A huge congratulations to 3 of our Year 8 students who have been selected to represent Wolverhampton for Football at an international tournament. They will be participating in the under 13’s Mediterranean Girls Cup in France during the Easter holidays. Esme plays as a central defender - ‘I am looking forward to seeing where the other teams come from and the experience of playing with the team overseas.’ Harmani plays in midfield - ‘This is a great opportunity to see teams across Europe and how they play and compare to us.’ Tilly-Mai plays central midfield - ‘It’s going to be fun! I’m looking forward to the experience and spending time with friends in the district team.’ This is a fantastic opportunity, well done girls on being selected. All of us at WGHS are extremely proud of you!

A group of Year 12 and 13 Russian and History A Level students recently embarked on a trip to Tallinn, primarily to discover the influence of the Soviet Union and the Cold War on Estonia.  Students were shocked to learn that thousands of Estonians were deported to Siberia and other places in the Soviet Union under Stalin.  We visited a number of sites of interest including the Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom, the KGB Prison Cells, the KGB Museum and a graveyard for discarded statues of former Soviet leaders. There were definitely times of light relief which included a marzipan and pelmeni making workshop followed by dinner in a traditional Russian restaurant.  Students spent an exciting evening at the ballet to see Louis X1V, Sun King and also had a wonderful opportunity to explore the old city of Tallinn despite the temperature being minus 13! A visit to Kadriorg Palace, built by Peter the Great for his wife and to the small house that he preferred to live in, took us all back in time to the 18th century. Tallinn is a beautiful city to visit and the trip was a truly educational experience.

On Tuesday 27th February, WGHS hosted the Year 10 City netball tournament. A total 13 teams entered to play in the tournament from schools across the city. We are extremely proud to announce that the Year 10 team won all of their games and were crowned the City Champions! They have also now qualified to go on to represent Wolverhampton in the South Staffordshire County Schools Tournament in November 2024. A huge congratulations to the team and well done to everyone who played.

On Saturday 2nd March 2024, Year 9 student Alice, competed in the World Formation Championships at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom. Alice’s ‘Putting on the Ritz’ team, of Zig Zag's Dance Factory, beat Dubai in the final to become the Rising Stars World Champions! They also came 6th overall in the U16s category, which is a great achievement for them. Congratulations to you and your team Alice, we are so proud of you - what a fantastic achievement!

World Book Day 2024: Virtual Author Talks Review by Amelia Colin-Stokes (Year 12) On Friday, we were privileged to have a talk from Katharine Corr, an author and co-writer of Young Adult fiction who published her works alongside her sister, Elizabeth Corr. As English Literature students, many of us are considering pursuing literature further, whether that be for higher education or in our careers. Katharine’s insight into the field of literature was both inspiring and insightful due to her extensive knowledge and experience as an author who has been traditionally published. Careers in the arts industry are notoriously competitive but having the guidance from someone who has established themselves in the field of literature, such as Katharine, was an incredibly enriching experience.

