F24 Greenpower teams excel at Lotus Racetrack

Our F24 Greenpower race teams had a brilliant day at the Lotus racetrack, where they demonstrated exceptional resilience, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.

Throughout the day, the teams faced several challenges, but through perseverance and collaboration, they managed to overcome every obstacle thrown their way. Their efforts were reflected in their impressive performance on the track, with lap times that placed them in the top 10% of the field at various points. By the end of the race, both teams had secured positions in the top half of the leaderboard.

Looking forward, the teams are already planning improvements for the upcoming season. A huge congratulations to both teams for their hard work and success, and a special thank you to Mr. Nelson and Mr. Garwood for giving up their weekend to make this experience possible.

Holt Youth Project partnership

At Gresham’s, community is at the heart of everything we do, and one of the most meaningful ways we express this is through our long-standing partnership with the Holt Youth Project. This collaboration allows us to actively support young people in the local area while fostering a sense of social responsibility among our pupils.

Last academic year, our pupil-led Charity Committee worked tirelessly to raise an impressive £18,559.35 for the Holt Youth Project. Through various innovative activities and events, the committee demonstrated creativity and dedication in their fundraising efforts, directly benefiting the project’s important work for local youth.

In addition to raising funds, Gresham’s Sixth Form pupils volunteer regularly at the Holt Youth Project, offering their time and support in various capacities. By lending a helping hand, our pupils can make a tangible difference in the lives of young people within the community, strengthening the bond between Gresham’s and the surrounding area.

Gresham’s does Desert Island Discs

In the first few weeks of the new term, we found a fun and creative way to introduce the School’s key figures to the wider school community. As part of the event dubbed ‘Gresham’s Does Desert Island Discs,’ the Headmaster and Heads of School were (metaphorically) cast away to a desert island. But before embarking on this imaginary adventure, they were asked in Chapel to share the music tracks, book, and luxury item they would take with them.

The format, inspired by the iconic radio show *Desert Island Discs*, provided a light-hearted and insightful platform to connect with students and staff in Chapel. It allowed everyone to get to know the personal tastes and preferences of these important figures while also delving deeper into their thoughts on school life, faith, and how they cope during challenging times.

Year 9 Outdoor Pursuits Programme launches

We have relaunched the exciting Outdoor Pursuits Programme for all Year 9 students, held every Wednesday afternoon. The programme is designed to not only introduce students to a variety of outdoor activities but also to help them develop crucial leadership and communication skills.

Additionally, the students will gain awareness of key initiatives such as the Combined Cadet Force (CCF), Services, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme.

Over the course of the year, Year 9 students will engage in a broad range of activities aimed at building confidence, teamwork, and self-reliance. So far, the students have taken part in several thrilling pursuits. They’ve tackled the School’s Adventure Woodland obstacle course, worked on practical projects at the small holding by Waterloo Farm, and learned essential outdoor skills such as pioneering, navigation, and campcraft. Swimming has also been a key feature of the programme, promoting physical fitness alongside these other pursuits. The programme is structured to challenge students while offering them the opportunity to explore new interests and build valuable life skills.

As the year progresses, we look forward to seeing the students continue to develop through the diverse and engaging experiences this programme offers. It promises to be a year filled with adventure, growth, and teamwork for Year 9 at Gresham’s.

Welcome party for international pupils

In the first week of term, we held our annual welcome tea party for international pupils, an event for new and returning overseas pupils to meet and get to know one another over coffee, sandwiches, and cake.  

The event was held in the library, which was temporarily transformed from a studious environment to one of chatter and excitement. The tea party had an outstanding turnout, with representation from all houses and year groups and at least fifteen countries!  

Pupils were invited to wear a badge featuring the flag of their home country. The badges acted as useful conversation starters and allowed pupils to recognise others who might speak the same first language as them. Mr Robb gave a wonderful welcome speech, and it was especially lovely that so many returning pupils came along to get to know their new peers and to offer support and advice based on their experiences of Gresham’s.

It was a great chance for pupils to relax with a cupcake, but also to find answers to questions, pick up tips from older pupils, and hopefully start to forge some lifelong friendships. Informal gatherings for our international cohort take place regularly throughout the school year so the camaraderie, support, and fun times are set to continue!

‘Best Design’ win for Sixth Formers presentation

A huge well done to Sixth Form pupils Emily M, Olga B, Milan H and Tara G, who recently took home the award for ‘Best Presented Design’ for their project on ‘Urban biodiversity and its decline due to housing and population growth’ as part of the Homerton College Programme. The programme is intended to equip participants with key skills that are considered highly desirable by university admissions tutors such as communication, problem-solving and research design.

