THE HEAD'S END OF YEAR ADDRESS

July 10, 2024

As the 2023/2024 academic year comes to a close the Head addressed pupils and parents of the Upper Sixth on the importance of our community as we gather for the last time until September.


"It is a great pleasure to add my welcome to the parents of the U6th who join us for the service which ends the 2023/24 academic year. You are seeing what the pupils and staff have the good fortune to do regularly in this amazing building. There is a danger that we take it for granted (Something like “Well, of course we have our assemblies in one of the finest medieval buildings in northern Europe; it’s not that special, is it?” – an unhelpful view in so many ways).

My experience is that our leavers come to appreciate the Cathedral more as they get closer to leaving it, but there is no doubt that sharing this service with visitors helps to remind us what a privilege it is for our school to be located here in the Close amongst these magnificent medieval structures. The conclusion of our service, where the leaving U6 process with their Heads of House through the magnificent West Doors, symbolises this key transition point of moving from school into the wider world, but before that let us enjoy recording our time together appropriately.

I am also pleased to have the U6 parents with us today because you are normally in such a good mood that your threshold for laughter is pleasingly low. It is good to have a few more allies in the room; a Cathedral of nearly 1000 teenagers at 8.40 in the morning can be a tough crowd.


I have been thinking a good deal about the importance of gathering in the life of a community. All UK adult citizens have obviously gathered metaphorically in recent days to make a collective decision in our General Election, but don’t worry, this is certainly not the time to start reflecting on that process. In safer territory, those who watched the Glastonbury coverage on television last weekend or have been to a more local festival such as Latitude will have felt the drawing together of a shared experience. This might be a heresy to some, but I confess to not being a huge Coldplay fan. However, even I would concede that over 100,000 people sharing Fix You at the climax of their set was something to behold.


Another major current gathering is the Euros and the amazingly colourful crowds we have seen in support of their country. Of course, England has its perennial love-hate relationship with our national team played out in front of televisions in homes, pubs and clubs throughout the country during a major football tournament. How very English to boo our team for topping our group and getting to the quarter-finals in the wrong way! Add in Wimbledon, the start of the cricket test series and a wet summer; it really starts to look like a full house in UK moaning bingo.

Partly, my interest in gathering events comes from closer to home: we have just finished our annual Gather Festival, an explosion of creative activity where you can watch our pupils singing, acting, dancing, creating Art, reading, fashion modelling, playing instruments of all kinds and in all genres. It has just been a joy to see our pupils’ rich educational experience as they have entertained us in recent weeks, building skills and confidence along the way. And I know comparable processes have been undergone in the highly successful cricket and rowing achievements away from school, as well as many other trips and activities that take place in a busy Summer Term.

One of the quotes on the seats at the front in the Blake Studio carries the Auden quote, “How beautiful it is, that eye-on-the-object look” to capture the moment when someone is totally absorbed in an activity they have fully committed to. I feel like I have seen a lot of eyes on a lot of objects recently, not least in the spectacular Gala Night on Wednesday that many of you were part of or witnessed. Phrases such as “You had to be there” or Sky Sports’ “It’s only live once” speak to this special moment of being together to have a unique shared experience at a particular time.

In many ways, this whole service is one such gathering, particularly for those in U6 and their families. We have listened to some beautiful music and sung ourselves, with still the promise of Jerusalem to come. However, in that spirit of creating something memorable that we can share together we are going to have a live performance and, if you want, you can join in. I should like to introduce our U6 band, Placeholder, singing a cover song from the successful Bandfest last week…Thank you all.


This gathering and sharing and recording together is obviously positive. However, I think it is particularly important at this time that we do feel connected. As well as being a good sing-a-long, American Pie has relevant resonances in terms of theme as it records the composer, Don Maclean’s, discomfort in response to cultural uncertainty during the second half of the 20th century. There is, of course, significant challenge and pain in our world: the threat of climate change; the horror of war in different parts of the world; economic challenges closer to home; for some, the deregulation of holiday time or the daunting nature of post-school life.


In all this turbulence, it is our connections that help to anchor us; connections to family, friends, places, traditions, values. Human beings are social creatures and simply feeling part of something bigger helps us to face the world around us. And this is a day that encourages us to remind ourselves of those connections. For all of us, reflecting on how this year at Norwich School has gone is inevitable at its end and I very much hope that you feel you have made progress, thereby deepening connections with friends, activities, subjects and all that Norwich School stands for.

