orld Book Week brought a wonderful buzz of excitement to the Lower School, with every year group taking part in a rich variety of bookthemed adventures and activities. The week began with Reception visiting the local independent bookshop Bookbugs and Dragon Tales, where they eagerly spent their World Book Day tokens. Each child chose one of this year’s specially written titles and also had the chance to listen to a few stories in the beautiful bookshop. Back at school, the Library Reading Challenges also launched, encouraging pupils to complete a different challenge each day. Monday’s task— read in an unusual place —sparked great creativity, and pupils were discovered reading under tables, behind bookcases, beneath sofas and even outdoors. On Tuesday it was Lower One’s turn to visit the bookshop, where they too selected their World Book Day books. Their reading challenge for the day was to recommend a book from a different genre to a friend, prompting thoughtful conversations about mysteries, fantasies, adventures and more. Pupil Rafi said ‘I liked the book I chose because it has lots of facts in.’ Wednesday saw Upper One walking to Bookbugs and Dragon Tales, where they not only chose their books but also became enthusiastic dragon hunters, spotting as many dragons as possible hidden around the shop’s magical displays. ‘I really liked finding the dragons and my favourite one was the dragon which was under the pavement,’ said Jessica from Upper One. Their reading challenge continued the theme of exploring new genres with pupils being encouraged to read something they wouldn’t normally pick off the shelf. Thursday marked World Book Day itself, and the school was transformed by an array of imaginative, colourful and brilliantly creative costumes. From classic characters to modern favourites, pupils proudly celebrated the stories they love. Many staff joined in the fun by dressing as Mr Men and Little Miss characters, much to the pupils’ delight during a lively assembly of guessing and laughter. Throughout the day, classes enjoyed a range of bookthemed activities, and everyone gathered in the library for the popular Teachers’ Pet Quiz, where staff pets were photographed “reading” books that offered clues to their owners’ identities. All pupils also took part in the Great Booky Book Swap, which allowed them to choose new reading material to enjoy over the coming weeks. Many children also entered the Book in a Box competition, transforming boxes into creative and thoughtful worlds inspired by titles such as Charlotte’s Web , The Land of Stories , Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and What the Ladybird Heard . The celebrations continued on Friday, when Pre-Reception visited the bookshop to exchange their tokens for a book and take part in a delightful workshop themed around Wonderful Me . Pupils also completed the final reading challenge of the week by reading to a real or cuddly pet, creating many heart warming moments as stories were shared with dogs, cats, teddies and every creature in between. World Book Week was a fantastic celebration of reading, imagination and community. A huge thank you to Bookbugs and Dragon Tales for welcoming our pupils so warmly, and to all staff and families for helping to make the week such a memorable success.

Saturday 7 March saw the final race in the East Anglian League against runners from Gresham’s, Ipswich and RHS. The team travelled to RHS and the conditions were reasonably dry and still on a flat, fast course. Our only competing Junior, Jonas Tam, improved upon last week’s third place to come 2nd this week, while in the Intermediate Boys, Kit Rudling came 4th. In the Senior Boys we had excellent strength in depth, as we have had all season, with eight runners competing. First to finish was Ethan Buskell who came 2nd overall. Jeremy Lo came through the field strongly to take 5th place, capping off another consistent season. Leon Liu, Kort Tsui and Leo Pitt were next over the line, followed shortly by Tom Copley, Edward Lott and George Yiasimi. The Senior Boys, having showed such consistent quality and excellent camaraderie throughout the season, deservedly took home the East Anglian League Team Trophy. Well done to everyone who has represented the Cross Country team this season.

The Little Roots allotment at the Lower School has enjoyed a wonderful boost this year thanks to a generous grant from the Friends of Norwich School.

3 Lower 5 pupils and one Lower 4 pupil travelled to Telford to compete in the VEX Robotics National Finals, an exciting two‑day celebration of STEMM, creativity, and teamwork. Our pupils designed, built, and programmed their own robots, putting months of hard work into action. Throughout the competition they: Formed alliances with teams from other schools to play the Mix & Match game and score as many points as possible. Took on the Driver Skills Challenge, showcasing precision and control. Demonstrated their coding expertise in the Autonomous Programming Challenge. Completed four technical interviews with industry professionals, speaking confidently about their engineering decisions and problem‑solving approaches. We are incredibly proud to announce that our pupils won the ‘Create Award’ for innovative robot design! Even more excitingly, by winning this award they have qualified to compete at the VEX World Finals in St. Louis, Missouri at the end of April - an extraordinary achievement and a testament to their creativity, teamwork, and determination. Well done to all four pupils - what an unforgettable milestone!

