Nuntius - Wirral Grammar School for BoysEaster break, and best wishes to those students who ... unveils new Comenius Project For the second time Wirral Grammar School for Boys has

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W I R R A L G R A M M A R S C H O O LA B u s i n e s s & E n t e r p r i s e S c h o o l f o r B o y s

C r o s s L a n e , B e b i n g t o n , W i r r a l , C H 6 3 3 A Q | Te l : 0 1 5 1 6 4 4 0 9 0 8

‘Nuntius on-line’ Larger articles can be found by accessing the ‘Nuntius On-Line’ link via the school website www.wirralgrammarboys.com

Articles included are: Holocaust Memorial 2012 by George Watson 9OA and Ecopolis by Nathan Walker U6

Wirral Grammar Boys AlumniMy thanks to those former students and members of staff who have contacted me about forming an Alumni Association at Wirral Grammar Boys. In order to take this forward please email me at: [email protected]

Include your contact details, the period you were at the school and any memories and anecdotes you may wish to share. At this stage it’s important to try to get as many people as possible aware of this initiative so if you have friends, relatives or colleagues who are former pupils, members of staff or anyone who has had close connections with the school please let them know!

I will be posting future updates on the school website. If you have any suggestions, ideas or queries please do not hesitate to contact me.

P. RonayneCommunity Partnerships Manager

Geologists In The Field‘We’ll keep a welcome in the hillside’. We have been fortunate to appoint Mr Humphreys to the Geology Department. He is well known to the school as its former GCSE Coursework moderator. He also brings in his experience of being an AS Coursework moderator and A2 examiner.

His premise is ‘that the best geologist is one who has seen the most’. This has enabled the department to visit different sites from those previously used by Gordon Youd. ( Yes we still go to Traeth Bychan) With his experience of teaching the subject in North Wales he has a variety of locations covering volcanic activity (similar in style to Mt St Helens) and submarine landslides in Snowdonia; to the warm shallow tropical seas of Halkyn Mountain and Llangollen; to the tropical swamps at Brymbo where we see a forest in its life position.

Year 10 and Lower Sixth visited Castleton, Derbyshire at the start of their academic year (course) to study a coral reef system and associated caves, volcanic lavas, and the famous Mam Tor landslip.

Students are also encouraged to join the Liverpool Geology Society, and attend the Herdman Symposium at Liverpool University as part of their extra curricular activities.

Geology remains a popular subject and we have great links with prestigious universities.

Best Wishes!With ever increasing competition for university courses, apprenticeships and employment, there has never been more at stake. I personally want to wish all our students taking AS, A2 and GCSE examinations every success. There is no doubting your ability to do well and with effective preparation, you should each do so. We look forward to another excellent set of results in August.

Mr D Hazeldine - Headteacher

Group on a lava flow with columnar joints Castleton

‘The visit was amazing. The damage done to the road was awesome, we could stand inside some of the cracks’. The cave was spectacular and spooky’.Quote from Upper 6th Chris Gregson

‘the fieldwork enhances our understanding of the subject, while the lectures at the university broadens my knowledge. Despite not having studied geology before I intend to use it in my career as a civil engineer’Quote from Yr 10 boys

Looking at fossilised tropical plant Brymbo and flash flood deposits Farndon

Standing in the cracks in the road caused by the landslip

M a r c h 2 0 1 2W I R R A L G R A M M A R S C H O O LA F o u n d a t i o n B u s i n e s s & E n t e r p r i s e S c h o o l f o r B o y s

WelcomeDear All

The Spring Term has been an exceptional one in so many ways. On the sporting front, I would go so far as to say it has been one of the most successful terms on record, with achievements at local, regional and national level. At this time of year, our Rugby 7s tournaments are taking place and our teams are performing well.

Residential visits have been a special feature of this term with visits to Italy, Paris and Austria, and the forthcoming History Department visit to Berlin. Our Duke of Edinburgh Award pupils will be taking part in their practice and final expeditions very shortly.

Musical performances have been an important feature with our Spring Term Music Concert, the final of our Annual Music Competition and of course, our musical production, ‘We Will Rock You’.

I congratulate all pupils who have participated in our wide ranging programme of extra-curricular activities; it is always very pleasing to receive so many positive reports from members of staff about levels of interest and engagement.

My very best wishes to everyone for a relaxing Easter break, and best wishes to those students who will soon be taking external examinations next term.

Yours sincerely,

David HazeldineHeadteacher


‘Get Set’ ProgrammeIn November 2011 our school was accepted on to the ‘Get Set’ Programme where we can use resources and our everyday lessons to inform and inspire the Olympic values in our pupils. The values and themes of the Olympic Games are being incorporated within lessons to ensure pupils have a greater knowledge and understanding of the Olympic Games in 2012. It’s not just about the physical activity but the themes and values involved, for example, Enterprise, Communication, Collaboration, Citizenship, Culture & Creativity, Practical Learning, Sustainability and Regeneration, Healthy Active Lifestyles, PE & Sport, Paralympic Games.

We can all embrace the games in different ways. This is one of those things not to be missed, whether you have tickets or will be watching it on TV. For further information follow this link to the GET SET website part of London 2012. http://getset.london2012.com/en/get-set-plus

Mr A Metcalf

GCSE Revision SupportExam time is nearly here! For anyone requiring any extra support with revision plans/technique, coursework, or just wanting quiet time to study, GCSE Revision Support has already started and takes place in the LRC after school Mon - Thurs. For further information please see Mr Davies (Head of Year 11) or Mrs Walker (Learning Mentor).

Wirral Eco Schools Officer unveils new Comenius ProjectFor the second time Wirral Grammar School for Boys has support from the British Council to take part in the Comenius Partnership. On 30th January Lynne Struve, Eco Schools Officer, was invited to unveil the plaque marking the new partnership as well as discussing future environmental projects with the school.

Our current multilateral partnership involves working with schools from Melilla, Turkey, Romania, Norway and the Netherlands and the project is entitled European Eco Volunteers. From 15th – 20th March Wirral Grammar will be hosting students from our partner schools as part of the first exchange. During this time students will be examining their own local environment, considering local problems and studying and comparing the actions that each country takes to protect their surroundings. Thanks to Lynn for her support on this project.

Miss R Burns SAM LearningThe Summer Term is when the majority of pupils who are studying for GCSE examinations make full and effective use of the SAM (Self Assessment Method) website. Statistical evidence shows that a minimum of ten task hours completed on-line increases pupils’ examination performances.

SAM learning is available at www.samlearning.com The Centre ID is set at CH63WGZ and the User ID and password are both set as date of birth and initials (for example 12th January 1993 for Joe Smith would be 120193JS). As the school pays a subscription for this website, it is free to pupils.

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Rainforest Road-ShowOn Tuesday 6th March, Year 9 were treated to a spectacular showcase of the rainforest by a guest who brought his humour, stories, experiences and a few animal companions from the rainforest.

