Ellie Thwaites represented Norwich School in the Youth Nationals in Wales. To celebrate her success in this competition and in sailing as a whole, we asked her a few questions. How long have you been sailing? I have been sailing for my whole life, I learnt to sail in my optimist on Wroxham Broad. I sailed that for about 3 years, then I moved into the topper 4.2, and began traveling regionally and nationally to compete. I was in the 4.2 for about 3 years, then I moved into the topper 5.3 (which is a bigger rig) I sailed in this rig for 2-3 years, of which I became eastern region champion in my final year. I then moved into the ilca4 which I have only recently moved out of, I am now in the ILCA 6, I have competed in two competitions so far in the 6, one of which was the British Youth Nationals. What do you enjoy about sailing? I love how competitive it can be, and also how much freedom you have. Out on the water you have to be very self sufficient since you are out there for 4-5 hours per day. You get to connect with nature, being out in the waves, you see so many animals, like jelly fish, dolphins, seals. Do you take part in any other sports in school? I mainly take part in rowing at school, as it builds my fitness for sailing. I really enjoy it and the training really helps me improve my fitness. I love the competitive factor in rowing, and I love how you are pushing yourself to the max, I am quite a competitive person, so this drives me! How has Norwich School supported you in your sailing? All of my sailing and rowing coaches have been extremely supportive in my sailing journey. Norwich school has helped me by allowing me to leave school to go to events such as these and training, they have helped me with managing my work loads, and giving me extensions. What was preparation like for the nationals? I have been training a lot over the winter, most of my weekends are spent down to the south coast, Weymouth, for training weekends in the ILCAs. How did nationals go? Nationals went very well, I came into the event with the goal of coming in the top 8. But I was going to take it as a learning event, as I have only competed in the boat twice. The first day was very windy and big waves, these were good conditions for me, and lead to me coming off the water with some good results on day one. This consistency continued throughout the event, with mainly 4ths, 3rds, 2nds, 1sts. This meant that by the medal race I was in 2nd place. However my medal race didn’t go as I wanted it to, leading me to come 3rd overall. I was super happy with this result, I learnt lots about the boat and about the venue. All in all it was a very successful week. What are your future hopes in sailing? Eventually I want to make it to the Olympics, that is my end goal. What would you say to anyone who wants to get involved with sailing? Go try it!! You will learn so much and it is such an enjoyable sport, and life skill! Norwich sailing is so welcoming, and is for all skill levels. 

On 29th May 2025 we were delighted to welcome back on site the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) for the next in their impressive series of lectures in the Blake Studio, their principal hub site for the eastern region. It was a particularly inspiring return. Veteran campaigner Sir Jonathon Porritt CBE was our speaker for an evening of thought-provoking, intelligent commentary on the state of our fragile planet. Jonathon is a name familiar to many, having been a powerful advocate of Friends of the Earth and the Green Party in a long career of political and ecological activism. To a large audience of RGS members, environmentalists, local politicians, pupils, parents, staff and alumni, our speaker did not pull his punches when reflecting on over 50 years of environmental campaigning. In a data-driven and passionate address he exposed what he perceived to be abject multi-generational global failures to address the desperate plight of our planet. He touched on such diverse issues as: population explosion and rainforest destruction; access to birth control and fertility; plastic pollution and economic drivers of the oil industry; climate change and the dangers of rampant capitalism. His journey took us to some cheerless places, but Jonathon reminded us that, as Dr Martin Luther King said in his final speech in 1968 before his assassination: “I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.” He concluded with positive, personal reflections garnered from years’ worth of public engagement which confirmed that people (especially young people) were desperate for change and often had broadly similar views of what they wanted to see done differently. In a stark message to global democracies, he stated that voters had the valuable privilege of holding the power to change the status quo, one that, in his opinion, needed a radical reset. Consequently, he had been buoyed by the upending of traditional party politics evidenced by the 2025 local elections. He was also at pains to point out the huge potential of green energy to be a driver for global economic growth. Jonathon was very generous with his time answering questions from a knowledgeable and engaged audience for an hour afterwards, leaving us all much to ponder on. The local RGS is now off for their summer break but has generated a compelling programme of on-site talks for the autumn. Details will be published on their website - Upcoming events - RGS - once dates are confirmed. We are extremely grateful to the dynamic James Firebrace and his RGS team for bringing to site this year an eclectic programme of lectures on varied topics such as: African species under threat from climate change; the future of rewilding; fragile coral reefs; treasured urban commons; and the sultry delights of the French Riviera ('A sunny place,' said Somerset Maugham, 'for shady people') delivered by engaging subject specialists from around the country, as well as hosting their annual pupil micro-lecture evening last autumn. Thanks also go to our loyal and supportive audiences who enjoyed being with us throughout the year.

The children in Lower 1 and Upper 1 took to the stage at The Blake Studio to perform their rendition of the magical and enchanting musical production, Wiz Wham Alakazam to parents, grandparents and residents of The Great Hospital. In this enchanting production, the young wizards of Sun Castle faced a day like no other. One moment the sun was shining brightly over the castle, and the next it mysteriously became dimmer. The resident wizards were thrown into chaos as the Chief Wizard led the spell-casters on an adventure to bring back the light. With plenty of magic spells, and just a sprinkle of disorder, the story unfolded with excitement, charm, and laughter. From the very first scene, the children lit up the stage with confident line delivery and infectious enthusiasm. Each child played their part, whether it was casting spells, performing gymnastic and dance routines, or helping find the important but oldest Spell Book. The Ice Creatures made a dramatic entrance – eerie and impressive – with expressive performances that added just the right touch of tension. Musical numbers such as "Teamwork", "Ice Creatures", and the "Wizards of the Sun" showcased the children’s growing talent in both singing and acting. All the songs were performed with energy, clarity, and joy. The production was a celebration of creativity and teamwork, with every young performer contributing to the magic. Wiz Wham Alakazam was a joyful, spellbinding success — packed with music, movement, mystery and the unforgettable charm of Sun Castle’s youngest stars. Mrs Barclay commented "The children have worked so hard to learn their lines and songs and I am very proud of their performances. It has been a delight working with this group of passionate and talented children."