the independent spring 2016

PB 1www.wgs.org.uk t @WGS1512 F Wolverhampton Grammar School Official

Infant School Plans pg 15Towers Triumph pg 14

In this Issue

OWA Dinner pg 11

The IndependentSpring 2016 Wolverhampton Grammar School Newsletter

Bon VoyageGood Luck to all students

taking part in international

trips over Easter. Have a

great experience in America,

France and Germany. Closer

to home, well done to all

geographers who have just

returned from North Devon.

Sport National Ranking pg 18World Book Day pg 9 Life After Sixth Form pg 17

“Spring is the time of year when it is summer in the sun and winter in the shade.” Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

2 3www.wgs.org.uk t @WGS1512 F Wolverhampton Grammar School Official

Head’s WelcomeNew Beginnings, Reunions and Everything in Between

Welcome to another edition of The Independent, overflowing with news from our Spring term at School.

January started with the announcement that we were to submit plans to seek permission for a fantastic new build on campus. Our Junior School, opened just five years ago, has been a tremendous success and we now want to offer independent education to boys and girls in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Plans are with the City Council and we hope to have a decision by the end of April. We will keep you, and the many parents who have enquired about places, updated with any developments.

News RoomThe Independent

The Independent

Of course, one of the things that makes WGS so special is the community spirit. An important part of that community are our former students (affectionately known as Old Wulfrunians or OWs). Many of them had the opportunity to come together this term at the Old Wulfrunians’ Association Annual Dinner and at our annual London Reunion. Pictures can be found on pages 10 and 11. Both events provided a fantastic opportunity to catch up with newer alumni and meet some interesting folk. As predicted by recent press coverage, many of the guests had pretty impressive career profiles.

Life back at our Compton Road campus has been no less extraordinary. Did you see the Senior production of Great Expectations? If not, then you missed something very good. Congratulations go to Mr Tyler, Mr Wood and the whole cast and crew involved in what I think will be remembered as one of the best School productions ever.

It is a great life lesson to learn how to take your part in something much bigger. Drama often illustrates this, but so too can music, and quite the most special moment of this term for me, was seeing members of our choir and instrumentalists taking their place on the stage of the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, performing Puccini’s Messa di Gloria with 200 other musicians. We, at WGS, were part of the Merchant Taylors’ massed choir and the experience was as exciting for the students as it was for the audience.

Finally, everyday life at School is as busy as ever and as we venture further into the digital world we hope to improve our service, the children’s learning experience, and provide you with more information about your child’s School life.

Thank you for your contribution to School life, and have a wonderful Easter break.

Kathy Crewe-ReadHead

Research Reveals Independent School Pupils Gain Extra Two Years by 16Attending an independent school like Wolverhampton Grammar School provides the equivalent of two additional years of schooling by the age of 16, new research reveals.

The ‘academic value added’ report by the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) at Durham University, is the first of its type. It looks at the differences in attainment between pupils who are educated in independent and state schools from primary through to GCSE,

controlling for differences such as prior ability, socioeconomic status and gender.

“There is excellence to be seen in schools of all types” commented Kathy Crewe-Read. “This research, however does demonstrate that when you leave aside factors such as prior ability and family background, students thrive in the approach to education used by schools such as ours, which offer a broad curriculum, extra-curricular opportunities, and high expectations.”

Welcome to all new staff starters• Mike Fowkes• Fran Wainwright• Jacob Howard• Welcome back Anna Dalton,

Natasha Richards and Di Gibbs who have all returned to School following maternity leave.

Best of luck to staff moving on• Barbara Fill• Wendy Price• Steph Magyarovics• Congratulations to Richard

Hingley who retired this term


Memorial Window for Andrew Proverbs

Dates for your DiaryStart of Term - Tuesday 12th April

Lower School Soloists Concert - 26th April

Lower Sixth Theatre Studies Performance - 5th May

Friends Quiz Night - 6th May

Upper Sixth Leavers’ Lunch - 12th May

Senior School Discovery Day - 14th May

Festival of Sport - 25th May

Lower School Play - 25th May to 27th May

Half Term - 30th May to 3rd June

Year 5 and Big 6 Production - 14th June and 15th June

School Open Evening - 16th June

Junior School Summer Fayre - 24th June

Jazz Spec - 24th June

Junior School Sports Day - 27th June

Senior School Sports Day - 29th June and 30th June

Junior School Summer Concert - 30th June

Summer Art Exhibition - 2nd July

Senior School Prizegiving - 5th July

Junior School Speech Day - 7th July

End of Term - 8th July (School finishes at lunchtime)

The School has commissioned Ark Stained Glass (specialists in the design, manufacture, conservation and restoration of stained glass) to design and install a stained glass window in Big School to help us remember Director of Music Andrew Proverbs, who sadly passed away in 2014.

Using the themes of the existing stained glass windows, alongside Andrew’s passions - music, his family and the School - the final design is a truly personal and fitting tribute to this much loved and missed teacher.

The cost of the window will be between £4,500 and £5,000. Many of our School community have expressed a desire to contribute to this memorial, in celebration of Andrew’s life. If you would like to make a donation please contact the Development Office by email [email protected]

All donations will go to the Andrew Proverbs Fund. Further details about the window or how to give are available on the School website www.wgs.org.uk

Alternatively, you can purchase a stained glass ‘sun catcher’, a special keepsake to hang in your window. Each hand-painted sun catcher depicts a blue bird, taken from the new window design.

