On the final Saturday of the Michaelmas Term, Friends of Gresham’s School (FOGS) hosted their annual Christmas Fayre, raising more than £2,000 in support of the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA).

Held for the first time in Big School, over 30 stallholders offered wonderful Christmas gifts, including jewellery, skincare, artwork, clothing, homewares, and even edible treats for furry friends. Visitors enjoyed festive refreshments as they browsed, while those feeling peckish were satisfied by PokeNom and the Spud Truck stationed in the courtyard.

Gresham’s Choir and musicians delivered festive performances from the balcony, creating a delightful soundtrack for shoppers. The Fayre also featured a popular raffle, with generous prizes donated by local Holt businesses and stallholders.

FOGs were grateful for the help of volunteers, staff, and pupils whose efforts made the 2024 Fayre such a success. The funds raised will support the vital work of the East Anglian Air Ambulance, to help continue their lifesaving services.

Gresham’s has been recognised as one of the top 20 schools in the UK for International Baccalaureate (IB) results.

The IB was introduced to Gresham’s in 2007, and has proved increasingly popular with our pupils, who have achieved outstanding results. Our average point score of 35.6, out of a possible 45, is significantly higher than the rolling global average.

Gresham’s has swiftly gained an international reputation as an IB Diploma centre of excellence, with pupils progressing to some of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions such as Cambridge, Imperial, LSE, St Andrews, Edinburgh and many other international destinations such as Bocconi.

The IB Diploma offers an innovative, broad and rigorous curriculum providing pupils with intellectual, social, cultural and linguistic skills valued by universities and employers across the board.

Christmas is a magical time for musicians, and on 6th December, the Gresham’s Music Department brought the season to life with our annual Jingle All The Way concert. This festive extravaganza was a joyous culmination of a term filled with incredible musical achievements, showcasing the dedication and talent of our pupils.

The evening was packed with musical delights, from timeless classics like Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and White Christmas to performances of Silent Night by the Flute Choir and Winter from Max Richter’s Recomposed Vivaldi.

Jazz, strings, brass, and voices united to bring the magic of Christmas alive, with performances ranging from The Polar Express Medley to Fairy Tale of New York, performed by Year 13 vocalists with the Concert Band and String Ensemble. The atmosphere was electric, and the shared joy of music-making was palpable throughout the evening.

The audience were also treated to the world premieres of the Gresham’s Guys and Gresham’s Girls singles. The Gresham’s Girls recorded an enchanting and ethereal version of Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen, performed by Sophia P, Tilly R, Jemima W, Sophie L, Olga, B, Emily M, Reva S, Naomi HS, Zinny B and Mia W.

The Gresham’s Guys recorded a fresh take on Never Ever by All Saints with and features the vocals of Josh K, Bruno B, Milan H, Rory R, Finn S, Albert W, Dougie L, Noah P and Seb C. These singles are now available to stream on all digital platforms and on our Gresham’s Media YouTube Channel. Please download and share with your friends and family and spread the Gresham’s Girls and Guy’s joy! All proceeds go to Holt Youth Project.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended, performed, or supported this wonderful event.

The Sixth Form Inter-House Debating Competition concluded in thrilling fashion this Michaelmas Term, with Oakeley retaining the prestigious Marsham Trophy for 2024-25.

Throughout the term, all eight Houses debated fiercely during Monday evening sessions. Queens’ and Farfield reached the semi-finals, but the final saw Oakeley’s Zinny B, Mojuba A, and Eva O’D go head-to-head with Tallis’s James C-M, Seb W, and Jack K.

The teams explored the motion This House would rather have Trump in charge than Starmer. This was an excellent contest in which the arguments in favour of Trump’s leadership prevailed and, as a result, Oakeley remain the holders of the Marsham Trophy for 2024-25. 

Year 10 Spanish pupils recently delved into the vibrant traditions of Las Posadas, a significant celebration that originated in Mexico and has since spread to parts of Latin America, including Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.

During the lesson, pupils learned that Las Posadas spans nine days, a period known as the novena. They explored the various elements of this festive event, gaining a deeper understanding of its cultural and historical significance.

The lesson was a rich cultural experience, leaving pupils with a greater appreciation of Latin American traditions.

This term, Big School was transformed into the Old Bailey for Agatha Christie’s Court Room Drama Witness for the Prosecution.

A company of 30 actors, makeup artists, and lighting technicians transported the audience back to the 1950s, where the accused faced the death penalty. The plot, with its many twists and turns, kept the audience guessing right up to the final surprise ending.

Overall, this was an atmospheric production created by a committed and focused ensemble, and an impressive group of pupils who brought the trial vividly to life. 

In November, two Sixth Form historians delivered fascinating talks at the Gresham’s History Society with thought-provoking presentations on key moments in history.

Amelia P delivered an animated talk on the 2012 discovery of King Richard III’s remains beneath a Leicester car park and how recent state-of-the-art technology had recreated his voice, even replicating his Yorkshire accent.

Following this, IB historian Eva O’D’s presentation discussed the significance of the 1982 Falklands War in shaping the emerging relationship between US President Ronald Reagan, and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.  

The talks were a testament to our pupils’ passion for history and their ability to connect the past to the present through research and engaging storytelling.

Pupils of Gresham’s Chapel Choir and Schola Cantorum were thrilled to visit Cambridge for this year’s choir tour, a city celebrated for it’s rich choral tradition. This occasion is always a wonderful opportunity for students from all years of the Senior school to come together and make beautiful music.

The group was lucky enough to visit multiple historic and majestic venues, the first of which was King’s College Chapel. As we entered the chapel, the light was entering the sixteenth-century stained glass windows, and everyone marvelled at the fan vault decorating the ceiling. We were allowed to observe a rehearsal of Cambridge Choral scholars by conductor and organist Daniel Hyde, the quality of which thoroughly astonished our students. Daniel was kind enough to impart some words of advice, recommending our pupils to research into potential Colleges of interest, and to come and sing for him and other choral conductors in Cambridge. The visit concluded with an Eucharist service, led by Daniel and the King’s College Choir.

The next day, our pupils performed a lunchtime concert at St. John’s College. Another beautiful venue, with a distinctive organ featuring Trompeta Royal stops, capable of delivering powerful tones. This was used in full effect by our organist, Mr Holford. Highlights from this concert included a gorgeous solo from Reva S. in “O For The Wings Of A Dove” by Mendelssohn, and Britten’s “A Hymn To The Virgin”, a remarkably mature work which was nevertheless written when he attended Gresham’s School.

That evening, the group went to see “Heathers: The Musical” at the Cambridge Arts Theatre, which delighted pupil and teacher alike (even Choir Master Mr Jones!) with stellar performances, memorable songs and dark comedy.  

On the last full day, we had an evening performance in the elegant Clare’s College Chapel. This venue was more intimate in style than the previous, giving a personal touch to the performance. Highlights of this performance included Beach’s “Peace I Leave You”, Rutter’s “I Will Sing With The Spirit”, and a spellbinding solo from Zinny C.-B. in Britten’s “Te Deum in C”.

The final performance took place the next day, in the magnificent King’s Lynn Minster. This was the most varied concert, featuring four-hands organ accompaniment from Mr Brown and Mr Holford in the Vierne’s earth-shattering “Kyrie”. Fergus R. and Mrs Roberts later gave fortissimo brass support in Bruckner’s Ecce Sacerdos magnus. We also heard an equally impressive interpretation of the solo in “Te Deum in C” from Naomi H.-S. Finally, the choir performed the jazz-infused number “Nova, Nova”, complete with clapping and stomping, and accompanied by Mr Brown on the piano.