News & Events
Latest News From the Senior and Lower Schools
Lower School News
Upper 1 from Norwich School explored the Cathedral during the Big Bible visit, using the vaulted ceiling to trace major biblical stories. Pupils examined different Bibles, dressed in period costumes, and walked the nave to imagine events such as Jesus calming the storm as the seas parted. They also reflected on creation and prophetic tales while engaging in guided discussion. The morning concluded with a shared prayer for health and happiness for the whole year group, offered together in unity.
Lower 3 pupil, Max Wright, has been selected for the National Children's Orchestra of Great Britain. We hear from Max about this exciting new adventure for him... "I was really happy to find out in October that I’ve been selected to play cello for the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain in 2026. I’ll be in the Projects Orchestra for children aged 8-14, and will take part in two weekends in Birmingham in the Spring and Summer, with additional online activities and webinars, which I’m sure will be a great experience. I’ve only played in string orchestras before, so this is going to be a bit of a change playing in a full orchestra and I can’t wait to meet the other players. I’ll have to learn quite a bit of new music too and new compositions but I’m excited for the challenge! The auditions for NCO are by video and you have to record two contrasting pieces without stopping – I found this harder to do than it sounds. It’s quite difficult to get a good video without too many mistakes! I also had to talk about the music I like playing. There will be lots to learn but I’m really looking forward to it!"
On Thursday 6 November, we were treated to an exceptional Concordia Recital in the Lower School Hall – a delightful showcase of 3 pupils who are excelling in their chosen instrumental studies. The recital opened with Betsy Chaun presenting a thoughtfully curated piano programme that spanned eras and styles. She began her recital with Germaine Tailleferre’s Sonate alla Scarlatti, a charming neoclassical gem whose bright textures and rhythmic playfulness Betsy captured with clarity and poise. Her articulation in the quick passages showed an impressive command for a performer of her age. Next came Richard Clayderman’s A Comme Amour, offering a lyrical contrast to the opening. Betsy’s sensitive phrasing and gentle rubato conveyed a real sense of musical maturity, allowing the melody to sing beautifully above a delicate accompaniment. With Béla Bartók’s Stamping Dance, Betsy shifted gear once again, throwing herself into the percussive rhythms and bold harmonies with confidence and energy. The performance was vibrant and rhythmically assured, a testament to both her technique and her evident enjoyment of the music. Her penultimate piece, Haydn’s Sonata in F Major, Allegro, brought a return to classical elegance. Betsy’s crisp articulation and buoyant tempo captured the composer’s wit and grace, while her dynamic contrasts lent freshness to every phrase. She concluded with Alexis Ffrench’s Last Song, a modern, expressive work that allowed her to show her lyrical side once more. The quiet, reflective ending drew a gentle hush from the audience — a perfect way to close a beautifully balanced programme. Following Betsy’s virtuosic performance, Georgia Cornell du Houx brought a touch of magic to the evening with repertoire for the Harp. Beginning with an excerpt from Christina Perri’s A Thousand Years, Georgia wove familiar melodies into shimmering textures that filled the hall with warmth. Her second piece, Jeremiah Clarke’s Chaconne, was an elegant nod to the Baroque period, performed with remarkable control and poise. The clarity of her finger work and her sensitivity to phrasing demonstrated impressive technical assurance. Georgia concluded with the popular Flower Duet from Delibes’ Lakmé, its graceful harmonies perfectly suited to the harp’s luminous tone. The performance was serene and lyrical — a lovely reminder of the instrument’s ethereal beauty. Our final performer, Moli Li, brought a sense of bright classical refinement to the programme. Her opening work, Clementi’s Spiritoso, sparkled with crisp precision and joyful energy. Moli’s steady tempo and poised dynamics reflected an excellent understanding of classical style. She followed with Kuhlau’s Sonatina in C Major, a piece full of youthful charm and elegant simplicity. Moli’s performance was both disciplined and expressive together with bright energy and clean articulation. The scalic and arpeggio passages flowed effortlessly while maintaining the poise and symmetry so characteristic of Kuhlau’s writing. She captured the conversational quality of the music, phrases exchanged naturally, cadences neatly shaped, and dynamics carefully graded to reveal the movement’s buoyant character. Overall, the recital was a true celebration of young musicianship. Each performer displayed not only skill and dedication but also an authentic love of music. From Baroque dances to contemporary lyricism, the programme offered a wonderful journey through sound — and the audience’s enthusiastic applause made clear that these young artists had left a lasting impression. Head of Music Mr Vine said ‘ what wonderful and spellbinding performances from all 3 of our young artists. Excellent choice of music and delivered with such professionalism and musical brilliance! Bravo to all 3 of you!’