Friends Events - Tickets on Sale

Claim your Lost PropertyThere is a great deal of Senior School lost-property stored in trunks outside the staff Common Room. Please check if you have any missing clothes, or electrical gear, and send your child to the Common Room to claim your possessions: we may well have that missing item of yours.

Any unnamed items will be available to purchase (with proceeds donated to charity). If you would like to take a look through our lost-property to either reclaim your items or purchase any unnamed items please contact the Senior School Reception.

Offsite Parking

Spring Ball, Saturday 30th April. You are not too late to book your ticket (or table!) for the annual Spring Ball at the Ramada Park Hall Hotel and Spa from 7pm. The evening includes welcome drinks and canapes, three course dinner followed by games, raffle prizes and a disco until the early hours. Contact either School Reception to pre-order your tickets.

Friends Annual Quiz, Friday 6 May. Tickets £5 adults, £3.50 children (meal included). Several child friendly questions will be included in every round. Tickets on sale after the Easter holidays from the Junior School Reception.

The Friends of Wolverhampton Grammar School (our equivalent of a parent teacher association) are keen to hear your views about the work that they do to support the Senior School. You can learn more about the Friends by contacting Justine Brazier-Painter at [email protected]

To ensure minimum disruption to our local residents and businesses, can all parents and visitors to School, the Viner Gallery and Hutton Theatre only use the dedicated car parking available on the main school grounds. To ensure your safety, please do not park or collect your child from residential roads surrounding the school. Thank you.


Parents’ Survey Results

Our Survey Said...We recently invited all parents to complete a survey about our School. We received 342 responses (282 Senior School, 60 Junior School) a 47% response rate.

Thank you to all parents who responded and the findings were fascinating. Informed by your views we’ll keep doing what is good, and improve it, and address areas where you think we could do better.

Thank you to all the parents who took the opportunity to tell us in their own words what they feel about our School…

“The best recommendation I can offer is that the school has given my daughter a real passion for learning. Her teachers have been superb and she has been looked after very nicely.”

“My son is involved in a number of after school activities, and the addition of morning only coach passes is invaluable. He has been making excellent progress and he is always keen to go to school!”

“I have found staff to be very helpful and understanding. Many thanks for all your hard work, it is very much appreciated.”

This is what you told us Across the School, our parents said...

You like:• The choice of subjects we offer• The great relationships between staff and students• Our range of extra-curricular activities• The fact that our students are happy and feel safe at

School• How the School is led and managed

We could do better:• You would like better updates about your child’s progress• You would like to learn more about our community

engagement• You would like more information about some of our

more specialist areas like ASPIRE and Study Skills

Our Junior and Senior School parents completed different surveys, tailored to their child’s School experience. There were however, lots of things in common.

Of course, we aim to be excellent across the board, and conducting the survey allowed us to pinpoint areas where we could look to improve. In both Junior and Senior Schools, you said that you would like better updates about your child’s progress and that you want to learn more about our community engagement. Also, you want more information about some of our more specialist areas like ASPIRE, the HE support that we offer to Sixth Formers, our Study Skills programme for Year 7 and our specialist teaching support around phonics etc. in the Junior School.

The Independent

95%

97%

91%

98%

87%

93%

97%

Received email correspondence from the School weekly or at least once a month.

Agreed their child is happy and feels safe at School.

Said information about School and policies was readily available.

Are happy with the availability of our reception staff.

Were satisfied with the amount of homework set per week.

Were confident their child knows who to approach at School if they are worried about anything.

Know who to contact to raise a concern or issue.


And for some of you, this was also a great opportunity to tell us about things that you think we could do better...

“I would like more information on any activities on offer like fencing, photography, tennis etc.”

“I don’t believe homework should be set that is due in for the next day.”

“Perhaps a little more homework in the Junior School for Maths and English?”

“I would like the school to encourage less confident children to take part more.”

“We always have a cooked family meal and therefore an inviting sandwich menu would be a good option rather than two cooked meals.”

“Lunch passes are outdated. Credit system please.”

Most Happy With Could Do Better

All your responses (including your free text comments) have been shared with senior staff and we are identifying opportunities to make improvements. The Head, Kathy Crewe-Read is overseeing any changes that are implemented as a result of your ideas and comments.

Our teaching and support staff have also been updated on the findings of our survey and parents who came along to our Parents’ Forum in March also had an opportunity to learn more about how our parents feel about School.

We will also ensure we cover the topics you want more information about at future Parents’ Forums and editions of the The Independent.

Your responses have already made a difference! If you are a parent and want to discuss your responses - or the survey generally, please contact Carrie Bennett by email:[email protected]

What happens next?

You want to better understand

how we support the development

of public speaking, debating and

confidence.

You want more information about

our small group teaching activities.

You want clarity about the

expectations of next day

homework.

You want to learn more about the

various Scholarships and Bursaries

available in Year 7.

You want more information about

the “Passport to Senior School”

activities on offer.

You want more opportunities for us

to ensure your child understands

how well they are doing.

You want to better understand the

benefits of the two week timetable.

You want to learn more about how

your child gets involved in School

organised charity and community

activities.

