Please see below the new menu for the summer team at WGHS.

Come along to the Spring Serenade where our ensembles put on a night of musical excellence that features numbers from your favourite musicals and films! Tickets can be purchased by clicking here Tuesday 23rd April Doors open at 6:30pm Concert start time - 7:00pm (approx. 8:00pm finish) We look forward to seeing you there!

Following the performance of Le Cours d'Art by Onatti Productions Ltd in school last week, here is a review by Year 11 student Rianna. 'Being performed by native speakers, the play was not only authentic but also full of joie de vivre. Informative it was, but through the digestible lens of gorgeous comedy. Whilst being mirthfully hilarious, I also found the play to have deeply philosophical undertones such as human nature (the hiding of the key, a main plot device) and the dynamics between the schoolchildren in the play, which was very on brand for the French and so it had a bonafide feel to it. Enjoyable was also the way in which they related to our generation through the use of the drink Prime and various other slang words. Overall, as the French say, an incroyable experience and I feel truly grateful to have witnessed this masterpiece.'

Former Girls’ High Student, Esha Vasia, returned to school on Tuesday to talk about her life after WGHS with Year 12 students. Esha, formerly of Ferrers House, is now a 5th Year medical student at the University of Birmingham. Esha did Biology, Chemistry and Maths at A Level. She also volunteered for 1 hour per week in a care home to support her university applications, alongside a part time job – she advises that to study medicine she believes human experience is essential to access the programmes. So even though her job was as a waitress in a restaurant, the human interaction and obstacles she had to overcome were equally as beneficial to her at interview to access her degree. Esha’s Key tips when looking at universities. 1.      Look at universities early! 2.      Be realistic. 3.      Have a back-up plan – if your first choice doesn’t work out have a back-up that you are still going to enjoy! 4.      UCAT – if you want to study medicine or dental programmes you must sit the UCAT, maybe consider taking courses or tuition. 5.      The Student Room – The student room is an online community for thousands of students. Looking at other people’s experiences can sometimes be helpful, but everyone is different so don’t be put off or hold too much hope. 6.      Talk to people you know in medicine – they have been where you are and are now in that working world so could offer real insight for you for life after university. 7.      Believe in yourself – confidence is key. Part of the process to being accepted for medicine or dentistry is an interview, you have to sell yourself! Esha’s university tips. 1.      Join societies – this is a great opportunity to meet new people. Also, there are lots of leadership roles as they are student led – great for medical students! Medicine have their own societies as they tend to be fairly limited on time and people on the same degree path appreciate that. 2.      Network – Linked In, Connect with people – this can be a great way to make contacts for placements, internships, summer jobs as well as after graduation. 3.      Get a part time job – again its another way to meet new people, ‘human experience’ as well as the extra money you need if you’re living away from home. With medicine they recommend no more than 10 hours per week. 4.      Prioritise yourself and your mental health!!! 5.      Consider your options – nothing is the end of the world, don’t rush, take the right path for you. Everyone is on a different timeline at medical school. Q & A 1.      Has your perception of medicine changed? People say you will get any job you want. It’s harder than I thought it would be. I will be taking tests and exams as long as I stay in the profession so you have to be prepared for that. I prefer the people side, I like talking, so I’m considering a role in Public Health. You don’t have to be a doctor there are so many options. 2.      What do you like the most about University of Birmingham? The people! There are people like me, there are really ethnically mixed areas, lots of northerners and people don’t take themselves too seriously. Most people there have similar life experiences to me. 3.      What’s your timetable like? There’s no attendance taken like at school, lectures are recorded so in 1st and 2nd year if you aren’t there you can catch up. If you are a good student it’s 9-5 timetable. In the later years it very self-led with placements, teaching in hospitals, again it’s 9-5 really. 4.      Will the level of degree affect your career choice? Medicine works differently, there’s no firsts or 2:1 or anything it’s a pass. I don’t think hospitals have access to scores they just no you have a degree in medicine. That’s why its so important to network and connect with people and companies linked with your university. 5.      How did you revise for your A Levels? I’m a crammer so left it late which I wouldn’t advise. Past papers work well for me too. Everyone is different though – I’m not great for revising. I’d advise keep good habits now. Take notes and go over them because then when you come to revise the information is already there. 6.      Did your grade improve from your mocks? Yes, I did terribly in mocks – you can always turn things around! 7.      Do you have any advice for Interview Questions to go into medicine? Always be respectful to all career paths. If you are asked about doctor versus nursing  talk about the leadership qualities needed to be a doctor and that is what you are interested in but always acknowledge the importance of all paths in medicine. 8.      Would you get a job at University? Yes, I’d advise to. It gives you more money and experience. If you can balance it and it doesn’t affect your mental health and you can enjoy it, do it. 9.      Why pick University of Birmingham? For me it was a more academic university; its campus based and close to home. I love that its campus based, everything happens there, nights out, student events it feels safer. Also, first years all live together so its good to make friends. 10.  How do you know which Uni’s link to companies for placements and jobs after graduation? Look at league tables; talk to people; research – you can usually see where university courses might link to large companies in the area that specialise in that field. Again networking is really important too. 11.  How do you decide whether to live at home or away at Uni? For me I lived at Uni for the 4 years but have moved back home in my 5th year. Living at Uni is great, but it can be hard on your own, especially if you moved further away from home as you have a limited support system. I don’t think I could have done my 5th year at Uni so I’m glad I moved home, luckily my parents aren’t too strict. I’d say its important to find a balance if you live away. Don’t come home every weekend because you miss out and it might be more difficult to make friends. Definitely do what’s best for you – don’t risk your mental health!

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!