Last Friday afternoon, the School was full of family, friends and OWs here to celebrate our CCF Inspection which took place in the glorious sunshine. With parades and displays from all sections including Army, Navy and RAF, it was an excellent display of our students’ commitment and dedication, as well as their hard work and enthusiasm, and was certainly enjoyed by everyone. With the Inspection carried out by OW Lt Cdr David Armitage, Year 13’s Lucy our Head of Contingent, shares her report on the day.
Thank you to everyone who came, took part and helped organise this wonderful tradition which I know is much anticipated and enjoyed each and every year.
Year 13’s Lucy, Head of Contingent
Woodbridge school CCF annual Inspection took place on Friday 1 May. This event is not only an inspection of the CCF but of the work and dedication that has been undertaken throughout the year to be able to show the CCF at its best.
This year we welcomed back Old Woodbridgian Lieutenant Commander David Armitage, a Naval pilot who has committed his life to piloting the Merlin helicopter.
The afternoon began with a full contingent parade with the quarter Guard at the centre. Myself, Miss Norman, Major Garvie and Lieutenant Commander Armitage then proceeded to make our way around each section, starting with the quarter guard and ending with the RAF. Hearing the cadets mention their passions within their sections was a great highlight to the day.
The parade was followed by three displays: the combat cadets team’s casualty evacuation, the winners of the Trower trophy drill competition (the Navy) offered a drill showcase, and then finally a student-led drum corps performed by cadets in the Navy rounded up the displays.
Major Garvie and I then accompanied Lieutenant Commander Armitage around the grounds of the School showing the diversity of Friday afternoons in the CCF. We started strong with seeing Mr Smith teaching RAF cadets how to make rope out of nettles in bushcraft and moved on to see activities such as the zip wire, first aid, cooking in the field and finally rounded off by visiting the cadets in the flight simulator where Lieutenant Commander Armitage shared his wealth of knowledge on the physics of helicopter flying to keen cadets who regularly attend the flight simulator extra-curricular.
We then watched the gun run, the final event in the Trower trophy which cadets have been competing in all year. This year was a close call, with RAF A flight taking the win as the wider community of the School stood and eagerly watched.
The day was then rounded off by a team effort to pack away the gun run and a final parade where Lieutenant Commander Armitage gave us insight as to where this valuable experience in the CCF may take every individual and how the skills learnt in the CCF will never leave you or do you a disservice. He then had the pleasure of awarding the gun run trophy to the head of the RAF section (Year 13’s Angus) and the overall Trower trophy to the head of Navy (Year 13’s Reuben P) which could not have been a better end to the day, as when Lieutenant Commander Armitage was head of the Navy section in 2007, he too lead the Navy to victory and won the Trower trophy.
Finally, a personal thanks to the heads of section Year 13’s Ethan, Angus, Reuben P (Navy) and all other leaving NCOs who did nothing but show the brilliance of Woodbridge School CCF.
Our Drama Scholars and Enrichment students enjoyed a screening of The National Theatre’s Jane Eyre late last week, which will be followed by a post screening discussion. Sharing her review of the performance, Year 9’s Rebecca talks about what she found impressive, the staging and how she felt generally about the play.
Year 9’s Rebecca
“The National Theatre’s Jane Eyre was an unforgettable performance of a timeless classic.
What impressed me the most was the unique stage design, which, although simple, turned out to be surprisingly effective. In addition to that, the use of multirole and few props added to the emotional intensity of the play and captured its dark atmosphere, while remaining physically dynamic. Although the technical elements were impressive, it was the actors that brought the story to life on stage.
Madeleine Worall, playing the role of Jane, gave a brilliant performance. She conveyed Jane’s quiet strength and resilience, but also showed her bold and fierce side, making her feel deeply human and relatable despite her unusual story.
I also really enjoyed how the play mixed in some comedy to balance out the darker themes, keeping it engaging and interesting.
Overall, it was a memorable performance and stayed with me long after the last scene.”
As ever, our School has been buzzing with the sound and sight of primary school children from the local area, joining us to take part in our Primary Enrichment Programme workshops. Providing them with the opportunity to develop new skills and gain hands-on experience across various curriculum subjects, our programme helps strengthen and broaden children’s knowledge, while bringing genuine joy and enjoyment as they learn.
From K’Nex workshops, an English Murder Mystery and a multi-school Netball Tournament, to investigating what cells look like in Science and learning Mandarin and Spanish, our workshops take children out of their classrooms and allows them to experience and become confident in new environments, read more about them below.
