Headteacher's Message
We have reached the end of the first half of the Summer term and the exams are now well under way. Our GCSE and A level students have worked incredibly hard so have made an excellent start to the exam season. I hope that the half term break gives them a chance to rest and reset alongside their ongoing revision.
This week we have had an incredible array of opportunities for our students. An eerie English trip for Year 9s, a languages trip to Boppard for our Year 10 German Students, a PGL activity weekend for Year 8 pupils to learn about maths in action and a lucky few selected pupils are also taking part in the European Youth Orchestra in Sintra, Portugal over the weekend.
On Monday and Tuesday Year 9 visited the birthplace of gothic literature with a trip to Strawberry Hill House. They learned about Horrace Walpole, author of the first Gothic novel (The Castle of Otranto (1764)) and toured along dark corridors and candlelit staircases, which inspired them to come up with their own gothic tales of woe!
Our German students travelled by coach and ferry to arrive in Boppard yesterday afternoon, after a relaxing evening last night in the town they now have a busy day exploring Kӧln, it’s cathedral and taking a cruise on the Rhein! This weekend they have more fun in store with trips planned to theme park, Phantasialand, and a scenic ride on the Boppard Chairlift.
Yesterday we also waved goodbye to our music students who headed to Portugal for the European Youth Orchestra. Eleven musicians from the Richmond Borough are attending, alongside pupils from across Europe, and I am proud to say that out of these nine are Waldegrave Students. This annual music residential is a meaningful and enriching experience for the students, who not only make new friends and challenge themselves musically but also enjoy rehearsing and then performing a concert together.
Finally, our Year 8’s left school today for their activity trip to Osmington Bay. They will be having a very adventurous time climbing, testing their archery skills this weekend. They will be collecting data during the activities and using mathematics to analyse and interpret this. It is an exciting chance to see the subject taken off the page and brought into the real world!
Our Sixth Formers are not missing out on trips as our Year 12s have headed off to Thorpe Park today for a day of thrilling rides! We hope they enjoy the lovely weather and enjoy the chance to let themselves go after a week of careers and progression workshops. Thank you so much to all the parents who have supported the students by coming into school to share insights into their own careers.
I hope everyone has a wonderful break, making the most of the fabulous weather.
It has been an extremely busy enrichment week for our Year 12 students. Mr Bannister led a workshop on higher education on Monday where students were given advice on writing their personal statements for their UCAS applications. They also attended an EPQ launch presentation. The EPQ is an extended project qualification that students can complete alongside their A levels. If students want to look back over the presentation, Mr Bannister has added it to the Year 12 Careers and Progression classroom code – 23j77kln.
On Tuesday there was an Oxbridge induction session for those students interested in applying for Oxford or Cambridge. Nearly 40 students showed their interest during these sessions, where they were given advice on course choice, College choice and student life. All resources from this session have been added to the Oxbridge programme google classroom code – rh5jwrlp.
All of Year 12 attended a session on Wednesday run by St Mary University about student life and managing finances. Students interested in media and accounting attended a speed networking event where we were joined by an assistant film director, TV presenter, screen writer, documentation editor, head of finance, CFO, accountant and a stockbroker. It was so interesting for the students to see the wide range of roles available in these sectors.
On Wednesday afternoon we hosted a speed networking event for students interested in medicine, dentistry and veterinarian professions. Over 40 students attended and were able to use this time to ask questions about the application process, what these vocational courses would entail and what it is like to be in these specific medical fields. All students found the experience extremely helpful and are excited to start thinking about their applications and work experience.
Additionally, young people are often tempted to cool off by jumping into the Thames and, while there is now a designated open water swimming spot between Ham and Kingston, the river can be extremely dangerous. This 
