Students from all four of our secondary schools put their spelling skills to the test for the finals of a keenly-fought contest.

The 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.

Theatre-goers enjoyed a magical trip down the rabbit hole, when a WNAT school staged a modern twist on a traditional children’s favourite.

Students from Years 7 to 13 at Springwood High School were involved in the production of Alice, an adaptation by playwright Laura Wade of the famous Lewis Carroll classic Alice in Wonderland.

The play retells the well-known story of Alice, but the modern reimagining sees her struggling with grief over her brother’s death as she escapes into a fantastical Wonderland.

While familiar characters such as the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts all put in an appearance, the show features contemporary dialogue and references, along with pop music from the 2000s.

Thirty students took on roles in the cast, while there was plenty of student involvement off-stage too.

“Daisy, a Year 11 student, was an assistant director, as well as sound operator, during performances,” said Springwood Head of Drama, Robinson Ellin, who directed the play.

“We had a large number of students who were makeup artists from a variety of year groups, and three Year 9 students as front-of-house.”

Other staff members supporting the production included Drama Teachers Georgia Littlemore and Emily Brown as assistant directors; Head of Year 10 Pete Cuss, who was responsible for sound and original music; Arts Technician Matthew Austin, who was lighting designer and operator, as well as making the set and props; Head of Art Lee Eveson, who painted the set and props; and cover supervisor Phoebe Auker, who was in charge of makeup.

“I think that drama productions are an incredible opportunity for students to share stories with the local community – something that has been part of human culture for thousands of years,” continued Mr Ellin.

“This particular adaptation explores a young girl and her journey dealing with the loss of her elder brother, Joe. It is a timely reminder that throughout life, with all its trials and tribulations, love is at the heart of our shared existence.”

The show was enjoyed by 280 people over two nights, and took place in the Peter Hopkins Hall at Springwood in King’s Lynn.

“Without doubt, being involved in a school production is an incredible amount of hard work, but the sense of achievement that students feel when an audience laughs and cheers creates memories that will live with them forever,” Mr Ellin added.

“It also enables the students to be seen in a different light, by their peers and staff, as well as being a wonderful way to see off the Christmas term.”

There were festive favourites aplenty when students at a WNAT school showcased their musical talents in a seasonal celebration that rounded off the year in style.

The Springwood High School Christmas Concert took place on the evening of Thursday 18 December, and featured around 200 students across all age groups from Years 7 to 13.

“The concert featured all our choirs and some of our larger instrumental groups,” said WNAT Director of Music, Robin Norman, who organised the event as well as directing some of the individual groups. “They performed a wide range of festive music, alongside some other pieces.

“There was so much, and so many pieces, that it is hard to choose what the highlight was, but there was a chance to see a preview of our forthcoming production of Les Miserables, and a rousing, massed finale, where all performers and the audience joined together in the Band Aid classic ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’.”

With tickets sold out more than two weeks in advance this year, more than 300 people attended the Christmas Concert at Springwood in King’s Lynn.

“The Christmas Concert is an annual event, and has been for many years,” continued Mr Norman. “However, in the last few years, ticket sales have increased, and it is now our most popular event, selling out every year.

“This is our largest event, and it gives a real opportunity for all groups to showcase what they have been working on.

“However, perhaps more importantly, it also gives an opportunity for some of our younger performers, such as those in the Year 7 Choir, to not only perform, but also to see the more experienced groups, so they can see ‘what comes next’ – something both inspirational and aspirational.”

It’s supposedly the most wonderful time of the year – but it can be a challenging one for children and young people who are caring for family members. One WNAT school was helping to redress the balance by holding a special Christmas celebration for its young carers.

The day-long event at St Clement’s High School on Thursday 18 December included a festive film, complete with popcorn, followed by a giant inflatable snow globe, and gifts for all of the school’s young-carer students.

“The young carers made their way over to our village hall, and we watched Home Alone 2 with popcorn and hot chocolate and marshmallows,” explained Pastoral Officer and Young Carer Lead Robyn Fisher.

“From 2.20pm, we had a giant inflatable snow globe, and each young carer received a Christmas present. All 92 young carers were invited from Years 7 to 11.”

