Community Service

Information Booklet

"One of the key aims at Norwich School is for pupils to take up opportunities for leadership and service so that they can prepare to be forces for good in society throughout their lives. For us, these are separate but related concepts and we are keen that our pupils have experience of each one.

The Community Service programme is the backbone of this element of our provision and as such there is a range and quality of activities through which pupils can make a positive contribution to the wider community. Another key aim is for pupils to fulfil their unique potential by making the most of the breadth of opportunities available while they are at school in Cathedral Close, offering a wide range of ways in which our pupils can get involved."

Mrs Ward

Head of Community Service

A Message from the Head:

“We obviously hope that our pupils will provide benefit through their Community Service placement. However, we are also clear that they learn a great deal by thinking of others for a portion of their week and interacting with amazing people, both inside and outside school; we hope therefore that the programme gives them new skills and stimulates their curiosity in the world around them, the third of our pupil aims.

The Community Service programme lies at the heart of all that we want for our pupils in terms of the balanced education that we seek to offer.”

Community Service News

Home Clothes and Fashion Show in Aid of Street Child Charity

By Eleanor Lewis • June 24, 2025

The Senior School Charities Committee held their own home clothes day a few weeks ago in aid of Street child and today is the Lower School's turn! Lower School pupils were encouraged to wear orange in exchange for donations. Next up is our annual Charity Fashion Show, also in aid of Street Child , where we will be showcasing multiple lines of textiles and art and design creations made by our very own pupils. The committee have even launched a 'Design your own Tote Bag' competition and have printed them in school to sell on the night - see below images of the winning design in the 4 th Form. The other two winners were from L1 and L3 in the Lower School. There is still time to buy your tickets for the Fashion Show which is in Blake THIS Friday at 18:30!

Children's Yoga Community Service Tells the Tale of 'Superworm'

By Eleanor Lewis • May 23, 2025

This year's Children's Yoga Community Service group had great fun creating a yoga class for nursery and reception-aged children based on Julia Donaldson's book 'Superworm'. L6 pupils Uliana Bielova, Thomas Chester and Lizzie Taylor were later joined by Chloe Holmes and visited White House Farm Primary School, Magdalen Gates Primary School, our own Lower School reception class as well as four Once Upon a Time nurseries. They were greeted with lots of enthusiasm from the children and teachers/carers alike. The yoga lessons were fun, interactive and had everyone smiling! The pupils themselves learned a variety of skills from lesson planning and working with children to public speaking and how to do yoga! They worked well as a team and got a lot out of the experience, as Lizzie Taylor explains: '‘I absolutely loved teaching kids yoga! Children are like natural bursts of serotonin, I always came back to school feeling happy.’

A busy life as a L6 pupil at Norwich School – fitting in Community Service around many other commitments…let’s hear from one of them!

By Eleanor Lewis • May 13, 2025

This year has been full of exciting opportunities that have allowed me to grow both personally and as part of the school community. As a Lower Sixth pupil, I’ve been involved in the community service programme through volunteering with Break charity giving me valuable experience supporting the preparations for GoGo Safari. This gave me a real insight into the behind-the-scenes work involved in running a large charity event, and I came away with a deep appreciation for the time, planning, and dedication it takes to bring something like this to life. This hands-on experience has been complemented by a range of enriching academic and extracurricular opportunities such as the out of school talks hosted by the school, one of my favourites was the inspiring NCAS lecture by David Pearson, focused on book design and typography. It was fascinating to see how design choices can influence how we engage with stories and information. Another standout moment was meeting Ed Balls, where a group of us spoke to him about the school’s partnerships. Creativity has been a big part of my year too. I was involved in launching the Close Creatives Collective, a new Lower Sixth group that brings together students with shared creative interests. This has allowed me to work closely with the marketing department on poster design and visual materials, which has been a great way to apply creative thinking to real-life briefs. Alongside this, I’ve had the privilege of co-leading Earthwatch, an environmental initiative within the school. We introduced reusable cups and marked Earth Day with an assembly to raise awareness about sustainability. As a provisional prefect, I’ve supported school events, helped welcome new pupils, and even had the opportunity to speak in the Cathedral. I also joined Toastmasters to improve my public speaking skills, and proudly represented the school throughout the netball season—an experience that strengthened my sense of team spirit and commitment. - Hetty Holden, L6