The focus was on talent, when our young photographers joined others to showcase their work at Chequers House Gallery in King’s Lynn.

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.”

Students from all four West Norfolk secondary schools put their spelling skills to the test for the finals of a keenly-fought contest.

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.

Young voices came together to celebrate the season, when our school joined others from across the West Norfolk Academies Trust and Windmill Federation for the annual WNAT Christmas Carol Service.

The popular event at St Nicholas Chapel took place on Wednesday 3 December, and featured performances from around 250 pupils from across the primary and secondary schools within the Trust and the Windmill Federation.

“The annual event is a traditional Christmas Carol Service with a selection of readings, a blessing from Canon Mark Dimond from the Minster, and also communal carols, as well as each group of schools performing a song on their own,” said Robin Norman, who is Director of Music at WNAT.

“This is the fourth time we have run this event, and it was my ‘brainchild’ to bring a more traditional feel to an event in the town,” he continued. “One that could bring together all of our schools, our parents, and the local community in general – something that would become magical and truly give the Christmas Spirit.

“We started with around 250 in the congregation for the first one in 2022, and this year there was ‘standing room only’, so I am absolutely thrilled how it has grown.”

Participating primary schools included WNAT members Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Infant, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn, along with Terrington St John, Tilney St Lawrence, Walpole Highway, and West Walton from the Windmill Federation; while the WNAT high schools taking part were Marshland, St Clements, Smithdon, and Springwood.

“Many members of staff have been involved in the organisation, but a particular thanks to Emma Pearman in the Admin Team for her work on the logistics,” added Mr Norman.

“Also, a huge shout-out to all the teachers across all the schools who worked with the children and made it a truly memorable event. It really helps bring the community together and bring a magical start to the Christmas Season.”

There was plenty to talk about at an inter-schools debating contest for West Norfolk Academy Trust students held at our school.

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.

Four days of magic, music and mayhem will be on stage as our school presents its panto, with an extra show due to growing demand.

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 

Music lovers enjoyed four nights of diverse entertainment when Springwood High School in King’s Lynn hosted this year’s West Norfolk Academies Trust Community Music Festival.

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.”