Get your entries in for this year's OPEN themed photographic competition. Prizes for all finalists! 

You have until Monday 1st June 2026 to submit your images to e.pearman@wnat.co.uk

See poster for full details along with a guide to photography to help you get some great shots.

The ‘Cocktails, Canapes, and Cabaret’ evening at Marshland High School featured 40 different performances, while audience members were also treated to a variety of canape snacks and cocktail drinks.

The sold-out event saw more than 100 students across all year groups take part, with their involvement including technical and front-of-house roles, as well as performing on stage, and creating and serving the refreshments.

“Students made 660 canapes and 330 cocktails to serve over 100 guests,” said Kevin Bell, Music Lead at our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“We had an executive head chef from The Varsity Hotel in Cambridge, Rikayal Boodram, come in to do workshops with the students to make the canapes, which was a great opportunity for the wider school.”

As well as honing their culinary and mixology skills, the students gained experience in a range of different areas through their involvement in the event.

“The musicians gained an insight into the larger workings of events of this type and scale,” continued Mr Bell.

“IT provided a much more real-world view of what a gigging musician does and is involved with, while allowing other students from wider curriculum areas to work collaboratively with other students and industry professionals.”

Although Marshland holds regular musical events, the evening was a new introduction to our entertainment programme.

“We do five concerts a year with various themes, but this was the first like this – the first of its kind,” added Mr Bell.

Hosted by Springwood, the competition featured teams from all four of the Trust’s high schools, with the others including Marshland, St Clement’s, and Smithdon.

Each of the 17 participating teams consisted of four students, who worked together to solve a series of Maths problems, accruing points across several rounds.

“The students had to work as a team to compete in four different rounds named ‘Merry Go Round’, ‘Encryption’, ‘Practical Interlude’, and, lastly, a ‘Relay’ round, all aimed to extend the knowledge they have learnt in the classroom,” said Maths Teacher Lucy Edwards, who is Lead for Academic Progress and Enrichment in Maths at Springwood and organised the event.

“Throughout the rounds, the competition was extremely close, with only ten points separating all the teams. In the end, two Springwood teams gained the runners-up and winning positions.”

Winners Jack, Dylan, Prateek, and Theo narrowly edged ahead of second-placed Vanessa, Leya, Harriet, and Nicole, with both teams receiving certificates from WNAT Lead for Maths Connie Loizou.

“Sixth-form student volunteers ensured the event ran smoothly by supporting teams to have the correct materials and marking students’ work,” continued Miss Edwards.

“Maths teachers from visiting schools and Springwood were extremely supportive throughout the event, especially with the scoring for each of the teams.”

The success of the Year 10 Maths Challenge means it will become an annual event in the WNAT calendar, while the format will also be extended to younger year groups within the Trust.

“Events like this are extremely important to inspire students to not only study Maths to a higher level beyond secondary school, such as at sixth form or university, but also to have an enjoyment for the subject,” added Miss Edwards.

“It is so lovely to see students working as a team to engage with challenging Maths materials, which they will not have seen within the classroom, to push their learning even further.”

Held in conjunction with the King’s Lynn and District Camera Club (KLDCC), the West Norfolk Academies Trust (WNAT) Photographic Competition is open to staff and pupils across the Trust’s member schools, as well as those within the Windmill Federation.

“It is open to all students from the Trust who are in Key Stages 2, 3, 4 and 5,” explained WNAT Confidential Administrator Emma Pearman. “It’s also open to school staff. There are five categories – each of the Key Stages, plus a Staff category.

“This year we will also be inviting students and staff from the Windmill Federation Schools to take part.”

The annual competition is taking place for the third year running, with past themes having included ‘Our Environment’ and ‘My Community’.

“There is an open theme this year, covering any subject the student or staff member thinks would make an interesting picture,” said Mrs Pearson.

