Year 7 Junior French trip students had an amazing weekend in Dèsvres, making the most of the opportunity to do and visit as much as they possibly could!
As well as visiting a magnificent aquarium, taking part in archery, aéroballe and even learning circus skills, they also took part in orienteering and visited la biscuterie Dhardelot, Les Chocolats de Beussent, the Montreuil-sur-mer market, and squeezed in time for lunch at the beach. It was an educational and enjoyable jam-packed weekend during which they immersed themselves in the culture and language.
Hear more about it all from Coco and Walter.
Coco:
“I was very excited before we set off on our trip, driving to Dover then going across the Channel on a ferry. After arriving in France we drove to a biscuit factory and learnt how to make the delicious biscuits.
We then arrived at the chateau and after a tour and an amazing dinner we did a night-time scavenger hunt. In the morning we learnt how to ask for food in French and bought our own food from a French market and ate it at the beach. We also visited a chocolate factory and learnt about cocoa beans and chocolate making.
The next day we went to an aquarium, the largest in Europe, and saw some amazing fish, sharks and a manta ray! This was my favourite part of the trip as I loved all the fascinating sea life. After lunch at the chateau, we split into groups and did activities such as archery, orienteering, circus tricks, and a game called aeroball which involved trampolining and basketball.
On the last day we travelled back to England on the shuttle and arrived back at Woodbridge School. I really enjoyed this trip, especially the aquarium and I liked learning circus tricks, and it was great to gain more confidence in my French speaking.”
Walter:
“Last weekend we spent three amazing days in France. We visited handmade chocolate and biscuit factories, as well as Nausicaa aquarium – I liked the aquarium in particular seeing all the fish and the seal show.
We stayed in a little chateau near Boulogne with great food and nice staff. We would do activities in the morning and afternoon and then played games in the evening.
I really enjoined the market where we had to buy food then make our own lunch, it really helped my French trying to ask for things in French at mealtimes and at the shops/ market.
I really wish I could do it again!”
Four Athletes Selected to Compete at English Schools Finals
Last weekend eight of our athletes competed for Suffolk in Kings Lynn at the Anglian Schools Championships; in various events across the track and field, this was the regional round of the very decorated English Schools Track and Field final.
Four of these students have been selected for the Suffolk team to compete at The English Schools Final, taking place in Birmingham over two days on the 10 and 11 July. A big well done to Year 10’s Hamish, Year 9’s Dex, Alexandra and India B on their qualification and we wish them the best of luck in Birmingham.
Read more about this event and all of our amazing athletes that took part, in our report from our Endurance Running Coach, Elisa Bostock.
The Junior Boys kicked of the middle-distance events on the track with Year 9’s Dex taking on the race early as he led home his Suffolk team with them all crossing the line in 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions! Dex won in 4:14 – just outside his PB.
Year 10’s Ben then raced in the 100m and got a PB against some very strong opposition in the Inter Boy’s category. Ben also came 2nd in his Long Jump.
In the Junior Girls 100m, Year 8’s Katherine, who is also County Champion over this distance, came 9th overall.
Year 9’s Imogen M led her 300m heat in the Junior Girls race until the last 30 metres and then placed 5th overall. Imogen also came 5th in the High Jump.
Year 9’s Alexandra led the Junior Girls 800m from the beginning with Year 9’s India B chasing well. Alexandra won with a spectacular kick from 300m to go with India hitting a personal best time and coming through the line in 3rd place.
Year 10’s Hamish led the way in the Inter Boys for his 800m and powered home in 1st position with a time 1:59 which is not even his PB!
Year 9’s Imarah, after a long wait over the day for her event, came a brilliant 3rd in her Discus.
Huge congratulations to all those Woodbridge School students who competed for their county at this tough event, where the standards keep on going up and up!
As confirmed at the beginning of this article, since Saturday’s success four of our young athletes have been selected for the Suffolk team to compete at The English Schools Final, which is incredible.
