Trips and Experiences

At Watford Grammar School for Boys, an excellent education is about much more than academic success. Our aim is to continue to develop fully rounded young men by providing them the very best facilities and opportunities. We offer a wide range of activities and societies in which students are actively encouraged to participate. Some societies and activities are held jointly with Watford Grammar School for Girls and many are organised by the pupils themselves.

Music

Music is a real strength at WBGS, and was singled out for praise in our recent Good Schools Guide report. The department is situated in the Clarendon Muse, our specialist and award-winning music centre, consisting of several classrooms, 24 sound-proofed practice rooms, a music technology suite and recording studio and a 200 seat auditorium.

A wide range of instrumental lessons is available as well as an annual programme of performances by the school's 15 musical groups and choirs. Each year pupils participate in the annual school music competition. Students can also make use of the school's recording studio to learn music production techniques.

More information on our music offering

Theatre

Productions take place in the James Theatre. The school puts on major productions every year, with other studio events directed by students. Technical expertise is provided by teams of students and staff.

Sport

The school's major sports are rugby, hockey, cricket, cross country, athletics and tennis. An ambitious programme of fixtures in these sports against the strongest school teams is organised annually. The school’s excellent sporting facilities, including the main field, New Field, all-weather pitches, a fully kitted out gym, and sports hall, provide ample opportunity for a variety of sporting and fitness activities. We offer coaching in badminton, table tennis, basketball, judo and fencing. Success and participation is fostered through competitions within school, and at county and even national level. We are proud to count several national-level rugby players among our alumni.

Duke of Edinburgh

At WBGS, We run a very popular D of E programme at Bronze level in Year 10 and Gold level in Year 12. We currently have over 200 boys participating and they get to experience the wilds of Epping Forest in Year 10 up to the mountains of Snowdonia in year 12. They forge everlasting memories of the trips plus help out in numerous ways in their communities.

Travel and Adventure

We are proud to offer pupils a diverse range of annual trips to complement their academic and sporting interests. The exact nature of our visits changes on a yearly basis, however the following list provides an overview of the trips that were running during 2018/2019 and we hope to reinstate trips when safe to do so:

Year 7:

  •  Ski Austria
  • Normandy Visit
  • Sail France
  • Activity week

Year 8:

  • PRE Amsterdam trip
  • Ski Austria
  • Spanish Murcia trip
  • Normandy Visit
  • Sail France
  • German Classics trip
  • Paris visit

Year 9:

  • PRE Amsterdam trip
  • Visit to the WW1 battlefields
  • German Exchange
  • Ski Austria
  • Spanish Murcia trip
  • Normandy visit
  • Sail France
  • German Classics trip
  • Paris visit

Year 10:

  • PRE Amsterdam trip
  • German Exchange
  • Ski Austria
  • Spanish Murcia trip
  • GCSE Geography Field Trip
  • Sri Lanka sports tour
  • Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award Expeditions

Year 11:

  • Senior tennis tour
  • Sri Lanka sports tour

Year 12:

  • Higgs Hunter conference
  • KS4 Spanish long weekend in Seville
  • German Exchange
  • Ski Austria
  • Duke of Edinburgh Gold Training & Expeditions

Year 13:

  • Senior tennis tour
  • Young Engineers Big Bang Finals
  • KS4 Spanish - long weekend in Seville
  • CERN physics trip

Mixed year group trips:

  • Tanzania trip with Camps International
  • Portugal tennis tour

Parents and pupils who may be interested in finding out whether a specific trip is likely to run in future years should speak to the relevant subject teacher for more information.

Journalism

The annual school magazine, the Fullerian, is written and edited by our students and overseen by a staff editor. It gives many students their first chance to work on a professionally produced publication and also acts as a record of each year at the school.

Charitable work

Each term students focus on a programme of charitable fundraising, run and initiated by the students themselves. Student volunteers also take part in a number of charity and community projects based at the school or nearby. These projects offer the opportunity to develop good leadership and citizenship skills and encourage individual achievement and the development of excellent interpersonal skills.

Careers guidance and business links

The school has a flourishing programme of careers guidance, and nurtures business links which help students to learn valuable business skills and provide opportunities for them to bring their academic skills to bear on the business world. In the Sixth Form the Young Engineers have been very successful in problem-solving activities in association with local companies. Indeed, they have won national competitions.