The Head's Address at the Start of the Lent Term 2024

January 9, 2024

As the new year gets underway, and with it the start of the Lent Term, the Head addressed pupils in the Cathedral. You can read his Address below:

"Welcome back to Cathedral Close and this wonderful building. It is good to have most of the community back together after the Christmas holiday. In their absence, good luck to the U5 and U6 as they start their mock exams this morning.

Today’s reading comes from a book of the Old Testament called Proverbs, traditionally attributed to King Solomon and aimed primarily at young people. In what we heard today, we are reminded of the importance of love and faithfulness. These are certainly important concepts and you will not be surprised to hear that I hope you view them in positive terms. However, it is the next part of the advice that I want to focus on this morning: we are invited to bind these concepts around our necks, to write them on the tablet of our heart.

I am not sure that Solomon is literally advocating signs around the neck but, even taking the words metaphorically, one might challenge them further: what is “a tablet of the heart” and how is one supposed to write anything on it? Would you want to write anything at your young age or would you rather wait and make some retrospective notes about what has proved to be important to you once you are older and have more experience of life? Even then, for a school that believes strongly in a lifelong love of learning, would you ever want people to stop writing on this tablet and do you have the ability to change things already written or only add to them?

One of the great treats of working in a school is that my colleagues and I get to work with you, an amazing group of young people at a formative time of your lives as you develop and try things, without knowing or even needing to know whether they will be useful later in your lives. I am sure there will be many a teacher who can relate their pleasure when an Old Norvicensian comes back and tells of an exciting ongoing interest or even career which started through experiences gained during their time here. Yet we also do hope to give you values that stay with you, to establish some things which might be written “on the tablet of your heart”, to use the phrase from Proverbs.

I closed 2023 by talking to you at the end of term about Taylor Swift on her announcement as Time Magazine’s person of the year. I start 2024 by talking about another leading female role model: Sarina Wiegman, whose autobiography I have enjoyed reading over the holiday. She is obviously a champion of women’s football: she played more than 100 times for the Leuwinnen, the name for the women’s Dutch team which coincidentally means Lionesses; as a coach, she has won the European Championships with both the Dutch and English national teams (2017 and 2022 respectively), as well as taking both teams to the final of the World Cup (2019 and 2023 respectively). Passages in the book by Sarina herself are supplemented by interviews between the co-writing journalist and key players and coaches in Wiegman’s career. Regardless of her particular sector of activity, a picture emerges of a simply outstanding person: determination, clarity of vision, directness of communication, all blended with genuine care for those in her teams and a conspicuous warmth of humanity. Wiegman would be an exemplary leader in any field of activity. To become such an impressive role model, what would Sarina Wiegman carry around her neck or have written on the tablet of her heart? And what would she have said at your age? She certainly had supportive parents and always loved football, yet part of her passion to grow the women’s game and create equal opportunities for boys and girls came because her own path into football started by cutting her hair short so that she could play in boys’ teams.

And where does all this leave you as you come back to a new term at the start of a new calendar year? Whether it is about classroom performance or an aspect of co-curriculum, the start of the year is always a good time for goal-setting. I would not want to get such goals out of perspective and am always nervous that a New Year’s Resolution might become not a sign around one’s neck but a millstone. However, it may be helpful to give thought to targets in different areas of your life: perhaps a subject in the curriculum which you are going to focus on, a co-curricular activity which you wish to start or to develop further, or something in your social life that you wish to address, such as setting sensible limits to the time you spend on your phone or gaming.

One area which you may not have been considering for a new year’s resolution is your everyday behaviour. However, that would be the area for focus in terms of the values that were given in today’s reading. There is an obvious and strong overlap between the values we heard earlier (love and faithfulness) with the school’s stated values of love, compassion and inclusion. And if one is going to write anything at any age “on the tablet of your heart”, one could certainly do worse than write these words. However, unless they are accompanied by actions that are lived out every day, that is all they would be; words. I close with the challenge that concepts such as the school’s values of love, compassion and inclusion can only be practically meaningful through repeated action; multiple acts of writing, if you like. We carry such values by practising them each and every day, both at school and at home. So, as you go about your business in 2024, think of ways in which you can show love, compassion and inclusion by what you do and how you act. There is no better time to resolve to practise what is written on the tablet of your heart than at the start of the New Year.

Good luck with this challenge; I hope that you have a productive and enjoyable term!"

