A Day with the Romans and Iceni for Upper 2

September 16, 2024

It was a bright and sunny morning as Upper Two marched like legionaries to Norwich Castle for an exciting day with The Romans and Iceni.

We went upstairs to the auditorium where we met the characters we would be spending the day with.

Iceni Essica woke her Roman friend, Marius, up to tell him about the rumours of rebellion. Marius told her not to worry, all would be well and that if there was a battle, the Romans would win. Essica didn’t know what to do. She had three choices: She had been collecting the tax on behalf of the Romans so she could choose to seek out protection from them; She could return to her tribe, the Iceni and ask them to protect her or she could do nothing and hope that the Iceni and the Romans could learn to get on with one another. Upper Two were tasked with helping her to find out! We were to spend the rest of the day with the Iceni and the Romans, getting to know them and gathering evidence to help us to decide.

We split into two groups, one spending time with one of the museum’s curators, Sarina, and investigated the ways the Romans and the Celts lived; finding similarities between them. The second began training as a Roman legionary and learning about what it was like to be a centurion. Both sessions were incredibly fun and interactive. We loved looking for clues in the artefacts and preparing for battle.

After a morning packed with discovery, the pupils enjoyed a well-earned lunch, with none of the pupils sure who they agreed with yet. After lunch, we split again and one group began by spending some time with Essica, who shared some very interesting (and very ancient) artefacts with us. We loved learning about the oil lamps, the beautiful mosaics and very well-designed roof tiles. We could understand why the Romans felt as though they had provided a better way of life for the Celts. We swapped over and we spent some time with an archaeologist, learning about how the Celts made Torcs and why they were so important to them. We brought home our lovely new jewelry and found it interesting that the Celts buried their precious possessions ceremonially, almost like an offering to God.

At the end of the day, we all gathered back together to decide what we thought Essica should do. It was a pretty even split, with children from both sides giving good arguments to support their decision. Those who thought she should join the Romans explained that she would be safer with them as they had more advanced weapons and a more organized army. Those who sided with the Celts said their passion and belief in protecting themselves would lead to victory in the end. Those who thought she should stay out of it explained that there was evidence of Roman and Celtic culture being combined and gave the example of the Roman wine cup with Celtic ducks on the handles. If there was evidence that they could get on and learn from each other, maybe they could have a conversation to sort out their differences.

We never discovered the choice Essica made. We watched as she buried her most treasured possessions under an Oak tree, the same treasures that archaeologists found hundreds of years later.

"I liked how we spent the whole day trying to help Essica make a decision." – Max

"I really loved looking at all of the artefacts." - Sienna

“I particularly enjoyed looking at the swords and making the torcs.” Henry

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Celebrating a Record-Breaking Year for GCSE Results

By Eleanor Lewis • August 20, 2026

It was a joy to see the school come to life once again as our 2026 GCSE cohort arrived to collect their results and it was a record breaking year, so there was much to celebrate. Congratulations to each and every pupil - your dedication, resilience and commitment are reflected in an outstanding set of results. There were also some remarkable individual performances, with many pupils achieving exceptional outcomes. We caught up with some of them to learn more about their successes and hear about what they are looking forward to as they embark on their exciting next steps. Art Here at Norwich School we are enormously proud of our Cater Building, which boasts three floors of cutting edge art and design equipment, across multiple art and design studios and workshops. These pupils demonstrate their love of creative art and look forward to spending more time in Carter exploring their creativity in Sixth Form. Name Isla How many GCSEs did you take? 10 What were your results? 9 x grade 9 and 1 x grade 8 What was your favourite subject and why? History – I loved my class and the lessons were so much fun! What will you go on to study in Sixth Form? History, 2D Art, Psychology and Politics. Is there any particular reason or inspiration for choosing these A Levels? I really enjoyed History and 2D Art at GCSE, so wanted to continue studying these subjects. What are you most looking forward to about going into Sixth Form? The freedom and more independence. What are your co-curricular activities? I love hockey and I am looking forward to joining the Debating Team in Sixth Form. What do you love most about being a pupil at Norwich School? The community.

2026 GCSE Exam Results

By Eleanor Lewis • August 20, 2026

We are thrilled to announce record-breaking GCSE results for 2026. Overall percentages are as follows: 37% at grade 9 - best performance ever, including Covid years 59% at grades 9-8 (A*) – best performance outside Covid years 76% at grades 9-7 (A*-A) – best performance since Covid 87% at grades 9-6 (A*-B) 97%: overall pass-rate (grades 9-4) Outstanding individual performances included: 1 candidate with 11 x 9 or better; 6 candidates with 10 x 9 or better; 16 candidates with 9 x 9 or better; 24 candidates with 8 x 9 or better; 32 candidates with 7 x 9 or better; 38 candidates with 6 x 9 or better. Overall, of the 1163 grades received, 431 were at grade 9, 681 at 9-8 and 884 at 9-7. Steffan Griffiths, Head, commented, “This is the first cohort to benefit from the school’s decision to offer greater optionality regarding number and choice of subjects at GCSE. We are all delighted that our Year 11 have taken advantage of the change to such brilliant effect. “Taken collectively, they are the best GCSE results in the school’s history and I offer heartfelt congratulations to the pupils on their generation. They are in a wonderful position now to make the most of our outstanding Sixth Form provision and we look forward to welcoming them back in September.” Assistant Head (Fifth Form), Andrew Curtis, said, “I offer sincere congratulations to our Upper 5 pupils on their record-breaking results. Well-supported both at home and at school, they have excelled academically while also making the most of co-curricular opportunities in sport, drama, music and the wider community. We look forward to supporting them as they make the exciting transition to benefit from the development available both inside and outside the classroom in our Sixth Form.”