K’Nex Workshop
Waldringfield Primary School joined us for a K’Nex Earthquake Challenge earlier in the year, with 23 Year 5 and 6 children attending and super keen to get stuck in! Challenged to save the people of San Francisco, they had to design and build a tower using K’Nex that could withstand our earthquake simulator. It was a super interactive workshop aimed at improving children’s ability to problem solve, work in teams and build models – and everyone had a great time!
Cells Workshop
Children from Bredfield Primary School, Melton Primary School and St John’s Primary School joined us separately for a Cells workshop – what do our cells look like? Children from Years 5 and 6 had great fun looking at objects under a microscope, providing a whole new perspective on everyday objects. Learning how to use the microscopes safely and effectively, they looked at interesting samples from nature as well as their own cheek cells, learning how to create slides for themselves too.
English Murder Mystery
Providing a fun and practical workshop where children created a file of evidence laying a trail of clues to help others solve a murder, we welcomed 31 Year 5s from Brooklands Primary School and St Pancreas for this English skills workshop. Taking roles and writing a wide range of text styles from police crime scene notes, newspaper cuttings and bank final demands, to love letters, diary entries and forget notes; all evidence taken back to school to be used by their peers to solve the crime!
Mandarin and Spanish Workshop
Waldringfield Primary School children from Years 5 and 6 spend time in our School learning about these languages, their countries and culture. They sang songs, talked about traditions and made Spanish carnival masks as well as learning about how Mandarin word characters were invented – competing to see who could assess the most characters successfully.
Netball Tournament
We were blessed with some warmer and sunnier weather for our Netball Tournament in School in March, where we invited children from Lawford, St Mary’s, Woodbridge, Nacton, Kyson, St John’s Primary Schools, as well as children from our own Prep School, to join us and play. Competing against one another in lively and competitive matches, our sports coaches took every opportunity to share and impart sporting knowledge about the game; from correct moves to suggestions for improvements. Everyone had a great time and came away from the tournament with new knowledge and friends.
Multi-skills Festival
96 Year 1 children from Woodbridge, Melton, Lawford and Kyson Primary schools took part in our Multi-skills Festival. With a range of different sporting activities on offer for everyone to learn about and take part in, it was a brilliant day and provided lots of opportunities for children to not only develop new skills but to enjoy sports they possibly hadn’t taken part in before. Woodbridge School Sports Leader students were on hand to offer assistance and support throughout the day.
Chess Tournament
Following generous and much appreciated support from ECF Grassroots Chess Initiative, we were delighted to hold our Chess Tournament in School, where children St Mary’s, St Pancras, Orwell Park, Royal Hospital School and our own Senior and Prep School joined us for our Chess Tournament. Learning how Chess can support the building of strong analytical and decision making skills as well as pattern recognition, children enjoyed hands-on training, leaving with new skills and friendships!
It’s an absolute pleasure to welcome, host and teach children from schools in our surround area, we’re also delighted that our own students benefit from the programme as they regularly participate in workshops, helping to support children’s learning and experience. The programme can be tailored to most year groups, exploring a variety of topics that will inspire and delight children – and support teachers with subjects on the syllabus.
Last week, a group of 23 Year 12 students travelled to Sizewell B to learn more about nuclear energy, life on a nuclear plant and potential future careers/internships. Alex shared more about the experience.
Year 12’s Alex
“We started in the visitors’ centre with a quick use of VR headsets with their ‘Journey of the Atom’, before heading through to the safety briefing where we learnt about the day-to-day safety precautions that all workers must adhere to. In addition, we were given an overview of the history of the plant, a quick explanation on how nuclear power generation works and specific details about which areas do each part of the process.
Once we had all the safety equipment needed, we headed onto the site. Throughout the visit, the guides explained how nuclear energy works, from the process of nuclear fission to how the heat released is used to produce steam and drive turbines that generate electricity.
One of the highlights was visiting the massive turbine hall, which demonstrated the scale and complexity of the plant. The tour also emphasised to us the importance of safety, waste management and the role nuclear power plays in reducing carbon emissions.
Overall, the Sizewell B tour was both educational and engaging, offering a unique behind-the-scenes view of a major energy facility and helping to deepen our understanding of how nuclear power contributes to the UK’s energy supply.
Thanks to Sizewell B, and also to Dr Law for organising it!”
Last week our Chess team took part in the English Schools Chess Championships online repechage. Playing online rather than in person, it looked to be a challenging experience; finishing 22nd out of 24 teams.
