The City Schools Cross Country at Redmayne serves as the qualifying round for the Norfolk Schools Championships that will take place early next term. Runners need to finish in the top 10 of their respective races, against runners from eight city-based schools, to make it through to the next round. On Monday we had thirteen hopefuls from L4 to M5 who were aiming to do just that. This year six of our runners were successful in qualifying. Conditions were perfect for running laps on the flat, slightly muddy course. In the Year 7 boys' race, Jonty Croskell ran consistently to finish 12th while Joshua Bevan came home in 4 th place.  In the Intermediate girls' Lydia Hendry ran strongly but we had two qualifiers with Nona Griffiths finishing 7 th and Emi Muntingh 3rd. In the intermediate boys, Riccardo Di Maria secured his place in the County round by coming 7th. The rest of the team ran well with Harry Kensell 12th, Albie Cater 16th, Jonas Tam 19 th and Rory Normanton 26th. The performance of the day came from Ruby Ivie who won her race looking extremely comfortable. Against some very strong Senior boys, Noah Buchan ran with determination to come 10th. Well done to those runners who qualified for the County round, which will take place at Wymondham College in mid-January.

Beavers (U1 and L2) have had a brilliant and varied term, packed with hands-on adventures. They’ve enjoyed valuable time on the water as they begin their Sea Scouting journey, building confidence, and learning how to stay safe afloat. On land, they’ve explored simple cooking skills, tackled early map work, celebrated Diwali, and followed clues on an exciting treasure hunt. They’ve also looked to the night sky with some early astronomy, tested their engineering skills with paper-tower building, and got stuck into Bushcraft activities outdoors. The term ends, of course, with the all-important Christmas party – a chance to celebrate everything they’ve achieved together. Cubs (U2-U3) have embraced a mix of outdoor adventure and creative learning. They’ve spent plenty of time on the water in canoes, kayaks, and SUPs, as well as trying archery, biking, fire cooking, knots and wide games. We carved pumpkins, celebrated Diwali, and marked Remembrance Day with a Poppy Challenge and a hands-on trench-warfare activity. A highlight was the visit to Pets at Home, where Cubs learned what it’s like to be a vet and how to care for different animals. More recently, they’ve been busy with Christmas sewing projects, and we’re all looking forward to finishing the term with a festive campfire and Christmas party. Scouts (L4-L5) have taken on a lively mix of patrol challenges – biking, whittling, wide games and the ever-popular Great Lego Egg Race. As a Sea Scout troop, they’ve also made the most of time afloat with kayaking, SUP and rowing sessions. We rounded things off in true 8th style with our legendary Christmas Jumper Jaunt – a festive, energetic end to a term full of teamwork and skills for life. Explorers (M5-U6) have also had a packed term. They’ve taken to SUPs, canoes and kayaks with growing confidence, and even braved some wild swimming while learning key survival skills, including recognising and responding to cold-water shock – essential knowledge for any Sea Scout. Back on land, they’ve built and managed fires, strengthened teamwork, cooked curries and even plucked partridge. Our new Explorer badge clinic has launched, introducing the wide range of badges and top awards available, alongside inspiring discussions about Explorer Belt expeditions. After plotting and problem-solving their way out of Escape the Paddock, the term finishes with our 8th Christmas Party – a great end to a busy and ambitious programme.  Across all this, our Young Leaders (M5-U6) have played a vital role. They’ve consistently supported section meetings, putting the skills they’re learning into action by helping our adult volunteers deliver exciting, safe and engaging sessions. Their contribution has strengthened the programme for our younger sections while giving them valuable leadership experience in return.

During their Monday morning visit to Broadland Lodge Care Home on December 8, four of our L6 community service pupils brought a touch of festive spirit by decorating Christmas baubles alongside the residents. The opportunity came about as part of our new community service programme, where of our Lower Sixth formers give up roughly an hour a week of their time to help in the community. This placement is a new offering for us this year, and has already become a much loved part of the weekly routine. Thanks to our partnership with Kelly at Friend in Deed, we have been able to establish a regular Monday morning visit around breakfast time - something both pupils and residents look forward to. Mrs Hill, who joined the group this week, remarked on how uplifting it was to see so many residents eager to get involved so early in the day. For the pupils, the experience has been just as rewarding. " It's the highlight of my week ," said Ava (L6), while Olivia (L6) added, " It's a great way to start the week, chatting with residents about Christmas ." There were many heart-warming moments, including one from Mary, who carefully wrote " Merry Christmas Carol " on her bauble and gifted it to a resident - a simple gesture that clearly meant a great deal. As the term comes to an end, our Lower Sixth pupils are taking the time to reflect on the connections they've built and the joy their Monday mornings at Broadland Lodge have brought. This new partnership has become a meaningful and memorable part of their community service journey, offering valuable insights and experiences that will stay with them beyond the classroom.

Members of the Upper 3 Chamber Choir delighted residents at Abbeyfields with a beautifully curated programme of Christmas music, filling the home with warmth, nostalgia, and joy. A standout moment of the morning came with Zoe Asamoah’s breathtaking solo in Once in Royal David’s City. Her poised and expressive delivery set a magical tone for the performance and was met with heartfelt applause from both residents and staff. The Chamber Choir followed with a selection of well-loved traditional carols, including Silent Night, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, and Away in a Manger. The residents sang with joy and gusto, creating shared celebration and seasonal reflection. Bringing something fresh to the festive programme, the choir also introduced a contemporary Christmas piece, Sweet Silent Night. Its shimmering harmonies and peaceful mood captivated everyone and left a lasting impression.  The visit proved to be a meaningful experience for everyone involved one that celebrated music, community and the simple joy of giving time to others. The Upper 3 Chamber Choir left Abbeyfields with full hearts, knowing they had brought a little extra light to the residents’ day.