WNAT high schools taking part include Marshland in West Walton, St Clement’s in Terrington St Clement, Smithdon in Hunstanton, and Springwood in Lynn; alongside Trust primaries Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn.

Initial judging will be carried out by the WNAT Senior Leadership Team, with ten entries chosen from each category to go through to the final at Springwood on 25 June, where winners will be chosen by a panel from KLDCC.

“There were 147 images submitted last year,” continued Mrs Pearman. “It is expected that there will be more this year, with it increasing in popularity year on year, and also with the fact that the Windmill Federation Schools are invited to take part this year.”

Each category winner will receive £20 of Amazon vouchers, while one overall winner will be awarded the Dave Ashfield Cup, which last year went to Year 13 Springwood Sixth Form student, Ava.

“The Trust places a huge importance on extra-curricular activity for all of our students, alongside excellent relationships with our community including the KLDCC,” added WNAT CEO Andy Johnson.

To enter, send a jpeg format photograph, no larger than A4, and a maximum of 3600 x 2400 pixels, to e.pearman@wnat.co.uk before the closing deadline 1 June.

The school library became a hub of World Book Day activity on Thursday 5 March, with students gathering to take part in a range of different sessions.

“All Key Stage 3 students took part in a variety of sessions, including literary-themed quizzes, bookmark design and interactive challenges that encouraged them to explore different genres and texts within the library’s collection,” said our Literacy Lead, Joe Clark, who led the events.

The celebrations were set to continue beyond World Book Day itself, with a return visit from guest author Pen Avey taking place the following week.

“Following the recent publication of her book, Project Human, Avey will be running a specialist creative writing workshop,” continued Mr Clark.

“A selected group of students will have the opportunity to work closely with her to develop their own storytelling skills and learn about the professional writing process.

“Participating students will also receive a signed copy of her latest book to further foster a love of reading among participants.”

Marshland, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, takes part in World Book Day events every year.

“World Book Day is an essential part of our academic calendar, serving as a yearly reminder of the significant impact reading has on a student’s development,” Mr Clark added.

“By focusing on building positivity and celebrating success through books, we aim to ensure that every student feels connected to the world of literature.”

Around fifty GCSE and A-Level students exhibited their photography at the Focus event, with participating high schools including Springwood, St Clement’s, and Marshland – all of which are members of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“The photography explored a wide variety of concepts from landscape to fashion, identity to street photography,” said Lee Eveson, who is Head of Art and Photography at Springwood, and co-curated and organised the exhibition with Phil Bennell, his counterpart at St Clement’s.

“Phil Bennell and I have been working together for many years now,” he continued. “He is a brilliant and inspiring teacher, and this really helps push the students to be more professional in their learning, and gives a chance to celebrate their work.

“I thought the exploration of portraiture and meaning was very powerful in the exhibition. Students explored themes and subcultures, and showed how they feel about the world and the society we live in.

“It’s also really great for families to see the students’ work in such a professional gallery as Chequers House, which hosts work from some of the best artists from across Norfolk.

The free exhibition takes place annually and regularly attracts hundreds of visitors, with this year’s private viewing full to capacity.

“For us, it’s the highlight of the year,” added Mr Eveson. “It’s not only a chance to celebrate the work of the students, but we get to work with galleries like Chequers House and their amazing team, who I can’t thank enough for their support this year.

“Students getting to exhibit in a public gallery plays a powerful role in students’ learning, because they turn education into a real-world, interactive experience.

“It builds a connection between teachers and parents, and also gives the community a chance to see what extraordinary work our students produce.”

But it isn’t metalwork or engineering that requires the kit – but the catering department, as students have been perfecting the art of caramelising meringues as part of this year’s Master Chef Skills Test.

The contest is just one of a series of inter-house competitions that students take part in during the academic year and continues with up to three subjects each month – ranging from the Warhammer Club model painting to numeracy challenge and the Master Chef Skills.