He showed different aspects of the rainforest to each of the different forms keeping each showcase unique. He also kept a smile on everyone’s face with the odd piece of dry humour. It became apparent to everyone that not only have we not contacted `life in space,` there are actually tribal groups half way across the world that we haven’t any contact with. It is possible they know we exist however, but they wish to remain within their tribe. Presenting not only tarantulas, praying mantis, scorpions, stick insects and many more critters, he recalled his own experiences of his visits to the rainforest and showed some memorabilia given to him from tribes he has visited. There was a magnificent array of visual images and craft to see, admire and learn about. Everyone had an opportunity to feel and sometimes hold some of the animals. Some decided holding a tarantula was a bit too exciting for a Tuesday afternoon...they held the moth instead, which wasn’t an ordinary moth - in fact about 3 times the size of your average British moth and a lot more interesting as well. Overall the year group left with a smile on their face, a greater knowledge of the rainforest and a stick of cinnamon.

Ben Mark Turner 9JHH

Information Evenings 2012 Each year we hold an Information Evening in the Summer Term for parents of boys who are currently in Year 5 of their primary school and who are considering Wirral Grammar School as their preferred choice for the following year (September 2012). The Information Evening is primarily intended for parents who are less familiar with the school. Please note that this does not replace the Open Evenings which take place in September.

At the Information Evening, parents will be able to have a look around parts of the school and hear a talk given by our Headteacher, Mr Hazeldine about the life at Wirral Grammar School and our admission procedure. This year, our Information Evenings are being held on Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 May 2012 at 6.30pm.

LRC News!Once again we are taking part in the Paperback of the Year Award in which Wirral pupils have a chance to vote for the book they have enjoyed most from a shortlist of books published in the past 12 months. On a warm spring day at the beginning of March a group of year 7 and 8 pupils walked down to Bebington Civic Centre to hear 3 of the shortlisted authors speak about their writing and meet them.

The boys were enthusiastic about the trip saying: “Totally amazing”; “inspiring”; and “the trip gave us an insight into the world of authors”. All the boys taking part will have a chance to vote for their favourite book later in the year.

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Italy TripOur trip to Italy started on Monday 13th February with a 5.00am start at the school. We were all so tired and were relieved to get some sleep on the coach to Manchester Airport. We took off from Manchester at 8.00am and soon found ourselves landing in Rome. We had a great time sightseeing in Rome, visiting the different monuments such as The Colosseum, The Spanish Steps and all the famous fountains and churches. We then endured a gruelling 4 hour journey from Rome to our lovely hotel in Sorrento. The hotel was modern and inviting and the food was amazing consisting of carbonara, pork, pizza and other pastas.

On Tuesday we left the hotel early at 9am on a short journey to the ruined city of Pompeii. We were shown around the destroyed city by a very enjoyable guide called Rafael. He told us of all the people buried, their lives, jobs and lifestyles, some of which can’t be mentioned… We then returned to the hotel and enjoyed a meal of carbonara for starts with chicken for mains. It was gorgeous.

On Wednesday it was an early start getting up at 6:30 and leaving the hotel for the harbour

at 7:14am. We boarded a boat which left the harbour at 8:30am for the Isle of Capri which is situated in the heart of the Gulf of Naples and with its famous reputation of movie stars, it is also known for its spectacular views which we experienced from the heights of Ana Capri to the very bottom at the Grand Harbour. We got the chance to visit old houses built centuries ago and visit the small boutiques and buy gifts to remember to famous isle. It was Matty Stewart’s birthday this day so Matty, Jack Dixon, Andy Woodworth and myself got the chance to make our own pizza, shaping the dough, adding the puree and choosing our toppings and then watching it bake, it was delicious!

Thursday morning we found out that Mount Vesuvius was too icy having been snowed on

for the first time in centuries! Luckily we got the opportunity to go the Solfatara instead, an active volcano. The first sign that we were there was the smell of rotten eggs, which was the sulphur that was inside the volcano. We got shown around all the steam holes that were spurting and then we were taken down to the town of Naples. We walked around the huge shopping centre in our free time and met some local tradesmen that were trying to sell fake ray bans for 100€, as soon as the teachers came over they reduced this price to 5.90€. Thursday night we enjoyed a game of bowling in which Matty Stewart beat everyone in the ‘warm up game’. It was an early 5am wake Friday morning so that we had time to actually tidy our room for once and pack our bags. We all slept on the 4 hour coach journey back to Rome. After arriving safe back in Manchester at 3:00pm we all went to collect our bags, but to my surprise my suitcase didn’t turn up. After much stressing I found out that my bag had been sent to another country, great!

After all of this I think the trip was well worth it after gaining a good experience of all the great sights in Italy and would greatly recommend anyone else going on either a school trip, or geography trip abroad.

Nathan Thompson 11HS

Ski Tip February 2012The annual ski trip has just arrived back from a very cold Austria where all the pupils involved thoroughly enjoyed themselves yet again. We returned this year to the same resort and Hotel and as usual were given a very warm welcome. We have built up an excellent relationship over the years and this

year’s group further enhanced the reputation of the schools and are to be congratulated for the way they conducted themselves both on, and off the slopes. The pupils were absolutely superb in every way and were a credit to the schools and their parents. The Boys and the Girls Schools join together to make a combined party, this year 61 boys and 19 girls took part in yet another very successful trip. I am already being asked if we can go next year again.

The weather was very mixed this year, very cold and sunny, lots of snow (too much on one day) and cloudy. Snow conditions were fantastic. The party was a mix of some very good skiers and complete novices to the sport and they all got on very well indeed. Inevitably there were one or two (hundred) crashes during the week but nearly all escaped unscathed. That is except Catherine Hanton-Wise who broke her collar bone on the second afternoon. I have to say that she dealt with the injury superbly. No fuss no bother, she just got on with it. I am pleased to say that all the pupils made excellent progress on the piste, coming back much better skiers than when they went. The beginners group in particular made huge strides forward and it was great to see them flying all over the mountain on the same slopes as the other groups. They were fortunate to have almost perfect conditions to ski and soak up the atmosphere of Austria. Apart from one or two minor issues; losing goggles (Mr Thomason) breaking poles (Mr Thomason two at the same time) and Will Titherington having wrong boots on, one of which was from another school entirely, the pupils made this one of the easiest trips I have taken away. I would like to finish by thanking the pupils for their behaviour during the trip which was excellent and also to the staff who worked very well together throughout and gave of their time to make this trip possible. Mr I F Davies


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Music Update The Annual School Music Competition attracted almost 80 boys, each attempting to reach the final on Wednesday 7 March whilst gaining house points as well. Now in its fifteenth year, the audience was treated to some command performances in the final adjudicated by Miss Naomi Kayayan, an Associated Board examiner and teacher at the world famous Chethams School of Music. Congratulations to this year’s winners:

Years 7-9: James Tarver 7ADYears 10-11: Michael Lloyd 11HSYears 12-13: Jamie McMorran U66

Commiserations to the other finalists listed below, but well done to all performers for entering this year - I’m sure that all enjoyed their chocolate bar, courtesy of sponsorship from the local Co-op! I hope everyone will try again next time - remember you will be competing against different people as you will be a year older.

