VE Day was the theme for this year's sixth form History Dinner on Friday 2 May. Both pupils and staff came dressed in a brilliant variety of outfits reflecting the fashions of the time, from soldiers and sailors to politicians and writers. The kitchen produced a range of dishes based on the realities of rationing — particular favourites were the 'wartime pumpkin soup', spam hash and rock buns — and everyone was amazed at how delicious the food was in spite of the restrictions on ingredients. A musical playlist of 1940s favourites kept everyone in the mood, and the History Department is now busy wondering how to top the event with another exciting theme next year.

From September 2 - 15, Pathways is displayed in the Crypt Gallery. Drawn together for Pathways, five visual artists and a poet show works arising from immersion in the landscape. Below are some information from the artists (and poet) with some additional information if you would like to find out more! Fliss Cary I make drawings, prints and artists books in response to the landscape and to particular elements of nature. I'm fascinated by the chaotic abundance of nature, by tangled stems and stalks, its transience and its constant renewal. I'm exploring these aspects through a variety of media alongside drawings with a wider view made while walking through the landscape. Find out more here - https://flisscary.com Jude Chaney My work is landscape based. I walk and see images I find appealing then photograph and work on a large scale image soon after as to capture the feeling. I love mixing colour and my work is bold and colourful with pattern. I've worked Plein air on smaller pieces but have felt the need recently to be in the landscape to create my larger ones too, so I'm starting to take the large canvas Plein air too. As I get older the landscape has become even more important to me, I walk daily. Find out more here - https://www.instagram.com/judechaneyartist Cherry Vernon My current work is inspired by the landscape of East Anglia – the broad view and the intimate details of real and sometimes imagined landscapes. In looking and contemplation, the imagery used in the work is varied and highly personal, reflecting the landscape, and hoping to engage viewers with a sense of time and place. My work, which is hung on walls, is predominantly on linen. I put a mixture of earth pigments and soy milk on to cloth in a variety of ways. I quilt by hand and machine. Find out more here - http://vernon-harcourt.com Kate Vogler My pots seek to capture the timelessness sensed when at one with nature: by water, amongst trees or on a mountain path. They are made from coils of clay with impressions of handmade lace, grasses or seaweed in the smooth burnished surface. The colours come from slips and oxides, smoke and pit firings. When touched, each vessel could be part of the landscape: weathered, eroded and raw; somehow inviting quiet introspection. Find out more here - https://www.katevogler.co.uk Beth Walsh My work is based on direct experience and sensory response, using lace as a conduit rather than an end in itself. Some pieces are inspired by text, music or local environment, others by artists of the past, but all are a personal interpretation of a source. Lace has always juxtaposed structure and line with space, exploiting its semi-transparency. My work examines and challenges traditional lacemaking through use of pattern, colour and scale, often combined with other media. I have recently begun spinning and dyeing various fibres to produce particular effects in the yarns I use for lacemaking. Find out more here - https://artlace.co.uk Jonathan Ward My poems are often written in response to place, walks, swims and encounters with the natural world such as bird sightings. I visit and revisit places and landscapes – local and further afield – at different times of day and in all weathers and seasons, taking time to pay attention to what is found there and to reflect. Finished poems, often capturing illuminating moments, arise from notes written outside, from memory or a combination of the two. "... Patience to stand at the entrance to a field watch the clouds move, the shifting light, ..." from Patience: Jonathan Ward

In the February half term, Anoushka Craggs (U6) starred in the Young Film Academy's 'Project Paradiso' which is due to be shown this summer. To celebrate this and to find out a little bit more about the experience, we asked her a few questions... So can you tell me a little bit about how were chosen for the Project Paradiso? So to be chosen for the Project Paradiso cast/crew you had to show exceptional kindness to those around you, it was mostly based on a behavioural thing from the summer camp. They chose the people who they thought would work best with each other, I think that as an actor the film that I did from the film camp was a comedy which helped a lot as the film for Project Paradiso, Running Hot, is also a comedy. So I think it was a mixture of skill and just your attitude and how you work with others. How did you go about fundraising for Project Paradiso? Mainly it was through word of mouth, I just told lots of people about it, I did a funded marathon walk, it was a really busy time so it was amazing to have the support of so many really generous people but also other people fundraised with bake sales, screenings of other films that project Paradiso has produced. So did you get much support from YFA in terms of fundraising? From YFA they gave us plenty of ideas on how to fundraise but they were very clear that we had to do the fundraising ourselves