Headmaster’s Welcome – Simon Hawkes, Headmaster
It’s been a pleasure to have The School full again this week, and even the weather hasn’t entirely dampened everyone’s enthusiasm for the new term. I’ve always believed that those of us who work in schools enjoy the benefits of two annual fresh starts each year, so pupils should see the start of Lent term as the ideal opportunity to refresh those ambitions, put the challenges of Michaelmas behind them, and look forward with positivity.
With that in mind, if your son or daughter is still casting around for an achievable and meaningful new year’s resolution for 2026, they could do a lot worse than getting on board with the National Year of Reading. We will, of course, be running initiatives in school, but at the very basic level many of our pupils would almost certainly benefit from a renewed focus on reading for pleasure.
On a different note, I enjoyed viewing the social media images and video of the brilliant ski trip that so many of our pupils enjoyed over the Christmas break. I’ve heard lots of enthusiastic accounts of the fun everyone had on this trip, and I’m very grateful to the staff who gave up a big chunk of their time over the holiday to supervise and support the pupils.
Best wishes.
Scholarship-Funded Adventures in Politics and Philosophy – Year 12 Pupil Eve
I first used the money for a History and Politics trip to the Houses of Parliament, Supreme Court, and Westminster Abbey. I especially enjoyed watching a debate in the House of Commons, because all parties agreed on the bill they were debating, showing how our government can work when they collaborate. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to visit the Supreme Court, as it aligns with my strong interest in law.
The rest of the money I spent on philosophy books, and some specifically on Friedrich Nietzsche, as I hope to study philosophy as part of my university course because I really enjoy it.
Marsh House Update
Wishing all our Wellingborough families a Happy New Year! It has been lovely to welcome the girls back into Marsh this week, looking mostly energised for the term ahead, though I do think some of them are struggling with the shift in wake-up time as we all get back into our routines. Year 13, of course, have the hardest task, with their mock exams this week. They have been eagerly beavering away in the mornings, and it is certainly a time of the year when they realise the end is in sight and they need to keep pushing! Somehow, they make time for it all, and I would like to congratulate the new first team netball captain, Monpriya, and vice-captain, Gabriella! With Annabel being so successful and impressive as the hockey first team captain last term, among them all they represent Marsh and our sporting abilities so well.
This term is an extremely busy one! With Year 9 mulling over their options, we plan to have them meet with Year 10 in Marsh and hear their wisdom and advice at this important stage. Similarly, Year 12 are looking towards their potential prefect applications, and Year 13 will be sure to give them a few pointers. They are an impressive form group and have already taken to planning the upcoming House Music competition with ease. Hopefully our house singing victory sets us in good stead, and I look forward to hearing our impressive musicians perform.
Monday is our Evensong service, another opportunity for the girls to come together and to raise money for our charity, the Bone Cancer Research Trust. We will also be holding a bake sale on the 19th January to raise further money, so any encouragement of baking that you can do at home would be much appreciated! Also this month, we have our House Dinner to look forward to, with a theme ‘Night at the Oscars’. This looks to be a lovely evening, a chance to get dressed up and be together as a House and enjoy some lovely food and entertainment. We will also end this half-term with the most important House competition: the annual Pancake Race. Practising begins next week!
Proud Moment for Our Rugby Captain
Congratulations to our rugby first team captain, Tom, who has been selected for the RFU Midlands U18 rugby development squad. This follows several East Midlands U18 fixtures against the other Midlands regions during the past few months.
This is an amazing achievement, and we wish Tom good luck for all the coming divisional matches.
English Update – Harriet Tierney, Head of English
The English Department has had a busy and exciting term so far. In October, Year 11 students enjoyed an unforgettable trip to see “To Kill a Mockingbird”, which brought Harper Lee’s classic novel vividly to life and deepened their understanding of its themes. This term, Year 10 students have trips planned to see either “The Woman in Black” or “Blood Brothers”, both of which promise to enrich their study of drama and performance.
Years 7 and 8 have been making excellent use of their library lessons, which this year have placed a greater emphasis on learning how to use the school library effectively alongside encouraging reading for pleasure. These sessions have been a fantastic way to develop research skills and foster a love of books.
Our A Level English Language students recently travelled to London for the EMAG conference, where they attended a series of fascinating lectures delivered by university professors on topics ranging from linguistic theory to contemporary language issues. Meanwhile, A Level Literature students will soon have the exciting opportunity to attend a live performance of Hamlet, offering them the chance to experience Shakespeare’s tragedy on stage and deepen their appreciation of its complex themes.