Proverbs 3.1-6: Wisdom Bestows Well-Being

My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight

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Ellie Thwaites (U5) Competed in the Youth Nationals in Wales

May 29, 2025

Ellie Thwaites represented Norwich School in the Youth Nationals in Wales. To celebrate her success in this competition and in sailing as a whole, we asked her a few questions. How long have you been sailing? I have been sailing for my whole life, I learnt to sail in my optimist on Wroxham Broad. I sailed that for about 3 years, then I moved into the topper 4.2, and began traveling regionally and nationally to compete. I was in the 4.2 for about 3 years, then I moved into the topper 5.3 (which is a bigger rig) I sailed in this rig for 2-3 years, of which I became eastern region champion in my final year. I then moved into the ilca4 which I have only recently moved out of, I am now in the ILCA 6, I have competed in two competitions so far in the 6, one of which was the British Youth Nationals. What do you enjoy about sailing? I love how competitive it can be, and also how much freedom you have. Out on the water you have to be very self sufficient since you are out there for 4-5 hours per day. You get to connect with nature, being out in the waves, you see so many animals, like jelly fish, dolphins, seals. Do you take part in any other sports in school? I mainly take part in rowing at school, as it builds my fitness for sailing. I really enjoy it and the training really helps me improve my fitness. I love the competitive factor in rowing, and I love how you are pushing yourself to the max, I am quite a competitive person, so this drives me! How has Norwich School supported you in your sailing? All of my sailing and rowing coaches have been extremely supportive in my sailing journey. Norwich school has helped me by allowing me to leave school to go to events such as these and training, they have helped me with managing my work loads, and giving me extensions. What was preparation like for the nationals? I have been training a lot over the winter, most of my weekends are spent down to the south coast, Weymouth, for training weekends in the ILCAs. How did nationals go? Nationals went very well, I came into the event with the goal of coming in the top 8. But I was going to take it as a learning event, as I have only competed in the boat twice. The first day was very windy and big waves, these were good conditions for me, and lead to me coming off the water with some good results on day one. This consistency continued throughout the event, with mainly 4ths, 3rds, 2nds, 1sts. This meant that by the medal race I was in 2nd place. However my medal race didn’t go as I wanted it to, leading me to come 3rd overall. I was super happy with this result, I learnt lots about the boat and about the venue. All in all it was a very successful week. What are your future hopes in sailing? Eventually I want to make it to the Olympics, that is my end goal. What would you say to anyone who wants to get involved with sailing? Go try it!! You will learn so much and it is such an enjoyable sport, and life skill! Norwich sailing is so welcoming, and is for all skill levels.

“Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars” - Martin Luther King

May 29, 2025

On 29th May 2025 we were delighted to welcome back on site the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) for the next in their impressive series of lectures in the Blake Studio, their principal hub site for the eastern region. It was a particularly inspiring return. Veteran campaigner Sir Jonathon Porritt CBE was our speaker for an evening of thought-provoking, intelligent commentary on the state of our fragile planet. Jonathon is a name familiar to many, having been a powerful advocate of Friends of the Earth and the Green Party in a long career of political and ecological activism. To a large audience of RGS members, environmentalists, local politicians, pupils, parents, staff and alumni, our speaker did not pull his punches when reflecting on over 50 years of environmental campaigning. In a data-driven and passionate address he exposed what he perceived to be abject multi-generational global failures to address the desperate plight of our planet. He touched on such diverse issues as: population explosion and rainforest destruction; access to birth control and fertility; plastic pollution and economic drivers of the oil industry; climate change and the dangers of rampant capitalism. His journey took us to some cheerless places, but Jonathon reminded us that, as Dr Martin Luther King said in his final speech in 1968 before his assassination: “I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.” He concluded with positive, personal reflections garnered from years’ worth of public engagement which confirmed that people (especially young people) were desperate for change and often had broadly similar views of what they wanted to see done differently. In a stark message to global democracies, he stated that voters had the valuable privilege of holding the power to change the status quo, one that, in his opinion, needed a radical reset. Consequently, he had been buoyed by the upending of traditional party politics evidenced by the 2025 local elections. He was also at pains to point out the huge potential of green energy to be a driver for global economic growth. Jonathon was very generous with his time answering questions from a knowledgeable and engaged audience for an hour afterwards, leaving us all much to ponder on. The local RGS is now off for their summer break but has generated a compelling programme of on-site talks for the autumn. Details will be published on their website - Upcoming events - RGS - once dates are confirmed. We are extremely grateful to the dynamic James Firebrace and his RGS team for bringing to site this year an eclectic programme of lectures on varied topics such as: African species under threat from climate change; the future of rewilding; fragile coral reefs; treasured urban commons; and the sultry delights of the French Riviera ('A sunny place,' said Somerset Maugham, 'for shady people') delivered by engaging subject specialists from around the country, as well as hosting their annual pupil micro-lecture evening last autumn. Thanks also go to our loyal and supportive audiences who enjoyed being with us throughout the year.

