Partnerships and Outreach

Since before Covid, Norwich School has been the proud host site of the illustrious Royal Geographical Society (RGS). In that time, we have hosted a range of fabulous speakers: from BAFTA Award winning naturalists to Everest summiters; from naval historians to intrepid explorers; from top brass diplomats to renowned polar scientists. Ours is one of the most active and best supported regions in their network. The regional organisers were therefore extremely excited to have secured the national President of the RGS for a public lecture and social event on site. Not only that, but the speaker was also Director of the British Antarctic Survey. This was a mouthwatering opportunity that fully lived up to expectations. On 10 December 2025, Professor Dame Jane Francis offered profound insights from her personal experience of leading the internationally renowned British Antarctic Survey in her RGS talk entitled ‘On Thin Ice: a Life in the Antarctic”. Professor Francis is the current Director of British Antarctic Survey and in 2017 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. Accompanied by a visually arresting slide deck and compelling delivery, Dame Francis spoke with passion about what she sees happening with her own eyes to this remote and fragile continent, effects with potentially devastating consequences for all human activity on our planet. A packed audience of Fellows of the RGS, friends of the school, pupils, parents, staff and alumni filled the festively decorated school refectory for the talk and for the post-lecture Q&A, during which Norwich School A Level geographer Lea Zegan (L6) plucked up the courage to ask two questions. Afterwards, guests enjoyed a Christmassy reception of mince pies, sausage rolls and fizz to round off a hugely successful and sociable evening. This event concluded Norwich School’s impressive programme of sixteen external public lectures held on site in 2025 in conjunction with partner organisations. The school offers its heartfelt thanks to all involved this year: our valued partners - the RGS, the Norfolk Contemporary Art Society and the Norfolk Cambridge Society - for according us the honour of hosting their events at Norwich School and for securing such stellar speakers; our Sixth Form Community Service helpers including Hetty Holden (U6), Hannah Hodgson (U6), Lea Zegan (L6), Daisy Smith (L6), Caleb Asamoah (L6) and Xander Gooderson (L6) for their valuable out-of-hours assistance; Will Stephenson in our IT Dept for his technical wizardry throughout the year; Gareth Parry and the fabulous catering team for appetising refreshments; our diligent Estates and Bookings Teams for their consummate professionalism; and finally those thousands comprising our loyal, supportive and intellectually curious audiences whose presence has enriched every lecture.

Norwich School is proud of our close links with the Norfolk Cambridge Society, and the school is a host site for their very successful termly lectures. The Society runs its own highly prestigious and rigorous annual essay competition open to any Upper Sixth pupil in the county of Norfolk considering applying to Cambridge University. Norwich School pupils have achieved unparalleled success this year. The following pupils were placed in the Commended category for their contributions – Rosie Pank, Anna Rechel, Melissa Hawkings and Ed Brightwell. Following shortlisting and an interview with the judging panel, the following pupils were placed in the Highly Commended category - Mei McAuley, Georgia Lloyd and Ana Paduraru Tom Irvine was awarded third place for his thought-provoking essay on the capability of medicine to prevent and possibly ‘reverse’ death. Joint winners of the overall competition for 2025 were Arthur Dannatt for his astonishingly complex maths-based essay entitled: What is the Archimedes cattle problem and how can it be solved? And Becky Brown for her album of nine beautiful songs she composed herself – the first time a musical entry has been awarded top prize in the competition’s history. All are pictured with Rob Edwards, Chair of the Norfolk Cambridge Society. We offer huge congratulations from the school community to all of them. Bright academic futures await them all.