There was something for everyone, when musicians from our school joined others from across West Norfolk for a performance at St Nicholas Chapel in King’s Lynn.

Organised by the West Norfolk Academies Trust, the WNAT Play Day event saw primary school pupils perform alongside older students from the Trust’s four high schools, which include Marshland in West Walton, St Clement’s in Terrington St Clement, Smithdon in Hunstanton, and Springwood in Lynn.

“The Play Day brought together students from across the feeder primary schools to the four WNAT high schools, spanning the breadth of West Norfolk, from West Walton through to Hunstanton and the surrounding areas,” said Benjamin Howell, who is Peripatetic Music Lead at the Trust and helped co-ordinate the event.

“The event featured primary school musicians alongside high school and sixth-form students, who came together to perform as a large Trust ensemble.”

The musical offering was equally wide-ranging, covering themes from television and film as well as classical pieces, while there were also guest performances from some of the schools’ music groups.

“The musical programme was varied and engaging, ranging from the dramatic theme from The Traitors, music from How to Train Your Dragon, Hungarian Dance No. 5, and both the ‘Habanera’ and ‘Toreador’s Song’ from Carmen,” continued Mr Howell

“In addition, we were delighted to feature performances from the Springwood Concert Band, the Sinfonia String Group, and the St Clement’s High School Band, whose performances further demonstrated the musical progression available to students across the Trust.”

Some 187 musicians were involved in the day, which concluded with a concert performance for WNAT staff, trustees, family members, and friends.

Support was provided by WNAT Peripatetic Team members Jo Kemp, Music Lead at St Clement’s; Mary-Ann Robertson; Emily Savage; David Maddison; Nic Bouskill; and Helen Johnson; along with David Stowell from the Norfolk Music Hub; while the event was organised by WNAT Director of Music, Robin Norman, with the assistance of Emma Pearman and Sam Johnson from the Trust.

“We are very appreciative of the Trust Administration Team, Senior Leadership, and Trustees for their support – particularly CEO Andy Johnson,” added Mr Howell.

“Our thanks also go to St Nicholas Chapel for hosting the event, and to the many parents, carers, families, and friends who attended the concluding performance.”

It was the turn of literary great Roald Dahl to be lauded, when a WNAT school chose an author to honour as part of their annual literary celebration.

Roald Dahl Day took place on Wednesday 11 March, during Smithdon High School’s two-week Literary Festival, and saw the school library undergo a transformation inspired by the writer’s enduringly popular books, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, and Matilda.

“The library hosted a range of themed activities for students during lunch time including a Willy Wonka treasure hunt, BFG dream jar creation, and Matilda-inspired crafts, where students could decorate book bags, bookmarks, and pencil cases,” said Smithdon Librarian Marie Taylor, who organised the event.

“The library itself was transformed to reflect his magical worlds, featuring a Chokey from Matilda, a Matilda-themed library corner, a BFG dream workshop, and the Gate to the Chocolate Factory,” she continued.

“We also invited all students and staff to dress as their favourite Roald Dahl characters. The English Department, including the Headteacher, led the way, with staff dressing as well known characters including the Grand High Witch, Veruca Salt, Matilda, Willy Wonka, Miss Honey, Violet Beauregarde, and Mrs Pratchett.”

Each year, Smithdon selects a different author, book, or series to celebrate during the Literary Festival, with past favourites having included Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Alice in Wonderland.

“Roald Dahl was chosen because his stories remain some of the most imaginative, humorous, and memorable children’s books ever written,” explained Miss Taylor.

“What makes his work especially significant for us is that our students are still actively choosing to read and enjoy his books today, showing that his books have stood the test of time and continue to inspire a love of reading across generations.”

“Days like this play a vital role in building a strong reading culture within our school,” she added.

“Celebratory events create excitement around books, and help students see reading as something enjoyable and social, rather than just academic. By immersing themselves in stories through activities, creativity, and dress up, students develop a deeper connection to literature.

“Importantly, events like this are also fully inclusive. They can engage all of our students, regardless of reading ability, allowing everyone to take part through art, drama, teamwork, and imagination.”

Teamwork and problem-solving were the focus, when students at a WNAT secondary school got a taste of life in the armed forces.

The careers event at Marshland High School in West Walton saw more than 160 Year 7 students take part in a range of group activities, and was jointly delivered by the Royal Navy and the Jon Egging Trust.

“Students participated in four, interactive carousel sessions during the morning, led by representatives from the Jon Egging Trust and the Royal Navy Outreach Team,” said Dom Stannard, who is Head of Character and Culture at Marshland and co-ordinated the day.

“Each group rotated through the sessions, which focused on teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills. The day concluded with a whole-year assembly in the afternoon to reflect on the activities and key messages from the day.”

“Students developed key employability skills, such as teamwork, communication, and resilience,” he continued. “They also gained insight into different career pathways, and heard first-hand experiences from professionals.

“These activities helped students begin thinking about their future aspirations, while building confidence and self-awareness.”

The event was a new addition to the calendar at Marshland.

“This was the first time this specific event had been delivered at the school,” added Mr Stannard. “However, we are looking to hold similar events in the future for other year groups.

“Events like this are important, because they introduce students to the world of work at an early stage, and help them develop essential life and employability skills.

“They also support the school’s careers programme, and contribute towards meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks, by providing meaningful encounters with employers and external organisations.”

History was brought vividly to life, when students from St Clement’s High School spent the day at RAF Marham.

