Withernsea High School

Eight students represented the school at the Humber Panathlon finals at Haltemprice Leisure Centre, earning bronze medals after an outstanding team performance.

Competing against schools from across Hull and the East Riding, the team secured third place overall. With the two higher-placed teams both from Hull, the students can also celebrate finishing as the top East Riding school at the finals.

The team qualified for the event after winning an earlier round hosted by Bridlington’s Headlands School in January.

Owen Mountain, Teacher of PE, said: “The students performed brilliantly throughout the event, showing fantastic effort, respect and teamwork from start to finish. Securing third place at the Humber finals is a tremendous achievement, and we are incredibly proud of them. They thoroughly deserve their bronze medals.”

Hosted by national charity The Panathlon Foundation, in partnership with the East Riding School Sports Partnership, Panathlon events aim to introduce students to new sports while encouraging the development of confidence and teamwork.

Well done to: Wyatt, Logan, Thomas, Will, James, Darren, Jensen and Tommy.

Notice is given in accordance with the School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2013 that East Riding of Yorkshire Council intends to make a prescribed alteration to: 

• Brough Primary School
• Thorngumbald Primary School
• Inmans Primary School
• Willerby Carr Lane Primary School
• Cherry Burton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
• Hornsea Community Primary School
• Hornsea School and Language College
• Withernsea High School 

It is proposed that the schools listed above will formally propose or issue a notice of prescribed alteration for an Enhanced Resource Provision and or SEN unit. The aim of the proposal is to enable the above schools to operate formally approved Enhanced Resource Provisions or SEN units, providing vital local provision for children and young people requiring additional support for specific Special Educational Needs or Disabilities beyond that of a mainstream school offer. 

Any person may object to or make comments on the proposal by sending them by email to schoolorganisation@eastriding.gov.uk  Alternatively, objections and comments can be sent by post to School Organisation Officer, Education, Schools and Inclusion, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Beverley, HU17 9BA.  Comments and objections must be received by the School Organisation Officer by Thursday 23 April 2026.

This Notice is an extract from the complete proposal.  The complete proposal can be seen on the Council’s website at:  www.eastriding.gov.uk.  A copy can also be provided by the School Organisation Officer at the address given above.

Signed:

Merlin Joseph
Publication Date:  Thursday 12 March 2026

Withernsea High School’s recent production of Matilda the Musical concluded with three well-attended evening performances in the school hall, attracting the largest audience for a school production to date and reflecting the continuing development of the school’s performing arts provision.

The musical, based on Roald Dahl’s classic novel, tells the story of a gifted young girl who overcomes adversity through resilience, imagination and the support of her teacher, Miss Honey. Rehearsals began in mid-October and involved students from across all year groups, with particularly strong representation from Years 7 and 9, supported by older students in leading roles.

Head of Sport and Performance Jamie Hughes described the production as a source of pride for staff, noting the collaborative spirit shown throughout the process. She said: “The cast worked exceptionally well together as a team, supported one another throughout, sang with real commitment, acted through song and demonstrated a wide range of musical theatre skills. I am incredibly proud of them all.

“This was our sixth full-scale musical, with regular productions and performances now embedded across the academic year. We are continuing to build on the legacy of previous shows by staging performances including our faculty showcases, art exhibitions and dance shows, which is something we have been working towards for a long time.”

Among those in the audience during the show’s run was Gordon Beastall, former Head of Performing Arts, who taught drama at the school from 1974 to 2005. Reflecting on the production, he said:

“I thoroughly enjoyed Wednesday night’s performance. Every actor was fully committed, creating a real sense of ensemble throughout the show, and the singing from the principal cast was outstanding. The scene changes were seamless, and the students’ swift entrances and exits showed just how much rehearsal had gone into achieving such precision.

“From my own experience directing school productions, I know how much dedication this requires from staff. They will have invested countless hours in planning, rehearsing and encouraging the students to work collaboratively, ensuring that the story of Matilda was clearly and confidently brought to life for the audience.”

Show Director Beth Lewis, who has been involved in five previous productions, highlighted the professionalism shown by students throughout rehearsals and performances. She said: “I am so proud of every single student. They put endless effort into the whole process, which was evident across all three evenings. The performances were outstanding, and our students were professional in their approach. They listened carefully to direction and demonstrated clear progress over the rehearsal period. Drama is such an important outlet where students can express themselves in ways they may not always be able to convey in writing.”

Leading the show’s orchestra was Teacher of Music Lewis Fryer, who added: “The production was a tremendous success. The live band brought together current students, three professional string players and a former student who returned to perform, creating an aspirational and collaborative environment for our young musicians. They performed with a high level of professionalism, working seamlessly together and responding sensitively to the cast. The maturity and musical intelligence they demonstrated is something we are extremely proud of, and their contribution was integral to the overall success of the production.”

Headteacher Mark Crofts commended both cast and crew, stating that they had “absolutely surpassed themselves this year.” He said: “The production was the most spectacular I have seen at the school. There was a tangible sense of teamwork and strong engagement with character and narrative. The technical and backstage elements helped to create a slick production in which all the component parts worked seamlessly. The standard of singing was consistently high across both lead and ensemble roles, with the band complementing the vocal performances effectively.”

Following the final performance, Mr Crofts hosted a celebratory gathering for cast and crew the next morning to recognise their achievement and reflect on the experience. He said: “The breakfast celebration provided an opportunity to capture the sense of accomplishment at the culmination of months of preparation. There was a clear feeling at the end of the final evening of not wanting the experience to end, and this session allowed students to acknowledge what had been achieved and begin considering their future ambitions within the performing arts.”

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.”