Senior School News
Under the theme of ‘People, Planet, Partnerships’, we were delighted to welcome back on site on 18 November 2025 the fourth Youth Micro-Lectures event. This prestigious annual event is hosted and organised by Norwich School and put on in the Blake Studio in conjunction with the East of England branch of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS). Pupils in Years 10-13 studying geography from around the country were invited to propose topics for short lectures, and the winning five entries were chosen to present in person on the night. Six pupils – Keegan Ansley-Daniels, Bethany Dampier, Gabie Dementjeva and Farah Alwi from Notre Dame High School, Manhaa Islam from Framlingham Earl High School and Lea Zegan (L6R) from Norwich School gave talks on topics they felt passionately about. In ten-minute lectures followed by five minutes of Q&A, we heard about topics as varied as extremes of European weather, the monarch butterfly migration, thoughts on an Antarctic economy, stories behind the Gaza headlines and the human price of clothes. An audience of their peers, Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society, Old Norvicensians, teachers, parents and friends of Norwich School heard talks of great insight, commitment and hope, and our presenters fielded all questions fired at them with maturity and aplomb. The evening was hosted with characteristic panache by our very own Dr Anthony Speca, himself a Fellow of the RGS. The event’s honorary Chair, back for his fourth successive year, was Professor Tim O’Riordan OBE DL FBA, Emeritus Professor of Environmental Sciences at the UEA. He pulled together all the varied strands with perceptive and generous reflections addressed to our speakers in his closing remarks. Huge thanks to our six intrepid presenters for giving us such a fascinating and enjoyable evening. They can be very proud of their performances on the night, inspiring us all that the planet will be in good hands when this generation becomes environmental leaders. Our next RGS talk on site is taking place on Wednesday 10 December 2025 and comprises a public lecture and social event. The talk is entitled: On thin ice: a life in the Antarctic to be given by Professor Dame Jane Francis. We are indeed fortunate to have a speaker of the highest calibre on site for this talk: Professor Dame Jane Francis, Director of British Antarctic Survey. In 2017 Prof Francis was appointed a Dame in recognition of services to UK polar science and diplomacy. She became Chancellor of the University of Leeds in 2018, and was elected national President of the Royal Geographical Society in 2024. This event will comprise the talk itself from Jane Francis who will reflect on about her own life in polar research and provide valuable insights into cutting edge research underway in the Antarctic, as well as discussing the region’s many and varied threats. After Q&A, the event becomes more social, with festive with drinks and canapés, offering the chance to meet our speaker and audience members with a shared interest in our planet and its peoples. Doors open 7pm and the lecture will start at 7.30pm and is held in the school refectory at Norwich School. Booking link: On thin ice: a life in the Antarctic . This will be a popular event, so please book ahead. All are welcome.