otherwise the project wouldn’t happen. How much did you have to raise? The original goal was £78,000 which they rose to £82,000 in the end which we managed to raise! And where does that money go? It mostly goes to the equipment and the specialists that work with that equipment, they brought in 3 industry professionals that work on short form and long form pieces as well as commercials, so they handled all the various equipment. The camera was an Arri Alexa which is what Netflix uses for a lot of their films and shows. It is a really high quality camera and I learnt a lot about it. Going to Italy was of course a huge expense as well. And you had a week of intense filming? What was the day-to-day of that like? So we would wake up around, 6 then in hair and makeup most mornings in which I would definitely take the longest, being in there for around an hour and a half whereas other people would be much quicker, some as short as 10 minutes! At 10:30 we would be ready but then tech would take some time, we’d be on set from 11. On set we’d have a run through with the director, a rehearsal with the lighting and sound as well as the camera, checking you’re in focus. We would often shoot until 1 for lunch but the aim was always to shoot an entire section/scene before lunch but we quite often ran over. After lunch we’d run from 2-6 but the latest night we did was until 8! What was it like filming Iin another country as well? It was really cool! I’m not going to lie the weather was quite bad, it was raining most of the week. The scenery is right by Etna so when it was clear and sunny you could completely see her and she was actually erupting when were there which meant lots of volcanic ash which became a bit of a problem for the kit. It felt so surreal being on a film set and in another country at the same time, the lemon groves were also very picturesque. Did you decide on the location yourselves? No, Project Paradiso is built on YFA’s relationship with this particular farm and so the last 2 films also were filmed there. And did your team write the script? Yes there were also a group of writers that fundraised but they didn’t come to Italy with us. There were various zoom calls with them about the script and what it means which is really helpful. And how does this differ with other film experiences that you have had? So I have only really had a little film experience but this was so professional in comparison to what I had done before and the level of focus was just unlike anything else. It was very structured and organised although it was at times chaotic it still felt very structured. And how long is the film? Roughly it will be around 40 minutes. So that’s quite long for only a week of filming? Yeah it was 19 pages to do in a week and I think that scene was the least amount of shots we had to do was 3. Each scene varied between 3 and 12 different shots. And how many people were on the team in total? 23 I believe. And how many were actors? Just 4 actually. Had you met anyone before? I knew a couple of people that worked on the film in the summer but other than that I didn’t know anyone else so I had to meet loads of new pupil even though we were all at the same camp. And what can you tell us about the film? I can say that it’s a romcom and that it has something to do with Etna! I can tell you that I had to have my hair crispy fried straight for the entire week so I won’t look like my regular curly self! Oh and there’s 2 couples, one being more obvious and the other kind of just creeping up. When is it going to be released? July/August time because it is a the longest film that they have ever done on this project and there’s only one person doing all the post-production work. And is it going to be sent off to film festivals? Is there a premiere? The premiere is around the same time as the Leavers Ball so I’m a little stressed about that! It will be held at BFI Southbank and there’s going to be people flying in from all over. They will also send it to tons of film festivals, the previous project has won 50 or so awards around the world which are quite big shoes to fill. What is the aim of Project Paradiso? It is kind of a Catch22 in the film industry that you need to have film experience to get on a film set but to have film experience you need to get on a film set. So the idea of Project Paradiso is to give people experience of being on a professional film set, to have that in your portfolio at such a young age. It is really invaluable, as an actor your reputation is built by your performances and if you don’t have anything to show for it, you just won’t get booked. What’s the end goal for you in terms of acting? End goal is acting in film and tv, I like theatre as well but I find Film and TV more interesting and it requires a different skillset which I really enjoy and also being able to do retakes when I mess up! That’s the end goal, to be an actor. How do other people get involved?  So definitely going to the YFA summer camp, it’s an amazing experience for anyone that wants to get into anything related to film, its really helpful and the tutors really know their stuff and will be able to help you. There’s 2 courses, acting and screen-making, with screen-making being behind the camera and acting of course being in front. There are also various day courses form YFA as well as other film schools that can teach you skills such as how to use a camera. And if you take art, are an actor or just someone who is interested in film look up the opportunities or even just look at School because they will also provide opportunities and workshops.