FONS supports Critical Writing Competition

By Sonja Mitchell • August 19, 2026

FONS is proud to support partnerships with the local community

Another successful Discover Your Ability Day with Able2B

By Sonja Mitchell • August 19, 2026

Friends of Norwich School were delighted to support this event for the second year running

A new Mural for Upper King Street

By Sonja Mitchell • August 19, 2026

FONS has funded materials for L6 pupils to design a mural in the UKS Cafe

Ben Rothery (96 - 02) Wild Wonders book launch

By Sonja Mitchell • August 19, 2026

Ben tells us what inspired him to write his new book which is out now.

STEM Success - From Ambition to Achievement

By Eleanor Lewis • August 19, 2026

Norwich School is thrilled to have achieved the best A Level results in the county: 24% A*; 53% A*-A; 80% A*-B; 92% A*-C. If we focus on STEM subjects, the results are even better, with 31% at A* and 65% at A*-A. Maths, Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science form an important part of our 6th Form offer, with just under 200 of our 500 U6 grades in these subjects. The raw numbers are 62 A* and 66 A grades which have led to a huge number of exciting onward STEM routes. Overall, over 75% (123 pupils) have got to their first choice onward route, with over 90% (over 150 pupils) to first or second choice. The STEM outcomes are even more eye-catching: 87% of STEM places accepted were at Russell Group universities; 5 out 5 STEM Oxbridge candidates successfully made their offers (with a total of 17 A* out of 18 grades!) 7 out of 8 (88%) of medics got into their first choice university (national average of 33%); 2 out of 2 (100%) of vets got their first choice; 11 out of 11 engineers (100%) were accepted onto Engineering courses (university or apprenticeship); 6 out 6 Computer Science applicants (100%) were accepted onto Computer Science courses; If you are interested in STEM for Sixth Form, join the best and study at Norwich School: outstanding STEM facilities; expert teachers and strong laboratory ratios; personalised provision and onward route guidance; unrivalled STEM enrichment opportunities, including: clubs and societies (MedSoc, Maths Club, F24 car, Chess Club); Olympiad preparation; independent project; community service. To hear about some of our STEM Successes from this year's cohort click here. Interested in studying STEM at Norwich School? Book a tour today - places available from September 2026! Contact admissions@norwich-school.org.uk.

STEM Ambitions - Routes to Success

By Eleanor Lewis • August 19, 2026

At Norwich School, STEM learning extends far beyond the classroom. Through outstanding facilities in Horsefair House and inspiring teaching, pupils develop the confidence to investigate, experiment and excel. There is no question that this was reflected in this year’s A Level results. So, we caught up with just a few of our scientists to find out what’s next for them.

One School. Many Routes.

By Eleanor Lewis • August 13, 2026

A Level results day is always an emotional occasion, and this year was no different. For the Class of 2026, it marked the culmination of two years of dedication, perseverance and hard work and there was much to celebrate. From pupils who have been with us from Lower 1 to those who have joined us for Sixth Form, it is inspiring to hear their reflections of their time in Cathedral Close and learn about their planned next steps. We caught up with just a few of this year’s leavers to find out more about their individual journey.

2026 A Level Exam Results

By Eleanor Lewis • August 13, 2026

The school is pleased to announce strong A Level results. The cohort of Upper 6 candidates have achieved the following: 24% of grades at A*; 53% of grades at A*-A; 80% at A*-B; 92% at A*-C; 98% at A*-E. Outstanding individual performances included: 2 candidates with 4 A*; 12 candidates with 3A* or more; 52 candidates with 3A or more. The Head, Steffan Griffiths, said, “I am delighted for the Class of 2026; they have been a wonderful year-group, setting high standards in our community across all areas of our provision, including sport, music, drama, dance and service. As is evident in these strong results, impressive academic progress has matched their extensive co-curricular activity, onward individual routes are equally exciting and we look forward to staying in touch so that we can hear of their future successes”. Richard Sims, Head of Sixth Form, commented, “This cohort of young people have been good friends to each other and exemplary role models to younger pupils. I am pleased that they have now finished their time in Cathedral Close with pleasing academic results, too. Throughout their studies, they have enjoyed support from families at home and teachers in school; on the pupils’ behalf, I pass on my gratitude to them. I close by offering sincere good wishes for our leavers’ next steps”. NB: specific grade percentages will be published when the subject paper review process has been completed.