You want to learn more about our

ASPIRE and Study Skills sessions.

You would like more information

about how to access the support

available from OpAL.

You want better awareness of the

advice and guidance we can offer

at School about safeguarding.

You think we should better promote

our tailored Higher Education and

UCAS advice on offer.

Junior Senior

That your child knows how well

they are doing.

High standards of behaviour.

Support in place for individual

learning needs.

The availability of after school clubs

and Homework Club.

Sporting opportunities.

Involvement in charity fundraising

and community activities.

How frequently you receive the

Junior School newsletter.

Satisfaction with the Library

services on offer.

Your child’s social development.

That you know who to contact if

you want to raise a concern.

That you can play a more active

role in school if you want to.

The systems in place for

communication between you and

teachers.

Your child’s overall progress.

The range of subjects available.

Your understanding of the

curriculum.

Opportunities in place for Pastoral

and Parents’ Evenings.

The amount of homework set.

The support your child gets.

The relationships between students

and staff.

Systems for communication

between staff and students.

Our full range of extra-curricular

activities.

How useful you find the Head’s

termly email updates.

How quickly you receive responses

to any questions raised.

That all our school policies are

readily available to you.

Junior Senior

How the School helped their child settle in happily in the first term.

Contact with School.

You want even more information and opportunities to talk about your

child’s progress.


Art, Drama and Music News

The Expectations were Great… and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

We asked former student and keen follower of Dickens’ work, Michael T. Rogers (OW 1966), to review our adaptation of Great Expectations.

“ The WGS production of Great Expectations was highly successful and entertaining. The permanent set featuring nineteenth-century playbills including Great Expectations, and piles of luggage back-stage surmounted by a sailing ship - was ideal in conveying the action, themes and symbols of Dickens’ novel.

From the outset it was obvious that the actors thoroughly enjoyed participating in this ambitious

venture, and it was good to see the whole Company on stage together at times, especially in some of the musical numbers.

Josh Bradshaw (younger) and Jay Godden (older) were extremely impressive as Pip. Biddy’s quiet dignity in contrast to Pip’s tactlessness and condescension reveals her genuine fondness for him. Nadia Mohammed (Biddy) and Jay performed most sensitively and movingly in this important scene, which was one of the highlights for me.

The eccentric, embittered and self-tormenting Miss Havisham

cannot be an easy role to take on, requiring considerable empathy from any actress, and Freya Cunningham’s interpretation was very persuasive, both in conveying eager obsessiveness and in her ultimate realisation of the harm she has done to Estella and Pip. Both she and the two actresses taking the part of Estella (Emily Doyle-Gibbons and Mollie Bate) are to be commended on the authenticity of their approach.

The part of Mrs Joe, though not subtle, nevertheless requires a consistency of ill-temper, spitefulness and cruelty, which Josie Dowswell maintained throughout!

Great ExpectationsRunning10th to 13th February 2016

Hutton Thearte - 7.30PM

The Independent


Jaggers too is a complex character and I thought Isaac Plowright engaged with the character excellently, consistently assuming exactly the right manner and tone. His clerk Wemmick (Archie Hamilton) was also effective, relating the story of Molly movingly, and advising Pip on money-lending, both in his ‘professional’ and in his ‘private’ capacities, the one hard and ruthless, the other completely humane.

Silas Lawrence showed very dramatic sense in his performance as Magwitch, and the atmosphere between him and Jay Godden on the night of his return and his bomb-shell of a revelation to Pip was excellently sustained.

The indisputable success of this performance depended not only on all the acting company, but on the live music, stage crew, costumes department, lighting, choreography, carpentry and construction and much more - not least the encouragement and support of school staff and parents. Congratulations to Ray Curran on his original music for the Blacksmiths’ song Old Clem and on the lyrics and music for other numbers, and to him and Lana Harold for singing the duets so beautifully.

Finally, congratulations to the directors, Ian Tyler and Jon Wood, without whose tremendous commitment, vision, energy and

time the pupils would not have had the opportunity to participate at all. This was my first visit to the Hutton Theatre - in fact, my first experience of WGS drama for many years, and I am delighted to have been present at such a triumph. Charles Dickens himself was an accomplished actor and I am sure that if he could have seen this dramatisation of one of his finest novels he would have been lavish in his praise.”Congratulations to everyone who played a part in this triumph.


Art, Drama and Music NewsMerchant Taylors’ Schools’ Concert

The Independent

Hidden in Plain Sight

Heavy Metal: Art and the Black Country

Adrian Clamp, professional artist and art educator exhibited alongside five other artists including our very own Head of Art, Mr James Millichamp at the School’s Viner Gallery this term. Many thanks to everyone who came along and supported local artists at this successful exhibition.

The Art Department have spent this term following the journey, heritage, landscape and aesthetics of our great industrial region. Year 9 artists explored a range of media, including oil and acrylic painting, charcoal and graphite drawing, pen and ink, drypoint and Photoshop to illustrate scenes from the industrial past.

A Masterclass in SingingStudents were lucky enough to receive a singing masterclass from award winning performer Themba Mvula this term.

Zambian-born baritone Themba Mvula studied Music at Birmingham Conservatoire. He gained a wealth of experience during his time there performing regularly in musicals, operas, recitals and competitions. He was the winner of the Gordon Clinton English Song Prize and regularly performs as a soloist and with vocal groups.

