Senior School Newsletter
Welcome to our weekly update, where we celebrate the breadth of school life at Westonbirt. Each edition offers a snapshot of the learning, achievements and wider opportunities that define our community.
Welcome to our weekly update, where we celebrate the breadth of school life at Westonbirt. Each edition offers a snapshot of the learning, achievements and wider opportunities that define our community.
Year 9 Art pupils enjoyed a fantastic day at Cotswold Wildlife Park, gathering inspiration for their Endangered Animals project.
Using the Photography A-level digital SLRs, pupils developed their photography skills and captured images to create prints for their lino printing work back in the classroom. They also drew animals from observation and enjoyed an informative conservation talk from a park ranger, exploring endangered species and how we can support conservation.
A brilliant day of creativity, photography and learning, with pupils showing real enthusiasm for using their art to raise awareness and support an important cause.
A huge milestone for our Formula 24 co-curricular engineering pupils, as the go-kart they have been building over the past four years took to the road for the very first time!
It was an amazing moment to see years of hard work, problem-solving and determination pay off. There is still plenty to do, with further problem-solving and bodywork to complete, but the team are one step closer to their goal.
Could the next stop be Castle Combe? Watch the go-kart take to the road for the first time here.
As the new academic year gets underway, the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) proudly welcomed a fresh cohort of students into the Contingent. Last weekend marked a major milestone for these new cadets as they stepped into their very first training day, held fittingly during the School’s Open Day.
Visitors and prospective families caught a glimpse of our cadets in action as they embraced their initial challenges. We were honoured to be joined by members of the wider Cadet Forces, who generously supported the day by leading the cadets through their essential first steps in air rifle training.
This exciting event officially launches the cadets’ journey into the CCF, opening the door to unique opportunities, lifelong adventures, and unforgettable experiences. Well done to all our new recruits for a fantastic first weekend!
A fantastic result for Fifi (Y9) at the latest Jumping With Style competition, where she finished 2nd individually in the JWS80cm and secured her individual qualification for the National Championships at Addington in October.
Westonbirt also had a strong day overall, with both our JWS70 and JWS80 teams securing qualification for the National Championships. A brilliant achievement for all our riders!
Our much-loved LAMDA tutor Dee Thompson has been taking to the West End stage, performing in The Last Ship at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
Written by Sting, who also appeared in the cast, the musical has given Dee the opportunity to perform in one of London’s most iconic theatres. During the run, Dee also welcomed Westonbirt pupil Bluebell for a very special backstage and stage tour, even taking her onto the West End stage!
Westonbirt polo players enjoyed a special masterclass with Mark Tomlinson this week, focusing on the tactical strategies of arena polo and how these differ from playing on grass.
Mark shared his expertise on using the arena walls and corners to tactical advantage, as well as the different rules and continuous play involved in arena polo. The session was designed to help pupils make the transition from grass to arena, develop their game strategy and prepare for next week’s fixture.
With a 6-goal arena handicap and experience playing high-goal arena polo, Mark was perfectly placed to share his knowledge with the team.
Our EPQ Showcase took place on Friday afternoon, bringing together a range of independent research from our Sixth Form pupils.
This year’s projects explored questions around dinosaur behaviour, Roman power, nostalgia across generations, the future of renewable energy and whether motorsport can remain relevant to younger audiences, alongside many other thought-provoking topics.
The showcase marked the culmination of presentations that have taken place throughout the week, giving pupils the opportunity to share their research, challenge ideas and demonstrate the depth of their independent thinking.
A huge well done to everyone involved!
Our boarders have had another busy week, with plenty happening both in and out of the boarding houses!
The weekend brought an exciting go-karting trip, while back at school there were baking successes, a Korean Food Wednesday and plenty of creativity as pupils continued work on their term-long round canvas project. The Korean snacks were a particular hit!
A week full of fun, friendship and plenty to get involved in.
It’s been another action-packed week in sport at Westonbirt, with fixtures across a range of teams. You can view the full set of fixtures and results here.
We always love to hear about achievements and moments of teamwork or collaboration. If you would like to share something, please email marketing@westonbirtschool.uk.