It was full speed ahead, when aspiring engineers at a WNAT school in Hunstanton were tasked with designing, building, testing, and even marketing their own self-driving vehicles.

Sixty Year 10 students at Smithdon High School were put through their paces at the Smallpiece Trust Autonomous Vehicle Challenge STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) Day on Friday 16 January, which saw them work in small teams to both create and pitch their designs.

“The event was run by staff from the Smallpiece Trust, who came in armed with several STEM Lego Spike Kits and iPads, testing tracks, and more,” said organiser Sam Fairweather, who is Lead for both Careers and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) at the school.

“In this particular challenge, students were split into teams, and self-selected certain roles within the group to compete against other teams to design, build, and code a working, autonomous vehicle that had to be programmed to navigate, avoid obstacles, and respond to scenarios.

“Not only this, but students also had to pitch their designs, which focused on teamwork, marketing, and understanding real-world engineering problems.”

It was the first time that the event had taken place at Smithdon, but Taionee Rhodes and Daniel Foulsham from the Smallpiece Trust are scheduled to return in a few months, so that the rest of Year 10 can test their engineering prowess too.

“Fortunately, I have managed to secure another booking for May, which will see the remaining students in Year 10 getting their opportunities to complete a similar event too, that time on wind turbines,” continued Miss Fairweather.

“The project is designed to bring real-world applications of STEM subjects to the classroom, sparking an interest through fun, hands-on activities.

“It’s a way of encouraging students to look at the possibilities for a career in engineering, and help them to build life and leadership skills that can be used throughout all aspects of life.”

“Events like the Smallpiece Trust Autonomous Vehicle Challenge are important because they give students the chance to experience real-world engineering and technology in a practical, engaging way,” she added.

“Rather than just learning theory in the classroom, students can see how subjects like maths, science, computing, and design work together to solve complex, real problems.

“For students, the benefits are wide-ranging. They develop key skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication, all of which are essential for further education and careers. Taking part in an engineering challenge also helps build confidence, resilience, and creativity, as students must test ideas, learn from mistakes, and adapt their designs.

“Importantly, events like this can inspire students by exposing them to cutting-edge technologies such as autonomous vehicles, and showing clear links between school subjects and exciting career pathways.

“For many students, it can spark a lasting interest in STEM and help them make more informed choices about GCSEs, A-Levels, apprenticeships, or future careers in engineering and technology.”

Musical theatre fans are in for a treat later this month, when a WNAT school brings a West End favourite to King’s Lynn.

The talented students at Springwood High School are staging a production of Les Misérables, with evening performances taking place from Tuesday 27 to Thursday 29 January in the Peter Hopkins Hall.

“Les Misérables is an undertaking of epic proportions,” said Robin Norman, who is Director of Music at both the school and the Trust.

“It lasts over two and a half hours, including the interval, with a 90-minute first half. It also includes some of the best-known songs in musical theatre, therefore it’s difficult to name any highlights.

“However, ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ by Fantine, ‘Star’ by Javert, ‘On My Own’ by Eponine, and ‘One Day More’ by the whole company, are songs I am confident will provide a lasting impression on our audience.”

Those starring in the iconic show range in age from Years 7 to 13 at the school, and include Hemi G as lead Jean Valjean; Callum B as Javert; Sam M as Marius; Rachel-Lee S as Eponine; Iamryl F as Cosette; Poppy P as Fantine; and Ella R as Thenardier.

Besides the 30 cast members, Springwood students are also involved backstage and front of house, assisting with all aspects of the production.

“For the students, there is nothing quite like the camaraderie that is built through being part of a large-scale musical project such as this,” continued Mr Norman, who is directing and producing the performances, as well as conducting the 18-piece, live orchestra.

“The students have been working on this for a number of months, and a show such as Les Mis is no small undertaking, with two-and-a-half hours of material to learn.

“As staff members, we love to see the students progress and rise to what many would not consider possible for students to undertake.”

Among the staff working behind the scenes are Health and Social Care Lead Chloe Lister; Peripatetic Vocal Tutor Sam Ashby; and Music Teacher Hayley Tabor; while colleagues involved with the orchestra include Music Teacher Thomas Burt, Business Studies Teacher Robin McGregor, and Jo Kemp, who is Head of Music at St Clement’s High School – a fellow WNAT member.

“Over the three nights, we can accommodate a total of around 900 audience members (300 each night), and tickets are selling fast,” added Mr Norman. “We would love to see members of our local community coming to see the show.