Next up for our athletes in the meantime is the National Prep Schools which takes place next Wednesday, also in Birmingham, at The Alexander Stadium. Watch this space for results from our Year 7 and 8s!
Last Friday, in rather warm but beautifully sunny conditions, our June Field Day took place, with students taking part in various activities across the School and in the local area.
Army
A fantastic 24hrs was had in the field. On Thursday night we conducted two exercises – one for the Year 9 cadets and another for the Year 10s. The Year 9s had their first go at working at night with patrol skills and night noises. The Year 10s had a patrol which culminated in information gathering and contact drills. On Friday there was a rotation of different stands for the Year 9s which included navigation, a sniper stalk, fire and manoeuvre and patrolling. The Year 10s conducted their first section attacks. Thank you to everyone for making it successful.
Royal Navy
Our Navy cadets spent their field day at Nacton and Waldringfield. They initially set up camp and cooked their evening meal and then took part in various evening activities until the early hours. With axe throwing, a variation on rounders, provided by the NCOs in the remaining light, and a blind trail through the woods, they then enjoyed a form of hide and seek in the dark woods, followed by a UN/enemy-based activity in the dark. Friday morning started with a PT session and then, after breakfast and striking camp, they split into two groups – one went canoeing on the River Deben and one stayed on site to use the land yachts (although sadly there wasn’t quite enough wind) and did some archery and more axe throwing, with the groups changing over at lunchtime.
RAF
RAF cadets enjoyed taking part in the overnight field exercise, designed to develop teamwork and problem-solving skills. Working in patrols, they navigated between activity locations, gathered intelligence from friendly agents, tested their artillery accuracy and demonstrated their marksmanship skills. Throughout the exercise, cadets were required to communicate effectively, make decisions under pressure and adapt to changing situations. The overnight event provided a realistic and engaging environment in which students could apply while enjoying a memorable outdoor experience.
High Ropes, Trampolining, Art, Music and more
Year 7 and 8 students took to the high ropes on a visit to Go Ape, while Year 12 Sports Leaders delivered support through teaching in the morning, followed by a reward of an afternoon of trampolining at Jump! Students had the opportunity to lay some lyrics down in Music, while others went climbing in Norwich for the day. With our golfers playing a round of 18 at Ufford Park and artists settling down by the river to draw in the morning sun, there was also an opportunity for students to help prepare the props for The Comedy of Errors, our Shakespeare on the Chapel Lawn production.
It’s fair to say that everyone enjoyed all of the activities; it was another great Field Day for Woodbridge School. Thank you to our students for getting stuck in and making the most of the activities, and to all of our staff who enabled it to happen.
Last week we hosted a Drama workshop lead by external facilitator Annie Eddington for some of our Year 7 and 8 Scholarship and Enrichment students.
Annie secured an MA in the Contemporary Practice of Shakespeare at the University of Essex where she went on to teach Drama undergraduates, whilst building a freelance career as a facilitator. She now freelances full time, working on numerous projects for many theatres including the National Theatre, the New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich, The Mercury Colchester, and the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds.
A familiar face in School, we were delighted to welcome Annie into School, working through language, interpretation, movement and many other aspects of Shakespeare’s work, focusing specifically on The Comedy of Errors, this year’s Shakespeare on the Lawn production.
Year 7’s Millar explained more about the workshop and his thoughts on the day.
“If I say The Comedy of Errors, what do you think of? Maybe twins? Mistaken identities? This was how Annie started our Shakespeare workshop.
After some physical warm-ups and exploration of the imagery in the play, including throwing Shakespearean insults at one another, we worked on blocking a boxing match in slow motion, where we couldn’t touch each other. After this, we were given a scene from The Comedy of Errors and in pairs or threes we worked on blocking it, making a silent movie of the scene. This all led up to performing a full scene from the play in bigger groups, with one director in each group.
The day was a great experience – Annie was really good fun and made the workshop really entertaining. My favourite bit was making the silent movie, because we learned how to use a rope in lots of different ways as a prop to bring our scene to life.