As well as singing in choirs, Themba also conducts. Students were able to perform to each other, receive advice and guidance and see and hear the difference that the tuition provided. Themba returned his thanks to the students by concluding a masterclass with a very special solo performance, just for them.

The opportunity to perform with pupils from other Merchant Taylors’ Schools, has only been manifested twice before and the lure of singing Puccini in the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall was one which was too good to miss. Students and staff performed in the orchestra and choir, with our musicians in prominent positions. Emma Deacon played first horn, Lydia Bridgewood first flute and Michael Stewart first clarinet, Robert Pye and Grace Williams first violins; Leah Bannister-Payne and Maisy Gee were the only student cellists performing.

Junior and Prep Schools from across the West Midlands and Shropshire sent budding musicians to Big School in January to take part in a Strings Day.

School Strings Day

The students’ work was exhibited for public display in the Viner Gallery and Year 9 students acted most competently as curators and guides for the exhibition.

“The day provided a unique opportunity for visiting schools to bring their string players together” commented Mr Francis Murton, School Director of Music “There was inspirational playing with masterclasses to help students with their technique and performance skills.”

Teaching staff from visiting schools also welcomed the opportunity to join forces, network and share ideas and challenges. The day culminated with a final performance for parents and guests.


Library NewsThanks to everyone involved with Library events this term. Here’s a flavour of what has been on offer.

The Independent

Author Cathy Cassidy Best selling author Cathy Cassidy visited Big School on her UK tour to promote her latest book “Fortune Cookie”. Six neighbouring schools also joined in the fun as part of a library outreach project.

WGS Book Club The Book Club have been invited to work with the Dudley Teenage Book Award. The group are currently busy reading the six nominated titles and voting for their favourite. The group will also interview authors and discuss their chosen title with other book clubs to help select a 2016 winner.

Online Library ResourcesWGS Online Library is constantly being updated and developed to provide the latest information and resources for students. Britannica Online is now widely used across the School to enable effective research via Firefly. Whereas our eBook library, OverDrive, is becoming increasing popular amongst students as a way to encourage reading for pleasure.

Poetry with PunchWGS was selected to host an Arts Council funded “Poetry with Punch” activity with the 2008 Young Poet Laurette Matt Windle. The sessions were offered to a small group of Year 7 students, who each constructed and performed an original poem themed around conflict. Matt’s passion for poetry and boxercise was evident throughout these lessons, and students left the week long workshop with a new found skill and enthusiasm for writing.

BBC 500 WordsWell done to all students who have written a short story for the BBC 500 Words challenge. Some imaginative and creative stories have been constructed thanks to the support of storyteller John Edgar. John worked with Junior School students to develop story ideas and encourage creative writing. We look forward to receiving the results of this competition in May.

Special congratulations are extended to Gopal Ajimal in Year 7, who won the 2016 Poetry with Punch award for his exceptional poetry performance.

World Book DayWorld Book Day became World Book Week with a variety of book related activities. Mrs Rowley talked to assembly groups, organised quizzes and staff and students from Year 7 to 10 were also encouraged to “Drop Everything and Read”.

The week culminated with students dressing as their favourite book characters for non-uniform day. Best selling author, Stuart Hill also came into School to talk about his award winning book “Cry of the Icemark”.

The Scholastic Book Fair was also in School from March 4th - 11th providing a wonderful opportunity for story times and for children to view the latest books, as well as generating free book rewards for our own library.

Accelerated ReaderAccelerated Reader is now well established across Year 7 and 8. Students have been eagerly reading and completing literacy skills quizzes on books they have read. The School has also been selected by Renaissance Learning to be a training centre for other schools, to guide them in improving reading levels and supporting children to develop a love of reading.

Poetry TrialsWell done to students who entered the Young Writers’ Poetry Trials competition. Mrs Rowley and Mr McAllister led a poetry writing workshop in recognition of National Poetry Day, during which they invited students from Year 7 to 10 to write a powerful poem themed around a topic of their choice. There were some wonderful entries, many of which have now been published in a book titled ‘Future Voices’. This is available in the Jenyns Library.


Events, Trips and Club NewsOver Six Decades of Former Students and Staff Reunite in London

Former students and staff representing over six decades of WGS, came together in the grand surroundings of the Merchant Taylors’ Hall to reminisce, network and hear about plans for the School’s future. Civil servants, journalists, lawyers, company directors, architects and engineers were just a subset of the alumni, who joined us for our annual reunion in London.

“The OW London reunion last Thursday was a super event and well worth going to - I travelled 5 hours to be there and it was great to catch up with some familiar faces as well as make some new OW friends - there always seems to be a friendly atmosphere at the event so it matters little if you don’t recognise many people - as we all have something in common through WGS. Many thanks for a great evening.” Becky Lumlock (OW 1991)

“It was great to meet up with some old friends from WGS. Looking through really old photos was a memory jogger, quite literally, there was one of me running a half marathon with JJ; even one of my dad from around 1950.” James Evans (OW 1984)

“It was great to see former students that I was both at school with and have taught. As a student I remember what my teachers said to me, and during the evening I was reminded about what I have said to students as a teacher! A fantastic opportunity to reminisce, but equally to see how far our former students have travelled in both their careers and personal lives.” Nic Anderson, Deputy Head (OW 1990).

