Community Service
"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
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
Charities Dinner took place on Friday 25 April and was a great success with most of the L6 year group in attendance along with some of their teachers, tutors, and parents! The money raised from the Charities Dinner along with last term’s Home Clothes Day, will all go towards the chosen charity of the Lent Term: Cancer Research UK Let’s hear from Boo Harrad, our Charities Committee Chair for this year: “Very heart-warming speech, Lovely event to raise money, Excellent food and company, Grateful for the opportunity as a year group” Here are some words from the Charity representatives who joined us for the evening: What can I say? I am still beaming from Friday evening, we had the best time and you made us feel so welcome and the students were so lovely, a few came over to me and shared their own experiences of cancer with me which was so humbling. Just from the merchandise we brought with us, we raised an incredible £285.50 on the evening, which is amazing considering that was in the space of about 40 minutes. We are so grateful that CRUK was chosen as the charity of the term. Here’s a little reminder about what we heard in an assembly last term about where our money gets put to use: 1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime. Thanks to research, the UK’s cancer survival has doubled over the last 40 years and around half of patients now survive the disease for more than 10 years. To give an idea of what the money raised pays for: £4 – A kilo of dry ice to keep delicate DNA at a safe temperature. £30 – Full personal protective equipment (PPE) for the scientists to carry out their life-saving experiments safely. £50 – Restriction enzymes, which are chemicals that act like molecular scissors to cut up long strands of DNA. These allow the scientists to find out more about the causes of cancer.
More than 15 L6 pupils gave up time on Saturday 3 May during the Bank Holiday weekend to train with their partners ahead of the exciting annual Discover Your Ability Day on Sunday 22 June 2025. Here are some words from L6 pupils; "On Saturday, I was again given the opportunity to help with the Able2B training sessions. This week we were paired up and we did basic drills with boxing gloves, focusing on coordination. Although my partner initially didn’t talk much, she made up for with her enthusiasm for the activity, the combination of her smile and the force she was putting behind her punches and she even helped me with my technique! Together, after an hour of practice, we were both sweating and had large grins on our faces. It was a fun afternoon to get to know the people who are supported by Able2B." "Today at the Able2B Gym we were doing boxing exercises. When I arrived I was given pads and paired up. I was paired up with a young boy named Reuben and my job was to be his boxing partner, keep him focused and make sure his listening ears were on. We did a bunch of different punches like straights, doubles, uppercuts and hooks and I had a lot of fun - and I think Reuben did as well. I think one of my highlights was him calling our personal trainer 'King Jon' which I think everyone found quite funny. At the end we did another fun game to keep us moving and then it was time to say goodbye. I made sure Reuben was with his grandad and then I went home. I'm looking forward to the next training session!" "I think it is a really great organisation and it has an extremely friendly and positive environment run by great people" Here's more info. about how the event works: Able2B pair up the children for when they work together at the 3 Training Sessions at the Able2B gym 4.30-5.45. We have now completed the first two of these and we are all looking forward to the third one on Wednesday 11 June 5.15-6.30pm The big day is then on Sunday June 22 2025 – from 11:30 – the final event in the grounds of Norwich Lower School. Parents and friends are very much welcome to attend the final session to spectate or to volunteer as marshals and route guides (with bubbles and water pistols!) too. This is very much a family event. This is a fantastic opportunity to help out in our local community whilst learning some important skills as well as simply gaining an inspiring experience. Again, pupils undertaking the Duke of Edinburgh's Award are also able to use the event as part of their volunteering hours. Proceeds from the event will go to supporting Able2B's work in the community. See below QR code for ease. Everyone who takes part will receive an event t-shirt and water bottle. Press coverage from a previous event can be found here . A video about Norwich School's involvement with Able2B can be found here .
Community Service Gallery
View more