I can’t wait to watch the Year 9 performance of The Comedy of Errors next week, and I am very grateful for having the opportunity Annie gave us to understand it better.”
It’s been an incredibly busy few months for Careers in School, in fact the entire year has been bursting with activity and exciting opportunities for our students.
Careers Fair
Our annual Careers Fair in March was a huge success and continues to grow year on year, and both exhibitors and students outdid themselves this year. Attendance was fantastic, and exhibitors left delighted with the quality of conversations they had with students. We are pleased to confirm that the Careers Fair will return next academic year on Saturday 6 March 2027.
Talks in School
Numerous talks have taken place over the last few months, including:
Barclays – speaking about apprenticeships and graduate/intern positions
Careers in Veterinary – Sam Fowler (OW) spoke about his career as a vet and routes into the profession
Google – Mrs Gill (current parent) very kindly came in and spoke about her role within Google and the careers available within her company
Careers in Journalism and Media – James Tzanoudakis (OW) spoke about his career as a sports journalist and presenter for Town TV
Forensic Psychology – Lucy Overton, a Chartered and Registered Senior Forensic Psychologist, spoke about what it is like to work within the prison service and what a typical day is like
Being a Paramedic – Matt Strudwick (OW) spoke about how he became a paramedic and the differences between qualifying through university or an apprenticeship, as well as what a typical day looks like
Getting into Politics – Tom Turner (OW) spoke about his journey into politics and how saying yes to opportunities has led him to interview Rachel Reeves, meet other politicians and visit Westminster
What is a Gap Year? – Mrs Stafford delivered a talk about the different Gap Year opportunities and spoke to students about things to consider
Clinical Psychology – Lily Felton (OW) spoke about her route into becoming a Clinical Psychologist and published author, and how important it is to embrace rejections, keep going, and most of all, take whatever opportunities arise
Events
Besides lunchtime talks, students have also been able to take part in various events:
Five students from Year 12 were invited to attend the MSC Games, an annual event held at MSC’s head office in Ipswich. Students from four different schools not only learned about the different careers within MSC, but also took part in a series of shipping and logistics-style challenges, developing strategies and competing for points throughout the day. The students had a fantastic day, and we look forward to hopefully being able to take part again next academic year
Annual trip to UEA for Year 12 students
CV Session for Year 12 students
BT Insight Day for students in Years 9 and 10, where they learned about BT networks, experienced the Outreach Lab, visited the Network Operations Centre and, perhaps most excitingly, tested out the different stations in the Technology Showcase
A Day in the Life of a Trainee Solicitor was open to students in Year 12 to attend, to see what a typical day is like. Parent Lizzy Ferguson kindly hosted the event, which covered topics such as routes into the industry. Students also worked through a number of different tasks, prioritising requests, sorting emails, completing paperwork and generally getting a feel for what a trainee may be asked to do
We visited the UCAS Discovery Event at the University of Suffolk with Year 12, which was a great opportunity for them to start seriously looking at which universities they are interested in, speak with them, but also see universities they may not have considered
Year 9 students got to experience a Vet Experience Workshop, where those students interested in the industry were shown how to bandage an animal, basic suturing patterns, and gloving and gowning for surgery
Mock Interview Day for Year 12 was a huge success, with students having to prepare their CV and apply for roles, and then be interviewed by industry experts. Thank you to Maddy Houchell (OW) from MSC, Adele Gordan from Reed, Lizzy Ferguson (current parent) and Pauline Lifton (from our very own Head of People at Woodbridge School) for conducting the interviews and giving feedback
In summary, it has not only been quite a term, but a truly remarkable year! Amongst all these talks, events and workshops, students have also been able to receive one-to-one guidance as needed.
None of these opportunities would be possible without the support of our alumni, parents and employer partners, and we are incredibly grateful for their continued involvement.
