Hispanic Society Celebration: ‘The Day of the Dead’

On Tuesday, the Hispanic Society held a vibrant Día de los Muertos event to celebrate alongside the school’s Mexican pupils, those studying Spanish in the Senior School, and staff.

The evening began with a beautiful presentation by pupils who shared the cultural significance of Día de los Muertos, detailing the unique elements that make up an altar and explaining why this festival is important to them.

The pupils learned about “Calaveras Literarias” which are satirical poems used traditionally for this festival, and an altar was set up to showcase its cultural significance. Pupils also listened to contemporary Mexican music associated with the festival, along with some classics chosen by our Mexican pupils. 

Conducted entirely in Spanish, the event offered an authentic experience that enriched our pupils’ language skills and gave them a deeper connection to the cultural traditions they study.

Pupils participated in a fun Spanish-language quiz and enjoyed a mask-decorating activity. The evening concluded with an array of traditional Mexican snacks, adding a flavourful touch to a night filled with learning, laughter, and cultural appreciation.

NATO insights: Academic Enrichment talk by Robert Murray

The Year 13 pupils were privileged to attend an inspiring and insightful talk with Robert Murray, who shared the trajectory of his education and career, resulting in a prominent role within NATO International. This year, NATO celebrates 75 years of collective defence.

Robert provided a comprehensive overview of NATO’s history, covering its founding, original member states, growth, and mission of collective defence.

Robert’s talk was highly engaging and encouraging, as he recounted his personal journey, answered questions, and shared his key takeaway: “Never stop reading and learning.” This invaluable advice resonated with the pupils, emphasising the importance of lifelong curiosity.

House Music 2024

The end of the Half Term break marked the much-anticipated annual House Music 2024 competition, showcasing the incredible musical talent across the School. Pupils from all houses competed in three categories: instrumental, part song, and unison, with each house delivering captivating performances.

The event was judged by expert vocal coach and choral director Mark De-Lisser. Most famously, Mark appeared as a vocal coach on ITV talent show The Voice for eight years, and currently performs the same role on The Masked Singer.

The competition was fierce, with every house striving for top honours in each category. Woodlands House took the trophy for the Instrumental category. Queens’ House emerged as the winner of the Part Song category, while Edinburgh House captured the Unison award. A huge well done to Queens’ House who was crowned the overall winner of the 2024 competition.

The event was a true celebration of the house system, with every pupil contributing to their house’s success. Supported by the entire school community, the atmosphere was electric, making House Music 2024 a resounding success.

CCF Junior Leadership Course 2024

A group of eighteen Year 11 cadets spent the first day of the October Half Term break on the CCF Junior Leadership Course.

In a day filled with activity, they were all introduced to leadership in practical tasks, taking command of teams in scenarios that varied from saving casualties, crossing simulated minefields, building watercourses, and re-constructing sabotaged information.

They all performed well, despite unpleasant weather conditions, and finished the course with a smart parade in front of their parents.

A whirlwind week of fun and learning at the Pre-Prep

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.

Pupils revive bellringing at Upper Sheringham Church

For the first time in several decades, Gresham’s has a group of keen campanologists learning to change ring at Upper Sheringham Church each week.

The pupils are all new to bellringing and are making astounding progress. In a few months, we hope the pupils will share their new talent with the local community—perhaps they will be ringing for a wedding or Sunday service near you.

Nursery and Pre-Prep celebrate Harvest Festival

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.

Music and insight at Saturday Chapel

Our final Saturday Chapel service of the Half Term was nothing short of a feast for the ears and the mind. It blended outstanding musical performances with thought-provoking insights on the importance of caring for our planet.

The service opened with incredible musical performances, featuring our talented Concert Band, Jazz Band, and the Junior Girls Choir. For many pupils, it was their first time performing in front of the entire school, making their achievements even more remarkable.

We also enjoyed a moment for reflection through a compelling talk delivered by Cara Parrett from the Faraday Institute. Her presentation explored the scientific, religious, and cultural factors that need to be addressed if we are to care for our planet effectively.

Sixth Form pupils share inspiring experiences from Kenya Trip

Sixth Form pupils who had the privilege of going on the Kenya trip this summer recently delivered a captivating presentation to the school, sharing their experiences from the journey. The talk covered a wide range of topics, from encounters with wildlife to football matches, moving stories, even an account of the toilet facilities!

Perhaps most importantly though, the pupils talked about the ongoing link between Gresham’s and Opalagilagi School in Kenya. As Gresham’s main overseas charity partner, Olpalagilagi School plays a vital role in improving the lives of young people, and the pupils highlighted the meaningful impact of this long-term partnership.

Year 12 pupils earn ‘Teaching English as a Foreign Language’ qualification

During Field Days, eighteen pupils had the exciting opportunity to learn how to teach English as a foreign language. Over the course of two days, they engaged in a variety of fun and interactive activities, ultimately earning a valuable qualification in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language).

The first day was about ‘systems’ (grammar) and understanding what the classroom experience is like for those learning English. To do this, the instructor taught the group some basic greetings in Chinese without speaking any English. Instead, he used pictures and gestures to convey meaning and instruction. This helped the whole group learn how to ensure pupils with little knowledge of English can understand instructions and learn new vocabulary.

That afternoon, the pupils taught their first lesson in small groups to the whole class about any aspect of English grammar. Topics ranged from the future simple tense to adverbs of frequency. Although the topics were wide-ranging, all the lessons followed TEFL guidelines, such as minimise Teacher Talking Time and follow the three Ps (Presentation, Practice, Production).  

The next day focused on teaching the skills of learning a new language: reading, writing, listening and speaking, with a particular focus on reading and listening. They took part in many different activities that they could use to teach people listening and reading skills, such as dictation, gap fills and sequencing events in a story.

The group also learnt to structure a skills lesson with activities before, during and after the reading or listening. With plenty of knowledge under their belts, the pupils taught their skills lessons that afternoon which featured many different activities, including those that they had created themselves, and some familiar favourites such as board slap and charades.  

This TEFL course was a wonderful experience for all involved, and in a few weeks, pupils will receive a certificate which shows that they are qualified to teach EFL abroad.

The whole group would like to say a big thank you to Mrs Osborne for organising the course, Ms Masters for supervising and Nathan Lomax, the TEFL instructor.