Upper 1 had a wonderful time visiting the Cathedral this week as part of their learning about the Advent Story and the Christmas Story. The trip offered a special opportunity for the children to deepen their understanding of these important Christian celebrations. During the visit, the children took part in an interactive Christmas Journey, where they re-enacted the special Bible stories of Christmas and the journey to Bethlehem. Moving around the Cathedral, they brought the narratives to life through characterised storytelling and drama, with plenty of enthusiastic dressing-up along the way! This immersive experience helped the children connect more meaningfully with the people, places and events at the heart of the festival.  The visit also included a creative craft workshop, where the children made their own matchbox mangers to take home. This thoughtful activity encouraged them to reflect on the Nativity in a hands-on and imaginative way.

Running in the winter has never looked better with these new, lightweight bibs.

Lower School pupil, Ethan, has been incredibly busy raising money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. "As everyone knows - I love rugby! When I heard the news about Lewis Moody - I decided I wanted to raise money for the MND association. I took inspiration from Kevin Sinfield who does 7 ultra marathons in 7 days. I decided to ride my bike for 7 days doing 1 mile a day! My initial target was £100. We changed it to £500 and now my total is sitting at £721!! I was further invited by the MND association to run an extra mile with Kevin during his current 7 in 7 on Mon 1 December in Ipswich. I was also interviewed by Anglia TV!" Congratulations to Ethan for his amazing efforts! If you would like to support him further please click here!

During the half-term holiday, a group of U6 art scholars travelled to the beautiful capital city of Denmark, Copenhagen. It was a wonderful trip, packed with gallery visits, sight-seeing, museums, food and shopping! A great bonus to this trip that we all enjoyed was the location of our hotel. We stayed on the Nyhavn: a canal which is lined with colourful houses on both sides, giving us a beautiful view from our rooms and easy access to fantastic restaurants. As this trip was filled with artists, I am sure this view was subject to all of our cameras. On my favourite day, we visited the MACA museum, in which I was thrilled to see many reproductions of Banksy’s work, with the exhibition showcasing the evolution of his career. Following this we took a walk along the Langelinie Pier, on our way to the Design Museum, seeing the statue of the Little Mermaid and passing the stunning Kastellet fortress and The Marble Church. We then visited the National Gallery, before trying the famous Gasoline Grill burgers for dinner, which I can confirm were worth the hype. We finished the day with an exciting climb of the Round Tower, which gave us a perfect view of the city at night. The Round Tower is the oldest functioning observatory building in Europe and the night we visited, it was open to the public – it was built to enable astronomers from the University of Copenhagen to gaze at the stars far above the lights and the smoke of the city, and some of us had a look through the incredible telescope at the simply stunning city vista. Another great day began with us being given free time; a few of us used this to explore the city using only a paper map, and our digital cameras. We then visited Kunsthal Charlottenborg, one of the largest exhibition spaces for contemporary art in Northern Europe, followed by the Danish Architecture Centre; extremely useful to some 3D students looking to pursue architecture as a career. The best bit for many was the permanent exhibition – a 40-metre, 4-story spiral slide down which most of us dared throw ourselves. A final highlight was on our last day which was dedicated to shopping and exploring Copenhagen’s extensive number of shops and bakeries! These pastries were another level! A huge thank you to Mr Passam, Mrs Curtis and Mr Cann, who made this trip so wonderful! - Alice Strike, U6

This half term has been an exceptional one for Girls’ Hockey at Norwich School, with teams across every age group demonstrating determination, teamwork and impressive progress on the pitch. Juniors (U12 & U13) The U12s have risen brilliantly to every challenge, competing in a series of highly competitive fixtures. Their confidence, technical skill and match understanding have grown week by week. A standout achievement was qualifying for the Regional Finals in Stamford—a fantastic reward for their hard work and enthusiasm.  Our U13 squads have also enjoyed a superb half term: The U13A team produced several excellent performances, including a commanding 6–0 win over Beeston and qualification for the East Regional Finals in Ipswich. The U13B side impressed with an outstanding 11–0 victory against Beeston and a strong 3–0 win over Norwich High School for Girls. Inters (U14 & U15) The Inter teams have shown steady development this half term, competing in a number of close, exciting fixtures. The U14A team secured notable wins over Framlingham College and Ipswich School, while the U14B squad celebrated a convincing victory against Felsted and a well-earned draw with Gresham’s. The U15s have made significant progress, recording strong wins against Felsted and Woodbridge, alongside a determined draw against Gresham’s. Seniors (1XI, 2XI, 3XI) The Senior teams have also enjoyed a highly successful half term. The 3rd XI showed impressive grit and resilience, highlighted by an excellent 5-1 win against Felsted. The 2nd XI have been superb, losing only one match so far, with a standout 1-0 victory over Gresham’s. The 1st XI continue to build week after week, delivering a series of strong performances including a 6–0 win over Felsted, 7-0 against Langley School, and a confident 2-0 win over Woodbridge. With such strong performances across all age groups this half term, the future of Girls’ Hockey at Norwich School looks incredibly bright. We look forward to carrying this momentum into the next stage of the season.