Withernsea High School

Following a successful presentation at County Hall in Beverley, Withernsea High School’s Active Travel Ambassadors have been awarded £350 to support their ongoing efforts to promote the benefits of walking and cycling to school.

The funding will be used to provide prizes and rewards recognising those who make the switch to healthier and more environmentally friendly ways of travel. Car sharing and the concept of ‘park and stride’, which involves driving part of the journey and walking the remainder, are among the initiatives being encouraged.

On Thursday 12th March, the ambassadors joined student representatives from a number of other East Riding schools to share their ideas in front of a panel of experts including representatives from the East Riding Road Safety Team, walking and pedestrian safety charity Living Streets, and national cycle charity ‘Bikeability’. 

The core focus of the pitch was the continuation of the school’s annual Active Travel Day - a dedicated day of incentives and activities which, since 2023, has aimed to reduce traffic congestion around the school gates while promoting the health and wellbeing benefits of more active travel.

Last year’s Active Travel Day attracted around 150 students and 50 staff members. Each participant received a raffle ticket for entry into a prize draw, with rewards including skateboards, bike lights, table tennis sets, footballs, rugby balls, frisbees and Amazon vouchers.

More than 25 prizes were awarded in recognition of the community’s efforts to walk, cycle, scoot or skate to school. Those who car shared or took part in ‘park and stride’ were also rewarded. Students travelling by bus from the wider catchment area were invited to participate by sharing a photograph as evidence of their sustainable journey to the bus stop.

To date, the ambassadors have secured a total of £2,270 in funding from organisations including Modeshift, East Riding Council and Active Withernsea to support their plans.

Overseeing the work of the Travel Ambassadors is Nick Richmond, Teacher of PE and leader of the school’s student-led Board for Change, who said: “Our Active Travel Ambassadors are incredible advocates for sustainable travel and for our school. They delivered an extremely professional and polished presentation to the panel of judges, successfully securing £350 in funding as a result of their outstanding efforts.”

Withernsea High School has announced the fourth recipients of its Artists of the Month awards.

The Key Stage 3 winner for February is Year 9 student Bernie R, while the Key Stage 4 award has been presented to Year 11 student Phoebe H.

Bernie’s submitted pieces include a brightly coloured drawing of a lollipop and a pencil portrait. The lollipop piece, inspired by the work of contemporary artist Sarah Graham, demonstrates careful planning and layering. 

“To create the lollipop picture, I basically just drew out all the lines first, then went over in colour,” Bernie said. “I did different layers to get the shading right, using crayons and pencil.”
His second piece, a pencil portrait, shows a structured approach to facial drawing. “For the drawing of a face I started out with the eyes and then moved on to the nose then added the mouth and eyebrows,” he explained. Bernie, who is considering selecting art as a GCSE option, said he enjoys the subject and cited Sarah Graham as one of his favourite artists.

Phoebe’s work features an acrylic painting of a horse and a watercolour of a duckling. “For the horse I used acrylic paints, layering them on to get the darker shades and then white on top.” Phoebe said.

Her duckling painting, completed in watercolour, uses softer blending techniques to create texture and form. Phoebe, who is currently studying art in Year 11, said she has been influenced by the artist Georgie Turner, whom she is learning about in class. Although she does not plan to continue studying art beyond high school, she said she enjoys creating in her spare time.

Art teacher Holly Andrews commended both students’ achievements. “I’m extremely proud of their work, especially Bernie in Year 9, whose Sarah Graham-inspired piece was a real standout,” she said. “Phoebe has also produced some excellent work. Finding an artist she strongly connects with has helped her build even more confidence in her ideas, and that enjoyment is clearly reflected in the quality of what she is creating.”

The Artists of the Month award forms part of the school’s wider commitment to celebrating student success and promoting creativity. Launched in October, the initiative recognises artistic achievement across the school and provides students with a platform to showcase their work through displays around the site, exhibitions in the main reception and features on the school’s website and social media channels.

Final rehearsals are in full swing for Matilda the Musical JR, opening tomorrow night at Withernsea High School 

Jamie Hughes, Head of Sport and Performance, said today: “Rehearsals are well underway for our musical Matilda. If you haven’t got your tickets for the next few evenings, it is well worth a watch!”

The show runs Tuesday 10th - Thursday 12th March, starting at 6.30pm (doors 6pm) in the school hall.

Tickets, £5 adults / £3 concessions (under 16s and OAPs), are available via ParentPay, at main reception, or on the door.

Year 10 Engineering students have been developing their practical manufacturing skills this term by designing and producing their own gardening trowels.

As part of the project, students were challenged to create an ergonomically shaped handle to ensure the tool would be comfortable to use. They used hand files and sandpaper to carefully shape and smooth the handles.

The spade section of the trowel was hand-cut from mild steel before being shaped on the anvil to create a neat, symmetrical bend. Students also gained their first experience of welding, joining the connector to the spade to complete the structure of the tool.

