Lent, Holi, Ramadan - An Assembly on the Various Faiths in Our Community
March 7, 2025
On Friday 7 March, Rev Child addressed pupils on the importance of celebrating the various faiths in our community.
Last Friday was the beginning of Ramadan, the Islamic month that focuses on prayer, fasting and devotion which continues until the end of March.
Wednesday this week was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Christian season of Lent, which also involves prayer, fasting, giving up bad habits and getting into good ones. Lent lasts all the way until Easter Day on the 20th April.
Next Friday will be the Hindu festival of Holi, which celebrates life, colour and everything that comes with Spring.
This seemed like a good point of term to hear from some different members of our school community about what this season of the year means to them, and what it feels like to be following one of these religious paths.
So I’ve asked some pupils with these faith backgrounds to share a few thoughts with us this morning. Do take this opportunity to try and understand a bit more about a way of living and thinking that may be different to your own.
This is an important thing we can do in a school of different people: we can learn what the world looks like from a different point of view.
When in time you move on from the community of Cathedral Close into the wider world, you will need to understand people of various faiths and traditions, whatever your own beliefs happen to be.
And if you get the opportunity, why not follow up things that you hear this morning with a further conversation or a bit more learning.
So we’re going to hear from
- Richa and Kirti, who are going to tell us about Holi and Hinduism;
- Jonathan, who is going to talk about Lent and his Christian faith;
- and from some Muslim pupils, who have worked together on some thoughts about Islam and Ramadan.
Richa;
"Good morning, my name is Richa Suhas and I have been a Hindu my whole life. At this time of year, Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of spring, colour and love as well as being a festival that celebrates good over evil. Holi is celebrated by throwing coloured powders, dancing and lighting bonfires as well as eating festive foods. This year, Holi is on the 13th and 14th of March. Holi dates back to the 4th century and is always celebrated on a full moon day during spring. It marks the start of spring and the harvest season."
Kirti;
"Good morning, my name is Kirti Suhas and I’m in U5, and have been a Hindu for my whole life. On the 14th of march Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colours, love and spring. Holi is an important festival as it celebrates love and the triumph of good over evil. Hindus celebrate Holi by throwing coloured powders as a way of breaking down social barriers and bringing people of all ages together, and in some cities in India there are processions and musical shows that can last up to two weeks. One thing you might not know about Holi is that no one knows how it originated- it isn’t based around one story, and that there are many stories that explain the origins of the story of Holi. "
Jonathan;
"Good morning. My name is Jonathan, I am in U6 and I have followed Christianity for around a year now and it has completely changed my life. The most significant change is having a God who loves and cares about me to look to in difficult times.
At this time of the year Christians are thinking about Lent which is the period of 40 days where Christians tend to devote themselves to prayer, fasting and reading the word of God. This is an opportunity for us to focus our minds on Christ and be conformed to his image.
My own experience of this has been abstaining from food until the evenings on weekends and I find that this has helped me to humble myself before God and become more dependent on him. "
I’m going to read this on behalf of some of our Muslim pupils;
"At this time of year, Muslims are thinking about faith, self-discipline, and gratitude. Ramadan is one of the holiest months in Islam, a time when we fast from dawn until sunset. But it’s not just about avoiding food and drink—it’s about much more. Ramadan is about strengthening our connection with God, developing patience, and remembering those who are less fortunate.
My own experience of this has been both challenging and rewarding. Waking up before sunrise to eat, then going through the school day without food or water, can be tough, especially when you’re surrounded by others who aren’t fasting. But there’s also something really special about it—knowing that millions of people around the world are going through and that you’re doing it for the love of your faith."
A big thank you to those pupils for helping us to understand why this season is important to them. I think you can see that these are quite personal things to share; I’m grateful to them for showing us a little of what it means to be faithful and devoted in these different traditions.
Richard Wentworth has played a leading role in New British Sculpture since the end of the 1970s. His work, encircling the notion of objects and their use as part of our day-to-day experiences, has altered the traditional definition of sculpture as well as photography. By transforming and manipulating industrial and/or found objects into works of art, Wentworth subverts their original function and extends our understanding of them by breaking the conventional system of classification. The sculptural arrangements play with the notion of ready-made and juxtaposition of objects that bear no relation to each other. Whereas in photography, as in the ongoing series Making Do and Getting By, Wentworth documents the everyday, paying attention to objects, occasional and involuntary geometries as well as uncanny situations that often go unnoticed. Richard Wentworth lives and works in London. He was awarded an OBE in 2011. No prior booking required. Tickets available at the door. ncas members £7, non-members £10, students FREE. The Blake Studio is fully accessible. There is also free car parking directly outside.
