A RUGBY ROUND UP FROM THE SEVENS

March 25, 2024

The Lent Term is a very busy period for rugby 7s, competing in several festivals with all eyes on Rosslyn Park and the end of term.


The U12s competed well in their county cup, gaining valuable experience in festival rugby. The U13s had good preparation for their Rosslyn Park games as they went undefeated in their County Cup. At Rosslyn Park they started off strongly with a win against Blundells (20-15), losses would follow against a fast Bedford Modern School team. A great match against the eventual pool winners Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School ended in a 30-25 defeat. They finished the day with a brilliant win against King's College School (KCS), Wimbledon.


The U14s had a challenging term but learnt a lot of lessons, which will put them in a stronger position for the Michaelmas Term. At Rosslyn Park, the U14s started well in their first game against Kingsbridge in a tight contest that ran away from us in the last minutes. St Anselms and Solihull proved a much greater test and despite strong resistance we came away with two more losses.


The U16s started off their 7s season at Oakham. As a result of unavailability this was a fantastic opportunity to lots of U15 boys to get into contention for selection for Uppingham 7s the following week. Uppingham 7s tournament would prove that Norwich School U16s can compete with the best, as they reached the final. With great wins against Oundle School, Stamford, Uppingham and Finborough on route to the final. A strong Bromsgrove side proved one step too far, however, it took them until the final 2 minutes to take the lead. At Rosslyn Park, the U16s would start the day off with a 24 point draw against Pangbourne College. In their following group games, some great wins against Graveney School and Kingsbridge Community College left them at the top of the pool. To qualify for day 2, they faced Cheltenham School, a very strong opposition, the boys came second best, but an outstanding effort from all involved.


The Under 18 7s season has been an exciting one all round. The season began with the Northampton Saints 7s tournament at The Perse School. This was a great opportunity to put in to practice the hard work in training whilst also giving some experience to some who are new to 7s. Highlights included good wins again Bishop Stortford High school and Oundle School to reach the Plate Final. 


The U18 County Cup hosted at Redmayne was next and both the 1st and 2nd seven were in action. The 2nd seven fought hard against Wymondham College and Gresham’s in their pool whilst the 1st seven went unbeaten all afternoon beating Wymondham College in the final to retain the Trophy. 


Two trips to the East Midlands followed with the Oakham and Uppingham 7s on consecutive weekends. 4 wins from 4 in the pool stages at Oakham including good wins against Eton College and Bedford School took Norwich to the Semi Finals losing out to a strong Finborough team. Uppingham followed with another strong pool stage winning 3/4 beating Gresham’s School, Bedford School and Stamford School only losing to eventual winners Bromsgrove. 


The season culminated in the prestigious Rosslyn Park National 7s Cup Competition in which the top 60 schools in the country compete. Entered into a pool containing 3 professional rugby academy colleges and Wellington College, we knew qualification for the second day of the competition would be difficult. An enthralling live-streamed victory vs one of the tournament favourites Beechen Cliff including spectacular tries from Tobias Spencer, Freddie Snary and Ollie Shipp and heroic defence from Oscar Ratledge and Freddie Snary, was an important start to the day. A close victory against Oaklands College followed, with thanks to ferocious work around the breakdown from Edward Tremelling and powerful running from Jonathan Ikazoboh and Harvey Nkrumah. An in form Wellington College were then shocked Norwich’s ability to retain possession in a game that we unfortunately lost by one score. However, an emphatic victory over Richard Huish to finish the day confirmed qualification the the Plate Competition the following day, with the UK’s top 24 schools remaining.


Day 2 proved less fruitful as the the strength of the opposition squads showed, meaning we were unable to qualify for the Plate Finals. Despite this, the performance of the squad was exceptional and it was great for them to have the support from those watching back at school. 



Thank you to the U6 who were involved in their final outings for the rugby club and have contributed so much over this season and over a number of years. 

Celebrating a Record-Breaking Year for GCSE Results

By Eleanor Lewis • August 20, 2026
It was a joy to see the school come to life once again as our 2026 GCSE cohort arrived to collect their results and it was a record breaking year, so there was much to celebrate. Congratulations to each and every pupil - your dedication, resilience and commitment are reflected in an outstanding set of results. There were also some remarkable individual performances, with many pupils achieving exceptional outcomes. We caught up with some of them to learn more about their successes and hear about what they are looking forward to as they embark on their exciting next steps. Art Here at Norwich School we are enormously proud of our Cater Building, which boasts three floors of cutting edge art and design equipment, across multiple art and design studios and workshops. These pupils demonstrate their love of creative art and look forward to spending more time in Carter exploring their creativity in Sixth Form. Name Isla How many GCSEs did you take? 10 What were your results? 9 x grade 9 and 1 x grade 8 What was your favourite subject and why? History – I loved my class and the lessons were so much fun! What will you go on to study in Sixth Form? History, 2D Art, Psychology and Politics. Is there any particular reason or inspiration for choosing these A Levels? I really enjoyed History and 2D Art at GCSE, so wanted to continue studying these subjects. What are you most looking forward to about going into Sixth Form? The freedom and more independence. What are your co-curricular activities? I love hockey and I am looking forward to joining the Debating Team in Sixth Form. What do you love most about being a pupil at Norwich School? The community.