Former Head Girl, Eve Hunt, came back in to school earlier this month to speak to our Sixth Formers about life after WGHS and studying at Exeter University (a very popular choice for our girls). Here was her Q & A session: What tips would you give on how to pick a university? Obviously, you have to look at which universities offer the course you want to do but then I would decide if you want a campus university or not. I am on campus for example, and if I have a lecture at 9am I can literally make it even if I wake up at 8.45! A friend of mine whose university is split across a number of sites has to be a lot more organised as lectures are a 40-minute walk for her! I was set on going to Oxford but when I went to have a look around, I changed my mind so definitely get out to the open days. Also, try to talk to students as they will be more honest. Also, you need to decide on what is important to you. I wasn’t looking for a place with lots of night life so Exeter suits me but again you should have a think about what factors are important for you. Can you give us some revision tips? Try to replicate exam conditions at home. Also, make use of your free lessons. It is tempting to sit around with friends during free lessons, but you will regret that later on. Finally, do lots of timed practise papers! I don’t recommend you stay up till the early hours!  I always stopped revising by 9.30 and then watched a movie! I used the Pomodoro method which is an excellent way to revise. It involves working really hard for 25mins then having a 5 mins break to grab a snack or catch up on messages. It worked much better for me than just trying to study for 4 hours straight. How did you narrow your EPQ down to one question? First of all, I really recommend everyone does an EPQ – it helped me a lot and some universities will even lower the grades they are asking for if you have done an EPQ. In my case, for the EPQ to lower the grades, my EPQ had to be related to the subject I wanted to study at degree level, so it is worth checking with universities regarding this. Can you give any tips on how to revise for geography A level? I recommend you get yourself a big white board/flipchart paper and write out all the facts. Check to see what you’re missing and then do it again.  Its bit of a memory game! And focus on past papers as the same questions tend to come up just worded slightly differently. Can you give any tips on how to revise for English Literature A level? Again, timed practise is really important but in addition to this make sure you make a list of all the themes and put those down on the centre of the page and then put everything you can down that is relevant to that theme including quotes. Flash cards are also really good. I used to put half the quotes on one side of the card and the other half of the quote on the other side! What was Freshers Week like? To be honest I was quite nervous about Freshers week as I had heard people drink a lot during Freshers and I am not a heavy drinker but to be honest it wasn’t like that. It’s a good idea to join as many societies as possible – this is where I made most of my friends. You often have to pay to join a society especially if they run events. Societies are student led and they need the funding to make the events happen. Most societies ask for a small contribution, my English Society for example is £20/year. But join as many as you are interested in, it’s a great way to meet people and there is a society for everything! There are also a lot of taster sessions during Freshers which are useful and quite a lot of students move into accommodation that week too. Is moving to university like moving house? Pretty much! I remember it was just me and my dad in the car and even then, I had my legs curled up on the seat for the whole 4-hour journey! I took way too much with me. Don’t make that mistake. Leave some clothes at home for when you go back at weekends/holidays! I also packed 4 plates, 4 bowls … not sure why! Two would have been plenty! Make sure the things that will stay in communal areas stand out. My cutlery has pink handles which is great otherwise everything just gets mixed up! Do you feel safe at university? When I moved in, I was the only one in the house for 12! But there are about 7 doors to get through before you get to my room, so it feels very safe! How clean are the shared spaces? The shared kitchens and bathrooms get cleaned once a week. If you have an ensuite you have to clean it yourself, so if you can’t deal with pulling hair out of the drains you might want to go for shared! I’m quite lucky our kitchen is quite clean too but that will be just down to luck! Make sure you look at prices of accommodation. What happens at Open Days? They have fairs with all subject areas so you can talk to lecturers. They also organise accommodation tours. How are you finding the finances? I have a loan, but I also work 16 hours a week from Fri evening through to Sunday and that gives me a lot more freedom. I have around £100 budget per week. About £30 goes on food and washing is probably the one of my biggest costs as the laundrette is quite expensive. Without a job I would probably have struggled. At my university, they pay students if you allow people to come and view your room so it’s a great way of making a bit of pocket money! What is your accommodation like? I was lucky, I have a decent sized room with a double bed and nice spacious communal area. Don’t worry if you don’t hit it off with your flatmates, I get on with all of mine, but my friends mainly come from the course I was studying and people I met at society events. Also worth knowing that if you plan to stay out for your second year, in some areas you have to start getting that in order within a couple of months of starting university! It all depends on how much accommodation is available in the area you are looking. One tip with house hunting - look for ones that have bills included! When did you start to revise for your A Levels? I got my revision resources together in Year 12, well in advance of Yr13, I recommend you do that as Yr13 comes so fast! I then started to revise around Easter time. With Geography the mini tests really help. Levels are really hard and university is a lot easier so put the effort in now, there is light at the end of the tunnel! Would you still choose University over an apprenticeship? I would, I love University life! Also, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do so university is giving me that time to figure things out! My friend is with Cap Gemini and is loving it so it really depends on where you see yourself! Also, you get longer holidays. A month off for Christmas and long summer holidays too and it’s nice to come home for reading week and get a bit of a break. What do you love about Exeter? I love it because it’s quite a small place, its quiet. Also, I am at the beach every weekend with my friends which is great. What have you learnt about yourself? I am actually a really good cook and I enjoy having my own space! How many hours do you have per week? It varies course to course. Mine is 8 hours contact time per week. I have lectures back-to-back on a Monday and seminars dotted over Wed-Fri. It’s worth knowing that timetables can change term to term. So, lectures are in a big lecture hall. At Exeter the lectures are also recorded which means it is easy to catch up if you miss a session but check that the provision with universities as not all may provide that.  Seminars are in smaller groups and then everyone has a personal tutor that you can go to anytime. Universities also provide a lot of support services. Do you get homework? I don’t get homework but for English I get reading: 2 books per week and 4 articles! I try to keep up with this as you can tell who doesn’t do it as they are unable to contribute to class. Also, there lots of different ways students might be assessed. 10% of my assessment for example is by looking at participation. Would you recommend going for Head Girl or House captains? Taking part in these things really help and definitely opens doors for you. The Head Girl team has tasks all year around – tours/assemblies whilst House captains have bigger roles during particular times/Events like HWG, House Arts etc so it’s really just down to what you prefer. What was your biggest challenge? The first 2 weeks were the hardest. I really missed my mum and struggled with getting into a routine and getting my washing and cooking done. Now I tend to batch cook and freeze meals so that I am not left struggling. Thanks so much to Eve for taking the time to come and see us!

