The Gilberd School

The Gilberd School recently welcomed a representative from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, who delivered engaging and informative assemblies to our Year 7 and Year 8 students.

The sessions focused on essential summer and water safety, helping students understand how to keep themselves and their families safe during the warmer months. From practical advice to reduce risks around water to important seasonal safety tips, the assemblies provided valuable guidance that will stay with students for life.

We are incredibly grateful for their time, expertise, and ongoing commitment to supporting young people and promoting safety within our community.

Recently, our second Year 9 Bronze Duke of Edinburgh cohort completed their expedition, reaching Thorrington Scout Camp via Great Bentley, where they spent an enjoyable evening cooking, playing games and toasting marshmallows.

Students showed strong teamwork and resilience throughout, remaining positive despite challenging weather conditions.

Their determination and teamwork ensured a successful expedition, continuing the high standard set for the season. Well done to all involved!

Head Boy, Jacob Narhkom, delivered an outstanding performance at the Essex Schools Athletics Championships this month, winning gold in the 400 metres.

His remarkable time of 49.59 seconds is the fastest Under 16 time in the UK this year and the only sub-50 performance nationally.

Jacob has now been selected to represent Essex at the English Schools National Championships in Birmingham this July.

A phenomenal achievement. Congratulations Jacob, we are all cheering you on!

We recently welcomed Rick Goldsbrough, Chief Operations Officer of Colchester United F.C. for an engaging Future Friday session with our students.

They gained a great insight into the wide range of careers in sport, from coaching and media to business and events, as well as the steps needed to turn their passion into a career.

A huge thank you to Rick for inspiring our students and sharing his journey!

Today we said farewell to the Class of 2026.

We wish you all the very best for the next chapter of your lives.

🎵 One week until our Summer Concert on Tuesday 23rd June!

We're very excited to show you what our students have been rehearsing these past months. We've left a clue in one of these photographs of what Orchestra will be performing in the concert...

🎟 We have limited tickets remaining for this event. You can buy tickets via this link: www.ticketsource.com/the-gilberd-school

Any questions regarding concert tickets, contact ETH.

We are delighted to share that the Readathon organised earlier this year raised an impressive £372.00 for the charity Read for Good.

Thank you to all the students who took part and to their generous sponsors for their support.

We would also like to extend our thanks to our Student Librarians and Reading Leaders for their help in promoting this event.

At The Gilberd School, we’re very proud of our House System, led by student leaders who inspire teamwork and school spirit.

Our Year 9 applicants have truly impressed us with their enthusiasm, showcasing their talents through applications, presentations, and interviews.

We’re delighted to introduce our new House Captains and Deputy House Captains. Congratulations to all!

Year 10 Gilberdians Ella, Kamsi and Arabella visited Highwoods Community Primary School this week as part of the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge.

Having achieved an outstanding second place in the regional finals in April, Kamsi performed her speech for the the students, showcasing her confidence and talent.

Staff at Highwoods described the visit as a valuable experience, noting how wonderful it was to see Kamsi speak so confidently. All three students were excellent ambassadors for the school.

Thank you to Highwoods Community Primary School for the warm welcome.

Last week, we were delighted to welcome Hayley Ellen from Colchester Sixth Form College, who delivered engaging Philosophy of Religion sessions to our full course Religious Studies students on the Problem of Evil. The sessions built on their GCSE knowledge while introducing more advanced A level ideas.

Hayley also spoke to a group of Year 9 students about A level Philosophy and Religion, Philosophy and Ethics (PRE), explaining what each course involves and the key differences between them. This has already encouraged students to consider their future subject choices.

All students were highly engaged and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We look forward to welcoming Hayley back next year.