Dear Parents, Carers, and Friends of The Woodroffe School,
Thank you for taking the time to read our latest edition of ‘Rough Notes’, and the first of the summer term.
I hope you managed to enjoy the Easter break with friends and family, and you were able to make the most of the better weather. It has been great to see the colour return to the gardens and countryside; I have particularly enjoyed seeing my favourite flowers in bloom, the bluebells in the woods have been amazing.
It was great to be able to welcome the return of the Woodroffe Spring Concert. Students and staff performed brilliantly on the evening in what was a really uplifting event filled with live music in front of a live audience. Congratulations to the music department and the peripatetic teachers who did such an amazing job in bringing the evening together.
Students completing the Arts Award were able to participate in a workshop delivered in Langmoor Gardens by artist Victoria Westaway. The students developed new skills and at the end, completed sculptures that have remained on show. Well done to all involved.
Ella Bond continued the excellent run of Woodroffe students doing exceptionally well in cross-country events after she comfortably won the Exe to Axe run. One of the marshals commented “I was the front runner and as soon as they could run without me, she was off, she was brilliant!” Congratulations Ella.
On Wednesday 28th April, 127 students from Years 7 and 8 took part in the annual Junior Maths Challenge. This was the first time they have done this in a formal setting, and it was great for students to, once again, be involved in some of the school experiences that help to shape their time at secondary school. Congratulations to all of those who took part.
Just before we broke up for Easter, 7MSH planned, organised, and ran a fundraiser in support of Ukraine. The event raised £310.41p with all the proceeds going to International Needs emergency project supporting Ukrainian Refugees.
The real highlight of the end of last term was the return of Senior Awards. This was a great event with over 70 prizewinners in attendance, watched on by their guests and our special guest for the evening, Brian Larcombe MBE. Here is an extract of my words during the evening:
The past three school years have been impacted significantly by the ongoing pandemic, and despite our best endeavours, we are still feeling its effects.
Our staff have consistently demonstrated resilience and adaptability and have done their very best, in challenging circumstances, to support the ongoing education of all our students. I thank them for what they have done.
Parents and carers. I am sorry that you have missed out on some of the events that are both significant and poignant in your child’s development. Those rites of passage you have been unable to witness whilst we have been locked down or socially distant, have been keenly felt.
And students. Not since the Second World War have young people missed out on so much education. Your determination to remain engaged and to make the best of the situation you found yourselves in, through no fault of your own, has been admirable. You feature here because you did not give up in the face of adversity and you continued to work hard, not allowing your future to be affected by a situation out of your control. You have been amazing!
The evening marked a return to a degree of familiarity, a term I use carefully, recognising, that we are still not experiencing and probably will not experience, the normality we had before the pandemic. It was about celebrating. Celebrating our students. Celebrating their achievements and celebrating the fact that, once again, we can do this together and in person.
And for all those students who were awarded Highly Commended, your hard work and achievements have been recognised too. We must celebrate these successes. It is easy, during very challenging times across the world, for the positives and achievements of others to be missed. You have not been overlooked and your achievements are celebrated too.
I hope you enjoy our latest edition of ‘Rough Notes’. Should you wish to find out more about our school, news or events, please visit the school website, which I am sure you will find useful. In addition, for regular updates, why not look at our social media outlets:
The Woodroffe School Headteacher can be found on Twitter - @HeadteacherTws
The Woodroffe School can be found on Twitter - @WoodroffeSchool
The Woodroffe School on Instagram – woodroffeschooldorset
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and encouragement.
Best wishes,
Dan Watts
Headteacher