The team were tasked with designing a sustainable solution to an environmental or health problem. During the spring and summer term, they attended weekly webinars to guide them through the requirements of the project, along with one-on-one mentoring sessions where they were offered feedback on their idea.

An estimated 100 teams entered, and around 50% were invited to a conference at Homerton college in Cambridge to receive a highly commended award.

During the conference day they were able to attend lectures, workshops and thought-provoking discussions about sustainability. There were a variety of award categories at the conference, such as the ‘Most Unique’, ‘Most Researched’, and of course, ‘Best Presented Design’, awarded to the Gresham’s team. The judges were particularly impressed with their comprehensive marketing strategy for implementing their solution.

The team’s creativity and hard work paid off, earning them well-deserved recognition for their presentation. Well done!

Outstanding results for Art and Design Department

You would be hard pressed to find such stellar results as the Art and Design Departments at Gresham’s. This year 60% of pupils achieved 9 and 8 grades across GCSE Fine Art, GCSE 3D Design and GCSE Graphics – that’s the equivalent of 50 A* grades!

A remarkable 75% of all grades at A Level were at A*. And these outstanding grades have been achieved consistently for years: last year 90% of pupils achieved A* in 3D Design, and for two years running, 100% of pupils achieved an A* in Graphic Communication.

Furthermore, pupils are achieving impressive outcomes as a result of their success: this year, that meant Architecture at Manchester, Fine Art at Leeds, Graphics at Reading, History of Art at Cambridge, Interior Design at Falmouth, and a placement at Pilar Corria Art Gallery. Last year, nine pupils went on to Architecture courses, and nine into other Art and Design-based courses, including Falmouth, UCL, Goldsmith’s, and an animation degree in Germany.

This summer, Limony A won First Prize in the 2024 Norfolk Art & Design Competition, with Vera C having her work highly commended and another two pupils shortlisted. Previously, we have enjoyed a three month residency at Saatchi Gallery and pupils regularly show work throughout the UK – and that’s not to mention the many graduates who exhibit and enjoy careers in a wide range of art and design disciplines.

During September, one of last year’s leavers will be exhibiting in the Chair of Virtue Exhibition at Shoreditch Design Triangle as part of the London Design Festival. Sophia C will be one of just five designers selected to exhibit.

Looking at the broad theme of ‘Natural Forms’, Sophia chose a combination of elements related to the human body. A playful interaction of components such as a red blood cell, abstracted rib form and the ball and socket joint finally led to the ‘Blob Chair’. The challenge for Sophia was to bring these elements together in a way that, not only functioned as a chair, but aesthetically created a satisfying integration of forms and materials.

A walk through the Dyson Building at Gresham’s will very quickly reveal how all this is possible: the staff are utterly dedicated, the building is unrivalled in a school setting, and the exhibition spaces are filled with work that is both professional and impressive.

Major General Felix Gedney kicks off the first academic enrichment lecture of the year

For the first academic enrichment lecture of the year, we were honoured to welcome Major General Felix Gedney who talked to Year 13 pupils about The UK Armed Forces and Society.

It was an extremely informative and thought-provoking talk, giving answers as to why we have the Armed Forces, what the Armed Forces do, and who is in charge. The Year 13 pupil audience were superb, and gave excellent, informed answers to question prompts from Major General Gedney. 

We were grateful to begin the year with such an energised and engaged opening to the new season of academic enrichment lectures.

Superb GCSE results for Year 11 pupils

Gresham’s Year 11 pupils are once again celebrating a superb set of GCSE results, nearly a third of which are at the highest 9 / A* grades. Six pupils have achieved a clean sweep of 9s and 8s, one of whom has achieved an outstanding 11 GCSEs all at grade 9.

As with this year’s A level and BTEC results, Gresham’s continues to buck national trends when it comes to our pupils’ academic outcomes. While nationally the grade 9-4 pass rate fell again to 67.4%, ours is the highest ever at 96.6% and over half of all grades are at the coveted 9-7 level.

Thanks to the hard work of their teachers, along with the support of their families, 83 pupils have managed to achieve at least one grade 9 or 8 this year, showing that this cohort of Greshamians have been recognised for their talents across the full breadth of subjects on offer.

We congratulate the whole Year 11 cohort and are looking forward to welcoming the majority of them back into Year 12 to study A levels, BTECs and the International Baccalaureate!