At Norwich School, learning doesn’t stop when a lesson is over! Our co-curricular programme empowers pupils to explore and experiment – and nowhere is this more evident than in our vibrant STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine) opportunities. Whether your child dreams of designing the cities of the future, racing an electric car, coding competition-ready robots or pursuing a career in medicine, our clubs and societies provide the platform to turn curiosity into capability! Hands-On Innovation: Engineering in Action Greenpower Electric Car Team (L5-L6) What better way to learn engineering than by building and racing a real electric car? Our Greenpower Electric Car Team maintains and improves a competition vehicle, racing in heats twice a year. Pupils apply for roles across design, mechanics, electronics, sponsorship and project management – mirroring real-world engineering teams. Lower 6 pupils mentor younger pupils, fostering leadership alongside technical expertise. Engineering Education Project (L6) Sixth Form pupils can take part in a six-month professional engineering project, working alongside an industry mentor to solve a real company challenge. The experience culminates in a formal presentation and submission for a CREST Gold Award – a nationally recognised achievement that strengthens university and apprenticeship applications. CityZen – Civil Engineering Challenge (L6) Run by in Institution of Civil Engineers, CityZen invites teams to design solutions to complex infrastructure problems in a simulated city. Pupils research, collaborate and present their ideas before tackling a real local civil engineering issue. From sustainability to urban planning, CityZen encourages pupils to think critically about how engineering shapes society. Engineering Society – (L4-U6) The aim of the Engineering Society is to hear first-hand from engineering professionals, in both academia and industry, about their paths into engineering and specialities. This provides an exciting opportunity for pupils to hear first hand from professionals in the field, allowing them to draw inspiration for their own careers. Coding, Robotics & Computational Thinking VEX Robotics (L4-L5) In VEX Robotics, teams of 4 or 5 design, build and code robots before entering the National Robotic Competition. Pupils develop programming skills, mechanical design understanding and strategic thinking – all while working as part of a high-performing team. Linguistics & Code Cracking Club (L4-U6) Combining logic, pattern recognition and analytical thinking, this club explore the fascinating intersection of language and mathematics, Pupils prepare for competitions such as the UK Linguistics Olympiad and tackle code-breaking challenges that stretch the mind. Maths Club (L4-U6) From Junior Maths Challenge preparation to STEP and MAT support, out tiered Maths Clubs provide stretch and challenge at every level. Pupils explore mathematical ideas beyond the syllabus, developing resilience and intellectual confidence. Medicine, Science & the Bigger Questions STEMM Society (U4-U6) Our dedicated STEMM Society explore science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine beyond the curriculum. Through practical challenges and discussion, pupils broaden their understanding while working towards a credited Youth STEMM Award. Vet Society (L4-U6) For pupils considering veterinary medicine, the society invites expert speakers and offers insight into the realities of animal healthcare careers – providing early professional exposure and inspiration. Intellectual Curiosity & Academic Exploration STEMM at Norwich School also thrives in our pupil-led academic societies: Erpingham Society (M5–U6) – interdisciplinary lectures spanning STEMM, humanities and the arts. Ethelbert Society (L4–L5) – a junior lecture society encouraging scholarly exploration. Inters and Senior Maths Clubs – extending mathematical understanding beyond the classroom. These forums develop confidence in research, presentation and debate — essential skills for future scientists, engineers and medics.