“I set the Year 7s the challenge of making a lemon meringue cake. Year 8s were tasked with making a chequerboard biscuit and I didn’t include how to make this design, so it required real teamwork. The Yr 9s needed to make chocolate éclairs or profiteroles filled with whipped cream and topped with melted chocolate and the Y10 student needed to make lemon meringue pie with sweet pastry, lemon curd and Italian meringue,” said Stevie Goddard, Head of Food.

The students arrive at the challenge with no idea as to what they will be making, and they work in their house teams of Attenborough, Parks, Ennis-Hill and Hawking before receiving instructions and a tray of measured out ingredients.

They have around 40 minutes to make their dishes before a judge arrives to taste the results and declare a winner.

The winners of the Master Chef this year were Parks on 72 points, followed by Ennis-Hill on 64, Hawking 53 and Attenborough 45.

Later in the coming academic year, the student can take part in an Africa Challenge, chess tournament, world flag challenge, theatre in education and finally the annual sports day.

The West Norfolk Academies Trust event was held at Smithdon High School, and the Year 7 and 8 students had to come up with the correct spelling for a range of tricky words.

Among them were antidisestablishmentarianism, martyr, mnemonic and conscientious – but all the students rose to the challenge.

It was a close contest with teams from Marshland, St Clement’s, Springwood and Smithdon High schools all concentrating hard during a tough session of serious spelling.

Springwood High School took first place with Shanjana in Year 8 taking the title of the WNAT Spelling Bee Winner, and she was presented with the prize of an Amazon Kindle Fire and a trophy.

English Lead for the Trust, Sarah Murkin, organised the annual event which was the culmination of a round of heats within each school.

“All four schools competed with outstanding team spirit and integrity. Springwood secured the win, closely followed by Marshland, St Clement’s and Smithdon. Every team delivered a fantastic performance, making the event a true celebration of talent and sportsmanship,” said Amira O’Neill, English teacher at St Clement’s High.

Each of the Trust’s secondary schools take it in turn to host the annual finals and this year was Smithdon’s turn just before the Christmas break.

The Thread Exhibition features art from students at Springwood in King’s Lynn, Smithdon in Hunstanton, Marshland in West Walton and St Clement’s in Terrington St Clement.

More than 60 students from Year 11 and 13 have used a wide range of media from painting and drawing to sculpture, digital art and photography. It is on show at Chequers House Gallery, King Street,  and is open to the public from 11am to 4pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays to December 28.

“There is no specific theme, but students respond from a range of starting points for their exam and coursework projects and build this into their own style and practice,” said Lee Eveson, Head of Art and Photography at Springwood.

He organised and curated the exhibition with Phil Bennell, Head of Art at the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“Even as a 50-year-old artist and teacher, every painting that you start is an adventure. Sometimes it’s a trial of wits between you and the artwork and, as a creative, you are always evolving. For this reason, I thought Thread was an apt name for the exhibition,” said Mr Eveson.

This year is the eleventh that Mr Eveson has run the event, which often welcomes 500 visitors during the course of the month.

“We have been lucky enough to work with Chequers House Gallery in doing this. They have been amazing, and offered us their new gallery, which I can’t thank them enough for,” he said.

“This exhibition shows students what their work looks like in a professional setting. It raises aspirations, confidence and contribution to the creative arts.

“Creative arts is the second biggest economic provider in the UK. Creative industries are such an important part of our education system and society. We are very lucky to receive the support we do from our senior leadership teams and the community as a whole.

“I feel very lucky to be an art teacher here, not only because of this but because we have outstanding students at our schools,” added Mr Eveson.

We hosted the event and teams from Springwood and St Clement’s High Schools all recently competed for the coveted winners’ trophy. There had been a number of internal rounds before the final teams were chosen for the event.

Each group had three members, a proposer, opposer and chair and the winners on the night were from Springwood High School whose team chose the topic ‘is TikTok responsible for poor mental health amongst teenagers?’

