Now here’s a question. What do the following have in common: Heads of Houses Mr Cann and Mr Gent, Miss Adams in Drama, Mr Seaman in Art & Design, Mr Palmer (Print Room), recent graduates Miss Bartram and Mr Thornton in Carter, Miss Clark in Music and Miss Davies in Marketing, Mr Catchpole and Mr Cooper in Daynes, Mr Love, Mrs Anna Curtis, Miss Temple and Mr Newman in the Lower School?

If you’ve not worked it out yet, the answer is they are all former pupils of the school, Old Norvicensians, or ONs for short. All work here at Norwich School.

My name is Jonathan Pearson, I am an ON and I too work here as the school’s Development Director. One of my key roles is working with ONs, so, understandably, I am delighted many are employed here. The career paths of ONs is the theme of today’s assembly.

This list got me reflecting on what occupations my fellow 1987 leavers have pursued nearly 40 years on. It is of little surprise that high-flyers continue to have very public success: Surgeon Paul Manning is now head of the UK’s largest private healthcare company; Charles Forsdick is Professor of French at Cambridge University; career diplomat John Virgoe is the UK’s Envoy to the Commonwealth. Stellar careers all.

But what about the 1980s school rebels? Well, Andy Roberts and Tom Wood were regulars in the Deputy Head’s office for various misdemeanours: uniform infringements, non-regulation hair length or colour, partying-related hijinks etc. Yet that same defiant streak now displays itself in savvy, entrepreneurial drive which has seen both set up, lead and sell self-made companies.

Many of us were hardworking and unassuming, following all the rules and successfully progressing up the career ladder, modestly and without fuss. This is typified by friends Paul Grainger and Scott Pinching. Both stayed locally and enjoyed fruitful jobs in Financial Services.

I greatly admire those who had the courage to follow their dreams: Phil Halls founded and runs award-winning Grain Breweries and Marcus Nash runs a respected birdwatching tour company.

I am constantly in awe of what ONs achieve and the positive contribution they make to society beyond Cathedral Close. The point is you will do so too one day.

What will your career look like after school, do you think? I strongly suspect if you tried to guess, you would be hopelessly wrong. Perhaps in 40 years’ time you will remember sitting in Cathedral with your whole life ahead of you wondering what the future holds. It is hugely empowering, but a bit scary at the same time.

Now, I’m no fortune teller, but I can be pretty confident about five reflections I wanted to share with you today:

Firstly, have confidence.

Norwich School equips you well for the outside world. You will have academic rigour, but also many desirable, softer skills: intellectual curiosity; confidence; resilience; humanity; dependability; an ambition to lead and to serve. These traits will stand you in good stead. Every one of you will be a great asset to future employers.

Secondly, embrace help.

Navigating the world of work is tricky. Recent research from the Office for National Statistics shows there are 957,000 16–24 year olds not in work, education or training and that figure has risen sharply post-covid. Finding a job today requires perseverance, skill, some luck and a great deal of effort.

However, welcome help is at hand. On leaving school you all automatically become lifelong ONs. We have over 400 ON Ambassadors, who have pledged to give free advice about next steps. Virtually all career paths are covered. Check out the latest ON magazine for details. This is a seriously valuable resource, so do use it. These are ONs who remember only too well the challenges of getting started. They genuinely want to help.

Thirdly, embrace change.

I wholeheartedly agree with Mrs Warren’s assembly in March 2025 on squiggly careers. You are likely to have multiple career paths. I have had three career pivots myself in my 37 years in the workplace. Change is positive. It keeps life exciting, so harness it.

Fourthly, look to the future.

I remember my Sixth Form tutor telling me I’d end up doing a job not yet invented. What a load of rubbish, I remember thinking. At that time, I was contemplating a career as a librarian. I thought, to find something out, you looked it up in a physical book. That’s what everyone did.

In 1985 I could little have imagined that within four years the internet would be invented, followed by Wikipedia, Kindles and the like. My childish over-confidence was hopelessly misplaced. It’s exciting that you will be doing jobs straight out of tomorrow’s world. A.I. will have the same transformational impact on your lives as the internet has had on mine.

And lastly, bank on a long working life.

I wager you will be working into your seventies before retiring. Now there’s a thought! My official state pension age is 67, but advances in medicine, nutrition and living standards mean we’re all living and working longer. I suspect you have 50 years of working life ahead. That’s too long to be spent doing a job you don’t enjoy or careers just to meet your parents’ aspirations.

A quote often attributed to the Chinese sage Confucius runs:

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

So, consider following the example of the ON brewer or the ON birdwatcher and do something that really excites your passion.

Well, what about me? If I look deep into my heart the day I left school, I confess I did not want to leave The Close at all. I had very much enjoyed my nine years here and the friendships I’d made, so would happily have stayed. But of course, I didn’t.

After University, I moved into property and law, then into pharmaceuticals, but something inescapable pulled me back, and in February 2018 I started working here.

Norwich School must be doing something right if all 15 ONs at the start of today’s assembly wanted to come back here too. So, perhaps I have followed my dreams after all, and maybe you should too.

To all those leaving this July, I convey best wishes for your future from ONs all round the world.

Enjoy the rest of your day, and thanks for listening.