There was a treat in store for music lovers when musicians from our school joined others from across the West Norfolk Academies Trust for a Piano Recital.

The performance featured pianists from across the Trust’s primary and secondary schools, and took place at Springwood High School.

Participating high schools included Marshland, St Clement’s, and Smithdon, as well as host Springwood, while among the primaries taking part were Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn.

“Performers represented a broad range of students, from debut and initial-level performers, through to diploma-level pianists,” said Benjamin Howell, who is Peripatetic Music Lead at the Trust and oversaw the event, with the support of WNAT staff including CEO Andy Johnson, and Director of Music Robin Norman.

“One of the lovely aspects of the recital was the variety of repertoire featured, spanning everything from pop and contemporary music, through to Baroque and classical works,” he continued.

“We also included several piano duets within the programme, which always add a particularly engaging dimension to the evening.”

Musical events are held regularly within the Trust, with a previous piano recital having taken place at Springwood in the Autumn Term.

“Events such as these form an important part of the wider musical journey across the Trust, providing valuable stepping stones towards both short- and long-term goals for our students,” added Mr Howell.

“This very much reflects the ethos of the WNAT Peri Team this year: Practice, Progress, Performance.”

Our sports stars had the chance to shine when they travelled to Spain for a week of football and basketball.

The 35 students from Years 8 to 10 at Marshland High School were taking part in our annual sports tour to the Costa Brava, which saw them compete in a series of sporting fixtures, as well as enjoying visits to attractions in the area.

The trip first took place in 1998, and has been organised since 2015 by Dom Stannard, Head of Character and Culture at our school, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“Students competed in a range of football and basketball fixtures against local Spanish clubs,” he said. “Alongside the sporting programme, students also enjoyed a variety of experiences and activities throughout the week, including visits to a theme park, a water park, and a tour of the famous Camp Nou.

“Students also took part in a football training session at the training facilities of RCD Espanyol, as well as a basketball coaching session during the tour, giving them valuable opportunities to develop their skills in a different sporting environment.”

He continued: “Students showed excellent determination and resilience in challenging fixtures against strong opposition, while also creating fantastic memories together off the pitch and court.

“One of the biggest highlights was seeing the positive team spirit across the entire group. Students consistently encouraged one another, celebrated each other’s successes, and represented Marshland High School extremely well throughout the tour.”

The students enjoyed their Spanish experience - with one celebrating a birthday on the tour.

“I loved it, all of it was my favourite,” said Alfie McClure. “It was my birthday whilst we were there which made it extra special. Everyone had signed a card for me, and we had a lovely cake.”

Ava Norman was Player of the Match during one of the school’s football fixtures.

“I enjoyed the trip,” she said. “The best part was the football, as I was playing in goal for the first time, and I did very well, getting player of the match for the game. I definitely gained confidence during the trip - it was fantastic.”

Tyler Colville agreed: “I really enjoyed the trip. It’s hard to choose the best part, as I loved it all – an amazing experience.”

Mr Stannard added: “Trips like this are incredibly important for students, both personally and socially. They provide experiences and opportunities that go far beyond sport itself.

“Students develop independence, teamwork, resilience, communication skills, and confidence, while also learning how to represent themselves and the school positively in a different environment.

“Most importantly, trips like this help students grow in confidence and maturity, while creating positive experiences that can have a lasting impact long after the tour has finished.”

It was time to turn up the amp, when aspiring rock stars from our school joined others from across the West Norfolk Academy Trust for this year’s Battle of the Bands.

Held at Springwood High School, the competition featured performances from five bands, representing three of the Trust’s high schools.

Bands from host Springwood included Queensway, The Gliders, and Bad Intentions; while Marshland was represented by Irritation Station, and Smithdon by The Unknown.

Event organiser Pete Cuss, who is Head of Arts at Springwood, was impressed by the breadth of talent on show.

“Each band performed three tracks,” he said. “It was amazing to see so many young rock bands coming through in the local area.”

It was the third time that the annual event had taken place, and also the third year running that The Gliders had lifted the trophy.

The winners also received a customised electric guitar, which had been spray-painted in a graffiti style by Springwood Head of Art Lee Eveson, and had the band’s name on the fretboard.

Mr Cuss added: “Without events like these, young bands would not get the experience to showcase their talent ahead of playing in the local area. This gives them a taste of the gigging world before they start their own journeys.”

There were sporting challenges aplenty, when a group of our students headed to Florida for a sports tour which featured such American staples as basketball and baseball, along with football, golf, ice hockey, and even bowling and laser tag.

The 30 students from Years 7 to 10 at Marshland High School underwent coaching sessions in basketball and football, as well as competing against home teams in the area.

“Marshland High School students experienced a series of competitive fixtures during their recent sports tour to Orlando, taking on strong local opposition across football and basketball,” explained Dom Stannard, Head of Character and Culture at our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“In football, the first team showed determination and willingness to play out from the back,” he said. “Despite a 5-0 defeat, the team competed well for long periods of the game and created several attacking opportunities.

“The second football team faced a tough challenge, conceding early goals in a 5-0 defeat. Despite the result, there were positive individual performances, particularly in defence and goal, with players showing resilience throughout.”

Stellar performances came from Will W, Thomas G, Dylan W, Mason H-S, Chris M, and Olivia W.

The students also rose to the challenge of basketball against a Maitland National Basketball Academy (TNBA) side, with the first team narrowly losing 44-36. Stand-out contributions came from Thomas G, Will W, and George S.