Taking part in 53 games within just one hour it was an extremely fast-paced experience, and for some the time control was too challenging. With just 5 min+3sec/move increment for the whole game, there were some errors in such tough playing conditions, but we’d like to congratulate all of them for taking part and playing well.
Our most experienced players, Year 12’s Nikolai and Rowan won six of nine games and four of seven respectively, and Callum won five out of ten, but it definitely proved to be more challenging for our younger players, Year 9’s Sichen, Year 9’s Max and Year 9’s Arthur but they still played incredibly well and fought hard every minute of the game.
The effort our team has put into these championships has been exceptional, and although they haven’t finished in the top 12 they have done themselves and the School extremely proud.
Students from Years 7 to 10 had an excellent time on their junior ski trip over the Easter break, spending time nestled in the heart of the Grandes Rousses massif in Alpe D’Huez.
Boasting over 250km of slopes, including the famous Sarenne, the longest black slope in the world, students spent improving techniques during lessons, as well as sampling the local cuisine and soaking up the vibrant and friendly atmosphere of this renowned resort in the Alps. They also enjoyed Luge on rails, swimming in the heated outdoor pool, a pizza evening and movie and quiz nights, and really made the most of their ski trip!
Following a few days of limited visibility due to low cloud, the sun eventually came out and students enjoyed glorious conditions. With stunning scenery surrounding them at every turn, it’s clear to see they all had an incredible time in Alpe D’Huez.
Year 10’s Phoebe and Marina share more about the trip.
Phoebe
“This year’s junior ski trip was a trip we won’t forget. We skied four and a half hours each day and I feel we all came out of the week with new skills and a better understanding of skiing. We took part in various activities from swimming at the local pool while seeing who could endure staying in the piles of snow the longest before tapping out, then screaming with our friends going what felt like a million miles an hour on the luge. Many fun memories were made and I am looking forward to having this much fun again on the senior trip in December!”
Marina
“This year’s School junior ski trip to Alpe D’Huez was an incredible experience and easily the best trip I’ve been on so far. The snow conditions were fantastic throughout the week, and our instructors were incredibly patient and helpful in improving our technique which made the sessions on the mountain much more enjoyable. Beyond the skiing, we stayed busy with a variety of activities, ranging from an entertaining fancy dress day to a hands-on pizza-making evening. We even took a ride on the Luge, a thrilling rollercoaster that winds directly through the mountains. It was a truly unforgettable week that set a new standard for school trips.”
Thank you to all of our students for being fabulous ambassadors for the School, and thank you to Mr Brous, Miss Hinton and Mrs Rix for taking and looking after the students – without them, the trip wouldn’t have been possible.
With two charitable tournaments over the last few weeks, we’re delighted to share more about Chess played in aid of both the Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support
We were delighted to be invited to take part in the 15th Martlesham Heath Chess Tournament – a fundraiser for the Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s project ‘Mission 2030’ recently; students from our Senior and Prep Schools taking part. With 35 entries, comprising of 20 junior players and 15 adult, over £300 was raised for charity. Well done to Year 9’s Max, Sichen and Arthur, as well as Year 6’s Charles and Year 5’s Samuel who all scored four points out of a possible eight, and also to Year 2’s Daniel who was the youngest player, competing in his first official chess tournament.
English Chess Federation 24-hour Chess Marathon – Macmillan Cancer Support
A 24-hour online Chess marathon was held last weekend in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. The event was also held in memory of Adam Hunt (Head of Chess and Examinations Officer at Woodbridge School 2011 – 2025) and Jonathan Hawkins; two much-loved members of the chess community, who gave so very much personally as players, coaches and mentors. The marathon saw friends and supporters together to honour their legacy and help others affected by cancer. Top chess personalities such as Simon Williams, Frankie and Stanley Badacsonyi, Jovanka Houska, Natasha Regan, Matthew Sadler, and many more were commentators throughout the event on the ECF YouTube channel. You can find out more about the event at https://www.englishchess.org.uk/24-hour-chess-marathon-in-support-of-macmillan-cancer-support/.
Attending BT’s Insight Day at the Martlesham Headquarters, Year 9 and 10 students explored the Openreach Lab, where they began the day watching 3D printing in action, learning the difference between copper and fibre cables, and even discovering what it’s like to climb a BT telephone pole!
