On Friday 2 October, the whole of the Lower 5 (Year 9) travelled to the outdoor education centre situated at Bramley Lakes in Horsford. The aim of the day was to strengthen the bonds within each tutor group whilst enjoying a beautiful natural environment. Each year, Norwich School normally admits around 35 new pupils into Lower 5 and this trip marked the culmination of the transition process. The activities with which the pupils were faced deliberately challenged them to work on important life skills: team work, communication, physical courage, resilience and listening. Pupils engaged well with a variety of tasks: building trebuchets to fire water balloons; crate stacking (whilst standing atop the stack!); archery, high-ropes and mental and physical team challenges. It was wonderful to see the pupils fully integrating and throwing themselves into each task with great enthusiasm. The day is also an inter-house competition, and this year the winning house was Nelson; however, many congratulations go to everyone involved!

Norwich School is proud to be supporting Finnbar’s Force as our local charity for this term. Finnbar’s Force is a dedicated children’s cancer charity, providing information, therapies, emotional care and practical assistance to families. They are currently fundraising to employ a Family Support Worker to provide one-to-one practical, emotional and advocacy support to families affected by childhood cancer and brain tumours across Norfolk and Suffolk. We kicked off our fundraising campaign in style this morning, with a Home Clothes Day for the Senior School. Members of our Charities Committee were at the school gates, collecting donations. If you would like to find out more, please visit our JustGiving page: Norwich School is fundraising for Finnbar's Force

What a fantastic evening of music-making! Our Lower 2 and Upper 2 Informal Concert was brilliantly well attended, with a wonderful audience response that made the occasion feel extra special. There was a real buzz in the room as pupils took to the stage to share their musical talents, showcasing a terrific variety of instruments, styles and songs. The piano was certainly kept busy, with performances ranging from the gentle, expressive sounds of Evening Melody by R Esmail to the playful character of The Cantankerous Camel by P Wedgewood and Mummies by P Blackwell. There were some wonderfully imaginative moments, too, with Minnie Mouse Hits the Town , Rufus and The Shakers bringing plenty of personality to the programme. From the elegance of Handel’s Fireworks Minuet to the jazzy rhythms of Ain’t Misbehavin’ and a rendition of Someone You Loved , our pianists demonstrated growing confidence, musical understanding and a real sense of enjoyment. The violin added another dimension to the concert with The Legend of Ashitaka by J Hisaishi, while our vocalists treated us to an exciting mix of songs. Powerful performances of This Is Me and Part of Your World sat alongside the much-loved Where Is Love from Oliver. There was plenty of contemporary sparkle, too, with Sunroof , Lush Life and This Is What It Sounds Like from K-Pop Demon Hunters. A special mention must also go to the duet performances, which showcased the fun of making music together and the importance of listening and working as a team. There were plenty of smiles along the way, from a piano rendition of Happy Birthday to the relaxed, sunny feel of Park Daze . Each performance brought something different, and it was lovely to see pupils developing the confidence to stand up in front of an audience and share something they had worked hard to prepare. Informal concerts are such an important part of musical life at Lower School. They give pupils the chance to celebrate their progress, learn from performing in front of others and, most importantly, enjoy making music. The enthusiastic applause and warm response from our audience showed just how much these performances were appreciated. A huge well done to everyone who took part. With such a happy atmosphere, an exciting range of music and so much musical confidence on display, it was a concert to remember!

A beautifully presented and thoroughly enjoyable performance from Timothy M, harp and Jessica L, piano. The performers showed great talent, confidence, and dedication, and it was clear how much hard work had gone into preparing for the recital. The programme was varied and engaging, with each performer bringing something special. A huge congratulations to all involved for putting together such a memorable recital. It was a joy to watch, and everyone should be incredibly proud of what they achieved. Timothy says - This week I was given the opportunity to play my harp as part of a Making Musicians recital. It was great to be able to play in the school chapel and have a lovely audience to share music with. There was even a butterfly that came to join us, fluttering around during my performance, which made it very atmospheric! Jessica says - It was a wonderful experience to perform in the chapel. I am very grateful for this opportunity and all the support from everyone who came to listen!

Head to the Union Theatre in Southwark from 19 - 30 October.

