Year 9 explore the Archives as part of Remembrance Week

As part of Remembrance Week 2024, the History Department provided Year 9 pupils with a unique opportunity to engage directly with historical primary sources. This hands-on experience allowed pupils to delve into artefacts such as the 1903 school prospectus, photograph albums, the Junior School vellum Roll of Honour, The Gresham magazines from 1914-1918, and the personal diaries of housemaster Dallas Wynne Willson.

This immersive activity deepened their understanding of the school’s history during World War I and highlighted the significance of remembrance through tangible connections to the past.

Memories of Occupation, World War II, France  

On Thursday, the French Department was delighted to welcome Marie-Claude Hawkes who talked about life in Occupied France during the Second World War. Marie-Claude talked lucidly about her family’s experiences and memories of everyday life in rural Normandy during the war, particularly in the weeks following the D-Day landings.

The insight she shared was profoundly personal, and she recounted captivating, sometimes chilling, anecdotes. This period in history is a key theme in the A level French course and a focus in the IB HL French curriculum, making her first-hand recollections both highly valuable and enlightening for our Year 12 and 13 pupils.

It was a thought-provoking talk with ample opportunities to ask questions and pupils gained a great deal from the experience. Many thanks to Marie-Claude. We look forward to seeing her again next year.   

Pupils celebrate Black History Month

In October, pupils marked Black History Month with impactful celebrations. Highlights included a memorable chapel talk from Mojo A, who shared the inspiring story of her Nigerian grandfather’s journey to success, driven by his belief in the power of education.

In class, pupils selected a role model of the month. IB English pupils explored Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches, analysing his powerful use of rhetorical techniques—emotive language, hyperbole, and anaphora—to relay his message and promote his dream of a time when “children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character”.

In PE, Mr. Sharrock’s class highlighted inspiring black athletes, learning how each person had overcome discrimination to excel. These activities offered meaningful insights and celebrated resilience, empowerment, and equality.

Year 12 Historians explore African History in East Anglia

On Saturday, three of our Year 12 history pupils—Margie, Pablo, and Paul—visited Norwich Castle to attend a lecture by Dr Richard Maguire, Honorary Senior Lecturer at UEA’s School of History. The talk, hosted by the Norfolk and Norwich Historical Association, focused on Africans in East Anglia, 1467-1833.

Dr Maguire’s fascinating presentation traced the experiences of Africans in Norfolk and Suffolk, beginning with Eylys, a ship’s cabin boy recorded in Great Yarmouth in 1467, and leading up to the emancipation of slaves in 1833.

This was a stimulating talk which showed the importance of local history in challenging accepted narratives, and our pupils look forward to attending future lectures.

English-Speaking Union Mace Debating Competition 

Many congratulations to Zinny B, Pablo B-G, and Cerys D for winning the first round of the ESU Mace Debating Competition’s Eastern Region. On Monday evening, they delivered a compelling argument to propose the motion This House would ban the use of facial recognition technology in public spaces against Norwich High School for Girls.

In an impressive display of quick thinking, they also volunteered to oppose the motion This House supports the implementation of a four-day school week as a swing team against Langley School—without any preparation time.

Out of the three teams advancing from this heat, Gresham’s was named the overall winner and now heads to round two. Well done, team, and best of luck in the next round!

Binham Priory Concert

The historic grounds of Binham Priory served as an atmospheric and pensive backdrop to November’s School concert, which was a showcase of our most talented and dedicated choral singers.

Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine, written when he was nineteen years old and often paired with his Requiem in D minor, began proceedings in a meditative fashion. Next was the moving choral piece For the fallen by Douglas Guest, originally written for the Remembrance Sunday service in Westminster Abbey.

We then heard Charles Villiers Stanford’s motet Justorum animae, another song honouring the dead. Mendelssohn’s For the wings of a dove! from his anthem Hear my prayer, followed which featured a spellbinding soprano solo from Reva S. Continuing our theme of English composers, Purcell’s Thou Knowest, Lord was next, and to conclude the first half of the concert, our Crickets group performed Vivaldi’s Domine ad adjuvandum, which included a spirited duo performance from Naomi H-S and Zinny B.

The second half of the concert comprised entirely of Fauré’s aforementioned Requiem in D minor. The origins of this work are somewhat mysterious; although it was written relatively soon after the death of Fauré’s parents, he would later declare that “My Requiem wasn’t written for anything”. Whatever the case, this is probably the most popular of Fauré’s large scale works, and a full orchestral version was performed at his own funeral.

In the Offertoire movement, Milan H delivered an incredible tenor solo. In the calming Pie Jesu, we were again treated to a solo from Reva S. The next solo we heard was from baritone Rory R in the haunting and pleading Libera me. The final movement, the heavenly In Paradisum, rounded off the concert.

Special thanks to Mr Holford and Mr Brown on the keyboards, as well as the visiting professionals who made up the orchestra, joined by Kai S and Ilana B on violin. Finally, thank you to Mr Jones, Head of Chapel Music, for leading this wonderful concert.

Fright Night unleashes terror at Soul’s End Prison

This year’s Fright Night plunged us into the sinister depths of Soul’s End Prison, where eerie performances by guards and inmates alike left audiences in fear. Guests were first introduced to the Doctor and his most dangerous inmates, before encountering a cannibalistic chef lurking in the Auden Theatre. The journey then led into the woods, where more prisoners awaited with harrowing tales and bone-chilling scares.

The makeup team outdid themselves, crafting nightmarishly realistic designs that brought each character to life. Complementing the horror was a haunting soundscape, masterfully designed by Bruno B as part of his IB Music coursework, which enveloped the audience in an unsettling ambiance from start to finish.

Heartfelt thanks go to the Fright Night performers, makeup artists, lighting crew, and the Music Tech team, whose dedication made this year’s production an unforgettable success. The question is—will you be brave enough to join us next year?