We are proud of the enthusiasm and engagement shown by our students and look forward to continuing to provide enriching experiences that bring literature and language to life.
Biology Update – Hannah Pattison, Head of Biology
As we return from the Christmas break, once again a massive thank you to the Low family for hosting Shelly the tortoise for the holidays – she had a wonderful time!
Year 13 mocks are now well underway, marking the beginning of our final push toward the summer exams. It is important to remember that this is a journey: bringing together every part of the course, revisiting the finer details, and sharpening the skills and techniques needed for success. Over the next few weeks CSI Wellingborough will be investigating another dastardly murder. Then kidneys and homeostasis come under close inspection to complete the theory.
Year 11 are also nearing the end of the course. The final topics include cloning and genetic engineering with some interesting examples in the news recently, including sickle cell and beta-thalassaemia therapies approved for NHS use. Our very successful revision programme will also start soon. There will be clinics available to support pupils with the topics under review that week, and then plenty of past questions to try.
Years 7, 9 and 12 have all been looking at body systems, and our freezer has lungs, hearts and eyeballs all ready to go. Bits from the butcher rather than whole animal dissections provide fantastic experience of real bodies.
Year 10 have finally come to the end of plants; we have put leaves on washing lines to investigate transpiration, bubbled pond weed to show how light intensity affects the rate of photosynthesis and grown cress to demonstrate tropisms. We are moving onto farming and food production, from glasshouses and fish farming to bread and yoghurt making.
It will be another busy term in the Biology Department.
Careers Weekly
This week’s careers newsletter spotlights Careers in Healthcare. Giving you a better understanding of the careers available in the NHS and what it would be like to work in the sector.
Read this week’s Careers newsletter here.
Music Exam Success – Liz Burleigh, Music School Administrator
Congratulations to Jaan who passed his Trinity Grade 4 Piano exam with Merit at the end of last term.
Working Together to Keep Young People Safe
Recently, alarming reports have emerged about dangerous online networks sometimes called ‘com groups’ or ‘com networks’. While each group can be different, many share disturbing and coercive behaviour, encouraging or demanding self-harm, blackmail (including via intimate or personal data) and normalising violence, abuse or even suicidal behaviour.
This month’s newsletter explores how children can stay safe from ‘com groups’ and educates young people about the importance of consent.
Read the full safeguarding newsletter for this month here.
Safeguarding Message: Frozen Water
Frozen lakes and rivers might look beautiful, but they’re extremely dangerous. People lose their lives every year when they venture onto the ice or attempt to rescue others. Recently, there has been a rise in incidents regarding young people getting into difficulty in ponds and lakes after going onto the ice.
The poster below includes safety details that will help you stay safe around these areas and what you should do if you do see someone fall.
Upcoming Parent Webinars – Supporting GCSE Success
We have been sent details to share of some upcoming webinars this half term that may be of interest to parents of GCSE students. These are free to attend, hosted and organised by external companies, so we have no involvement with nor oversight of the content, however are passing on opportunities that may be of interest! The latter one is run by GCSEPod, which is a platform we subscribe to, and all students have access to via their Firefly dashboard to help with their revision.
Wednesday 28th January – 7-8pm: A Parent’s guide to Supporting GCSE Success, hosted by The Degree Gap. Described as a “parent-focused webinar on motivation, structure, and using mock results to create progress without pressure or burnout.” Further information and register to attend here: A Parent’s Guide to Supporting GCSE Success | The Degree Gap
Thursday 29th January – 5:30-6:00pm – Parent and Student Webinar – Learning from your Mocks, hosted by GCSEPod. Information here and register to attend here.
Year 10 Trip to Symphony Hall – Book Now!
The Science Faculty would like to offer our Y10 pupils the opportunity to attend the GCSE Science Live lecture event taking place at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham on Tuesday, 24th February.
This event will include spectacular science educational speakers, including eminent scientists such as Professor Robert Winston, a pioneer in the field of fertility and the host of BBC programmes including “Child of Our Time”. Others include Professor Jim Al-Khalili, who appears regularly on both television and radio in shows including his still currently aired “The Life Scientific” podcast on BBC Radio.
It is £43.00 for your child to attend; please be aware this trip is for Year 10 pupils only.
If you are interested, please go through your ParentPay account to secure your child’s place. The deadline for booking your child’s place is 16th January 2026.
Stay Connected
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You can also explore upcoming events and activities on our Events Page HERE.
Wellingborough School Business Directory
Please find the Business Directory at the following link: https://wellingboroughschool.org/community/business-directory/