Finalists: Sam Thornley 7RW, Joshua Beale 8NM, Sam Spencer 7RB, William Bracken 8JB, John Fieldhouse 9JHH, Ben Savage 11PC, Sam Hartharn-Evans 10CCC, Ross Handforth 11PC, Alex Whittaker U64, Martin Kupilas U67

Congratulations as well to the following successful Music Exam candidates who took the exam in February. There are a particularly high number of merits and distinctions this time so well done to all the following:

Name Form Instrument Grade Result

Henry Anderson 7LEM Violin 1 DistinctionMatthew Kowalski 7RW Baritone 2 PassDavid Noble 7RW Piano 4 MeritConnell Finnegan 8NM Piano 3 PassJake Clement Jones 9IPT Violin 3 PassBen Noble 9IPT Horn 4 DistinctionJohn Fieldhouse 9JHH Euphonium 5 PassElliot Fisher 9JHH Violin 2 MeritAlex Brophy 9OA Trumpet 4 PassBen Barnard 10AS Tuba 1 PassSam Bilton 10CCC Trumpet 4 MeritSam HartharnEvans 10CCC Trombone 5 MeritSean Lymn U66 Saxophone 5 Pass

Results of keyboard, guitar and vocal exams taken just before Easter didn’t quite make the Nuntius deadline, so watch out for those results in the summer issue.

We only have one Chamber Concert this year due to the Charity concert arranged last term, and this was held in the school hall on Wednesday 8 February. A large and appreciative audience heard solo items performed by 28 boys, over half of whom were performing individually for the first time – never an easy thing to do. Congratulations to all concerned. The next concert will be in October, so get practising if you want to be involved and earn yourself 20 house commendations for the effort!

Twelve of our most talented musicians were able to attend an improvisation and performance masterclass on Tuesday 13 March in Parr Street Studios in Liverpool. Bands such as the Beatles, Genesis, Take That and Cold Play have all recorded at these studios, and the masterclass was led by the Quentin Collins Quartet. Made up a trumpet, saxophone, piano and drums, these four players have played with the likes of Prince, Eric Clapton and Jools Holland, and I’m sure all 12 boys were inspired to keep on improving their own performance skills.

Status Quo came to Wirral Grammar School back in December. Well, almost, as the drummer in the band for over 15 years, Jeff Rich, gave a master class in drumming techniques through the ages to the entire Year 9, as well as all those who take drum lessons in school. At the end, everyone (including staff!) were given percussion instruments to play alongside Jeff, and some of the school’s drum pupils were even given the chance to play his drum kit, including a side drum reportedly costing over £10,000!

The usual Spring Concert is on Wednesday 28 March with a matinee performance in the afternoon. This matinee concert is given to an audience made up of children from local primary schools, this year attended by Stanton Rd, Brackenwood and Higher Bebington Primary School.

The next music tour will be to Malta, and we hope to leave school with a party of over 50 boys in the summer of 2013. Plans are already underway to help with fundraising and sponsorship, and I’m sure this tour, which is likely to be Mr Snowdon’s last one as Director of Music, will be just as successful as the previous eight have been.

Mr P Thomas



History trip to Munich 2012 and Plans for 2013 for Boys Currently in Years 8 & 9The annual History Department trip this year is to Munich, Germany. 64 Year 9 and 10 boys will be leaving Heathrow Airport on the 29th March for a 6 day visit that will see them look at sites that saw the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, as well as other places of interest in that city.

We will also be visiting Nuremberg. A parents and pupils pre tour meeting has already been held. This will be the 11th trip that has left Cross Lane to go to places as far away as Moscow, Berlin, Auschwitz and other Historical destinations around Europe. I will be offering another trip to boys currently in Years 8 and 9 in the summer term, for a trip around Easter 2013 (possibly Berlin and Aushchwiz but to be confirmed), so parents and boys should get information in the summer term at some point before half term. These trips usually turn out to be trips that give enormous fun as well as unique educational value. I am usually sold out very early so I just warn parents now that this will be the case!

Mr McKibbin, History Department.

Peer Support Group Daniel Salisbury, Aarondeep Bhullar and Alex Keen are currently preparing themselves for an abseil down the Leasowe Lighthouse to raise money for the British Red Cross.

The abseil will take place on Sunday 25th March. The Leasowe Lighthouse is 101 feet high and is the oldest brick lighthouse in Europe. Please offer your support by way of sponsorship and coming along to watch! If you would like further details on the abseil please refer to the following website www.redcross.org.uk

Sharon Walker - Learning Mentor

Y8 Trip to London At the end of half-term, 39 Year 8 pupils went on a trip to London.

We took the coach to the Tower of London and saw the Crown Jewels. We then took the coach to the Premier Inn; our hotel for the night. After finding our rooms in the maze that is the Premier Inn, we got on the coach and set off for Bella Italia. Once we had eaten we made our way to the theatre to see ‘Warhorse’; a heart-warming story about a horse in the First World War. After a good night’s sleep and an even better ‘All you can eat’ breakfast, we packed and boarded the coach for the Science Museum and the Imperial War Museum. Finally, and sadly we left London and made our way back to the Wirral.

Thanks to Mrs Campbell for organising the trip; also to Mrs Davies and Mr Allcock for putting up with us.

Will Goodwin 8GWG

WORLD BOOK DAY 2012 The English Department celebrated World Book Day in style by dressing as literary figures including Cruella De Ville (101 Dalmations - Dodi Smith), Kissing Kate Barlow (Holes - Louis Sacher), Cleopatra (Anthony & Cleopatra - Shakespeare), Where’s Wally (Martin Handford), The Woman in Black (Susan Hill), Geisha (Memoires of a Geisha - Arthur Golden) and Vietnam War Reporter, Michael Herr (Despatches - Michael Herr).

Mobile Phone Policy – ReminderOur policy on mobile phones is very clear. Pupils are permitted to have phones available for use before and after school but during the school day they must be switched off. Staff will confiscate mobile phones that are on view/in use during the day.


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Thousands of events and activities are being planned by organisations from every part of society for Climate Week.

Showcasing real, practical ways to combat climate change, the week aims to renew our ambition to create a more sustainable, low-carbon future. The campaign is supported by a Headline Partner, Tesco, and four Supporting Partners: EDF Energy, H&M, Nissan and SodaStream.