“We are incredibly impressed and proud of the commitment the students have shown in researching their topics and preparing their speeches using their own time. They showed great confidence in speaking so eloquently in front of their peers and judges, well done!” said Judy Webb, KS3 Coordinator at Marshland High School.

“The idea is to celebrate the power of ideas and the art of persuasive communication. We want students to develop their ability to express oneself fluently, confidently and to be able to articulate a clear argument, challenge ideas respectfully and think critically.”

The judging team was Neil Mindham, executive Headteacher of Gaywood Primary and Tony Yates, a trustee from the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

Trophies were presented to the winning team and certificates were given to everyone who took part in the event.

All the teams, along with one from Smithdon High School,  will be taking part in the annual Rotary Youth Speaks Competition which is being organised by the King’s Lynn Trinity Rotary Club.

We hope to hear from Sir David Attenborough, who turns 100 next year as well, as a house is named after him. Dame Jessica Ennis Hill also has a house in her name, and we will be contacting her as well.

And we also want to receive 100 birthday cards in time for a special celebration party planned for next July. Former staff and students have been written to, along with the big names attached to two of our houses.

Memories and photographs of former students and staff are also needed to help create a nostalgic evening of memories from across the decades.

We would like to hear from anyone with memories or photographs of past times at Marshland High, and they needn’t be ex-pupils.

“We would love to hear from anyone with memories of the school, and the school council is going to reach out to different people connected to our school to ask for cards,” said Lydia Beatty, Head of PSHCE and Religious Studies and history teacher.

Parts of our school date back to 1925, although there has been extensive work during the intervening years, including a new humanities block which opened in 2020 after a £1.2m investment.

Birthday cards can be sent to: History Dept, Marshland High School, School Road, West Walton, Wisbech PE14 7HA. And a dedicated email address is also available: centenary@marshlandhigh.co.uk

The corridors will reverberate to the sounds of Peter Panto as the popular classic follows the adventures of the Darling family and their journey to Neverland with characters everyone will recognise.

Around 50 students are involved in the production, which will be on stage from November 26 to 29. There is an extra show on the Saturday morning so pupils from feeder schools, and families with young children, can enjoy the production.

“Our cast have shown exceptional commitment and energy throughout the rehearsal process. They have worked tirelessly to learn choreography, master musical numbers and bring their characters to life,” said Jayne Dix, Head of Drama.

“We are incredibly proud of everyone involved and are eagerly looking forward to welcoming audiences across all performances.”

This year will also see the homemade ice cream and popcorn created and sold by students at each performance.

The story follows the journey of Peter Pan and the Lost Kids as Wendy, John and Michael take flight along with the mischievous Tink. They travel to a lost world where they have to outsmart the villainous Captain Hook and her band of pirates.

Dame Nanna is hot on their trail trying to bring her beloved Darling family home again.

“This year, we also have a few surprises in store, including guest appearances from staff members - adding an extra layer of fun and excitement to an already vibrant production,” added Mrs Dix.

“Join us for a joyful, energetic retelling of a timeless story. Peter Panto promises laughter, adventure, and unforgettable moments for audiences of all ages.”

Tickets are available via Bromcom if you have a child at the school or Ticketsource Adults £10 Child £8 https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on?q=marshland%20high%20school%20Peter%20panto 

The popular annual event was taking place for the fourth time, and saw performers from our school join others from across the Trust, alongside a host of other music groups from across the region.

“Suffice to say we had a real mix of younger WNAT ensembles, alongside more experienced ensembles and professional musicians,” said Robin Norman, Director of Music at WNAT and organiser of the event. “There was a real mix of different styles and ages, with performers from all schools across the WNAT family, along with other community ensembles.

“There was, without doubt, something for everyone, with a wonderful range of instrumental and vocal ensembles.”

