The international university fair offered our pupils some valuable exposure to a wide range of global education opportunities. We were fortunate enough to work with our long-standing partners – the University Guys – to welcome 5 global universities to Norwich School during period 5 and lunch on Monday April 20. The lunchtime fair allowed our pupils to interact directly with representatives from leading global universities namely, the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore offering medicine, business and other courses in English from Italy, Rollins (Florida) – one of the best small liberal arts colleges in the US, SCAD from Savannah in Georgia (the US’s largest art school) and TETR College of Business with its unique programme spanning 10 countries. From talking one to one with the different university reps, our students got accurate and up-to-date information about courses, how to apply and they could also learn more about and campus life overseas. It was also a great opportunity for Mrs Warren, the school’s Head of UCAS and Mr Sims to find out more about opportunities overseas and to build their own connections. We believe as a school that it is important to make the idea of studying abroad feel more accessible and less intimidating as well as wanting to broaden our pupils’ perspectives and ambitions. These fairs can also encourage early planning as well as motivating students to think seriously about their future pathways and the qualifications they may need. At Norwich School, we know the importance of inspiring confidence, supporting informed decision-making and opening doors to new opportunities which pupils might not have otherwise considered. If pupils who weren’t able to attend would like some more information about any of these universities, then please contact Mr Croston.

Ian Hayward may have retired from Norwich School in September 2025, but he isn’t slowing down just yet. Ian is embarking on a new adventure, taking on one of Britain’s toughest endurance challenges: a full circumnavigation of mainland Britain by sea kayak. Ian, 58, plans to depart from Lowestoft in late April 2026, aiming to paddle more than 4,000 kilometres around the British coastline in a journey expected to take four to five months. The expedition, titled “Britain by Kayak 2026”, will see Ian navigate some of the UK’s most demanding coastal waters — including tidal races, exposed headlands and remote stretches of shoreline — entirely under his own power. A highly experienced outdoor leader and kayaker, Ian lead the 8th Norwich Sea Scouts from 2012 to 2022 and was Housemaster of Nelson House before taking of the role of Director of Sport until he retired in 2025. He has spent the past year preparing both physically and mentally for the challenge. His training has included long-distance paddling, endurance conditioning and expedition testing in both the UK and Spain. “I don’t need to be ready to complete the whole journey on day one,” Ian says. “I just need to be ready to start. The rest is about adapting, learning and making good decisions in a constantly changing environment.” The expedition is as much about mindset and resilience as it is about endurance. Ian reflects openly on lessons learned during training — including managing fatigue, reassessing risk after difficult surf conditions, and refining equipment, safety and communication systems. Alongside the physical challenge, Ian is supporting two charities — Movember and Surfers Against Sewage — raising awareness around men’s health and environmental issues affecting Britain’s coastal waters. He also hopes to spend time listening to the people who live and work around the coastline, capturing their experiences, hopes and concerns. While he will be paddling solo and mostly camping around the coast, Ian will gladly accept any offer of land-based support in the form of a cheery wave, cup of team or offer of accommodation. So if you think you can help or know someone that could, do please get in touch with Ian. The expedition will be documented through his “GooseJuice Adventures” platform, with regular updates, live tracking and video content shared online.  Ian remains connected to the school through his continued support of the 8th Norwich Sea Scouts and the School’s Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition programme.

Bronze and Silver - Will Brown In early 2023, a group of 7 8th Norwich scouts and Norwich School pupils began their DofE journey, starting with bronze. They completed the practice expedition at the Norfolk Broads Yacht Club in Wroxham, helping develop their flat-water canoeing skills and giving them invaluable kit-packing and camping experience. The qualifying expedition on the river Waveney also proved useful, helping the group further develop their paddling and navigational skills, particularly through challenging sections of the river, such as those with foliage blocking the river. The group also dealt with their first capsize of the journey, which was handled well. Upon the completion of their bronze, 4 of the group – Oli, Hamish, Hector and Will – continued to Silver, which saw them complete their practice on the river Stour in Ipswich in early 2024. This was another step up for the group, with cold, wet and windy weather conditions making the paddle challenging. However, the boys pulled through, gaining experience paddling on the estuary, as well as setting up camp in the dark. This was followed up by many sessions on the water in Norwich, where white-water skills were developed in preparation for the 4-day qualifying expedition on the River Wye, in Wales. This was an incredible trip, with the group confidently navigating many sections of rapids along the river, most notably the Symonds Yat rapids. Fast Forward to 2025/2026 Gold Gold - Oli Clark In early April, Norwich School sixth formers and 8th Norwich Explorers, Oli, Hamish, Will, Hector and Adam completed their Gold D of E expedition canoeing the River Spey from Aviemore to Spey Bay, a distance of just under 100km along one of the most beautiful and challenging rivers in the UK. This was the culmination of years of developing canoeing skills under the guidance of Ian and Tim. The expedition was a fantastic experience, not only the challenge of canoeing down rapids such as the ominously sounding Washing Machine (which was actually quite tame), but also wild camping in some totally stunning places such as Knockando – where we also helped a fisherman rescue his dog which had got caught in the fast flowing water. The Scottish scenery was spectacular, in particular the amazing view of the snowy Cairngorms and we were fortunate to see some some pretty special wildlife on the way, like an osprey in full flight – although sadly no Golden Eagle despite our best efforts to spot one. We certainly learnt a great deal about paddling, from how to pack boats effectively to following the best line down rapids avoiding rocks and wave trains, and the experience has fuelled our confidence and desire to take on even more challenging rivers such as the Tryweryn in northern Wales. We would all without a shadow of doubt recommend others to take on canoeing for D of E, we are all lucky to have had such an incredible experience.  We would all like to thank Ian and Tim for giving so freely of their time and being such incredibly supportive paddling role models- we also all wish Ian the best of luck for his Britain by Kayak challenge.