The Independent


Old Wulfrunians Association Annual Dinner Over 160 guests filled Big School on Saturday 27th February for the annual OWA dinner. Former staff, students and guests joined senior staff, School Directors and representatives from the OWA for an evening packed full of memories, and a lavish three course dinner.

Sixth Form student volunteers helped former students from the School (dating back to Class of 1944 representatives Ben George, Gordon Williams and Basil Palmer) enjoy their time in Big School again as President of the OWA, Mr Glyn Thomas presided over the evening. After dinner speeches were delivered by Andrew Husselbee (OW 1979) and Head, Kathy Crewe-Read.

A special mention to OW Nick Berriman (OW 1991) reuniting representatives from his class of 1991 and our overseas guests Nile Green (OW 1990) from Los Angeles and Richard Sargeant (OW 1948) from Guernsey. Thanks also to OWA representatives Stuart Ross (OW 1966) and Tony Phillips (OW 1959) who worked hard to organise the evening and staff from the School who helped deliver such a memorable evening for so many.

The Old Wulfrunians Association can trace its origins back to the late 19th century. They organise sporting and social activities bringing former students together. Visit the School’s website www.wgs.org.uk to learn more.


Events, Trips and Club News

Wagrain Ski Trip

The Independent

Mrs Liz Harris, Head of Modern Foreign Languages, led the School’s annual ski trip to Wagrain. Together with Angus Hamilton from Year 8, this is their review of the trip…

“ We arrived at our hotel, The Markushof, late afternoon and after tea went to get our boots, skis, poles and helmets. The following morning everyone had a ski test on the nursery slope outside the hotel. This was a bit nerve wracking, but I was pleased to go into the higher intermediate group.

During the week my group tackled some very challenging red runs that were made more difficult by the foggy conditions that we had on two of the days-we could hardly see 50m in front of us. Our instructor, Eva, pushed us quite hard and we did lots of different activities to improve our technique. In the evening we went bowling, to an ice hockey match and swimming, which was my favourite activity.

All in all I had a great time and I am looking forward to signing up for next year’s trip.”Angus Hamilton, Year 8.

“ While we were waiting for our suitcases at the luggage carousel at Birmingham airport after a very busy week, a fellow passenger commented on what a well-behaved group we had. She asked me what school we were from and I proudly announced “Wolverhampton Grammar School”. Her comment did, indeed, sum up the week.

After a busy half term the students made life so much easier for the staff who had given up a week’s rest to accompany them. They were a pleasure to be with. Everyone skied well and made good progress in what were, at times, very tricky weather conditions. Many thanks to Mr Johnson, Mr Hall, Mr Mason, Mr Taylor and Miss Wiseman for their help and support and to Mr Carey for completing all the essential paperwork prior to the trip. Here’s to 2017! ”Mrs Liz Harris

“ It was tiring and physically demanding, but great fun.” Tierre Lindo-McKenzie, Year 8

“ The students were brilliant. We left a nice little message for Owen Davies in his

favourite restaurant. God bless him.” Mr. Johnson

“ The trip was amazing. Everyone was so friendly. Going on this trip improved

my German and my skiing.” Ben Ward, Year 8


Annual Careers ForumOur Careers Forum in February - an annual event designed to help students prepare for life beyond School – provided an excellent opportunity to gather expert advice and guidance from a diverse range of employers and universities. There were over 70 representatives on hand from over 45 universities, companies and industries to answer students’ questions, provide information and give an insight into working or studying in that environment.

Turn-out was excellent, with higher numbers of students than ever before. The Forum gave students the opportunity to learn more about working in engineering, law, finance, business and management, veterinary care, journalism and the creative arts, to name but a few of the career sectors represented. Universities in attendance such as University of Oxford, University of Birmingham, LSE, Universities of Manchester and Nottingham offered a wide range of courses. Employers included accountancy firms, estate agents, solicitors, theatres, hospitality sectors, engineering and manufacturing, veterinary health, optometry and representatives from the NHS as well as professionals from public relations, the public services and careers in sport.

Many delegates commented on the purposeful and collegiate atmosphere at the Forum and the enthusiasm and warm interpersonal skills of our students who themselves were positive about their experience, having found the evening’s conversations beneficial to them shaping their future. Their feedback will be invaluable in maximising the impact of future careers events at the School.

Year 8 Students Volunteer to ‘Clean for the Queen’Twenty-one student volunteers from Year 8 did their bit for Queen and Country on Friday 4th March and joined the national “Clean for The Queen” campaign.

Pancake Races

The Wulf The latest edition of ‘The Wulf’, the student-led newspaper produced by Sixth Form students, went down a storm when it was published just before Christmas.

We asked Editor, Verity Stark to tell us more…

“ The Wulf is an independent student-led newspaper produced by a group of students in WGS Sixth Form, who come together to discuss and write about the things they are passionate about. We feel that having a student-led newspaper is particularly important, as it enables us make both our opinions and the opinions of sixth formers heard, regarding both the school, and the current status of world events.

Released just before Christmas, we were pleased to see everyone’s engagement with what we had to say. The publication included: ‘You Were Always Going to Read This’ by Lewis Batho, who explored the concept of a ‘deterministic universe’, as well as an article by Michael Carleton, which considered whether a degree, in our current economic climate, would still ‘translate into better employment opportunities’.

