Even the snacks were themed when children at a West Norfolk Academies Trust school took part in this year’s Comic Relief fundraiser.

Pupils across all age groups at Heacham Junior School 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 Executive Deputy Headteacher Emma Hunt.

“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 the 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.

A former Springwood High School student was recognised for her impressive academic achievements when she was invited to Sandringham to receive an award from King Charles III.

Vinethmi Kulasinghe attained the highest A-Level results at the school last year, which saw her nominated for the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Academic Excellence, a prestigious accolade awarded annually to our high achievers.

The star student received top A* grades in Chemistry, Further Maths, Maths, Physics, and EPQ while with us and is now studying Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at University College in London.

Accompanied by her family and Springwood Headteacher and Trust CEO Andy Johnson, the former Head Girl enjoyed an audience with The King, who presented her with a leather-bound copy of The Complete Works of Shakespeare.

“Leading up to the day, I was very nervous, as it felt like a monumental occasion,” said Miss Kulasinghe. “But, on top of that, I was also incredibly proud of myself and the A-Level results I’d achieved.

“The prospect of them being recognised by His Majesty King Charles III himself was quite hard to believe. It was amazing that all my hard work was rewarded in such a unique manner.”

“On the day, the nerves were quickly replaced by excitement, and it was quite a surreal experience to be stood in the magnificent ballroom at Sandringham House, receiving the prize from His Majesty," she continued. “He then came over to us and had a very friendly chat with myself, my family, and Mr Johnson. 

“It was such a huge occasion for me. I very much enjoyed the entire event, and would say it marked an unforgettable feat in my academic career and my life.”

Her mother Lanka Udahawatta, father Sanjaya Kulasinghe, and sister Methumlee Kulasinghe also had the opportunity to meet King Charles at the prize-giving ceremony.

“We were overjoyed when Mr Johnson informed us on A Level Results Day that our daughter had achieved the best results in the school and that her name would be nominated for this year’s award,” said the proud parents.

“We believe it is a great tradition of Springwood High School to recognise academic excellence with such a prestigious prize. We are very thankful to the school for the excellent education it provides to students.”

“It was a dream-come-true moment to be able to personally witness our daughter receiving the prize from His Majesty,” they added. “It was indeed a great honour to be invited to Sandringham House for the Prize Giving. It was a memorable moment in our lives.

“We were able to meet His Majesty in person, and we had the privilege of having a brief chat with him. He was very friendly and made us feel very comfortable. He did not forget to speak personally to each and every member of our family. We are very grateful for His Majesty’s kindness.”

A fortnight of looking at all things literature has seen students at Smithdon High School learn more about the various forms of the written word.

With days set aside to concentrate on specific themes, students had the opportunity to take part in a range of activities designed to encourage a love of reading.

It all came to an end on Friday with an Alice in Wonderland Day when staff at the school dressed as characters from the famous book by Lewis Carroll.

Amanda Wright, Head of English and co-organiser of the festival said: “Lunchtime activities included teacup painting, Mad Hatter hat-decorating, Pin the Crown on the Flamingo, bag or pencil-case art decorating, and riddle writing. Chess was also available, and Claire Pike, our Head of Science, demonstrated a ‘Drink Me’ potion.

“The themed day brings books alive. It can show students that reading can indeed be fun. With costumes, and decorating the library in that theme, it gives students a visual of the story and brings the characters off the page. We hope that it inspires the students to actually pick up the book, if they haven’t read it before.”

Author Dan Freedman was among special guests to Smithdon during the festival and he worked with Year 7 and 8 students. A sports journalist by profession, Dan was able to share tales of interviewing soccer stars including Ronaldo.

He is a Sunday Times bestselling author and his hugely popular series of Jamie Johnson football novels - which have been adapted by the BBC for television. He is also a motivational speaker.

“Having a published author visit and talk to those in the early years of high school about how they succeeded is important – it can motivate and inspire those that perhaps have little confidence in themselves,” said Ms Wright.

There was also a special ‘press conference’ held by Headteacher Amanda Gibbins during journalism day when the school hosted local reporter Chris Bishop.

Cambridge University professor Claire Wilkinson was also on the Smithdon guest list and she led a discussion with Year 9 and 10 students for the school’s Poetry Day.

