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Don’t feed the plants!”

Little Shop of Horrors Delights and Delivers as Whole School Performs to Sell Out Audiences

If you managed to get tickets to see this year’s whole School musical Little Shop of Horrors, you will know for yourself what a tantalising and exceptional performance it was for all who had the chance to see it- and be involved in it!

Students from every year group across the School performed on stage, supported by musicians, designers, technicians and teachers – everyone involved can be extremely and exceptionally proud of the preparation, commitment and dedication they’d made, and that was clearly evident in each and every performance, no matter what part they played in ensuring our audiences were delighted, to say the least.

The energy of every show was evident from the moment you entered the theatre, until the minute you stood to offer the standing ovation – it was an electric atmosphere, on stage and in the audience, and a feast for absolutely every sense!

The Story of Two Audreys

The opening scene saw the audience join Seymour in Mushnik’s florist down on Skid Row; working alongside the love of his life (unbeknown to her) Audrey, he’s keen to boost business and so begins looking into different types of plants to sell – and so we discover Audrey II – what else would he name it?! Realising the plant is carnivorous, Seymour foolishly begins feeding it his own blood – and as it grows bigger and bigger, so does its appetite.

The plant attracts the attention of the press and so the florist becomes famous – an overnight success. We then see Mushnik take the decision to adopt Seymour, thus creating ‘Mushnik and Son’, much to Seymour’s (financial!) delight as the floristry business continues to…flourish!

Although keen to continue feeding Audrey II, Seymour soon realises he simply can’t give it enough of his own blood and so, with his love interest Audrey regularly at the receiving end of her dentist boyfriend’s violent temper, the decision is made, the plan is hatched – Seymour will kill and feed him to the plant! Two birds one stone? With the dentist dead, Seymour and Audrey could be together…

And so they were, for a short time, but Audrey II – whose appetite grew out of control as did the plant – eventually eats not only Mushnik but Audrey too, who on her deathbed begs Seymour to feed her to the plant so his success can live on beyond their love. And so Seymour finds himself alone – with Audrey II. How long will HE last? If you’ve seen the play you’ll know the answer to that. Not long.

A story told many a time on stage and in film, this classic came alive on our very own Seckford Theatre stage, and it was clear to see the vast amount of preparation and rehearsal that had gone into ensure every scene was what it was – truly magnificent to watch.

Of course, our key characters shone on stage, but that light also came through in the Supremes, the Temptations, in every person who had their feet on that stage and in the aisles of the theatre in some scenes. It was wonderful to see such a cross section of age (since it was a whole School musical) in terms of our actors, the sheer volume of students involved meant this sell-out show was vibrant and alive with the sight and sound of everyone involved – it really was a treat! With the lights, music, dancing, theatre set and costumes – at times you simply didn’t know where to look as there was so much to see, complementary movement and acting encouraged the audience to really feel part of the story, like they might actually be there!

Old Woodbridgians Celebrated 10th Anniversary of Their Own Performance

Family, friends and people from our community in the audience included a number of Old Woodbridgians; celebrating the 10th anniversary of their own performance of Little Shop of Horrors. Sharing their thoughts of the atmosphere ahead of the performance, they confirmed that backstage the atmosphere was a combination of nerves, excitement and exhaustion channelled into adrenaline, and that the mood in Music Room 2 could only have been described as joyful. This humble classroom had been transformed into a fantastic venue for Miss Norman, Stephen Cole the President of the Old Woodbridgians, and Sam James the School’s Alumni and Engagement Officer, to welcome back some of the cast of the 2014 production of the same musical for a reunion.

While the 2024 cast were preparing for their show, the 2014 returnees and their guests were enjoying a delicious supper and a lot of catching up and reminiscing. It was wonderful to see so many OWs return and to show off their School to their partners; just as lovely was that two of the 2014 cast had siblings in the 2024 show.

The pride in and love for the School was tantamount, as was the strength of the friendships formed here. One OW commented how surprised he was at how emotional he felt being back here after so long. All relished how welcome they felt and how they still feel part of the Woodbridgian community.

It was tricky to drag the guests away from Music 2 to watch the show at 8.00pm, time flew too quickly and there is never enough of it at events like this. Once in their seats, they all enjoyed what they described as a ‘triumph of a musical.’

“Who needs the West End when you have Woodbridge?!”

Alex Farquharson (OW 2008-2015), The Masochist LSOH 2014

Ms Mayes our Head of Drama and Johnny Williams our Assistant Head of Drama, must have been completely exhausted after a week of performances, but they stayed on after the show to catch up with the OWs. More reminiscing and memories were shared late into the night – it was delightful to hear stories from both sides of the performances, today’s and ten years ago.

‘Don’t just take our word for it’

We hope you managed to see the show for yourself but if you didn’t, we’re sharing extracts of comments, feedback and reviews from various audience members who were kind enough to get in touch with us, sharing a taste of the phenomenal performances given each and every night, and at the Friday matinee.

