Get your entries in for this year's OPEN themed photographic competition. Prizes for all finalists! 

You have until Monday 1st June 2026 to submit your images to e.pearman@wnat.co.uk

See poster for full details along with a guide to photography to help you get some great shots. 

Hosted by Springwood, the competition featured teams from all four of the Trust’s high schools, with the others including Marshland, St Clement’s, and Smithdon.

Each of the 17 participating teams consisted of four students, who worked together to solve a series of Maths problems, accruing points across several rounds.

“The students had to work as a team to compete in four different rounds named ‘Merry Go Round’, ‘Encryption’, ‘Practical Interlude’, and, lastly, a ‘Relay’ round, all aimed to extend the knowledge they have learned in the classroom,” said Maths Teacher Lucy Edwards, who is Lead for Academic Progress and Enrichment in Maths at Springwood and organised the event.

“Throughout the rounds, the competition was extremely close, with only ten points separating all of the teams. In the end, two Springwood teams gained the runners-up and winning positions.”

Winners Jack, Dylan, Prateek, and Theo narrowly edged ahead of second-placed Vanessa, Leya, Harriet, and Nicole, with both teams receiving certificates from WNAT Lead for Maths Connie Loizou.

“Sixth-form student volunteers ensured the event ran smoothly by supporting teams to have the correct materials and marking students’ work,” continued Miss Edwards.

“Maths teachers from visiting schools and Springwood were extremely supportive throughout the event, especially with the scoring for each of the teams.”

The success of the Year 10 Maths Challenge means it will become an annual event in the WNAT calendar, while the format will also be extended to younger year groups within the Trust.

“Events like this are extremely important to inspire students to not only study Maths to a higher level beyond secondary school, such as at sixth form or university, but also to have an enjoyment for the subject,” added Miss Edwards.

“It is so lovely to see students working as a team to engage with challenging Maths materials, which they will not have seen within the classroom, to push their learning even further.”

The four Year 8 and 9 students visited the care home as part of our school’s ongoing connection with the care home.

“The students read books of uplifting stories and picture books focusing on different decades from the 1960s to 1990s,” explained our Librarian, Jenny Ford, who accompanied the group.

“The books they shared were old books from the 1950s to current day, and were designed to trigger memories and help the residents recall memories. The books were on pastimes, old television and musical stars, travel, and short stories.”

“The residents talked to the students about their school experiences, where they worked, and how they played outside all the time as children,” she continued. “Some residents have lived locally all their lives, and talked about the local area.

“The students enjoyed hearing the residents reminisce about their lives, and it started conversations about sport, hobbies, books, and travel. It was a great opportunity to discuss historical events, and revisit memories that the residents shared with the students.

“Some of the residents took a turn to read to the students, and they clearly enjoyed the experience.”

Our school, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, has close ties with Terrington Lodge, with visits taking place several times a year.

“The events are very important for students to develop confidence with reading aloud to a different audience with possible communication barriers like memory loss and hearing impairments,” added Mrs Ford. “It helps forge strong links across generations and creates relationships in the community.

“The school visits at Christmas time, and the music students also visit and have small performances at the Lodge.

“This visit helped strengthen the connections between the school and Terrington Lodge, and we look forward to going back later in the year.”

Held in conjunction with the King’s Lynn and District Camera Club (KLDCC), the West Norfolk Academies Trust (WNAT) Photographic Competition is open to staff and pupils across the Trust’s member schools, as well as those within the Windmill Federation.

“It is open to all students from the Trust who are in Key Stages 2, 3, 4 and 5,” explained WNAT Confidential Administrator Emma Pearman. “It’s also open to school staff. There are five categories – each of the Key Stages, plus a Staff category.

“This year we will also be inviting students and staff from the Windmill Federation Schools to take part.”

The annual competition is taking place for the third year running, with past themes having included ‘Our Environment’ and ‘My Community’.

“There is an open theme this year, covering any subject the student or staff member thinks would make an interesting picture,” said Mrs Pearson.

WNAT high schools taking part include Marshland in West Walton, St Clement’s in Terrington St Clement, Smithdon in Hunstanton, and Springwood in Lynn; alongside Trust primaries Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn.

Initial judging will be carried out by the WNAT Senior Leadership Team, with ten entries chosen from each category to go through to the final at Springwood on 25 June, where winners will be chosen by a panel from KLDCC.

“There were 147 images submitted last year,” continued Mrs Pearman. “It is expected that there will be more this year, with it increasing in popularity year on year, and also with the fact that the Windmill Federation Schools are invited to take part this year.”

