Extracurricular News
- Category: Extracurricular News
Wallingford Taekwon-do took six students to the UK Open Championships 2023 and came away with a medal haul equalling 11 points!
Special Technique Champion Matteo (Year 10) gained a bronze in sparring, Yesith (Year 10) took a silver in patterns with brother Bimsath (Class of 2023) picking up two bronzes in patterns and sparring for his first competition, and sister Miheli (Year 8) unlucky to miss out on medals this time. Julia (Year 7) picked up a bronze in her sparring division, with team-mate Karolina joining her in the bronze club with medals won in both her patterns and sparring division.
Their hard work is paying off and support for each other is simply incredible - the future potential is bright! Looking forward to what 2024 brings!
- Wallingford Taekwon-do School
- Category: Extracurricular News
Matt, Year 12, has never been one for sport at school, but has taken his physical challenge to new heights! Over to Matt:
I guess I’ve always been attracted to more unusual sports - scuba diving in Crete and running a 10 mile Tough Mudder course. However, since I was 12 I always wanted to skydive.
Last weekend, after a 7 hour wait for the wind to drop and clouds to clear, I was finally able to tandem free fall from 10,000 ft (over 3km)! Not only did we free fall but my instructor carried out acrobatics on our descent. It was brilliant and the first of many jumps, I hope.
The jump school run apprenticeships in Business Management and becoming an instructor and, although this is not the career path I intend to take, it was great to know that there are options out there for thrill-seekers like me!
- Category: Extracurricular News
Charlie in Year 8 is a Campanologist, and he regularly updates music teacher Ms Hammond on his hobby. This weekend Charlie is ringing the Quarter Peal for Remembrance Sunday for the first time.
Here's Charlie to tell us more about the art and history of bell-ringing:
I’ve been learning to ring the church bells in North Moreton for just over a year in a ring of 6 bells ranging from 200 to 660kg. Although the bells normally hang downwards, they are rung in an upright position and pulling the rope allows the bell to swing round 360 degrees with the clapper hitting the bell at both extremes of the circle. While we start ringing in rounds, with the bells being rung in order of musical note, we also swap places with other bells in a process known as call changes. It takes physical strength, concentration and lots of co-ordination with the other ringers to ensure that the bells sound their best.
The oldest bell in North Moreton tower is the 5th (the second heaviest one) which dates from 1350. It’s incredible and quite humbling to think that a bell will have been rung to mark so many church services, special occasions, births, deaths and marriages over the intervening 670 years.
At the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II, I helped fit muffles (leather pads attached to the clapper of the bell which dull the ringing sound, and used as a mark of respect) and rang the bells fully muffled as part of Operation London Bridge: a nationwide response to Queen Elizabeth’s death.
More usually, if wanting to pay respects while ringing, the bells are rung half-muffled, when only one side of the clapper is covered. This provides alternating quieter and lounder sounds when the bell is struck by the clapper. This coming weekend, our tower, and other towers in the area, will ring half muffled as part of Remembrance Sunday events. I’m also going to be attempting to ring my first quarter peal, which is a series of 1,260 changes with no mistakes allowed!
If you are interested in learning (bell ringing can also count for the skills section of your Duke of Edinburgh’s Award) do contact your local tower - contact details below. It is good fun and you will be made most welcome.
Goring and Streatley - Josie Irving This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Benson - John Tchighanov This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Wallingford - Christopher Tuckett This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Long Wittenham - Chris Brown This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aston Tirrold - Rachel Marffy (Aston) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Cholsey - Jenny Jeskins This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
Brightwell - John Dowling This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
North Moreton - Rob Nickless This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Click the image below to see a short clip of Charlie with fellow bell-ringers!
- Category: Extracurricular News
We are thrilled to hear that Peter in Year 9 has been selected to represent the UK in the Yamaha Highlight Concert, to be held in Milan, Italy at the beginning of March.
Peter will perform his own composition, Steam, where he plays the piano supported by James (Didcot 6th Form) on trumpet.
Good luck Peter (and James!) – we can’t wait to hear more when you return!
- Category: Extracurricular News
We always love to hear about our students' activities outside of school.
Aimee, Year 10, has found a true passion for rugby since playing for Wallingford Girls RFC. She has become their main kicker and scored a lot of their conversions, and has since been selected to play for Oxfordshire County. To top it off, out of 12 individuals in the whole county, Aimee has been selected for the England Development Programme for Oxfordshire Girls RFC, with a recommendation to Gloucester College once completed.
We are so proud of her amazing achievement.
Story by Miss Rutter (Work Experience)