This year’s World Mental Health Day theme is ‘ Lived experiences heard; real voices, real change ’. This means creating opportunities for people to influence decisions, co-design services, strengthen peer-led approaches, and challenge stigma. The World Health Organization is highlighting the move towards community-based, person-centered mental health care. In light of this, we decided to play a game and see what you all think when it comes to statistics surrounding mental health. Swimming and cycling are scientifically proven to be the best sports for your mental health, but which do you think is more beneficial overall? Swimming Why is talking out loud about your emotions so good for your mental health? Lowers activity in the brain’s fear and stress center (amygdala) Maintaining a balanced diet is key to positive mental health, but which fruit is considered best for mental wellbeing? Blueberries What bedtime does the NHS recommend for adults to achieve the best possible wellbeing? 10pm-11pm Why is getting a good amount of sleep so important for your emotional wellbeing? Allows the brain to process emotional experiences Singing is a great stress relief as it allows the brain to release endorphins and serotonin; this is why we do it so often. How many times does the average person sing a day without even realising? 6-10 What instrument has been shown through experiments to be the most soothing to people? Human voices Your brain is in constant communication with your body, but what body part does your brain talk the most to? Your Gut Thank you for playing! As you can see, there are many factors that affect your mental health, and many are easy to implement in your day-to-day life.  For example, staying active is vital in maintaining personal wellbeing. We’ve already established swimming is great for you, but other sports such as cycling, running, dancing, martial arts and walking are all wonderful (less wet) ways of releasing endorphins, lowering stress hormones and regulating sleep patterns. Furthermore, team sports create a powerful sense of community that teaches us how to lower personal pressure and share responsibility. Pairing this with a balanced diet allows us to stabilize our moods, fuel our brain, and strengthen our ability to retain memories. Sleep is integral to so many aspects of mental health. It processes feelings, acting like a natural therapy session for your mind. It also controls reactions, as rest calms the brain's emotional centre, so small problems do not feel huge. Sleep even saves your memories by moving important facts and events from short-term to long-term storage. With House Shout coming up, let's highlight some of the ways singing is beneficial to mental wellbeing: Singing releases happy chemicals that improve your mood and lower stress The deep breathing required for singing helps reduce cortisol, a hormone linked to stress and anxiety Focusing on the lyrics, pitch, and breathing pulls your mind away from worries and keeps you in the present moment As well as the fantastic pastoral network within school, there is also a wellbeing infrastructure throughout Norfolk and Suffolk that is accessible to all. Local wellbeing hubs are there as a safe space to both receive and offer support to your community. The Reading Well Scheme at Norfolk Libraries offers mood-boosting books and quiet spaces, that give you time to read on how to better support yourself and others. Menscraft is another local charity that focuses on men's mental health through hands-on projects that aim to bring the community together. This term, the charity we are supporting is Finnbar’s Force. They are a dedicated children’s cancer charity focused on empowering children and their families across Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire. Support extends throughout these regions and beyond, providing crucial information, free therapies, emotional care, and practical assistance. Reflecting on this years theme of ‘ Lived experiences heard; real voices, real change ’, let’s think about the lived experiences for these children and their families and support this cause by donating to home clothes day, which is being held this Friday. Come in home clothes and please donate to this worthy charity. American writer D. Elton Trueblood once said, ‘A man has made a good start... when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he may never sit.’ The message of our assembly today echoes this sentiment. Like trees, the positive habits we plant in our day-to-day lives creates real change to a better environment not only for ourselves, but all those around us. So remember that the small things we do, for ourselves and for others, can grow into something much bigger. By taking care of our wellbeing and supporting those around us, we can create the positive lived experiences that the World Health Organization is promoting.

Our GCSE Dance pupils had an amazing day in London, taking part in exciting Commercial and Musical Theatre workshops, followed by tours of leading dance conservatoires, giving them a valuable insight into future opportunities in dance and the performing arts.  To finish an action-packed day, pupils enjoyed an incredible evening watching SIX the Musical in the West End! A fantastic experience filled with inspiration, learning and plenty of dancing!

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.

On Thursday 1 October, the Library Department celebrated National Poetry Day with its annual Poetry Slam. A number of pupils took to the stage to perform, sharing both original poems and works by established poets and writers. The event provided a platform for pupils to express themselves through the spoken word, with performances covering a wide range of themes and styles. Those in attendance were highly supportive, creating a warm and encouraging atmosphere throughout. It was a wonderful celebration of literature, creativity and pupil voice, and a fitting way to mark National Poetry Day.