Yet today, our focus is very much on our U6 cohort and this is a service to allow you to reflect on the connections with your families who have supported you through your time here; with each other as you think about the highs and lows of your school careers together; and with us, your school, in this place. One of the rugby players in his Leavers Book entry noted with pride the following, “I have played 156 games for the school in 11 years. Up the Noz”! Good effort indeed, particularly keeping the record to know the number. Whatever the length of time you have been at the school and whatever your particular interests, I hope you can reflect now on links you have established which have informed the amazing young people I see in front of me and links which will sustain you in the future.


It is certainly what makes me optimistic about facing the future. I said that I would not be talking about politics today and I undertake to keep that promise now. However, I am confident that Norwich School is in a healthy position and will react with agility and good sense to whatever operating conditions emerge in the future. Indeed, we are showing ourselves through this very service and the strong emotions engendered that we are a vibrant, resilient community; let us not forget that this U6 were in M5 when Covid struck and look how well they have turned out. Our connection with this amazing leaving cohort changes after today but the links will certainly not be broken. We wish you all well and hope that you will come back from time to time to tell us how you are getting on."


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By Eleanor Lewis July 14, 2025
Friday 4 July, Independence Day in America, happened to be a memorable day of independence for some of our community, as it heralded the last day of school for our Upper Sixth pupils. And it wasn’t just the pupils sharing this special day – parents and guardians were welcomed to the Close to share in the celebrations. Some pupils had been through the entire Norwich School journey, reflecting on 11 years growing up in the Close, whilst others had experienced a packed and exciting two year Norwich School journey, having joined in Sixth Form. Whatever the ‘length of service’, however, the mixed emotions amongst leavers were shared – excitement for the future, sadness and trepidation as such an important chapter of their lives drew to a close, pride at having reached such a milestone and a touch of exhaustion at the end of such an important academic year. A beautiful sunny day dawned, with an early breakfast for the pupils and a special address from the President of the Horatio Society, Jacob Stevenson, who wished his peers well and encouraged them to embrace their new status as Old Norvicensians (ONs). Jacob also handed out awards as voted for by the pupils themselves including, to name but a few, Most Likely to Start A Charity, Best Bromance, Most Likely to Headline Glastonbury and Most Likely to End Up Back at Norwich School (an easy win for Joel Newman who returns next year as a Lower School Gap Student!). They then headed to tutor group where they were presented with their Valedictory Reports – as written by their Head of House and the Head. Parents and Guardians then joined the celebrations for a brunch on the Refectory lawn before filing into the Cathedral for a very special Farewell Assembly. It was hard to spot a dry eye as parents and pupils joined in singing I Vow To Thee My Country and Jerusalem, and the Head delivered a moving and inspirational address. The congregation were then upstanding and clapped continuously as the Upper Sixth filed out of the Cathedral for the very last time, exiting the West Doors, where they were greeted with a farewell and handshake from the Head. The Upper Close was buzzing as families reunited with one another, hugging and crying as they shared the emotion of such a significant day. Overall, however, despite the tears, it was a day for celebration – to toast a job well done to the Class of 2025 who gave it their all and embraced every opportunity on their Norwich School journey. Corks popped and there were photos a-plenty as families embraced a last chance to take pictures in the Norwich School uniform, before departing for perhaps a rest or a power nap, before dressing in their finest and heading for Norwich City Football Club for the Leavers Ball.  Over 300 parents, staff and pupils attended a magnificent evening, with a sumptuous three course meal, entertainment and a live band which kept everyone on the dancefloor until 1am. There was an after party, but we will leave it at that…! Wishing the Class of 2025 every success for the future and stay in touch. Remember. You are all ONs for life!
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It is great for the school to get to this point, the final assembly of the 24/25 year and a joy to share it with the parents of our Upper Sixth cohort who leave today. It is a personal privilege to have the chance to offer some reflections at a time which is laced with resonance for so many. Such occasions bring experiences and memories into enhanced focus. This has been much on my mind since the announcement a few weeks ago that the world’s most powerful digital camera has started producing its first images as part of a 10 year project to survey space and time. Situated at the Vera C Rubin observatory in the Chilean Andes to minimise light pollution, the camera is 1.65m by 3m, weighs 2,800kg and has three mirrors which are between 3.4m and 8.4m in diameter. It is hard to relate to these dimensions, so try this: it has 3,200 megapixels, making it 67 times more powerful than the camera of an iPhone 16 Pro; its resolution allows it to capture a golf ball on the moon and its detail is such that one would need 400 Ultra HD TV screens to display a single image. More relevantly for the project, its first image shows gas and dust clouds swirling 9,000 light years from earth. We may not have this precision in our own phones, but our senses and memories