Besides Springwood, the participating Trust high schools comprised Marshland in West Walton, St Clement’s in Terrington St Clement, and Smithdon in Hunstanton, while member primaries taking part included Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Infant, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn.

“Across the four nights, there were in excess of 500 performers from across all year groups from Reception through to Year 13,” explained Mr Norman. “These were spread across all the schools in the West Norfolk Academies Trust and beyond.

“Students from all WNAT schools were involved. However, we were also joined by community music groups including the West Norfolk Music Centre, West Norfolk Winds, and others – a real showcase of all the different types of music from across West Norfolk.”

Among the performers were musicians from the Trust’s Musical Instrumental Tuition Initiative (MITI) Programme, including a String Ensemble, a Wind Band, and individual piano and percussion students.

More than 900 people attended the Community Music Festival, which culminated in the WNAT Choral Spectacular, featuring choirs from all the Trust’s schools, along with special guest St Martha’s – a total of around 250 students, aged five to 18.

“The students of all ages coming together is a unique experience,” continued Mr Norman. “There is an overarching sense of camaraderie, and, whatever the age, the students joke, and laugh, and just enjoy making music together.

“There was a wide range of pieces on offer, from musical theatre to classic pop to rock. However, the highlight had to be the grand finale when all the children joined together to perform ‘This is Me’ from The Greatest Showman.”

“For the young people in our schools, this now-annual event is important in so many ways,” added Mr Norman. “The professional-level stage is just one aspect of this, as all performers have the joy of performing in front of appreciative audiences on equipment of such a high level.

“However, this is just the tip of the iceberg, as you cannot measure the good a series of events like this does on inspiring future musicians, who, in some cases, will be hearing advanced performances for the first time.

“This gives them the opportunity to perform and work with a whole range of musicians. This is something you cannot really measure as both an inspirational and aspirational tool.”

Thirteen students from our school travelled to Bhaktapur for the 17-day adventure, staying near Durbar Square, which is one of Nepal’s UN Historical Sites.

“We were working with Springdale Secondary School, helping students in Class 4 to 6 (eight to 11-year-olds)  with STEM projects,” explained Claire Whitehouse, Assistant Headteacher at Marshland, a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“Our students planned and taught three lessons a day, trying to include hands-on, interactive experiences for the students in their learning. One day also allowed our students to deliver CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training to the Nepal students.”

“The head teacher of the school was incredibly impressed with the students’ teaching techniques, and the way they conducted themselves,” said our Head of History, Debby Dye, who accompanied the group.

“It was inspiring to see them in action, showcasing such a wide range of invaluable skills – leadership, teamwork, empathy, organisation, resilience, communication, and adaptability.”

As well as supporting the Nepali children in their science studies, our students had the opportunity to explore the area, visiting historic sites and experiencing local customs, food, and dress.

Visits included Swayambhu Mahachaitya, the monkey temple; Thamel, the traditional market area of capital city Kathmandu; and the Bageshwori Nagarkot suspension bridge; while the students also had the opportunity to try their hand at traditional pottery making, try-on classic Nepali clothing, and to sample a variety of Nepali food.

“The students immersed themselves into the Nepali culture, increasing their awareness and understanding of Global Citizenship,” added Mrs Whitehouse. “It was a pleasure to see them grow in confidence and develop their skills.  The students were a credit to themselves and the school.”

The Pink Ladies Hockey Squad took part in the special 5k Parkrun held in King’s Lynn earlier this month and had hoped to raise £2,000 to achieve their target. But the total came in at nearly £3,000 thanks to donations via a fundraising web page.

“I was so proud of all the runners and so many people in the community said such great things, not just about the squad, but the school and youth in general. They said things like ‘the school must be proud of its pupils as they are putting in so much effort,’” said Paul Swinburn, Head of PE at Marshland High School.

He had also invited former members of the Pink Ladies to join this year’s group and there were a total of 32 runners and ten theatre members on the startline.

