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 DofE Programme which currently has over 200 students registered for the 2025/26 school year. WBGS is consistently one of the top schools for enrolments in the county. 

The programme is offered at Bronze level for Year 9, Silver for Year 10 and Gold for Year 12.
This year, students will be visiting Lambourne End in Essex for their Bronze award, the South Downs and the Black Mountains in Wales for their Silver award and Dartmoor and the Black Mountains in Wales for their Gold award.

Taking part in DofE provides students with invaluable skills, confidence and a unique selling point when applying for further careers or a job. D of E also develops not only outdoor learning but communication, commitment, leadership and teamwork skills.

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, The following list provides an overview of the trips run in 2024 and 2025:

Languages

Year 8, 9 and 10 – Spanish – Murcia
Year 9–13 – Classics – Sicily
Year 10–13 – French – Paris Visit
Year 10 & Year 13 – Cologne

Outdoor

D of E Bronze, Silver and Gold Training Expeditions – Exmoor, Black Mountains
D of E Gold Qualifier – Croatia
World Challenge – Destination to be confirmed

Sport

Years 7–9 & 11 – Ski Canada
Year 8/9/10/12 – Skiing USA
Year 7–13 – Tennis – Portugal
Hockey and Cricket Tour – India
Skiing – Italy

Subject

Year 8 – History – Normandy Battlefields
Year 9 & 10 – Robotics – VEX World Championships – New York
Year 10 – German and History – Berlin
Year 10 – History – Berlin
Years 10–13 – PRE – Rome
GCSE and A Level Geography Field Trips – Destination to be confirmed
Geography – Iceland
A Level Biology Field Trip – Destination to be confirmed
Vienna Art & Design Trip
WBGS Senior Music Tour Summer – Belgium
WBGS Senior Music Tour Summer – Paris
Year 13 – Economics – Denmark
Year 13 – History and Economics – China Trip
Year 13 – Mathematics – New York

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.