On Friday 2 October, we held our largest and most successful Academic Scholars’ Dinner to date. Nearly 90 Academic Scholars from Middle 5 to Upper 6 gathered in the Blake Studio to hear a fascinating talk by scientist and educator Crawford Kingsnorth, intriguingly titled Death, Dinner or Doolally. What followed was a captivating journey into the world of mushrooms and fungi. Pupils were introduced to the remarkable scale, complexity and apparent ‘intelligence’ of fungal networks, discovering a wealth of intriguing facts, exciting scientific developments on the horizon, and the potentially deadly consequences of some species. Crawford also spoke about his current research, which is currently patent-pending. While understandably unable to reveal too much at this stage, he gave us a tantalising glimpse into work that we look forward to hearing more about in the future. The talk concluded with a wide range of thoughtful and insightful questions from pupils before everyone moved to the Refectory for an excellent meal. This provided a valuable opportunity for scholars to continue conversations with our speaker and with one another in a relaxed and convivial setting. We are extremely grateful to Crawford for joining us as this year’s speaker. His presentation gave pupils an insight into a fascinating and often overlooked area of science, while also drawing connections to history, geology, medicine and law. It was a perfect example of the intellectual curiosity and cross-curricular thinking that our Academic Scholars programme seeks to encourage and celebrate. Thank you to Alice Y and Iris B for their photos of the evening.

On Thursday 1 October, the Library Department celebrated National Poetry Day with its annual Poetry Slam. A number of pupils took to the stage to perform, sharing both original poems and works by established poets and writers. The event provided a platform for pupils to express themselves through the spoken word, with performances covering a wide range of themes and styles. Those in attendance were highly supportive, creating a warm and encouraging atmosphere throughout. It was a wonderful celebration of literature, creativity and pupil voice, and a fitting way to mark National Poetry Day.

My experience with languages ~ Belek M Reflecting on a memorable week at the Goethe-Institut London

Our Lower 3 pupils took to the concert platform in style with a fantastic Lower 3 Informal Concert , showcasing an impressive range of instruments, musical styles and performances. The programme had something for everyone, from the cheerful piano bounce of Pauline Hall’s Merry Go Round and Beach Calypso , to the elegant Gavotte by Jean Baptiste Lully on cello. We also heard a beautiful Allegro from Violin Concerto by Rieding, alongside Barbara Arens’ playful Hug a Pug . There was plenty of musical character too! The trumpet brought some wonderfully dragon-like drama to Jaap Kastelein’s March of the Drunken Dragon , while the cello took us into the magical world of Zelda’s Lullaby by Koji Kondo. The violin also had its moment with the lively Fiddle Faddle , and the concert took a festive turn with Carol of the Bell s. And, proving that it is never too early for Christmas, we even had a spirited performance of Jingle Bells on the piano! Director of Music for the Lower School Mr Vine said "what a brilliant evening of music making, lots of fun and brimming with confidence. Bravo to our Lower 3 performers" Our next Informal Concert is on the 8 October and will feature pupils from Lower 2 and Upper 2.

With funding from the Friends of Norwich School, thousands of music sheets can be stored and managed more effectively.

This November, Tom is taking part in Ride25, raising money for 1moreChild.

On Friday 25 November, Norwich School celebrated the European Day of Languages throughout the Senior School! This year, a treasure hunt was held in tutorial which sent the the whole school running around to find the answers. At breaktime, pupils enjoyed playing a range of boardgames in the Blake Studio and the refectory served an amazing lunch with three types of German sausages with sauerkraut or a very authentic paella!