It was a great honour to be asked by the Kings Lynn Festival Chorus to sing as the young voices of World-famous composer Sir Karl Jenkins’ piece Cantata Memoria in his presence. He is one of the most famous living composers in the UK and one of his pieces, The Armed Man , was recently voted as the most popular piece of classical music in the Classic FM Hall of Fame. On Saturday 9 May 2026, members of the Norwich School Junior choir and the Norwich Lower School Chamber Choir set off for St. Nicholas church Kings Lynn. When we arrived, we started rehearsing Cantata Memoria with the lovely conductor: Ben Horden, the professional Orchestra and the Kings Lynn Festival Chorus. Many of the junior and lower school chamber choir had never sung with an orchestra before, making this an incredible new experience for all of them. Before the concert, we had free time to sit outside the beautiful church and eat dinner in preparation for the long concert. The concert was in two parts, although we did not sing in the first half it was very exciting to hear some of Sir Karl Jenkins other works, such as his Te Deum and his Mass For Peace . In the second half we sang the Cantata Memoria – a piece composed to commemorate the Aberfan Disaster of 1966, where 144 people (mostly children) died when a coal spoil tip engulfed the small Welsh mining village. The Cantata was both beautiful and intense telling the story. In between movements we could look at the audience, some of which were in tears from the sheer beauty and sadness of the piece. The orchestra was spectacular and so were the soloists, Khrystyna Makar (soprano) and Paul Carey Jones (baritone/bass). Their captivating performances added to the incredible atmosphere of the concert. At the end of the concert, we all got to gather to take a photo with Sir Karl who was very impressed by the performance, congratulating us on our contribution. Overall, it was an amazing experience for all of us who went to sing.
The Fourth Form Garden Continues to be a Wonderful Space for Pupils
With the Upper 6 soon to start their study leave, we are going to announce a final selection of university offers and offers for apprenticeships that they have received. We wish the Upper 6 pupils all the best as they sit their A level examinations and hope that the 20 pupils still awaiting outcomes of one or more of their applications receive good news on these soon. The school’s Apply Plus Programme is run by Mr Pearce. It supports pupils applying to academic courses that require admissions tests and/or interviews. Pupils with Apply Plus offers not previously announced: Lily Mei ML - Foundation Year in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Cambridge This makes the total number of Norwich School offers from Oxford and Cambridge this cycle 11. Daniel AM – Economics at UCL Thomas H – Computing at Imperial College Anish K– Economics at the University of Warwick Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages: Isabel B – Spanish at the University of St. Andrews Edward Bl – History with a Year Abroad at UCL Joel F (ON) – Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) at LSE (London School of Economics) Hannah H - Culture, Media & Creative Industries at King’s College London Darcy W – International Management (including Year Abroad) at the University of Warwick Sciences: Bea F – Environment and Sustainability at the University of Surrey Cynthia L – Neuroscience at UCL Victor P – Engineering Business Management at the University of Warwick Halvard Y - Data Science at LSE Creatives: Will C – Acting (BA) at East 15 Ernie H– Music Production at Northbrook College Lana K – Music Performance – Drums at the Academy of Contemporary Music Isla V– Contemporary Dance (BA) at Trinity Laban Toby W – Architecture with professional placement at the University of Bath Overseas: Gabriel C – offers from both Hong Kong University (HKU) and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Gilia C and Mari L – offers from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Apprenticeships: Louise H – Accountancy apprenticeship with Berry & Warren (Norwich) George S– Engineering apprenticeship with the National Grid (Eakring, Nottinghamshire)
On 07 May 2026, it was with great pleasure that the school welcomed back on site the illustrious Royal Geographical Society (RGS) for the latest in their series of public lectures on site. A capacity audience in the Blake Studio of pupils, staff, parents, alumni, Fellows of the RGS and those with an interest in the natural world heard from charismatic adventurer and Old Norvicensian Toby Hough. His talk was a real treat, and it was a pleasure welcoming him back to his alma mater. Toby is an accomplished and award-winning wildlife filmmaker. His credits include work seen on Countryfile, The One Show, Springwatch programmes, filming for the RSPB, and numerous BBC wildlife documentaries and travel programmes. His career has included working with TV legends including Ray Mears, Julia Bradbury and Chris Packham, and, although Norfolk based these days, he has travelled extensively thought his long career. Many witty and humorous anecdotes ensued, highlighting a fascinating and unpredictable career, often one of great personal discomfort and sacrifice in pursuit of those thrilling ‘killer images’ we see on wildlife programmes. Toby was generous in explaining the complexities of his craft and backed this up with some appealing slides plus a table of wildlife treasures picked up from his global travels. These included a fossilised megalodon tooth, vulture feathers, a walrus tusk, inter alia. An interesting Q&A followed, including some pertinent questions from our younger audience members, carried on over refreshments afterwards. These RGS talks offer intellectual rigour and great entertainment for both the academic and the lay-person alike and are always well worth attending. The RGS autumn programme is being worked out, and we look forward to hosting them here later this year.
