Subjects

Over half term, 29 pupils and 4 staff spent 5 unforgettable days in a land of fire and ice. Our adventure began, as soon as we landed, at the Bridge between the Continents on the Reykjanes Peninsula, where we stood astride the Eurasian and North American plates as they slowly drift apart. The next day, at Þingvellir National Park, we saw the same rift on a grander scale, in the very place where Iceland's first parliament met in 930. We watched Strokkur erupt every few minutes at the Geysir geothermal area, admired the thunder, spray and rainbows of Gullfoss, and then went underground into the Raufarhólshellir lava tunnel, formed over 5,000 years ago. Day 3 took us along the south coast, past the waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, where we saw the falls from different angles, both above and behind! We then travelled to the black sand and basalt columns of Reynisfjara, where the power of the Atlantic was plain to see. In the afternoon, pupils strapped on crampons and helmets and walked on Sólheimajökull glacier. Standing on ice that has been there for centuries, and seeing for ourselves how quickly it is retreating, made climate change feel personal in a way no textbook can. That night, we saw the northern lights! Ribbons of green light danced overhead, as the entire hotel descended into the car park to watch. It is something none of us will ever forget. On our last full day, the Lava Centre explained the forces behind everything we had seen, and we then visited the steaming fumaroles and bubbling mud pools of Hveradalir. After exploring Reykjavík, we watched molten lava flow at the Lava Show and soared over the whole country at FlyOver Iceland, which left us all wanting to come back. On our final morning, we stood beside the still-steaming lava fields of Nátthagi, formed by the recent Fagradalsfjall eruptions, before a well-earned soak in the Blue Lagoon! None of it would have been the same without our amazing guide, Karen. Her knowledge was extraordinary and her passion for Iceland was infectious. She answered every question, however many we asked, and made every landscape feel like a story we were part of.

On Friday 2 October, we held our largest and most successful Academic Scholars’ Dinner to date. Nearly 90 Academic Scholars from Middle 5 to Upper 6 gathered in the Blake Studio to hear a fascinating talk by scientist and educator Crawford Kingsnorth, intriguingly titled Death, Dinner or Doolally. What followed was a captivating journey into the world of mushrooms and fungi. Pupils were introduced to the remarkable scale, complexity and apparent ‘intelligence’ of fungal networks, discovering a wealth of intriguing facts, exciting scientific developments on the horizon, and the potentially deadly consequences of some species. Crawford also spoke about his current research, which is currently patent-pending. While understandably unable to reveal too much at this stage, he gave us a tantalising glimpse into work that we look forward to hearing more about in the future. The talk concluded with a wide range of thoughtful and insightful questions from pupils before everyone moved to the Refectory for an excellent meal. This provided a valuable opportunity for scholars to continue conversations with our speaker and with one another in a relaxed and convivial setting. We are extremely grateful to Crawford for joining us as this year’s speaker. His presentation gave pupils an insight into a fascinating and often overlooked area of science, while also drawing connections to history, geology, medicine and law. It was a perfect example of the intellectual curiosity and cross-curricular thinking that our Academic Scholars programme seeks to encourage and celebrate. Thank you to Alice Y and Iris B for their photos of the evening.

We were thrilled to welcome back to Norwich School on 09 June 2026 Professor Peter Mirfield, highly respected Emeritus Professor of Law at Jesus College, Oxford University. Pulling on his many years of experience, Professor Mirfield delivered, for a fourth successive year, a practical and very informative session on the academic subject of Law to a group of the school’s budding Lower 6 lawyers organised by Development Director, Mr Pearson, and Deputy Head of UCAS, Mr Pearce. The intent of the session was to offer inspiration, and to help our Sixth Formers make informed choices for their studies beyond Norwich School. Following lunch in the new Upper King Street refectory with pupils to break the ice, his tutorial kicked off with an introduction to this popular academic subject and included examples of the necessary critical rigour and skills required to study this subject. This was enlightening, as Law is not a subject taught at school and always requires an informed leap of faith by those committing to study this subject at tertiary level. Subsequently, Professor Mirfield led an in-depth discussion on a celebrated and particularly contentious legal case that went to Appeal (Fagan v Metropolitan Police Commissioner) and concluded with thought-provoking worked examples relating to the Theft Act 1968. As with previous years, analysis provoked lively discussion and mature insights from those in the room. Professor Mirfield was characteristically patient and lucid in his explanations. Now in his mid-seventies, and having just recently retired from all formal teaching at Oxford, this session at Norwich School marked the very final act of his illustrious fifty-year career of teaching Law. This was marked by warm applause from our appreciative young audience. The school wishes Peter well in retirement and we look forward to on-going social interactions with Peter and his wife Jean as their 37 year association with the school continues in different guises.