As if by Magic! Infants Perform Enchanting Show

May 23, 2025

The children in Lower 1 and Upper 1 took to the stage at The Blake Studio to perform their rendition of the magical and enchanting musical production, Wiz Wham Alakazam to parents, grandparents and residents of The Great Hospital. In this enchanting production, the young wizards of Sun Castle faced a day like no other. One moment the sun was shining brightly over the castle, and the next it mysteriously became dimmer. The resident wizards were thrown into chaos as the Chief Wizard led the spell-casters on an adventure to bring back the light. With plenty of magic spells, and just a sprinkle of disorder, the story unfolded with excitement, charm, and laughter. From the very first scene, the children lit up the stage with confident line delivery and infectious enthusiasm. Each child played their part, whether it was casting spells, performing gymnastic and dance routines, or helping find the important but oldest Spell Book. The Ice Creatures made a dramatic entrance – eerie and impressive – with expressive performances that added just the right touch of tension. Musical numbers such as "Teamwork", "Ice Creatures", and the "Wizards of the Sun" showcased the children’s growing talent in both singing and acting. All the songs were performed with energy, clarity, and joy. The production was a celebration of creativity and teamwork, with every young performer contributing to the magic. Wiz Wham Alakazam was a joyful, spellbinding success — packed with music, movement, mystery and the unforgettable charm of Sun Castle’s youngest stars. Mrs Barclay commented "The children have worked so hard to learn their lines and songs and I am very proud of their performances. It has been a delight working with this group of passionate and talented children."

Children's Yoga Community Service Tells the Tale of 'Superworm'

By Eleanor Lewis • May 23, 2025

This year's Children's Yoga Community Service group had great fun creating a yoga class for nursery and reception-aged children based on Julia Donaldson's book 'Superworm'. L6 pupils Uliana Bielova, Thomas Chester and Lizzie Taylor were later joined by Chloe Holmes and visited White House Farm Primary School, Magdalen Gates Primary School, our own Lower School reception class as well as four Once Upon a Time nurseries. They were greeted with lots of enthusiasm from the children and teachers/carers alike. The yoga lessons were fun, interactive and had everyone smiling! The pupils themselves learned a variety of skills from lesson planning and working with children to public speaking and how to do yoga! They worked well as a team and got a lot out of the experience, as Lizzie Taylor explains: '‘I absolutely loved teaching kids yoga! Children are like natural bursts of serotonin, I always came back to school feeling happy.’

National Sporting Success

By Eleanor Lewis • May 23, 2025

Congratulations to Lower Sixth pupils Nicholas and Kwame on their outstanding international sporting achievements this term, proudly representing Great Britain and England in Rowing and Rugby respectively. Nicholas has enjoyed a remarkable year, consistently delivering impressive performances at various GB U19 Rowing Trials. At the Spring Trial Regatta in April, he secured an excellent second place in the Pairs event, earning selection for the GB U19 Rowing Team. Competing at the Munich International Regatta, Nicholas helped the team win silver in the coxless four and double gold in the eight, triumphing over strong international competition. He will now progress to Crew Formation in July, where final selections will be made for the U19 World and European Championships. Kwame, a key member of the Boys’ 1st XV since Upper Fifth, was invited to the England U17 training camp held at Hartpury earlier this term. In a match against a university side, he made a strong impression by scoring in a victory for the national team. Kwame also continues to play a vital role in the Leicester Tigers U18 Academy side. We are incredibly proud of both Nicholas and Kwame for these exceptional accomplishments and look forward to following their continued success in the year ahead.