On Saturday 9 May, Norwich School choir members will be performing at St Nicholas Chapel with Music in the Burnhams. This concert is a celebration of Sir Karl Jenkins - one of the most performed choral composers in the world. He has composed music for The King, Bryn Terfel, Dame Evelyn Glennie and London Symphony Orchestra. His Mass 'The Armed Man' has topped Classic FM's Hall of Fame again this year and his albums have sold in the millions. He is signed to Decca Records and in 2024 Decca bestowed upon him the unprecedented distinction of a Lifetime deal, the first time the label has made such a commitment to any artist. He was awarded a Knighthood for services to music in the Queen's birthday honours. The concert will feature lots of his most famous works including the Cantata Memoria which Norwich Lower School Chamber Choir and Norwich School Junior Choir are involved with. We are the only school that have been asked to do this which is a huge honour. Sir Karl Jenkins himself will be in the audience for this very special concert featuring members of the Kings Lynn Festival Chorus and the British Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra. The opportunity to perform his work is a great privilege given his standing within the classical genre and to have him at the concert in person is a huge deal. Click here to book now!
Lower School pupils recently enjoyed an exciting educational visit to BeWILDerwood to inspire their English work on stories, settings and characters. The magical woodland adventure park provided the perfect backdrop for sparking pupils’ imaginations and encouraging creative thinking ahead of their upcoming writing activities. During the trip, pupils explored the Sky Maze, raced down the Slippery Slopes and enjoyed the zip wires through the trees. They also watched a live show, met Mildred on the Scary Lake and discovered where the Boggles and Twiggles lived. One of the highlights of the day was seeing the Thorny Clod Spider, which quickly became everyone’s favourite character. The visit gave pupils plenty of ideas for imaginative writing and helped bring story settings and characters to life in a fun and memorable way.
Norwich School once again welcomed 12 pupils from our partner School, Assumption College, in Bangkok with their group leader Mr to visit us and experience some typical days in the life of Norwich School. They spent four days with us, attending lessons in the mornings with their partners from L5 and M5 and then taking part in a range of school-themed activities during the afternoons. Together, thanks to the School Historian Ady Marsham, we took a trip back in time to go down the air-raid shelter as well as seeing the Lollard prison cell. As the doors were closed and the lights went out, we got a brief insight into the cruelties of past times. The pupils also completed the Norwich School treasure hunt and found out more about the British educational system. Our pupil ambassadors lived up to our expectations and were excellent hosts. Assumption College school is the third-oldest school in Thailand with a long list of distinguished former pupils including four Prime Minister, fifteen privy counsellors, and three pupils among Thailand's top ten wealthiest and we are looking forward to deepening links with them as time goes on. Both our Schools want ot ensure that every pupil fulfils their potential and become ambitious forces for good wanting to make the world a better place. Pupils on both sides enjoyed the experience and the chance to get to know one another better and I hope that the pupils will keep in touch despite the distance.
The annual History Dinner took place on Friday 1 May, with this year’s theme being ‘revolutions’ from the past. The evening transported over 50 A Level Historians on a journey through time, consuming revolutionary food, listening to revolutionary music, all whilst wearing revolutionary costumes. The catering team did a fantastic job in recreating dishes from times when human beings were foragers, with our very own chefs foraging for the wild garlic and mushroom used in the canapés. The starter and main took guests on an Early Modern adventure, first westwards to try the ceviche of South America, before a superb Hariyali curry from India. We finished off with a modern classic, an upside-down pineapple sponge, in direct reference to the theme of the evening. La Marseillaise & the Hamilton soundtrack featured heavily throughout the event. The pupils’ costumes were an eclectic mix. Chimney sweepers and industrialists ate side-by-side with Soviet revolutionaries and Castro. The wide time span was complete when local heroine Boudicca appeared, as well as tech-revolutionary Bill Gates. The History Dinner continues to grow and is a great way to bring the past to life, as well as giving us a chance to say goodbye to our departing Upper 6 as they go on Study Leave. This was also Dr Farr’s final History Dinner before retirement. A revolutionary in his own right, Dr Farr has taught over 1,000 pupils A-Level History during his long and industrious career. He will be sorely missed and we can’t thank him enough for all he has done at Norwich School, and the History Department in particular.