We are celebrating this week having been awarded a National School Attendance Award by FFT. We are in the top 10% of all FFT Secondary Schools in England for the 2023/24 Autumn Term - a fantastic achievement! Keep up the good work WGHS!

A huge well done to anyone who participated in the national cipher challenge. We had a record 33 teams register this year. If you completed any of the challenges, you can still log on and print off your certificates. The top three teams were: 1) Little red riding hoods 2) Raspberry pi 2.0 3) Mr Cheval and Mx case The Little Red Riding Hoods finished 2nd overall and visited Bletchley Park last week to collect their medals. Fantastic work girls! I hope to see you all competing again in the challenge beginning in September… Mr Brocklehurst

Don’t know what to read? Want to find a book that is in our school library? Check out these recommendations! 1.      The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – Suzanne Collins ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is very interesting and contains a lot of surprises!’ Year 7 student 2.      Murder Most Unladylike – Robin Stevens ‘Murder Most Unladylike has a great storyline and plot that kept me hooked!’ Year 7 student 3.      The Tattooist of Auschwitz – Heather Morris ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a sad but heart warming story which is based about true events. I think everyone should read it.’ Year 8 student 4.      A Good Girls’ Guide to Murder – Holly Jackson ‘A Good Girls’ Guide to Murder is one of the best books I have read! If you love the Hunger Games and Harry Potter, this book is a perfect match’ Year 8 student 5.      Heroes of Olympus – Rick Riordan ‘Heroes of Olympus is the second series of Percy Jackson. It contains amazing adventures and has the perspectives of all characters’ Year 7 student 6.      Truly Madly Awkward – Beth Garrod ‘Truly Madly Awkward is the third book in the series. It is guaranteed to make you laugh and is filled with hilarious moments.’ Year 7 student 7.      A Kind of Spark – Elle McNicoll ‘A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll is such a beautiful, fun, and interesting book. I literally cried reading this.’ Year 7 student 8.      Skulduggery Pleasant – Derek Landy ‘I love the Skulduggery Pleasant series! I love how many plot twists there are and there are always surprises.’ Year 7 student 9.      Such a Good Liar – Sue Wallman ‘Such a Good Liar by Sue Wallman is a story about revenge and switching places. A great read!’ Year 8 student 10.  One of Us is Lying – Karen M McManus ‘One of Us is Lying by Karen M McManus is the perfect read for fans of A Good Girls’ Guide to Murder!’ Year 8 student. All of these books are available in the WGHS School Library! Over the last year, our students loaned over 2500 books from our school library. That’s an average of 13 books loaned per school day!

