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Sixth Form Bulletin – Week 14

12 December 2025

Headteacher's Message

Despite being so close to the end of term there is no slowing down at Waldegrave and we have had another very busy week of sport, trips, Christmas activities and performances! And this all followed a wonderful carol service last Friday and the weekend’s Christmas Tree Sale – which raised over £700 for the school. Thank you to everyone who bought a tree!

The week kicked off with our basketball squad attending professional training at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. ‘Her Time to Play’ is dedicated to empowering girls and women by offering on-court basketball training sessions, female-led coaching, and opportunities to connect and collaborate through the game of basketball.

On Tuesday Year 13 Literature students attended the Poems of the Decade conference in London hearing from four renowned poets who read and discussed their work as well as delving into the ideas, construction and impact of some of the poems studied at A level.

Wednesday was a bumper day for trips in Year 13, our German students headed to the British Film Institute while those studying Economics went to the Bank of England. The BFI hosted pupils for an A Level study day focusing on the changes in East Germany in 1989, helping students to expand their vocabulary and improve their critical film analysis skills by exploring key themes and styles in contemporary German cinema. Economics students visited the Bank of England museum, listened to a talk from one of the bank’s employees and then after lunch went on a fascinating walking tour of the City of London.

We finally got to our Winter Festival on Thursday evening, which seems to have come around very quickly since last year. It was a spectacular event with plenty of Christmas classics and the magic of the season even brought us some snow!

Next week is our final week of term with plenty of festive activities taking place before we break up for the holidays on Friday 19 at 12.30pm. On Monday Waldegrave will be celebrating Christmas Jumper Day. We are asking pupils to wear a Christmas Jumper with their usual school uniform in aid of Save the Children. If your child does not have a Christmas jumper already they may decorate their school jumper or a jumper of their choice with tinsel, Christmas decorations or a home-made Christmas-themed badge.

We also have our Christmas lunches on Monday for Key Stage 3 and Tuesday for Key Stage 4 and 5. For those who do not have a ticket for the Christmas lunch, the canteen will be selling other lunch items at break time only on both the 15 and 16 December.

This is the final parental newsletter for the Autumn Term, so I wish you and all your families a joyful break whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah or just having a well deserved rest after a long term!

Ms E Tongue

Key School Dates

Monday 15 December	All Years	Christmas Jumper Day
Monday 15 December	Years 7-9	Christmas Lunch
Tuesday 16 December	Year 10-13	Christmas Lunch
Thursday 18 December	Sixth Form	Term Ends: 3.15pm

Year Group Messages

Year 12

A huge well done to all our Year 12 students who have nearly made it through a whole term of Sixth Form. I have been so proud of how hard the students have been working and it has been a delight to hear such positive things about them from both their form tutors and their subject teachers. I hope they all have an enjoyable and restful Christmas break.

Last night’s Winter Festival performance has got even those who were dragging their heels into the Christmas spirit and it was delightful to see so many Year 12s involved.

Well done to Sofiya A, 12ESA, for her winning entry into Mrs Croucher’s Library competition for the best book mark designs. Sofiya will receive a £10 voucher.

A reminder that next Monday 15 December is Christmas Jumper Day at Waldegrave, in aid of Save the Children. We encourage students to recycle a Christmas jumper they have worn before or to add some Christmas sparkle to a jumper they already have with some tinsel or some baubles! Donations can be made via ParentPay.

Tuesday 16 December is our Christmas lunch for those students in Key Stages 4 and 5 who have got a pre-purchased ticket. No other food will be available at lunch time, so those wanting to buy lunch will need to do so at break time on both Monday and Tuesday.

On Thursday next week we will hold our celebration assembly celebrating the achievements of the year group throughout Year 12 so far, both in their subjects and during tutor times. Students will be awarded on the three values of our school: enjoy, achieve and empower.

Finally, the last day of term for Year 12 will be Thursday 18 December. This will be a full day and all students are expected to attend all their lessons.

Best wishes from us all for the festive period and a Happy New Year!

