Few would associate Rolls-Royce with soapbox racing, yet aspiring engineers from a WNAT school were lucky enough to have the support of the Rolls-Royce Jet Engine Team from RAF Marham when they designed, built, and even raced, their very own soapbox kart.

The Springwood High School students spent six months working on their creation with the help of Rolls-Royce, before going on to compete in this year’s Hunstanton Soapbox Derby.

“The kart was made using materials sourced from local clubs, businesses, and donations, and gave the student the chance to see a project through from conception to final product,” said Victoria Mann, who is Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Lead at the school.

“Students started with a complete blank slate when approaching the project. They broke into teams to focus on various aspects, like bodywork, braking, and steering, before coming back together to work on the kart’s shell, learning how to use carbon-fibre materials and painting the end product.

“Test runs were done using the school’s natural hills, and weaving around stools and other objects to test our drivers before the race. Other members of the team participated as launchers, pushing the students at the start to speed their downhill race.

“The kart itself raced in the Hunstanton Soapbox Derby both in the under-16 category and adults’ category, driven by students who had been involved in building it. It was one of the only entries created by a school-based team this year.”

The students, now in Years 11 and 13 at Springwood, included the Under-16 Racer, Jack Higgins, who finished fourth, with Runners Hui Yu and Antoni Ostasz; and Over-16 Racer James Bell, who came 13th, with Runners Callum Bristow and Luke Utteridge.

Other team members were Maisie Royal; Cherry Yu; Isaac Roberts; Nyasha Tarungamiswa; Oscar Woods; Kevin Monk; Oliver Oliviera; Nastia Kliuchnyk; and Eshaal Ahmed.

The group was led by Science Teachers Richard Moore and Matilda Waite, with Rolls-Royce’s Tony Steel, Alexander Hannah, David Langley, and Adam Dix; while Technology Technician Lee Sedgley also supported the project.

“The Soapbox Challenge was a great opportunity for the Rolls-Royce team at RAF Marham to work alongside some of Norfolk’s aspiring engineers,” said Mr Steel.

“The enthusiasm and novel thinking was truly admirable and resulted in a well-designed, reliable, and fast soapbox, which performed four runs with no mechanical issues.

“The students immersed themselves in the project, and, whilst the Rolls-Royce team provided assistance, the design and problem-solving ideas were all born from the Springwood students.

“Considering this was Springwood’s first-ever soapbox build, and despite being among a field of seasoned soapbox veterans on the day, the results were truly inspiring.

“Rolls-Royce at RAF Marham look forward to supporting Springwood High School again in the future.”

“The opportunity to explore the field of engineering in this way, gives students invaluable insight into what a career in STEM could look like for them if they chose to pursue it,” added Mrs Mann.

“Building confidence, experience, and insight can be applied in their studies and application to further education, apprenticeships, and the world of work.”

An enthusiastic group of students who all share a passion for the environment has been busy in a new-look garden at St Clement’s High School.

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 Meg Fox, who runs the club with Lab Technician Jess 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.

There were cupcakes and cookies as far as the eye could see at West Lynn Primary School  where pupils were raising money for a very special piece of uniform.

At the end of the summer term next year, the current Year 6 children will be saying goodbye to our school and they all want to be wearing the unique leavers’ hoodie with all their names on.

Raising money towards the hoodies saw everyone get busy with the baking to create delicious treats to sell.

“The sale raised just over £170 towards the hoodies and was brilliant, despite the weather,” said Dan Ryan, Assistant Head Teacher.

“We sold out of all cakes and had some lovely comments from customers including; ‘There’s definitely some awesome bakers in the village,’ and ‘the brownies and chocolate oaties were top tier,” he added.

Not only was the harvest particularly bountiful this year, but it also benefited those in need, as children at three WNAT schools joined forces to support a charity in Lynn as part of their Harvest Festival celebrations.

Pupils of all ages at Clenchwarton, West Lynn, and Walpole Cross Keys Primaries donated an array of non-perishable items to the King’s Lynn Foodbank, including tinned meat, fish, and vegetables; tinned and packet soups; jars of cooking sauce; bottles of squash; jars of instant coffee; tinned rice pudding and custard; tinned fruit; biscuits; and milk.

