Blog week ending 21st July
As we reach the end of another extraordinary academic year, we can reflect with great 
pride on the countless opportunities our students have enjoyed to excel academically, develop personally and create lasting memories. Throughout the year, students have embraced a wealth of enriching activities, events and learning experiences, all designed to help every individual thrive. Fittingly, the year culminated in our much-anticipated Enrichment Week; a stand-out celebration of learning beyond the classroom featuring overseas residentials to Tuscany, China, Paris and Spain, a host of stimulating in-school workshops, and countless day trips across the UK. The joy derived from Enrichment Week is palpable across school, and clearly evident in the (small selection!) of photos below.
Sports Day was a whole-school showcase of athletic ability, resilience, sportsmanship and unparalleled House spirit! As the photos below demonstrate, our students excelled throughout the day, shining on both the track and the field across a wide range of individual and team events.
The support from the sidelines was nothing short of incredible. The cheers and chants echoed across the field as students rallied behind their teammates. A particular highlight came when Mr Lennon staged an impromptu supporters’ competition between events. Using a sound-level monitor to measure the volume of each House’s cheering – and students gave it their all. Congratulations to Bader and Hepworth, whose ear-splitting support secured them a tie for the title of Loudest House Support!
A huge thank you goes to our wonderful PTA, who kept everyone refreshed throughout the day with drinks and treats. The ever-popular ice cream van was also on hand and proved to be a very welcome addition on a warm summer’s day. From glitter and pom-poms to colourful House posters and fantastic displays of teamwork, Sports Day was a wonderful celebration of our school community. It was a day filled with achievement, encouragement and friendship, and one that perfectly showcased the very best of our students.
The results are in!
Drumroll…
1st Place – Bader – 1119 points
2nd Place – Singh – 1070 points
3rd Place – Franklin – 1025 points
4th Place – Hepworth – 1017 points
Congratulations to Bader on their victory, and well done to every student who participated, supported and helped to make the day such a success! And special thanks to our PE Department for organising such an uplifting and fulfilling event! … and to Mr Lennon and Mrs Shooman-Taylor for their very special (and really rather funny) compering skills!
The PE team was at the District Athletics last Tuesday – it has been a busy time for sport! There were a total of 21 schools in attendance at the event – our students performed fantastically and really did the school proud, with some truly outstanding performances as well as breaking a couple of school records!
Annabel A in Year 9, represented Year 10 in the Long Jump as we didn’t have a competitor. She then jumped 4.77m in the Long Jump, beating the Year 9 record (previously 4.24m which has been held since 2010!) Chloe A had already broken that earlier in the day to, but Annabel went even further! The Year 9 district relay record was broken with 54.24s. Previously 55.74s and has been held since 2016. Year 10 Manroop J, jumped an incredible 1.60m in the High Jump, breaking the 2021 record (previously 1.48m).
Overall:
Year 7 came 2nd out of 16
Year 8 came 4th out of 16
Year 9 came 4th out of 15
Year 10 came 1st out of 14
Meaning WGSG came 2nd overall out of 16 schools!
MEP Trip to China. The 2026 “Chinese Language Excellence” Summer Camp hosted more than 1,300 teachers and students from 60 secondary schools across England to visit 11 cities to immerse themselves in Chinese language and experience Chinese culture at 18 Chinese universities. WGSG students played an integral part of the opening ceremony; Erin B who was selected as one of only two student representatives from nearly 300 students attending the opening ceremony to deliver a speech on behalf of the students for the 10th anniversary of the MEP. In addition, our performance of “Mo Li Hua” (pictured below) was chosen as the first performance of the ceremony, which was a wonderful recognition of our students’ preparation and talent.
We were also honoured that our school was seated directly behind the VIP guests during the ceremony and was positioned behind the VIPs for the official photograph, highlighting the recognition and respect given to our delegation.
Our students have also received media attention for their participation. Ella M was interviewed by China Global Television Network (CGTN), and our students took part in an on-the-spot speaking competition against another school, which was broadcast on China News. Both CGTN and China News are among China’s official news organisations, making this an exciting opportunity for our students to share their voices and experiences on a wider platform.
The students have been incredibly enthusiastic throughout this learning experience and have embraced every opportunity to engage with the activities, culture and learning opportunities provided. We were delighted (and very proud!!) to be told that our students were the most active and enthusiastic participants!
Year 7 took a trip back to 1066 with a visit to Mountfitchet Castle and Norman village! This historic site manages to combine a living porthole into life for the past inhabitants of the village and provide a very relatable and hands-on day of discovery (with free-roaming animals!)
Year 7 Geography Trip to Folkestone. Over two days, 180 Year 7 students visited Folkestone to support their Geography learning. The trip reinforced key concepts from their coastal processes and management topic while providing valuable fieldwork experience. Students explored regeneration in Folkestone, focusing on the Harbour Arm area and how its function has changed from a working harbour to a popular leisure destination. They also investigated what attracts visitors and how regeneration has benefited the town.
There was plenty of time for enjoyment too, with students relaxing on the beach, spending time with friends and enjoying an ice cream. A particular highlight was spotting several jellyfish along the shoreline. Overall, the trip was both educational and memorable.