What a wonderful evening of music making as the Upper 3 pupils performed their last Informal Concert in the Lower School. A concert full of joy, confidence, and some seriously impressive talent on a warm May evening! The concert had something for everyone—from a beautiful and expressive solo Bach cello prelude that filled the room with calm and grace, to lively songs from Musicals Annie and Beauty and the Beast that had us all smiling and humming along. The performers truly enjoyed themselves, which added to the magic of the evening. There was a cool and catchy railroad blues piece on the piano, a rocking Lenny Kravitz 'Are You Gonna Go My Way' showcasing some impressive drum skills that brought serious energy to the hall, and a refined Clementi piano performance that showed off real musical skill, virtuosic flair and poise. The audience loved every moment, and it was clear that all the performers had worked hard—and had loads of fun along the way. They played and sang with heart, professionalism, and big smiles. Head of Music Mr Vine said 'I've been lucky to have watched your confidence levels grow and grow over the last 3 years and develop your music skills. Fabulous performances this evening! Thank you all for your hard work and thank you to our visiting music tutors for their hard work too - well done everyone!' The next Informal Concert features pupils from Lower 3 and will take place on Thursday 8 May at 4.45pm in the Lower School Hall.

On Thursday 1 May, Simon Foerster came into school to give us harpists an improvisation masterclass. We learned how to improvise in groups together and how to use various techniques, including using a bow on the harp strings! Using a bow made the harp sound very full and made the notes ring out for longer. Simon taught us how to be more creative about the ways we play our harps and different things we can use. As there aren’t many harpist, Mrs Speca was keen to engage so even bought a small lap harp along so that she could join in too! It was great fun to improvise and make music together - a lovely way to start the month. - Timothy Madders, L4

On 1 May 2025 there was a very inviting spring vibe to the Blake Studio! We were delighted to welcome the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) for the latest in their impressive programme of talks hosted at Norwich School. We had a real expert to take us on a journey to the French Riviera: Norfolk-based author and filmmaker Jim Ring, giving a talk entitled: The Rise and Rise of the Riviera . Focusing on meticulous research undertaken for his 2004 book: Riviera: The Rise and Rise of the Côte d'Azur: The Rise and Rise of the Cote D'Azur , our speaker gave an energetic and entertaining exposition of the fascinating and dark history of the Cote d’Azur - this remarkable coast of southern France covering such jewels as Cannes, Nice, Monaco, St Tropez and Monte Carlo. Its unique, warm micro-climate enjoys an average of 300 days of sun per year and has been a magnet to wealthy British travellers for nearly 300 years; it was no surprise to learn it is currently the home to 50% of the world’s super yachts! There is little wonder that celebrated author and visitor W Somerset Maugham famously commented nearly 100 years ago that: The Riviera is a sunny place, for shady people! From early days as unspoiled fishing villages, the area found fame on the Grand Tour. Clever marketing as a recuperative resort and later as a paradise for uber-wealthy playboys and gambling has ensured that this region is never far from the headlines. A favourite of glitterati as varied as Queen Victoria, Wallis Simpson, Brigitte Bardot, Grace Kelly, Dodi and Diana (and these days Ronaldo, Joan Collins and Jeff Bezos), the allure of this sun-kissed coastline remains strong, and this was captivatingly conveyed by our speaker through the reading excerpts from his book and in a visually stunning slide deck. His talk concluded with a pragmatic assessment of the double-edged sword of unbridled tourism and resort development contrasting with the €10bn value that its 14m annual visitors bring to the local economy. RGS talks are open to all and are very approachable and friendly. Further details of RGS events are posted here: Upcoming events - RGS ,. We greatly look forward to welcoming the RGS back on site for another mouth-watering talk over half term: Thursday 29 May – Royal Geographical Society public lecture A Life in Green: looking back, looking forward – Sir Jonathon Porritt CBE. Jonathon is a very eminent writer and high-profile environmental campaigner. He is perhaps best-known