The event was organised by Jo Borley, Executive Headteacher across the schools, while the children at Clenchwarton also enjoyed a special Harvest Festival Assembly to mark the occasion.

Children at Walpole Cross Keys Primary School were recently able to swap their school trousers for jeans to raise awareness of the Jeans for Genes charity and the work it supports.

And they have also been getting used to some changes which include the installation of a new log cabin-type building, now the school’s new Butterfly Room. It will be available for a variety of sessions, including teaching phonics, and is a welcome addition.

“We don’t have many additional rooms here, so this is incredibly useful. It also enabled us to start work on our new library which is going in the former Butterfly Room. This is something we haven’t really had before and we want to inspire a love of reading for our pupils.

“The new Butterfly Room has enough space for groups of eight pupils and has working walls and an interactive whiteboard, allowing for the same teaching consistency we see throughout the rest of the school,” said Assistant Headteacher Billy Overton.

Jeans for Genes is a major annual awareness and fundraising campaign for a charity that supports families who may include members with genetic conditions. It is marking its 30th anniversary this year and 

Beneficiaries from last year’s events include the Down Syndrome Training and Support Service, Gene People (supporting families and individuals), The Haemophilia Society and The Leanne Fund, for children and young people who have cystic fibrosis.

Among the many celebrating exam successes at a WNAT school this year were a group of genuine ‘star students’.

The seven GCSE Astronomy students at Springwood High School in King’s Lynn attained impressive results in their subject, with one receiving an ‘out-of-this-world’ Grade 9.

High-achieving Grace Dickson was only the second student at the school, post-Covid, to be awarded a 9, while her classmates also did exceptionally well in the subject.

Antoni Ostasz, Cherry Yu, Methumless Kulasinge, and Hui Yu all achieved Grade 8s; while Jack Higgins received a 7; and Nyasha Tarungamiswa gained a Grade 5.

“Our first cohort began the course in 2019,” said Physics Teacher Garry Angus, who teaches the course alongside Springwood’s Head of Physics, Matt Adcock.

“They would have sat exams in June 2021, but the pandemic struck, so they got teacher-assessed grades. Our first set of genuine GCSE Astronomy results were awarded in 2022.”

“On average, around eight students sit the final exams each year,” he explained. “They start at the beginning of Year 9, and sit the two GCSE Astronomy exam papers at the end of Year 10, which adds extra challenge, since they don’t have the additional year of Maths and Science that most other students sitting those exams have.

“Many of the students who study GCSE Astronomy go on to study Physics and Maths at Springwood Sixth Form. Many have gone on to study Science at university.”

Topics covered in the syllabus include the history of Astronomy; different types of telescope; the evolution of stars and how the Sun will evolve; the surface of the Moon and phases of the Moon; the Milky Way and other galaxies; the evidence for the Big Bang and the evolution of the Universe; and the history of space missions and what the future might hold.

“It gives all students the chance to learn to appreciate some of the most interesting phenomena out there, like eclipses, comets, the seasons, and why the sky looks different from other places on the Earth,” continued Dr Angus.

“It also gives our high achievers a chance to grapple with something extremely challenging.

“Their incredible grades are a testament to their hard work and dedication to comprehend an immensely complicated series of topics.”

“I found doing the Astronomy GCSE a great way of exploring a subject I am very interested in,” said Jack. “It is also a great thing to have when applying for Oxford and Cambridge, as it makes you stand out.”

“I really enjoyed GCSE Astronomy,” agreed Methumlee. “It has given me valuable skills and confidence that will help me with the rest of my GCSEs.

“It was tough at times, but with support from my wonderful teachers, and a lot of hard work, I achieved more than I thought was possible. Overall, it was a brilliant experience.”

“I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to study GCSE Astronomy,” added Hui. “It has opened my eyes to the universe we live in – learning about stars, galaxies, and cosmology has been very interesting and insightful.

“I believe it’s also given me an edge in university applications. I would like to thank Mr Adcock and Dr Angus for the support and guidance they have provided in every step of the journey.”