The window of opportunity for action on climate change is rapidly closing. The UK is far from where it needs to be, but in every sector solutions are being pioneered, adopted and refined. The campaign aims to accelerate and enhance this process by inspiring more action through real examples - both the small improvements and the big innovations. Wirral Grammar School for Boys is taking part in the 1 hour Climate Week Challenge. During PSHE and English lessons teams will need to come up with innovative and creative solutions to an unseen challenge. More information at www.climateweek.com

Miss R Burns

Year 9 Cake Sale - Cheque Presentation This photo shows Mrs Hynes and young Oliver presenting a cheque for over £130 to the Special Care Baby Unit at Arrowe Park hospital. Oliver received care there when he arrived in the world and Mr and Mrs Hynes felt that it would be nice to say a special thank you to the unit for the vital work they do for new-borns who need a helping hand. A massive thanks must go to all the year nine students who ran and supported a cake sale in December which raised this impressive total for the baby unit. Thanks also to parents and colleagues for supporting the event - it was lovely to see Oliver there as well - even if he did sleep through the event and managed to get out of brushing up the crumbs later! Mrs AhernArticle 7 – Cake Sale

Fundraising UpdateWe are continuing to do fantastically well raising money for Cancer Research, having raised £4,862.27 so far this year. This puts us comfortably on track to exceed last year’s total, so congratulations to everyone who has got involved. Non-uniform days are one of the biggest fundraisers but individuals have stepped up and done their part as well. The Dance-Off featuring a number of Year 9s went very well, as did the Year 7 Valentine’s Disco. The House Captains would like to thank everybody who helped with the ARK project, a Wirral Churches initiative based in Birkenhead to help homeless people who otherwise who have suffered terribly over the Christmas period. A number of events are coming up in order to keep the momentum going, including members of the Lower Sixth who are planning to run a half-marathon very soon. We have a number of plans for fundraising events, including hopefully the return of form events. If everyone can rally behind the members of our school who are going to great lengths for such a great cause, then we can achieve something we can really be proud of.

Head Boy Team

Charity Dance-Off 2012 It took a lot of time, effort, and persuasion for the Dance-Off 2012 to eventually take place on Friday 3rd February. On this day Druvi Edirisinghe, 9JJH & Craig Ashman, 9JMC took the stage to battle it out for the title `Dance-Off Champion 2012`.

Friday 3rd February, show-time and my annoying ways meant I wanted to check everything still worked, and was still going to! Funnily it still did! Ten minutes till curtains up! Druvi, Craig & I all began to doubt our faith in me. I entered on stage, after an introduction from Ben Caveen, to a rather surprising cheer from the audience.

Craig took to the stage first and gave a routine to ‘Disco Inferno – The Trammps’. It was a great performance and it took a lot of nerve to go first. Mr Thomason said “I’m never going to get those 5 minutes of my life back…but I don’t want to!” .It was now time for Mr Edirisinghe to beat that. Performing ‘First Of The Year – Skrillex’, Druvi took to the stage performing a `contemporary` dance routine. Mrs Kahn said “I’m not a great fan of that music but it was good to watch”.

Round 2- This was a compilation of songs that was excellently compiled by Benny Brow. The judges totalled their scores and I took to the stage to perform Nina Samone’s version of ‘Feeling Good’…It was time to find out the winner.

The Winner Of The Charity Dance-Off 2012 was Craig Ashman 9JMC.

Ben Turner 9JHH



HOUSE MATTERS - What Can Your VTG do for you?

In the last few weeks I have been fortunate enough to assist with my VTG class, helping to run the activities and interacting with the class. The opportunity has been a great experience for me, allowing me to interact with other students from different years, and to see how communication can quickly be coordinated, even amongst individuals who are not that well acquainted.

I have been able to be a part of the VTG system as both a lower-school pupil and as a sixth former, allowing me to appreciate the responsibilities and objectives involved, noticing things that I had previously not noticed such as the ease pupils begin to work with each other, all because of a carefully planned activity designed to bring pupils together, to think and communicate, which I believe can help pupil relations throughout the school.

I feel that I have taken a lot from my experiences, applying them in my school life.

Nathan Just U64KC

HOUSE MATTERS – House Commendations / Reward System Update January 2012

As part of our on-going work on the school House System and Rewards Structures we are pleased to inform you of the most recent developments.

We hope to be implementing these changes with immediate effect so when your son reaches the threshold for a Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum or Diamond Certificate they will be in receipt of the appropriate award, as detailed below. This applies to KS3 and KS4 students.

Please note, those boys who have already received such certificates, last term, will find the appropriate reward on their way to them as soon as possible. Please allow a period of up to two school weeks for the cashless account adjustments to be made.This pilot scheme will run alongside Mr Hynes’ ‘Hard Work has its Rewards Scheme’.

The key objective behind this scheme is to offer students in KS3-4 tangible rewards in addition to the bronze / silver / gold etc House Commendation certificates (and the bonus House Commendations that also accompany them)

Key Details:• upon receipt of a BRONZE CERTIFICATE, students will receive

£2.50 credit to their cashless catering account • upon receipt of SILVER CERTIFICATE students will receive a £5

Amazon voucher• upon receipt of GOLD CERTIFICATE students will receive a £10

Amazon voucher• upon receipt of a PLATINUM CERTIFICATE students will be

awarded a £10 Amazon voucher plus £2.50 added to their cashless catering account

• upon receipt of DIAMOND CERTIFICATE students to be awarded a £15 Amazon voucher plus £5.00 added to cashless catering account

Allowing for any technical teething problems, I trust these developments will prove successful and popular and that, if financially sustainable, this pilot scheme can be continued and developed further next academic year.

Mrs L Ahern

Hub QuizCongratulations to Matthew Kowalski 7RW for winning the Year 7 Hub Quiz. His prize was a £5 voucher.

Cheshire & North Wales Junior Chess ChampionshipIt was early in the morning of the 8th October and after travelling to Kings School in Chester I found myself scouring the fixture board for my opponents for the day.

Schools all over Wirral and beyond had sent pupils to compete in the Cheshire and North Wales Junior Chess Championship 2011. An excellent performance by James Webster (Y8), James Evans (Y7), Jacob Bradshaw (Y8) and Charlotte Carroll (Y7 Wirral Grammar School for Girls) meant that we proudly took away the trophy for Best Secondary School at the end of the day. We were very pleased with our achievement! James Evans 7AD

Chess ChallengeDuring this term a group of boys in Years 7-9 took part in the Chess Challenge. After seven weeks it was eventually won by Daniel Hale 8GWG with 21 points, followed by James Evans 7AD with 19 points, then Harry Hunt 8KLJ and David Noble 7RW in joint third place.

Thanks to everyone who participated. Chess Club will be continuing throughout the year and games held will either be friendly or competing for the top of the Chess Ladder. Any new members are welcome to join – Chess Club is on from 12.35 pm – 1.30 pm in MA6 for Years 7-9 on Wednesdays.

Daniel Jones 7JM


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Family Welcome ReunionThanks to all the parents and children who attended for a reunion on 6th February to celebrate year 7 achievements.

There was a great party atmosphere as we recognised each students’ strengths and their successful transition into secondary school.