Jonathan Pearson ON and Development Director gives us his take on leadership and service in the Norwich School community. Good morning, everyone. Not a day goes by without me greeting an ‘old friend’ in The Close. From his prominent vantage point, this military veteran keeps a very close eye on his school. Braving all weathers, his is a reassuring presence. If you think I am referring to Ronnie our longstanding Gatekeeper, faithfully manning the playground and monitoring proceedings, that would be a fair guess. At the school’s Remembrance Service, he is occasionally smartly attired in veterans’ uniform and sporting service medals. His understated professionalism from his blue hut keeps us all safe. He is periodically assisted by former bouncer, Pete, a commanding presence. Last year Pete dramatically came to the aid of a chocking pupil by performing the Heimlich Manoeuvre. Modest heroes both, the service of Ronnie and Pete to the school is exemplary. However, as we approach the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, it is in fact Old Norvicensian Horatio Nelson to whom I was referring at the start of this address. His statue has stood on its Upper Close plinth since 1856. At installation, there were intense discussions on which way to orientate it. Should he face south to watch over the beautiful 44 acres of the Cathedral Close and the Duke of Wellington? Should he face west on to Tombland, the original centre of medieval Norwich? Or perhaps face east and as a man of God, take comfort from observing the timeless worship of this Cathedral. But no! The City Fathers orientated him firmly north towards his old school, his steely gaze fixed for eternity on the Chapel, his former classroom (in fact the only classroom in Norwich School in the 1760s). He is without question our most famous alumnus, a Norfolk man, who gloried in being so. It is right and proper that, in this intellectually curious and sceptical age, we should feel compelled to examine Nelson rigorously - the man and his legacy. There will inevitably be a range of opinions when considering him through a uniquely 21st century lens. Indeed, during the Covid lockdown the statue was vandalised. This, coupled with the work of incontinent pigeons, has required his statue to be professionally cleaned twice this decade. However, two things about Nelson never seem to be in doubt: Firstly, he was hero-worshipped in his lifetime. As news of his victory over the Franco-Spanish fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar was rushed to the Admiralty in London, joy was swiftly overshadowed by dismay at the news of his untimely death, aged just 47. Men openly wept in the street as his funeral cortège passed. His Norwich statue is mirrored by a commemorative one in Yarmouth and, most famously, yet another in Trafalgar Square, itself named in his honour. Thanks to this, he is an internationally recognised Briton. Never questioned are also his personal bravery, leadership and service to his country. Many people demonstrate similar qualities, but Nelson wore his bravery on his sleeve – quite literally! He lost an arm and the sight in one eye in service, whilst poor ship’s diet and chronic stress were reflected in his diminutive statue and sallow skin. Notoriously, he also suffered from horrendous seasickness. His courage was immediately apparent to all who met him. We talk a lot about bravery, leadership and service each autumn at Norwich School. I found myself reflecting on Nelson’s battle injuries since an issue with my own eyesight last year. On a Monday morning, I experienced clouding in one eye, and by evening I was all but blind in that eye; on the Tuesday I was diagnosed with a detached retina and operated on later that day. The miracles of modern medicine saved my vision, but Nelson had no such luxury. An eye injury sustained in 1794 in Corsica caused pain and debilitating headaches for the rest of his life, and the sight in his right eye. An explosion as he attacked the ramparts in Tenerife in 1797 caused a catastrophic injury to his right forearm. Remedy was swift and brutal: immediate amputation, with only rum to dull pain that would take five long months to subside. On the corridor that runs to the Head’s Study from the Quad, we have on display an original letter written in copperplate handwriting penned by Nelson’s right hand dating from 1787, and adjacent to it another written by him in a scarcely decipherable left-handed scrawl on HMS Victory in 1804. His right arm and writing hand had been lost in the interim period. Go seek them out! I greatly enjoyed a recent visit to HMS Victory moored in Portsmouth, particularly seeing Nelson’s private cabin. Responsible for a fleet of 31 vessels, formal handwritten orders conveyed between ships or updates to naval masters back in London were an ever-present requirement of his role. Nelson had a relentless work ethic, generating prodigious quantities of paperwork. Reflect on his daily privations: use of his non-writing hand, using his one good eye in the gloom by flickering candlelight in cramped conditions, plagued by seasickness on a rolling boat. A heroic achievement in itself. When Napoleon’s fleet threatened invasion of our country, the Admiralty and the nation put their unwavering faith in Nelson to deliver us from such existential threats. Nelson too knew this was his destiny. His career concludes with heroic acts of leadership shown on 21st October 1805, the day he died. Battles at sea in the early 19th century were violent, bloody affairs. The range and accuracy of cannons were only effective up-close, pummelling the enemy into submission. In the tranquillity of today’s Cathedral, it is scarcely possible for us to imagine the sounds, smells, injuries and terror of such carnage. I have though here a cannon ball from the Battle of Copenhagen, fired by Nelson’s flagship into the wall of that city in 1801. In the late 1980s, it was duly returned to us by a visiting Danish delegation. Imagine this being fired at you from here to say the middle of the nave; it would have readily taken heads off. After this service I will wait by the Cathedral door if anyone wants to feel the weight of it. Visualise Nelson in formal vice-admiral’s uniform proudly patrolling the upper decks of HMS Victory, dictating the hellish pace of battle, as his flagship pierced the French line and began pounding enemy ships. It seems sadly inevitable that a French sharpshooter in the rigging of the French vessel Redoutable alongside HMS Victory should have had an easy line of sight for that fatal shot through Nelson’s chest. News of British victory at Trafalgar, which would secure our Mediterranean shipping routes for over a century, reached Nelson as he expired. So, what can we learn from the much-vaunted leadership and service displayed by Lord Nelson? Well, one lesson might be that acts don’t have to be monumental to be important. Gatekeepers Pete, with his life-saving first aid, and Ronnie, with his daily vigilance, are wholesome examples of serving the community with distinction. As is the leadership shown by our fine new prefects, rousing captains on the sports field, or numerous acts of kindness shown by L6 during Community Service. You will all have your own everyday examples. Perhaps reflect on the words with which Mr Griffiths started this term, the famous quotation from car magnate Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right!” I am sure Nelson would have believed that too. Despite all physical challenges, his destiny was a self-fulfilling prophecy. His implicit belief in himself, and the crews he led, shaped the course of Britain’s history, even at great physical cost, and eventually the ultimate sacrifice. Therefore, as you pass Nelson’s statue, I invite you to consider in that noble face a mindfulness that your self-belief, leadership, courage and service to others genuinely influences outcomes. You may or may not be a great hero in later life, but, with courage and kindness, we can all be a hero today in some small way. 

