An enthusiastic group of students who all share a passion for the environment has been busy in our new-look school garden.

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.

Music lovers enjoyed four nights of diverse entertainment when Springwood High School in King’s Lynn hosted this year’s West Norfolk Academies Trust Community Music Festival.

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.”

It was bienvenue, bienvenido, and willkomen, when students from our school joined others from across the West Norfolk Academies Trust to test their skills at the Trust’s Languages Spelling Bee Final on Friday 30 June.

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.”

Generous students from our school organised a collection to support the work of a local foodbank after learning about its role.

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 

Pianists from our school joined others from across the West Norfolk Academies Trust to showcase their talents at a packed event held at Springwood High School on Thursday 15 May.

The WNAT Piano Recital starred musicians from four of the Trust’s member schools, including Gaywood Primary, St Clement’s High School, Marshland High School, and host Springwood.

“The evening featured a series of solo piano performances, with a wide variety of repertoire from Baroque to jazz,” said Benjamin Howell, who is WNAT Peripatetic Music Lead and organised the event.

“The Recital Room was at full capacity, with an audience of parents, families, and friends, alongside Trust colleagues, including CEO Andy Johnson, and Director of Music Robin Norman.”

A total of 28 students performed solo piano pieces throughout the evening, with their ages ranging from Years 4 to 13.

“This was the second Trust Piano Recital of the academic year,” Mr Howell continued. “In addition to these termly recitals, we also hosted a Trust Piano Competition in February.

“These events are part of our wider aim to develop piano performance opportunities across the Trust, encourage collaboration amongst piano teachers, and provide students with enriching experiences, such as master classes and performance platforms.”

Feedback after the evening’s entertainment was universally positive, with audience members saying: “It was lovely, as always – the children really enjoyed it”; “Thank you again for organising a wonderful Piano Recital – such talented students”; and “Congratulations on the successful Piano Recital”.

“The evening was a great success, and it was heartening to see so many students perform so confidently – for many, it was their very first recital,” added Mr Howell.

“The support from families and the wider school communities made it a truly special occasion.”

Students from our school have been treated to a VIP visit to meet the borough mayor and take a tour of the historic town hall in King’s Lynn.

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.