The second team met defeat at the hands of the same opponents, with players of the match named as Cole ND, Rocco P, and Beau W.

There was also the opportunity to see the professionals in action, with the students attending a National Basketball Association (NBA) game between Magic and Hawks, as well as an ice hockey match featuring Solar Bears versus Stingrays.

Other highlights included a trip to Universal Studios and Volcano Bay, a baseball experience, Top Golf, Crazy Golf, bowling, laser tag, and arcade games.

“The sport was fun and I got to learn lots of new things,” said Year 9 student Will W, while Olivia W in Year 8 added: “The best part was watching ice hockey and basketball, and playing in games against local teams.

“The week allowed me to develop my skills within sports and how to play alongside others who are better than me. I was proud to score my first basket.”

George S in Year 10 agreed: “The sport was so competitive, and on a different level to back home. I developed perseverance through the week, so when it got tough, I never gave up.”

“Trips like this are incredibly important at Marshland, because they provide students with experiences that go far beyond the classroom,” continued Mr Stannard.

“From a sporting perspective, competing against high-quality international opposition helps students to improve their skills, understand different styles of play, and learn the value of teamwork, discipline, and perseverance.

“Overall, experiences like this play a vital role in shaping well-rounded individuals, combining sport, personal development, and cultural exposure in a way that simply cannot be replicated in school alone.”

Inclusivity was the name of the game, when a diverse mix of students came together for the inaugural West Norfolk Academies Trust Kinball Tournament.

Hosted by Smithdon High School, the event was open to players from Years 7 to 11 at the Trust’s four secondary schools, which also include Marshland, St Clement’s, and Springwood in King’s Lynn.

“Kinball is an inclusive sport that can be played by everyone,” explained Smithdon Head of PE Jamie Tilley, who organised the event with the support of his counterparts Paul Swinburn from Marshland, Anna Froswick from St Clement’s, and Tracey Honey from Springwood.

“We had players from Years 7 to 11, played by mixed genders. Overall we had 40 players across the Trust schools participating."

“Everyone who attended played. There were eight teams of six – two teams from each Trust school – all playing to score points. It was a race to see which team could score ten points first.”

“The objective of the game is, when attacking, a team must serve, or hit, the ball so that it lands and touches the ground before a nominated team can catch or control it,” he continued.

“When defending, the nominated team must stop the ball touching the floor. If the ball touches the ground, then all the other teams, including the attacking team, gains a point.

“We  wanted to make sure that everyone went away from the event knowing that they had achieved something. Whether they worked in a team, showed leadership qualities, scored points, or even stopped the other teams from scoring, that was the biggest win of the competition.”

Although it was the first time the tournament had taken place, its success has meant that there are now plans to make it a regular fixture in the WNAT calendar.

“Having Trust schools coming together for fixtures of inclusive sports, as well as the traditional sports, supports the students to thrive and develop in sports,” added Mr Tilley.

“Trust schools have different facilities, sporting experience, and all-round positive knowledge within their PE Departments, which helps to improve PE and Sport across the schools.

“As Heads of Departments across the Trust, this is something that we are discussing and organising to do on a regular basis, to organise friendly development fixtures of inclusive and traditional sports to give sporting pupils the opportunity to shine.”

There was something for everyone, when musicians from our school joined others from across West Norfolk for a performance at St Nicholas Chapel in King’s Lynn.

Organised by the West Norfolk Academies Trust, the WNAT Play Day event saw primary school pupils perform alongside older students from the Trust’s four high schools, which include Marshland in West Walton, St Clement’s in Terrington St Clement, Smithdon in Hunstanton, and Springwood in Lynn.

“The Play Day brought together students from across the feeder primary schools to the four WNAT high schools, spanning the breadth of West Norfolk, from West Walton through to Hunstanton and the surrounding areas,” said Benjamin Howell, who is Peripatetic Music Lead at the Trust and helped co-ordinate the event.

“The event featured primary school musicians alongside high school and sixth-form students, who came together to perform as a large Trust ensemble.”

The musical offering was equally wide-ranging, covering themes from television and film as well as classical pieces, while there were also guest performances from some of the schools’ music groups.

“The musical programme was varied and engaging, ranging from the dramatic theme from The Traitors, music from How to Train Your Dragon, Hungarian Dance No. 5, and both the ‘Habanera’ and ‘Toreador’s Song’ from Carmen,” continued Mr Howell

“In addition, we were delighted to feature performances from the Springwood Concert Band, the Sinfonia String Group, and the St Clement’s High School Band, whose performances further demonstrated the musical progression available to students across the Trust.”

Some 187 musicians were involved in the day, which concluded with a concert performance for WNAT staff, trustees, family members, and friends.

Support was provided by WNAT Peripatetic Team members Jo Kemp, Music Lead at St Clement’s; Mary-Ann Robertson; Emily Savage; David Maddison; Nic Bouskill; and Helen Johnson; along with David Stowell from the Norfolk Music Hub; while the event was organised by WNAT Director of Music, Robin Norman, with the assistance of Emma Pearman and Sam Johnson from the Trust.

“We are very appreciative of the Trust Administration Team, Senior Leadership, and Trustees for their support – particularly CEO Andy Johnson,” added Mr Howell.

“Our thanks also go to St Nicholas Chapel for hosting the event, and to the many parents, carers, families, and friends who attended the concluding performance.”