Music lovers enjoyed four nights of diverse entertainment when Springwood High School in King’s Lynn 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 school join others from across the Trust, 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.”

The workforce of the future got a taste of their dream careers when we held our annual Apprenticeship Day on Thursday 26 June.

Children from Years 3 to 6 at Heacham Junior School took part in the event, which enabled them to test out a variety of different professional roles.

“This is an exciting day that has become an annual event in our school calendar,” said organiser Katie Cornwell, Year 3 Teacher at our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“During Apprenticeship Day, pupils spend time learning about a particular career, taking on different roles and responsibilities related to that job, and becoming a professional for the day.”

The mini apprenticeships cover a wide choice of careers, with this year’s options ranging from engineering to photography.

“The children apply for the apprenticeship they wish to enrol on,” continued Miss Cornwell. “They might want to learn how to be an engineer, travel agent, film producer, chef, estate agent, photographer, software engineer, or have a job in the sports industry.

“Apprenticeships are run by a mixture of external professionals and school staff and include all children from Year 3 to Year 6.”

It was the third time that the event had taken place, with participants this year including The Norfolk Agents, Tracy Bower from West Norfolk School Sport Partnership, and Rolls Royce at RAF Barham, as well as Heacham Junior teachers James Agate, Ashley Kirwan, Hariette Pateman, and Miss Cornwell herself.

“The aim for the day is to raise aspirations,” she added. “It gives the children the opportunity to explore career possibilities, and connect with professionals to learn about different career paths, and the skills needed to succeed.”

Pupils from our school joined others from across the West Norfolk Academies Trust to test their spelling skills at the third annual WNAT Spelling Bee.

Children from each of the Trust’s six primary schools gathered for the final of the event, including host Gaywood Primary. The other participating schools comprised Clenchwarton, Walpole Cross Keys, West Lynn, and Snettisham Primaries, and Heacham Junior.

Eighteen pupils from Years 3 to 6 made it through to the closing stage, having qualified through previous rounds held within their respective year groups and schools.

“There were three pupils for each primary school taking part from across Key Stage 2,” said Emma Hunt, who is Executive Deputy Headteacher at Heacham Junior and oversaw the competition.

“Round One was a class round, Round Two a school round, then three pupils from each school reached the final.”

Caller for the spelling contest was Amanda Wright, Head of English at fellow WNAT member Smithdon High School, who dressed as a bee for the occasion.

“Pupils picked a number from a hat,” continued Mrs Hunt. “This matched a chair for competitors to sit on. Spellings were called and individuals answered. They remained in the competition until they spelt a word incorrectly, then they sat down until a winner was found.”

Amongst the words posed to the contestants were ‘pronunciation’, ‘accommodate’, ‘convenience’, and ‘environment’ – none of which foxed George B from Clenchwarton, who correctly spelt ‘acquaintance’ to win the contest.

He was presented with a Kindle Fire tablet, while all the finalists received certificates and chocolate.

“The event is part of a calendar of events throughout the academic year organised by the Trust,” added Mrs Hunt. “The aim of these events is to boost confidence, provide opportunities for our pupils to interact and socialise with peers from across the Trust, to provide pupils with a range of new skills, and, most importantly, to have fun.

“The Spelling Bee is important as it helps pupils to develop a profound understanding of the English language and improve their vocabulary. It is not about merely memorising spellings – it develops skills in planning and preparation.”

Our children got a taste of the 1940s when we celebrated the eightieth anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day on Friday 9 May.

Pupils of all ages at Heacham Infant and Heacham Junior Schools dressed in patriotic red, white, and blue for the historic occasion, and enjoyed a special VE Day picnic in the grounds.

Singer Erin Tasker also joined in the festivities, performing to the children and an audience of friends and family members, before leading the youngsters through a series of classic wartime tunes.

Songs included the Nursery and Reception rendition of ‘Run, Rabbit, Run’, Year 1’s performance of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, and Year 2’s ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’.

We are part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, and were not the only Trust members marking the milestone. WNAT primaries taking part included Snettisham, Clenchwarton, and Walpole Cross Keys, while Smithdon and Marshland High Schools also held VE Day events.

Even the snacks were themed when our school took part in this year’s Comic Relief fundraiser.

Pupils across all age groups at Heacham Junior helped to raise money for the annual event, which took place this year on Friday 21 March.

“All the children and staff took part,” said Emma Hunt, Executive Deputy Headteacher at our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“The Friends of Heacham Junior School had red apples, smiley faces on bananas, and Baby Bel on their snack trolley. Pupils enjoyed painting with watercolours too.”

Other Comic Relief activities included watching a video about the charity, which was followed by a question-and-answer session where the children were able to find out more about the organisation and its importance.

Staff and pupils also dressed for occasion.

“It was a non-uniform day, with everyone wearing bright-coloured clothes,” added Mrs Hunt. “Some of the children chose to wear red and wore red noses or Red Nose Day merchandise.”

Fellow WNAT schools participating in the fundraising included Smithdon High School in Hunstanton, Clenchwarton Primary, Walpole Cross Keys Primary, and West Lynn Primary.

Literary debate was the order of the day when pupils from our school came together with others from across the West Norfolk Academies Trust to mark this year’s World Book Day.

The annual WNAT Primary Literary Event took place at the King’s Lynn Corn Exchange, where Year 5 children from the Trust’s six primary schools gave group presentations on book-related subjects.

“Teams of three pupils were asked to speak for five minutes,” explained event organiser Emma Hunt, Executive Deputy Headteacher at Heacham Infant and Junior Schools and Snettisham Primary.

“The first pupil introduced the speaker, to provide the audience with a little background; the main speaker then had approximately three minutes to deliver their views on the team’s chosen topic; the final team member then delivered the vote of thanks.”

Participating schools were: Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn; while subjects under discussion included the pros and cons of online learning, whether reading different genres contributes to social and emotional development, whether reading a book is better than watching a film, and whether characters influence the enjoyment of a book.

It was the fifth time that the event had taken place, and it was attended by an audience of pupils, staff members and trustees, as well as the CEO and Deputy CEO of WNAT.

All the speakers received certificates and goodie bags for taking part.

“The event provides an opportunity for pupils to develop their presentation skills, teaching them how to arrange and articulate their ideas and organise their thoughts, to deliver captivating presentations to an audience,” added Mrs Hunt.

“Utilising the skill to speak effectively at a young age, enables them to express their views in a balanced way, connecting with and motivating others. These skills are useful in formal situations, and will no doubt support future employment. They are also important in everyday life.”