“I have to write to you to say how much I thoroughly enjoyed the show last Wednesday. The whole evening was enchanting from start to finish. From embracing the Woodbridge ethos of community in allowing everyone to be involved who wants to perform, leading to a packed stage full of joy and enthusiasm, to some outstanding individual performances, although the whole cast was fantastic. I have to mention the truly excellent James and George, and a vocal tour de force in Xander’s Audrey II (there was so much colour, detail and polish in his singing, I was very impressed). Claire Weston had clearly coached them impeccably, and it showed. I fear the memory of Fergus G-H’s manic Masochist will not leave me for some time; it was a remarkable cameo!!”

“The musical was incredible! The students are perfect testament to the hard work of everyone but also a resounding representation and endorsement of the whole School community, including the wonderful OWs. The whole evening made me very proud to be a part of Woodbridge School.”

“Wow, wow and wow again, what a show, what a performance! It was completely inspirational and the sheer delight on the faces of those taking part was something to behold. They were so professional, so keen to do a good job, so synchronised with one another in their dance moves, so competent with their singing and acting that it took my breath away. Everything was there in spades – the acting, the dancing, the music, the staging, the props, the enthusiasm and the commitment – it was completely amazing.”

“Even in the professional theatre, even in London’s West End, where would you find a show with nearly 200 young people on stage and in the chorus line? My heartiest congratulations go to them all on stage, as well as the many behind-the-scenes people who have played their part so well and especially the teaching staff for Drama, Music and Choreography and all the other skills needed for a show like this. They have all done a wonderful job and are worthy of the highest praise.”

“The whole performance was brought together by a truly excellent stage band, led by your Director of Music, Jonathan Woodley. It’s so heartening to have musicians at the School demonstrate such an incredibly high standard of performance. The pick- ups in the piece are incredibly hard to coordinate, with the singers also using monitors, and it was seamless. There were times during the evening, and I say this most sincerely, worthy of a West End show. The pianists deserve special mention -their playing during the quieter numbers was superlative. Kudos to all of them and the whole music department.”

Experimenting with different techniques such as watercolours, lino printing, digital experimentation and collage, Year 10 Graphic Design students have been working on their tourism project, to design and create traditional promotional travel posters for their favourite destinations around the world.

Their brief was to choose their own favourite destination and create a traditionally styled poster that promotes local tourist attractions and places to visit; for the poster to be appealing and informative, but at the same time individual and creative. The designs incorporated in the posters have to be adaptable, able to transfer to merchandise such as mugs, keyrings, stickers and other marketing materials; the students will eventually use the sublimation printer to actually transfer their designs onto and create their own mugs.

The initial exploration stage has seen students thinking about their holiday destinations, what they enjoyed and what they think others might like about those places, countries and activities you can do while there. As well as deciding upon a destination to advertise, students considered different graphic styles they might like to feature as well as taking inspiration from their favourite and/or chosen artists and/or designers. Preliminary sketches helped them to lay out and see their visualisations of their concepts, eventually laying these out digitally and storing online as part of their portfolios, and the creation of mood boards to help organise their project concepts as well as assist with visualisation and communicating of their ideas to themselves and others. The design of their poster came to life throughout this process, and so they began to put pen, paint, acrylic, pencil, watercolour, POSCA to paper – different students choosing and using different techniques to create and bring their designs to life.

Having chosen Norway for her destination, Millie shared,

“My Mum is from Norway and we visit at least three or four times a year, so that’s why I chose this particular destination and country. Norway is a beautiful place and I love the style of the buildings; they’re mostly wooden with very little brickwork, and they’re white and clean.” She continued, “My poster is advertising small villages and towns as well as things to do while you’re visiting, I’ve based this on my own knowledge and experience and it’s going to feature boating, hiking, sight-seeing and the mountains as they’re particularly stunning. My artist inspiration is Ruth Allen who uses watercolours and fine lines. I’ve always wanted to experiment with this technique and have the chance to give it a try and so this seemed the perfect opportunity, I think it will capture the beautiful simplicity of Norway in the way that I want it to.”

Talking about learning Graphic Design Millie said,

“I love this subject, most of all the independence and freedom I have to not only think about and plan each project, but for the execution. We always have plenty of time to do what we need and want to do, and to take time to enjoy it too – which I think is the most important part of this. I’d love to think that I could go forward with a career that focuses on or features Art, and so that’s why I love Graphic Design particularly.”

Laura and her family have visited Amsterdam several times on holiday together, and she fondly remembers riverboat tours where you can see all of the houses and much more of the country. She shared,

“My poster will feature the beauty of the city, showing people what a lovely place it is to visit. I’m inspired for this project particularly by the artwork of Beckim M, a bold and vibrant artist whose work features simplistic shapes which I really like.”

