Visiting director, Ian Murchie, led all our Year 7 pupils in a whirlwind production of ‘ Romeo and Juliet’. Put together in just 2 days, pupils delivered a fantastic performance.
- Donation funds purchase and restoration of Grade II listed Holt Hall, set in 85 acres, and building of new state-of-the-art facilities for pupils aged seven to 13
- James Dyson has now donated more than £50 million to Gresham’s School, which provided him with a full bursary after the death of his father, a teacher there, in 1956
- The Dyson STEAM Building at Gresham’s opened in 2022, following a previous £18.75 million donation; the new Prep School will open in September 2026
The James Dyson Foundation today announces a new £35 million donation to Gresham’s School. It will create a state-of-the-art Prep School with a brand new building incorporating STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) facilities for pupils aged seven to 13.
James Dyson boarded at Gresham’s from the age of nine, attending the school from 1956 to 1965. He has always acknowledged his deep gratitude to the school and its then Headmaster, the late Logie Bruce-Lockhart. The school gave James’s family support so that he and his brother could continue their education for free at Gresham’s after the untimely death of their father, Alec Dyson, aged 43, who taught Classics there.
James Dyson, Founder of Dyson and Gresham’s alumnus, said:
“Holt Hall is a magnificent setting and when it came up for sale we had the extraordinary opportunity to rescue this Victorian hall, to provide a new setting for a cutting-edge Prep School for Gresham’s pupils. As the son of a Gresham’s teacher, I had the free run of Gresham’s grounds and playing fields in the school holidays – but the arcadian park of Holt Hall was out of bounds.
The architecture and design of the new wing – with a mirrored external surface – will reflect the ancient woodland, allowing it to blend into its stunning setting. We will also restore the Victorian building and protect the surrounding ancient woodland for Gresham’s pupils to discover and learn in, adding state-of-the-art facilities.
It is so important to inspire young people through problem-solving and discovery. I’m forever grateful for the generosity Gresham’s showed me when my father – who was Head of Classics at the school – died when I was nine. Logie Bruce-Lockhart, the Headmaster, allowed my brother and me to continue our studies with a bursary, when it would otherwise have been impossible. I’m so pleased to be able to support the school and to see it shaping incredible young people who go on and flourish.”
The £35 million donation will enable a much-needed restoration of the adjoining Holt Hall and the surrounding 85 acres of grounds which are in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, increasing the area of the school grounds by a third.
The plans for the new Prep School include:
- A sustainable, naturally ventilated, mirrored new building adjacent to Holt Hall – inspired by Dyson’s research building (D9) in Malmesbury, Wiltshire – that reflects nearby ancient woodland. The new building will have:
- High tech equipment and STEAM facilities.
- Solar panels on the roof.
- Heating and cooling via a ground source heat pump.
- An irrigation system using recycled rainwater.
- Careful restoration of Grade II Listed Holt Hall which will become the heart of Gresham’s new Prep School.
- Investment into an ancient woodland management plan.
- Removal of invasive plant species protecting the site long-term.
- Preservation of the walled garden.
- Installation of a Field Studies Centre and outreach programmes for local schools, including outdoor activities at Holt Hall and residential stays.
Douglas Robb, Gresham’s Headmaster, said:
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rescue Holt Hall and breathe new life into its grounds. We are enormously grateful for the generous donation of Sir James Dyson and the James Dyson Foundation. The natural setting of Holt Hall and its ancient woodland will be the new home for Gresham’s Prep School – currently a superb school limited by its cramped location at a crossroads. No land will be sold off during this development and we will repurpose the Prep School’s existing site to expand the Senior School facilities. I am particularly grateful that Sir James has chosen to further enhance the school’s facilities and build on the tremendous success of the Dyson STEAM Building.”
On average Gresham’s provides £2.5m worth of bursaries and financial support a year, benefitting 200 pupils. 1,000 children from local schools have made use of the school’s existing Dyson STEAM Building, which opened last year, in workshops provided by the school and there are plans for local children to use the new Prep School campus.
