Colchester Army Band inspire pupils

Gresham’s Music Department welcomed Colchester Army Band to the school for a workshop in partnership with Norfolk Music Services.  Over 30 Gresham’s pupils from Years 9-13 were joined by 20 pupils from Norwich School, Thetford Academy, Springwood High School, King’s Lynn and Fakenham Academy to work on arrangements of popular Pop Music as well as more traditional pieces.  It was evident from the outset and the initial Coldplay Medley piece that the standard for the day would be high and as a result, pupils were able to work through more complex music, including Ole Mountain Thyme and produce a wonderful sound. 

Playing in and amongst the professional Army musicians most certainly gave the pupils confidence.  A break in the day allowed the Army careers’ officer to tell our CCF contingent about life in the military and the many avenues available to anyone interested.  From vets, medical staff, accountants, chefs, engineers, the options were endless.  From a music point of view SSgt Dolor explained what life as a musician in the Army involves with bursaries on offer and excellent musical tuition as well as the opportunity to travel.   The day concluded with a small concert, open to family, to play through the pieces learnt over the day.

Gresham’s celebrates Harvest Festival

Gresham’s marked this year’s Harvest Festival in style over the weekend, with a celebration that highlighted both tradition and community support.

Outside the Chapel, tractors and sheep stood proudly, setting the scene for a lively and meaningful event. Inside, staff and pupils came together to honour the season’s bounty and celebrate all things food related.

The highlight of the festival was the generous collection of produce, which was donated to local food banks. This impressive effort will directly support families in need across the local area.

The CCF celebrates the top academic work in the RAF Air Cadets

Over the last 12 months, Cadet Flight Sergeant Georgina B has been writing and creating her EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) which has been run and funded through the RAF Air Cadets.

The EPQ is an optional qualification available to all RAF Air Cadets in Sixth Form. As a Level 3 qualification, it carries half the UCAS points of a full A Level and is completed alongside a pupil’s usual academic commitments. The EPQ allows flexibility and is fully coursework based.

Flight Sergeant Georgina created an artefact and did a small research project around aircraft and the effectiveness of teaching in the RAF. Even in early draft, it was clear that Georgian B’s work was of an excellent standard. So much so, it has been marked as the highest standard piece of academic work submitted by the RAF Air Cadets nationally, earning her The Foster Trophy as the highest-grade cadet in the Level 3 Extended Project Qualification.

In a letter from Group Captain Boreham, Central and East Air Cadets Regional Commandant, he shared that “Georgina had the highest standard submission and grade for the Level 3 Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) run through the RAF Air Cadets. This is an outstanding achievement, seeing her communicate so effectively her passions for teaching and aircraft in the RAF”.

By virtue of this award, Flight Sergeant Georgina and her parents were invited to attend RAF Cranwell for the annual RAF Air Cadets award ceremony, one of only a handful of Cadets to attend nationally.

This year, three Cadets have started their EPQ’s with the RAF Air Cadets and hope to mirror the same excellence that Flight Sergeant Georgina has this year.

IB History pupils attend UEA workshop on Art and the Anti-Apartheid Movement

Last Friday, IB History pupils had the opportunity to attend a unique workshop at the University of East Anglia (UEA), entitled All Shall Be Afforded Dignity: Art and Anti-Apartheid Movement.

The day began with a fascinating talk on the complex history and politics of apartheid in South Africa, and the anti-apartheid movement in the and across the globe, delivered by Dr Nicholas Grant.

Following the lecture, the pupils explored the exhibition and reflected upon the All Shall Be Afforded Dignity exhibition featuring the works of Norman Kaplan. The morning concluded with a hands-on printing workshop led by the artist JMC Anderson. Here, the pupils were guided through the process of creating their own Linograph prints, using protest as their central theme.

Computer Science Department is awarded ‘Innovator’ Credly badge

Our Computer Science (CS) department has switched to the latest Edexcel GCSE syllabus, which examines candidates via real Python programming tasks ‘onscreen’.  