She continued, talking about the materials, method and style of her poster,

“I’m going to be using POSCA pens, which are paint marker pens essentially. I did think about and try collage, but I’ve decided this method offers a much larger range of colours and the finished poster will look vibrant while hopefully being simplistic and beautiful at the same time – reflecting the style of the artist I’ve chosen and the way I feel about the country and what it offers visitors”

Working with different materials, tools, techniques and taking inspiration from artists and designers around the world, students have access to a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the teachers who provide support, assistance and direction where needed, as well as continual encouragement to be creative and individual. This project demonstrates clearly how one brief can be interpreted in many different ways and styles, while all meeting the overall objective and initial brief. Mrs Cracknell, Head of Design at Woodbridge School added,

“Graphic Design as a career is ever changing but many of the traditional methods and skills that are needed are still highly important. As a graphic designer you must be willing and able to turn your hand to a range of artistic techniques, and therefore, this project enables the students to experiment with various processes, both digital and hand generated, in order to achieve an outcome that not only responds to the design brief but also boasts individuality and creativity. The work the students have created so far are all completely original and designed entirely by them. They should be very proud.”

For more information, visit Creative and Graphic Design Studies.

We caught up with some of our Year 7 students in Design recently, speaking to them about their latest project – trophy design and production in metalwork. From learning and using computer software to physical design and manufacture using different materials and tools, they talked us through the process and experience so far, including their learnings and the importance of safety.

Ahead of beginning their project, Mrs Cracknell our Head of Design shared the brief: To design and make a metal trophy and laser cut medal for a sporting event of your choice.

Xander chose to design and make a sports trophy for skateboarding, explaining, “It’s something I enjoy outside of School, particularly the agility it encourages through balance and the different skills you need to be able to skateboard well. It’s not like riding a bike, there’s so much you can learn and do.” He also shared, “I’m hoping to improve my skateboarding generally.” So perhaps he’s hoping to win a trophy for himself one day!

Creating his trophy from metal, Xander explained that he started his design using a sheet of paper, drawing and cutting out what he visualised the trophy to look like as an end product – a person on a skateboard. He added,

“Once you’ve got it drawn out on paper you can cut it out and really see how it should look in the metal. I used a sheet of metal, and did the same thing – drew it out and then cut it using a drill and hand saw – I did slip a couple of times so had to start again, but it’s all part of the process.” Talking about the safety required he said, “You have to be very careful when cutting metal, when using the tools – we’re taught how to use them in a safe way so we don’t injure ourselves or others. You also have to be especially careful with the edges of metal when you cut it, they can be very sharp. I spent quite a lot of time filing them down so they weren’t dangerous.”

Cecily’s trophy represents skiing, one of her favourite sports, and we joined her as she prepared to spot weld.

“In the beginning I had netball, running and skiing in my mind. I really like skiing, it’s a great sport and I participate outside of School, and enjoy on holidays too. In the beginning, once I’d decided which sport I wanted to focus on, I thought about how the trophy would look. It was really important to me that it represented the movement you get in skiing, so I had a few ideas which I cut out of paper before deciding on the final design – that part of the process was really helpful.” She continued, “I’ve used a lot of different tools and skills so far for my trophy design, learning how to safely and accurately cut metal has been one of the most important parts, along with learning how to bend the metal into the shape you want it to be. I’ve used the saw and the drill and today I’m going to be spot welding parts of the metal together. I’m excited but also anxious, but we’re being taught how to use the welder safely, probably the most important part!”

Cecily and Xander both plan to keep their trophies at home once they’re complete, but there are several weeks left of the project and so they’re taking their time to perfect their metalwork and then finally decorate it in a style that suits.

Speaking about the project, Mrs Cracknell Head of Design commented,

“This project has been taught at Woodbridge School for more than twenty five plus years! We have OWs who visit with their own children who remember making their own metal trophy. The reason we have continued to teach this project in Year 7 is because of the vast range of skills that are acquired in metal work by creating just one outcome. We have, however, in the last two years made the addition of the sporting medal, to ensure that students have an extended experience of the subject, and in this instance it is the use of computer aided design and manufacture. Students use Adobe Illustrator (industry standard software), to design their medals and convert files for our department laser cutter which creates a highly accurate and quality finish.”

Once these trophies are completed they’ll take up pride of place in our students’ homes; something from School they can share with their friends and family, and look back on as their design skills improve and change throughout School.

23 of our A level Artists and Photographers set off early last Friday morning to take the Eurostar to Paris.

In what seemed like a whirlwind of a weekend, they had an incredible time together in the city, managing to see modern and contemporary art at no less than seven different galleries, including: Musée Rodin, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Musée D’Orsay, Louvre, Centre Pompidou, Fondation Henri Cartier Bresson, and Palais Galliera.

It was an excellent opportunity not only to see and experience Paris and some of the art on offer, but to immerse themselves in the language and cuisine.

Year 12’s Amelie B and Bash shared their experience of the weekend.

Year 12’s Amelie B
We visited museums such as the D’Orsay, Rodin and the Louvre which were not only hugely inspirational in their setting but also in the material with a range from The Thinker, Van Gogh’s self-portrait and The Mona Lisa. On the first night we had a candlelit pizza dinner at Le Bookie which was very atmospheric and had delicious food. The next day we were off to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs which featured a wide range of textile based art and then hit the gift shop for some postcards.

