Following the success of last season, the Boys’ 1st XI hockey team has entered a rebuilding phase, welcoming eight new faces into the squad. With a fresh mix of talent and energy, the focus this term has been on developing team cohesion, refining structures, and preparing for the challenges of Tier 1 competition. The team began their campaign with a series of local fixtures against Dragons, Norwich City, Dereham, and Magpies. These early matches provided valuable opportunities for the new-look side to gel and test combinations in competitive settings. The boys showed great commitment and resilience throughout, competing hard in every fixture and demonstrating steady progress with each performance. Their opening Tier 1 encounter came against Ipswich, where the team narrowly missed out on victory in a closely contested game. Despite the result, the performance was full of positives, with the squad displaying strong defensive organisation and promising attacking intent. The following fixture saw the team take on Whitgift – the four-time reigning champions – where they once again rose to the challenge, matching their opponents for long periods and showing encouraging signs of growth.  With each match, the group continues to build confidence, understanding, and belief. The foundation being laid this season will no doubt serve the team well for the remainder of the campaign and beyond.

August is an important month for our Upper 6 cohort as they come into school to collect their A Level results. Understandably, they are extremely nervous as the culmination of two year’s hard work and commitment is reflected on that one piece of paper. However, we always say to the pupils that those letters are simply a stepping stone and the most important thing is that they deliver the key to unlocking the next stage of their journey. With our leavers now having started their university courses and apprenticeships, we wanted to celebrate both the success of the whole cohort as well as share a range of individual destinations. We are delighted therefore to be able to report that an impressive 80% of our 2025 leavers have been awarded the results they needed to go on to their first choice, whether that be their preferred university, here or abroad, securing their plans for a gap year and their education beyond that or successfully securing a sought-after apprenticeship. This equates to 141 pupils out of an Upper 6 cohort of 177. Especially impressive is that 97% of the 2025 cohort (171 pupils from 177) gained the grades required for their first or second choice onward route. These statistics show an upward trajectory in our success rates with these being higher than those of the 2024 cohort which were higher than those of the 2023 cohort. The universities with the most Norwich School pupils starting there this autumn were Durham, UCL and Newcastle and the most popular courses being Economics/Finance, Engineering and History/Ancient History. However, pupils have started at 44 different UK universities and 6 overseas universities. The examples below show the range of onward routes that our 2025 cohort went on to: Joschka Molenaar has started studying Mathematics at the University of Cambridge having achieved an S grade in STEP III (the highest grade in this, the hardest STEP paper) as well as A*A*A*A* at A-level. Ava de Cooper Wride is now at Quinnipiac University in USA on a full rugby scholarship. Noah Rastrick flew to USA in August to start at Robert Morris University on a full soccer scholarship. Archie Taylor secured a highly competitive finance degree apprenticeship with Price Bailey, so now combines working for them with them paying for him to gain a degree. Kitty Millard has moved to London where she is working for a film company whilst gaining an apprenticeship in Design and Illustration in Film. Leah Feetham has also moved to London and is loving her degree in Professional Dance and Musical Theatre at the highly competitive Bird College (a conservatoire). Jemima Curtis is using her experience as Head Girls’ Chorister at Norwich Cathedral as she works with choristers at King’s College School, Cambridge, this year before starting her degree at the University of Exeter in September 2026.  Jacob Stevenson has started a diploma in Digital Marketing for Fashion at the London Retail Academy and will go to university to study Psychology in September 2026.

Well done to Ianis Pop and Dylan Sweales who as a team finished as 2nd placed Boy's Primary School in the English Ski Finals at the weekend. Ianis won the silver medal as the 2nd placed Primary school male. Dylan was 9th overall, hugely impressive as he's racing up against Year 4/5/6 boys, and he was the fastest Year 3. 

The L5/M5 Sports Scholars visited St George's Park this term, to experience 'a day in the life of an elite athlete'. It was an exciting opportunity to see behind the scenes of the England football teams exclusive training environment. A particular highlight of the day was a dip in the hydrotherapy pool, after a tough on-pitch conditoning session.  We also welcomed world renowned physiotherapist, Dr Ros Cooke, to school to deliver some education on female health. Ros has worked alongside multiple national teams and is a specialist in pre-elite female athletes. It was a pleasure to have such an inspiring figure visit our school community.

Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers have made the most of the term so far, enjoying a full programme of adventure, challenge and fun on the water and beyond.  Beavers This term, 31 Beavers enjoyed camp at the Lower School site, with every child getting out on the water at NBYC. Alongside paddling and play, they have explored Diwali celebrations , followed treasure maps , and tried their hand at cooking . Cubs Cubs have had an action-packed term, spending many hours on the water and enjoying a wide range of activities including bike rodeo , pond dipping , pumpkin carving , firelighting , pioneering , knot work , and of course, marshmallow toasting. Scouts Scouts have developed their outdoor and practical skills through kayaking, paddleboarding, canoeing, biking, pioneering and rowing . They have also been whittling and taking part in wide games — perfect practice for future camps and expeditions. Explorers Explorers have enjoyed a varied programme, combining paddling, wild swimming, night hikes and night biking with practical cooking sessions, including learning how to make curry from scratch , and ending this half term with a fun bowling night . Looking Ahead October Half term always brings two major Scouting highlights in the calendar: the Hill Walking Week in North Yorkshire , featuring caving, biking and hiking , and the Power Cruise , known for its action-packed itinerary including high-speed planing at Breydon Water . If you’re interested in finding out what 8th Norwich Sea Scouts is all about, free trial sessions are available — please email membership@8nss.org.uk for more information.

