Get your entries in for this year's OPEN themed photographic competition. Prizes for all finalists! 

You have until Monday 1st June 2026 to submit your images to e.pearman@wnat.co.uk

See poster for full details along with a guide to photography to help you get some great shots. 

Pupils and staff alike swapped their usual attire to dress in red for the annual Red Nose Day fundraiser, and were hoping to make £300 for the cause.

“All 210 of our children took part in Red Nose Day,” said Billy Overton, Assistant Headteacher at our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“We simply dressed up in red clothes to mark the event, and a GoFundMe page was set up for parents to donate.”

“Red Nose Day is celebrated here at Clenchwarton every year,” he continued. “Our children need no excuse to get into the spirit of things, and dress up to support any event – especially one as important as Comic Relief. We always do our bit to help children in the UK and around the world.

“We have a strong community spirit here at Clenchwarton, and this is why events like this are so important to us. It fosters the value that if we all work together, we can make a real difference in all we do.”

“All of our staff took part too,” he added. “As Assistant Headteacher I was also dressed in red to lead by example – I’m brave enough to get the Manchester United shirt out again nowadays!”

Held in conjunction with the King’s Lynn and District Camera Club (KLDCC), the West Norfolk Academies Trust (WNAT) Photographic Competition is open to staff and pupils across the Trust’s member schools, as well as those within the Windmill Federation.

“It is open to all students from the Trust who are in Key Stages 2, 3, 4 and 5,” explained WNAT Confidential Administrator Emma Pearman. “It’s also open to school staff. There are five categories – each of the Key Stages, plus a Staff category.

“This year we will also be inviting students and staff from the Windmill Federation Schools to take part.”

The annual competition is taking place for the third year running, with past themes having included ‘Our Environment’ and ‘My Community’.

“There is an open theme this year, covering any subject the student or staff member thinks would make an interesting picture,” said Mrs Pearson.

WNAT high schools taking part include Marshland in West Walton, St Clement’s in Terrington St Clement, Smithdon in Hunstanton, and Springwood in Lynn; alongside Trust primaries Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn.

Initial judging will be carried out by the WNAT Senior Leadership Team, with ten entries chosen from each category to go through to the final at Springwood on 25 June, where winners will be chosen by a panel from KLDCC.

“There were 147 images submitted last year,” continued Mrs Pearman. “It is expected that there will be more this year, with it increasing in popularity year on year, and also with the fact that the Windmill Federation Schools are invited to take part this year.”

Each category winner will receive £20 of Amazon vouchers, while one overall winner will be awarded the Dave Ashfield Cup, which last year went to Year 13 Springwood Sixth Form student, Ava.

“The Trust places a huge importance on extra-curricular activity for all of our students, alongside excellent relationships with our community including the KLDCC,” added WNAT CEO Andy Johnson.

To enter, send a jpeg format photograph, no larger than A4, and a maximum of 3600 x 2400 pixels, to e.pearman@wnat.co.uk before the closing deadline 1 June.

The WNAT Primary Literary Event is staged annually to coincide with World Book Day, and was taking place for the sixth time.

Held at the King’s Lynn Corn Exchange on Wednesday 4 March, the celebration of reading featured teams of Year 5 children from primary schools which included Trust members Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn, along with Terrington St John, Tilney St Lawrence, Walpole Highway, and West Walton from the Windmill Primary Federation.

“Teams of three pupils are asked to speak for five minutes,” explained organiser Emma Hunt, who is Primary English Lead at WNAT. “The first pupil introduces the speaker to provide the audience with a little background; the main speaker then has approximately three minutes to deliver their views on the team’s chosen topic; the final team member then delivers the vote of thanks.”

Among this year’s topics were: whether children should be encouraged to reread favourite books or always try new ones; whether stories help children understand real-world issues better than facts alone; whether illustrations still matter in books for older children; whether it is important for children to see themselves represented in the books they read; and whether reading for pleasure improves creativity more than structured reading at school.

