Stephanie Grant Addresses Pupils on the Concept of Time
January 15, 2025
A couple of years ago, a pupil with a habit of asking left-field questions asked what my favourite quantity in Physics was. I finally have an answer – it has got to be time. I am interested in it as a physicist, yes, but of course it isn’t a topic exclusive to that subject.
Let’s start with Physics though. At first, time was defined based on the motion of the sun and stars in the sky and sundials would’ve been the best way of measuring it. Of course this is still true to an extent, our experience of a day or a year depends on Earth’s spin and motion around the Sun. The way it is measured, though, has changed enormously. Atomic clocks are used now, which can give a much higher degree of precision than a sundial, but even they aren’t perfect. The Christmas issue of the BBC Science Focus magazine described the next generation ‘nuclear clocks’ which would be much less susceptible to disturbances caused by external electric and magnetic fields, as the nucleus is so much smaller than the atom. This extra precision may not seem too important to our everyday lives, but it is thought to be important in doing better measurements into the fundamental forces and building blocks of the universe.
The other thing that has changed is our understanding of what time depends on. Time does not, in fact, tick in the same way everywhere in the universe compared to everywhere else. It is relative. Fans of the film Interstellar will be familiar with the idea that time ticks differently in strong gravitational fields compared to weak ones – this is general relativity. GPS wouldn’t work if we didn’t account for the fact satellite clocks orbiting high above the Earth’s surface are ticking at a different rate to those on the ground. Time also ticks differently for anything going very fast, although you need to be travelling close to the speed of light to notice this, and that describes the effect of special relativity.
This is all pretty amazing, but how much poorer would my appreciation of time be if I stuck to the Physics? Alongside the evolving history of the measurement of time in Physics, is the history of how humans have interacted with it. My thanks to Dr Cornell for lots of interesting information here we covered with academic scholars a few years ago on this topic.
Plautus, in the year 195 BC in Rome, was unimpressed by the advent of sundials. His dismay sounds strangely modern if applied to some other newer invention, here is what he said:
The gods confound the man who first found out how to distinguish hours! Confound him too who in this place set up a sundial to cut and hack my days so wretchedly into small portions! When I was a boy, my belly was my sundial: one more sure, truer, and more exact than any of them. This dial told me when it was time to go to dinner, when I had anything to eat; but nowadays I can’t fall-to unless the sun gives leave. The town’s so full of these confounded dials, the greatest part of its inhabitants, shrunk up with hunger, creep along the streets.
Aside from the unwelcome effect on a standard lunchtime, trading on markets has become more reliant on precise measurements of time. A picture of the Amsterdam stock exchange in 1612 has a clock as a centrepiece so that a time could be recorded alongside a trade. The transactions themselves change the value and price of goods, so the time of transactions is very important. Computers can now make decisions about buying and selling in extremely rapid time and atomic clocks are able to time-stamp these transactions with huge precision.
Standardising time and making it universal, as well as using it as a symbol of knowledge and power, has led to backlash too. For example, there was an attempted bombing of Greenwich Observatory in the late 19th century. David Rooney in his book About Time comments “Authority breeds resistance. Standardisation gives rise to dissent. People fight clocks, and they have always done so. Because what we are really doing is fighting with each other, as we have poured our very identities into clocks.’
Science, History, Social Science all have lots to say about time then, but let me end with a contribution from literature on the topic. Sophie Ratcliffe, a Professor of English Literature at Oxford, is a huge admirer of the Russian novelist, Tolstoy, and comments that he “cared about the details you couldn’t touch… Details like time. Nabokov said that Tolstoy was the only writer whose watch keeps time with the numberless watches of his readers. His prose keeps pace with our pulses. He knew about slow time. The time it takes two men to choose their dinner in a Russian-French restaurant. The time it takes to adjust a hat in a hallway mirror. The timing of a pause in conversation, when one person attempts to bring up a difficult subject, and the hesitation as the other looks away. The way time hangs heavy for those in love.”
I could carry on from here into the nature of perceived time in human psychology, to the linguistics of the words related to time, to the use of time and pause in music, and no doubt beyond.
In school, it is helpful to have different subjects to focus our minds on the nature of individual disciplines but never let yourself think that everything can really be categorised that neatly. The true depth and meaning of things are rarely limited to one subject – or indeed to one time. How does a favourite concept of yours link to lots of different disciplines? I would love to hear about them... if only we can find the time.
