This week we are spotlighting STEMM at Norwich School and caught up with some inspiring ON’s who discussed where studying a STEMM subject at the school has taken them in their careers!

Wian Stipp – (11-18)

Wian attended Norwich School between 2011-2018 and studied both Maths and Further Maths during his A-Levels. 

Did you study Maths, Further Maths or both?

I studied both!

What did you go on to do when you left Norwich School? Where?

I pursued a BSc in Mathematics and Economics at the London School of Economics. During my time there, I learned how to program and became involved with AI start-ups – initially with Lanterne, based in London, and subsequently with Evidium, based in San Francisco.

Where in the world are you based?

I’m currently based in San Francisco, USA.

Where has your career taken you so far?

I joined Evidium in 2020 as a Founding Engineer, just as the company was getting of the ground. The following year, we raised see funding in San Francisco. At Evidium, I focus on research and engineering, building machine learner systems for healthcare applications.

Where do you want your career to go?

I aim to continue developing machine learning systems that push forward innovation in health care and contribute significantly to improving patient outcomes.

Why should pupils study Maths beyond GCSE?

Maths builds the ability to think clearly and reason rigorously – skills that are valuable no matter what path you pursue. If you’re curious about fields like AI and machine learning, Maths simply is the foundation.

How has Maths been beneficial to you outside of Norwich School?

Maths continues to be central to my daily work, Maths has shaped how I think, solve problems, and engage with the world, and it remains the foundation of everything I build in my career.

Jennifer Williamson – (09-16)

Jennifer is an incredibly inspiring woman in the world of STEMM; having attended Norwich School between 2009 and 2016, she kicked started her engineering career studying both Maths and Further Maths.

Did you study Maths, Further Maths or both?

Both!

What did you go on to do when you left Norwich School? Where?

I did a 4-year Integrated masters in Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College London! In my third year I did an internship at Sainsbury’s writing their 30 year “path to zero carbon” plan.

Where in the world are you based?

I’m currently working in London, I spent a couple of years working in Edinburgh, and before that I was in Australia! I carried out my final year university project on exchange in Melbourne, creating a model to estimate the emissions of different journeys, to compare public and private transport in the suburbs.

Where has your career taken you so far?

I’ve been working as a Building Sustainability Engineer for four years. I work with architects to improve the design of buildings by carrying out dynamic simulations which look at things such as if occupants will overheat, based on how many windows there are, any external shading, how much natural ventilation there is and more. I really enjoy it, and I love having a genuine impact on the design of buildings that are going up in my city.

Where do you want your career to go?

I had a catch up with my boss recently, and he’s keen for my future career to involve going into architectural firms to give workshops on how to really achieve sustainable buildings, which sounds amazing to me. There are a lot of methodologies at the moment for designing sustainable buildings, but a lot of them are just “tick box” exercises, whereas good design changes from building to building.

Why should pupils study a STEMM beyond GCSE, such as Maths?

I think if you might want to study something like Engineering at University, A-Level Maths is really important and would probably be a requirement, so if that’s on the cards then it’s good to keep that door open. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be doing maths for the rest of your life - my job doesn’t involve much Maths now. A lot of my Engineering degree was basically just maths in different contexts, and I wouldn’t have been able to get my job without the degree.

How has Maths been beneficial to you outside of Norwich School?

The main thing is being able to do a job I enjoy now. Another bonus was that some of the content we did at university in first year I’d already learnt in Further Maths, which was really helpful when everything else was new and difficult. My job doesn’t involve a lot of Maths now, but I do still pull out trigonometry quite often for calculating shading angles.

Steven Gopaul - (07-15)

Steven attended Norwich School from 2007-2015, and studied four STEMM subjects at A Level. Now working at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, his career in medicine is nothing short of inspirational.

What subjects did you study at A-Level? 

Maths, Chemistry, Biology (All A2) and Physics (AS).

What did you go on to do when you left Norwich School? Where? 

I studied Medicine, rather unconventionally in Europe, in Prague, Czech Republic. 

Where in the world are you based? 

I am currently based in Norwich and work at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.

Where has your career taken you so far? 