To celebrate Oscar Lawrence (M5) journey in wildlife journalism and photography, especially with the news of his own column in Norfolk Magazine in 2026, we asked him some questions. What is the best part about writing for Norfolk Wildlife Trust? Tricky - there's so much to love about it. When I write my introductions, I use a couple of purely descriptive paragraphs designed to whisk the reader away into the midst of nature. When I proofread them, the experiences I've had with that species or place come flooding back, and I can remember every last detail of an encounter. And that's a great feeling. Which is your favourite piece? Why? My first ever commission from the Norfolk Wildlife Trust was fantastic. I was challenged with writing about a visit to Hickling Broad on World Swallowtail Day, and when I arrived I was so worried that I would get good photos, or my writing wouldn't be good enough. And by the end of that 3-hour walk, I felt so many thoughts buzzing round my head from the day that I couldn't wait to note down. I was already gripped, and it proved to me that journalism could be an incredibly rewarding passion as well as work. How do you explore your passions for wildlife photography and journalism at Norwich School? Writers' Bloc! Both a fantastic club and a fantastic play on words, I get the majority of my articles done in this relaxed, go-with-the-flow type space. I feel that in this environment I can switch off from everything else that's going on and invest wholly in my writing. How has Norwich School helped you/Supported you on your journey? I've told a good few teachers about my work as a writer, and their motivational and complimentary feedback has driven me to keep going. It has made me feel like what I'm doing can change people's attitudes, and help them see nature in a new and beautiful light. How has your journalism and photography progressed over the years? My writing has changed a whole lot! When I started this as a columnist, I felt I could just go with the flow and however much waffle is left in, it doesn't really matter as people will just skim through it. These days, I try to make every sentence, indeed every word, an immersive experience for my audience to keep them hooked the whole way through. When you write for more prominent news outlets, there's far more to consider about how you pitch your writing: do you go analytical and scientific, or creative and awe-inspiring? It's a difficult balance to strike. There is only so much you can read up about photography. My philosophy with that art has always been "learn by doing", and it seems to have worked alright so far. It was a big leap to switch from Automatic to Manual mode, but I've learnt so much by making the change. From a general skill-building perspective, my reflexes have certainly improved, as I leap for the shutter when a rare bird shoots past. What would you say to any budding journalists? Any tips? There's a lot to be said about this, and everyone will have different views on what the best policy is. But I don't have a set structure and I don't feel the need to bolster every sentence with rhetorical devices. The bottom line is, if you can read a line back to yourself and feel wonder, then it's a line well written. With creative pieces, your prose should motivate an emotive response throughout, leaving the reader flushed with excitement, sympathy and everything in between. You won't get to the level you want to be at without reading the experts' material. If you're lost, just skimming an RSPB article can give you tons of new ideas and vocabulary, even if it isn't about whatever topic you are covering. Finally, be self-conscious. As I write this, I am worried that I'm using "I'm" and "you're" far too many times, and that my answers aren't set out in an engaging way. As you write more and more, you will teach yourself to overanalyse what is on the page, which whilst mentally exhausting at times, means you can self-check without any bias. Essentially, if a sentence gives you (and I hate this phrase) the "ick" even slightly, then don't use it. Because the audience will feel that way too. Tell us about your column in Norfolk Magazine? (Which begins in January 2026) An amazing opportunity to say the least. I honestly couldn't believe I'd been accepted to write for the mag, and I was even more pleased to see the gusto with which they did accept me. I will have a column writing about the best Norfolk days out in nature for the first 6 months of 2026, after which point I will probably still drop in the occasional article. Currently, I have sent off my first article about the stunning Burnham Overy Dunes, and am working on another for the February edition. What's next for you? It would be awesome to lead some more tours, which I will do at Cley Marshes for Norfolk Wildlife Trust. After a successful walk this summer featuring such avian delights as green sandpipers, spoonbills and snipe, I am reassured that any other tours will be just as jam-packed with wildlife. My next will be in February, when I shall probably lead a trek down Cley Bank in search of snow buntings and velvet scoters. In terms of writing, I aspire to work-experience with some of the "big league" newspapers in London, and hopefully work shadowing some tours by e.g. Naturetrek or Oriole Birding to start with. What's the dream? With all these new technologies, surveillance and whatever unemployment problems AI will cause, the future is as worrying a prospect for me as it is for many others. AI can do so much in the way of data organisation, so I sorely hope that 20 years from now, readers will still value the investment and human experiences I convey in my writing. I want to spend as much time in nature as I possibly can throughout my life, and if I can make wildlife into part of my job, my dreams will truly be fulfilled. Let us hope that my heartfelt and awe-inspired stories will still interest the audience of the future.