Excited for the year ahead, we would encourage everyone to save the date for next year’s Careers Fair, Saturday 6 March 2027. If you have any career-related questions or would like to get involved in our careers programme, please contact Mrs Sharon Stafford, Careers Advisor, at sjstafford@woodbridgeschool.org.uk.
With just days to go until the first performance of this year’s Shakespeare on the Lawn next week, we met with two characters from The Comedy of Errors, Antipholus S and Dromio, played by Year 9’s Rebecca and Giles.
We joined them as they rehearsed under the shade of the trees on the Chapel lawn. With props beginning to be placed in position it was the perfect opportunity for actors to go through their lines, consider their entrance and exits, as well as their physical position on the ‘stage’. Out on the lawn it was also the perfect chance to practice voice projection, remembering that some of their audience will be some distance away as the lawn is packed out with audience members on both nights traditionally!
They were also performing without scripts for the first time, with lots of enthusiasm and energy; they embraced the opportunity and it was an impressive run through of a particularly challenging scene for all.
Talking to Rebecca and Giles, it was clear to see how excited they are about next week’s performances.
Antipholus S – played by Rebecca
Antipholus of Syracuse enters The Comedy of Errors as one of the identical twins at the heart of the play’s chaos. He is shaped by a deep curiosity, a sharp intelligence and a lingering sense of displacement. Thoughtful and constantly searching, he arrives in Ephesus determined to find his long‑lost twin brother, and much of his behaviour throughout the play is driven by this quest for identity and belonging.
“The rehearsals have been a really good experience, and they’ve really helped me understand the language of Shakespeare – I wasn’t very comfortable with the language at first, and now I’m really enjoying it. It’s lovely to be outside rehearsing too, it makes it more real and you can imagine performing on the night! I’m probably most excited about the whole performance coming together; we’ve all worked really hard, and spent a lot of time together making sure everything’s right; from acting to props to costumes – it’s been brilliant to be part of this.”
Dromio – played by Giles
Dromio of Syracuse is Antipholus’s loyal servant and one half of a pair of identical twins, bringing much of the play’s humour and energy to the stage. Known for his quick wit, sharp wordplay and fast‑paced banter, he acts as the comic engine of The Comedy of Errors. Despite often finding himself confused by the chaos around him, Dromio remains devoted to Antipholus and does his best to help, even when he doesn’t fully understand the situation. His lively personality and comedic timing make him one of the most entertaining and memorable characters in the play.
“Most of my scenes involve me running around – my character has a lot of energy and expression! I’ve enjoyed getting to know everyone in the play, and been able to spend time with people I wouldn’t usually have had the chance to. We’ve had to learn how to work together, to understand each others’ characters, know how to react on stage – even when we’re not speaking in that particular part of the scene. My character has quite a challenging accent, but it’s been a great experience learning how to deliver that. I’ve really enjoyed the humour in the play too, it’s made rehearsals fun – and I know we’ll all feel the same way on performance nights.”
Make sure you come along on 30 June and 1 July; tickets for both performances are selling fast, so make sure you get yours at ticketsource.com/woodbridge-school-drama/.
Having hosted and sponsored the Young East Anglian Artist competition and exhibition once again this year, Woodbridge School Prep is delighted to share that a 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winner, along with a Highly Commended piece have been selected; these pieces were exhibited alongside 250 other chosen from submissions to the competition, at the John Gibbins gallery in Woodbridge last weekend, from 19 to 21 June. Congratulations to those children and well done to everyone who took part.
A community centred, philanthropic event that captures the imaginations of children at local primary schools across the region the competition has captured the imagination of thousands of budding young artists from across the region. The theme for 2026 was ‘Discovery’ which is at the heart of all creativity; the thrill of uncovering something new, the quiet wonder of a hidden detail, or the bold leap into the unknown! Having been invited to reflect on discovery through their art, the amount and quality of artwork submitted has been nothing short of phenomenal and we would like to thank everyone who took part, it’s been an utter delight to see the different kinds of art children have shared.