After finishing school in 2015, I went to medical school and graduated in 2021. I completed 2 years of general medical training in the East of England which is known as foundation training in 2023, with a good experience in both medical and surgical specialities. I took a year out of clinical medicine after foundation training to teach at UEA - Norwich Medical school. I taught all years of medical students in various clinical subjects, procedural skills as well as in laboratory-based sessions of Anatomy (which was my favourite subject). Alongside my teaching duties, I examined final year exams and contributed to creating questions for written exams and clinical stations for use in OSCE exams. Since 2024, I have been working as a trainee surgeon and am due to finish my 2 years Core Surgical Training in August 2026 before moving onto higher specialty training in General Surgery. Throughout my medical training thus far, I have attended and presented at conferences both nationally and internationally, and undertaken post-graduate courses and exams. I have passed my initial surgical exams (the final exams will be closer to becoming a consultant) and am a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy after completing my post-graduate certificate in clinical education. 

Where do you want your career to go? 

I am training to be a General Surgeon with the aim of becoming a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon in the NHS. 

Why should pupils study a science beyond GCSE?

Studying a science beyond GCSE gives you much more than knowledge — it teaches you how to think. A-level sciences push you to analyse information, solve problems, and understand why things happen, rather than just memorising facts. You learn to deal with complex ideas and interpret evidence. Another benefit of studying science, is that it creates a structure for learning new information which many other subjects unfortunately don’t provide. Science also isn't always straightforward — it stretches you. However, working through complex problems develops many of life’s important traits such as resilience and a logical way of thinking that once again can be applied to anything in life.

How has Science been beneficial to you outside of Norwich School?

Studying science beyond school was more than a gateway into medicine for me; it fundamentally shaped how I approach learning and clinical practice. Advanced study in biology and chemistry meant that when I reached medical school, I wasn’t encountering concepts in isolation. Subjects like physiology, pathology and pharmacology felt like logical extensions of principles I already understood. Beyond this, it has provided me with many rich experiences of collaboration where I’ve got to work with many different medical and scientific professionals which has helped me develop new skills and allowed me to travel, which I thoroughly enjoy! Lastly, studying sciences at school developed intellectual discipline and professional curiosity. It trained me to analyse evidence critically and the habit of questioning is central to good medical practice. It drives lifelong learning, which is essential in my profession where knowledge evolves rapidly.

Tom Lefever - (91-97)

Tom studied both Maths and Physics during his time at Norwich School. He now works in Civil Engineering and continues to travel across the world, mastering his expertise.

What subjects did you study at A-Level?

Maths, Physics and French.

What did you go on to do when you left Norwich School? Where?  

A degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Nottingham.

Where in the world are you based?

Norwich!

Where has your career taken you so far?

All over the UK, designing buildings for many countries including Montenegro and all over Northern Africa.

Where do you want your career to go?

Continue to build my expertise in historic buildings such as Cathedrals and Castles.

Why should pupils study a science beyond GCSE?

It helps you understand the world better and build a strong, broad base to pursue your chosen career.

How has Science been beneficial to you outside of Norwich School?

It is fundamental to my work in assessing how buildings behave and knowing what materials to choose when designing them. It has helped me personally with my health, nutrition, and even DIY of my house and fixing my car!

Richard Wade-Martins - (83-91)

Richard studied three STEMM subjects at A-Level whilst at Norwich School and now works at the University of Oxford, leading ground-breaking research into Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

What subjects did you study at A-Level?

Biology, Chemistry and Maths.

What did you go on to do when you left Norwich School? Where?

I went to study Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge in 1992, specialising in Genetics in the final year. From there I went to the University of Oxford to do a DPhil (the Oxford PhD) in human molecular genetics.

Where in the world are you based?

I am at the University of Oxford in the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Discovery and the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics.

Where has your career taken you so far?

After my DPhil I went to work for three years at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. It was a fantastic opportunity to live abroad for a few years and get an international perspective on science and life. I then came back to the UK in 2003 starting my own research group at Oxford and have built up my own research program.

Where do you want your career to go?

I'm moving towards drug discovery. I work on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease: why do some people get them and how can we prevent or treat the conditions? As the population ages with more people are retired than at school, this will become increasingly common and a major healthcare challenge. My academic lab at the University now works closely with industry and biotech partners to develop translation of new therapies from lab findings to novel treatments for patients.

Why should pupils study a science beyond GCSE?

Studying science allows you to understand how the world works, whatever you chose to work on. In my area it allows us to dissect the role of genetics and biology in age-related neurodegeneration. We need to use science to understand molecular mechanisms to develop new therapies. 

How has Science been beneficial to you outside of Norwich School?

I read about the discovery of DNA, the molecule which carries our genetic information, when I was at Norwich School aged 14, and from that moment on I wanted to study genetics. I have been lucky enough to follow that through working in three of the best Universities in the world. It has been a fantastic choice of career and if I went back to being aged 14 now I would do exactly the same again.