PARENTS AND PUPILS ENJOY AN AMAZING RANGE OF TALENT AT THE AMNESTY VARIETY EVENING

May 30, 2022

This year’s Amnesty Variety Evening took place on 20 May, in support of two fantastic charities; English Plus, which supports refugees in Norwich by helping them to learn English, make friends and find a home here, and The Nandana Werapitiya Village Trust, which supports a Sri Lankan village with funds to purchase basic food stuffs and educational material.



The show was introduced by the evening’s hosts, Flossy Wilks and Ann Kalu. It began with a bang: Nandana Werapitiya’s stunning performance of Sri Lankan percussion! The Sri Lankan theme carried on with the following act, a graceful and thought-provoking dance by the Amnesty Senior Dance Troupe. Niroshika Werapitiya then took to the stage with a captivating Sri Lankan classic dance solo. This was followed by this year’s Junior Amnesty Dance Troupe, made up of children who have recently arrived in Norwich and Norwich School pupils, performing to a Megan Trainer song, superbly choreographed by Moya Adams. 


The next portion of the night began with the wonderful Many Voices, Norwich School’s very own community choir. Introduced by Amy Griffiths, the choir sang two beautiful songs: Blinded by Your Grace and By Your Side. Amy Griffiths then returned to the stage with the Kings of Leon song Use Somebody, accompanied on the piano by Will Thomas.

A short interval followed, during which the audience enjoyed some refreshments and purchased numerous raffle tickets. There were also presentations of bouquets, and confirmation of the £2,175.00 that the staff sponsored cycle ride had raised earlier this month. The school had offered to match-fund this total, so both charities received this impressive amount.


The draw for the raffle opened the second part of the show. All prizes were sustainably produced and locally sourced, vegan, and cruelty free, purchased by the Amnesty community service group. After a highly amusing raffle draw, the first act was Alastair Wyllie who brought the house down with his saxophone performance, accompanied by Adam Chillingworth. Will Thomas took to the stage once again, this time with his fabulous - and impressively improvised - jazz piano, and Izzy Routledge then led a powerful group dance piece from her independent study about feminism.


Izzy returned, accompanied by Gracie Brand, and together they performed an energetic dance to Jail House Rock.

With the evening nearing its end, the talented Issy Rushen sang two beautiful songs: Times are hard for dreamers and A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square, with Adam Chillingworth accompanying her on the piano. A tribute to Ukraine followed, highlighting the charity English Plus and the vital work that they do to support all refugees in Norwich, as well as thanking those families who are already acting as hosts to Ukrainian people. Closing the show was the band Hang Fire, who sang two original songs and finished the night with Oasis’s Wonderwall, which got the whole room singing. 


Flossy and Ann wound up the show with a massive thank you to the esteemed guests, the L6 catering team, the technician Matthew Simpson, and the backstage crew. A huge thank you also went to the hard-working Refugee Support community service group, without whom the Variety Evening could not have happened. A final thanks went to the amazing Mr Bedford-Payne, the leader of the Community Service groups, and the backbone of the school’s Amnesty group. The evening was a huge success, raising funds and awareness for two amazing charities. Thank you to all who attended, performed and helped out. 


