The Darrick Wood Way
Parent Bulletin
“Education is for improving lives of others”
– Marian Wright Edelman –
Message from the Head Teacher
Today, we held our Leavers’ Assembly with Year 13. Such occasions are reminders to us all of the passage of time and our journey through life. They allow us to reflect on the past, the present and look forward to the future. We will all have memories of our last official day in school and how school life and our experiences since leaving school shaped who we are today. Students listened to reflections and words of advice from key members of staff and the Head Prefects. We then had a lovely reception in the Sixth Form Collaborative Room before students departed to prepare for their Leavers’ Ball this evening. It has been a privilege for us as staff to see them develop and grow over the years. We have every confidence they will go on to successful future lives whatever their next steps will be. Their parents/carers can be very proud of them. We wish Year 13 well for the examinations to come.
Year 11 continue to work hard and make the most of their time with their teachers ahead of the public examinations. Their leavers’ assembly is planned for later in June. By the time our next Parent Bulletin is published the examinations will be well under way. We wish them every success.
Next week (from Tuesday) we move lunchtime to better accommodate afternoon public examinations. This does not affect the start and end of the day, but lunchtime will follow Period 3 and then there will be two lessons to follow, with school still ending at 3.10pm as usual after Form Time at 3pm.
As usual there is much to read in this first edition of the summer term. I wish everyone an enjoyable long weekend – the School is closed on Monday for the Bank Holiday.
Attendance Focus
93.8%
Highest Attendance
Congratulations to the 513 students who demonstrated excellent levels of attendance and punctuality during the Spring Term. Parents / carers of these pupils have been notified and their support is appreciated.
Reading Recommendations
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Upcoming Events
05/05/25 – Bank Holiday – School closed
08/05/2025 – Public Exams start
Useful Links
Previous Bulletins
Highlights of the fortnight
IRIS project – Trip to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories (RAL), Oxford.
A small group of Year 12 students has been participating in a challenging research project called the Big Data: ATLAS. The ATLAS detector is used by physicists to observe the results of proton-proton collisions in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva, the largest collider of its type in the world.
Big Data: ATLAS introduces students to the techniques used to analyse ATLAS data, giving them the chance to explore their own questions in particle physics. Students learn analytical and coding methods used by particle physicists. They develop critical skills in statistical analysis, Python computer programming, data presentation and interpretation of ATLAS open-source data, including how to find evidence of the Higgs boson.
As part of the project, we were able to visit the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories (RAL), Oxford. After a train, tube and train journey, we arrived on the local bus. This was the perfect way to truly appreciate the size and scale of the research facilities and was so inspiring. The regular security patrols within the research park highlighted the important nature of the research. The day began with an excellent lecture on particle physics and our students then got the opportunity to tour one of the ten supercomputer storage buildings needed to house the vast amounts of data produced, wearing ear defenders and seeing how they keep it cool.
We saw equipment used in the search for dark matter and neutrinos. A particular favourite was the scale model of the ATLAS collider constructed out of Lego.
The afternoon was dedicated to continuing with their research project, supported by particle physicists. The day ended with a careers panel, showcasing the variety of jobs and pathways that had led the physicists to work at RAL. Our students were able to ask questions throughout the day and found it incredibly useful to see the opportunities available to them. They are now beginning to produce a scientific poster of their research to display at the annual IRIS Conference in London.
Darrick Wood featured in Poetry By Heart’s newsletter
Our English Department manages the School’s entries into the annual Poetry By Heart (PBH) National Competition which has featured in prior newsletters. The most recent PBH newsletter featured our Year 7 Portable Paradise Project, which tasked students with creating their own paradise in physical, not just poetic, form in response to a poem in our anthology. You can ‘jump to’ the Ideas and Inspiration section of the newsletter where you will find Darrick Wood featured. You can then click through to the interview at: Poetry By Heart.
The newsletter goes to about 6,000 teachers, librarians, and poets.