for his work and advocacy for the Green Party. He was a prominent member and Chair of the political party during the 1970s and 80s, and is credited with helping them gain more publicity and increased membership. Away from politics, Jonathon has worked for a number of environmental charities and organisations including Friends of the Earth, Beyond Agenda 21 and Forum for the Future, and for many years was Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission. Jonathon’s talk will address what we have learnt from the last 50 years of activism on climate and biodiversity issues, and what are now the priorities when the challenge has never been more pressing. The current focus of his work is on intergenerational justice, supporting young people in their activities addressing the twin crises of the Climate and Biodiversity Emergencies. We are very fortunate to have attracted to site a speaker of his profile and calibre, and this promises to be a lively and though-provoking evening. 7.30pm - Blake Studio Norwich School, The Close - doors open 7.00pm For booking: A life in green: looking back, looking forward - RGS . Tickets to be bought in advance please as space for tickets sold on the door is likely to be very restricted. Details of Norwich School’s eclectic selection of cultural events round site feature in our termly publication, At Close Quarters , with the Trinity Term 2025 edition now out. See: Publications | Norwich School . Do join us.

On Friday 25 April, a special assembly was given by Andrew Rowlandson - Deputy Head (Staff) with the title Both Sides Now. You can read a transcript of the assembly below. This year marked the end of an era. For the past 8 years, Lower 6 th geographers have been blessed by a remarkable fieldtrip to …. Mulbarton - a perfect example of a village just 5 miles south of Norwich that I am privileged to call home. Sadly, as our A Level specification is changing, this year’s pilgrimage was our last. As a class, we study the impacts of housing developments on the natural environment and local community. On one occasion early on, as we drove into Mulbarton, I made the point about greedy developers ripping the heart out of our village by sending in bulldozers to demolish habitats and tarmac green spaces with no regard for local people. In hindsight I was perhaps a tad over dramatic – but I wanted pupils to understand a local’s perspective. The next morning, one pupil stayed behind after class. “Sir”, they said, “I thought I should mention ahead of parent’s evening that it’s my dad’s company that is developing the land in Mulbarton”. “Ah” I said. And quickly backtracking, I began to outline all the reasons why we need to build more houses; how the NIMBY (‘Not in my back yard’) brigade in some villages can be unhelpful – for “they’ve got to go somewhere”. After a slightly awkward parents evening. We put it behind us. I’d learnt several valuable lessons! “Evaluation” is an important skill to develop. We encourage our pupils to be critical. To look at issues from different perspectives. Whilst still rather protective of my village way of life with its beautiful common, abundance of ducks, peacocks and a strong community spirit, I try to be more measured in my approach. Not least because I actually live on one of the new build developments! Last weekend Christians around the world celebrated Easter. I say ‘celebrated’ lightly because at the heart of the Easter story we find two contrasting emotions: grief and hope. On one side, we have Good Friday - a day of darkness, suffering, and apparent defeat when we remember the day Jesus was crucified on a cross. At the time, Jesus’ disciples will have experienced profound grief - everything they believed-in appeared to be lost. On the other side, we have Easter Sunday. It’s the day we remember that Jesus conquered death and rose from the grave so that we might have life. It is when the darkness of Good Friday gives way to the light of Easter Sunday. When the disciples’ grief and despair was replaced with joy and hope. When what seemed like the end of the story became the beginning of a new one. These two sides of Easter - suffering and rejoicing, death and life, endings and beginnings - might seem contradictory, but they're inseparable parts of the same story. This idea of looking at things from different perspectives is beautifully portrayed in the film ‘Coda’. It follows Ruby, the only hearing member of a deaf family. Through her use of sign language, Ruby is crucial to helping her family communicate with others. Ruby’s story is made more complex by her love of