Included in the next issue will be a review of the brilliantly directed and performed ‘Great Expectations’, plus an exploration of the Teen Mental Health Crisis, and what WGS is doing to tackle the issue of mental health in our school. We hope that this newspaper will be successful for many years to come.

”If you would like to learn more about The Wulf or get involved in future editions please contact Verity Stark by email [email protected].

Pancake racing in the Junior School is now a firm fixture in the School calendar and this year’s Shrove Tuesday didn’t disappoint. As always, highly prized certificates were presented to the winners of the races.

We think the Junior School annual pancake race is fast becoming a badge of honour for every school student.

Clean for the Queen encouraged everyone to litter pick across Britain in time for Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday, which will be officially celebrated in June 2016.

Mr Clancy, Head of Year 8 and Carrie Bennett, Director of Marketing & Communications for the School recruited twenty-one students to help volunteers from the city’s West Park to help clear the park of unwanted litter. Well done to all our students who did themselves, the School and Wolverhampton so proud.


Events, Trips and Club NewsThe Independent

It has been a great season so far for the senior chess team, who alongside their victory in the Lightning Competition have won all three of their Division 3 matches, with one still to be played. Having beaten Solihull School, Queen Mary’s Grammar School and King Edward’s Five Ways the team are playing better than ever and we are practising hard to maintain our form for the rest of the season!”

Chess SuccessRobert Pye (Upper Sixth Form) provides the latest chess update...

“ On the 5th February the WGS senior and junior chess teams took part in the annual Birmingham Schools Lightning Competition held at King Edwards’ School. Each team member played 8 matches, and in each game each player had 5 minutes on the clock, so quick thinking and the ability to remain calm under pressure were required! The senior team competed against 7 other schools and came out on top, finishing first with 36.5 points (one point for each win). The winning team was made up of Robert Pye (U6), Dilraj Samra (U6), Manraj Dhillon (L6), Nikhil Sharma (L6), Jake Sidhu (L6) and Andrew Fenn (Y8). Congratulations to Jake, who won all 8 of his matches.

Junior School CouncillorsCongratulations to all our new Junior School Councillors! Students were elected by their fellow classmates and will serve on the Junior School Council until the end of the summer term.

We wish them all every success in their posts as councillors.

Year 3: Ayaan Muhaimin, Zena Asbury and Aymann RayyanYear 4: Riya Shanbhag and George MargettsYear 5: Rajan Athwal, Charlotte Han, Maisie Berriman and Tom HathawayBig 6: Nellie Nabati, Cameron Brittain, Ella Ferguson and Jayran Chhokar

Year 3 Visit to Wren’s NestThe Year 3 Skills group headed out to the Wren’s Nest site near Dudley to search for fossils. The group met with Graham Worton from the Dudley Museum to tour the site and see the amazing fossilised sea beds.

Sponsoring Engineers of the FutureLast year saw the launch of Greenpower, a project aimed at Sixth Form students to promote sustainable engineering through the design, construction and modification of an electric racing car.

Having sought and received initial sponsorship from School and a number of local companies, they would love to hear from anyone who can assist them with transportation, race registration fees, team kit, tools and radio equipment. If you would like to hear more about the project and can assist in any way please contact Katie Guest email [email protected]

How to Save a LifeYear 7 and Year 9 students received a resuscitation masterclass this term from Dr Faraaz Bhatti (OW 2004) and Head of Year 7, Claudine Jones.

Miss Jones provided Year 7 students a very ‘hands on’ demonstration of CPR using the School’s resuscitation dolls.

Dr Bhatti talked to students about his work and the importance of CPR. He also provided a demonstration to students on what to do should they ever be called on as a bystander.

Towers TriumphWell done to all students who went the extra mile at the annual Junior School residential trip to Towers. The group had a fantastic time, enduring thick snow storms and real winter conditions.

Located in the magnificent Llugwy Valley in The Snowdonia National Park, Towers offers many children their first experience of being away from home.

The children all displayed remarkable enthusiasm and stamina. Experiences such as caving, climbing and gorge walking will stay long in their memories. As always, many thanks to all staff involved in this trip.


The Independent Infant School Plans

We have now submitted a planning application to Wolverhampton City Council to build a new, co-educational Infant School within our existing campus in Wolverhampton.

The proposed eco-friendly Infant and Lower Junior School will offer state-of-the-art facilities in a multi-million pound new development. Our current Junior School has been a tremendous success and if successful, this proposal will enable us to extend our WGS education to children as young as 4 (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2).

Wolverhampton Grammar School Submits Plans to Build New Infant School

The proposed new School will offer:

• Small teacher : pupil ratio• Spacious, colourful classrooms filled with natural light from

floor to ceiling • Large 180m2 sports and assembly hall with staging for

theatre and School productions• Innovative learning spaces with touch screen display

technology in every classroom and a dedicated Library• A unique, two storey curved design building created

to bring in as much natural light as possible framed by wooden pillars with an overhanging roof providing natural shade

• Dedicated access road, secure parking, a new playground, outdoor forest schools play and learning area

• Purpose built science laboratory and design & technology classroom

• Catering to provide school meals and snacks, as well as hospitality catering for events

• Spaces for group cooking activities, music lessons and learning support

• Shared teaching spaces offering flexible areas for children to learn, play and develop

• Natural ventilation throughout the building to ensure the highest standards of energy efficiency

• Rainwater capture technology to support the irrigation of our surrounding gardens and green spaces

• A new 3G mini-soccer and rugby pitch, available for community use

• A new mini flat grass pitch available for community use • Wrap around care provided both before and after School

with unique opportunities to enjoy after-school clubs every term: from choir to reading clubs, there will be something to appeal to everyone.