Darrick Wood staff and students travelled to Flachau in the Austrian Alps this Easter for the annual school ski trip. Students had six days skiing in the Easter sunshine and considering the huge amount of beginners we took, the progress they made was superb. All students were up the mountain within two days, and skiing down a range of blue and red runs! Lots of fun was had both on and off the slopes, with lifelong friendships and memories being made. The Ski Instructors were very complimentary of our students, mentioning that their engagement, effort and resilience was some of the best they have ever seen. Thank-you from me to all the parents that facilitated the trip and ensured their children were fully prepared and in a position to have such a great time.
There are a few places available for the 2026 trip. Please email Mr Simpson if you are interested in securing a place.
Back in January 2025, Chemistry students from Years 12 and 13 sat the round 1 examination for the Chemistry Olympiad – a national competition organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry. It is designed to challenge and inspire secondary school students to develop critical problem-solving skills, learn to think more creatively and get a chance to test their knowledge in new, real-world situations.
We are delighted that we were awarded 10 Bronze, 1 Silver and 1 Gold award at this stage – although we were not successful in getting anyone through to round 2 this year. We are incredibly proud of their achievement – it is a really tough test!
Curriculum Showcase
Year 7 work on Rule and Laws
After explaining the different types of Laws from religious to non-religious, students focused on the 10 Commandments – a set of rules to help everyday living. After researching the Commandments they then produced an ‘old version/manuscript’ which they either wrote the 10 Commandments on or wrote 10 Laws for Living. Students then had to explain if the 10 Commandments had any relevance for today.
Year 8 work on Hinduism
For the latter part of the spring term, students completed their assessment which is to make a mask based around the story of the Ramayana. This tells the story of Rama and Sita and defeating the evil demon king Ravana. Once students have made their masks they then re-enact the story as part of explaining how and why Hindus celebrate the festival of Diwali.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
At Darrick Wood School, we are proud to celebrate the diversity and individuality of our community. As part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), we would like to highlight two important events taking place this month.
On Saturday 4th May, we mark International Family Equality Day, a celebration of the many different types of families that make up our society. It’s a reminder that love, respect and support are what truly define a family.
From 5th – 11th May, we will also be recognising Deaf Awareness Week. Throughout the week, students from our Deaf Centre will be leading presentations in assembly to share their experiences and help raise awareness about the Deaf community. Their contributions will link closely with our Theme of the Week, which is focused on celebrating the differences between people and recognising the value that diversity brings to our school and the wider world.
We are incredibly proud of all our students for the way they champion inclusivity and support one another, and we look forward to continuing to celebrate the uniqueness of every member of our community.
Sports and PE News
This May half-term break, Telstars Netball Club are hosting another netball camp! This is a great opportunity to keep up your netball in the half-term break as well getting a feel for a netball club if you are not with a club but are looking to join one. In general it is just a great fun day out doing all things netball!
Please see the link below to purchase a ticket. It is open to everyone irrespective of club and ability. An ex super-league player who is currently in the NXT GEN League will be leading this camp.
Reminder:
- Packed lunch is required
- Outdoors – so please come prepared for all weathers
- Nails must be cut short, hair tied back and no jewellery.
Spaces are limited so if your child is a keen netballer please share this with them. They did sell out at their last camp so the demand is high!
Extra-curricular Sport
Click here for details on all of our summer term activities.
- A friendly reminder from the PE Department – If students are fit for school they are still fit for PE. Lessons might be adjusted for warm weather as they would be for cold weather. Students should wear hats, wear fewer layers and always bring water to lessons.
- A note for parents/carers of Year 11 students – when your child leaves the school and they do not have a younger sibling, we would appreciate any kit donations to supplement our stock of spares.
Summer Net Games is back on! In PE we have invested in six pickleball courts, bats and balls so students can enjoy one of the most up and coming summer sports in the UK. Very similar to short tennis, pickleball is played with a paddle and plastic ball on a badminton size court. We are hoping a wide range of students will get the chance to play this summer in their lessons and enjoy a new sport!