A lack of opportunity for keen girl hockey players, and having pupils play for town clubs or even at national league level,  prompted Mr Swinburn to create a Marshland High School squad. He found the funds to source the distinctive pink shirts more than 15 years ago and the team soon became known as the Pink Ladies.

“The kit looked like a dream and the number of girls wanting to play increased dramatically,” he said. This year the Wisbech Lions have bought the squad a sponsored kit carrying on the pink tradition.

“We looked great in the new shirts and I reached out to potential sponsors to help us get the skorts we need, as the ones we have are so old and in total disrepair,” he added.

The money from the Parkrun this year has all been raised to help the Angles Theatre in Wisbech, a venue close to the hearts of many pupils at the West Walton school.

This year was the eighth time the hockey squad has been raising money for charities, which have also included food banks, Fenland Women’s Refuge, the theatre and to help pay for a rail card to help a former squad member who was recovering from leukaemia to travel around Europe.

“This year I had over 50 girls turning out at regular after-school clubs, with many of those going on to play for school and even local clubs,” added Mr Swinburn.

Hockey players, both boys and girls, from the school help populate clubs, including the Pelicans in King’s Lynn, Wisbech Town and Long Sutton. The under-15 mixed team are the district champions and the under-16 girls are county champions within the state school sector.

“The run was epic. I was so proud of all the runners and there was a huge buzz as we arrived.”

Year 7 modern language students from the Trust’s four high schools had previously won their way through the earlier stages of the competition, which had been held in class at the individual schools.

It was the first time the event had taken place, with 18 students from Smithdon, Springwood, St Clement’s, and Marshland making it to the final, which was supported by our Year 7 cohort.

“The Department at Springwood High School have been running a spelling bee competition for a number of years, and the Languages Team decided this year to extend this to the rest of the Trust schools, and then to celebrate the successes of the students by have a cross-Trust final,” explained Leah Hawkins, Cross-Trust Lead for Modern Foreign Languages.

Languages tested in the contest included French, Spanish, and German, with vocabulary covering topics such as family members, numbers, colours, days, months, adjectives, and greetings.

“Students were given lists of 100 pieces of key vocabulary per language which they practised,” continued Mrs Hawkins. “They then had one minute to translate the English word they were given into the target language, and then spell it out using the target language alphabet, including any relevant accents.

“For the final, all 18 students had their one minute to spell as much as they could; the second round was the eight with the top scores; and the final four then spelled for a third minute to determine the winner of the competition.”

Coming out on top was Year 7 student Jasper Hawkins from Springwood, who correctly spelt 16 French words in one minute to take first place, beating classmate Anieshka Daniel, who came second with 12 German words in one minute.

Third place went to Patrick Roman, also in Year 7 at Springwood, who spelt 11 Spanish words correctly in one minute.

Each of the three won an Amazon voucher, while everyone participating received a certificate and commemorative blazer pin badge.

“The Spelling Bee has given us an opportunity to celebrate the students’ recollection and knowledge of key vocabulary, as well as increasing awareness of the phonetics of the foreign language being studied,” added Mrs Hawkins.

“In addition, it helps build student confidence in public speaking, and the overall profile of language learning in school.”

Students took the opportunity to dress in their finest to arrive at the school in style before heading to King’s Lynn for an evening at the Knights Hill Hotel.

Modes of transport ranged from a vintage Morris Minor to a military vehicle, and even a Hot Rod along with an array of more traditional vehicles which were welcomed by friends and family who gathered on Friday. 

The evening started at school before our students were transported to the hotel for an evening of food, music and entertainment to mark the end of their time at Marshland High.

“The venue was filled with excitement as students arrived in a dazzling array of glamorous outfits and a parade of impressive vehicles,” said Chris Teanby, Assistant Headteacher.