Year 10 Italian students took part in a magical school trip visiting Florence and Pisa. The students really enjoyed exploring beautiful cities in Tuscany and using the language studied for three years, in the country of origin. In particular, the students had the opportunity to visit the “Leonardo Da Vinci” museum and learn more about Leonardo Da Vinci’s many inventions. They climbed the Duomo of Florence and admired the fresco painting on the ceiling together with the panoramic view of the city of Florence. The students also thoroughly enjoyed a pizza making class with the chef Stefano where they learned how to make Neapolitan pizza.
On the second and third day, the students also had the opportunity to visit two main markets in Florence and admired the painting of Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raffaello, Leonardo Da Vinci and Caravaggio during a visit to the Uffizi Gallery. The students also admired the Ponte Vecchio bridge and its jewellery shops, which is one of the oldest and most beautiful bridge in Florence. During the stay in Florence, the students visited the Boboli garden, which is a Renaissance garden that belonged to the Medici family. On the final day, the students visited Pisa and climbed the Pisa tower before heading to the airport. A special and rather lovely surprise during the trip, was meeting Mrs Rubbera (who was a teacher here at WGSG) who now lives in Pistoia, a city near Florence, who joined us for dinner, in a local Italian restaurant.
Watersports Trip. Students and staff travelled to Spain for a fully immersive (sometimes quite literally!) experience. On the water students took part in so many activities including sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding and snorkelling … not to mention a high-energy trip to a waterpark – frankly I’m surprised they’ve not grown gills! Additionally, we took a day’s sightseeing in Barcelona, together with a little bit of shopping! Mrs Iles and Mrs Selfe added, “we all had the best possible time, the students were an absolute joy to be in the company off .. everywhere we went locals commented on just how amazing they were!”
The Great WGSG Sewing Bee. Mrs Sloane and her dedicated team of designers staged an amazing week showcasing our students’ obvious textiles talent! From initial mood boards to final designs .. from careful cutting and inspired up-cycling students have produced dramatic, wearable pieces that were most definitely catwalk ready!
Jack the Ripper investigation. Students embarked on a highly evocative history tour of East London .. exploring the myths, evidence and investigation of one of the country’s most notorious crimes! Students also visited the London, Sugar & Slavery exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands.
Paris Adventure. Over five unforgettable days, students and staff experienced the very best of Paris and French culture. They explored famous landmarks, practised their French, tasted delicious food, and made memories that will stay with them for years to come. Some of the places visited include; Notre-Dame Cathedral, Galeries Lafayette (one of Paris’ most famous department stores), Arc De Triomphe and Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur Basilica. We enjoyed a fun day at Parc Astérix, full of excitement, laughter and thrilling rides inspired by Astérix and Obélix as well as a wonderful cruise down the River Seine.
Chatham Docklands. Year 8 visited this historic site taking in tours of their warships as well as their ropery .. where students made their own rope as a memento of their visit.
Year 7 visit to the Royal Gunpowder Mill in Waltham Abbey .. went off with a bang!
This term, our Year 7 students took part in infiltration fieldwork around the school site, building on their earlier learning about rivers and flooding. Students investigated how quickly water soaks into different surfaces and used their findings to test a hypothesis about which areas of WGSG are most likely to flood following heavy rainfall. This provided an excellent opportunity to apply classroom learning to a real-world school environment.
Year 8 students carried out microclimate investigations across the school grounds, linking to their previous Year 7 fieldwork experiences and their studies of climate in different locations around the world. The recent hot weather made the fieldwork particularly relevant, allowing students to explore how temperature, shade, wind and surface materials create variations in local conditions around the site.
Both fieldwork experiences support the Geographical Association’s Festival of Fieldwork and highlight the importance of learning beyond the classroom. It has been fantastic to see students working collaboratively, developing their geographical skills, and gaining a greater appreciation of the geography that surrounds them every day.
Year 9 visit to Cuckmere Haven gave 30 students from the 2026-28 GCSE cohort an exciting introduction to Physical Geography. While many aspiring geographers were enjoying trips to Paris and Spain, this group explored one of the UK’s most spectacular coastal landscapes. On a beautiful, sunny day in Sussex, students experienced the stunning scenery of the South Downs National Park, taking in the meandering River Cuckmere, dramatic white chalk cliffs and the sparkling blue sea. The trip brought classroom geography to life and provided a valuable taste of GCSE fieldwork. We rounded off the day with a cold drink and ice cream. The students were a pleasure to spend the day with, and we look forward to welcoming them into our GCSE Geography classrooms in September.
WG6 Student Leaders enjoyed a thoroughly deserved afternoon tea to thank them for their dedication to their studies but to recognise, and reward, the huge amount of support they provide for our younger students, school events and the wider school community!
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!”
Careers Newsletter. Our latest newsletter packed with tips and information can be read here
Community Day. Year 8 took part in a wide range of local initiatives including running a local nursery’s Sports Day and supporting pupils in class at our primary school, Wilmington Primary. I thought I would share the below message we received from a parent of a nursery child who took part in the Sports Day:
“I wanted to send an email to praise all the girls involved with the event. Every student demonstrated enthusiasm, maturity and compassion while guiding our little ones through each activity. Our daughter was led by a young girl who was exceptional and because of this our daughter was fully engaged, confident and had an amazing time. They are a credit to your school.”
Last Day of Term 6 – Tuesday 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,
Dave Fuller
Headteacher
