Blog week ending 21st July
What a spectacular crescendo to a truly memorable academic year! As we reach the end of another successful year, it is fitting that our final celebrations capture so much of what makes our school such a special place. Our annual STEAM Week has once again provided countless opportunities for students to explore the impact of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics through immersive, hands-on experiences. Carefully designed to elevate learning beyond the classroom, the programme encourages curiosity, develops new skills, inspires future pathways and, perhaps most importantly, creates opportunities for students to have fun, challenge themselves and enjoy time with friends.
This year has been made even more special as we have celebrated the 75th anniversary of WGSB. From the excitement of our It’s a Knockout event to the creation of a commemorative school poetry anthology, retro themed food and so much more in between, it has been a joy to reflect upon our rich history and celebrate the community that has shaped our school over the past three quarters of a century. These celebrations have reminded us that the values at the heart of WGSB, perfectly encapsulated by our motto, ‘Forward Thinking, Traditional Values’, are every bit as relevant today as they have always been.
WGSB continues to provide a truly transformative educational experience, equipping students with the knowledge, skills and character to embrace future opportunities, while also creating lifelong friendships and memories that will endure long beyond their school years.
The resulting student exhibition was a triumph – with all students proudly sharing their work and exploring others. The below offers just a small snapshot of the creativity, innovation and enthusiasm that have characterised this year’s STEAM Week and, indeed, the wider spirit of our 75th anniversary celebrations.
Finally, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our dedicated staff, supportive families and, most importantly, our remarkable students. Together, you have made this academic year such a special one. We wish all our families a happy, restful summer and look forward to creating many more wonderful memories together in the year ahead.
Drama & Music Group – Year 7 students have been embracing their musical creativity! Students have embarked on an exploration of cultural diversity through dance and music .. their enthusiasm and obvious joy were contagious, I left the drama energised! Their finished film capturing our musicians, singers and dancers working on their interpretation of Sapphire by Ed Sheeran was so incredibly uplifting. Their live performances during the Exhibition were nothing short of sensational.
Duke of Edinburgh – The expedition saw 149 Year 9 students embarked on their assessed expedition walking around the local Meopham area and based at Hope Hill Campsite. The DofE assessors were impressed with the confident and capable manner in which our students approached the expedition, each thoroughly prepared and excited to get started! Well done everyone! Students commented that they found the whole process incredibly rewarding – experiencing a great sense of accomplishment as they completed their assessed walk!
Science Superheroes. Students have been busy with applying their knowledge of science into their designs for superhero powers! Our students have been hard at work, coming up with ideas for inventions, and creating trebuchets, armour and rockets! These activities have been great for students to apply their work to real scenarios while also having fun making (and in some cases, launching!) these creations.
Afternoon Tea. The calibre of baking, pastry work and attention to details was incredible! As you can see from the below, our students created patisserie items worthy of any high-end restaurant!
Over in our DT department, Year 8 students have been active in creating their own slingshot games taking inspiration from old games. The process was split into two parts, the design stages and the practical stages, with the design stage learning about how to use CAD (Computer Aided Design) and leaning more towards design skills, while the practical stage taught students about new concepts in DT. The games proved very popular during our STEAM Exhibition!
Student sculptors reimagined the lion depicted in our school badge, sculpting an impressive pride of WGSB lions.
Mandalas are geometric designs representing the universe and spiritual journey and inner harmony. Students used our schools 75th anniversary as the basis of their incredible designs – considering our schools past, it’s present and imaging it’s future. Mrs Wisdom was particularly impressed with their creative interpretations and aspirations for our school!
Graphic Novels are an incredibly popular choice in our school library, so it was no surprise to see students so engrossed in creating their own imagined characters and adventures.
The ever-popular Model Railways group embarked on a major new build, first designing then building their scenery and railway buildings ..
Battle of Waterloo. This group have demonstrated themselves to be incredible strategists and team workers! Across the week Mr Salts group have researched the Battle, considering motivation and strategy before going on to assembly and illustrate their own ‘army’. Students took to the field to reenact the famous battle considering troop formations and attacking strategies.
Strategy & Mathematics. The Maths department ran a strategy activity where students played Catan to practice their strategy skills in a modern-day setting! The game also teaches students problem solving and the ability to negotiate with their friends to work and trade in their favour. A thoroughly enjoyable activity!
The MFL department ‘Junk Yard Challenge’ has seen students create existing monuments from all over the world using recycled materials to create their models! Students researched potential monuments before choosing one to base their design on. The exhibition included everything from geological monuments to man-made spectacles.
Sports Day Results. We managed to find a day that provided the occasional cloud and even a slight breeze! Despite the (few) postponements, Sports Day was still a huge success with some outstanding individual and group performances from our student athletes! Congratulations to all competitors .. and special congratulations to our winners!
It was incredibly tight with only 30 points separating 1st and 2nd place. Well done to all students who took part and of course to the winning house Mandela.
75th Anniversary commemorative aerial photo! Students and some staff (you have to look very closely to see me!) came together to create a special image to mark our 75th! Students really got into the spirit of the day .. creating a special WGSB Mexican wave, which I will share with you as soon as it’s available!