Year 12’s Bash
Over the weekend we visited the Henri Cartier Bresson Foundation, who was a pioneer in street photography as well as the Pompidou which displayed a wide range of contemporary art, broadening our inspiration for our upcoming work. I especially enjoyed visiting the Cartier Bresson Foundation as he’s a photographer that I’ve looked at and taken inspiration from; seeing his work in the museum gave me more ideas and talking points for my related study on the ethics of street photography. The last evening in Paris was spent at a French steakhouse where we soaked up the Parisian vibes even more!

Since our last report the Hockey has continued, and below you can see reports from matches for our Junior, U14, U15 and 1st XI teams.

Junior Action
Following the excitement of a clean sweep in the first block fixture, seven teams, featuring all 66 Junior hockey players set off for Harleston Magpies to take on the strong teams from Greshams. The Junior 4s and Junior 5s achieved superb wins! The Junior 4 team’s goalkeeper, Year 8’s Seth, kept a clean sheet with impressive saves throughout the game, and especially stopping a series of low and high attempts at his goal right before the final whistle. At the other end his team scored at regular intervals to make it seem like a comfortable victory.

Mr Davis reports from the Junior 5’s game:
A very slight squad reshuffle meant that this was, on paper, a strong Junior 5 team, who were still buoyed by their victory from the previous week. And, indeed, they started the match the sharper of the two teams. Year 8’s Jacob and Year 7’s Lewis were incredibly industrious throughout the match and took us to a three-goal lead at half-time. Year 7’s Thomas added another in the second half before we conceded a scrappy goal towards the end. After a long and winding journey and playing in a chilling wind all the boys did exceptionally well to keep their winning record.

The Junior 2 and Junior 3 teams were frustrated with two close losses, by a one goal margin, after playing some pretty impressive hockey and competing very well. The Junior 6 and 7s must be commended for their first matches, also losing by two and one goal respectively but being set up nicely to excel from in the games to come. The Junior 1st team had an afternoon best to forget but lots to learn from and very determined to put this into action. Well done to Year 7’s Otto on his pretty good goal on the day.

Woodbridge Junior 4 – 7 Teams vs New Hall
The next week saw the Junior 4 to 7 teams take on the long journey to New Hall to play two matches each; a very exciting afternoon.

Mr Gage reports from the Junior 4 matches:
The Junior 4’s went to New Hall looking to replicate their performance against Greshams from the week before, with the focus being on moving the ball wide quickly with speed. Woodbridge opened the scoring early on with Year 8’s Tahir after some very good build-up play. Woodbridge continued to apply pressure on New Hall but a good stint of goalkeeping kept us from scoring again. It was one goal apiece in the second half (Year 7’s Tom C scoring for us) but Woodbridge had done enough to take the win in their opening game.

The second match saw the home side the more dominant of the two. Putting together a series of strong attacks saw New Hall take the lead early on. Woodbridge didn’t take long to level the scores through Year 8’s Tahir again, however after a great save from Year 8’s Seth the ball found its way into the net from a rebound. A great afternoon of hockey for all involved.

The Junior 5s kept their unbeaten record going with a win and a draw against U13 teams from New Hall, meaning surely Mr Davis will be getting the donuts delivery in soon!

Miss Hinton reports from the Junior 6 matches:
The Junior 6 boys enjoyed a fruitful afternoon at New Hall, playing against two teams and winning in both! After a good warm up, the boys started strongly, attacking the New Hall goal, hardly leaving them time to breathe. Our first goal was a fantastic team goal with a perfectly weighted ball into space on the right from Year 7’s Giles, and George B running onto it and crossing it across the face of goal for Year 8’s Henri to be at the back post and tap it in, poetry in motion! An end-to-end match for the rest of the time saw us defend our lead and look forward to taking on their second team.

They then took on the second group from New Hall for a second match, and had got into their stride completely, running tirelessly and slipping the ball forward to seasoned finisher, year 8’s James for two identical goals slotting the ball confidently past the keeper. Our final goal came courtesy of another team passing phase and Year 7’s George B getting his first hockey goal for Woodbridge and the delighted grin summed up a wonderful afternoon of hockey for our boys. Well played, team!

The Junior 7s joined in the celebrations with a win in their first game, Year 7’s Thomas R being the goal scorer. Having to go straight into a second game after the high of the win, proved a bit too much for emotions and legs and the boys had to let New Hall enjoy their win in that one.

Well done to each of these boys who represented the school so well and thanks to staff for managing a really busy afternoon.

U14 and U15 Teams
The U14 and U15 teams have enjoyed some great success recently. The U14B team played their first match of the term, also seeing some debutants. Ipswich High School hosted our team. Mr Pineo was very impressed by his team in their attitude and desire to learn in a convincing win.

Some words from the U14B game:
A fun afternoon for all! Ipswich High started very well and scored a well worked goal. This kick-started the Woodbridge boys into action! Going into the second half with a two goal lead gave Woodbridge some freedom in their play; many chances were made and everyone playing lots of new positions. Year 9’s Toby and Zach were excellent throughout. Well done boys.