The proposed Infant and Lower Junior School will also initially create around 20 new jobs and further opportunities for local suppliers. Located in The Valley, the School will be completely self-enclosed and offer the perfect location for smaller children.

We have already received enquiries about places for the new School. If you would like to learn more, view the plans or just come and talk through our proposals, contact Carrie Bennett email [email protected] or drop into School at any time.


ResourcesThe Independent

How to Prepare for Exams

Graham Lewis Maths Scholarship AwardIf you’re a current WGS Upper Sixth student studying either Mathematics or Further Mathematics at A Level, you may be eligible to apply for an award worth £1000.

The Graham Lewis Maths Scholarship Award has been made possible following a generous gift from benefactor and alumnus Robert Zeps. Mr Zeps has dedicated this Scholarship to his WGS mathematics teacher Mr Graham Lewis, who inspired him to pursue maths for both career and intellectual satisfaction.

The recipient of this Scholarship will receive a lump sum of £1000 to use to support their study of Mathematics (or a related discipline) at University.

All eligible Upper Sixth students should have received an email about how to apply. If you are interested in applying for this award and need more information please contact Mr Hughes or Dr O’Brien as soon as possible.

Applications need to be made by Tuesday 12th April.

Just One Click Away from the Latest Internet Safety Guidance

Thank you to all parents who came along to the recent Internet Safety evening at School. If statistics are to be believed, a child’s knowledge and use of apps and computer technology often far exceeds their parents and the experiences shared during the evening provided a useful reminder that there are simple measures we can all take to ensure we (and particularly our children) use the internet safely.

The evening included discussions around how to communicate concerns to children, what the latest social media channels and apps are and if implementing steps like ‘technology free zones’ at home really work.

You can access the resources shared during the evening by searching for ‘internet safety resources’ on the School’s website www.wgs.org.uk

With mock exams now completed for Year 11 and the Sixth Form, attention now turns to the real GCSE, AS and A2 examinations. All students will have received guidance (and feedback from past papers) to help them prepare and achieve of their best, but if you need a little more help then here are a few additional tips to consider:

Plan your revision. It is really important that you prepare and plan your time from now until your exams. Always start with the topics that you feel less familiar with as this will give you time to visit them more than once.

Use what works. If you have a revision style that works for you then stick with it! However, if lots of revision hasn’t given you the results you had hoped for in the past then try something different. Think about how you could use:• mind maps• hierarchies• turning notes into lyrics• covering up diagrams to reproduce them under timed

conditions

Whatever you do, it’s essential that you process material - simply reading or re-writing notes in the same format doesn’t work well for most people.

Timed papers. In order to see how much time you need to set aside for the questions you should have attempted a paper under timed conditions. Try this at home, sitting alone in a room and stick to the time limit.

Exam Technique. Make sure you read the instructions carefully! Highlight key terms and, for lengthier answers and essays, be sure to produce a quick plan to help guide you and keep your answers focussed.

Don’t worry about how everyone else is revising. Everyone learns differently and what works for one student might not work for another.

If you want more tips and guidance then talk to your Form Tutor, Head of Year or the OpAL department. There are also resources available online, including: www.revisionworld.com


University vs Apprenticeship

Two former Students Talk about their ExperiencesIt is an unfortunate fact that these days a degree doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a good job, and some might say that years of study don’t necessarily equip you for the career of your choice. Some students are thinking twice about leaving school and heading for university and more and more are now considering apprenticeships instead.

In 2014/15, 499,900 apprenticeship schemes started in England. As in previous years, the most popular sector was Business, Administration and Law, accounting for 29% of all such placements.

Two former students, Hannah Lea and Abbi Laville (OWs 2015), took the decision to follow the apprenticeship route, and both have interesting stories to tell. Hannah applied for the Ernst and Young School Leaver Programme and of the four different routes she could take - audit, tax, TAS (transaction advisory services) and advisory - she chose the Audit Department. She says she always wanted a career in finance. Ernst and Young is a multinational professional services firm, one of the ‘Big Four’ audit firms and is the third largest professional services firm in the world.

Abbi chose to pursue a career in law and looked for an apprenticeship supported by the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx – the awarding body who run the academic side of her apprenticeship). She is now a Legal Apprentice with Gowling WLG formerly known as Wragge Lawrence Graham and Co, which is a global Top 100 international law firm headquartered in the UK, with offices around the world.

It seems Hannah and Abbi were dissuaded from the university path from the outset by the thought of debt - student loans coupled with the cost of living and a diet of beans on toast. Aside from that, they were attracted by the professional environment afforded by an apprenticeship, the fact that companies appeared to value their ‘school-leavers’ as highly as their graduates and an early start on the career ladder.