This week we welcomed back to the school, Baroness Perry of Southwark to record a video for her memoir. Baroness Perry was a student here at Girls’ High during the Second World War. She shared fond memories of her time here with our Headteacher and our Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl. Baroness Perry went onto study at Girton College before becoming Chief Inspector in HM Inspectorate and then the first woman in history to lead a British University. We felt privileged to talk with her and are very proud of her achievements and association with our school.

Year 12 Literature students had the thrill of watching 'The Woman in Black' in Birmingham at the Alexandra Theatre. Student, Elliana Rhodes, reviewed the performance. A truly incredible and valuable learning experience was that of being able to watch the invigorating, captivating and thrilling performance of Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black, adapted by Stephen Mallatratt at The Alexandra theatre in Birmingham. Upon entering the theatre, an immediate sense of the supernatural settled, controlling and ensnaring the senses. As the lights dimmed, a warm glow of orange filled the stage: a coat rail, two chairs, and a large basket. The entire play was performed using these objects as the main props as well as playing on the imagination of the audience. This was a very creative way of including the audience in the play and fully immersing us in the eerie atmosphere of Eel-Marsh house. Lighting was also one of the astonishing aspects of this production, the exploration of the malleability of light and shadows was wonderful to witness in this performance. When shone from above, the lights gave the mesh curtain on the stage the appearance of opaqueness. When shone from behind the curtain, the curtain was made transparent, and the area was illuminated and revealed. This technique enabled a way to distinguish different areas of Eel-Marsh house and allowed the use of silhouettes to provide different backgrounds and effects. Furthermore, the ‘foley’ technique created a terrifying atmosphere wherein it felt almost as if we were on the stage itself, consuming the exhilarating performances of the actors. The presence of the woman in black herself, was so impactful that she controlled the whole of the theatre, all were completely captivated and unable to focus on anything else but her terrifying appearance and performance. When exiting the theatre, the suspension of the fog and fine rain outside had a new effect; this performance fosters an emphasis on shadows and has you hoping that nothing unsettling will be revealed, which I am glad to say has so far been true! Devendra Varma believed that "the difference between terror and horror is the difference between awful apprehension and sickening realisation”. I can confidently say that both terror and horror were integral to the experience of The Woman in Black, and I strongly encourage those who have not yet seen it, to go and watch it.

Dear Students, Parents and Carers You will recall that Ofsted inspected our School on 28th and 29th November 2023. I am now able to write to you to share the outcomes of the inspection and provide a copy of the report. This will be published on the Ofsted website within the next seven working days. As you know the School was subject to a full graded inspection under the new rigorous and demanding Ofsted inspection framework. I am incredibly proud and delighted to share with you the judgements of the inspection team, as follows: Quality of Education Outstanding Behaviour and Attitudes Outstanding Personal Development Outstanding Leadership and Management Outstanding Sixth form provision Outstanding Overall effectiveness Outstanding You can view the full report by clicking below: This was a full graded inspection with five inspectors on site across the two days evaluating all aspects of our provision through visits to lessons, observing social times, looking at work, talking to students and meeting with leaders, governors and other staff at the School. May I take this opportunity to thank all members of our community for their support and contributions to the inspection. In particular, thank you to all of our staff for their hardwork and efforts and thank you to our students for showcasing a Girls’ High education and being such fantastic ambassadors. During the course of the inspection, it was with much pride that I witnessed the many strengths of our school shine through. We have a lot to celebrate and will continue to reflect and develop our provision to meet the needs of our students in all aspects of school life. I hope you enjoy reading the report. Yours sincerely Mrs Young