Headteacher's Message
This week we received the wonderful news that six of the Waldegrave students who ran in the Kingston and Richmond Youth Council and UK Youth Parliament elections were elected. Well done! We are proud to share that following these elections Waldegrave has been awarded as ‘Most Democratic’ school in the Richmond Borough, having had over 800 of our pupils casting their votes in these elections. Well done to everyone who took part by standing as a candidate or taking part in the voting process, this is particularly important as many of our current pupils will be eligible to vote in the next general election.
We have also heard this week that a team of Year 9 pupils have been selected as finalists in ‘Innovate’ a national design competition with the Victoria & Albert Museum! The team will attend a presentation day on Thursday 25 June where they will take part in creative workshops as well as pitch their design to a panel of industry experts. We wish them luck and look forward to hearing more about how they got on.
While exams got underway this week for our Year 11 French, German and Spanish students another language could be head in our corridors on Monday, as we welcomed Year 8 pupils from choral school, Brunnsbo Musiklasser, Gothenburg, Sweden. Thank you to our chamber choir members who welcomed their Swedish peers and brought them along to their lessons in the afternoon.
Well done to Year 8 for their sensible behaviour on Tuesday when we had a team from the NHS in school administering the HPV vaccine. Their pragmatic attitude allowed the team to get on with their jobs and for lessons to resume as quickly as possible.
On Thursday Mrs Green took a small group of Year 8 pupils to the TeenTech Festival at the University of Roehampton. This event showcases the range of career opportunities across the digital, science and technology industries offering young people a glimpse at their future potential. They met with a range of companies for exciting challenges and hands-on activities.
Our Year 12 students also had a trip to UCAS Discovery Farnborough on Thursday. This event offered pupils the opportunity to meet with representatives from Universities including Bristol, Durham, Exeter, Cardiff and many more, employers and expert advisers, helping our young people to explore university applications and apprenticeships. They were able to ask about specific courses and entry requirements, meet employers offering apprenticeships and find out about earnings and qualifications they would gain and how these can lead to a chosen career. There were also careers advisers on hand as well as UCAS experts, so it was an incredibly useful day for them all.
Next week is our final teaching week for Year 11 and we look forward to celebrating our wonderful Year 11s at their final celebration assembly on Wednesday 6 May as well as at the end of year Prom on Thursday 25 June.
I hope to see many of you at tonight’s Friends of Waldegrave Quiz and Curry Night!
This week students learned about Allergy Awareness Week. It is a national campaign led by Allergy UK to raise understanding of allergies — their symptoms, risks, and how to get the right support. The theme for 2026 is “I Wish I Knew… Diagnosis Matters.” Shining a light on how getting the right diagnosis can truly be life-changing. Why does this matter? Allergies affect people of all ages. The more we understand and support each other, the safer and more inclusive our communities become.
On Thursday a small group of Year 8 pupils attending the TeenTech Festival at the University of Roehampton. This was a great opportunity for them to meet industry experts, try their hand at experiments, handle cutting edge technology and also come up with some of their own design ideas. It was a fantastic day and I’m sure the pupils got a lot out of the event.
During form time this week Year 9 took time to learn about Stephen Lawrence, his life and legacy and reflect on what was Stephen Lawrence Day which is on April 22nd every year, on the anniversary of Stephen’s death. This years theme was “A Legacy for Change”, focusing on expanding opportunities, building a more inclusive society, and empowering young people. Stephen Lawrence Day is more than remembrance, it’s a day to celebrate progress, challenge injustice, and empower young people to imagine their futures. The day serves as a reminder of the need to continue fighting for racial equality and provides a platform for education and empowerment.
It’s a very exciting time for our Drama department! Students have been working incredibly hard in rehearsals for their upcoming performances, which take place next week. They have shown fantastic creativity and dedication.
This week Year 11 students had an assembly about Christina Koch. Christina Koch has made history as the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit and circle the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis II mission, which launched on April 1, 2026. Christina longed to be an astronaut throughout her life and worked hard to get there, despite many obstacles
The Year 8 Cricket Team stumped up our first sports match of the Summer Term with a tournament hosted by Teddington School this Thursday and were very lucky to have a day of play in the sunshine. The team had a lot of fun, played some excellent cricket and managed to get a place in the finals, coming second in the end. Well done to them all!