On the same day the U14A team faced Royal Hospital School, a second meeting within two weeks and this time an important cup fixture, to determine the County champion. Woodbridge started brightly and were dominant in the midfield and camped out in the RHS half. Unfortunately, Woodbridge could not get their shots away and didn’t trouble the keeper. With the mounting pressure getting too much for the RHS defence, some fantastic disciplined pressing lead to an interception and shot away into the corner by year 9’s Toby. The second half was a closer affair but with Woodbridge having the upper hand. Year 9’s Charlie managed to put away a quick chance from a rebound to double the lead. The game ended 2-0 to Woodbridge and some mentionable performances from Jago up front, Oliver M in defence and Oliver Y in midfield. Jago winning the players’ Player of the Match and Oliver Y winning the coaches’ Player of the Match for his great distribution and breaking up the RHS counter attacks. This win means the U14s will represent Suffolk at the regional event in March.

Following on from this the U14A team took on Ipswich School U14B a week later, Mr Walsh reports:
Woodbridge exploded out of the blocks and dominated the first half with some quick direct play. At half time Woodbridge had a handsome lead with goals from Jago, Ambrose, Oliver R and Charlie. The second half was a tighter affair but Woodbridge managed to get back to playing some great hockey and moving the ball quickly and changing the channel to then attack up the pitch. Charlie got his second of the game while Arthur kept a clean sheet at the other end. Well done to Oliver R for being voted players’ Player of the Match.

Woodbridge U15A vs Greshams in the Independent Schools Cup
While the U14A team was tasting success at Rushmere, the U15A team produced a performance for the history books. Taking on Greshams in the Independent Schools Cup, it was going to be a cracker.

The group of players showed skill, knowledge, determination, endless effort and big hearts. Every plan was executed with a structured, disciplined, united and hard-working defence, and slick passing patterns in attack to move the ball through midfield and feed the forwards. Not for one moment did a single player get out of shape and allow Greshams to dominate the way they like to. In fact, it was Woodbridge who dominated the opening ten minutes but could not capitalise. Greshams started to find their stride and the game went end to end.

When Greshams did manage to find the smallest gap through the defences year 10’s Edward was on hand to make the required saves in goal. With all level at 0-0 at half time, Woodbridge knew there was a huge opportunity up for grabs.

Starting the second half sharply, Sam L (Y10) thought he had put Woodbridge ahead with a brilliant strike into the top left corner. As celebrations were about to take over the realisation dawned that the whistle had gone a second before. It was not to be. Next it was Year 9’s Elijah and Harry who combined with a great 2v1 to have only the goalie left to beat. As Harry was about to unleash a last-ditch jab took the ball away from him, and with it the scoring chance.

Woodbridge kept probing and once again the ball found itself in the 9-yard area, but this time Year 10’s Rowan got to it first and tapped it through the goalkeeper’s legs to give Woodbridge the lead. Greshams did not take likely to this and pushed hard to get the equaliser. Multiple short corners followed, but Woodbridge defended! Even the corners from the wrong side could not outwit the team, who learned fast in these moments. A five-man Woodbridge defence up against ten players to defend yet another corner with time up… the ball was cleared and celebrations commenced, closely followed by handshakes and credit to both teams for a great game.

Every player delivered a personal best performance and worthy of Player of the Match. Year 10’s Alex H, Year 9’s Oliver M and Year 10’s Theo as a defensive trio played with maturity, composure and dominance in defence and outlet which allowed Woodbridge to have lots of possession. This possession was used well, moving the ball across and along the pitch with efficiency, covering every part of the astro with square and through passes.

Co-captains Year 10’s Jasper and Tom were creative and consistent in midfield, while doing the simple and unexpected things well. Year 9’s Seb never faltered at left mid. Year 10’s Oscar P gave the game a new spark at the start of the second half, powering up the right flank. On reflection Player of the Match is awarded to year 9’s Oliver Y for being outstanding in very position, also when filling in at right back, like he has played there for years. The team eagerly wait to hear who they will face next.

Woodbridge 1st XI vs Fram 2nd XI
After a challenging start to the season, the first team had all to play for when they hosted Fram College 2nd team. A small squad also welcomed Year 9’s Oliver Y to make his first team debut as well as Year 10 duo Jasper and Tom. All three ‘fresh’ from their battle against Greshams.

The game started very brightly as Woodbridge took a two goal lead courtesy of Year 12’s Luca and Year 13’s James. At the other end Year 12’s Bash was making sharp saves, starting the game in good form.

Fram was not going to stand for being outplayed and came back strong to draw things level, only to have Woodbridge go ahead, through a fantastic two touch goal shot on the bounce from captain Year 13’s Edward. Five goals scored in 30 minutes!

The second half saw Woodbridge continue to work super hard and manage the game. Continuous encouragement from Edward kept the team moving, and pushing for more. But the scoreboard remained unchanged, much to Woodbridge’s delight.

What a fantastic match with two attacking teams, fast moving ball and lots of skilful running! A well-deserved win to the team who have battled hard so far this term.

It’s been an amazing Cross Country season for Woodbridge School athletes, and as it draws to a close we can confirm that a number of our students have been selected to represent their counties at the final National Cross Country events of the winter calendar.