This year's Techathon for the Norwich Science Festival was bigger and better than ever, with a fully packed Daynes Sports Centre! Two pupils, Jay Ng and Jeremy Lo, volunteered for this year's festival and Jay told us a little about his experience below! What made you want to volunteer for the event in the first place? I also have an interest in technology-related hardware and software. I am constantly delving into different aspects of the Raspberry Pi platform. As my specialties are in this department, I like to mentor others for skills I know to further intensify their passion for technology. That is why I have immediately volunteered for the event after I heard about it. How did you hear about it? I first heard about the Norwich Techathon when Mr. James Livesey (ON), who is from the BBC and completing a Software Engineer Apprentice, who presented a Wednesday Business Breakfast at Norwich School. He mentioned this event as the BBC is a sponsor for this event. Can you explain a little about what you did over the two days and what the participants got up to? The participants chose 1 of the 4 questions created by the sponsors of the event. They had to create a product (either hardware or software) in response to these questions. Opportunities during the event include the assembly and coding of Arduino Sensor Kit, the use of Micro:bit to create interesting projects, and the Raspberry Pi for advanced coding. Did you learn anything new while you were there? I have learnt the skills for teaching others on how to use the latest technology. I believe this experience has also taught me how to effectively teach other participants skills from my strengths. Through the teamwork and insistence on perfecting the product created, I have learnt the importance of collaboration and communication. I have also deepened my knowledge and understanding regarding the Arduino platform. How did you find working with the younger participants? I found working with younger participants eye-opening, as it involves helping others by guiding them through individual steps and procedures. This has taught me how to teach others in a manner where they would not be overwhelmed by an assortment of instructions, but yet proceed efficiently in creating an intriguing product. Do you think the experience might have helped you with your future career aspirations? The Norwich Techathon has increased my interest in digging into new technology out of my comfort zone. The knowledge and curiosity gained from this event has fascinated me to study and pursue a career relating to the use of technology. Did you find anything challenging? I found helping participants with time management challenging. They constantly think up new, better, and more awesome ideas to add to the functionality of the creation they make. These include making it more user-friendly, making it more interactive, etc. But sadly, they had a two-day limit to make and code this creation. For that reason, not every idea could be added. I am sure if the duration of the event is long, they can create more sophisticated and complex products! Would you recommend volunteering to others? Yes, absolutely. Not only do I feel very proud and was overcome by a sense of accomplishment for being able to teach and help the participants of the event to gain interest in technology and develop their skills in this subject, I also personally have gained a lot of knowledge from information I have learnt on the spot during the Techathon. All photo credits are to Connor McKee, Norfolk County Council and Step into Tech CIC
For a number of years Norwich School has played host to the eastern region of the prestigious Royal Geographical Society (RGS), hosting their informative and popular lectures on site. On 10 April 2025, we were delighted to welcome them back for their latest public lecture entitled: Reimaging our urban spaces as future green spaces. Our guide was the country’s leading expert in this complex field, Professor Chris Rogers. Chris’ career has encompassed being a Solicitor, then Professor of Law at the University of Wales Aberystwyth, and latterly he is Emeritus Professor of Law at Newcastle University, from where he had travelled to give this talk. During his interesting talk, attended by a number of pupils, staff, alumni and members of the RGS, Chris explained how our urban commons are a precious resource with enormous significance for promoting a wide variety of (sometimes conflicting) stakeholder interests: biodiversity, agricultural, heritage and wellbeing, and even as sites of congregation and protest. However, these commons are under threat as never before as cash-strapped councils look to cut expenditure to balance their books and to maintain frontline services. His talk explored the different legal and cultural concepts of an urban common, illustrated with examples from his extensive research. He gave considerable focus to Mousehold Heath in Norwich, which is a prime example of a well-managed and much-loved urban common that has a multiplicity of uses, despite its complex and at times fraught legal history. Lower 6 pupil Hannah commented: “I really enjoyed yesterday’s lecture. I thought it was captivating and thought- provoking on how we need to protect our natural spaces within cities. It was all very interesting.” RGS talks are open to all and are very approachable and friendly. Further details of RGS events are posted here: Upcoming events - RGS ,. We greatly look forward to welcoming them back on site for two mouth-watering talks next month comprising: Thursday 1 st May 2025 – Royal Geographical Society public lecture The Rise and Rise of the Riviera - Jim Ring This talk marks the 20th anniversary of the publication of Jim Ring’s biography of the coast. He traces the story of the Riviera back to the British aristocrats who discovered it in the late 18th century. He finds a group seeking health, warmth, a breathtaking land and seascape, and the easy morals with which the coast became associated. 