Anti-Bullying Committee (ABC)Who are we? We are the Anti-Bullying Committee (ABC) which is a group of students ranging from year 7 to 6th form. Our aims are to stop bullying and to find new ways to make people aware of our struggle. We work with extreme confidentiality if required and we will solve any problems you may have.

What have we done? We have made ourselves known through assemblies, anti-bullying weeks, charity events, posters, messages on the plasma screens and competitions. We do these to remind people who we are, what we do and that anyone can come to us for help and advice.

What do we hope to do in the future? We hope to find out what teachers think about bullying and what they do to prevent it using a questionnaire. We are finding new ways to assess the extent to which bullying takes place and ways to monitor this. We have recently devised a strategy of assigning different tasks for anti-bullying representatives in various forms and years. These representatives work together in co-operation with each other to form a robust and effective network. This system has so far been successful and gives us a great sense of achievement and responsibility.

Reuben Crockett 9SMC

Calling All Year 8 Chemists Are you a budding scientist? Mr. Mountford needs four enthusiastic Year 8 chemistry students to represent Wirral Grammar School for Boys in the Salters’ Festival of Chemistry.

The festival is to be held at Liverpool John Moores University on 9th May 2012. The festival involves competitive, hands on practical activities using the principles of chemistry to provide vital clues in solving crimes.

The Salters’ Festivals of Chemistry, in partnership with The Royal Society of Chemistry, are initiatives of The Salters’ Institute, whose aim is to promote the appreciation of chemistry and related sciences among the young. The Festival at LJMU is one of a series of many Festivals to take place at Universities throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland during 2012. The experiments undertaken by pupils are also linked to the national curriculum.

This is a really great event which gets school pupils involved in science and encourages post-16 study. Please see Mr. Mountford in Chemistry lab 2 as soon as possible to register your interest.

Family Welcome AwardCongratulations to Mrs Walker and Mrs Bradshaw on being awarded their Family Works Tutor Certificates.

The Awards Ceremony took place at Thornton Hall Hotel on 31st January 2012 and recognises the work that they do with the family welcome transition programme for year 6 – 7. The ceremony was attended by approximately 80 delegates and Wirral Grammar School for Boys is one of only 9 secondary schools on the Wirral to offer a bespoke family transition programme.

Comenius Student ExchangeIn March, Wirral Grammar School for Boys will take part in a foreign exchange program as part of the Comenius project: European Eco Volunteers.

This involves schools from across Europe including Romania, Netherlands, Turkey, Norway and Melilla. A selected person from one of the schools has been partnered with a student at Wirral Grammar and they will stay with us from the 15th – 21st March. Michael and I were first involved in the Comenius project in 2010, which saw us sharing houses with a Norwegian and a Dutch boy. We both had a great time and have memories that we will never forget. This year, we will be visiting places such as the eco centre at Southport in order to learn more about local environmental issues. The students will also be shadowing us around school, whilst staying at our houses, they will basically live like us including eating our food and hopefully we will give them a fantastic British experience. Thanks to social networking such as Facebook, we can keep in contact with our exchange students for even longer and maybe even see them again if we visit their country.

Sam Hannah 9IPT & Michael Armand 9JMC



Community Development

Ben’s A Wirral Youth Hero

Upper 6th student Ben Caveen has won the Enterprise category in the inaugural Wirral Youth Heroes awards held in February at Thornton Hall Hotel.

The awards were instigated in the wake of last year’s riots to show that the young people of Wirral are caring, compassionate, courageous and innovative.

The event was hosted by Andrew Lancel who plays Frank in Coronation Street. Amongst the guests at the function were the Bishop of Birkenhead, Wirral MPs Frank Field and Esther McVey and Tranmere Rover’s Chairman Peter Johnson.

Ben was nominated for his tireless work at WGSB raising money for charity. Last Autumn Ben’s venture ‘Wirral’s Got Talent’ helped to raise hundreds of pounds for Cancer Research. Ben was keen to stress that all the charity raising events at Wirral Grammar are a team effort that involve students, parents and staff.

Sounds of Argentina

On a cold, misty day in January some South American sunshine came to Wirral Grammar with the boys and girls of St. Andrew’s School of Buenos Aires.

Over 90 students and staff made a musical visit to the school performing to a packed hall that included Music Society members and 30 pupils and staff from St Andrews Primary School in Bebington.

St Andrew’s was founded in 1838 in the Argentine city by Scottish settlers to educate their children. Originally a girl’s school then separate boys and girls’ schools they amalgamated in 1980 and currently have over 2000 bilingual students. The tradition of British schools could be seen in the uniforms and badges of the students from South America.

First up were St. Andrews choir with a varied repertoire that included works by Vivaldi, William Byrd and James Taylor. WGSB’s own concert band under the baton of Mal Peters then performed popular melodies from The Beatles and Queen’s ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ that had students from South America and England breaking into spontaneous dancing! Students from St. Andrew’s own concert band and jazz combo then gave us traditional Tango music from their home town as well as music by Santana and Herbie Hancock.

Then it was back on their coaches for the trip to Bristol and London before leaving for Italy. We wish them well and if they return to England please visit Wirral Grammar again.

Paul Ronayne - Community Partnership Manager



Making Waves

Wirral Grammar has recently developed a partnership with Wirral’s own Community Radio Station 7Waves Radio based in Wallasey.

The 1st March saw the re-launch of the station into a wider Media Centre and some of the boys from our own Live-Wire Radio were there to see how a real-life radio station functions and try out the facilities available including sound production equipment. Gareth Horton, Cobain Schofield and Harry Wilson were taken on a tour of the studios chatting with staff and put together their own radio ‘feature’ programme.

7Waves is run by volunteers including the presenters and DJs who give up their own time to provide Wirral with this service including Harry who hosts his own show for teenagers at the centre. You can listen to 7Waves on 92.1 FM and online at www.7waves.co.uk

Compere Andrew Lancel with some of the Wirral Heroes


N u n t i u s


Back TrackingRowan Patel, a former pupil at Wirral Grammar Boys has had an article published in the March edition of ‘Back Track’, Britain’s leading historical railway journal with reference to the relics of the Storeton Tramway that used to run across the school site and is proving a popular attraction with Rambling and Walking Societies.

A further article entitled ‘Closed Stations of Wirral Railway’ has also been published in the Autumn edition of Wirral Champion Journal last year. Details relating to the ‘Back Track’ article can be found on the following site: www.pendragonpublishing.co.uk/html/march_2012.html

WIRRAL YOUTH SUMMITNine boys from Years 10 and 11 recently attended this year’s Wirral Youth Summit held at West Kirby Concourse. The event attracted schools from across the Wirral and students were able to discuss their future aspirations with representatives from Universities, Business and Public Sector employers. Wirral West MP Esther McVey was on hand to chat with student delegates about their futures.

Language Leaders Awards ProgrammeFrom September several boys from Years 11,12 and 13 have been taking part in the Language Leaders Award Programme. They have so far planned and delivered a French or Spanish lesson and have assisted in the French and Spanish support clubs on Thursday lunchtimes. Next term, they will organise several language themed activities within the school. The qualification promotes leadership and enterprise skills. Well done for all boys involved.