2026 GCSE Exam Results

By Eleanor Lewis • August 20, 2026
We are thrilled to announce record-breaking GCSE results for 2026. Overall percentages are as follows: 37% at grade 9 - best performance ever, including Covid years 59% at grades 9-8 (A*) – best performance outside Covid years 76% at grades 9-7 (A*-A) – best performance since Covid 87% at grades 9-6 (A*-B) 97%: overall pass-rate (grades 9-4) Outstanding individual performances included: 1 candidate with 11 x 9 or better; 6 candidates with 10 x 9 or better; 16 candidates with 9 x 9 or better; 24 candidates with 8 x 9 or better; 32 candidates with 7 x 9 or better; 38 candidates with 6 x 9 or better. Overall, of the 1163 grades received, 431 were at grade 9, 681 at 9-8 and 884 at 9-7. Steffan Griffiths, Head, commented, “This is the first cohort to benefit from the school’s decision to offer greater optionality regarding number and choice of subjects at GCSE. We are all delighted that our Year 11 have taken advantage of the change to such brilliant effect. “Taken collectively, they are the best GCSE results in the school’s history and I offer heartfelt congratulations to the pupils on their generation. They are in a wonderful position now to make the most of our outstanding Sixth Form provision and we look forward to welcoming them back in September.” Assistant Head (Fifth Form), Andrew Curtis, said, “I offer sincere congratulations to our Upper 5 pupils on their record-breaking results. Well-supported both at home and at school, they have excelled academically while also making the most of co-curricular opportunities in sport, drama, music and the wider community. We look forward to supporting them as they make the exciting transition to benefit from the development available both inside and outside the classroom in our Sixth Form.”

FONS supports Critical Writing Competition

By Sonja Mitchell • August 19, 2026
FONS is proud to support partnerships with the local community

Another successful Discover Your Ability Day with Able2B

By Sonja Mitchell • August 19, 2026
Friends of Norwich School were delighted to support this event for the second year running

A new Mural for Upper King Street

By Sonja Mitchell • August 19, 2026
FONS has funded materials for L6 pupils to design a mural in the UKS Cafe

Ben Rothery (96 - 02) Wild Wonders book launch

By Sonja Mitchell • August 19, 2026
Ben tells us what inspired him to write his new book which is out now.

STEM Success - From Ambition to Achievement

By Eleanor Lewis • August 19, 2026
Norwich School is thrilled to have achieved the best A Level results in the county: 24% A*; 53% A*-A; 80% A*-B; 92% A*-C. If we focus on STEM subjects, the results are even better, with 31% at A* and 65% at A*-A. Maths, Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science form an important part of our 6th Form offer, with just under 200 of our 500 U6 grades in these subjects. The raw numbers are 62 A* and 66 A grades which have led to a huge number of exciting onward STEM routes. Overall, over 75% (123 pupils) have got to their first choice onward route, with over 90% (over 150 pupils) to first or second choice. The STEM outcomes are even more eye-catching: 87% of STEM places accepted were at Russell Group universities; 5 out 5 STEM Oxbridge candidates successfully made their offers (with a total of 17 A* out of 18 grades!) 7 out of 8 (88%) of medics got into their first choice university (national average of 33%); 2 out of 2 (100%) of vets got their first choice; 11 out of 11 engineers (100%) were accepted onto Engineering courses (university or apprenticeship); 6 out 6 Computer Science applicants (100%) were accepted onto Computer Science courses; If you are interested in STEM for Sixth Form, join the best and study at Norwich School: outstanding STEM facilities; expert teachers and strong laboratory ratios; personalised provision and onward route guidance; unrivalled STEM enrichment opportunities, including: clubs and societies (MedSoc, Maths Club, F24 car, Chess Club); Olympiad preparation; independent project; community service. To hear about some of our STEM Successes from this year's cohort click here. Interested in studying STEM at Norwich School? Book a tour today - places available from September 2026! Contact admissions@norwich-school.org.uk.

STEM Ambitions - Routes to Success

By Eleanor Lewis • August 19, 2026
At Norwich School, STEM learning extends far beyond the classroom. Through outstanding facilities in Horsefair House and inspiring teaching, pupils develop the confidence to investigate, experiment and excel. There is no question that this was reflected in this year’s A Level results. So, we caught up with just a few of our scientists to find out what’s next for them.

One School. Many Routes.

By Eleanor Lewis • August 13, 2026
A Level results day is always an emotional occasion, and this year was no different. For the Class of 2026, it marked the culmination of two years of dedication, perseverance and hard work and there was much to celebrate. From pupils who have been with us from Lower 1 to those who have joined us for Sixth Form, it is inspiring to hear their reflections of their time in Cathedral Close and learn about their planned next steps. We caught up with just a few of this year’s leavers to find out more about their individual journey.

2026 A Level Exam Results

By Eleanor Lewis • August 13, 2026
The school is pleased to announce strong A Level results. The cohort of Upper 6 candidates have achieved the following: 24% of grades at A*; 53% of grades at A*-A; 80% at A*-B; 92% at A*-C; 98% at A*-E. Outstanding individual performances included: 2 candidates with 4 A*; 12 candidates with 3A* or more; 52 candidates with 3A or more. The Head, Steffan Griffiths, said, “I am delighted for the Class of 2026; they have been a wonderful year-group, setting high standards in our community across all areas of our provision, including sport, music, drama, dance and service. As is evident in these strong results, impressive academic progress has matched their extensive co-curricular activity, onward individual routes are equally exciting and we look forward to staying in touch so that we can hear of their future successes”. Richard Sims, Head of Sixth Form, commented, “This cohort of young people have been good friends to each other and exemplary role models to younger pupils. I am pleased that they have now finished their time in Cathedral Close with pleasing academic results, too. Throughout their studies, they have enjoyed support from families at home and teachers in school; on the pupils’ behalf, I pass on my gratitude to them. I close by offering sincere good wishes for our leavers’ next steps”. NB: specific grade percentages will be published when the subject paper review process has been completed.
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