“She also talked to the students about life beyond school, and how cool it is to go to uni, and that Cambridge isn’t as out of reach as they think – everyone has a chance if they put their minds to it,” said co-organiser Marie Taylor, school Librarian.

The school's annual 500-word short story competition was also featured among events at the school’s fourth Literary Festival, along with a book swap and masked reader sessions.

Donations taken throughout the festival are going to both the school library and the Tapping House Hospice.

Budding pianists and their teachers gathered at Springwood High School for the first round of a prestigious Norfolk Piano Competition.

Twenty-eight young musicians, aged from nine to 18, took part in the event, organised by the European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA) UK in partnership with our Trust, and hosted by Springwood High School.

Open to pianists of all levels under the age of 25, from beginner to advanced, the contest saw competitors perform a host of different musical pieces, from classical arrangements and modern tunes, to original compositions written by the students themselves.

“The event showcased a diverse repertoire, ranging from the Super Mario Brothers theme tune to works by Schubert and Bach,” said Benjamin Howell, who is Peripatetic Music Lead at WNAT and organised the regional stage of this year’s competition.

Six of the competitors were from Trust schools, with the winners of the different categories announced as Max for the Preparatory Class; Sofiia for the Elementary Class; Lily for Intermediate 1; Elaine for the 12 Years and Younger Category; and Irina for Advanced 1.

“Winners in the Preparatory and Elementary categories received a music book provided by Faber Music, while winners from Intermediate 1 onwards earned a place in the finals,” explained Mr Howell. 

The awards were presented by adjudicator Jill Morton, a music teacher and concert pianist, as well as Principal Tutor for the Piano Teacher’s Course UK.

“A key takeaway from this year’s event is that, while the EPTA Piano Competition was a success, and we welcomed piano teachers on the day, we would love to see even more piano teachers engage with us in future,” continued Mr Howell.

“Increased involvement would ultimately provide more opportunities for their students.

“This competition is an annual event, and we would love for more piano teachers to get involved next year. Any teachers interested in participating are welcome to contact me.”

An audience of more than 50 family members and friends, piano teachers, and WNAT music staff attended the day, which saw the finalists secure places in the national finals of the EPTA Piano Competition to be held at the Royal Academy of Music in London on March 30.

“This event is important as it aligns with EPTA’s mission – to promote excellence in piano teaching and performance, bring teachers and performers together, and raise standards within the profession,” added Mr Howell. 

“More importantly, it provides valuable opportunities for students.”

Students from Marshland High School rubbed shoulders with royalty on Monday when they attended a special service marking Commonwealth Day.

The group travelled to Westminster Abbey for the service which was attended by King Charles and Queen Camilla along with the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

“The service itself contained singing, dancing and recitals representing all of the continents of the Commonwealth, including a traditional Maasai dance and a performance from musician Joan Armatrading,” said Lydia Beatty, Head of PHSE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education).

“There was also an inspirational reflection from Cynthia Wakuna from Cameroon who spoke about women’s rights and equality in the Commonwealth which was especially significant as the service followed International Women’s Day which was marked on Saturday.”

In his written address, the King said that restoring the ‘disrupted harmony of our entire planet’ was the most important task facing humanity. He also paid tribute to more than 1.5 million people from across the Commonwealth who served during the Second World War.

“It was a fantastic opportunity for us all to reflect on the shared values we have across the Commonwealth of respect for the diversity that being part of the Commonwealth gives us, and the desire to make the world a better place,” said Miss Beatty.

The Year 9 and 10 students were also accompanied by Head Teacher Craig Jansen.

“It was a great experience to see different cultures and faiths represented. My highlight of the day was the Maasai dancing, and I'm grateful for such a great opportunity I've had,” said one of the students.

On arriving at the Abbey, the congregation was greeted by the drumming of Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa, a Hindu Scottish pipe band based in London.

It was the King’s first appearance at the annual event in two years after he postponed public-facing duties last year due to his cancer diagnosis. The Princess of Wales also missed last year’s service as she was also being treated with chemotherapy.

Literary debate was the order of the day when pupils from six West Norfolk Academies Trust schools came together for this year’s WNAT Primary Literary Event.

Held at the King’s Lynn Corn Exchange to mark World Book Day, the annual event saw Year 5 children from our primary schools give 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.”

Besides Heacham Junior and Snettisham, the participating primaries were Clenchwarton, Gaywood, 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 our CEO and Deputy CEO.

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.”