Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Orwell Youth Prize workshop and competition

  Fri 28 May 2021

  Last month six Year 9 students had the opportunity to take part in The Orwell Youth Prize Workshop. This was the first time that this event was held online and despite the virtual element it was a hugely engaging and rewarding experience.

   

  The workshop began with a ‘wonder walk’, where we went down to the river and the students were asked to take a photograph of something that inspired awe and something that they were concerned about. They took some excellent photographs – boats, swans, trees, rubbish – and shared their ideas eloquently with the other schools online.

  Professional writer, Dee Jarrett-Macauley, shared her writing and experiences with the group. She was an inspiring speaker and she enjoyed answering the questions the students put to her about her life and work. The students also explored George Orwell’s work of course, and our Year 9s made some wonderful observations and comments – which may have been somewhat daunting considering most of the students from the other schools were in Year 11. They were able to showcase their own group writing – describing their favourite meal and Dee chose a winner. Although we were not victorious, the students had fun and wrote some hilariously descriptive pieces – full of puns and imagery – about steak, sausages and chocolate brownies.

   

  The day also involved some serious group discussion and proposals for how to combat problems in society. The students identified the sexualisation of young people in society as an issue. They discussed ways to address this issue in the media and in communities. They agreed that one of the best ways to combat negative material online is for parents to become more educated and aware of it and for students to try to engage more in positive community activities – sports groups, drama clubs and other extra-curricular activities.

   

  The students also enjoyed the personal reflective aspect of the day. They spent time thinking about things that were important to them and they were given the opportunity to begin drafting a piece of writing for the competition. The students who attended the course were also given the opportunity to submit drafts and get feedback before the final deadline.

  Thank you to Miss E Martin for organising this wonderful event for us here at TWBS and of course to the Orwell Foundation and TVLP.

  It is not too late for any other budding writers to enter this prestigious competition – and it is not just available to Year 9. So, students in Year 11 especially who are missing school already could also whip up a piece of writing too!

  

• Farewell Yr 13 from Miss Lyon

  Fri 28 May 2021

  It was a pleasure to bid farewell to Year 13 with a fun-and-food-filled morning last Friday.  All of the boys enjoyed themselves, thanks to the activities organised by Mr Breen, Mr Jeffery and the tutor team. And they ate their own body weight in cake and samosa afterwards! Thank you so much to Year 13 parents for their generous donations, and to Freddie Pope (Head Boy) and his Senior Prefect Team for their assistance throughout the day (pictured).

  I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the advice I gave to the boys on the day:

  ‘Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson.

  It is now time for them to step off the carefully cultivated path that has been laid out for them by the schools they have attended for the past 13 years, and blaze their own trails. I wish them all the success in the world.

  Miss Lyon
  Head of Sixth Form

  

• Year 11s final House Events

  Thu 27 May 2021

  On Wednesday the Year 11s had their long awaited opportunity to take part in a variety of House events, postponed from earlier in the year due to lockdowns and assessments.

  It was a day full of action to suit all tastes – Hockey, Badminton, Quiz, Chess, Softball, Dodgeball, Table Tennis and Drama competitions were all hotly contested in the morning before a knock-out tug of war in the afternoon.

  Honours were shared around between the Houses – Allen winning the Chess & Drama, Ford the Badminton & Quiz while Ottrey, Burgess, Warwick and Burnett also picked up a win. Ford also managed to just out-muscle Warwick in the tug of war. Lambdin were top 3 finishers in 5 of the events, showing great consistency.

  My thanks go to all the House Leaders & PE staff who ran and supervised the events, enabling the day to run smoothly and to give our Year 11s a memorable final day in school this year.

  Mr G Breen
  Director of Sport

  

• William Turner inspires Year 9 watercolourists

  Wed 26 May 2021

  These were paintings inspired by the seascape paintings of English romantic painter Joseph Malord William Turner. Turner is best known for his turbulent and sublime marine paintings, a few of which can be admired at the Tate Britain.

  During the industrial revolution, not only were there scientific developments, but there were also artists such as Turner who developed many of the watercolouring techniques which are now used today. For this project, students were asked to trace one ship at the centre of their page and use at least four watercolouring techniques they had learnt whilst using expressive brushstrokes. They were encouraged to be original.

  The beauty of this project is that students came up with so many very imaginative outcomes. There are many creatives at the Windsor Boys’ School!

  Uno Animo!

  Miss Tombs
  Art Teacher

  

• Year 11s visit to Reading College

  Fri 21 May 2021

  On Thursday, Chef Kev and I visited Reading College with five students (Ollie, Jakob, Ronnie, Alfie and Ethan) who all have places on the Professional Culinary Arts Course for September.  This looks to be a fantastic course that has been developed in partnership with Heston Blumenthal and the Fat Duck Group.

  We were made very welcome by Chef Mark and his team.   Following COVID guidelines (masks off for a quick photo), we had a tour of the kitchens and what, in normal times, would be their restaurant where all the food is prepared and served by the students.  Chef Mark spoke about what the students will learn on the course and the high standards they are expected to achieve, but also about the amazing opportunities that will be on offer to them once they qualify.

  Thank you to Chef Mark and his team and also to Penny (Reading College) and Anna-May (Bracknell College), our Schools Partnership Executives, who facilitated this visit – we were their first visitors since March 2020 – so it was a big event for all of us.  Thank you too to Mr Bailey for driving us to Reading.

  Chef Kev and I wish all the students every success on their course and look forward to visiting the restaurant in the future to sample their cooking!

  Sally Ingels
  Careers Adviser

  

• Announcement: Head Boy Team

  Fri 14 May 2021

  As mentioned by Mr Rooke is this week’s newsletter, we now have a new Head Boy and Deputy Head Boy.

  Head Boy  – Freddie Pope
  Deputy Head Boy  – Joe Lombardo

  They will be supported by a wonderful group of Senior Prefects: Joel Chiverton, Max Evans, Zac Gallagher, Nat Harlow, Isaac Howard-Real, Charlie Ingham, Robert Jansen-Spence, Josh Jayasingh, Ben Lewin, Sam McCreanor, Xander Walker.

  I would like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to the outgoing Head Boy, Fraser Jacobs, and his team who have helped to lead the school through an incredibly challenging year.

  Miss A Lyon
  Head of Sixth Form

  

• Yr 9 Poems commended in TVLP Poetry competition

  Wed 12 May 2021

  We are delighted to announce that Year 9 Daniel Groves and Ellis Lehane’s poems have been chosen by the independent judge, Catherine Smith, as COMMENDED entries at the TVLP Poetry Competition.  Their poems, along with the winning entry and the other runner-up entries, are available to view on the TVLP website: tvlp.org.uk/poetry-competition.

  The final number of student poems received was high (47 in total across 5 schools) so being selected as a Commended entry is a great achievement.

  Well done Daniel and Ellis!!

  Mr Elliott and Miss Martin

  

• Year 9 inspired by artist Pete Gilbert

  Tue 11 May 2021

  Year 9 students have been creating multi-media pieces inspired by the work of New Forest artist Pete Gilbert.

  Gilbert paints whimsical landscapes in his studio in the middle of the forest and creates amazing works all year long using watercolours, oils, and pastels. He is a self-made artist who paints mainly scenes from the New Forest and the Dorset coast. Being immersed in the forest helps him paint the phases of nature. In this case, students drew the trees using wax crayons and then dabbled their paintbrushes in watercolours to create transparency and texture in contrast with the darkness of the trees.

  They came out beautifully and each one is so unique.

  Miss S Tombs
  Art Teacher