'A sunny place,' said Somerset Maugham, 'for shady people.' Despite the rampant development that has characterised the coast since WW2, Jim will identify the qualities of topography, climate and culture that have enabled the Cote d'Azur to stay ahead of the pack over all these years. Jim's books and documentary films have won various awards. 19:30 - Blake Studio Norwich School, The Close - doors open 19:00 Booking: The rise and rise of the French Riviera - RGS Thursday 29 May – Royal Geographical Society public lecture A Life in Green: looking back, looking forward – Sir Jonathon Porritt CBE. Jonathon is a very eminent writer and campaigner on sustainable development, co-founder of Forum for the Future and the Prince of Wales Business and Sustainability Programme, and for many years Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission. Jonathon’s talk will address what we have learnt from the last 50 years of activism on climate and biodiversity issues, and what are now the priorities when the challenge has never been more pressing. Jonathon’s view is that we now face an inflection point, ecologically, politically and economically, with some very turbulent times ahead. The current focus of his work is on intergenerational justice, supporting young people in their activities addressing the twin crises of the Climate and Biodiversity Emergencies. 19:30 - Blake Studio Norwich School, The Close - doors open 19:00 Booking: A life in green: looking back, looking forward - RGS Details of Norwich School’s eclectic selection of cultural events round site feature in our termly publication, At Close Quarters , with the summer 2025 edition due out imminently. See: Publications | Norwich School . 
Abi smashed her debut marathon, finishing 18th out of 4500 female runners!
Friday 4 April 2025 saw us hosting a p ublic lecture held in conjunction with the Norfolk Contemporary Art Society (n-cas) in the Blake Studio. This presented an amazing opportunity to hear from Dr Hannah Higham, Senior Curator at the Royal Academy of Arts in London – one of the country’s most prestigious art institutions. Before joining in April 2023, she previously worked as the Senior Curator for the Henry Moore Foundation. Formerly, she has worked for Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery and the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norfolk, so she was enjoying being back in the county. A large audience of n-cas members, NUA students, ONs and staff learned what an august institution the Royal Academy of Arts in London truly is. From the days of its first President Joshua Reynolds, its collections and exhibitions are rightly world famous. Hannah’s wide ranging and informative talk charted how it brilliantly mixes modernism with the Old Masters (including a priceless Michelangelo carving) in its amazing collections and exhibitions. She reflected on its essential mission to remain a pre-eminent educational institution for art and mused on the current challenges of its charitable funding model (receiving no help from either the State or the Crown). The audience left inspired to visit its exciting programme of upcoming exhibitions, detailed here: Exhibitions & Events | Royal Academy of Arts N-cas continues to attract high-calibre, interesting speakers on a wide variety of areas of contemporary creative art. Their talks are open to all and are very approachable and friendly. Further details of n-cas events will be posted here: Events — ncas and we look forward to welcoming them back on site for talks later this year and to them exhibiting in our Crypt Gallery in 2026 to mark its 70 th anniversary. Details of all of Norwich School’s eclectic selection of cultural events round site feature in our termly publication, At Close Quarters with the summer edition due out imminently. See: Publications | Norwich School . Do join us.
Upper 4 pupil, Riya Sharma, tells us all about the exciting four-day residential trip to the Spanish capital. "In my opinion, the Madrid trip was absolutely fantastic! We explored key parts of Madrid and we had so much fun while doing it. Going to Real Madrid's stadium was mesmerising, and we got to see different parts of what made up such a unique place. Doing a tour of important aspects of Madrid was intriguing, and we learnt so much with a wonderful tour guide. Retiro park was outstandingly vast, and we had so much fun doing activities as well as the churros tasting. Last but certainly not least, was Warner Bros theme park. It was packed with many rides, each unique in their own way. It may have been petrifying to go on the rides, but it was certainly worth it. Overall, the trip was amazing, and I am very excited for next years group to go and enjoy a lovely time." Riya Sharma (U4)
ON Isobel Holroyd will be running the London Landmarks Half Marathon to support Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).
