The Chess Team travelled to Woodbridge on Friday 27 February for the second round of the English Schools' Chess Championships. We have had some very close matches against Woodbridge in recent years, and this was no exception. Junaid Ahmed unfortunately lost out in a very sharp match on Board 6, while on Board 5 George Potter's game swung from winning to losing and back again several times before he eventually lost out in the endgame. A dominant win from Merlin Perrow, who won a pawn in the opening and held onto his advantage throughout the game, brought the team back into contention. Then Edward Lott on Board 2 beat a highly rated opponent to draw the team level at 2 games each. Thomas Hsia had a commanding position but was down to his last few seconds as his opponent still had plenty of time on the clock. After a few missteps from both sides, the time pressure proved too much and Thomas allowed a skewer and lost the game. Arthur Dannatt on Board 1 played a good game with the black pieces but also lost out in the end as his opponent's attack in the centre proved decisive. Although all games were competitive, the team unfortunately lost 4-2. Well done to those who played and a reminder that chess club takes place every Monday and Friday lunchtime in P9.

This half term, an intrepid group of pupils from Symposium – Norwich School 's interdisciplinary social and political science society – braved the February drizzle to spend an inspiring day at Selwyn College, Cambridge. Pupils from Upper 5 to Upper 6 immersed themselves in the world of Human, Social, and Political Sciences (HSPS), gaining a first-hand taste of life at a world-class university. After an inside-track introduction to Cambridge, we were joined by four current HSPS student ambassadors who shared personal insights into their studies and university life. Our pupils then experienced a Cambridge supervision-style session on the forces that shape our identity, working in small groups alongside the undergraduates to engage with ideas from some of the biggest names in social science – an exciting glimpse into degree-level discussion. After a guided tour of Selwyn’s lovely grounds and lunch in the college’s beautiful old hall, we set off on an afternoon mission to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. There, pupils connected the theory of their morning discussions to real-world artefacts, exploring how identity is shaped across cultures and time. It was an off-piste day that sparked curiosity, challenged thinking, and stretched us far beyond the school curriculum, and it was a joy to see our pupils gain a vivid preview of the intellectual adventures ahead. A big thank you to Selwyn College, University of Cambridge for hosting us.