Blog week ending 17th September
Welcome Back! After what I hope has been a restful and enjoyable summer, it has been a real pleasure to welcome our students back to Wilmington Grammar School for Girls.
There is something uniquely uplifting about the start of a new school year. The corridors are once again filled with conversation and laughter, students are reconnecting with friends, and there is a shared sense of anticipation about the year ahead. Whether our students are taking their first steps at WGSG or returning for another chapter of their journey with us, each brings their own ambitions, talents and aspirations to our community.
The beginning of a new academic year offers a fresh start for everyone. It is a chance to embrace new opportunities, discover new interests, challenge ourselves and continue to grow. I am continually inspired by the determination, kindness and enthusiasm shown by our students, and I look forward to seeing all they will achieve in the months ahead.
As always, thank you to our families for your ongoing support. Together, we will make this another successful, rewarding and memorable year for our students.
As Head of Year 7, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all our new Year 7 students and their families.
It has been wonderful getting to know the Year 7 cohort and seeing how quickly they have begun to settle into life at WGSG. Every student joins us with their own strengths, interests and aspirations, and getting to know them as individuals is one of the most rewarding parts of my role.
Alongside our Form Tutors and wider pastoral team, I am here to support students and families throughout the transition to secondary school and beyond. We want every student to feel known, valued and confident as they begin their Wilmington journey. The Year 7 team and I are looking forward to seeing you at our Year 7 ‘Meet the Tutors’ evening on Tuesday 29th September.
Please find some useful student and parent/carer resources below.
Link to Student Transition Booklet
Mrs Barnes’ Year 7 students enjoyed a hands-on Science lesson as they explored the world of microscopy. Learning how to prepare their own slides from onion skin samples, they carefully mounted specimens before using microscopes to observe the intricate structure of plant cells. The activity helped develop their understanding of laboratory techniques, while encouraging curiosity, observation skills and scientific thinking.
Mrs Cai’s Year 7 Mandarin students have made an excellent start to their studies, already demonstrating an impressive grasp of basic greetings and everyday phrases within just a few weeks of joining WGSG.
Students are now developing their pronunciation skills and learning to recognise and use the different tones that are fundamental to spoken Mandarin, alongside practising vowels and consonants. Throughout the lesson, mini whiteboards are used to record and display answers, enabling Mrs Cai to assess understanding instantly and provide immediate feedback. This effective teaching approach helps ensure that all students are confident with new vocabulary and concepts before progressing to the next topic.
As the photographs show, Year 7 students are fully engaged in their lessons and have settled quickly into studying Mandarin, making excellent progress and demonstrating great enthusiasm for learning a new language.
All Year 7 and Year 8 students enjoy dedicated library lessons as part of their timetable. Led by Ms Booth, WGSG Librarian, these sessions provide opportunities to discover new books, develop a love of reading, and take part in a range of engaging literacy activities.
In the lesson featured below, Year 8 students received their new reading booklets for the academic year. These booklets are designed to help students track their reading, complete exciting reading challenges and write their own book reviews!
The (pictured) lesson also included a lively ‘Literary Speed Dating’ activity, where students shared what they had been reading over the summer holidays. This gave them the chance to exchange recommendations, hear reviews from their classmates, and perhaps discover their next unputdownable read.
As part of the English curriculum, and to maintain the focus on literacy within the school, students in Year 9 will also participate in a dedicated Library lesson each half term. This year’s focus is on Media Literacy. Students will be taught about different elements of the media industry and how to improve their own media literacy skills such as lateral reading, decoding bias and how to navigate both print and digital forms of media wisely.
Students in all Key Stages are encouraged to join the clubs that the Library offers. On Tuesdays a Quiet Club is held for students to engage in chilled reading or silent study without distractions. On Wednesday for KS4 and Thursday for KS3 Mrs Booth also hosts the Gaming Guild for students to engage in tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons.
We encourage all students to make the most of the library, explore new genres and authors, and enjoy the many benefits that regular reading can bring.
We are also excited to support Dartford Library’s endeavour with the Youth Engagement Network, which is a national programme that is aiming to bring together young people and their local library. Dartford library is hosting a range of drop-in sessions to share ideas about their services.
WG6 welcome new and returning students. We are delighted to welcome our new Year 12 students to WG6. Our Sixth Form community is enriched each year by students who choose to continue their education with us, alongside those joining from other schools. Together, they create the vibrant, ambitious and supportive environment that defines WG6.
WG6 Elective Programme – Broadening Horizons. At WG6, education extends far beyond the classroom. This week, we are delighted to launch our Wednesday afternoon Elective Programme, offering students a diverse range of enrichment opportunities to develop academically, personally and professionally.
Whether enhancing research skills, studying finance qualifications, pursuing individual personal development interests via sport, art and theatre or learning entirely new skills such as Mandarin, students will have the chance to engage in experiences that broaden their perspectives and prepare them for future study, employment and life beyond Sixth Form.
Our Elective Programme is a cornerstone of the WG6 experience, reflecting our commitment to developing confident, well-rounded and ambitious young people.
Pictured below, the Year 12 Elective Programme assembly with Dr Harris speaking about the value of the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification), our Scholars Group with Mr Salt who are currently working on university applications and our Year 12 Football group in action!
Featured lesson below, Learning through investigation, Year 12 Physics students explored electrical circuits, testing ideas, diagnosing faults and refining their solutions through practical experimentation.
Our latest Careers Newsletter includes a range of exciting opportunities, and inspiration for students as they consider future pathways. To read, please click here
Our wonderful PTFA are holding their AGM later this month (details below!) Everyone is very welcome!
Forthcoming Dates:
Year 7 Meet the Tutor – 29 September 5-6pm (in person)
Year 12 Welcome Evening – 30 September 5pm (in person)
Senior Maths Challenge – 7 October
Year 11 Parents/Carers’ Evening – 8 October (in person)
Year 11 Geography Trip – 12 October
Student Council Meetings – 19-22 October
Year 11 Mock Exam Assembly – 19 October
Year 6 Open Evening – 22 October
Year 6 Open Day (by appointment only) – 23 October
Year 13 Reports sent home – 23 October
Last Day of Term 1 – Friday 23 October
First Day of Term 2 – Thursday 5 November
Best wishes,
Dave Fuller
Headteacher