have an uncanny ability of capturing moments of particular significance; people even report time seeming to slow down at important moments. There is much for the senses to feast on in this last Cathedral service of the year so take moments during the service to take in and savour your surroundings: the sun streaming in from the South-West to light up swirling dust motes and the colours of the stained-glass windows; the gorgeous sounds from the Choir and congregation; the distinctive smell of this ancient building; and the cool touch of its aged stones. Just don’t lick anything please – 4th Form, that is the one sense we are not going to be trying out. We could not have this sensitivity to the world around us all the time; we would never get anything done. However, it pays to zoom in from time to time and the Cathedral provides just such a chance. As I reflect on recent weeks, my internal camera can pick out many images which have stuck with me: Bandfest, with 14 electric guitars all playing at once; The extraordinary detail in the jewellery films from the Fashion Show or the exquisite sketchbooks of our U6 in the Art and Design Exhibition; Redmayne packed with junior and intermediate cricketers or Lower Close packed with athletes in a vivid kaleidoscope of house colours; My favourite moment, not for the first time, came at the end of June from Discover Your Ability Day which the school hosts for the charity, Able2B. Frankly, if you were there and had spent time building your athlete partnership, you will know why this often wins my round-up and may well have your own special memory. For me, it was not the moment when the athlete pairs cross the line, heart-melting though that is, it was the hug that a girl with impaired physical mobility shared with her Norwich School pupil partner away from the finish line when the spectators’ gaze had moved on. A simple treasure. Yet a service like this allows us to do something else in common with the Vera C Rubin camera. That telescope deals with such vast distances that the light is from a different era. Our time-travel is rather different but no less potent. Today represents for all of us a significant punctuation mark, the end of the academic year. It is particularly so for our Upper Sixth because it is the end of their time at Norwich School. It will not be long before they process out of the West Doors to our applause as they leave to take up their places in the wider world. There should be some looking back, hopefully with enjoyment, certainly some pride, perhaps a dose of embarrassment at a dodgy 5th Form haircut or questionable dance moves at someone’s 18th. Yet I should also like you to try to consider what still lies ahead. In her talk to the Norfolk Cambridge Society this term Professor Gillian Tett, the Provost of King’s College Cambridge, referred to Steve Jobs’ famous 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech where he said that you cannot join dots forwards, only backwards. His advice to the students was to keep making dots and I advocate the same now. By way of example, I should like to return to someone I mentioned to the school at this morning’s assembly, our retiring Vice-Chair of governors, Stephen Bamber. He shared something of his life-journey when he gave out the prizes to the Lower School this term. A classicist by training, he secured a place as a Civil Servant at the Foreign Office but was told to gain some life experience before taking up his place. He decided to join the army and became a Platoon Commander, taking in tours of duty in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. By the time he finished his military commission, he returned not to the Foreign Office but was drawn to medicine, so back to learning he went before becoming a GP for some 30 years. His route to Norwich School governorship came through his own children’s time here as pupils. Looking backwards, one can see exactly how the range of experience has made Stephen such a wise and valuable governor, but if our Head of Careers, Mrs James, were to predict such a career for any of our current U6th I suspect there would be bewilderment; Stephen’s life can hardly be described as following a plan. You can only join the dots up looking backwards, so as you make your way through life, particularly while you are of school age or an 18 year-old about to leave, just keep making dots. And what dots should one make? Again, as a classicist who retrained in medicine, I think Stephen’s life story is instructive: he has always been curious to learn more and has not been afraid of putting his mind to different areas of study. This brings to mind the delightful story of the cellist, Pablo Casals. He practised every day, even after retirement. When asked why, he replied “because I think I’m making progress”. His age at the time? He was 90. Upper Sixth, take a moment to look backwards and join the dots of your school career, the moments which have moulded you into the fine young men and women I see in front of me: your A Level subject choices, your role in that play, your part in that school team, the time you first met your best friend. But remember how many dots there still are to make. Keep doing so, even if you are not sure how they will join up. That will be for another moment of focus. As you get ready to leave, please know that we have loved your presence in our community. You have been a strong sporting year-group and you have given us countless creative triumphs. You have also helped the wider community and been a close-knit support group for each other. If we have got it right, we have not been a hothouse for you but we have been a greenhouse, nurturing you as sensitive plants to develop healthily through setting the right overall conditions for your overall growth. Go out in the world with a lifelong love of learning to be forces for good in the wider community. And do stay in touch from time to time to let us know what you find. You leave with best wishes from us all.
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