This has also been a wonderful opportunity to continue to support the chosen charity for this competition, Cancer Research UK; having raised over £5,000 across the years the competition has been running, we’re honoured to continue to support the charity, with funds raised helping to fuel real-world breakthroughs. Funds have already been raised by each entrant contributing and making a minimum donation of £2.50 per piece of artwork, and more will be raised when selected pieces will be sold after the exhibition of artwork closes.
Once again thank you to everyone who took part, those behind the scenes at Woodbridge School Prep and in the gallery organising and managing the competition and exhibition, and to everyone who took the time to pop along and see the amazing artwork shared by children from nursery age to Year 6, from schools across Suffolk. Thank you also to our wonderful judges, Alice Ridley, Laurel Berry, Spadge Hopkins and Amanda Warren.
There were two early starts for Woodbridge athletes over the last two weeks, first was the East Area Prep School Championships in Bedford on Friday 5 June where year 6, 7 and 8 competed with athletes from 53 Eastern region schools.
Those athletes who finished first and second were rewarded with a place in the East team to compete against the other regions at the National Prep School Championships in Birmingham on 1 July at the prestigious Alexander stadium where the European Championships will be being held this summer. It was a busy day with 27 athletes from Woodbridge School competing in a variety of events.
National qualifiers were: Year 8’s Chloe with a win in the 1500m for the third year running, Year 7’s Ralph who took 2nd place in discus, and the Year 7 4 x 100m relay team of Walter, Max, Stanley and Callum who came in 2nd place.
Other top ten finishers were:
3rd – Year 7’s Sofia – 800m
3rd – Year 8’s Matilda, Belle, Katherine, Chloe – 4 x 100m relay
4th – Year 7’s Ralph – shot
4th – Year 7’s Callum –100m
4th – Year 7’s Walter – 200m
4th – Year 7’s Sofia, Florence, Sophia, Issy – 4 x 100m relay
5th – Year 7’s Issy – javelin and 200m
5th – Year 7’s Walter – high jump
5th – Year 7’s Tweel – discus
5th – Year 8’s Archie – 800m
6th – Year 8’s Ollie – 1500m
7th – Year 8’s Miles – hurdles
7th – Year 7’s Florence – 1500m
9th – Year 8’s Katherine – 100m
9th – Year 8’s Martha – javelin
9th – Year 7’s Stanley – javelin
9th – Year 8’s Will, Seb, Archie, Miles – 4 x 100m relay
10th – Year 7’s Ralph – shot
The rest of the team included: Year 8’s Elodie, James and Luke, with Year 7’s Anasuya and Alex. Well done all on a busy and long day!
Our second early start was for the Regional A Final of the Track and Field Cup for both the qualifying girls teams on Tuesday 9 June in Thurrock. A team of twelve/fourteen students have to cover all events between them, doing two each (one track one field), scoring points for their distances and times.
Junior girls are a mix of Year 7 and Year 8 and inters Year 9 and Year 10. It is a difficult competition with athletes often having to compete in their second or third best events in order to maximise team points.
It was a tough competition for the Woodbridge School students, competing with the best schools from Essex – but they rose to the occasion working hard and producing some great performances.
Top scorers were: Year 8’s Martha with 43, year 8’s Chloe with 42, Year 9’s Alexandra with 41 Year 9’s ,India J with 37, Year 7’s Issy with 36, Year 9’s Imarah with 34, Year 7’s Sophia with 34, Year 8’s Katherine with 33, and Year 10’s Eirann with 30. Both teams finished in 11th place.
Thank you to the staff helping and parents supporting and a very big well done to all the athletes who gave maximum effort and were a great credit to Woodbridge School.
