NORWICH SCHOOL CELEBRATES THE QUEEN'S PLATINUM JUBILEE

June 2, 2022

As we prepare for a nationwide celebration to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee we thought we would share what we’ve been doing to help our community celebrate this unique occasion.

It all began a few weeks ago when we launched our Jubilee Pudding Competition. We had some truly mouth-watering entries from pupils across the whole school, which made judging very tough for judges Mr Ingham, Ms Bailey and Darren Fitzpatrick and his catering team. However, the overall winner was Harry in Reception, with his ‘Strawberry, Blueberry and Banana Smoothie Jubilee Cake’. His delicious pudding will now be on the Refectory menu for the remainder of this team. Runner up and Senior School winner was Benji in U4, with his recipe ‘The Queen’s Favourite Chocolate Cake’. Pupils throughout the School enjoyed tasting the puddings at a celebratory jubilee lunch which was hosted in the Refectory on the last day before Half Term.

Lower School also celebrated in style with a whole day of fun and activities to mark this unique occasion. Thursday 26th May was a Home Clothes Day with a red, white and blue theme, featuring lots of union jacks and crowns. In the afternoon, pupils enjoyed a carousel of activities including crafting, traditional English sports, a quiz all about the Queen, dancing and singing, including, of course, the National Anthem. There was also a Jubilee parade, where pupils marched through the Lower and Upper Close waving their union flags before returning to school where there was an aerial photo of all children and staff forming the number 70, followed by a traditional English tea party.

In addition, Lower School pupils have used the Jubilee as an opportunity to get creative and have designed a special edition Jubilee tea towel which is being sold to raise money for their chosen charity. They are also working hard on creating crowns, which will be modelled and filmed to be shown as part of the Senior School Fashion Show later this month.

In the Senior School the jubilee was marked with a special assembly in the Cloisters of Norwich Cathedral. The Scouts raised the flag and the School joined in singing the National Anthem. Pupils were also challenged with a Jubilee quiz on the last Friday before the Half Term break.

Beyond Norwich School, we spoke to ON David Reeve (48-57) who was a Chorister at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953 whilst a pupil at Norwich School. He reflected on his experiences and memories of the day. You can watch the interview here.

Jubilee celebrations will continue into next term, with many of the Gather performances incorporating a jubilee theme. L4 pupils have all been given songs by famous British bands or artists through the ages of the jubilee to use as their inspiration for their garden plays and some of the lines at the Fashion Show are jubilee inspired.

In our wider community, the School is re-naming the Outdoor Classroom and School Allotment, so these areas will now be called the Jubilee Wellbeing Garden. In addition, Friends of Norwich School have purchased a pear tree, which will be planted in the School’s allotment and their First Friday Coffee Morning on 10th June will be hosted in the garden.

Whatever you are doing to mark this special occasion for our nation, we hope you have a lovely long holiday weekend and enjoy your celebrations.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Lower 2 Explore the London Sites

By Eleanor Lewis • March 17, 2026

Lower Two enjoyed a successful two‑day residential in London. The trip began with a train journey into the city, followed by an introduction to travelling independently on the Underground. Thirdly, then pupils then visited the London Eye, where many showed great courage in overcoming fears of heights while enjoying panoramic views and identifying key landmarks, including their hostel near St Paul’s Cathedral. Secondly, the children had a wonderful time at the Paddington Experience, where they eagerly joined Paddington in his quest to make the perfect marmalade. Working together, they helped gather ingredients, stirred the mixture with great enthusiasm, and proudly supported Paddington in creating his famous treat. Thirdly, riverboat cruise along the Thames provided further learning, offering insights into London’s architecture and the history of the Great Fire of London. The day concluded with a well‑deserved dinner at Pizza Express. On the second day, the group explored the Tower of London, observing the ravens, viewing the Crown Jewels, and learning about royal life throughout history. A picnic on the grounds offered a relaxed end to the visit. All pupils represented the school admirably and should be proud of their achievements on their first residential.

Choristers Visit London for Evensong with Temple Church Choir

By Eleanor Lewis • March 17, 2026

The Choristers visited London on Wednesday 4 March to sing Evensong with the Temple Church Choir. We left from Norwich train station at 9.30am after a quick rehearsal, and arrived in London in time for lunch at Zizzi. We were then shown around St Paul’s Cathedral and enjoyed testing out the acoustics in the Whispering Gallery. After braving the narrow spiral staircases all the way up to the Golden Gallery, we admired the spectacular views over London. At the end of the tour we had a group photo on an amazing cantilever staircase (used in the Harry Potter films as the way to the Divination classroom), and then walked to the Temple Church. Following a rehearsal with their choir, they all sang Evensong together at 6pm. The standard of singing was breathtaking, a testament to the hard work and dedication these young musicians display on a daily basis. We caught the 8pm train and arrived back in Norwich just before 10pm, tired but happy after a rewarding and fulfilling day. Pupil Highlights: “The whole day was 10/10. I especially enjoyed seeing the spiral staircase in St Paul’s used in the Harry Potter films!” “My favourite part was singing at the Temple Church with the other choir. I also liked the view from the top of St Paul’s Cathedral, even if it was very high up - I’m not great with heights!”

Norwich School Pupils Knit for the Community

By Sonja Mitchell • March 16, 2026

With thanks to an award from the Friends of Norwich School, the Community Knit Club has been busy knitting winter essentials.

The Royal Geographical Society Takes Stock of Fisheries in the Blake Studio!

