WOW Week is all about inspiring learning through lessons with that extra WOW factor – giving pupils opportunities to explore familiar subjects in creative, practical and unexpected ways. Across the Junior and Senior Schools, teachers have certainly risen to the challenge, with an incredible array of activities bringing learning to life.

Adventures Through the Junior School

In Year 1, the Curious Quests chest opened the door to a world of traditional tales, with props helping pupils embark on imaginative adventures alongside familiar characters including Little Red Riding Hood.

Year 2 travelled much further back in time – to 1666 – as part of their learning about the Great Fire of London. Stepping into their very own bakery, pupils had the opportunity to make and bake bread themselves, proudly taking their creations home to enjoy.

There was more hands-on history in Year 3, where pupils explored how Stone Age people used cave paintings to tell stories about their lives. Using sticks, leaves and feathers, the children created their own paintbrushes before experimenting with natural colours made from ingredients including paprika, coffee and berries. Their creativity continued in Drama, where a special WOW lesson saw them act out their own version of The Storm.

The natural world provided inspiration for Year 4 during Outdoor Education. Pupils headed into the woods to gather natural materials before combining their finds with clay to create an array of imaginative faces.

Meanwhile, Year 5 found plenty of ways to combine creativity with their curriculum. In English, pupils used clay to create humpback whales, while their study of the Victorians inspired the construction of model steam trains. Science brought another challenge, as elaborate marble runs helped pupils investigate how different surface textures affect velocity.

Creativity and Discovery in Seniors

The WOW factor continued throughout the Senior School, with plenty of opportunities to experiment, investigate and create.

Following their recent Art trip to Roche Court Sculpture Park, Year 7 began transforming inspiration into artwork of their own, creating clay sculptures in response to the work of renowned British sculptor Sir Anthony Caro.

Year 8 also drew upon a recent trip, taking inspiration from the extraordinary collections they encountered at Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum to create their own cultural artefacts through soap carving.

Science provided plenty of hands-on discovery too. Year 9 explored osmosis in action through practical experiments, while Year 10 investigated xylem fluid transfer, dissecting celery stems and examining the colourful results under the microscope.

There was even more experimentation at Science Club, where pupils discovered the unusual properties of oobleck – a substance that certainly provided plenty of WOW moments of its own!

A Little Magic Before Lessons Begin...

WOW Week wasn’t confined to the classroom. Even Breakfast Club received a magical transformation, with pupils invited to start their day Hogwarts-style!

Across the week, there was a breakfast trolley delivery aboard the Hogwarts Express, a Sorting Hat experience, DIY breakfast toasties, a morning disco and even the chance to make fresh bread rolls ready for lunch.

From experimenting and investigating to making, performing and imagining, WOW Week has been a wonderful celebration of the many different ways in which learning can capture pupils’ curiosity.

Most importantly, behind all the unusual materials, creative challenges and memorable moments has been plenty of purposeful learning – encouraging pupils to ask questions, make connections, try things for themselves and discover something new.

It really has been a WOW Week at St Gabriel’s!