Friday 14 November saw the final Toastmasters meeting of the year. The club is designed to improve public speaking skills amongst members, having received guidance from a member of staff. Toastmasters Club also develops organisation and leadership amongst our pupils, all whilst enjoying a delicious three-course meal from our outstanding catering team. For this final meeting, a black-tie affair, pupils were treated to expert and enthusiastic advice from Mr Pearce. His speech had the audience gripped, and we were all taken on a journey through personal anecdotes and flawless delivery. Mr Pearce’s three ‘P’ tools for mastering the art of public speaking, left our pupils equipped for their time beyond school. Once the guest speaker had finished, it was over to our pupils to respond to impromptu questions in the moment, or deliver their own, pre-prepared speech. Four pupils, Pearl, Ben, Lizzie and Caspar, all did a fantastic job in covering a wide variety of topics. We gained an insight into the thoughts of a shopaholic, the case was made for the best animated film of all time, the importance of humour was broken down, and the illusion of positive hindsight was explored. All four pupils were then evaluated by their peers, a daunting task, but they all rose to the challenge. This year’s cohort have been outstanding in their application and dedication to improving their public speaking and willingness to venture outside of their comfort zone.  There has certainly been a noticeable improvement in their skills from the first meeting in February. I would like to thank them and all staff who have supported the club this year, and wish our pupils all the best in any future endeavours which require the skills they have developed.

"Back to where it all began" was the comment from our guests Ava Gulliver-Jary and Maddy Greenly as they returned to Norwich School to deliver a session on their apprenticeship pathways. Our U6 pupils were treated to an informative and fascinating presentation as part of our weekly FUTURES programme. Ava and Maddy were both sure that university was not the right track for them after A levels. Whilst still at school, they were proactive in seeking options locally, but which offered in-depth training, consistent mentoring, diverse work options and a positive career trajectory. Both were successful in their search for their perfect route: Ava with Smash Marketing and Maddy with AVIVA. Ava's work focus at SMASH Marketing is on client management, social media and marketing, with one day a week spent studying for her foundation degree. Maddy's work/study timetable is similar, but she is part of AVIVA's Global, Corporate & Speciality team, and tasks so far have included insuring arena tours and footballers' limbs! Both were effusive about the benefits of an apprenticeship: learning and on-the-job training, earning a good salary, no student debt, and massive employability credits as they are already in the workplace, doing important work. All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl, but Ava and Maddy were enjoying the social life afforded to them via work and salary, visiting friends at uni at weekends and taking numerous foreign holidays! It was wonderful to welcome Ava and Maddy back to school, looking so well and clearly enjoying and thriving on their apprenticeship programmes. We look forward to watching their career paths develop.