29 of our Year 9 students from our Français en Plus class travelled to Morzine in France and spent a week experiencing everything this alpine village has to offer; with lessons in the morning and afternoons spent in the mountains. From paddleboarding, climbing, hiking to an exceptional viewing point of Mont Blanc and treetop adventures, to taking part in a biathlon, zip wiring and dipping in the water at the bottom of a waterfall, it’s been an incredible experience for everyone and the perfect opportunity for students to not only understand more about the culture, but to practice using their French in preparation for their GCSE course starting next year.
Issy and Henry shared more about the trip, their experience and the adventurous activities!
Izzy, Year 9
“The Morzine trip was an unforgettable trip – it has definitely been one of my favourite so far.
The day we were travelling we stopped at Genève and got to walk around the town and the flower clock and got to see the big water fountain called ‘Jet d’Eau’. In Morzine, we did French lessons in the morning, and for one of lessons we went to a market and had the chance to try lots of different foods, as well as talk about and ask how much thing were in French.
I feel like we all came back home and had learned much more French. I really enjoyed the activities that we got to do, consisting of paddle boarding, biathlon, climbing, hiking and tree top adventure. These activities were so much fun, and everyone always had a smile on their faces.
We had a bingo night one night run by Maizie and I which was really fun. We all made so many memories there and loads of photos were taken to remember everything. This trip is such an amazing opportunity to go on. Overall, such an amazing experience!”
Henry, Year 9
“This year marked the first trip to Morzine for Woodbridge School, and it certainly set high standards for years to come.
Following a very early start on Sunday morning, we landed in Genève and were given free time to roam around the city in groups. Some groups went to the famous fountain, others explored the local cafés. By mid-afternoon we boarded a coach for a drive which took us through the winding mountain roads of the Alps. Once in Morzine, we had time to relax for the remainder of the day.
During the following days, the activities included: paddleboarding on an alpine lake, a biathlon, rock climbing up a cliff, hiking on a mountain and ziplining over a waterfall as well as climbing on alpine trees – my personal favourite was the lake as the views were spectacular. On the hike, we had the opportunity to see Mont Blanc, which is the highest mountain in the Alps, it was an amazing sight.
After all the activities for the day were finished, we spent time exploring Morzine. The town itself is surrounded by breathtaking views, and we could even occasionally see the ski resort of Avoriaz.
But we didn’t only do activities, every morning we had immersive French lessons, where we were encouraged to speak mainly French. We were taught by native French speakers, who gave us fun activities for each lesson ad encouraged to use our French throughout the day!
It was such a great trip, by the final day I didn’t want to leave!”
Well done to our students who were brilliant and a big thank you to those that made the trip possible, in particular the staff who were travelling alongside them.
Year 9 students have returned from an action-packed week in Spain, visiting Salamanca on their Spanish study trip. Known for its rich history, Salamanca is home to medieval landmarks, grand churches, historic universities and some of the best urban viewpoints in the country, as well as museums, exhibitions and a superbly diverse food scene. Attending daily lessons, they’ve been able to completely immerse themselves in the language and culture of this beautiful city, making the most of this wonderful opportunity.
Sharing more about the trip and their own personal thoughts and experiences, we spoke to Izzy who was excited to tell us everything they’d managed to pack into a week in the province.
Izzy, Year 9
“My School trip to Salamanca was an amazing experience that I really enjoyed. During the visit, we explored the beautiful cathedral and learned about its history and impressive architecture. We also took part in a salsa dancing session, which was great fun and helped us experience a popular aspect of Spanish life.
Another highlight was visiting the car museum, where we saw a fascinating collection of vehicles from different periods, including a Ferrari F1 car from the 2021 season.
Walking around the city, we admired the colourful street art, which added character and creativity to the streets. One of the best parts of the trip was staying with host families.
In the evenings, we enjoyed delicious tapas and had the chance to try a variety of traditional Spanish foods.
My hosts were incredibly kind, welcoming and helpful. They made me feel comfortable from the moment I arrived and were always happy to talk and help me practise my Spanish. Overall, it was the best school trip I have ever been on!”
Thank you to staff that travelled with our students, and to everyone for making this an unforgettable experience.