This is a major step up from other paper-based CS exams, giving the school valuable experience with onscreen assessments as exams move from paper to digital. Our pupils also enjoyed the more ‘real-world’ nature of the exams.

In recognition of this forward-thinking approach, our Computer Science centre has been awarded the prestigious Computer Science ‘Innovator’ Credly badge.

Credly, a globally recognised digital credentialing platform, issues badges to institutions that successfully deliver Pearson’s onscreen assessments. This badge highlights the school’s achievement in delivering the GCSE (9-1) Computer Science (1CP2) Paper 2 onscreen and underscores the centre’s commitment to innovative education.

By earning this badge, Gresham’s has aligned itself with a trusted credentialing platform, enhancing the value and credibility of the achievements earned by the centre.

Year 9 language pupils test codebreaking skills with GCHQ staff

On Thursday 19 September, a group of Year 9 language pupils were lucky enough to join a Teams call with staff from the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). The session offered an eye-opening look at how languages play a crucial role in fighting crime and protecting national security. 

The pupils learned about the most sought-after languages, as well as how all languages train the brain to crack codes and spot patterns. Once the call was over, Year 9 pupils tried a fictional exercise to discover the time, location, and mode of transport for a drugs shipment due to arrive into the UK. They used a code to fill in a French dialogue, which they then had to translate and decode to find the answers. 

Pupils will now have the chance to enter the National Language Competition (NLC) in November, where they can put their language and codebreaking skills to the test.

Scholars and Choirs Concert

The Scholars and Choirs concert is traditionally the first concert to mark the start of a new academic year. While the Year 9 Scholar pupils are introduced in the first Music and Munch of the year, this concert, held on Wednesday 25 September, showcases our older scholars, alongside the Chapel Choir and Schola Cantorum.

The programme for the evening included both solo and choral performances, featuring pieces that marked the anniversaries of great composers such as Stanford, Bruckner, Fauré, and Bairstow. From start to finish, the audience was treated to a series of exceptional performances. Our musicians are all high achieving in so many areas of the school; two performers even rushed back from an away rugby match to participate in the concert, highlighting their unwavering commitment to their craft.

Bravo to singers Olga B, Seb C, Ilana B, Reva S, Emily M, Rory R, Zinny B, Scarlett H and Milan H for riveting performances of classical and musical theatre pieces, and to Sophie L (clarinet), Jemima A (flute), Mia W (cello) and Naomi H-S (oboe) for their impressive instrumental playing.

Our Sixth Form Jazz musicians, Benny S (piano), Timo F (kit) and Ferdinand v-D (trumpet), just can’t resist playing when they spot a piano or drum kit in the room. As well as providing background music as the audience arrived, they entertained with toe-tapping renditions of Autumn Leaves and Comin ’Home Baby.

Early in the term, our Chapel Choir effortlessly tackled the tricky eight-part Ecce Sacerdos Magnus by Bruckner, among other pieces. Meanwhile, Schola Cantorum opened and closed the concert, ending on a high note with a playful rendition of Fats Waller’s classic, Ain’t Misbehavin’.

Music and Munch

The first Music and Munch of this term showcased some of our new talented Year 9 Scholars as well as some familiar faces. 

Evie M kicked off the event with a confident piano accompaniment to Matthew C’s elegant flute piece, setting the tone for the afternoon. Sisters Lucy and Sophie D followed with a stunning duet on viola and violin, performing Mascagni’s Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana, which earned enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Minky C’s beautiful rendition of Britten’s Salley Gardens added a touch of lyrical charm to the programme. Imogen A’s passion for performing was unmistakable as she delivered a captivating vocal performance of Think of Me from Phantom of the Opera. Grace C then continued the musical theatre theme with her evocative rendition of Maria from West Side Story.

As the concert progressed, Year 11 pupil Edie C (on saxophone) and Meg O (on vocals) rounded off the programme with equally enjoyable performances, bringing the event to a satisfying close.

We are lucky to have so many wonderful musicians just starting their journey at the Senior School.