To finish their projects, students spray painted the trowels to improve their appearance and help protect the metal from rust.

Mrs Norris, Head of DT, said: “This project gave students valuable hands-on experience in metalworking, tool design, and workshop safety while allowing them to produce a practical tool they can be proud of.”

Apprentices, entrepreneurs, and careers advisers helped students explore opportunities during last week’s National Careers Week (NCW). The annual campaign highlights careers education and provides resources about employment sectors, apprenticeships, and further education.

Throughout the week, the school hosted assemblies, enterprise sessions, and activities to help students understand the skills, qualifications, and experiences needed for different roles. Careers leader Viki Foster said: “Careers week highlights the wide range of opportunities for young people and helps them develop key employability skills. Our programme runs throughout the year, preparing students to shape their career journeys.”

The week began with a Key Stage 4 assembly led by three former students sharing experiences as apprentices with Hull-based provider HETA. They described apprenticeship structures, the realities of training, and opportunities at employers including Perenco, SSE Thermal, and PJD Electrical. Viki added: “Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience while earning money and progressing to degree-level courses. Hearing former students’ journeys makes these opportunities tangible.”

Entrepreneur Adam Corbally delivered a Year 9 workshop challenging students to create businesses benefiting communities or the environment. Pitched ideas included dissolvable teabags, healthy frozen fruit treats, and a sustainable electric party bus. Adam shared his journey from leaving school without qualifications to founding a motivational speaking company, praising the students’ creativity and teamwork.

Key Stage 3 students attended assemblies on decision-making and GCSE choices, while staff showcased career journeys through displays. Year 10 prepared for work experience, aligned with the Department for Education guidance and the Careers and Enterprise Company’s Equalex framework. Withernsea High’s Ready 4 Work programme provides meaningful workplace experiences across three stages: introduce, explore, and apply, helping students build confidence and make informed career decisions.

ABOVE: Students from the top three Year 9 enterprise challenge teams celebrate their achievements with Adam Corbally.

ABOVE: Entrepreneur Adam Corbally with school careers leader Viki Foster. 

ABOVE: Year 10 students engaged in a work experience preparation session, learning about risk assessments and expectations ahead of their upcoming placements starting 

ABOVE: Former students (left to right) Oscar Duplock, Archie Hare and Connor Bradley returned to the school to share their experiences of apprenticeships. 

ABOVE: Classroom and office posters celebrated the career journeys of teachers and support staff, showing how skills gained along the way can open doors to new opportunities. 

Withernsea High School marked this year’s World Book Day by appointing two student book ambassadors, putting them at the heart of the school’s reading culture.

The ambassadors will serve for a full academic year, leading initiatives to promote reading across the school community. Their role will include supporting key events such as World Book Day itself, author workshops, and awareness campaigns like Pride, and Children in Need, where books and reading play a central role.

Laura Aldridge, Lead for Whole School Literacy and Reading, explained the thinking behind the initiative: “As part of our student-led Board for Change, we already have ambassadors for sport, mental health and active travel. It seemed only right that literacy should have the same visibility and importance.”

Students nominated peers during English lessons over several weeks, identifying classmates they felt would champion reading in their year groups. Over 70 nominations were submitted, reflecting the strong reading culture embedded in the school. Mrs Aldridge added: “It’s genuine recognition that we have a lot of readers here, and a lot of noticeable readers too. The students themselves have some of the best ideas for engagement, and the more people we have advocating for reading, being visible and proud readers, the greater impact it will have.”

A final shortlist of 20 students attended a celebration breakfast on World Book Day, where each presented ideas for promoting reading across the school. Winning the nominations were Zach S, representing Years 7 and 8, and Lauren D, appointed for Years 9-11.

For the wider student body, World Book Day featured a series of activities to immerse students in reading across the curriculum. Each lesson began with a short extract from a selected novel tailored to year groups, followed by reflection and a brief written review.
Students who discovered a title that particularly captured their interest could enter a prize draw to win a copy.

The East Riding Mental Health Support Team is hosting an online Routines and Rhythms Workshop for parents and carers, on Monday, 16th March, from 1pm to 3pm. 

The two-hour virtual workshop will explore the importance of routines, boundaries and sleep in supporting children’s emotional and behavioural development. Parents and carers will gain a greater understanding of why consistent routines and clear boundaries matter, along with practical guidance on how to use them effectively to support their child’s wellbeing.

The session will be delivered online and is open to parents and carers seeking tips and strategies to help create smoother routines and positive rhythms at home.

Book your FREE place by using the QR code on the image below, or visiting https://www.eventbrite.com/e/routines-rhythms-a-parentcarer-workshop-tickets-1981332156817

For more information, contact the Mental Health Support Team on 01482 205205, email hnf-tr.eymhst@nhs.net, visit www.connect.humber.nhs/mymhst, or follow @mymyhst on Instagram.