Noel Vine Presents 'Nacht Musik' with Norfolk Chamber Orchestra

By Eleanor Lewis • May 22, 2025

We heard on the grapeVINE (!) that our own Head of Music for the Lower School, Mr Vine, is starting his very own chamber orchestra, so we caught up with him to find out more... How did the idea of a Norfolk Chamber Orchestra come about? For me, the perfect ensemble is a small group creating Chamber music. I love its intimacy, feel, vibe and with the right musicians you can ignite something truly special. I decided a couple of years ago that Suffolk needed a really cool string ensemble, so I set up Suffolk Chamber Orchestra and we have just given our debut concert in Aldeburgh at the Jubilee Hall, where once the great Benjamin Britten stood and performed. And I thought, why just have one orchestra! So, I also created the Norfolk Chamber Orchestra. Both groups are string ensembles, and both feature incredible local players (some ex-London professionals who now live here and some outstanding local musicians that I've taken 4 years to find) How long have you been playing music/singing? What is your musical history? My musical background started at the age of 4, I asked for a violin and that has stayed with me for my whole life. I have been very fortunate to have been able to play with every major orchestra in London and across the UK including Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic, City of London Sinfonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Sinfonia of London, BBC National Orchestra of Wales to name but a few. I then got into recording and session work and have worked, toured and recorded with a lot of high-profile artists such as Madonna, Oasis, Paul Weller, David Gray, Kylie, Jamiroquai, Brand New Heavies, Take That, Robbie Williams and more. I've also enjoyed working closely with underground artists such as Pressure Drop, Fabio and Grooverider, Tipper and Goldie. What kind of music does the orchestra perform? Is there any way we can listen to it? At the moment the Norfolk Chamber Orchestra is just getting started and our debut concert will be on the 21st June at the Octagon Chapel in Norwich which is a really beautiful venue. Part of our plan is to champion beautiful Norfolk venues, and this is a great one to start with. It will a concert inspired by the coming of night called 'Nachtmusik' and will feature music by Mozart, Borodin, Dvorak and a UK Premiere by Eric Whitacre of 'Sleep' arranged for String ensemble. The concert will start at 7pm and will be for 1 hour and under 12's get in free! The link for tickets is here > Norfolk Chamber Orchestra - Norwich Octagon NACHT MUSIK at Octagon Chapel event tickets from TicketSource How often do you rehearse? How does this work with your work schedule at the school? Because of how brilliant the players are, we will rehearse on the day of the concert, unless we're doing something very contemporary or new. I am the leader and director which means I have to know everything that everyone is playing as there is no conductor - another great thing about having a chamber orchestra! Everyone is together, it's a collaborative feeling. A lot of our concerts will be at weekends, so it balances nicely with my work schedule at Norwich School. Who do you think has been your greatest musical influence? Why? I feel very lucky to have met some incredible musicians throughout my life. It's not necessarily the ones who are the best musically, but I love the ones who have the best stories! I spent some time with Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend from The Who and also Robert Plant and Jimmy Page from Led Zepplin. In terms in inspiring figures, they are up there - and you can imagine the stories! Also remember having a very long night with Tom and Ed ( Chemical Brothers ) at the Cobden Club in London. They wanted to talk about the intricacies of Baroque music and Bach's influence on everything! I then went back to their studio, and they played me the demo of Galvanise! Crazy!

Elementary, My Dear Reader! – A Sherlock Holmes Mystery at the Library

By Eleanor Lewis • May 22, 2025

The school library was transformed into a thrilling scene of mystery and intrigue as pupils took on the roles of budding detectives in an exciting Sherlock Holmes event. From the moment they stepped through the door of 221B Baker Street, pupils were immersed in the world of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary sleuth. To begin their investigation, each pupil had to “sign in” using their fingerprint—setting the tone for an authentic detective experience. Their first challenge was to decipher a secret message using the Caesar cipher, a classic cryptographic technique, to unlock the details of their mission. The case? A precious book had gone missing from the library shelves— De Occulta Bibliotheca —and it was up to the young Holmesians to crack the case. Armed with a list of suspects and a map of the Lower School, pupils set off on a clue-hunting adventure that took them through hidden corners and puzzling trails. Along the way, they decoded encrypted messages, revealed hidden notes using heat to expose invisible ink, and followed a trail of mysterious footprints. Each clue brought them closer to identifying the culprit behind the literary theft. After collecting all the evidence, pupils returned to the library where, in their investigative groups, they reviewed the facts and collaborated to make their final accusation. Suspense hung in the air as the mystery was dramatically revealed—culminating in a final search that led them straight to the long-lost book. It was an event full of curiosity, critical thinking, and imaginative fun. Our young detectives not only honed their problem-solving skills but also enjoyed diving into the world of one of literature’s most iconic characters.