Each category winner will receive £20 of Amazon vouchers, while one overall winner will be awarded the Dave Ashfield Cup, which last year went to Year 13 Springwood Sixth Form student, Ava.

“The Trust places a huge importance on extra-curricular activity for all of our students, alongside excellent relationships with our community including the KLDCC,” added WNAT CEO Andy Johnson.

To enter, send a jpeg format photograph, no larger than A4, and a maximum of 3600 x 2400 pixels, to e.pearman@wnat.co.uk before the closing deadline 1 June.

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.”

Members of the RAF medics team brought their specialist knowledge to the classroom for a special day with students learning about their role and how to do basic first aid.

The day saw the RAF Marham medics in combat gear visit the school and take students through the processes they would utilise in emergency situations. Splints were administered and tourniquets applied – just for demonstration purposes.

The visit marked the first time military medics from the Airforce had attended our school, a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“The visiting professionals shared their expertise and provided hands-on, practical sessions that allowed students to develop vital first aid and medical skills,” said school Librarian Jenny Ford.

Students had the opportunity to handle medical equipment, ask questions and create realistic scenarios to test their skills and knowledge. They were given sessions on shock, the recovery position, fractures, breaks and dislocations with additional workshops by school first-aiders who covered resuscitation, burns, slings and bandages.

“The interactive nature of the sessions helped bring learning to life and allowed students to experience what it is like to respond in medical emergencies,” said Mrs Ford.

One of the medics who attended said the super-learning day had been a great change to spread the word about first aid.

“The students were engaged thoroughly throughout the day, and we were pleased to see that many had basic first aid knowledge already, which means basic life support and first aid is becoming well known from a young age,” he said.

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.

The Thread Exhibition features art from students at Springwood in King’s Lynn, Smithdon in Hunstanton, Marshland in West Walton and St Clement’s in Terrington St Clement.

More than 60 students from Year 11 and 13 have used a wide range of media from painting and drawing to sculpture, digital art and photography. It is on show at Chequers House Gallery, King Street, and is open to the public from 11am to 4pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays to December 28.

“There is no specific theme, but students respond from a range of starting points for their exam and coursework projects and build this into their own style and practice,” said Lee Eveson, Head of Art and Photography at Springwood.

He organised and curated the exhibition with Phil Bennell, Head of Art at the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“Even as a 50-year-old artist and teacher, every painting that you start is an adventure. Sometimes it’s a trial of wits between you and the artwork and, as a creative, you are always evolving. For this reason, I thought Thread was an apt name for the exhibition,” said Mr Eveson.

This year is the eleventh that Mr Eveson has run the event, which often welcomes 500 visitors during the course of the month.

“We have been lucky enough to work with Chequers House Gallery in doing this. They have been amazing, and offered us their new gallery, which I can’t thank them enough for,” he said.

“This exhibition shows students what their work looks like in a professional setting. It raises aspirations, confidence and contribution to the creative arts.

“Creative arts is the second biggest economic provider in the UK. Creative industries are such an important part of our education system and society. We are very lucky to receive the support we do from our senior leadership teams and the community as a whole.

“I feel very lucky to be an art teacher here, not only because of this but because we have outstanding students at our schools,” added Mr Eveson.

A tough day of competition at the Crown Court in Norwich resulted in a team our school triumph in the Eastern Regional Heats for the Young Citizens Bar Mock Trial competition.

We have seen international success at its first time of asking. Students won their way through to competing in Chicago in the Empire Mock Trial World Championship last year.

All the students involved put in hard work outside of school hours to ensure they are as prepared as possible for the competition.

This year is the second time a group of our students are taking part, and when school returns after the Christmas break they will begin fundraising for their trip to London and the national finals which are expected to be held in the spring.

There were three rounds in the Norwich heat, with the prosecution team completing two rounds and the defence team one. Each student was awarded a score out of ten for their performance by the judge. Criteria included clarity, argument quality, accuracy and timekeeping.

The St Clement’s team competed against seven others, most of which were sixth-form students - the contest is for young people aged 15 to 18.

Abby Morton, Head of Citizenship, said the competition was important for students as they benefit from gaining an in-depth knowledge of the criminal law system while seeing the same case from two different perspectives - the prosecution and defence.

Students take on the roles of prosecution and defence lawyers as well as judges and even court staff for the ‘trials’ in the competition created by the Young Citizens organisation. Students are given resources, including written cases, to help them prepare their legal arguments.

“For those who study GSCE Citizenship, this knowledge will help them with their exam preparation, but for all those who took part, they will find the skills they have used useful, for example critical thinking, formulating arguments and how to support ideas with evidence,” she added.