Mr J Hughes – Head of MFL

Love Is In The AirIn early February Mr Hughes’ French classes had a competition to write the best French Valentine’s poem. Our French assistant, Laurent, selected his favourite which was written by Andrew McLannahan of 10PAC:

Chaque jour je t’aime plusPlus aujourd’hui que hierPlus demain qu’aujourd’hui.

Les jours passentMon amour granditDe zéro à l’infini

Un jour, vous verrezClair comme le jourComme regarder à travers une fenêtreComment les choses pourraient êtreComment la vie pourrait êtreSi vous me remarquez



Year 10-Colts End of Season Report (2011-12)

Played Won Drawn Lost F A 18 8 2 8 323 411

The season began with an away fixture against St. Edwards followed by our first home game against Merchant Taylors both resulting in draws. In both instances they were well contested games but should have gone in our favour.

It’s been a season with many high and lows. Our most difficult challenges were against Kirkham, Stockport, King’s Macc’, and Lymm. The Squad was somewhat depleted with key players absent through injury as we entered a period of extremely tough competition. Our most disappointing results were against Wilmslow and Manchester, games we should have won.

The squad has a lot of rugby potential and it was very pleasing to see players such as Alex Totir, Dan Lee, David Stringer, Tom Menzies, Ben McLachlin, James Willis and Jake Hodge develop their rugby skills as the season progressed. We also saw changes in position for Taylor Craven and Aaron Drury, Taylor moving to full back while Aaron played outside half.

As I have said to the players many time throughout the season, it is essential to fully understand the basic elements of the game together with being responsible for improving personal fitness levels. Players will ultimately benefit and develop to perform and create the success they desire.

In the Daily Mail Cup we reached the 4th round before bowing out to Stockport Grammar School. In 7’s the team reached the Plate final at Bradford Grammar School only to lose in the dying seconds to Ampleforth 24-19. In the Cheshire Schools 7’s held at Lymm High School we reached the semi-final of the main competition going out to the hosts, Lymm HS.

Finally, I would like to thank the 7’s team that travelled to London Oratory. The weather conditions were appalling and although we were knocked out at the group stage, we were all very committed. We were very unfortunate not to go further in the competition, however we were in a very strong group. A special mention must go to James Willis for his sixty metre sprint to score a great try in the final game. The team were exemplary throughout the weekend and a credit to the school.

Mr B Bailey, U15 Coach

Year 7 Rugby15- A- side seasonIt has been quite a disjointed finish to the 15’s season for the year 7 squad as unfortunately a number of the games have been cancelled due to poor weather conditions. In fact, the only year 7 game to be played after Christmas was a local derby against Calday, which resulted in impressive victories from the A and the B team. The ‘A’ ran out 24- 5 winners and the ‘B’ grinding out a 19-10 win. This was a pleasing yet unexpected finish to the regular season. At this point it is important to mention that the squad as a whole have shown unequalled commitment and enthusiasm throughout the season and have been a pleasure to coach. As a squad and as individuals they have made great strides in their development as rugby players and myself and Mr Marshall- Clarke hope to see them continue to improve next year.

7’s seasonThe 7’s season is now underway and myself and Mr Marshall- Clarke are now working with a reduced number of boys. The 7’s season started with a trip to the London Oratory School for their annual tournament. The boys had a fantastic weekend and were a credit to the school both on and off the pitch. In horrific conditions of wind and rain the boys got to the quarter finals of the tournament which was a pleasing start as we look to build for tournaments at Bradford and our very own at Wirral.

Mr O Atkinson

Rugby Club DinnerThis year’s School Rugby Club Dinner will take place on Friday 27 April 2012 in the School Hall (6.45 for 7.00pm).

All School Rugby players are encouraged to attend what is always a successful evening. A report on the Dinner, including news of Award winners will appear in the next edition of ‘Nuntius’.

Mr P Crowley, Head of Physical Education

Spelling BeeOn the 9th February 2012 I won the Wirral Grammar Boys Year 7 Spelling Bee for French. To cut a long story short, it was hard, but you might as well read on as you have got this far! There were practices at Tuesday lunchtimes in L3 and I went to all of them.

The the day of the Spelling Bee soon arrived. I was a bit surprised to see that most of the P.E Teachers came, as well as all the Language Teachers and some other staff. The event was held in the Conference Hall. I didn’t practise that much at home,

but now I think I should have because on the day of the Spelling Bee there were two ties for first place. Third and fourth place were declared, but the first and second places weren’t.

Calum Heslop and I both tied with 9 correct words each. So we had to do another. The second one was for me, even harder. You could now feel the pressure, yet you knew, despite the result, you would still go through to the

Regionals. So we did it again. The tension was mounting. Friends were cheering you on and you didn’t want to let them down. The result of that was yet again, another draw, with 6 correct words each.

A further session followed and it felt that it was never going to end. Eventually there was a winner. With just one word more I won. That was it! I won the Spelling Bee! I was

ecstatic, but then again I knew I had to practice even harder for the Regionals!

Kamal Ahmed 7RW


N u n t i u s




1st XV REPORTWhere to begin?! What a season! At the time of writing we are 48 hours away from our National Daily Mail Vase Semi Final tie at Broadstreet RFC against The Leys School, Cambridge. We have won our last 10 consecutive fixtures and the last time we lost was November 19 - nearly four months ago! We are 70 minutes away from the Daily Mail Vase final at Twickenham!

Our first game in the Vase was the beginning of this fantastic run. A tight 17 – 14 win against Liverpool College was undoubtedly the turning point in our season, for days later we had a magnificent 20 - 12 victory against high flying Lymm High

School, and the following week won on the road 26 – 24 at Bradford Grammar School. We finished the term with a 46 – 3 demolition of Rydal in the Vase, playing some outstanding rugby in very difficult weather conditions.

We started the new term on a high, beating local rivals, St Anselm’s College 27 – 5 in the quarter final of the Cheshire Cup and then kicked our heels for a couple of weeks because of frozen pitches. When we resumed, it was again in the Vase. This time we put Cheadle Hulme to the sword 54 – 12 – a real statement of intent! Our last 16 Vase game against Ermysted Grammar School was a, tough encounter played away at Skipton Rugby Club. A thoroughly professional performance in which we took a 13 – 0 half- time lead and then defended superbly in the second half against a very physical side.

This set us up for a Home quarter final against King Edward’s School, Birmingham. They were huge! – However, it made no difference. The story was similar to the previous round, three excellent tries in the first half, a 19 – 0 half time lead and then superb defence to ‘nil’ the opposition in the second half. Our last domestic game against Birkenhead School resulted in a 31 – 5 victory and revenge for a Daily Mail Cup defeat back in October that ironically put us in the Vase Competition!