Talking Tennis - A Successful Start to Trinity 2025

By Eleanor Lewis • May 22, 2025

The U13 and U15 Boys tennis teams began their seasons with a fixture against Hethersett Academy at the Lower Close on Thursday 22 May. The U15s got the proceedings started with their singles matches and there were notable wins for Rufus Snelling at 1 against an opponent he had never beaten and Himash Amarawickrama at 4. Raffy Pantazis and Lucas Berney were just edged out in their singles matches so the game was in the balance going into the doubles. Things looked a little ominous as Rufus and Raffy were easily beaten but thankfully Lucas and his partner, Milo Delahunty levelled up the match with a convincing 6-2 win in their doubles match. So it came down to a shoot out tiebreak as it has against these opponents for the last two years! Lucas partnered Rufus and it was nip and tuck the whole way with some great doubles being played by both sides but at 8 all Hethersett just showed a little more composure and won the next two points and with it the match by 4 matches to 3. The U13s game was a little more straightforward with wins in the singles for Josh Bond, Will Jenkins and Sam King. Josh also won his doubles with his partner Arthur Lamb but it was left to the final pairing of Will and Aarush Arkala to secure the match with a dramatic comeback in their doubles. After trailing 2-5 they then won 4 games on the run to secure a thrilling victory. Final score a 5-1 win for Norwich School.

Upper 2 Catapult Day was a Booming Success

By Eleanor Lewis • May 21, 2025

Wednesday 21 May quite literally began with a bang! Upper 2 took part in the eagerly awaited Catapult Day, a hands-on exploration that linked directly to the engineering and design elements of our curriculum—with plenty of opportunities to apply mathematical skills along the way. The day began with students measuring the size and mass of a variety of projectiles—from the humble golf ball to the impressively weighty shot put—developing their understanding of data collection, force, and motion. Then came the real excitement: launching those projectiles! Starting by hand, pupils then progressed to an impressive arsenal of historical siege machines, including the Mangonel, Perrier, and Trebuchet. They also had the chance to try their hand at a composite bow and a crossbow, adding a dash of medieval flair to their practical investigations. The day concluded with a suitably dramatic finale, as the younger pupils joined just in time to watch Jacob ignite the cannon—because, let’s face it, nothing quite wraps up a school day like a controlled explosion and the smell of gunpowder in the air! Ali: 'Very fun and I learnt a lot. My highlight was when me and my team pulled the rope down on the perrier to launch the tennis ball!' Tallulah, Darcy, Olivia: 'It was very exciting because we learnt stuff we had never learnt before and we got to try things we've never experienced before! Just don't ask Mr Love about breaking the perrier...!' Oscar: ‘It was very fun and you got to have a go on cross bows, and a bow and arrow.’ Lucas: ‘It was really fun, we got into groups and fired catapults’ Muhammad Ameen: ‘I really liked the canon because when your put fire in it, it went boom.’

Rowing Report from the Start of Trinity 2025

By Eleanor Lewis • May 21, 2025

The Trinity term began with 10 J15 and J16 rowers representing the Eastern region at the Junior Inter Regional Regatta. All crews reached the A Finals, with J. Howard and J. Hawkes winning a Silver medal in the J16 Pairs. Sunday 4 May saw the Senior Boys and Girls crews raced at Wallingford Regatta in some tricky cross winds. One of the Girls Coxed Fours was less than 1 second off a place in the Repechage. A valuable day of racing to the start of the Regatta season. The following weekend the Senior Boys and J15 Boys and Girls crews raced at Nottingham City. The four Senior boys that had raced a Quad the previous weekend, switched to a Coxed Four and had a great race against Emmanuel College, leading until the last 250m. The J15 crews were all racing as Development Crews (open to all ages), but again had some good racing beating from Club and Cambridge College crews. The First Eight put a tough morning race behind them to win the Open Eights event in the afternoon. Daniel White and Nicholas Conway attended the GB U19 Spring Trial Regatta at the start of term. A 17th place was achieved by Daniel and a phenomonal 2nd place for Nicholas. This result gained Nicholas selection to race for GB U19 at Munich International Regatta. Some exciting racing saw Nicholas win Silver in the Coxlesss Four and Gold in the Eights. This week sees all year groups racing at the National Schools Regatta in Nottingham. The J14s Boys and Girls and J15 Boys race on Friday and the Seniors and J15 Girls race on Saturday, with the Boys 1st Eight racing again on Sunday. We wish them all a successful regatta.