One of the ways we really help girls is through exposure to a wide variety of female role models in many different ways. We started our term reflecting on what enabled Sarah Gilbert, key figure in the development of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, to find the most life saving vaccine of the last 50 years.
We celebrated the enabling qualities that our talented, confident, funny and excited Wakefield Girls develop too – with special congratulations to those who were awarded merits last term culminating in receiving a bronze, silver or gold certificate for achievement, effort or an act of kindness.
Exceptional commendations on the following success stories of last half term were also made:
Lilly – Y7
Lilly played in the U13 English Nationals for badminton in the first weekend in December 2021 and made the quarter finals in the mixed doubles and gained a bronze award in the ladies doubles.
Abbie – Y11
Abbie competed for Yorkshire on Sunday 7th November 21 at National finals in Surrey, having qualified as Yorkshire Champion back in September.
Competing against 57 other gymnasts from across the UK, she took the All Around Title to become Silver Challenge National Champion – 1st Vault, 3rd Bars, 4th Beam and 6th Floor – with a special award for the most memorable floor routine. Team Yorkshire also took the Silver team medal.
Imogen – Y11
Last summer Imogen competed in the National Circuit Race Series with seven races all over the UK. This is road cycling and she is currently third in the National Series.
She also competes in track cycling, cyclo-cross and mountain biking. She came third in the National Mountain Bike Championships in July in Plymouth. And she was seventh in the National Omnium final (track cycling) at Olympic Park. Another highlight of the season was her representing Yorkshire at the School Games which she said was an amazing experience where she came third in the competition and Imogen won one of the criterium races.
Isabella – Y11
Isabella won and was champion at the Scottish Horse Show, which now means she has qualified for The Horse of the Year Show. Isabella also qualified and competed at the Royal International Horse Show in July and won her class.
Isabella has since qualified two of her Ponies for the Horse of the Year Show, which is held at the NEC in Birmingham. This event is the most prestigious event and Isabella worked incredibly hard all season to qualify for this International event.
Molly – Y10
Molly has now started to enter women’s events on top of Junior events. The women’s events competed in over the last few months include the British Tour in Hull in November 2021 and the Glasgow British Tour December 2021.
Computing
This half term we have again had tremendous success in the Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge.
We had 46 pupils appearing in the top 10% of the county. Amongst those, Fay in Year 13 achieved a tremendous score of 178 out of 200 in the Elite category, Robyn in Year 10 came top in the Senior category, Lucia in year 9 was top of the Intermediate category, and in Year 7, with 200 out of 200 was Olivia. We have never had a perfect score before in the Bebras challenge, so this is very impressive!
Everyone with a gold certificate will be invited to join the Oxford University Computing Challenge, which is in February. Watch this space !
Sport
Currently in the sisters n sport competition:
Alongside this, the U13/14 mixed team are through to the Regional Round of National Schools after going unbeaten in the county round earlier this term. The next round is at EIS in January.
Hockey wise, the U18’s got through to the last 16 of the Independent Schools Hockey Cup which is a fantastic achievement. The U18s getting to the indoor national finals is a massive achievement, which take place next term at Repton.
Year 9
Year 9 pupils have been taking part in a reverse advent calendar where each pupil has donated an item of food and we have collected this together to give to St. Catherine’s Food bank.