They also visited the Network Operations Centre (NOC), where they saw how engineers across the UK are monitored alongside vital systems and services. Later, in the Technology Showcase, they learned how BT is developing new technologies to support industries such as healthcare, finance, security, and even our own homes.
After exploring the path of an IP packet, learning more about how emails and streaming work, and discovering the journey data takes to reach our screens, the students returned to school bursting with new knowledge and experiences.
A huge thank you to BT Group for hosting us, and to our students for representing themselves and the School so brilliantly.
Year 7 have been busy designing sweet and treat dispensers in Design, briefed to design and produce a decorative object that could be filled with and dispense objects through a turning part. Throughout this project they worked with various materials and tools, learning how to use the hand drill, pillar drill, scroll saws and sanders. We joined them as they began the evaluation stage of their project.
Looking closely at what went well, what could be improved and what the learnings had been from the different stages of the project and design, most agreed that trial and error were possibly the most important part of the process. Making mistakes, spotting them and considering how they could be rectified, is an integral part of design and one our students have enjoyed learning about.
Talking to Darcy she shared,
“There were lots of different options I could base my design on, I decided on Spongebob’s Patrick as I love that character! I needed help with the turning wheel of the dispensing mechanism, as I hadn’t got it quite right the first time. I love design, we have lots of freedom in terms of what we might want to create, and it’s great fun working on something that you could actually use at home. Mine is dispensing sweets at the moment but I might change that to cat treats!”
Harrison explained,
“This project has made me really think about what goes into the design of lots of things I see and use every day. I had a few problems getting the dispenser wheel part of to turn, but with some readjustments it’s now working – and I’m really pleased with it. I really enjoy building things, creating objects from my own ideas that I can actually use at home.”
Emilia’s Jellycat bear design challenged her in a different way, she explained,
“Getting the design to match up where you put all the different parts of the dispenser together was really hard! The gluing was also hard work, but really rewarding once I’d completed it – I love it! It looks how I wanted it to and it works. I love creating, and being able to come up with our own designs; this project has been really fun.”
Others in the classroom shared similar challenges with the dispenser mechanism and ensuring the side panels line in in terms of design and aesthetics. There was a variety of sweet and pet treat dispensers around the classroom – but one thing was completely consistent – everyone thoroughly enjoyed the project and the time spent bringing their creations to life!
The Lent Concert 2026 at Woodbridge School was a masterclass in musical variety, held on Monday 16 March at St Mary’s Church. Thank you to everyone who came along to support our young musicians, and of course to them, for a wonderful evening showcasing their talent, passion and enthusiasm for music. Miss Weston, our Head of Singing, shares more about the evening.
“The evening began with a high-energy set from the Big Band, who performed 12 to 12 and the soulful classic Feeling Good with wonderful solos from Year 8’s Kitty and Year 9’s Henry. This was followed by a sophisticated turn from the Saxophone Ensemble, featuring Year 10’s Alex, Seth, and Year 13’s Isaac, who delivered Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte.
Adding a touch of whimsy to the program, Flutopia – consisting of Year 13’s Sophie, Year 12’s Meda, Year 9’s Esme and Year 11’s Laurynas – led by Liz Alexander, marked an exciting milestone with their first-ever performance as an ensemble, playing the Midsomer Murders Theme by Jim Parker. The vocal talent was equally impressive, with Year 8’s Kitty performing Someone Like You by Bricusse and Wildhorn, while Year 9’s Eleanor gave us Handel’s Let the Bright Seraphim. Year 13’s Isaac also stepped into the spotlight with Buckland’s Song Without Words on tenor saxophone.
The Concert Band showcased their range of repertoire with Jaco Pastorius’s The Chicken and Michael League’s Shofukan. Contemporary music was well-represented by the Year 7 Rock Band ‘If Only’ and Year 7/8 Rock Band, who brought a modern edge with 505 by the Arctic Monkeys, and the infectious Twist and Shout. ‘Idyll’ gave a premier rendition of George’s own composition Let Me Go.
As the evening approached the interval, the Brass Ensemble, led by Paul Shepherd and featuring Year 13’s Angus and Alice, Year 10’s Abigail, Year 12’s Margot, and Year 10’s Milo, performed Grainger’s Shepherd’s Hey and Joplin’s The Entertainer. The final stretch of the program featured the Swing Band, who energised the audience with Flip, Flop and Fly, Moanin’, and a grand conclusion of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida.
A special thanks is extended to the talented young musicians for their dedication and hard work. The School also offers many thanks to the Music teachers for their support and for playing alongside the students throughout the evening.”
