Departments

On Tuesday 13 May the L6 scholars were taken on a trip to Kenwood House and Highgate Cemetery in London by Dr Farr and Mr Murray. The trip was intended to inform an ongoing discussion that we were having in scholarship lessons on identity and biographical writing. In Kenwood, the pupils presented on a painting of their choice to the group and we considered the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle (1761-1804) and her relationship to the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. We then had a tour of Highgate Cemetery with a view to thinking further about social identity in the Victorian period.  We were fortunate enough to bask in beautiful sunshine throughout the day. Later in the school year the scholars will be producing pieces of writing based upon our experience of these two fascinating locations.

On Thursday 1st May Middle 5 Academic Scholars enjoyed a walking tour of Norwich with a ‘strange’ twist. Professor Christopher Joby (ON) guided the group around city streets within a stone’s throw of The Close to learn about the history of the ‘Strangers’ in our fine city. Norwich has become known as a City of Sanctuary in recent years, welcoming refugees and families from around the world. However, as we learnt on this short trip, Norwich has had a reputation for welcoming ‘Strangers’ from other countries, and particularly persecuted communities, for at least five centuries. Pupils were astonished that streets so close to our school contain so much history- we stopped at 6 churches within the space of a few hundred meters. Even Norwich School’s very own Reynolds library featured since it was previously a chapel for the French strangers. This visit sparked much reflection on the part of the pupils and staff, considering the societal impact of these communities as well as their linguistic and cultural legacy. This led to many follow-up questions from pupils, such as... How do churches end up being named after people? Did the strangers get taxed officially or was it more lowkey? Why wouldn't the Strangers come over to Norwich with their families? Where did the funding for all the churches come from? Did anyone ever come looking for the persecuted Strangers? How might the Strangers’ language have influenced the Norfolk dialect of today? Plenty to ponder, speculate on and research! I was fascinated by the history of the strangers, particularly how our very own Reynolds library, was previously a chapel for the French strangers. It has also enhanced my knowledge of catholic and Protestant tensions during the Tudor period. This trip greatly increased my appreciation of both Norwich School, and the city as a whole.

Norwich School hosted our annual Scholars Showcase on Monday 28 th April. In total 25 pupils, including L4 and U4 academic scholars and additional participants in the Youth STEMM Award, presented academic posters for discussion. The posters displayed pupil-led research on the general theme of "object(s) of historical significance", with titles including: The Enigma Machine; The Gates of Auschwitz; and The Terracotta Army. Staff, parents and pupils engaged with the presenters on their chosen content which was also assessed by a judging team consisting of Mrs Gra nt (Assistant Head - Pupil Progress), Mrs Stevenson (Director of Norwich School Marketing) and Sophia Roy (Current U6 Academic Scholar). Sophia kindly then entertained us all with her keynote lecture on "The Origin of Writing" with a specific interest in the development of cunieform, an ancient writing system developed in Mesopatamia and Persia. Looking at separate criteria of content, visual presentation and public engagement, we are pleased to announce the following awards: L4/U4 Academic Scholars: Winner for academic content - Owen Parker-Wright (L4N) - The Wright Flyer Highly commended for academic content - Andrea Lee (U4P) - The Mystery of the Easter Island Moai Winner for visual presentation - Katherine Davidson (L4E) - The Statue of Liberty Highly commended for visual presentation - Martha Pearce (U4N) - Samuel Johnson's Dictionary Winner for public engagement - Santiago O'Dwyer (L4V) - The Verona Astrolabe Highly commended for public engagement - Boden Barton (U4R) - The Benin Plaques The following pupils also received recognition for their efforts working towards their Youth STEMM Awards: Ana Paduraru (L6E) - The Harrison Clock Simran Chawla (M5B) - The Iron Lung Jack Conrad (U4B) - The First Telescope