Generous donors ensured that there were plenty of Christmas gifts to go round, with enough for each of the 37 young carers in the Trust’s seven primary schools also to receive one.

“We had donations from St Clement’s staff, the local community, and local businesses,” continued Mrs Fisher, who organised the event. “This year I wanted to get enough donations so that each of the young carers had one, and so I could provide a present for each young carer in our Trust primary schools.

“So, in total, I wrapped 129 presents! We had donations of make-up, Christmas jumpers, toys, gadgets, books, ten coffee-and-cake vouchers from the Norfolk Pedler in Burnham Overy Staithe, board games, puzzles, scarves, hats, gloves – the list was endless.”

St Clement’s holds three events each year for its young carers, including a summer party and the Christmas celebration.

“It is so important for these young carers to be recognised at this time of the year,” added Mrs Fisher. “Their Christmas may look very different to ours, and whilst we are sitting around with our families on Christmas morning opening presents, they may have to help their parent or relative out of bed, administer medication, or any other number of things before that were even to be a thought in their mind.

“These children may often go without, through no fault of their own or their families, and showing that little bit of kindness really means the world to them.”

Young artists across the West Norfolk Academies Trust secondary schools have put their work on show for a free exhibition at a King’s Lynn gallery.

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.

‘O Christmas Tree’ was the perfect carol for one WNAT school this season, as Springwood High School students decorated as many as three special trees for events in King’s Lynn – including a festival which was taking place for the first time.

“This year, Springwood decorated three trees for local Christmas Tree festivals,” said Victoria Mann, who is Head of Year 7 and Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) Leader at the school.

“We were delighted to support the first ever Christmas Tree Festival at the King’s Lynn Minster, with two trees reflecting the wider WNAT push to develop confident readers, and Springwood’s ever-expanding STEM offerings.

“We also contributed to a ‘Kindness Tree’ at the local Pott Row Methodist Church, which was also well received.”

Decorations for the ‘WNAT Reading Tree’ were created by Year 7 students at Springwood, inspired by their favourite books, and were designed to encourage reading across the Trust’s seven primary and four secondary schools, as part of the Reading Passport Scheme.

The second Springwood Minster tree celebrated all things STEM, and was decorated by the school’s Year 7 and 8 STEM Club. It included hand-made marbled ornaments, hanging ‘DNA’, and images of the students’ favourite scientists.

The Kindness Tree was also the handiwork of the Year 7 cohort.

“As part of the work of our Wellbeing Council, Year 7 were given the task of designing a superhero shield, and showing how they can use their power for good,” explained Mrs Mann.

“The shields then went on to decorate our Kindness Tree at Pott Row Methodist Church, celebrating the positive impact and thoughtful actions of our Year 7 community.”

More than 2,000 people visited the Christmas Tree in the Minster, helping to raise in excess of £4,000 for causes across Lynn.

“The 280 students in our Year 7 were each individually required to contribute to both our Reading and Kindness Trees,” continued Mrs Mann. “Each ornament reflects the interest and personality of our students.

“The Reading Tree was further boosted by contributions from our school’s Book Club, with designs linked to Philips Pullman’s Dark Materials trilogy and The Golden Compass book.

“The STEM Tree was created by the 50-plus students who regularly attend our Year 7 and 8 STEM Club – meaning that more than 300 students were involved in creating our community Christmas Trees this year.”

Members of staff involved in the Christmas creativity included Book Club Lead Nina Elvin and STEM Club Lead Isabel Colley, along with Head of RE Alison Denis, and Maths Teacher Georgie Brown; while Mrs Mann and Year 7 Manager Abbie Rawlinson oversaw the decorating of the Minster trees by students Phoebe, Iulia, and Brooke.

“This is the first year we have taken part in the Minster Christmas Tree Festival, but we are regular participants in the Pott Row Festival,” added Mrs Mann. “We hope to participate in both again next year.

“Events like this are important in connecting our students to the wider community, and showing how their actions can support and enrich their local area.

“We were delighted to be able to share with students how much money had been raised for local charities, and know that the time spent creating the trees will have helped students develop teamwork, communication, literacy, and confidence.”