Norwich Cathedral Choir has released a brand-new album showcasing a selection of carols that has been recorded to celebrate the festive season - Lord of the Dance: Christmas Carols from Norwich Cathedral. The album was released on Friday 7 November on all major streaming platforms and features the choir singing 20 carols ranging from Away in a Manger to The First Nowell and Sussex Carol. In addition, the album is available in CD format from Norwich Cathedral’s gift shop for an introductory price of £10. This was recorded in Norwich Cathedral’s Nave in June this year, with the choir joined by music ensemble Onyx Brass and David Dunnett who retired as the Cathedral organist this summer after an incredible musical tenure of 29 years. Norwich Cathedral’s Master of Music Ashley Grote, who conducted the choir during the recording, said: “I'm really thrilled with our new Christmas album, Lord of the Dance, which is a collection of some of the best-loved carols, some in new arrangements. The combination of the Cathedral Choir, the newly rebuilt organ, along with award-winning ensemble Onyx Brass is a very special sound. It was wonderful to work on this project with Norwich-based independent record label Deux-Elles Classical Recordings; they have managed to capture a sense of what it is like to be in Norwich Cathedral at Christmas time. I hope that the album will bring a lot of joy to people this Christmas!”
Blog
You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48) Our assemblies this week have had a bit of a theme. As well as marking Armistice Day on Tuesday, we have had some Remembrance hymns, and we heard Dr Boutemy telling us about a member of her family who was displaced and relocated around Europe during wartime. I want to round off this week with a thought about the Bible passage we’ve just heard, where Jesus told his listeners to ‘love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’ Because during Remembrance, after the fighting and the fallen have been remembered, people of faith have one further thing to think about – forgiveness. I want to mention three memorials to the idea of Loving Your Enemies that you can find in and around this cathedral. The first is the most famous. If you were to head all the way down to the East End of the cathedral, into the military chapel of St Saviour’s and through a door on the right, you would arrive outside at the grave of Edith Cavell. Many of you will know that she was a nurse in the First World War; you may also know that, according to her Christian principles, she treated wounded soldiers whatever side they were on. She was eventually sentenced to death for helping Allied Troops escape occupied Belgium. The words she said to a visiting chaplain on the night before her execution have become famous: “Standing as I do in view of God and Eternity, I realise that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.” Edith Cavell was a Norfolk girl who became a famous Englishwoman, but in the end she saw herself as a member of the human family. That’s the cathedral’s first example of someone who forgave her enemies. The second example is much closer. If you look on the pillar wall just down here where the prefects are standing, you can see a plaque in memory of Alan Webster. He was the forward-thinking dean of Norwich Cathedral in the 1970s, and he introduced a number of things that we now take for granted – for instance, the idea of having toilets in the cathedral and opening up Riverside Walk. In many different ways he made Cathedral Close more welcoming. After Norwich he was made the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, which meant that at the end of the Falklands War in 1982, he was the person organising the service to mark the occasion. He was not content to make it a one-sided victory parade; instead he wanted to include prayers for the defeated Argentinians and he proposed having the Lord’s Prayer in Spanish as a gesture of reconciliation. At the time a lot of people disagreed with these ideas, but they came from his determination to love the enemy. The third example comes from the person I think you’re least likely to have heard of. If you were to go through that archway under the organ, you would find a small chapel with a small altar. And on that altar, the cathedral keeps copies (for visitors to take away) of a prayer found written on a scrap of paper in Ravensbruck Concentration Camp in Germany. It was written by prisoner number 31,795. It is a prayer of extraordinary grace, and it goes like this: O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will but also those of ill will. But do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted upon us; remember the fruits we have borne thanks to this suffering – our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of all this. And when they come to the judgement, let all the fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness. Amen. This prisoner prays – quite counterintuitively – for the people who are treating her with cruelty. She doesn’t just forgive them in this life; she prays for them to be forgiven in the life to come, because the suffering of the prisoners has, in one way, been positive; it has allowed them to grow in character and spirit. I don’t quite know how these three people – Edith Cavell, Alan Webster and a less famous wartime prisoner – were able to show love to people it would be much easier to hate. And I also wonder how much difference it will make to us the next time we are annoyed, injured or inconvenienced by someone – and that will be probably be today. But I do know that when we’re in here, we are in a place that takes seriously the ambition to love our enemies.