Congratulations to all of those selected, details below:

UK Inter Counties – Nottingham Saturday 9 March
A record thirteen athletes will represent Suffolk and Essex at this one off event attended by every county in England, Wales and Scotland. For U20 and above the race also serves as the Great Britain selection event for the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade on Saturday 30 March.

Racing for Suffolk (Burgundy vest):
U13 Girls : Year 7’S India J, Ella and Alexandra
U13 Boys : Year 7’s Dexter, Joshua and Otis, Year 8’s Digby
U15 Girls : Year 9’s Romilly and Felicity
U15 Boys : Year 10’s Jasper
U17 Men : Year 11’s Angus and Year 12’s Iwan

Racing for Essex (Red Vest):
U20 Men : Year 13’s Henry

English Schools Championship – Pontefract Saturday 16 March
The largest and most competitive schools Cross Country event of the year for Juniors (Year 8) and above, where each county select their top eight athletes across two year groups to compete for individual and team honours. The top ten individuals on the day, at Junior and Inter level, are then selected to represent English Schools at the home nation international the following week. (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales).

Racing for Suffolk Schools (Blue vest):
Junior Girls: Year 9’s Romilly
Junior Boys: Year 9’s Jago and Year 8’s Digby
Inter Boys : Year 11’s Angus
Senior Boys: Year 13’s Henry and Year 12’s Iwan

On short non travelling reserve lists:
Junior Girls : First Reserve – Year 9’s Felicity
Senior Boys : Third Reserve – Year 12’s Bruce

We wish our athletes every success and would like to thank parents and staff for their tireless support through the winter!

An impressive brutalist campus (complete with Antony Gormley sculptures) did not disappoint our Year 12 students earlier this week, as they embarked on a visit to explore one of our closest universities: The University of East Anglia. Visiting to see and experience life at university, the trip provided some real insight into higher education, and what life might be like beyond School.

The rich community and character of the university was shared in an engaging introduction to the life of students on the campus. Through the abundance of clubs and societies, 57 sports teams and close proximity to Norwich City centre we saw the unique unity at UEA, and it seemed as though there was something for everyone.

Although the finance talk that followed on the costs of university was equally informative and engaging, it was the small tour groups with enthusiastic student ambassadors that best showcased the friendly and passionate atmosphere within the university. Students were able to explore the entire university from the renowned Sainsbury’s centre to the campus accommodation; receiving a first-hand insight in to the diversity that the campus offers.

Home to an amazing Environmental Sciences department, and the first university to offer a Master’s in creative writing, the student ambassadors articulated the range of courses at UEA as well as answering a host of questions from Year 12, in the student forum panel.

Many thanks to everyone at UEA for inviting us to spend time on campus.

Various matches and a league tournament have taken place recently for our netballers, see our team reports below for further details:

U13 Netballers
Our U13A netball team have had a very strong start to 2024, winning both the league tournament and all of their fixtures so far against Finborough, Framlingham, RHS and OBH. The tournament saw them score a total of 69 goals against OBH, Framlingham Prep, Orwell Park, Barnardiston Hall and Finborough, it was a superb afternoon of netball – well done everyone! Many thanks to Framlingham Prep for their hospitality and to the parents who came to watch. This is the second year running we have won the tournament – amazing effort from all the players.

U13B Netballers
As a team, these girls are really starting to come together very well; they work very hard on court, are very keen to learn and are now putting into play the tactics we have been working on. Lottie’s shooting to date has been particularly impressive and the defensive interceptions coming from the whole team, but particularly from Layla, Eirann and Annabel has been incredibly high. We now need to work on retain possession and turning those interceptions into goals.

In a match later in the week, the U13B team played OBH. After a poor first quarter the girls turned the game around by slowing their game down and improving the timing and accuracy of their passes, going on to win the other three quarters to take the match. Lovely shooting from Grace and Lottie, strong defending from Annabel, Layla and Millie and good support though the centre court from Eirann, Emilia, Alice, Isabel and Freya.

U14 Netballers
Just before and on the back end of the weekend at Regionals, the U14As played both St Jos and RHS at home, coming away with two brilliant wins! In both matches, we were able to swap positions around to allow everyone to challenge themselves in positions they may have never played before. A great term effort, well done!

U15 Netballers
After a first match loss against Finborough the U15A team have had a successful few weeks winning matches against RHS and the recent U15 tournament.

This week saw the team really play to their capability against Ipswich School. Whilst in the game all the way they were always behind by one goal until the final quarter, when in some tricky and very windy conditions they played some exceptional netball, turning over the ball, retaining possession, working the ball to advantageous positions to ensure a safe shot and an eventual win. Well done team.

The U15Bs have enjoyed matches against St Jo’s, Ipswich and RHS. Coming away with a strong win and two losses, (one which was played in the windiest conditions ever!), the girls should be proud of how well they have gelled as a team. The windy conditions did impact our passing and shooting a little, but once we were used to the weather, we started coming in front for short passes and ensured our shots were taken as close to the post as we could.