By Eleanor Lewis • March 16, 2026

Norwich School has had the honour of being the host site for the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) in the East of England since 2019. Ours is an ideal venue for their engaging public talks from renowned experts about the physical, human and environmental world around us. On 16 March 2026 we heard a terrific presentation given by Stephen Akester entitled Rethinking the future of our seas, and what you can do to help. Stephen is a veritable font of all knowledge concerning global fisheries and fish stocks. He is a highly respected expert who advises the World Bank, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, and national governments on fisheries policy. Through comprehensible interpretation of data and up-to-the-minute fishing vessel GPS tracking information, he gave us a compelling and intelligent assessment of world fish stocks and practices. Whilst there are clearly some areas of deep concern, unsustainable practices involving indiscriminate bottom trawling and unregulated industries in offending countries, Stephen also gave an upbeat assessment of areas where sustainable fishing has seen some dramatic recoveries in levels of nutritional, tasty fish that we can land on our dinner plates with a clear conscience. A large audience of pupils, staff, alumni, Fellows of RGS, academics and parents left the talk better informed and hugely impressed by our speaker. His professionalism, steely determination to drive best practice and genuine environmental concern was evident to all, especially when fielding a stimulating Q&A afterwards and over refreshments. Attracted by such ‘fishy’ goings-on, even Budge, the Cathedral Cat, put in a guest appearance, and sat salivating over big tuna on the screen! These RGS talks offer intellectual rigour and great entertainment for professionals/academics and the lay person alike, and are always well worth attending, whatever the topic under discussion. The next talk will be given by accomplished and award-winning wildlife cameraman and director Toby Hough, who is also a proud Old Norvicensian. His credits include work seen on Countryfile, The One Show, Springwatch and numerous BBC wildlife documentaries and travel programmes. His talk promises to be a memorable visual feast! Tickets are on sale here: RGS: Toby Hough - Lemurs to leopards: filming adventures from around the world . All are welcome. It takes place on Thursday 7 May 2026 at 19:30 in the Blake Studio.

Upper 1 Visit Castle Rising

By Eleanor Lewis • March 16, 2026

On 12 March, Upper 1 embarked on a fascinating journey back in time with a visit to Castle Rising, bringing their learning about medieval castles to life. During the trip, the children discovered that Castle Rising Castle is one of the finest surviving examples of a Norman motte and bailey castle in the UK. They learned about the huge earthwork defences that were carefully constructed around the castle, along with the imposing gatehouse and towering stone walls designed to protect it from attack. The children also discovered how a wide moat once completely surrounded the castle, forming a powerful and intimidating barrier that made it extremely difficult for enemies to approach. The drawbridge and portcullis were also vital features in controlling who could enter! Upper 1 learnt about the Murder Hole, a clever defensive feature used by castle guards to drop boiling water, stones, or other objects onto attackers below. The children also explored the remains of the castle kitchen and stepped into the magnificent Great Hall, imagining the feasts, meetings, and celebrations that would once have filled the room. They listened to stories about a bedchamber believed to be one of the most haunted rooms in the UK, explored the original church built 200 years before the castle, and looked at the ruins of the bailey buildings. The trip was a wonderful opportunity for the children to consolidate their learning of life in a medieval castle.

Upper 6 Physics Olympiad

By Eleanor Lewis • March 13, 2026

Upper Sixth Physics pupils recently participated in the British Physics Olympiad hosted by the University of Oxford. The challenge involved answering a series of highly demanding abstract physics problems from beyond the scope of the A Level curriculum. Around 9000 pupils initially took part in the new Olympiad Round 0, with pupils needing to achieve above a threshold score to proceed to Round 1. Over 1800 pupils from 475 schools qualified for Round 1. The following pupils from Norwich School made it through to Round 1 and achieved these excellent results: Emile Verschoor Silver Arthur Dannatt Silver Adit Raje Top Gold Adit Raje's outstanding performance meant that he also qualified for Round 2 of the Olympiad - an exceptional achievement given that only 69 pupils out of the original 9000 made it through. He proceeded to gain a Silver Award in this event, an incredible achievement and recognition that he is one of the top young physicists in the country at problem solving.

Little Roots Allotment Open Afternoon – Beautiful Pots of Colour Were Created!

By Eleanor Lewis • March 13, 2026

On Friday 13 March, the Little Roots Allotment was delighted to welcome parents, grandparents and pupils to the open afternoon. This event gave families the opportunity to look round the evolving gardening space and experience the allotment in its new location. It was wonderful to see many families exploring the allotment and admiring the work that has been done by pupils so far. Pupils had the chance to get their hands dirty and plant their very own spring planters, which they took home— just in time to make the perfect Mother’s Day gift! Surrounded by cheerful flowers and newly emerging vegetables, the afternoon was filled with excitement, creativity, and an appreciation for the beauty of our unique school grounds.

FONS Invests in our Young Entrepeneurs

By Sonja Mitchell • March 12, 2026

The ever-popular Young Chamber participants have launched their businesses and are learning what it takes to be successful.

Fraser Evans (20-25) Selected for GB Hockey Elite Player Development Squad

By Sonja Mitchell • March 11, 2026

The programme helps athletes transition into senior international hockey.

Coming Up at the Crypt - 'Norfolk Suite’ Colour Photographs.

By Eleanor Lewis • March 10, 2026

‘Norfolk Suite’ Colour Photographs 18 April - 1 May 17 April Private Viewing, 18:00 - 20:00 Gallery Open 10am - 5pm. Closed Sundays. The Crypt Gallery, Norwich School. An exhibition of an edit of 50 colour photographs from a period from 2002 to the present of journeys around Norfolk. ‘These are not necessarily landscapes but notes, observations and points of the countryside and towns which I travelled through and stopped at’ There is no entrance fee but the works are for sale in limited editions of 10, prices and sizes on application.