singing. As she approaches the end of high school, Ruby becomes torn between leaving home to study music at university and staying put to continue the crucial support she provides to her family. Her parents make it clear - they rely on her and want her to stay. As the film draws to a close, Ruby auditions for music college with the song “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell. As she performs, her family, who have had a change of heart, slip into the back of the auditorium. In a poignant moment – Ruby spots them and begins to sign the words of the song. At that moment, they enter her world, see things from her perspective, and give her their blessing. The song Ruby sings captures the reality of life - its highs and lows, wins and losses. It invites us to step back and see a bigger picture – even if we don’t always understand it. Life won’t be trouble-free, but there is something to be gained by living every day. What we experience today might only be part of the picture. The challenge of revision will give way to celebrating the last exam. Marathon training will be replaced with crossing the finish line. Good Friday is always followed by Easter Sunday. And even building developments on beautiful fields might one day provide homes for families. Maleeya in U5 has kindly agreed to sing ‘Both Sides Now’. As you listen, reflect on whether there’s anything in your life that would benefit from being seen from a different perspective or as a temporary season. Consider how the different perspectives may ultimately give our lives richness. And I pray you will know something of the hope of Easter as you embrace both sides to your story.

Rowing Report: Inter Regional Regatta and GB Trials On Saturday, 10 J15 and J16 rowers raced at Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham, representing the Eastern Region at the Junior Inter Regional Regatta. They competed against 13 other regions covering England, Scotland and Wales. Following the 1000m Time Trials, all crews reached the A Finals where the top 6 Regions from each time trial would race side by side over 1500m. The Girls J15 Coxed 4 of Harriet Brightwell, Freya Dixon, Hannah Conway, Baye Reynolds and Izi Mayhew moved up one place to finish 4 th. Charlotte Douglas and Amelie Ivie raced the Womens J16 Pair, and having tied with a crew in the TIme Trial they had a close race finishing 4 th by just a second. Ellie Thwaites had gained her selection as the fastest J16 Eastern Sculler and with 2 scullers selected she again came out as the 1 st Sculler for the Eastern Region, securing her a place in the A FInal. A 6 th place finish for Ellie placed her amongst some well established Scullers from across the UK. The penultimate race of the day was James Howard and Joseph Hawkes in the J16 Pair, and with 4 crews neck and neck down the course and the boys pushing to keep their bows in front the last 250m saw real tussle for the line. A mere 0.2 seconds separated the boys from the winning Thames London crew and achieving a well deserved Silver medal. On Sunday, Daniel White and Nicholas Conway were also racing at HolmePierrpont in the GB U19 Spring Trials Regatta, with all rowers who had progressed through the selection process with their ergo scores and February trials results. The trials followed a Regatta format with Heats, Semis and Finals. Daniel, along with his Latymer crew finished 30 th overall. Nicholas, despite his pairs partner from Shiplake College, only being confirmed on Saturday, had some great results early in the day to reach the A Final. A phonemonal race saw Nicholas finish as the 2 nd pair in Great Britain. Well done to both boys, and we wish them well in the next stage of the Trials process in July – the Crew Formation - to decide on crews for World and European Championships.

Lower One had a fantastic visit to the Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell on Tuesday 29 April as part of their history topic on Florence Nightingale. The children were thrilled to meet "Florence Nightingale" herself and hear firsthand about her incredible work during the Crimean War. They explored items she would have used during her time as a nurse and learned how she helped to change the way hospitals cared for their patients. As part of the interactive experience, pupils helped pack Florence’s bag ready for her journey to Scutari and even made their own versions of her iconic lamp to take home. The visit brought history to life and left everyone feeling inspired by her bravery and determination. A big thank you to The Bridewell Museum for a memorable and engaging day!