Seniors
The 1st team enjoyed their first full game versus RHS. With a depleted team, due to illness, we called up two of our Year 10 netballers, Lyrah and Millie, who slotted in brilliantly!

From the starting whistle, the team played with the utmost tenacity, determination, and drive to succeed and their performance on the court demonstrated this. The game was phenomenal. From turning over the first centre pass and scoring, to pressuring the opposition for them to make simple mistakes, we were in control of the game.

Flawless shooting by Year 13’s Steph and Year 12’s Charlotte, even from the circle edge, and strong and effective defending by Year 12’s Georgie P and Lyrah, picking up interceptions and rebounds to superb centre court play by Year 13’s Libbie, Year 12’s Marina and Millie, enabled us to control play from both our defending end to our shooting end and our support around the circle, brilliantly. Well done, girls!

There’s more to share next week, so look our for our next Netball report.

Leatherworking as Part of the Curriculum
Woodbridge School is one of only a few Schools in the region to offer Leatherworking as part of the curriculum for Design students. In Year 12, 3D Design students are given the opportunity to learn traditional leatherworking craft skills, the aim being to create a high quality product to produce in a small batch run.

For our Graphic Communication students, it presents the chance to conceive and develop brand identity, design logos and packaging for products, as well as understand the entire life cycle of a product from conception through to sale. Students work in collaboration with one another from concept through to delivery.

Design Students’ Concepts and Creation
In terms of the physical design, students have access to a variety of materials including not only leather, but metals, threads and other materials that can be incorporated into the design to increase aesthetic appearance; they’re able to personalise their own leatherwork creating individuality.

Skills learned include those required to use appropriate tools in a safe and effective way, as well as using traditional handmade techniques they might not have had to opportunity to experiment with or implement before. These include forming templates, cutting accurately, saddle stitching and cleaning edges; techniques specific to leatherworking; these skills are transferrable to many careers in the design industry.

“Graphic communication students are encouraged to explore ideas that are interesting to them and they utilise a range of various techniques to achieve the result they want.” Mrs Cracknell, Head of Design explained. She continued, “This could include either hand generated or digital solutions, or a combination of both. Most students work on Adobe Creative Suite and Pro Create. Furthermore, students learn to create packaging templates, which are then often programmed to be cut on our laser cutter for a highly accurate result. Another strand that graphic students explore is video editing and creating content for web and social media. For this project, the students will create a 20 second promotional video to advertise the leather product and brand.”

3D Design and Graphic Communication students were paired or put into small groups, and the overall brief given to each team:

As a team, you will design, plan, make and promote a product manufactured from leather. You will work together to decide upon your product, produce a small batch run which must also include packaging, design a brand for your company and promote the product and the brand using social media as your platform.

Mrs Cracknell, Head of Design explained, “This project is designed to widen the students’ experiences and skill sets. First of all, being put in a group or pair means you have to communicate, compromise, encourage and support each other through the process, which is often the set up expected in most workplaces or even at university. Furthermore, there are many aspects to cover, from the initial design stages, through to development and manufacture, so the students have to multi-task, and carefully plan their work loads. And finally, it gives each student a chance to get hands on and help each other to meet the final deadline. Towards the final days it will be likely that 3D students will need to work on graphic tasks and vice versa.”

We recently spent time with Year 12 3D Design students Havannah, Rosie, Amelie, and Ted as well as Year 12 Graphic Communication students Alina, Amelia and Imogen, approximately mid-way through their Leatherworking Project at school which provides opportunities for skill development and enrichment of their learning experience.

Meet Year 12’s Havannah, Rosie, Amelia and Ted – 3D Design Students
Speaking with the students it was clear that they were all enjoying the individuality and freedom the project allowed, many commenting that this was the best part of the process, that it was about them, their preferences and their trial, sometimes error and definitely success.

Havannah described the bracelet she had designed and was beginning to make, explaining how she was enjoying the work,

“I’m not the kind of person who can decide absolutely everything on paper, so it’s been really good to have the time and freedom to explore ideas, figure out what was going to work – and what wasn’t – and let the style and design develop as I experimented.” She continued, “Working with the different materials, as well as the leather, has been really interesting, figuring out ways to make something that’s individual and desirable, that I think other people might like too, because at the end of the day the outcome is that we create something that could be sold.”


Choosing to create luggage tags, Rosie told us,

“I chose to make these as I could not only create something that I and other people would find useful, but I could use a variety of different colours and textures of leather. It’s been great to use the different tools and develop skills needed to work with leather – it’s not as easy as you, or rather I, thought!” She also said, “I’m about half way through this project now, having just finished an architecture project which I also loved doing – that’s the thing about Design there is so much variety, freedom and creativity encouraged, it’s so enjoyable. I’ve particularly enjoyed looking at and learning about the considerations needed for the lifecycle of a product. Through from thought to design and creation, marketing and selling. It’s so great to think that this product has come from me, I’m already really pleased with it.”