It has clearly been a fantastic season and a far cry from the dark days of last year. There has been an excellent spirit within the squad and gradually a realisation that we’re a good side and with that a confidence that is manifesting itself in some great rugby. Congratulations to all the squad – brilliant!

Mr P CrowleyHead of Physical Education

Second XV RugbyThe Second XV had an excellent season with a positive win ratio; something unheard of for the Upper Sixth boys. After an excellent start we were brought back down to Earth by a Merchant’s side, despite flamboyant sidesteps and big hits from the backs.

We then faced the ordinarily dominant Kirkham side but we played out of our skins, and to lose by a solitary try is truly impressive. It was my game of the season, despite the loss.

Despite annihilating Hutton at home, disappointing losses to Stockport and Wilmslow followed, plagued with injuries and missing players. At Wilmslow we were left with a 7 man scrum and Tom Byrne at fly half… Despite this, Bhuna still picked a fight with someone much bigger than him, only to be rescued by Adam Gould. We then claimed the scalps of Manchester (with a great last dash try from Ben Southwell), Bradford, Kings Macclesfield and a dominant win against Birkenhead in the local derby with Calday unable to even put a side out, being one of the best runs in my rugby career. Eddy Forshaw was the top points/try scorer with Seb Masento being the only player with 0 tries or points.

Mr White would like to thank those parents that have offered support over the season both on and off the pitch. Particular thanks go, again, to Barry and Sue Smith for attending every game ready to patch the injured.

Aaron Smith U63PM

Five-A-Side Football CompetitionA group of boys from Year 8 represented the school in a Wirral wide schools 5-A-Side Football Competition held at the Eight4Sport indoor football facility in Bromborough.

The competition was held over two months with the boys training and playing after school. Two teams were entered and the boys played against 11 other schools putting in some great performances and top notch effort.

Well done to the boys who are pictured below.

Mr P Cresswell

The U6th play their final game for WGSB



U16 RUGBY Played 10 Won 5 Lost 5 Points for 224 Points against 153

From the above table it would seem that the U 16 only had a mediocre season but this is far from the truth. A couple of the defeats were very close matches against Manchester and Wilmslow and could have gone either way. Without doubt the highlight of the season was the winning of the floodlight cup beating the likes of Stonyhurst 47-5, Bramhall 38-0, Manchester Grammar School 22-5, Woodhouse Grove 13-10 in a superb final that Wirral deserved to win. During the whole competition Wirral played some great rugby both in attack and especially in defence which was outstanding throughout. All the players gave of their best in every game and they were a credit to the school.

There are no poor teams in this competition and to score as many points as we did and to concede as few points is really a fantastic achievement. This was a great night for all the players and the parents who have supported the team all year. What a way to finish the 15 a side season, fantastic!

Four days after the winning of the cup the team played in the Merchant Taylors 7 a side competition. With little preparation I did not think we would perform at all well particularly after a rather poor training session and having two members of the team unavailable. However, I was very wrong and the players were fantastic.We lost the first game narrowly against Woodhouse Grove who really fancied themselves and then went on to beat Rydal 50-7, Manchester Grammar School 40-0, Birkenhead failed to turn up so all the teams in the group played one less match. Wirral went through as the second place side and beat Merchant Taylors in the semi final 25-7. This meant that it was another Wirral against Woodhouse Grove final. Having beaten us earlier in the day Woodhouse looked confident but another breathtaking performance by the players particularly in terms of determination and effort saw us winning 21-14 in yet another close encounter.

I would like to thank all the players for their efforts this year. They have been a great bunch to work with and it is not over yet with two 7 a side tournaments remaining. Who knows - we might win again. Congratulations lads, you have deserved your success this year. Long may it continue.

Mr I F Davies

Bantams Rugby Report March 2012Overall playing record for A team: Played 15 won 8 drawn 2 lost 5. B team played 6 won 4.

I have had responsibility for this group of players for two years and I have to report that I consider them to have progressed significantly over that time. The playing record has improved over two years, but more importantly, the way the players have performed as rugby players has been good to see. They are far better equipped to enter the big boys of rugby in the coming years, in my opinion, and I have been impressed with the commitment they have shown, especially this season. The attitude to training has been more mature, and they have been prepared to listen to what I and other coaches have been telling them. Their handling skills in particular have substantially improved and their gutsiness and commitment have never been in question in my view.

After the last report, the A team went unbeaten until the end of the season. The B team, sadly did not play any games, a reflection of the state of rugby in other schools or that they do not have the staff available that we do. The A team had a big win against a big Sandbach team in the Cheshire Cup. An away win at Lymm HS was much deserved and a determined performance against a skilful Bradford GS team was the key to that success. We only played three games in 2012, with a quite outstanding 75-0 win at local rivals Calday GS in January. Although Calday were under strength, or so they said, this was almost perfect display and it was a truly team performance. Then to play Kings Macclesfield in the quarters of the Cheshire Cup away was always going to be tough, but for the second time this season, we nearly pulled it off! Going 12-0 down early wasn’t encouraging but I was full of praise for the boys comeback to 12-17 down. With minutes left, it could have gone either way and finally Kings broke Wirral’s defence to win by 10 points. Still, compared to last season, this was huge progress for our boys and I am sure they can get even closer next year! The last game of the season was against Birkenhead, minus what you would call our star players. However, we should have done better than a draw but so disjointed was the end of the season that we had not played for some time and the rustiness showed.

So to conclude, I am happy with the thought that these boys are at a stage of their rugby development that gives me a lot of hope for their futures both as players and as a squad. They have by and large been a pleasure to coach, and we have had a few laughs along the way. I sincerely wish them all the best for their futures in rugby, and indeed as people. Thanks to them all from me , and also to staff and helpers such as Mr McKinney, Mr Bowen and Mr Metcalf for their assistance over the last two years.

Those who have played this year are: Will Hardy (Captain), Jake Clement-Jones, Lewis Davies, Liam Hayes, James McKenna, Matthew Crowe, Sean Griffiths, Sam Hannah, Tom Cook, Jake Lavelle, Jamie Norris, Alex Ruscoe, Ross Triggs, Sean White, Lewis Adams, Michael Angu Armand, Callum Bedson, Lewis Favager, Matthew Jardine, Alex Lambert, Sam Lock. Joe Madders, James Bluck, Tom Flooks, Tom James, Ben Lockwood, James Parnell, Ben Parnell, Ben Reilly, Sam Reilly, Mat Sutton, Ed Williams, Harry Cumming, John Fieldhouse, Michael Morris, Jack Johnson, Ben Thomas, Mitchell Crabb, Alex Edge and James Taylor.

Mr McKibbin


N u n t i u s


BASKETBALLThis year again proved a very successful one for our teams in the Wirral Schools’ Basketball Leagues.