The Year 8 and 9 group from the WNAT school received a tour of the Aviation Heritage Centre and Air Traffic Control Tower courtesy of curator Steve Roberts, MBE, who explained the history of the Royal Air Force from World War One to modern times.

“The tour allowed the students to view over 12,000 artefacts and memorabilia that reflect the history of the Royal Air Force in Marham, East Anglia, and beyond,” said St Clement’s Librarian, Jenny Ford, who accompanied them.

“The displays were arranged in chronological order to help the students understand the historical timeline from the Royal Flying Corps, the First World War, formation of the RAF, World War Two, Suez Canal Crisis, the Cold War, the Falklands conflict, and Gulf Wars, up to the present day.”

Organised by the school’s Head of History, Anton Modica, it was the first time the visit had taken place.

“The students were particularly interested in viewing armaments used by RAF Marham aircraft, including the Sidewinder and Brimstone missiles,” continued Mrs Ford.

“Another highlight was a WE177 Freefall nuclear bomb, a significant artefact from the Cold War era. Another item of interest on display was a Victor Bomber ejection seat and historic aircraft propellers.”

There was also an interactive element to the visit, with some students able to experience for themselves the drama of World War Two, thanks to a flight simulator which took them on a 1943 night raid over Berlin via Virtual Reality Headsets.

“The students could join the aircrew virtually and listen to communication over internal radios,” explained Mrs Ford. “This allowed the students a brief insight into the bravery and resilience of the personnel from Bomber Command.”

In addition to the Heritage Centre, the visitors toured the Air Traffic Control Centre at RAF Marham, where they met staff and saw a variety of aircraft monitoring equipment, as well as learning about airfield operations, and the role and functions of the Air Traffic Tower.

“We enjoyed the unique view of the airfield from the tower, and were very fortunate to observe a F35 fast jet taking off during the visit,” added Mrs Ford.

“Some of our students wish to pursue a role in aviation and the Armed Forces, and this visit was very beneficial to learn about the opportunities that are available to them.”

Budding scientists were put through their paces, when students from Smithdon High School led a series of experiments as part of British Science Week.

The Year 9 group  visited pupils at Flitcham, Snettisham, Ingoldisthorpe, Dersingham, and Hunstanton primary schools in turn over the course of the week, delivering workshops for the children which featured a range of different activities designed to promote a love of science.

Smithdon Science Teacher Veronica Roper, who accompanied the students, explained: “We took five different activities, including a moss safari using microscopes to look at the moss and organisms living in it; a mini light show using coloured ray boxes, lenses, and screens; making a compass and investigating magnetism; using static electricity to make straws spin; and building electrical circuits to test the conductivity of different materials, as well as drawing graphite circuits to light an LED.”

WNAT member Smithdon has been taking part in British Science Week for more than a decade, and there were plenty of other events taking place this time round.

“The theme this year was ‘Curiosity: What’s Your Question?’,” said Head of Science Claire Pike, who kicked off the week with a whole-school assembly on the theme.

“We took part in a poster competition, researched what it’s like to live and work in the Antarctic, and used microscopes to look at things like cobwebs and pet hair to see what they look like.”

Ten Year 8 students also attended a WNAT Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) ‘Race to the Line’ challenge at Springwood High School, which tasked participants with designing, building, and racing their own CO2-powered model cars.

“We have promoted British Science Week at Smithdon for over ten years, and it is always fascinating to be able to look at science outside of the curriculum,” added Mrs Pike.

“We also focus on Science careers during the week, to promote where Science can take you.”

The importance of reading for pleasure was just one of the topics under discussion, when pupils from schools across our Trust came together for a literary-themed, public-speaking event.

The WNAT Primary Literary Event is staged annually to coincide with World Book Day, and was taking place for the sixth time.

Held at the King’s Lynn Corn Exchange on Wednesday 4 March, the celebration of reading featured teams of Year 5 children from primary schools which included Trust members Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn, along with Terrington St John, Tilney St Lawrence, Walpole Highway, and West Walton from the Windmill Primary Federation.

“Teams of three pupils are asked to speak for five minutes,” explained organiser Emma Hunt, who is Primary English Lead at WNAT. “The first pupil introduces the speaker to provide the audience with a little background; the main speaker then has approximately three minutes to deliver their views on the team’s chosen topic; the final team member then delivers the vote of thanks.”

Among this year’s topics were: whether children should be encouraged to reread favourite books or always try new ones; whether stories help children understand real-world issues better than facts alone; whether illustrations still matter in books for older children; whether it is important for children to see themselves represented in the books they read; and whether reading for pleasure improves creativity more than structured reading at school.

The audience included fellow pupils, teachers, and trustees, as well as our CEO and Deputy CEO, while staff from across all schools supported the teams in writing their speeches and rehearsing for the event.

“Literary events that involve public speaking are so important, as they give children valuable opportunities to build confidence and communication skills,” continued Mrs Hunt.

“Preparing and delivering a presentation encourages pupils to organise their ideas clearly, structure their thoughts, and express them in a way that engages an audience. Through this, they learn how to communicate effectively and share their ideas with clarity and purpose.”

“Taking part in events beyond the school environment, alongside pupils from other schools in the Trust and Federation, also offers valuable social and personal benefits,” she added. “It allows children to meet new people, experience different perspectives, and learn from others.

“Engaging with a wider group of students can broaden their horizons, build resilience, and encourage a healthy sense of collaboration and friendly competition. Such experiences help pupils develop confidence in unfamiliar settings, and strengthen the interpersonal skills that will support them throughout their education and beyond.”