“One of the most heartwarming highlights was seeing students and school staff dance together in celebration. The evening was a fitting tribute to a remarkable year group. The class of 2025 have been described by staff as conscientious, diligent and a pleasure to teach. The positive impact that they had on the school community will be sorely missed.”

DJ Ashley Duncan, of Versatile Events, ensured the dance floor was busy throughout the evening and kept the atmosphere ‘electric,’ added Mr Teanby.

The students will return one final time in August to collect the results of the GCSE exams they have just completed.

The secondary school students worked with SKF Cooper, a company in South Lynn with a long history of engineering and invention.

The students from Springwood, Smithdon, Marshland and St Clement’s High Schools used Computer Aided Design techniques to make a pattern using a 3D printer.

The teams then met at Smithdon, in Hunstanton, to cast the designs in aluminium, working with Nigel Willingham, Headteacher and Design and Technology teacher at St Clement’s High School.

“It was great to see students from across the Trust working together to create these products. Casting is not seen in many schools so we were delighted to be able to offer our students the opportunity to see this engineering process in action,” he said.

Prior to launching the project, teachers from the Trust visited the SKF Cooper site to see the casting process being used in an industrial setting. They also completed additional safety training to ensure they were qualified to teach the process to students.

“I’m grateful to Gary Hellard from SKF Cooper who has supported us throughout the project and came to work with the students and judge the outcomes on casting day,” said Mr Willingham.

All the students were rewarded with SKF water bottles and the four winners also received caps and chocolate bearings.

“The students have all been brilliant throughout the day and worked really hard. We hope to see some of them applying for our apprenticeships in a few years. Engineering skills are still very much in demand and it’s been great to see the design and technology teachers come together to deliver this project,” said Mr Hellard.

Cooper was established by Thomas Cooper, an inventor and brilliant engineer in 1894 in King’s Lynn. His first major invention was a revolutionary steam digger for use in arable farming. 

After his death and throughout the second half of the 20th Century, it has focused on the ground-breaking split bearing he designed in 1907.

Alongside the basketball teams, footballers joined the annual trip for the first time this year and all 35 students had a fantastic time when they stayed near Barcelona during the half-term break.

“It was the most successful trip ever in terms of sporting results, but more importantly, the students and staff absolutely loved every minute. Throughout, the students were brilliant, funny and a pleasure to take.  We are so proud of them all,” said Dominic Stannard, Head of Character and Culture, who has been involved with the trips since 2015.

We have been taking sports teams to Spain for fixtures for 25 years, but this was the first to include the football tour. Previous trips have seen a hockey club fixture, but Mr Stannard said the decision was taken as we are having a ‘real push’ on football.

The group stayed at Santa Susanna, which is around 40 minutes from Barcelona in the Catalonia region.

“Sporting trips like these are so important for our students for their progress within PE and sports, but more importantly, their character development. The week was an amazing experience for them all and they created so many wonderful memories. During the week, they develop their independence, confidence, communication and adaptability. I am so proud of all the students,” said Mr Stannard.

The team was able to train at the facilities of top club Espanyol, which plays in the La Liga league of professional teams in Spain. The students also had a tour of the stadium, which holds 40,000 fans on match day.

The boys’ first-team footballers played well to beat the opposition club, Deportivo Palafolls, 5 -1 and the mixed team lost 6-1 to a team from the same club.

The basketball teams had a tour of mixed fortunes with the boys’ first team winning 57 - 53 against CB Boet Mataro Boat. The Norfolk team got stronger as the match went on, said Mr Stannard.

The boys’ second team lost 47-7 to their hosts, and the score in the girls’ match was unclear, with the scoreboard reading 129 -128 at one point.

“The girls did brilliantly against a very experienced side. We actually scored eight legitimate points - they gave us points every time we took a shot. When we did shoot, the whole venue celebrated, which was a lovely experience,” said Mr Stannard.

The trip also included excursions to the theme park, waterpark, Espanyol stadium tour, sightseeing in Barcelona, the beach and a trip to the swimming pool.