In October half term, Freddie and Arthur Dannatt travelled to Sierra Leone to take part in the marathon for Street Child, as well as seeing some of the charity's brilliant work. Arthur and Freddie commented; "Of course we expected to be impressed by the work of Street Child but we were blown away by the scale and spirit of it. The day we spent visiting families receiving enterprise support from Street Child in the Kroo Bay-a slum of Freetown; and our day visiting ‘first ever’ schools Street Child had built in remote villages outside Kenema - will stay with us for a very long time. The marathon will also stay with us a long-time! It was so beautiful, totally shattering and great fun! Finally, although we came primarily to run the Sierra Leone marathon and to visit the work of Street Child - we also want to say how beautiful Sierra Leone is! Tokeh fishing beach is incredible. The landscape everywhere is stunning. We also visited the former slave fort at Bunce Island which was both fascinating, and horrifying . You don’t need a marathon to justify a visit to Sierra Leone - it is amazing!!" To find out more or donate click here
No one is perfect; making mistakes is part of our growth. Instead of crumbling under the weight of regret, as difficult as it might sometimes seem, we should try to learn from every experience. So often we slip up, do things that get us in trouble or make us feel silly and we see it as a massive error, and can even spiral into dark and dreadful mental places. Today I want to convince you that mistakes are not just normal – they are essential. In fact, some of the best things in life started off with someone doing something wrong. The Bible encourages us to turn our failures into stepping stones for improvement. This transformation requires a willingness to reflect, ask for guidance, and lean on God for wisdom through our struggles. We can all develop greater strength and character when we commit to learning from the errors we all make. Illustrating this point is not too difficult as things go wrong all the time. Just the other day I walked into the packed common room at breaktime, only for a colleague to point out that I was wearing my jumper inside out. It turned out to be back to front as well. There are of course several personal anecdotes I could use, but instead let’s look at some other examples… My favourite piece of stationery came about in the world due to a mistake. You've probably all used these items at one point or another, for revision or making lists. In the 1960s, a scientist called Dr Spencer Silver was working on creating a super-strong adhesive glue. What he actually made was... the exact opposite; a glue so weak it could barely hold paper together. His colleagues initially laughed at him and dismissed his efforts, and probably went onto invent something ostensibly much better….But then someone had the genius idea of using this pathetic looking non sticky glue for bookmarks, and the Post-It note was born. In 1999, NASA lost its Mars Climate Orbiter because one engineering team made their calculations using imperial units (inches/pounds) while another team used metric units (centimetres/kilograms). This was very silly. The spacecraft entered Mars’ atmosphere too low and disintegrated. This maths mistake cost a whopping $125 million. But it led to better communication protocols in space engineering. In 1928, Dr Alexander Fleming – a Scottish surgeon who was famously untidy, went on holiday and left a dirty petri dish out by mistake. Many of you know what happened next. This was pretty normal for him – his experiments took place in a tiny little turret room in St Mary’s hospital, London. He had around 30-40 plates of bacteria on his bench, sourced from infected hospital patients, and when he returned from his trip, he noticed, as he inspected the staphylococcus bacteria, that something had changed – mould was now growing on it. Noticing that the mould seemed to be preventing the bacteria around it from growing, he started experimenting, and soon identified that this mould produced a self-defence chemical that could kill bacteria. There is a far more technical word for this but I will refer to it as mould juice. He'd discovered penicillin - the first antibiotic. Well, this mistake has saved lives – an estimated 500 million lives in fact. You'll make mistakes - we all do. In your studies, in your singing, in your tests and in class; (maybe even before class) in your relationships; in your hairstyle choices even. They won’t feel good at the time, especially when made in public. Think about how embarrassing and inconvenient it is when you leave your lanyard at home. But it's important not to fear them. Most are solvable and most lead to learning opportunities. They’re brain gold. They’re how you grow. Because mistakes don’t mean “stop”. They mean you’re exploring, you’re trying. Mistakes are indeed lessons. The Bible provides a robust framework for understanding the human experience. Through its various books and verses, it offers insights into the nature and consequences of making mistakes, and urges us to push on and to ensure that we live life to its fullest, despite our imperfections. I also think that trusting in God allows us to learn valuable lessons from our mistakes – in the book of Proverbs (chapter 3, verses 5-6) which is a collection of brilliant little pockets of wisdom and advice, the writer tells us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”. Instead of relying on our flawed and human understanding, we can seek His wisdom and grace which guides us towards better choices in the future.
Meet the Team
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