By Eleanor Lewis June 19, 2025
On Sunday 22 June, Thomas Irvine (L6) will compete in a triathlon to raise money for cancer research! To celebrate this incredible challenge, we asked him a few questions... How long have you been training for this triathlon? I’ve been training since the beginning of the year but I’d say I’ve been really focusing on it since the end of the hockey season 3 months ago as I was very busy with hockey before. What's been the biggest challenge for you? The biggest challenge for me has been the swimming training. Before entering the triathlon I had never swam competitively before so getting my swimming to the required level has been by far the greatest challenge. Have you ever done anything like this before? I have been a fan of running for a while but I have never competed in any sort of triathlon before so this will definitely be a new experience. How are you feeling about the event? I would say I am feeling confident for the event and feel I have prepared sufficiently. I have had 2 open water sessions this week in Whitlingham lake to get used to open water series and am now feeling better prepared for the swim. What are your hopes for this fundraiser? I really just want to make the biggest difference I can to help prevent cancer. I am hoping to raise as much money as possible for Cancer Research UK as cancer is an important issue currently affecting my family. I have set a target of £1000 but it would mean the world if we were able to exceed it as it would be great to be able to make a significant contribution towards the amazing research Cancer Research UK are doing. If there is any opportunity to contribute towards finding a cure for this disease, I am a firm believer we should take it. To find out more click here!
By Sonja Mitchell June 19, 2025
Emma is an Olympic medalist, world champion and campaigner who is launching her new book and memoir. Visit Emma at any of the below venues this summer.
By Eleanor Lewis June 18, 2025
On a beautiful sunny morning in the gardens of Abbeyfields in Norwich, the air was filled with music, laughter, and heartwarming moments as pupils from our Infant Choirs, School Choir, and Chamber Choir came together to delight the residents with a special summer performance. The morning began with the Infant Choirs , who charmed the audience with a selection of songs from their recent musical production Whiz Wham Alakazam. Their energy and enthusiasm brought smiles all around, and their rendition of My Favourite Things from The Sound of Music was met with warm applause from the residents. Next, the Chamber Choir took to the stage with poise and harmony, performing the fun piece Whisper and beautiful Dream Big. Their mature vocals and emotive delivery created a peaceful and uplifting atmosphere that resonated deeply with the residents.  Bringing the performance to a vibrant close, the School Choir delivered a dynamic version of Africa by Toto, filling the garden with rhythm, joy, and the spirit of summer and a little bit of tropical rainforest! The event was a true celebration of music and community, with children and residents sharing in the joy of live performance under a clear blue sky. It was a memorable morning that captured the essence of summer and the power of music to bring people together.
By Sonja Mitchell June 17, 2025
Alice-Lily has a busy summer planned at some of the region's biggest festivals and venues.
By Eleanor Lewis June 16, 2025
On Thursday 12 June, Lower 3 pupils took a vibrant journey into the world of Bollywood with a fun-filled workshop that blended music, dance, and artistic expression. The pupils dressed in traditional Bollywood attire, complete with dazzling costumes, jingling bells, and flowing scarves. All of the skills they developed were brought together in a routine to Ed Sheeran's "Sapphire”. Alongside the dance segment, pupils showcased their artistic talents through a variety of arts and crafts activities creating their own rangolis with a range of materials. The creative process allowed them to immerse themselves in the cultural vibrancy of the theme. To finish up the entire year group came together to showcase their dance skills. The workshop was not only a celebration of Bollywood but also an opportunity for Lower 3 to embrace creativity, build confidence, and experience the joy of performance.
By Sonja Mitchell June 16, 2025
Many congratulations to Will and his partner who came 5th overall, and finished the event by winning the medal race!
By Sonja Mitchell June 16, 2025
Congratulations to Kit for winning the German Jazz Prize in the piano/keyboard category.
By Sonja Mitchell June 16, 2025
It was a pleasure to see so many ONs at our recent ON v School fixture.
By Eleanor Lewis June 16, 2025
There was a buzz in the air as Upper Four pupils gathered for a lively afternoon of book discussion, marking the culmination of many weeks of dedicated reading. Pupils had explored a wide range of titles from the prestigious Carnegie Book Award shortlist, alongside contenders from the Norfolk and Suffolk School Library Association’s Lightning Lit Awards. The event opened with a thoughtful address from Mr Douglas-Field, who reflected on the experience of reading books chosen by others. He shared how stepping outside his usual preferences had been both surprising and rewarding, encouraging pupils to embrace the unfamiliar in their own reading - and wider - choices. Staff from across the school — including Mathematics, Learning Support, and PPD — joined colleagues from the Library and English departments to lead discussion groups, highlighting how reading for pleasure is embraced well beyond the classroom and across the Norwich School staff community. Seven books were discussed in total, sparking a range of thoughtful opinions and lively debate. The most popular title overall was Camp Killer by Cynthia Murphy, a Lightning Lit shortlisted book, while pupils’ favourite from the Carnegie list was King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore, appreciated for its humour and relatable characters.  The afternoon offered a valuable opportunity for pupils to share ideas, reflect on different stories, and hear a variety of perspectives — a fitting and rewarding way to round off a term of reading and literary exploration.
By Eleanor Lewis June 14, 2025
On Saturday 14 June, Head of Sports Science, Cate Norton took part in the Norfolk Superheroes Challenge, a charity quadrathlon event which is held once a year in June which includes - swimming (1 mile), kayaking (4 miles), cycling (45 miles) and running (8 miles). Cate completed this in a brilliant 6 hours and 8 minutes and raised £1,455 for Norfolk Community Foundation's A Better Childhood. A Better Childhood invests in local communities, supporting parents in providing stable and nurturing environments. When asked about the challenge, Cate Norton said - "Really proud to have finished the Norfolk Superhero Challenge on Saturday 14 June. It was a super hot day, but the support of my family and the crowd kept us going. Thanks to everyone for their support and donations." Find out more about the challenge here!
More Posts