Abbi was mindful of the stigma of apprenticeships – “I would argue that there’s still a vague stigma attached to apprenticeships on the whole and I was keen to find something that would challenge me a little more than the typical stereotype where apprentices run around making cups of tea all day. If I wasn’t going to university, I needed to be doing something that justified that decision, and wanted

the kind of position that I would pat myself on the back for just as much as the students getting into the Russell Group universities would themselves.”

Asked what advice they would give students considering this path – Hannah replied: “Don’t fall down the trap of believing that apprenticeships involve the stereotypical tasks of photocopying and filing. The work has been far from easy and you are always contributing to the team’s end goal and at no point have I felt like a ‘spare part’. Abbi replied: “Go with your gut! If you get excited about the idea of university then it’s something for you. If you don’t or you find yourself recoiling at even the vaguest mention of UCAS, then remember there are other options out there for you … Would you spend thousands of pounds on something you really didn’t want if you had to pay for it upfront and didn’t have the ‘security’ of knowing that the payment was a long way off?”

Having met Hannah and Abbi we would certainly say they were walking advertisements for smashing the ‘apprenticeship stigma’ – professional, highly intelligent, ambitious and successful.

You can read Hannah and Abbi’s full interviews on the School website: www.wgs.org.uk/meet-our-alumni

The Independent


The Independent

National Ranking for School SportWolverhampton Grammar School has been placed 14th in the country for being a top independent sports school of 2015.

School Sport Magazine made the announcement in their latest edition to celebrate schools who enter and compete at national level. The magazine encourages and promotes excellence, participation and competition across school.

Mrs Alison Causebrook, Head of Girls' Games congratulated everyone who has played their part, “It’s been a great year for sport at School including incredible successes at national, county and regional championship level in a whole range of sports.”

Every week our Sports Department puts in dozens of hours of work inspiring children from Year 3 to Year 13 to get involved in the world of school sport. Congratulations!

Howzat?.. for Cricketing Star Archie

Dive into Swimming

Sport NewsThe Independent

Rising star Archie O’Hara has been named “Most Promising Under 16 Cricketer” by the MCCC (Midlands Club Cricket Conference).

Archie has been at the School for over five years. His natural ability was spotted early by Head of Boys’ Games, Mr Nigel Crust, and he has proved to be a firm fixture in the School’s prestigious First XI Cricket team.

Mr Crust added “Archie’s skills as a batsman have earned him the title of most promising Under 16 – an impressive and quite honestly, astounding achievement for someone so young. His recorded runs during the last season recorded him with the 5th highest run total in the country.”

Archie who lives in Tettenhall - plays for the School, City and at County level.

Well done to everyone who has joined the School Under 13’s swimming team. The team competed against ten other schools at the City Swimming Gala and achieved an incredible third place. An amazing achievement considering the girls were competing against squad, regional and national swimmers.

Captain Izzy Gillott finished 2nd overall in the individual competition and did a brilliant job motivating her fellow team members Elanor Charlson, Emma Herritty, Anya Rogers, Kate Fitzpatrick, Beth Seager and Mathura Prabakar.

A special mention also to the Gillott family who went along to support the girls at the gala and wrote to Kathy Crewe-Read about how impressed they were by the crew, and the staff who encouraged them.

“The girls swam exceptionally, it is a pleasure to see them represent the School in their loved sport”. Alison Causebrook, Head of Girls’ Games.


First in FencingTwo of our Year 8 students, Ben Ward and Angus Hamilton recently competed in a fencing event in Bromsgrove.

They entered the pair’s tournament, achieving first in their group.

Congratulations to them both, a great result!

Indoor Athletics City ChampionsCongratulations to all Year 9 students who competed in the indoor athletics championships at Aldersley Indoor Stadium. The girls’ team won their heats to become City Champions, with the boys close runners up in their competition.

Well done to Jordan Russell, Amelia Kerr, Lexie Turner, Nina Sidhu, Emily Aston, Toyosi Omotoso, Alex Bryan, Charlie Baker, Reece McCarthy, Sachin Basra, Peter Holman, Max Walters and Jamie Shaw.

Both squads have qualified for the Black Country School games at the end of March.

Badminton ChampionsThe under 14’s badminton team won the Black Country Championships this term with Max Walters as team captain. Stephen Jong performed exceptionally well and the squad are off to the West Midlands Championships in March.

t @WGSSport and @WGJSSportSport plays a role in every student’s life at School. That’s an incredible achievement for the Sports Department and something we’re very proud of. With over 730 students active every week, it’s impossible to list every student’s achievement, but a good way to keep in touch and up to date with what’s going on is the Sport’s Department Twitter feed.

20 PBwww.wgs.org.uk t @WGS1512 F Wolverhampton Grammar School Official

Wolverhampton Grammar SchoolCompton RoadWolverhampton WV3 9RB01902 421326

If you would like to hear more about anything featured in this edition of The Independent please contact Carrie Bennett email: [email protected]

Wolverhampton Grammar School would like to wish all our readers a wonderful Easter.

Wolverhampton Grammar Junior SchoolCompton RoadWolverhampton WV3 9RB01902 392960

www.wgs.org.uk t @WGS1512 F Wolverhampton Grammar School Official

The IndependentSpring 2016Wolverhampton Grammar School Newsletter

the independent spring 2016

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