Well done to everyone for getting through to the end of another busy Norwich School term. With all that we have heard in the last two presentation assemblies, two of our key aims for pupils, breadth and leadership & service, have certainly been in evidence. However, as we come to a holiday and a chance to change pace, I want to return to the third of our pupil aims. It is the theme I raised at the start of term, curiosity, whether practical, intellectual or creative. I am sure you can all remember exactly what I talked about; indeed, you have been thinking of little else since January, but just in case there are a few hazy memories, I mentioned curiosity in connection with some extraordinary natural phenomena such as the East Atlantic Flyway, the Connectome of a female fruit fly and the difference in scale between a million and a billion. You may be thinking that I must be scraping the barrel if I am repeating a theme for an address, but the reason for returning to it is that our ability to intersect with a concept such as curiosity is different in term-time from a holiday. The key to that difference is choice: during term, we obviously hope you will be curious but you have to do so largely on the school’s terms regarding compliance with our timetable, following syllabus constraints and keeping up with homework tasks. However, for the next three weeks or so, you set the pace, you get to follow your ideas and interests with less outside interference. For our public examination candidates in U5 and U6 who are likely to be planning for a holiday which blends rest and revision, the difference between term and holiday might be at risk of becoming blurred. However, I encourage you to keep this word and quality in your minds, even if it requires a bit of a Jedi mind-trick to start with. You are more likely to retain information or a concept if you are excited about it and clear on why you are learning it, how it is going to help you or how it fits with other learning. Try to be curious about the ideas, texts or techniques you are mastering as it will help them to stick. If this really is all too much and you see the upcoming revision process simply as a grind-to-get-through, at least make sure to insert curiosity into your break-periods. If you think of the 5 ways to wellbeing that Norwich School promotes (give, connect, stay active, keep learning, take notice), curiosity could be said to be in all of them, especially if one draws in practical, creative or intellectual flavours, but it certainly cuts into the last three; the last one, take notice, is essentially curiosity via another phrase. Whether you will be revising this holiday or not, I encourage you to feed your curiosity and offer some stimuli for consideration, based on personal experiences this term. I hope you have had or soon will have experiences which get you thinking. See which of the following areas interests you most: From a Royal Geographical Society talk on Rewilding and in Mountain Guru, a biography of Doug Scott, one of Britain’s greatest climbers with a claim to fame being the highest bivouac ever when he spent the night 100 metres below the summit of Everest without oxygen or sleeping bags during his pioneering ascent of its south-west face: what does wild mean in terms of man’s relationship with nature? Can humans be involved in a place which is truly wild and, if so, how? From our own Senior Play, The Watsons: what is the relationship between an audience and its actors, between writers and the characters they create, between history and the present? This play’s metatheatricality challenges the suspension of disbelief that lies at the heart of story-telling and performance art. From an agri-tech day at John Innes Centre, put on at the Food & Farming Discovery Trust, with a visit to Food Enterprise Zone, how are we going to feed the planet in the 21st century? What are the ethics and finances under consideration at the world-leading research centre in our city? From A Complete Unknown, the biopic film about Bob Dylan starring Timothee Chalomet, where does creative originality come from and how do cultural norms change over time? Credited as one of the most influential artists of all time, Dylan’s music and lyrics upended divisions between folk and rock with tunes that became emblematic of anti-war movements and counter-culture in the 1960s. Chalomet’s gamble in the taking on of singing and playing Dylan classics is striking, too. And, finally, from Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, how do you tell stories without words? Most famous for its male chorus of swans (think of the final scene from Billy Elliot), Tchaikowsky’s iconic score is brought to life by the humour and attention to detail of Bourne’s choreography and, most of all, the raw athleticism of its dancers. I wanted to complement this last reference by showing off some of our male and female dancers from the wonderful recent Senior Dance Festival, but that has not proved possible because of injury, so stand by for something from them next term. Instead, I have asked Lana Kiddell to reprise her outstanding rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow from Jazz Night. I hope this gives you an opportunity to reflect on areas where you will give rein to your curiosity during the upcoming holiday. In terms of curiosity, what I am advocating for is a desire to find out more, to follow your interests to explore more about the world around you and yourselves. If you can establish this attitude as a habit, I believe it stays with you for the rest of life: it might be characterised as being not childish as we grow up but remaining child-like. To illustrate the point, I finish today by referencing the passing of Peter Grover MBE, the legendary Scout leader of the 8th Norwich whose memorial service took place in the Chapel on Saturday. The following comes from a poem of tribute from one of his fellow-Scout leaders (and, for information, Robert Baden-Powell was the founder of the Scouting Movement). The quote is as follows: Baden-Powell said adult leaders needed to be Boy-men. “A boy can see fun and adventure in a dirty-duck-puddle. If you are a boy-man, you can see it too”. Peter was a boy-man. The quote above is gendered as a product of its time but I suggest that the concept now applies equally to girl-woman. I like the way this last quote shows the close intersection of curiosity with fun and humour, in some ways the sillier the better. Child-like, not childish. Have a great holiday and I look forward to seeing you all after Easter.
