Not many schools get to have their own anthem, so it was a particularly special occasion when pupils from Heacham Junior were able to sing theirs together for the first time – as well as have it recorded for posterity.

Our school is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, and the new anthem was specially composed for us by the Trust’s Peripatetic Music Lead, Benjamin Howell.

“On Tuesday 18 June a collaborative sing-along took place at Heacham Junior School,” he said.

“The event brought together children from three Trust schools, who joined voices to perform a special composition I’d written – a school anthem for Heacham Junior titled ‘In Our Village by the Sea’.

“This anthem was created specifically for this event, reflecting the local area and the spirit of the community.”

Children of all ages across our school, from Years 3 to 6, took part in the event, along with Year 2 pupils from Heacham Infant School, and the members of the Smithdon High School Choir, who ranged in age from Years 7 to 11.

They were also supported by the Dersingham Community Choir, an adult choir who joined the young singers for the final chorus of the anthem.

“My role as the Trust Peripatetic Music Lead has been to develop and coordinate this initiative, with the aim of uniting students and members of the wider community through collaborative music-making,” continued Mr Howell, who organised the event with the help of Music Teachers Nic Bouskill and Gill Smith, as well as our Executive Headteacher, Louise Jackson, and Executive Deputy Head Emma Hunt, and Andrea Barnes, who is Head of Music at Smithdon.

“Learning of the piece began through assemblies and rehearsals led by myself across the participating schools,” he added.

“The event ran from 1pm to 3pm, with smaller group rehearsals leading into a shared performance later in the afternoon.

“The final rendition was recorded as a memento of this collaborative effort.”

Our children were scaling new heights when they celebrated the end of half-term on Friday 23 May.

The pupils at Heacham Junior School spent the day testing their mettle on a climbing wall, where they were also joined by an intrepid member of staff.

“The event was an end-of-half-term enrichment experience for our pupils,” explained Emma Hunt, Executive Deputy Headteacher at our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“All pupils took part. The climbing wall was with us all day, so each year group had an hour-and-a-quarter slot, which gave them plenty of time to enjoy it.”

The wall was supplied by Climb Higher Ltd, whose instructors were on hand to coach and support the children as they donned safety harnesses to practise their climbing skills.

“Events and experiences like this aim to enhance the educational experiences of children, enabling them to develop skills, explore interests, and build social connections beyond the curriculum,” continued Mrs Hunt.

“The climbing wall was primarily aimed at providing pupils with an enjoyable end-of-half-term experience that invariably helped improve confidence and social skills, as well as building self-esteem.”

It wasn’t just the children that took on the challenge of the wall, as one staff member was also inspired to reach for the heights.

“Our Assistant Headteacher, Ashley Kirwan, joined the challenge, and climbed to the top to ring the bell,” added Executive Headteacher Louise Jackson.

“It was really inspiring for the staff to see the pupils be brave and determined – some also reached the top to ring the bell, while others were happy to cheer on friends.”

Our budding scientists drew inspiration from some famous names when we celebrated Science Day on Tuesday 18 March.

Children of all ages at Heacham Junior School, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, took part in the event, which involved a range of different activities, each based around a well-known scientific figure.

“The school was split up into five groups with children from all year groups,” explained Hannah Greenhalgh, Primary Science Lead at WNAT, and organiser of the day.  They rotated around different activities delivered by the teachers.

“The activities were based on a famous scientist. They included the Leonardo da Vinci Zipline; the Helen Sharman Rocket; Greta Thunberg potato plastic (making biodegradable plastic from potato starch); Marie Curie’s Chemistry Lab; and Delia Derbyshire’s Super Sound Testing.”

“The pupil’s voice was all really positive,” continued Miss Greenhalgh. “They enjoyed working with different children across the school.

“The older children provided excellent role models and supported and encouraged the younger ones.”

British Science Day was also celebrated by the Trust’s other primary schools, including Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn.

“Our aim for the day was to crush science stereotypes, making it fun and accessible for all children,” added Miss Greenhalgh. “Furthermore, it enhances the practical element of our science curriculum, which the children love so much.”

The event followed British Science Week, where Heacham Junior received a visit from student ‘Science Ambassadors’ from fellow WNAT member Smithdon High School in Hunstanton, who put the younger pupils through their scientific paces during a series of experiments and activities.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears enjoyed the spring sunshine when Heacham Junior and Snettisham Primary celebrated this year’s World Book Day.

Pupils of all ages arrived at school on Thursday 6 March dressed as their favourite storybook characters, while staff also joined in the fancy-dress fun.

“At Snettisham and Heacham Junior, children were invited to come to school in character from their favourite stories,” said Louise Jackson, Executive Headteacher across the schools, which are both part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“Staff were also keen to come as key characters for the quality books we teach in school. At Snettisham our Early Years Foundation Stage teachers came as the three bears, and one pupil came as Goldilocks.”

Family members and friends also participated in the World Book Day celebrations, which involved a range of book-themed activities.

“Families were invited into school at the end of the day to share books with their children,” continued Mrs Jackson. “As it was a beautiful spring day, the children and parents enjoyed reading books with special nooks and dens created in the garden.

“In addition to this, families were also invited to work with the children to create book character vegetables. We saw some fabulous and creative potatoes, cauliflower, and broccoli.”

Other WNAT members enjoying World Book Day included Heacham Infant, Gaywood Primary, Smithdon High School in Hunstanton, and Springwood High School in King’s Lynn, while the Trust also held a Primary Literary Event at the Lynn Corn Exchange.

“The day built on our values to support a pleasure-for-reading culture in our schools, and the recent enrichment work at West Norfolk Academies Trust around the recent Literary Event,” added Mrs Jackson.

A flooded venue did nothing to deter our young athletes who gathered at a West Norfolk school recently for a competition.

Pupils from all West Norfolk Academies Trust primary schools were able to have a go at a range of activities - from Hockey Dominoes to the Beanbag Challenge and Boccia - at the sport festival.

Originally, the KS1 (aged five to seven) festival meeting was arranged at Snettisham Primary, but a flooded field saw the action move to Heacham Junior where children from the school were joined by those from Gaywood, Walpole Cross Keys, West Lynn, Heacham Infants and Clenchwarton.

Heacham Junior’s PE lead James Agate said Sports Leaders from Heacham Junior School in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 helped to run the events and explained the rules to the younger children who took part. Members of the Year 4 Avocets class were also involved with the sport festival.

“I enjoyed running the sports as they were fun and engaging for the younger children,” said one of the leaders. 

Year One Gaywood Primary School pupil Ottilie Blackmore said the games had been great. 

“My favourite game was throwing a bean bag into a hoop. I liked getting it through the hoop at the back because it was worth 10 points. Gracie and I got 220 points together! We beat the world record.”

There were culinary explosions when children from our school enjoyed an action-packed presentation from scientists from the University of East Anglia.