2026 is National Year of Reading and we are going all in here at Norwich School! We know reading expands worlds, sharpens minds, and fuels creativity, so let's get inspired! Every month we are focusing on a different genre and hearing from a member of staff about what they like to read, why, when and where! Next up we have Crime Fiction for April and a huge fan of this genre, Gillian Wright, Lower School Teacher, is going to tell us a bit about why she loves Crime Fiction so much! Tell us a little bit about the genre; what common themes or elements do you particularly enjoy? I enjoy delving into stories that revolve around secret missions, missing persons, or even a mysterious killer. The suspense, unexpected twists, and deductive reasoning keep me eagerly turning pages until the inevitable surprise ending. These books are often packed with action and clever plotlines that keep readers guessing right up to the final chapter. The most thought-provoking stories are those rooted in real-life situations that readers can relate to, such as The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd. I also enjoy books that take me out of my comfort zone and offer different perspectives on the world, for example T he Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. What was the book that introduced you to crime fiction? Was there a particular book or author that made you fall in love with this genre? The book that first sparked my interest in reading was James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. Although it is not a classic crime novel, it is certainly an exciting and mysterious adventure. Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker clearly display some questionable—if not criminal—behaviour. I suppose my first real exposure to crime fiction came through The Famous Five adventures by Enid Blyton. I loved seeing how a group of children worked together to solve mysteries without any adult help. From that point on, I have always been drawn to stories filled with adventure, mystery, and unexpected twists. I also enjoy a touch of dark humour, which is why I thoroughly enjoyed A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. The books are grim, funny, and strangely addictive. Has your taste in this genre changed over time? No, my taste for crime novels has not changed. Although I do enjoy a good historical novel, I will always return to mysteries and crime as they provide intrigue, twists and those quiet ‘aha’ moments. Most recently, I have enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club mysteries by Richard Osman. Would you recommend this genre to someone who doesn’t usually read it? Why? There is something timeless about a good mystery. It isn’t just about solving crimes or catching the villain; it’s about asking questions, noticing subtle details, and thinking more deeply. In a world dominated by quick scrolling and short attention spans, mystery novels remind us that it’s okay to slow down, immerse ourselves in a story, and truly pay attention. What do you enjoy most about reading, whether crime fiction or anything else? Reading is essential to me; it allows me to step away from the busyness of everyday life and escape into magical and mysterious worlds, while also enabling me to explore new perspectives. Books have the power to evoke a wide range of emotions, from joy and excitement to sadness and tension. I love immersing myself in a new story—being drawn along with the characters, seeing the world through their eyes, and allowing the words to take me on a journey. When and where is your favourite time and place to read?/ Do you have a favourite reading spot or routine for diving into books? I read every night before I go to sleep, as it helps me wind down after a busy day and fully relax. On sunny days, I especially enjoy reading outdoors, whether that’s in the garden or by the pool while on holiday. Which fictional character would you most like to have a cup of tea with? I would love to share a cup of tea with Willy Wonka, as he would likely provide an unusual combination of flavours—perhaps even with a side order of chocolate. Do you tend to reread favourites from this genre or always look for something new? I don’t usually re-read books, although I have returned to Roald Dahl’s stories time and again—mainly to allow my children to experience the joy of his imaginative and magical tales. When was the last time a book from this genre really surprised you? The essence of a good crime or mystery novel is its ability to surprise the reader, and they never fail to leave me guessing. I have never yet managed to work out the final twist of a truly good crime novel. Do you prefer classic or modern books within this genre, and why? I enjoy both. A classic tale by Agatha Christie or a mystery involving Sherlock Holmes is always enjoyable. However, more recent authors, particularly for children, have created some new classics, such as the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz or Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens. Has your taste in books changed over the years? I used to enjoy reading the classics including books by Thomas Hardy and EM Forster. Nowadays, I prefer a lighter read intermingled with more challenging stories. I am always up for a good book recommendation. Why do you think reading is important? Reading for enjoyment can spark the imagination, provide an escape, and inspire creativity. It offers a way to discover new worlds, meet new characters, and learn about the past. Above all, it is an easy, enjoyable, and relaxing way to spend time. If you could step into the world of any book, which would it be and why? If I could step into the world of any book, it would probably be Harry Potter . The incredible creatures, magical adventures, friendships and rivalries, along with the mysteries waiting to be solved, all combine to make these stories so captivating. I would love to try my hand at a few magic spells myself. Having visited the Warner Bros. Studio where Harry Potter was filmed, it was amazing to see the sets and costumes used by the characters. It truly brought the stories to life and felt like a real privilege Click here to see the monthly Reading List!
