Young Furniture Makers 2017

Last year, ex-student Ella Lemaire was a joint winner for the Furniture Makers Company School Design Prize. In this video Ella describes her experience since exhibiting her product and what she plans to do next.

Ella completed her A Level Product Design course at Wallingford School in 2016.

House Wildlife & Nature Photography Competition

Last month the Science Department organised a House photography competition with the theme of wildlife and nature. This proved to be a very popular competition, with over 200 entries!

A big well done to all students and staff who entered. Judging commenced last Thursday with the winning selection announced on Friday. Please see the winning photographs below.

Read more: House Wildlife & Nature Photography Competition

We Care About Mental Health - An Officer Initiative

One of the areas that School Officers have been focusing on this year is mental health. We recognise how important this is, particularly for young people who will inevitably encounter many stresses throughout their education. Our aim has been to make sure every student in the school knows what help is available to them, both in school and elsewhere.

As such, we have created some 'Mental Health Help Cards'. These have been given to all students in all year groups today.

We thought we'd share the background of this initiative:

Read more: We Care About Mental Health - An Officer Initiative

Lake District Revision Trip - May 2017

Sunday morning was a very early start (for some more than others) as we set off for the Lake District. Our journey was smooth, with most people trying hard to get some shut-eye. The highlight was reaching our destination, which was beautiful, and we were all excited about the week ahead.

Read more: Lake District Revision Trip - May 2017

Applying to University - Top Tips from an Ex-Student

Ex-student Maya Parchment was interviewed by The Guardian for an article about applying to university, having gone through the process herself. Here's the advice she had for sixth formers.

SEND Forum Meeting

The next SEND Forum meeting, for parents of students on the SEND register, will take place on Wednesday 24th May, 5.30pm - 6.30pm in the SEND department.

Ryan Bradley (ASC outreach) will be talking to parents about managing children's transition between Key Stages, particularly Years 6 - 7 & Years 9 - 10.  As many students struggle with these transitions the meeting should be both informative and helpful.  Parents of Year 6 pupils with ASC are welcome to attend.

Go Make A Difference

My name is Millie, I'm in Year 11, and I will be taking part in a project this summer with a few other students from Wallingford School.

In July we will fly out to Tanzania to give much needed help to those in desperate need. We are going with a charity called Go MAD (Go Make A Difference). It was founded by Graham McClure in 1994 and since then he has been taking people out to Africa to do aid work.

After discussions with Mr Willis and the teachers, they have kindly allowed the students to have a non-uniform fundraising day on Friday 5th May to enable us to raise much needed money for the Go MAD charity. We are hoping to raise £1500. There will be a friendly competition between the Houses and the winner will receive a reward from Mr Willis.

I have spoken to the students in various assemblies this week about the educational and social aspects of the projects, as I feel it is important to make students aware of the people in Tanzania who are less fortunate than us. I also really want to make them feel involved and know every penny raised is going straight to specific projects such as building water tanks and building goat sheds (as well as buying the goats to live in them!). We will also be playing games with the children, visiting an orphanage, helping in schools, teaching young girls and lots, lots more. Although only a few of us are going, the difference will be made by everyone at Wallingford School getting involved, even by just giving £1.

Read more: Go Make A Difference

Good is definitely the perfect fit for us

You can download the Ofsted Report at the end of the article.

This is a great report and very fair. It is hard to read it without smiling.

The governors of the school have always been determined to do the best by our students.

This includes ensuring they leave school with the best qualifications they can. This often means refusing to comply with the government's preferred approaches. Almost everybody here is rather proud of this ethos.

Read more: Good is definitely the perfect fit for us

Wallingford School Wins Award For Exceptional 2016 Results

Wallingford School has been nationally recognised for its exceptional 2016 performance by the Schools, Students and Teachers network (SSAT). Educational Outcomes data analysis from SSAT has shown that the school is in the top 20% of non-selective schools nationally for attainment.

Read more: Wallingford School Wins Award For Exceptional 2016 Results

Year 8 Belgium Trip 2017

Last week, Year 8s took a trip to Belgium and visited several war memorial sites there and in neighbouring France.

They visited Vimy Memorial Park, exploring WWI trenches and the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, then back across the border to Ypres and the "In Flanders Fields" Museum.

They reflected on the differences between how the war has been remembered differently by the victors and the defeated, by comparing the largest Commonwealth cemetery, Tyne Cot, and the Langemark German War Cemetery. They also visited Essex Farm Cemetery, the site of the composition of the poem, "In Flanders Fields", and laid a wreath at the Menin Gate.

Towards the end of the week, they visited the Lochnagar Crater and Thiepval Memorial, the largest Anglo-French memorial of the Somme.

Plenty of somber moments, but still opportunities for smiles.

Click to view larger images.