, Nancy, Georgia P, Eve, Sophie, Phoebe D, Georgia G, Tabby, Lily C, Lily G, Phoebe R, Jazzie, Rose, Emily, Martha, Juno, Tilly and Libby! Thanks for fun memories and so many from this season. You will be missed!