We held a series of events to mark the historic anniversary and staff were also asked to share their family stories from the Second World War to bring the experiences to life and closer to home for everyone.

“Stories have included a nan who narrowly avoided an air raid bomb in King’s Lynn, and a granddad who was shot in the hip and spent the rest of his life with the bullet inside him,” said History Teacher Lydia Beatty.

“I grew up listening to stories of wartime and the Blitz from my grandparents. Sadly, for the next generation, this isn’t going to be possible, so it’s important that we continue to mark these days so the significance of those who fought is never lost,” she added.

The stories have been shared with students, and they were also encouraged to speak to their own family members to see if there were any stories from the war.

How VE Day unfolded and what its impact was at the time was part of lessons during the anniversary, and students listened to some music from the time, including Vera Lynn, to mark a different point throughout the day, which culminated with a two-minute silence to reflect on those who lost their lives.

Springwood hosted the hotly fought contest, which also featured performances from fellow Trust high schools Marshland and Smithdon, with the 25 band members ranging in age from Years 7 to 13.

It was the third time that the event had taken place, with this year’s contestants including Dislocated Shoulder from Marshland; The Unknown from Smithdon; and Springwood’s The Rock Club, Boogaloo, and The Gliders.

“The highlights were watching all the amazing, up-and-coming bands from three high schools, with a special mention to The Unknown from Smithdon’s rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen,” said Pete Cuss, Head of Arts at Springwood and organiser of the event.

He was supported by Springwood Music Teacher Thomas Burt, Springwood Associate Head Nick Wills, and WNAT CEO Andy Johnson – all of whom also joined forces to perform a version of ‘Green Onions’ as the Staff Band.

Despite stiff competition, The Gliders came out on top, performing tracks by Royal Blood, the Arctic Monkeys, and McFly to impress the audience, which included talent scouts from Hunstanton Festival.

The Battle of the Bands Trophy was presented to the winners by Mr Cuss.

“This is not only an important event for the Trust to give young musicians the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience, but also for our local area,” he added. 

“The majority of established musical talent in West Norfolk was formed in schools, and many performers go on to perform in local venues and at events like Festival Too.”

The group travelled to Westminster Abbey for the service which was attended by King Charles and Queen Camilla along with the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

“The service itself contained singing, dancing and recitals representing all of the continents of the Commonwealth, including a traditional Maasai dance and a performance from musician Joan Armatrading,” said Lydia Beatty, Head of PHSE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education).

“There was also an inspirational reflection from Cynthia Wakuna from Cameroon who spoke about women’s rights and equality in the Commonwealth which was especially significant as the service followed International Women’s Day which was marked on Saturday.”

In his written address, the King said that restoring the ‘disrupted harmony of our entire planet’ was the most important task facing humanity. He also paid tribute to more than 1.5 million people from across the Commonwealth who served during the Second World War.

“It was a fantastic opportunity for us all to reflect on the shared values we have across the Commonwealth of respect for the diversity that being part of the Commonwealth gives us, and the desire to make the world a better place,” said Miss Beatty.

The Year 9 and 10 students were also accompanied by Head Teacher Craig Jansen.

“It was a great experience to see different cultures and faiths represented. My highlight of the day was the Maasai dancing, and I'm grateful for such a great opportunity I've had,” said one of the students.

On arriving at the Abbey, the congregation was greeted by the drumming of Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa, a Hindu Scottish pipe band based in London.

It was the King’s first appearance at the annual event in two years after he postponed public-facing duties last year due to his cancer diagnosis. The Princess of Wales also missed last year’s service as she was also being treated with chemotherapy.

The West Walton School invited Pen Avey, who is also a poet and lives in Norfolk, to speak to students about her work and the importance of reading for pleasure. Her latest release, Dear Earthling: Cosmic Correspondent, also features illustrations she created.

Pupils also completed themed activities in the school library.