Ms R Pugh, Head of Year 12

Year 13

This week, it was yet another busy one for the Year 13 students.

The Photography students were taken off timetable for 4 days, in order to complete their Photography mock. I am certain that this process has been extremely helpful on the lead up to their public exam next year.

Also, today the Year 13 Art students were taken off timetable too in order to prepare for their mock exam due to start on Monday.

As part of the A Level in English Literature, all relevant students attended the Poems of the Decade Conference on Tuesday, which I am certain they thoroughly enjoyed and found extremely interesting.

On Wednesday, Year 13 students studying Economics and those studying German took part in trips. Mr Montgomery, the Head of Economics organised for the students to visit the Bank of England. Students had an opportunity to look around the museum within the Bank, followed by a talk from a bank employee and some films about the work of the bank in the cinema there. After lunch they took part in a guided walking tour around the City of London.

Our Year 13 German students attended a study day at the British Film Institute, looking at contemporary German cinema to build their knowledge of East Germany in 1989, expand their vocabulary, and improve their critical film analysis skills. Students’ feedback had been extremely positive for both trips.

Yesterday we held our end of term celebration assembly. During it, I announced the winners from each department and tutor group. Our A Level music students made this event even better with a performance. It was a lovely morning.

A huge well done to all Year 13 students who took part and helped out during yesterday’s Winter Festival.

On Monday, we are having our Christmas Jumper Day in aid of Save the Children. It would be really nice to see lots of Year 13 students getting into the festive spirit and taking part. Parents and carers can donate through ParentPay.

Our Year 13 Art Students will also undertake their mock exam from Monday to Wednesday. I would like to wish them all the best of luck.

As a reminder, the Year 13 Christmas lunch will be on Tuesday for those who have pre-purchased a ticket. The canteen will not be serving other food at lunchtime on Monday or Tuesday so those wishing to buy lunch at school will need to do so at breaktime.

I would like to thank all Year 13 students who are involved in the Carol Singing at Bentall Centre next Thursday afternoon. I am certain it will be really festive and an enjoyable experience for all attendees.

The final day of this term for the Year 13 students will be on Thursday, this will be a full day and all students are expected to attend all their lessons.

Finally, I would like to extend my thanks to all the parents and carers for their support this term, not only to your children but to the teaching staff in the Sixth Form.

Best wishes from us all for the festive period and a Happy New Year!

Mr C Stavrou, Head of Year 13

Health & Wellbeing

Christmas doesn’t switch on with a date. It creeps in with wonder, excitement and that quiet feeling that something special is coming. Christmas jumper days, themed activities in school, performances and tinsel everywhere you look! For many of us, the Christmas holidays can be a time of great excitement and joy, where we can relax and reset after the hard work of the autumn term. You won’t find it on a curriculum, but it’s one of the best lessons there is: Christmas magic exists, hope for the new year matters, and connection with family and friends is everything.

However, for others (especially parents!) it can feel busier and more stressful than the rest of the year. The Art of Brilliance Blog suggests these top tips for combating the stresses of the festive season:

Don’t overcommit yourself. Saying yes to everything can end with us pleasing no one. Don’t find yourself burnt out before Christmas Day, be selective in what you say yes to.
Take a breath. When all the family is spending a lot of time together and expectations are high, tensions can rise. Take a breath. Sometimes the best thing to do is keep your thoughts to yourself and let it go.
Find space within the busyness. Christmas is full on, with so many people to see it can be hard to find some ‘me’ time. Find the moments of stillness in the day-to-day to take a breath from the chaos and relax.

The mental health charity Mind has some more in depth advice on a range of Christmas related topics, including coping with money worries, looking after yourself, and managing relationships. You can find their advice here.

For families who have experienced bereavement, Christmas can be especially hard. Cruse Bereavement Support have some practical tips for managing grief over the festive season, including finding different ways of celebrating and remembering. They also offer a free helpline: 0808 808 1677.

Ms S Moore, Director of Wellbeing

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