Talking about her bracelet, Amelia commented on how she’s differentiating her design from others with the use of thread as an additional material,

“I’m chosen to embroider my leather bracelet, so it’s completely unique and special. It’s something I would like to buy or receive, definitely something I would wear – and that part of the thought process was really interesting and meant we had so much freedom in terms of designing and creation.” Talking about the process, interestingly she also mentioned, “I’ve changed my mind a few times during the process actually! It’s actually quite hard when you know you could do anything, making a decision and sticking to it and following that through is difficult as you do worry if you’ve chosen the right one, what would have happened if you’d chosen another -there are as many issues as if it had been a prescribed design, just in different ways. It really makes you realise and appreciate the journey products take from design to shop!”


Ted has chosen to make a bracelet too, but his design incorporates a metal too,

“My bracelet is designed using brass, I wanted a special and individual clasp to feature as part of the overall design and finish, so it’s different to something you might have seen before. The learning process is certainly interesting working with a metal, it doesn’t always go the way you think it will as it can be unpredictable when using heat to manipulate it into shape and design intended.” He also added, “I’ve really enjoyed the freedom we’ve been allowed on this project, and the trust – but knowing Mrs Cracknell is there for advice and guidance when you need it is brilliant, you can talk through your thought process and get ideas on different methods to use, and taught how to use particular tools needed – as well as safety when using them. I’ve loved experimenting.”


Graphic Communication Students, Development of Brand Identity Through to Delivery
While our Design students are literally creating their products, our 3D Graphics students have been briefed throughout the process as part of the project, collaborating in order to conceive brand identity, logos, marketing material and packaging – and will also produce a promotional video which will be presented, alongside everything else including concepts, packaging, finished articles etc. to Miss Norman at the end.

Mrs Cracknell, Head of Design explained, “Essentially the role of the graphic students is to set the tone in creating a brand identity for the product and hypothetical company. This also includes designing the packaging and promo video. This process reflects what the actual product is, considers its appeal, its customer and target audience. It’s a vital part of the journey of a product beyond physical creation.”

Meet Year 12’s Alina and Amelia – Graphics Communication Students
Alina was creating the logo when we caught up with her, and she talked us through her thought process and creativity,

“I wanted to keep it very simple and sleek. I’m experimenting with different ways of doing this but haven’t made my decision on the final design as yet. I’m considering using gold leaf to make the boxes completely unique, but I’ve lots of other ideas too, so I don’t want to decide on one single thing just yet.”

Alongside her fellow students, she’s also been working on packaging and producing prototypes for boxing, with considerations made for those sold in person (in shops perhaps) as well as those online; thought being given to how well they will transport and the client’s expectation and experience – all vital elements of the process.

Amelia talked about what she’s currently working on, as well as her previous work on packaging also,

“We work as a team with the Design students, take our brief and develop the different elements required. We have to communicate effectively and make sure we’ve got all the information we need, it’s such an important part of the process because if something is missed it could change the entire brand identity.” She added, “I’ve particularly enjoyed learning to use the laser cutter to produce possible packaging options, I’ve looked at what other brands do online, as well as those I come into contact with myself in shops and from online stores, taking time to first of all sketches then draw out possible designs using the computer, it’s amazing how it comes to life in front of your eyes! I’ve loved working on this.”


Mrs Cracknell commented on the overall process and the journey towards completion for all of the students we met and spoke with today, “The students are only half way through their project right now, so there is still time and opportunity for their creativity and skills to develop much further, and it will be really interesting to sit with Miss Norman and hear them present their finished products, packaging, logos and other marketing materials at the end of this part of the course. I’m excited to see what they achieve, and I think they are too.”

RAF Cadet Year 11’s Henry, recently travelled to visit British Airways at Heathrow for an immersive day in the life of a pilot and cabin crew. Chosen from three thousand applications, as one of only eight others invited, our report from Year 11’s Henry holds details about the day as well as his offer for work experience with British Airways.

Year 11’s Henry
On Saturday 27 January, British Airways invited me and seven other cadets to Heathrow Airport for an immersive day in the life of a pilot and cabin crew. I’d seen their career stand at the RAF Aerospace camp, was asked a few questions and told to put my name down on a list to be considered for this experience. Out of three thousand cadets that applied, only three hundred got in and out of that the best eight were picked and were invited for a day at Heathrow.

The morning started with a quick brief and meeting the captains we would have for the day. We then went into the simulator building and were assigned groups. First activity of the day for my group was a presentation on careers and a website called Speedbird Z which is the British Airways website that teaches you about the careers and other aspects of flying; flying the full sized motion simulators following shortly after.

We were then given a private tour of the newest A350 of their fleet, and the afternoon was filled with air steward training including, evacuation from a mock-up cabin, sliding down the evacuation slide and firefighting training.

The absolute best part of the day was the tour around the A350 with it being so very interesting to see how the aircraft works and what it looks like when it is parked with nobody on.

I also had some great news from BA; just over a week later I they contacted me to say I had been offered work experience with them; and of course I gladly accepted!

My whole mindset is to become a pilot as it is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I would definitely recommend becoming an Air Cadet and trying to apply for the camp as even if you don’t get invited to an external event it’s still worth it. It’s the best camp I have been on!