Upper 6 Pupil, Rosie B, reports on the Independent Project Film Night. Throughout the past year, two of our now Upper 6 - Tom H and Hal N - have been writing, directing, shooting and editing short films for their Independent Projects. They were screened in The Blake Studio on Thursday 24 September along with other short films by the Fourth Form and Fifth Form, produced with the help of Mr Bromley. Last year, Mr Bromley’s pupils in Upper 4 created silent movies inspired by films from the 1910s and 20s. ‘Prison Escape’ and ‘Glazed to Death’ were a very comedic start to the evening earning lots of laughs from the audience. They also made short animations for example “Sshhh” a cartoon set in a library and other stop motion shorts with different mediums like ‘The Heist’ made of Lego, ‘Punished’ , ‘Speeder Drive By’ and ‘Spiderman City’ which all used action figures. ‘Spiderman City’ was a personal favourite of the evening, being an intense exploration of revenge and violence. After this, we saw music videos by the Middle 5, with an eclectic range of songs- ‘Call me Maybe’ , ‘Call Me Al’ , ‘Bad’ and ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ . Which saw members of the Middle 5 directing themselves and their friends in a range of styles to match the song they had chosen. A surprise addition was an Upper 5 short film entitled ‘Distracted’ starring William F, Ben E, Iris B and Naomi W, a slice-of-life film of two people watching TV. 'The Curious Case of Balfour Manor, A Detective Quinn Turner Story’ is a Noir film by Hal N, the titular character of Quinn Turner, played by Thomas H, must navigate a relationship with his adopted nephew, played by Joseph H, as well as solving a murder at Balfour Manor. With brilliant makeup by Daisy S and a supporting cast of larger-than-life performers like ON Sophie M as the maid, Charlie B as the wealthy and arrogant new heir to Balfour Manor and Louis B as a suspicious butler, this film is heartfelt and vibrant with an artistic flair in black and white, reminiscent of 1930s detective movies. ‘Jesse Colton and The Diary of The Gods’ is an Indiana-Jones inspired and action-packed film. A labour of love from Tom H who - in his Q&A after the film had been played - described it as part of a universe he had been building with his brother since he was little. With a brilliantly choreographed fight scene and a similar cast of vibrant characters from Jesse Colton, played by Tom H, the villain Sammler (ON Will C), his Henchman (ON Henry L), Lev O as Carnahan an old friend of Colton and Louis B, Body doubled by Charlie Barker, as Trevor, Colton’s assistant, the film is dynamic and exciting. As an homage to action films like The Mummy and Temple of Doom it absolutely succeeds, creating a great sense of nostalgia and excitement. Without a doubt, the evening demonstrated a passion from the whole school for cinema, the different styles and effects that can be achieved with just a camera and the hard work that goes into its creation.