A former student and member of the international team at the school, Olivia Simms, made ‘invaluable contributions’ to the current team by mentoring members and guiding them on how to prepare.

The competition is also important to help develop self-belief and confidence in the participants, said Ms Morton.

“It is important for the confidence it has given these students to not only take part in a prestigious event, but also to realise that with enough hard work and determination, they were able to succeed in their goal to get to the nationals!” 

Students from St Clement’s High School were joined by younger children from feeder schools in the area for the WNAT Musical Instrument Tuition Initiative (MITI) Workshop, with participating primaries including Clenchwarton, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn.

“We had just under 70 primary school students participating, along with Year 7 students from St Clement’s, offering a wonderful opportunity for musical development, ensemble experience, and cross-school camaraderie,” said Trust Peripatetic Music Lead Benjamin Howell, who organised the event with the support of WNAT Peripatetic Music Team Members Eddie Seales, Robbie Germeno, Helen Johnson, and Nic Bouskill, as well as WNAT Director of Music Robin Norman.

The workshop concluded with a performance for parents, carers, family members, and friends, where the young musicians had the chance to showcase their skills, and share what they had learned.

“These workshops play an important role in nurturing the musical progress of our primary school instrumentalists,” added Mr Howell.

“They provide the opportunity to rehearse and perform in ensemble settings, develop confidence, and come together as young musicians within the Trust.”

Other MITI Workshops taking place earlier in the month were hosted by fellow WNAT high schools Marshland and Smithdon.

Marshland High School 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, West Walton.

“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.

Maleha Khan’s world changed at the age of 15 when she first saw the world-renowned Red Arrows display team and decided the sky wasn’t going to be the limit. She has gone on an incredible journey to study rocket propulsion for her PhD while also learning to fly commercial planes.

English Lead at our school, Eliza Bennell said students asked a wide range of questions, including why hydrogen was a good fuel for a rocket and what was Maleha’s favourite plane to pilot.

“Her story was so inspirational to the students, especially a young female involved in the UK space industry, as a pilot - someone who has accomplished despite a lot of barriers.

“All the students and staff were captivated by her achievements and she is such a positive female role model in areas which are male-dominated."

Maleha joined the Air Cadets, despite coming from a family of doctors, and took her first flight within the organisation. She won four flying scholarships and learnt to fly five different types of plane to achieve her pilot’s licence in 2022.

She also studied her master’s degree in Spacecraft Engineering and went on to teach rocket science to women in Saudi Arabia and she also worked for the UK Space Agency. As if that wasn’t enough, Maleha also made it to the semi-finals of Miss England this year.

Her amazing story was revealed to almost 200 students at the school, a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, when she arrived thanks to connections at RAF Marham and Wing Cmdr Martin Williamson who facilitated the event.

“He introduced Maleha to the school and she very kindly agreed to deliver a seminar and engage with the students about her education, career and experiences in the space industry,” said Librarian Jenny Ford.

“RAF Marham is a key source of career opportunities for students in engineering, logistics and aircrew. Maleha is passionate about international collaboration and empowering the next generation of students, particularly women, to thrive in the Science, Technology, Education and Maths (STEM) and the space industry,” she added.

Members of the Eco Club decided to transform the area when they got together during the last academic year. But the task proved a lot more involved than initially thought, and staff came in over the summer break to help move things along.

“The garden has already greatly improved since the summer, and we have already started planting our spring bulbs ready for a display in February. We have had contact with a local company about donating some garden beds that were on display at a Gardeners World show,” said Science Teacher Miss Fox, who runs the club with Lab Technician Miss D'Andrea.

“We are pleased to have a number of regular students who share our passion and have great enthusiasm for creating change. We hope that the club will grow as more students see the positive impact spending time in nature has, not only on our environment, but also on our own wellbeing,” added Miss Fox.

Last year saw the group concentrate on creating a bug house and starting to clear the garden. Thanks to the staff who came in over the summer to help, the garden is now ready for the students to use.

It has apple trees and a herb bed including a huge rosemary bush which is already being used by the school canteen.

And the club would also welcome donations of any pots, compost or bulbs and seeds which can be dropped off at reception during school hours.

“The plan is to enable students to learn how to grow their own food and to create a  more biodiverse school site,” added Miss Fox.

The group has already planted winter lettuce, mustard and salad leaves, while their broad beans will be ready for planting out in the spring.

Members of the Eco Club have already come up with a range of ideas to share with Head Teacher Mr Willingham before implementing them.

“We are currently undergoing surveys to assess the level of biodiversity on the school site and by using the garden to encourage wildlife, we hope that when we re-survey this time next year we will see great improvements,” said Miss Fox.