This half term the Senior Rowers have been covering the miles in small boats, the J15s have all started sweep rowing and we have welcomed an enthusiastic J14 squad to the Boat Club. Despite some rather windy sessions the training has been going well. The first race of the year was at Bedford Small Boats Head. With 35 crews racing across six divisions, there was tough competition across all boat categories. We finished the event with 6 crews in 2nd place and four wins: Hannah Conway and Freya Dixon in the women’s J16 double. Ellie Thwaites and Amelie Ivie in the women’s J17 pair. The Open quad of Max Stone, Isaac Chan, Tristan Fazekas, and Mateo Vedrenne And an outstanding win for Max Stone in the Junior 18 singles, pipping Archie Wilkins into 2nd place and leaving a trail of Hampton School Scullers behind them! The Boat Club will be racing in Norwich at the start of half term, with training in the second week before we have our first National race in November.

As we reach the midpoint of the rugby season, it has been a highly encouraging half-term across all age groups. Teams have shown excellent commitment, development, and teamwork, representing the school with pride and enthusiasm throughout every fixture. Juniors Our Junior teams have enjoyed a positive start to the season, showing real energy and passion for the game as they continue to develop their core rugby skills. U12A The U12A side have made great progress during their opening block of fixtures. Despite close defeats to The Perse School and Finborough School, they demonstrated resilience and improvement each week, highlighted by a competitive draw against St Joseph’s College, Ipswich. Their teamwork and enthusiasm have laid strong foundations for the future. U13B The U13B team have been excellent, winning both of their fixtures in impressive style against The Perse School and Finborough School. Their attacking intent and defensive organisation have stood out, reflecting the hard work they’ve put into training. U13A The U13A team have had a fantastic half-term, securing two wins and two draws from their four matches. Dominant victories against St Joseph’s College, Ipswich and The Perse School showcased their growing confidence and teamwork. The players’ ability to adapt and make smart in-game decisions has been a real highlight. Inters The Inter teams have shown great progression, with players displaying improved game understanding, physicality, and team cohesion throughout the term. U14A The U14A side began their season strongly with a convincing win against Framlingham College. Since then, they have faced several challenging fixtures that have tested their resilience and provided valuable learning opportunities. Their attitude and commitment to improving both individually and collectively have been impressive. U15B The U15B team faced Felsted School in their only fixture this half-term, putting in a determined performance despite the result not going their way. The squad is looking forward to more game time after the break, with plenty of positives to build upon in training. U15A The U15A team have enjoyed an outstanding start to the season, with four strong wins against Framlingham College, The Perse School, St Joseph’s College, and Wymondham College. Their only defeat came in Round 2 of the National Cup against a talented Campion School side from Essex. The squad continues to go from strength to strength, with excellent team spirit and significant development in their tactical play. Seniors The Senior squad has set an excellent tone this term, combining hard work, ambition, and togetherness across their fixtures.  1st XV The 1st XV have produced a strong set of performances, recording three wins and two narrow defeats. Impressive victories over Framlingham College, The Perse School, and Wymondham College demonstrated the team’s growing maturity and cohesion. They were unfortunate to lose to Felsted School in the final play of their National Cup first-round match but have received a bye in the Plate competition and will continue their campaign after half-term. The group has shown significant progress in both their attacking structure and defensive resilience, and the second half of the season promises to be an exciting one.

Our Programme of interesting external events hosted on our site continues this autumn. On 14 October 2025, we were delighted to be hosting again the illustrious Norfolk Contemporary Art Society (n-cas) for the latest in their series of high-profile lectures on site. Former n-cas Chair Keith Roberts introduced three films in his talk: An Exploration of the Mike Toll film archive. Mike Toll sadly died in 2018 but left boxes full of VHS video tapes that record his interviews with artists who took part in exhibitions in Norwich in the mid 1980-90s. N-cas has painstakingly transferred these videos onto a more usable digital format. Mike Toll’s 30-minute films of different local artists and their work are now recognised as a valued resource and will be kept in the Norwich City Archives. The evening followed on from the first showing of his films in January this year. The featured films from three different local creative artists on show in this latest outing were: David Jones (still life and portraiture); Michael Chapman (multi-media sculpture); Oliver Creed (ceramic works). Although 35 years older now, all three artists were in the audience on the night and were thrilled to see their younger selves on the big screen in the Blake Studio. We were delighted they stayed on afterwards to discuss their work with the audience of n-cas members, local creatives, staff, parents and alumni. Our next lecture on site is on 06 November 2025 . It is to be held in conjunction with the Royal Geographical Society in the Blake Studio (doors open at 19:00). ON parent Sara White of Explorers Against Extinction will be interviewing the hugely experienced founder of Bradt Travel Guides, Hilary Brandt, in her talk entitled: Traveller into unknown lands . Bookings can be made here: www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/into-unknown-lands . All are welcome. Please take a browse through our termly publication At Close Quarters. The link is here: Norwich School Michaelmas Term 2025 . We hope there will be many events that appeal to you across a wide range of interests and we look forward to welcoming you to site this autumn.

On Tuesday 14 October. we said ‘au revoir’ to our exchange school from Perpignan. This visit formed the return leg of our 6th form French Exchange with Norwich School pupils having had a wonderful visit to the Lycée Maillol at the end of the Lent Term 2025. The French group were generously hosted by Norwich School families, accompanied pupils to lessons, rehearsals and events. They also enjoyed visits to London, Cambridge, Norwich Castle and UEA Sainsbury Centre.  It was wonderful to share our community with a wonderful group of pupils and their teachers and discover our shared passions and values, as well as those that differ.