ON David Treglown will be swimming (4km), cycling (180km), and running (marathon) the 226.3km IRONMAN Australia on 4 May to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK.
Three Norwich School pupils, Luke Watts (U5), Milo Clabburn (L6) and Rory Evans (M5) have appeared on Radio Norfolk to talk about their love of dance. We caught up with Rory to find out more… Why were you invited to speak on Radio Norfolk? I am part of a dance company called Legacy and along with Luke, Milo and some of our fellow dancers, we were invited to speak on Radio Norfolk to promote an incredible upcoming show, called Brothers in Motion, which celebrates 10 years of Legacy Dance Company UK. Can you tell us a little more about Legacy? Legacy is an all-boys dance company which trains every Saturday and meets every week at the Workshop Studios in Norwich. In total there are about 100 male dancers split across four main groups – minis, little, 11+ and Main Company. I am part of the Main company, which consists of 13 boys aged from 11 to 18 – four of us are from Norwich School; me, Milo, Luke and also Jasper Valpied (U5). The company is audition only and we do performances, competitions and outreach programmes. How did you hear about Legacy? I was introduced to Legacy when they performed in the Junior Dance show a few years ago. They have also guest choreographed at various dance events at school such as the Dance Festival and Gala Night and they do workshops and events with the school. What do you enjoy about dance? I have loved dance since I joined Norwich School and I have been really grateful for the opportunity to do all the dance that I have. I enjoy being able to express myself through dance, which is fun and therapeutic and also builds lots of transferable skills such as dedication, hard work and coordination. Tell us more about the show you were promoting on the Radio… It is called Brothers in Motion and involves multiple boys dance groups from across the country coming together to perform, along with some of the top vocational colleges from around the country and also many Legacy Alumni will be performing. It is a really exciting showcase of male dance, which will be taking place at the Norfolk Showground on Friday 30 th May. It was great to be able to talk about it on the radio, as we are also trying to get funding for the show, as Legacy has been unable to access the Arts Council funding that has made the show possible in the past, so we are crowdfunding and asking for Business Sponsorship to help. What would you say to anyone out there who might be interested in dance but hasn’t yet started? I would strongly encourage you to start – the first step is the hardest but once you start I am sure you will love it. It is so much fun and the atmosphere and community both Legacy and Norwich School have been inspirational for me. Click here for more information - BROTHERS IN MOTION - 10 Years, 1 Legacy - a Creative & Arts crowdfunding project in Norwich by LEGACY Dance Company UK
Here at Norwich School we are delighted to celebrate the talented diversity of our Upper Sixth cohort as offers for onward routes continue to come in. Following on from blog posts on law and girls’ STEM university offers, we have chosen to focus on offers pupils have for non UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service in the UK) routes. With expert guidance from Mr Croston, pupils have received offers from leading universities in several countries outside of the UK. Congratulations in particular to Uma Patel (offer for Dentistry at the Universidad Catolica de Valencia, Spain), Edward Chan (Architecture at Hong Kong University), Bosco Tang (Dentistry at Hong Kong University) and Helen Ng (Computer Science at UST, University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong). A huge variety of exciting opportunities with employers are now available to school leavers, almost all combining paid employment with training and further qualifications. The number of degree apprenticeships available in the UK is now four times what it was five years ago; our pupils who gain offers for these will work for a leading employer who trains them, pays them and pays for them to complete a full university degree alongside their employment. We are very fortunate to have Mrs James supporting pupils as they apply for these highly competitive programmes. This blog post asks three pupils about their offers for non UCAS routes: Ava deCooper Wride has a full rugby scholarship for Quinnipiac University (USA), Archie Taylor has an accountancy degree apprenticeship offer from Price Bailey and Hugo Pattinson has an engineering degree apprenticeship offer from Airbus.
