West London Free School Secondary

Sixty-two choristers from Years 10 to Year 12 journeyed to Normandy over the start of the Easter break. Over five days packed with singing, the choirs performed a Passiontide programme to appreciative audiences in spectacular venues in Vernon, Les Andelys, and at La Madeleine in Paris, where they followed in the footsteps of the famous composers Gabriel Fauré and Camille Saint-Saëns.

A group of Y10 pupils had the wonderful opportunity to visit Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) as part of the GOSH Learning Academy’s outreach initiative. This programme is designed to inspire young people by introducing them to the wide range of careers available within the NHS. Pupils met with a variety of people from music therapists to medical nurses to physiotherapists and radiographers and found out about some of the different pathways into the NHS.

Pupils were then treated to a very special guided tour of the hospital by a Consultant Urologist – and former WLFS parent – and they saw some of the unique GOSH wards, visited one of the theatre’s and then we finished off with a visit to the hospital’s hidden chapel. The pupils were engaged, curious, and showed real maturity throughout.

After lunch at Coram’s Fields, we continued our day with a visit to the Grant Museum of Zoology at UCL. This gave students the chance to explore a unique collection of specimens and learn more about the scientific study of animals—an excellent complement to the hospital visit and a great opportunity to broaden their understanding of science in the real world and we hope it has sparked new ideas and ambitions for their futures.

This week, the MFL department took 60 of our Year 10, Year 12 and Year 13 Spanish students to Battersea Spanish for an unforgettable experience. Students were split into groups and took part in a carousel of activities including a tapas role-play, a detective challenge, a salsa dance class, and confidence-building speaking games – all delivered entirely in Spanish.

Students had a great time, fully immersing themselves in the language and culture, boosting their confidence, and applying their classroom learning in a real-world context.

This incredible opportunity was kindly fully funded by the West London Free School Foundation. To help us continue offering experiences like this for our pupils, please consider donating here: https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/28911 #!/DonationDetails

Our book clubbers visited City of London School to attend the Trinity Schools Book Awards awards. Pupils were spellbound meeting shortlisted authors Yorick Goldewijk, Nicholas Bowling and TSBA winner David Farr. Congratulations to Brianna Bourne for winning the Trinity Plus Award. Thank you to the WLFS Foundation for funding the trip!

Before heading to the Careers’ Fair, Ada John – WLFS alumna and daughter of Valerie John - surprised Ibrahim 11C with a gift to mark his time spent reading for the Valerie John Reading Prize, back in Year 7. The pair then set off to the Careers’ Fair where Ada shared insights into her life as Brand & Partnerships Manager at the Financial Times.

Our two Year 7 teams did us proud today at the . Out of 24 teams competing across North and West London, Team A missed 3rd place by just 1 point, drawing in 4th place with our neighbours Latymer Upper School and Team B came 18th. Well done to all who took part!

World Book Day Mayhem

Always frenetic but always fun, pupils and teachers (!) scrambled to match our literary pairings in our annual competition. Heads of Years 7 and 8 — otherwise known as Katniss Everdeen and Percy Jackson (and partners) — claimed their prizes for fastest match and best “in‑character” selfie.

A group of Year 9 pupils took part in a speed mentoring session at the Guildhall, as part of the London Careers Festival. Pupils met a number of employers and had the chance to speak to them in small groups about their career and experiences.

From “grocery badgers” & re‑wilded bison in Kent to “talking toilets” and conversations with our pets, Dr Cathy Rogers took Y7 on a fascinating tour of life in 2070, inspired by her brilliantly optimistic book Future Vision: Stories of Our Brilliant Tomorrow, for .

Last week, 41 Year 10 and Year 11 students had an amazing time on the KS4 MFL trip to Paris! They visited the first floor of the Eiffel Tower for some fantastic panoramic views, enjoyed a cruise along the Seine, and walked along the Champs-Élysées, stopping to see the outside of the Louvre. They also visited the Château de Fontainebleau and explored Melun Market, with time for shopping too.

In the evenings, students took part in activities at their accommodation, including a quiz night, a crêpe making class and a disco on the final night - complete with lots of singing and dancing to end the trip on a high!

The students thoroughly enjoyed their time and made good use of their French throughout the trip.

A big congratulations to Arwa (8A) who is our first pupil ever to complete bronze, silver and gold in the Valerie John Reading Prize! Generously supported by our brilliant PTA!

Join us on Thursday 29th January in the beautiful surroundings of St Nicholas Church, Chiswick, for a concert given by the WLFS Orchestra and Wind Band, in collaboration with the musicians of Chiswick School. With toe-tapping numbers by Queen and the Beatles alongside famous masterpieces by Stravinsky, Sibelius and Dvořák, this evening promises something to satisfy all musical tastes! Refreshments will be available.