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.”

Staff and students at a WNAT school came together to celebrate the year’s successes at a special Prize Giving evening.

One-hundred-and-fifty students from Years 7, 8, and 9 at Smithdon High School in Hunstanton were joined by Senior Leadership, staff, friends, and family for the annual Key Stage 3 event, which saw the presentation of 250 prizes, including badges, certificates, plaques, and gift vouchers.

“Alongside awards for PE and subjects, there were rewards for meeting our ‘Smithdon Seven’,” said Mike Johnson, who is Assistant Head Pastoral Care at the school.

“The Smithdon Seven are the words we expect all our students to exemplify – ‘Self-Belief’, ‘Ambition’, ‘Responsibility’, ‘Community’, ‘Prepared’, ‘Respect’, and ‘Pride’.

“There was a badge and a certificate for each of the seven, for each of Years 7, 8, and 9.”

Three students were also honoured with ‘Smithdon Stars’, with Daisy in Year 7, Eloise in Year 8, and Jessica in Year 9, each receiving a badge and certificate from Headteacher Amanda Gibbins.

Another high achiever was Brayden May, who was announced as winner of the school’s annual 500-word short story competition, and presented with the prize of a tablet. It was a particularly impressive achievement for the Year 9 student, as he had recently placed first in Cambridge University’s prestigious Cambridge Writers essay-writing competition.

“At Smithdon, we recognise the importance of rewarding all the great work of our amazing students and their excellent attitude towards their work and each other,” added Mr Johnson.

Besides Mrs Gibbins, staff involved in the presentation ceremony included Assistant Heads Alysha Moat and Dan Ward, and Deputy Head Sarah Robinson.

“The Key Stage 3 Prize Giving Evening is the culmination of the year’s student rewards programme,” added Mrs Gibbins.

“With a culture focused on positivity, rewards underpin everything we do – from the hourly-issued rewards points, R3 postcards, and daily recognition at Spotlight each morning, to the weekly Chocolate Friday, regular R4 Headteacher’s Recognition Letters, and termly rewards breakfasts and celebrations.”

The school’s Year 11 students will be next to have their achievements honoured, with a November Prize Giving scheduled to celebrate their exam successes.

Lynn music lovers enjoyed four nights of diverse entertainment when Springwood High School 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 Trust’s 11 member schools take to the professional, outdoor stage, 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.”