Sporting students at our school tested their skills against international competition when they visited Spain recently.

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.

Students at our school who also serve in the Uniformed Services were proudly front and centre of VE Day commemorations.

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.

Students from our school rubbed shoulders with royalty on Monday when they attended a special service marking Commonwealth Day.

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 third year of MasterChef Skills Test was fiercely contested across three year groups and the four houses of Attenborough, Ennis-Hill, Hawking and Parks.

GCSE students came face-to-face with some infamous characters from the dark side of history when they visited a former court and gaol house in Nottingham.

Our students hit all the right notes for the festive season when they performed their Christmas concert this week.