Blog week ending 19th March
British Science Week is a celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths. All scientific discoveries and advancements begin with a spark of curiosity, and this year’s theme Curiosity: what’s your question? encouraged our students to think deeply about the world around them.
Our special Science Week lessons challenged Year 7 and 8 students to think like scientists: spot patterns, ask bold questions, and explore the “why” behind everyday phenomena. Curiosity isn’t just a feeling; it’s a skill, and this week our students had the chance to practise it in full. It’s the spark that makes us wonder why the sky changes colour, how medicines work, or what the world might look like in 50 years. When students learn to ask good questions, they learn to shape their own understanding of the world.
Each lesson invited students to think deeply, experiment boldly, and follow their curiosity wherever it led. The result was a week full of energy, debate, discovery, and plenty of “aha!” moments. Questions students explored included: How could astronauts grow food on Mars? What’s the best design for a wind turbine? What should we trust a machine to do for us? What are biomes and what challenges do they face? and Should we reintroduce wolves into the wild? The below photos feature a tiny snapshot of the week – showcasing students’ ingenuity and enthusiasm for scientific invention!
This week, forty of our rugby students and enthusiasts enjoyed an unforgettable visit to Twickenham Stadium, where they were treated to an exclusive behind‑the‑scenes tour and a visit to the World Rugby Museum. The group were fully engaged throughout the day, finding the experience both inspiring and hugely exciting.
A particular highlight was the moment students walked through the players’ tunnel and stepped out onto the iconic Twickenham pitch, the very route taken by some of the greatest rugby players in history. One student summed up the impact of the visit beautifully, sharing that he had “an amazing time” and now has a new ambition: to one day run out onto that pitch representing our school.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable and enriching trip, our thanks go to Mr Corrigan, Mrs Kitchener, Mr Powell and Mr Ivil for accompanying and supporting the students.
Our Year 8 (U13’s) Rugby students took part in the Kent Youth Sevens Competition where despite being faced with some extremely challenging opposition – won every game and the tournament overall! Mr Corrigan provided the following report; “First game saw us blow the cobwebs off and with a tired and lacklustre start against Ashford School, we managed to run out 3-2 winners. The next game was against probably group favourites Bennett Memorial, so the guys were all fired up and ready to go, we took it to them and run out 6-2. The next few games, the same trend remained. With WGSB running out 5 wins out of 5 and the team remaining unbeaten since Year 7.” A sensational result, well done Year 8!
Our Year 7 Historians stepped back in time on a fantastic visit to the Tower of London, enriching their studies of the Norman Conquest. The trip brought Anglo-Saxon and Norman England to life as students compared the two eras while exploring some of London’s most iconic historic sites. A guided tour led them through King William I’s mighty fortress, including the White Tower, the Roman City Wall, and the famous Raven’s Arch complete with a close-up encounter with the Tower’s legendary ravens. With hands-on learning throughout, the day offered an unforgettable insight into how the Normans reshaped England.
Ms Mott’s Year 8 Design and Engineering students have been developing their own fully functioning night lights. The project has given students the opportunity to explore a range of practical skills and design‑thinking processes, from initial sketches through to assembling and testing their lights.
As the photos below show, students have been soldering electronic components, testing circuit design and creating their own 3D‑printed net shades to personalise their lights. The level of focus, creativity and problem‑solving on display has been impressive, and it is wonderful to see students so engaged in hands‑on engineering.
Our Year 8 Food Preparation and Nutrition students have been developing their understanding of the safe storage and cooking of raw meats, as well as exploring how seasoning can be used to balance and enhance flavour. In this week’s practical lesson, students put their learning into action by preparing a classic spaghetti bolognese. It was wonderful to see their growing confidence, as they applied new skills with care and enthusiasm.
Our WG6 Year 13 Biologists students have been busy putting microbiology into practice this week. After preparing and incubating their own bacterial cultures, they returned to the lab to examine the results, carefully counting colonies on agar plates to calculate cell density. By comparing growth at 24 and 48 hours, they’re seeing first-hand how rapidly populations can expand and how experimental conditions influence microbial behaviour. It’s a brilliant blend of theory and hands‑on investigation, and the class handled it with real scientific precision.
Congratulations to Mason L of 7A who took part in the Kent Schools Trampolining Competition at Jumpers Rebound Centre in Gillingham this week. I am delighted to report, Mason performed brilliantly, securing the 2nd Place Trophy!
The Dartford Bear Hunt. We are delighted to announce we have been selected to take part in the Dartford Bear Hunt community art trail in support of ellenor hospice care. Twenty bear sculptures will be decorated by local artists as well as forty-three bear cubs which local schools and youth groups will decorate – all will feature in the Bear Hunt Trail around Dartford. Following the Bear Hunt, the artists’ bears will be auctioned to raise vital funds for 
ellenor hospice care. We are thrilled to have been invited to join this exciting community project and our Year 8 students are already considering their potential designs and fund-raising initiatives. We will keep you posted as our bear cub progresses.
PTA Update. As always, thank you to all parents and carers for your unwavering support, every penny earned goes towards improving the school and enhances our children’s education.
Thank you for being such an important part of our PTA community! If anyone would like to get involved in any way, you would be very welcome!
We have the following event coming up:
Doughnut and Samosa sale 2nd April – breaktimes. Doughnuts and samosas will be sold at breaktimes, and you can also pre order these on iPay now.
Preloved School Uniform. We’re always happy to receive donations of preloved school uniforms. If you have any items to donate, please drop them off at Reception clearly marked for the PTA. If you’d like to request any preloved uniform items, feel free to get in touch via pta@wgsb.co.uk
Forthcoming Dates;
Ski Lesson (for those on Ski Trip) – 19 March 3:30
WGSB1st XI v DGS – 25 March 2pm
Ski Lesson (for those on Ski Trip) – 26 March 3:30pm
DofE Training Day in school – Saturday 28 March
Years 11 & 13 Grades Report Home – 2 April
Culture Day – 2 April
PTA Doughnut & Samosa Sale at break time – 2 April
Ski Lesson (for those on Ski Trip) – 2 April 3:30pm
Last Day of Term 4 – Thursday 2 April
Snowsports Trip to Sestriere – Saturday 4-10 April
First Day of Term 5 – Monday 20 April
Best wishes,
Stuart Harrington
Headteacher