Pickleball will also be available as an extra-curricular club after school on a Wednesday for students in Years 7 and 8 with Mrs Scott!
Safety & Awareness
For information on ‘What you need to Know about Instagram’ please click here
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Wellbeing
External examinations are fast approaching for our Year 11 and 13 students. Please see below some useful handouts and activities to support our students with examination stress.
We are pleased to announce the dates of the summer term webinars for parents/carers and young people. There are various dates and if you click on the topic, it will take you to the Eventbrite channel where you can book for these live, online sessions. No need for cameras or names and they are all FREE.
For Young People:
- For parents and carers of young people at secondary school:
Bromley Y, the Charity, is celebrating its 60th Anniversary this year and we are raising funds for our new Activate (social prescribing) intervention for the most vulnerable young people in our communities, providing various forms of emotional support through mentoring or wellbeing therapy, community activities, or perhaps help with cv writing and adult guidance to build their confidence and self-esteem.
We would really appreciate donations, even the smallest amount, to help us raise funds for this worthy cause.
Please CLICK HERE, donate. Thank you!
Student Leadership
Recently The Student Leadership Council along with our Charity Reps ran two Charity sessions within the School. The first was celebrating Valentine’s Day in which they sold Love Hearts and Postcards and managed to raise £315.59 for The British Heart Foundation. The second was Red Nose Day, in which they sold red noses throughout the week and raised £495.50 for this charity. It is so lovely to see how many events for charity the School is involved with and how many Life Learning Skills are being developed by all the young people involved.
Main Assemblies
This week, the student led assembly item was about celebrating Dance at Darrick Wood. We were shown a presentation about what the Dance Department have been taking part in both inside and outside of the school and what opportunities there are for others in the future, including our upcoming Dance Show at the end of the year. Thank you to Megan, Freya, Sarah, Lizzie and Olivia for all their work on this and their fantastic presentations skills and to Mrs Rose for putting it all together.
Work Related Learning
Year 12 Work Experience Programme (Monday, 7th July – Friday, 11th July)
As previously shared with students and parents/carers, our Year 12 Work Experience Programme is taking place from Monday, 7th July to Friday, 11th July. During this week, all Year 12 students attend work experience placements instead of following their usual school timetable. Darrick Wood School uses the Unifrog Careers Portal to manage placements and conduct the necessary pre-placement checks. To allow enough time for the approval process, the deadline for submitting the Student Initial Form was Friday, 25th April. This ensures there is sufficient time for both the Employer Information Form and the Parent/Carer Consent Form to be completed ahead of the final deadline on Friday, 9th May.
All forms should be submitted by Friday, 9th May and meet the required criteria for placements to be approved and the necessary checks to be completed. If your child has secured a placement but has not yet completed the Student Initial Form, please ensure this is done as a matter of urgency so that the Employer Information Form can be issued.
For further information, students can speak to Mrs Collier, Head of Work-Related Learning.
Year 10 Work Shadowing Day (Wednesday, 2nd July)
As part of our Careers Education, Information, Advice, and Guidance Curriculum, Year 10 students are invited to take part in a Work Shadowing Day designed to provide them with an insight into the workplace and the broader world of work.
This year, Work Shadowing Day will be held on Wednesday, 2nd July. On this day, Year 10 students have the opportunity to accompany a parent/carer or other named trusted adult to their workplace, or attend an Employability Masterclass session in school. The masterclass will be led by Young Enterprise, an organisation that brings in corporate volunteers to help students develop key skills for the world of work.
Please refer to the separate letters sent to parents/carers last term and complete the form within the letter to confirm your child’s arrangements for Work Shadowing Day. The deadline to submit the form is Friday, 20th June.
Monthly Parent and Carer Guide to Apprenticeships
Please find the link below to the April edition of the parent and carer guide to apprenticeships with lots of useful content to support your child with post-16 and post-18 pathway options.