We look forward to meeting our Year 6 students and parents in the Autumn Term, to show you what we have on offer and to give you the opportunity to meet some of our staff and students.

During this time we will be offering the following:

Year 6 Tours

We warmly welcome potential Year 6 students and their parents to visit our school by booking onto a school tour.  You will get to see our friendly school in action and meet the students and teaching staff who make our school such a fantastic place to be!  It’s also a great opportunity to ask any questions you may have. 

Tours will take place during the morning (one tour begins at 9:15 and the second at 10:15), from Monday 22nd September, and will be led by a member of the senior leadership team.  We ask that, if possible, siblings do not attend the tour, in order to keep numbers to a comfortable level.

If you would like to book a place on a tour you can do so by calling the main school office on: 01553 828648 

Wednesday 8th October 2025
From 5.30pm
Evening Talks at 5.30pm and 6.30pm

We look forward to meeting you!

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.”

The Year 7 modern language students had previously won their way through the earlier stages of the competition, which had been held in class at the individual high schools.

It was the first time the event had taken place, with 18 students from Smithdon, Springwood, St Clement’s, and Marshland making it to the final, which was hosted by Marshland and supported by the school’s Year 7 cohort.

“The Department at Springwood High School have been running a spelling bee competition for a number of years, and the Languages Team decided this year to extend this to the rest of the Trust schools, and then to celebrate the successes of the students by have a cross-Trust final,” explained Leah Hawkins, Cross-Trust Lead for Modern Foreign Languages.

Languages tested in the contest included French, Spanish, and German, with vocabulary covering topics such as family members, numbers, colours, days, months, adjectives, and greetings.

“Students were given lists of 100 pieces of key vocabulary per language which they practised,” continued Mrs Hawkins. “They then had one minute to translate the English word they were given into the target language, and then spell it out using the target language alphabet, including any relevant accents.

“For the final, all 18 students had their one minute to spell as much as they could; the second round was the eight with the top scores; and the final four then spelled for a third minute to determine the winner of the competition.”

Coming out on top was Year 7 student Jasper Hawkins from Springwood, who correctly spelt 16 French words in one minute to take first place, beating classmate Anieshka Daniel, who came second with 12 German words in one minute.

Third place went to Patrick Roman, also in Year 7 at Springwood, who spelt 11 Spanish words correctly in one minute.

Each of the three won an Amazon voucher, while everyone participating received a certificate and commemorative blazer pin badge.

“The Spelling Bee has given us an opportunity to celebrate the students’ recollection and knowledge of key vocabulary, as well as increasing awareness of the phonetics of the foreign language being studied,” added Mrs Hawkins.

“In addition, it helps build student confidence in public speaking, and the overall profile of language learning in school.”

The Class of 2025 were also dressed to impress, with an array of colourful ballgowns, cocktail dresses, and evening suits on show.

The students were greeted by friends, family, and well-wishers, before travelling by coach to Knight’s Hill, where the venue had received a gold-and-silver themed makeover for the celebration.

Refreshments on offer included a pizza and brownie buffet, while activities included a disco, and a photo booth complete with props, so that the partygoers could create their own lasting souvenirs of the evening.

There was also a spoof ‘prize giving’, where trophies were presented for categories such as ‘Most Likely to Win a Nobel Peace Prize’, ‘Prince Charming’, ‘Most Likely to be a Beauty Influencer’, ‘Best Smile’, ‘Girl Power Ambassador’, and ‘Most Likely to be a Marvel Illustrator’.

“It is important to celebrate the hard work and commitment of our pupils,” said event organiser Dani Bird, who is Head of Year 11 at St Clement’s.

“The Prom gives pupils a chance to reflect on their time in high school, while looking forward to the next chapter, and celebrating their achievements.

“It’s a rite of passage that every pupil looks forward to, and it was an absolute pleasure to facilitate and organise such an important event.”

It was the school’s biggest-ever Prom, with 120 students and a large number of staff attending from St Clement’s, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“I’m so proud of each and every pupil,” added Miss Bird. “I’ve loved being your Head of Year, and I can’t wait to see you all for Results Day.

“I’ve adored watching you mature over the last two years and grow into the amazing, hard-working, and caring pupils you are today.”

Project manager at King’s Lynn Foodbank, Helen Gilbert was invited to St Clement’s High School to  speak to students about the reasons people may find themselves in need of support.

Inspired by the presentation she gave, the Year 7 students launched a collection drive to support the work of the charity, and they collected more than 400 items, from essential tinned goods to toiletries and long-life food items.