The new Prep School and restoration of Holt Hall will be designed by architects WilkinsonEyre. WilkinsonEyre have a long relationship with Dyson, with Sir James Dyson and the late Chris Wilkinson developing Dyson’s Malmesbury & Hullavington campus, the Dyson Institute’s undergraduate village, and the Dyson STEAM Building at Gresham’s together.
All photography copyright Dyson.
Our teams of Year 5 and Year 6 Scientists did very well competing in the National Science Championship online. Congratulations to Santi, Bea, Rex and Jago who have made it through to the semi-finals.
The first half of the Michaelmas Term means one thing-House Music! Tensions were running high as Houses chose their Big Song and nominated soloists to represent them on the day. With the theme of ‘Dance’ there was plenty of musical choice. A slight change to the format this year encouraged top musicians from all houses to take part in a massed instrumental ensemble. They started the event enthusiastically, playing an upbeat medley including Stayin’ Alive, Sailor’s Hornpipe and Dance the Night Away. Opportunities for solos and improvisation were readily taken and the energy within the performance was palpable. Our Judge, esteemed drummer Ash Soan, took to the stage and interactively showed off his rhythm skills to the delight of the audience.
It was then time for the three houses to hit the stage. A positive start from last year’s winner, Reith, included a superb rendition of ‘I Will Survive’ sung by Gen and Albert. YMCA was a great choice for Big Song and the whole presentation was held together with a fun script and dramatic performances.
With the bar set high, Woodforde took to the stage with Alien costumes, space ships and a plethora of corny time travel jokes-all well received by the excited audience. Esme took to the stage, giving a heartfelt rendition of ‘Time after Time’ and the choice of ‘Time Warp’ as Big Song was genius.
Not to be outdone, Borrow soloists, Immie and Clara, confidently performed ‘You’re the One That I want’ before more exciting drama lead the whole house into ‘Dancing in the Street’. The standard was very high this year and Ash had a difficult task ahead of him. His final decision meant Woodforde triumphantly accepted the coveted trophy to adorn their shelf for this year.
Year 5 pupils are in the process of earning bonus points for our Gresham’s Challenge scheme (similar to DofE). They can earn bonus points by showing effort in a range of activities or pastimes.
Congratulations to Otto in Year 3 who has just represented Team England at the Dance World Cup. He came 4th in the world for lyrical solo and 5th in the world for jazz solo. He also just secured a much coveted place on the Royal Ballet Junior Associates programme.
Our Year 6 team had a very successful day at the Greenpower races at Scottow Park. This is now the second year that we have competed at the event. The team won the fastest Drag Race, Fastest Slalom and were the overall winners of the event at which many other schools fiercely competed. Well done to all involved!
On Thursday 22nd June, the Prep School hall came to life with the annual Year 6 Science Fair.
Over the previous weeks, the children worked in teams and conducted science investigations of their own choosing. They then created displays of their findings.
As always, there was a fantastic array of interesting questions, such as:
- What is the most effective ingredients in sun cream?
- How does the pH of different types of milk vary?
- Does the brand of food affect our perception of taste?
- What is the best drink to have after eating chilli?
- Does listening to music affect our reaction times?
- Do different paints alter the burning time of wood?
To name but a few!
Well done to everyone who took part and congratulations to the overall winners.
1st Place Overall: Boombastic (Nathaniel, Norah and Oli) Which fizzy drinks react with mentos the most?
2nd Place Overall: Beat Biologists (Erik, Millie and Charlotte) How does music affect your heart rate?
3rd Place Overall: Sweet Energy (Hetty, Paddy and Lulu) How does sugar affect your ability to exercise?
The Prep School were delighted to host 12 boys from Mayo College in India. The boys enjoyed a taste of life at Gresham’s Prep School alongside several trips to enjoy all that Norfolk offers to visitors. The boys presented a fabulous assembly to Prep School pupils who learnt much about their school and culture. Particular highlights included demonstrations of Indian dances and a puppet show. We hope that this will be the beginning of a long and happy association with Mayo College.
The Prep School held an Art Show to showcase the pupils’ hard work.
It was brilliant to welcome lots of visitors to the bright and colourful show, which celebrated the creativity and artistic achievements of every child in the school.