The Year 7s beat Bebington HS 36 – 28 in the Final of their Competition, having won all but one of their previous games, a tie with Woodchurch HS spoiling what would have been a 100% record. The Year 8s had a very good season, winning all but one game against Woodchurch HS, who won the title. The Year 9s again did very well and went on to represent Wirral at the Merseyside Emerging Schools’ Competition. The Year 10s were unbeaten all season and defeated Woodchurch HS 29 – 20 in their final, and the Year 11s at the time of writing are unbeaten and due to play Calday GS in the final later this month.

Numbers have been very healthy at Basketball Club this year, and this has clearly been reflected by the success of the school teams. Congratulations to all the players for their success. A great season!

Mr P CrowleyHead of Physical Education

HOCKEY UPDATEThis season has yet again seen another excellent development in the hockey played by all of the boys from First XI to the newly started Year 7 cohort. The improvements made by all players who have committed to playing the game is vast. Whether the lads have played House Matches, or for the school in matches, it is good to see that they have enjoyed themselves! The First XI have enjoyed an excellent season and their win in the Wirral Cup Final against Calday on flicks, gave them passage to the North West finals at Timperley. We performed well there and narrowly lost to Altringham Grammar School in the semi-finals. Special praise must go to the likes of Hayat, Dutton, Walker, Harvey and Lea playing for the first time at that level.

The U16 and U15 sides have made decent progress, training hard throughout the season. Player development has been the key and massive progress made by many of the lads. In the House Matches, Hodgson were the winners in very competitive matches. Many boys in those age groups are now playing regular club hockey on a weekend which can only develop their game and experiences!

The U14’s have had a very rapid rise from major novices to a very competent team that has been very impressive, with wins over Rydal, Birkenhead and Bolton in recent weeks. The squad of players have gained confidence in each other’s ability and I see this cohort of players being successful next season. The recent matches have seen Year 8 hockey take off and culminated with tournaments at Neston and Kings Chester which should stand those lads in good stead for next year! The Hockey this season has been a pleasure to watch from our school sides and the progress made by individuals has been superb. I would like to thank all members of staff and pupils who have umpired and supported the lads this season; it only works with lots of support and willingness to do better.

Mr A Metcalf, Master I/C Hockey

Cricket report for Wirral Cricket ClubWirral Cricket Club is the home for old boys of Wirral Grammar School. We run three senior teams, and Junior teams from Under 9s upwards. Winter nets for Wirral Cricket Club began in February 2 at Wirral Grammar School for Boys Sports Hall. These will finish at Easter. There will then be a REGISTRATION EVENING at the Wirral Cricket Club on FRIDAY 13th April at 6.30pm for those wishing to join for the 2012 season.

Then our teams will train at Wirral Cricket Club, Thornton Common Road in Clatterbridge in April and May. The dates have not yet been finalised, but if you go to www.pitchero.com/clubs/wirralccjuniors or https://twitter.com/#!/wirralccjuniorsthen details will be made available soon. We run teams at Under 9s, Under 11s, Under 13s, Under 15s and Under 17s level as well as a mid week team and three senior teams on a Saturday. This seasons first team captain will be Dan Holder, who was a student teacher at the school a year or so ago, and who recently played for England Disability team over in Dubai..a great honour for him and the Club.Any new members who wish to join, you will be made most welcome to attend. For further details, you can contact me at the school, or phone Derek Gordon who is the Junior Cricket co-ordinator on 07952669781 or go to the websites at www.pitchero.com/clubs/wirralcricketclub or www.pitchero.com/clubs/wirralccjuniors.

Mr McKibbin (Secretary Wirral Cricket Club)

Handball Club 2012Once again, Handball Club has been running for Years 8 and 9 on a Wednesday night. Twenty five boys from these age groups have enjoyed a combination of skills, drills and games to help develop their knowledge and understanding of a new game; a game widely played in central Europe, and to be part of the 2012 Games in London.

As the host nation, GB handball will be competing. The School has entered two national competitions this year, at U13 and U15 level. The boys will compete in the area finals this month, leading to regional and even the national finals. May I also take this opportunity to thank Rob Price, ex pupil and England Handball player for his help and coaching over the last few months. His input has been invaluable to both myself and the boys. Finally, well done to all those boys who have attended and good luck in the coming competitions.

Mr G Money



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Paris TripOn Thursday 2nd of February I, along with 11 of my male classmates and 24 girls from the Girls’ School, departed Liverpool Lime Street in order to begin a life-changing trip to Paris. Accompanying us on the trip were Mrs. Craze, Mr. Denby and Mrs. Mahoney, the latter two being teachers at the Girls’ School.

The journey, involving a train ride to London before getting the Eurostar to Paris, was over quickly and before we knew it we were arriving at our hotel. That evening, we were taken on a quick tour of the local area, which included a visit to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica before heading back to the hotel, eagerly awaiting the events to come.

Over the next three days, we did and saw a variety of wholesome and wonderful things, including a conference conducted entirely in French (which was challenging to follow!), an English conference attended by politicians such as Simon Hughes and Esther McVey (whose views were questionable, to say the least), visits to the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Musée d’Orsay, and so on. Incidentally, I would like to warn anyone going to the Louvre that it is very easy to get lost in the place!

We were entrusted to find our own restaurants and order our own food in the evenings, the latter of which was executed with varying success (I, on one occasion, accidentally ordered a “horse burger”). On the Friday evening, we went on a tranquil boat trip on the Seine and, later on, there was light snowfall which transformed the city, already pretty, into a vision of beauty. Our departure, on Monday afternoon, was made with heavy hearts.

I wholeheartedly recommend the trip to any student of French, History, Politics or Art who has the means to go. The trip was not only the best holiday, but perhaps also the best experience of my life. It was a true coming of age, and I feel as though my French has improved significantly since returning.

So, to any Year 11 currently considering the trip – I urge you to go, and bon voyage!

Benjamin Sanders L64

Admissions Enquiries: enquiries relating to admissions should be directed to Mrs Tanya Fry in

school on 0151 644 0908 or by visiting the school website: www.wirralgrammarboys.com/admissions

Changes to the 11+ Testing ArrangementsParents should be aware that new arrangements come into place from this September. The main change is that the tests will be taken much earlier, at the start of the Autumn Term when pupils are in Year 6. For full details of the changes, please go to our website. Alternatively, you can scan the QR code below.

Community Wellness ClubWould you like to have more energy?

Would you like to lose/gain/maintain weight?

Would you like to feel well again?

If the answer is YES! why not join our 6 week Community Wellness Challenge starting after Easter at Wirral Grammar Boys. You will receive a free personal evaluation before the course starts and be involved in fun ways to help you make better nutritional and fitness choices. For further information and to book your place please call Sarah on 07789956366.

Wirral Grammar School for Boys has a Twitter feed and

we can be followed @WGSB

Those with Facebook can be kept up-to-date with achievements,

developments and events through our secure, school managed Facebook page: Wirral Grammar School for Boys (Education). Follow the link on our school website.

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Nuntius - Wirral Grammar School for BoysEaster break, and best wishes to those students who ... unveils new Comenius Project For the second time Wirral Grammar School for Boys has