The hotly anticipated Staff versus Students Cricket match saw 12 members of staff taking on our highly successful Year 9/10 cricket team. After winning the toss, captain Mr Lynch elected to bat and got the staff off to a flying start alongside Mr Towse. Mr Lynch blasted 27 runs from just 12 balls, while Mr Towse contributed a hard-fought 9 before becoming the first wicket to fall.
Mr Smith and Mr Sage arrived with aggressive intent, looking to score quickly, but both were bowled out by some excellent student bowling, with Mr Smith picking up a few bruises along the way! The middle order struggled to maintain momentum, but the innings ended in style as Mrs Horton and Mrs Morrison produced an excellent late partnership. Their entertaining batting display helped the staff post a competitive total of 146-9.
When it was the students’ turn to bat, Mr Lynch set his field and entrusted the important job behind the stumps to Mr Corrigan. Admitting to some pre-match nerves, Mr Corrigan quickly realised that wicketkeeping is much easier when you’re willing to throw yourself in front of a hard cricket ball and worry about the bruises later!
The first breakthrough came thanks to a delivery that can only be described as “international-standard” spin, followed by a superb catch behind the stumps. However, the students fought back brilliantly. Shreyas (Year 9) led the charge with an excellent 49, before Year 10’s Sam arrived at the crease and immediately raised staff heart rates. Despite the efforts of Mr Sage and Dr Harris, he looked determined to guide the students home.
With the students needing 22 from the final 12 balls, Mr Lynch made a bold move, bringing Mr Corrigan from behind the stumps into the attack. Just two balls into his over, he produced a beauty that nipped back and clipped middle stump, sending Sam back to the pavilion. The final over was left to Dr Harris. A boundary from the first ball had the staff fearing the worst, but Dr Harris had other plans, claiming three wickets to seal a dramatic 8-run victory for the staff.
It was a fantastic match played in a brilliant spirit. The students were a credit to themselves and the school, and we are already looking forward to the next staff vs students showdown!
Our Year 10 Cricket Team made it to the final of the North Kent Cup Final, sadly losing to a very strong Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School team. After four years together, it was great for them to make the final. Mr Lynch would like to thank all members of the side for their hard work and commitment. They have been a joy to work with, and we wish them every success in their future cricket careers.
Careers Newsletter – Our latest newsletter, containing career tips and further information please click here
Year 12 Work Experience. Students have been out on a wide range of placements as part of their ongoing careers programme and personal development. One student, Chloe H L, has kindly provided the below report.
“This last week I’ve swapped a life of studying for a week’s real world experience with Stokes K9 training. Through my time with the company, I’ve shadowed trainers Michael and Caroline with everything from competition grade dogs to finding keys in the middle of a farming field, to stopping cheeky pets from biting the window cleaner’s ankles. However, with all aspects of dog training, I have learnt that it isn’t just commands, its science. The trainers use psychology through positive and negative reinforcement, leading the dog to associate their behaviour with the outcome. For example – a yappy dog who often lunges at the neighbour’s cat will soon learn that that behaviour results in an uncomfortable flick of the lead, while leaving the cat and walking on will earn them treats and praise. With consistency, they soon stop lunging at cats as they’ve been conditioned scientifically not to. However, one thing that I’ve learnt this week is that the biggest part of “dog training” is actually training the owners. Dogs are simple creatures, and pick up on what’s expected of them quickly, however owners who do not follow the programme or keep changing the command word will have a dog who they believe “just can’t be trained”. Training the dogs is actually the easy part. By far the highlight of my week though would be my visit to the Police Dog training academy in Keston. Due to my employer’s reputation in the dog world, I enjoyed an exclusive tour of the centre with a full explanation of how they train and allocate police dogs to their handler.
My biggest takeaway from the week is that work experience is and always will be what you make of it. Through clear communication with your employer before your placement, things can be set in place and organised (such as my visit to the police centre) without this, your employer will not know your interests. Only by talking to your employer and getting involved can you fully optimise the time you have on the placement. So, for anyone with placements over the summer or those looking to get ahead in the world of work, talk to your employer, put yourself out there ask questions and get involved. Work experience is an opportunity and it’s up to you to make the most out of it!”
Cause for celebration! Oliver P and Harry S, both of 8T, competed in the London Rugby League U14s Final with Bromley Bengals playing at the London Irish ground home to London Broncos. Bromley Bengals beat Elmbridge Eagles 32 – 10 to lift the winner’s trophy.
This is an impressive achievement, particularly as they are effectively playing a year above their age group, with Years 8 and 9 competing together.
Congratulations to Alexander W S of 10K who recently won two medals in the Kent Badminton Under 16s Kent Junior Futures Tournament, winning the Silver medal in Singles and the Gold medal in doubles. .. A double celebration!
Please join me in congratulating Eden L of 7M who recently competed in the “5th Best Leg International Open Poomsae Championships” last weekend at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. Eden represented his club, Nomad Taekwondo and entered two categories – winning both a Silver and Bronze medal. A great achievement Eden! For more details on Eden’s Club, please click here Instagram
Forthcoming Dates;
Last Day of Term 6 – 21 July @ 12noon
First Day of 2026/27 Academic Year – Thursday 3 September (except new Years 7 & 12 whose first day is Wednesday 2 September)
Best wishes,
Stuart Harrington
Headteacher