Norwich’s stunning St John the Baptist Catholic Cathedral was the host site for the Norwich School Choral Society public concert for 2026 held on 04 March 2026. Since the Society’s founding in 1983, appreciative audiences have been treated to music of the highest quality, and this year’s concert was no exception. This musical highlight fosters some remarkable intergenerational collaborations: the Norwich School Choral Society (being the school’ s adult choir made up of alumni, friends, parents and staff) perform together with pupil singers, creating a combined chorus in excess of 110-strong, spanning ages from teenagers to the over 80s! Similarly, talented pupil instrumentalists and music scholars play alongside the professional musicians of the renowned Norwich Baroque ensemble, bringing together a 30-strong orchestra, complete with the pleasing notes of the harp this year. The visual spectacle and rousing sound of nearly 150 musicians performing together is simply terrific. This year’s programme comprised a mix of the modern and the old, the familiar and the new. Our performance kicked off with two beautifully expressive and moving 20 th century choral works: Daley’s Upon Your Heart (1999) and Bainton’ s And I Saw a New Heaven (1928) under the baton of the school’s hugely experienced Head of Vocal Studies, Posy Walton. Closing the first half saw the highly anticipated arrival on stage of Year 13 brass music specialist, Melissa Hawkings on her horn. A member of the National Youth Orchestra, a prolific performer and award-winning composer, Melissa has delighted school audiences for many years, and the virtuoso performance she gave of Mozart’s much-loved Horn Concerto No 3 was pure magic. Both the soloist and the orchestra under the Music Dept’s charismatic Andrew Weeks clearly relished their performance, as did our audience. Melissa reflected afterwards: It was an honour to perform Mozart's third horn concerto with Norwich Baroque. The opportunity to work with such a high-level ensemble was amazing, and I enjoyed every second of the experience! It was truly exhilarating to hear a piece I had been playing alone for so long being brought to life in the Cathedral. I'm so grateful for everyone at school who has supported me in my musical journey. After the interval, the programme moved on to another modern work, Goodall’s Eternal Light: A Requiem (2008), an elegiacal, varied and hugely moving piece, with the full orchestra and choir conducted by the inspirational Posy Walton. Many will be familiar with Goodall’s work from TV themes to such shows as Blackadder and The Vicar of Dibley, so will appreciate his strong melodies, but this work had a profundity and gravitas in a completely different league. It was performed magnificently by the ensemble, the culmination of many months of practice in the school’s Chapel throughout autumn’s gales and winter’s snows. The six talented vocal soloists in the Goodall piece (Ben Griffiths, Charlotte Platten, Anna Rechel, Pearl Lee, Charlie Collier and Isla Bowles) were all pupils from the school between Year 11 and Year 13, many having been Choristers at Norwich’s other Cathedral. Their mature and accomplished performances will undoubtedly be highlights in their careers at the school. The audience was astonished to have witnessed such youthful soloists at such a large public event with for their voices filing the nave. Norwich School has long been a member of the national Choir Schools’ Association (CSA), founded in 1918 to promote and support the education and wellbeing of choristers in the country’s great cathedrals and churches. After all, the choral tradition in Norwich School dates back to the 11 th century. We were therefore thrilled to welcome as our principal guest of honour its Executive Director, Rachel Hicks. Steffan Griffiths, Head of Norwich School, expressed his heartfelt thanks to the CSA for their extremely generous lead sponsorship for the third year in succession, enabling the school to put on such a memorable event. Rachel commented afterwards: I very much enjoyed the concert. It was fantastic to see CSA’s support being put to such excellent use and to see the school’s wider community uniting in an evening of excellent music-making. The staging of an event of such complexity was also made possible thanks to the generous support from other sponsors to whom organizers are incredibly grateful: respected local businesses Hansells Solicitors, Savills property agents and Drury Vehicle Services. Organizers’ gratitude goes out to family sponsors passionate about this event, namely the Boone, Bamber, King, Ricketts, Prior, Drake and Westgate families. We offer our appreciation to the new Dean the Very Revd Martin Hardy and the Bishop of East Anglia, Bishop Peter Collins, and their staff at the Cathedral for welcoming the school back to their lovely cathedral for a third year. Months of meticulous preparation from the Choral Society Committee and members of the school’s hard-working Music Department deserve heart-felt appreciation too. Finally, organizers’ thanks go to all performers for their sensational performances, and to the audience whose generous final ovation reflected the pleasure this memorable evening of music had brought them.

A group of PGCE students from UEA joined Mrs Dean on Thursday 5 March to learn all about WoLLoW and to visit the Lower School. They observed a brilliant Upper 3 WoLLoW lesson on creating a language and a Lower 2 lesson on numerals around the world. The highlight was a Lower 2 pupil seeing her home language on the board: Sinhala, spoken in Sri Lanka. Pupils spotted similarities and differences between numerals around the world and used their creativity by adding their own ideas to the question, "What could the numerals for 11 look like in these languages?" The Upper 3 and Lower 2 classes and the PGCE visitors alike really enjoyed the sessions.

On Thursday 5 March we enjoyed a wonderfully busy and inspiring day of music-making. Music scholars and exhibitioners spent time together in small groups with singer/songwriter Charlie Law, exploring the process of songwriting from first ideas through to finished pieces. The students approached the challenge with imagination and enthusiasm, and by the end of the session each group had created a completely original song. The four compositions were strikingly different in style and subject matter, demonstrating just how creative the groups had been. Their themes included: Budge the Cathedral Cat Treehouses It’s Spring (But Everyone Is Still Online) Invisible Lines From playful storytelling to thoughtful reflections on modern life, the songs showcased a wide range of musical ideas, lyrics and moods. It was wonderful to see such inventiveness, collaboration and musical curiosity from everyone involved. At lunchtime the music-making continued with a dazzling recital in Chapel. Becky Brown (U6), Brenda Blewett, and Min Ying Deng (M5) performed a beautiful and expressive programme for the audience. Their recital included works by Sergei Rachmaninov, Frédéric Chopin, and Suk, performed with great musical sensitivity and technical assurance. Altogether, the day was a fantastic celebration of creativity and performance, highlighting the energy and talent of our young musicians.

Pupils in Lower 1 combined literacy and creativity this week by writing their own step-by-step instructions before putting them to the test in the kitchen. As part of their learning, the children carefully planned and wrote clear instructions on how to make gingerbread men, focusing on using bossy verbs, time connectives, and simple sequencing. Once their instructions were complete, it was time for the fun to begin. The classroom was filled with excitement as the children measured ingredients, mixed the dough, and carefully cut out their gingerbread men shapes. They proudly followed the very steps they had written, bringing their work to life in a delicious way. The activity helped reinforce their understanding of instructional writing while also developing teamwork and practical skills. Best of all, everyone enjoyed tasting their freshly baked gingerbread men at the end of the day — a sweet reward for their hard work!