Emma reflects on first year as an Arkwright scholar Last year, we shared the news that, after a gruelling selection process, current Y13 student Emma Wattleworth was awarded the Arkwright Scholarship, a prestigious scholarship which supports and encourages students to pursue an Engineering related degree or career. Here, Emma shares an update on the first […]

Another successful Bronze DofE practice expedition Following a month of ever-changing weather conditions, 104 Year 10 Bronze DofE participants and staff members breathed a huge sigh of relief, soaked up the sunshine, and enjoyed the predominantly blue skies above! Over four days, 16 teams got thoroughly stuck into in-school training sessions on eight key areas: […]

Y11 visit to Wadham College, University of Oxford Last month, fifteen Year 11 students, all with aspirations of attending university, ventured to Oxford and specifically Wadham College of Oxford University. Our group went with the purpose to discover what life would be like studying at one of the most prestigious universities in the world – […]

Stanley reflects on his year as a St John Ambulance’s Lord Lieutenant Cadet   Huge congratulations to Y13 student Stanley, who has just completed a year as a St John Ambulance’s Lord Lieutenant Cadet. We asked Stanley to share his experiences with us…   “In August of 2024, I was selected as a St John […]

A Day In The Life Of… The Computing & IT Department In each edition of Vandyke Voice, we shine a spotlight on one department to give you a flavour of what daily life is like at Vandyke Upper School. This time, we’re diving into the fast-paced and innovative world of the Computing and IT Department… […]

New Y11 students immersed in history in Berlin In June and July, Vandyke Year 11 students had the incredible opportunity to visit Berlin, a city rich in history and culture. Across two separate trips, students explored key historical sites, bringing to life what they had learned in the classroom. Day One began with an extensive […]

GCSE celebrations at Vandyke Upper School Vandyke Upper School students arrived early and excited for their GCSE results this morning and envelopes were opened with delight and celebration. The year group has achieved excellent grades across all subjects. Leah Ferguson-Moore, Headteacher, said, “It is a pleasure to see so many happy and smiling students who […]

A Level success for Vandyke Upper School students Vandyke Upper School students are celebrating another year of excellent A Level and BTEC results. Leah Ferguson-Moore, Headteacher, said “Once again, we are celebrating with our students completing their Vandyke journey and beginning new chapters. They have achieved exceptional grades across all subjects. Students have worked incredibly […]

A Day In The Life Of… The Music Department Our day begins at around 7:30am with a freshly brewed coffee to accompany some administration tasks to set the day up. Mostly, this involves collating timetables sent in by our peripatetic teachers and emailing the lesson times out to students and year teams on the relevant […]

Trip to Paris From the early hours of 11th June to 14th June, a group of our students enjoyed an unforgettable trip to Paris. Despite the very hot weather, spirits remained high throughout, with plenty of ice creams and refreshing drinks to keep everyone cool. After arriving at our hotel on the first day, we […]