Sheep and bantam chickens from Waterloo Farm played a starring role in the Pre-Prep Nativity Service on Friday, creating a memorable live manger scene.
A Year 10 pupil, who volunteers on the farm as part of his Duke of Edinburgh Award, proudly introduced one of the animals to the delighted Pre-Prep children.
Adding to the festive spirit, free-range eggs from an agri-enterprise led by Year 13 pupils were available for purchase on a ‘select your own eggs’ basis.
On Saturday, the whole school attended a service of remembrance in the memorial chapel.
The senior NCOs took leading roles with CSM Will N commanding the banner party of FSgt Milan H, PO Charl M and the banner-bearer CSgt Eva O. Contingent officers read the names of the fallen, and NCO’s delivered the reading and the prayers.
On Sunday, a substantial proportion of the contingent marched into Holt, led by banner-bearer CSgt Emily M, to join the town’s remembrance parade with 125 cadets from the Royal Navy, Army and RAF sections attending.
Prep and Pre-Prep pupils also observed the two-minute silence, joining the nation in remembrance. During this time, they reflected on the service and sacrifices of those who have contributed to our freedom.
Once again it has been a privilege for the school to be able to play its part in showing due respect to all those affected by conflict.
Over 750 people gathered on Friday evening to celebrate Bunfire, marking the largest turnout in the event’s history.
This year, the organisers introduced a new Friday night slot, making it easier for parents, pupils, and staff from all three schools to attend. The typically unpredictable November weather was on our side for once.
A fantastic evening was had by all, and initial estimates suggest a good amount of money raised for Holt Youth Project.
Sixth Form pupil Jemima recently took the lead in a charity project across the three Gresham’s Schools. She rallied pupils, staff, and parents to create Christmas shoebox gifts for families and elderly people in the poorest parts of Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, and Romania. The project, part of the Link to Hope Christmas appeal, aims to bring festive cheer to those facing hardship.
The Gresham’s community responded with overwhelming generosity, assembling hundreds of shoeboxes filled with essential items, toys, and holiday treats.
Jemima’s dedication and the incredible support from Gresham’s families have made this initiative a huge success. Thanks to the compassion of everyone involved, these gifts will make a meaningful difference to those in need this Christmas. An enormous ‘thank you’ goes out to all who participated in spreading hope and kindness.
The last few days at the Nursery and Pre-Prep have been packed with excitement and creativity, leaving pupils with plenty of stories to share as they head into a well-deserved Half Term break.
From outdoor adventures to classroom creativity, it’s been a week to remember. Pupils enjoyed beach school trips and fossil hunting, uncovering ancient treasures while soaking up the autumn air.
Back in the kitchen, they baked delicious pumpkin puree muffins, perfect for the season. Art and imagination were also in full swing, as pupils crafted Funny Bones-inspired pictures. Alongside all the hands-on fun, they kept up with their mathematics lessons, sharpening their skills in preparation for the term ahead.
As Half Term arrives, pupils are ready for some much-needed rest before the excitement of Bonfire Night and Christmas.
Our Nursery and Pre-Prep children recently enjoyed a special visit to St. Andrews Church to celebrate the annual Harvest Festival.
The atmosphere was alive with joy and community spirit as the children filled the church with beautiful singing, heartfelt readings, and meaningful prayers, marking the occasion with a sense of warmth and togetherness.
The Harvest Festival also provided an opportunity to give back to the wider community. We are proud to share that our children and their families generously contributed to a collection of food donations for the North Norfolk Food Bank. This act of kindness reflected the true spirit of the festival and a sense of care and responsibility toward those in need.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who donated and participated, helping to make this year’s Harvest Festival a memorable and impactful event for both our School and the local community.
On Sunday 28th April, a very large number of hardy souls still showed-up to complete the Gresham’s Triathlon 2024. 142 pupils from across all three schools completed the three disciplines in cold, wet and windy conditions showing steely resolve, good humour and athleticism in abundance. Our very own Senior School saw 38 take to the field (a whopping 21 of whom were from Tallis)!! Each year we award the Middleton Trophy for the athlete who showed the most ‘grit’ or resolve, this year however we felt that all who took to the start line in these conditions embodied the spirit of the award making the judges’ decision harder than ever. This said, the organisers would like to recognise Ru M for his excellent efforts in winning the Senior race. Special shout out must also go to Edward D M who was perhaps a reluctant participant but nevertheless did all three events with characteristic humour and effort leaving absolutely nothing left in the tank. It is such efforts which are the true delight of the Triathlon as these pupils (and maybe an adult or two) realise what they are actually capable of and experience the fully deserved ‘buzz’ which comes soon after they cross the finishing line! Plans are already afoot for next year and maybe something slightly different…..
So far we have raised about £2,000 for the Holt Youth Project. There is still time to donate, please click the link: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/greshams-triathlon-2024
MASSIVE well done to all those who took part and we hope to see you for a sunnier and warmer experience next year!
The children in our Nursery classes have been working towards achieving three Pawprint badges this year. During their Outdoor Wild Learning School (OWLs) sessions they have been completing lots of exciting and interesting activities and challenges in order to receive their Stick Man Challenge badge in the Michaelmas term, Birdwatching Challenge badge in the Lent term and finally the Outside Challenge badge during the Summer term. A lot of fun has been had, whilst the children have been learning and developing new skills.
Animals are a very important part of our Gresham’s family and on Saturday we welcomed creatures of all shapes and sizes to our annual Pet Blessing Service. This special event brought all three Gresham’s Schools together to celebrate our wonderful friends from the animal kingdom. Dogs, chickens, rabbits, horses, snakes, tortoises, goats and many cuddly toys were in attendance and a great time was had by all.
The Prep School had a theme of ‘normal school uniform with a splash of red’ in aid of Comic Relief and had lots of fun welcoming their families for a fun Friday, and the Pre-Prep raised £240!