“We value our links within the community, and we have received many messages and good wishes from people in the area who have always wanted to see the show but are unable to get to London and the West End to watch it.

“They are thrilled that we are giving them the chance to come as an audience member, with many stating how much they are looking forward to it. We are thrilled to be able to give them that opportunity.”

Les Misérables takes place at 6 pm, 27 to 29 January at Springwood. Tickets cost £10 for adults and £6 for student/under-18s and are available from: www.ticketsource.co.uk/springwood-high-school-music-department

There was a definite military air around a recent super-learning day held at one of our high schools.

Members of the RAF medics team brought their specialist knowledge to St Clement’s High School 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 raiders 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.

There were happy campers at a WNAT school, when a generous donation enabled the purchase of new tents for their Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award expeditions.

Thanks largely to funding from King’s Lynn and Hunstanton Golf Club, the West Norfolk Duke of Edinburgh Charity donated £2,000 to Springwood High School, which was used to buy 15 Berghaus Grampian three-person tents for use by students taking part in the award scheme.

“At Springwood High School, the Duke of Edinburgh Award is offered to students at all levels – Bronze, Silver, and Gold,” explained Lucy Edwards, DofE Co-Manager at Springwood, alongside Ciera McKenzie.

“The award is an extra-curricular programme for young people aged between 14 and 24, which aims to inspire young people to reach their full potential. The Bronze and Silver Awards involve students completing four sections: Volunteering; Physical; Skills; and Expedition. The Gold Award has an additional section: Residential.”

The programme has been running for 14 years at the school, and is open to students from Years 9 to 11.

“I did my Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award with Springwood as a student myself, and, when starting here as a teacher, I knew I wanted to be involved in supporting the running of the award, as I know what a life-changing difference it can make,” continued Miss Edwards.

“Ciera and I have been involved in supporting the DofE programme at Springwood since 2021 and have now been DofE Managers for two years.”

“Outside of work, hill walking, international trekking, mountaineering, bouldering, and rock climbing are a big part of my life – I love it,” said Miss McKenzie. “I want to be able to share my passion for these with the students, getting them off their phones and out into the wilderness.”

The message seems to be getting across, with a record number of 133 students enrolling onto the scheme at Springwood this year.

“The DofE programme can be life changing for students in both the skills they develop and the memories they make, in particular during the expedition section,” added Miss Edwards.

“The DofE motto is ‘Youth Without Limits’, and we aim to make the award as accessible as possible to all students.

“We are extremely grateful for the funding we have received, as we are now able to accommodate more students on the expeditions, as our numbers are increasing each year.”

The Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of King’s Lynn were among the dignitaries on hand to mark the official opening of a fully refurbished performance space at a WNAT school.

The 300-capacity Peter Hopkins Hall at Springwood High School recently underwent a dramatic makeover which saw the installation of retractable, tiered, theatre seating, while all performance areas were fitted with state-of-the-art LED lighting.

The project cost a total of £218,000, and was funded by a contribution of around £185,000 from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), along with £20,750 from the Springwood Parents, Teachers, and Friends Association (PTFA).

“The aim was to deliver a world-class facility that would make Springwood one of the largest community spaces in West Norfolk suitable for major amateur and professional productions, by the introduction of retractable seating, plus the provision of energy efficient and cooler lighting,” explained Andy Johnson, who is Executive Headteacher and CEO at WNAT, and led the ceremony.

“This has enhanced both the viewing experience and increased capacity,” he continued. “The new seats have transformed the area, making both assemblies and performances so much more enjoyable.

"The new LED lights are more economical to run, and maintain a much cooler environment for all involved, compared to traditional stage lights.”

Besides Deputy Mayor Steve Bradshaw and Deputy Mayoress Marisol Bearshaw, the opening ceremony was attended by Cllr Jo Rust, Trustee Cllr Paul Bland, Chair of Trustees Roger Livesey, and members of the Springwood PTFA, as well as WNAT staff and parents.

Students from Springwood performed at the event, alongside pupils from fellow Trust schools Gaywood Primary and Heacham Junior.

“The event was really about a thank you from the Trust, with some lovely entertainment from our schools,” added Mr Johnson.
“I said a formal thank you to the King’s Lynn and Borough of West Norfolk and the Springwood PTFA for funding the new tiered seating and the LED stage lighting.

“I also thanked the Site Team for all that they do, and finally the staff across all schools who organise our outstanding performances.”

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.