“They had the opportunity to personally deliver the donation to the foodbank, seeing first-hand the impact of their generosity.  The food weighed in at 161.7kg and helped to provide eight, emergency three-day parcels to local families,” said Emily Cawston, Year 7 Pastoral and Safeguarding officer at our school.

The Lynn foodbank is run by the Trussell charity and relies on volunteers and donations to keep running. It provides three days of emergency food for people in King’s Lynn and supports 113 agencies and charities in the network while signposting people to services and support.

“In the last ten years, the need for a foodbank in King’s Lynn has more than doubled, and continues to grow. Most of our referrals come from four wards in the town and the most cited reasons are the rising cost of essentials, impact of a health condition, debt or benefit delay,” says the website.

For more information, see kingslynn.foodbank.org.uk 

The secondary school students worked with SKF Cooper, a company in South Lynn with a long history of engineering and invention.

The students from Springwood, Smithdon, Marshland and St Clement’s High Schools used Computer Aided Design techniques to make a pattern using a 3D printer.

The teams then met at Smithdon, in Hunstanton, to cast the designs in aluminium, working with Nigel Willingham, Headteacher and Design and Technology teacher at St Clement’s High School.

“It was great to see students from across the Trust working together to create these products. Casting is not seen in many schools so we were delighted to be able to offer our students the opportunity to see this engineering process in action,” he said.

Prior to launching the project, teachers from the Trust visited the SKF Cooper site to see the casting process being used in an industrial setting. They also completed additional safety training to ensure they were qualified to teach the process to students.

“I’m grateful to Gary Hellard from SKF Cooper who has supported us throughout the project and came to work with the students and judge the outcomes on casting day,” said Mr Willingham.

All the students were rewarded with SKF water bottles and the four winners also received caps and chocolate bearings.

“The students have all been brilliant throughout the day and worked really hard. We hope to see some of them applying for our apprenticeships in a few years. Engineering skills are still very much in demand and it’s been great to see the design and technology teachers come together to deliver this project,” said Mr Hellard.

Cooper was established by Thomas Cooper, an inventor and brilliant engineer in 1894 in King’s Lynn. His first major invention was a revolutionary steam digger for use in arable farming. 

After his death and throughout the second half of the 20th Century, it has focused on the ground-breaking split bearing he designed in 1907.

May is Mental Health and Wellbeing month, and the group took a book bundle made up of donations from staff, parents, families and the wider community to the Rudham Ward.

“We wanted to enhance the stay of children in hospital by giving them books. We are aware that reading can help provide a valuable distraction for children in discomfort and have a positive effect on their mental health and wellbeing," said Librarian Jenny Ford.

The books ranged from those suitable for very young children, colouring books to puzzle and teen titles for older patients. The visiting group also included Sarah Murkin, the English Lead for the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“The five students who attended from Year 10 have expressed an interest in working with young children and this trip was beneficial to help them learn about the different roles and specialist professions working within the Rudham Ward. It was great to meet the staff and learn all about the ward,” added Mrs Ford.

The Year 10 group from our school also had the chance to explore the Stories of Lynn exhibition, which included the Mayor’s Parlour, Stone Hall and the Assembly Room.

Borough Mayor, Cllr Paul Bland, warmly welcomed the group and helped the students learn more about the role of local government and they were able to question him on issues including civic responsibilities, community leadership and how local decisions are made.

The visit was organised as part of their ‘My Community’ module in a personal development programme within the ASDAN framework.

“We are always seeking opportunities for pupils on our ASDAN programme to enjoy hands-on learning outside the classroom. This trip was a wonderful example of how valuable and enriching it is to support our lessons with real-world experiences,” said Emma Watson, ASDAN Tutor.

Council leader Alistair Beales also met the visitors and he expressed a keen interest in creating further opportunities for young people to engage with local governance and have their voices heard in shaping the development of their communities.

“It is vital that young people feel heard and understand how local decisions are made. Opportunities like this help our students build confidence, develop a sense of belonging and recognise their potential role within their communities. We are incredibly proud of how they represented the school during the visit,” said Carrie Chappel, assistant Trust Senco (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) and head of ASDAN.

An education charity and awarding organisation, ASDAN provides courses, curriculums and qualifications for students to support them in developing personal, social and employability skills.

Pupils took the chance to read stories to younger children from the Terrington St Clement Community school as part of the celebration of all things literary. 

It was a return visit for many of the high school pupils who had also attended the junior school when they were younger. They read stories and also discussed their favourite books and authors with the primary children.

Students also had the chance to dress as their favourite literary character and staff weren’t left out of the fun either.

There were also competitions and cakes back at the high school where the day was declared a great success.