The audience included fellow pupils, teachers, and trustees, as well as the CEO and Deputy CEO of the Trust, while staff from across all schools supported the teams in writing their speeches and rehearsing for the event.

“Literary events that involve public speaking are so important, as they give children valuable opportunities to build confidence and communication skills,” continued Mrs Hunt.

“Preparing and delivering a presentation encourages pupils to organise their ideas clearly, structure their thoughts, and express them in a way that engages an audience. Through this, they learn how to communicate effectively and share their ideas with clarity and purpose.”

“Taking part in events beyond the school environment, alongside pupils from other schools in the Trust and Federation, also offers valuable social and personal benefits,” she added. “It allows children to meet new people, experience different perspectives, and learn from others.

“Engaging with a wider group of students can broaden their horizons, build resilience, and encourage a healthy sense of collaboration and friendly competition. Such experiences help pupils develop confidence in unfamiliar settings, and strengthen the interpersonal skills that will support them throughout their education and beyond.”

Children from all year groups arrived at the school gates dressed as their favourite fictional characters, while members of staff joined them in dressing up for the occasion.

There were also themed activities taking place across the day, which included book-led English lessons, as well as a ‘Masked Reader’ challenge, where children had to work out the identities of disguised teachers as they read their favourite stories.

“World Book Day is one of the days children look forward to the most, so we always enjoy taking part,” said Billy Overton, Assistant Headteacher at our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“We have a good culture of reading at Clenchwarton, and want to continue to promote our love of reading.”

Students from St Clement’s were joined by younger children from feeder schools in the area for the WNAT Musical Instrument Tuition Initiative (MITI) Workshop, with participating primaries including Clenchwarton, Terrington St Clement’s, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn.

“We had just under 70 primary school students participating, along with Year 7 students from St Clement’s, offering a wonderful opportunity for musical development, ensemble experience, and cross-school camaraderie,” said Trust Peripatetic Music Lead Benjamin Howell, who organised the event with the support of WNAT Peripatetic Music Team Members Eddie Seales, Robbie Germeno, Helen Johnson, and Nic Bouskill, as well as WNAT Director of Music Robin Norman.

The workshop concluded with a performance for parents, carers, family members, and friends, where the young musicians had the chance to showcase their skills, and share what they had learned.

“These workshops play an important role in nurturing the musical progress of our primary school instrumentalists,” added Mr Howell.

“They provide the opportunity to rehearse and perform in ensemble settings, develop confidence, and come together as young musicians within the Trust.”

Other MITI Workshops taking place earlier in the month were hosted by fellow WNAT high schools Marshland and Smithdon.

Gaywood Primary School hosted Dodgeball Fun for Key Stage 1 children and a total of ten teams, including our school, took to the field to compete. The teams throw a ball at opposing members to eliminate them from the game during a series of rounds.

Heacham Infant School, Walpole Cross Keys and Clenchwarton primaries, all members of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, took part in the first group alongside children from West Walton and Walpole Highway, from The Windmill Primary Federation.

The second group saw West Lynn, Gaywood and Snettisham primaries from the Trust along with pupils from Terrington St John and Tilney St Lawrence, also of the Federation.

“Both groups were incredibly close, with every team picking up wins, losses and draws throughout the morning,” said Matt Parkinson, of ICS Coaching which provided the session.

“A huge thank you goes to all the staff from the participating schools for their support and positivity, helping to make the event such a success. Your encouragement and organisation created a wonderful atmosphere for everyone involved,” he added.

The final round was contested by West Lynn who faced Walpole Highway in a great match which showcased fantastic spirit from both sides. The honours went to Walpole Highway who took home a medal and certificate, while medals were given to each participant.

It’s the second year that the Trust schools have held sports competitions, with pupils and staff enjoying the challenge.

“Sporting events really benefit the pupils as they promote physical and mental health, improve academic performance through focus and discipline. These events also foster essential life skills like teamwork, resilience and respect for rules,” said Executive Headteacher Emma Hunt.

“Participation in these events builds confidence and a sense of belonging, supporting pupils to develop an interest in staying active,” she added.

Dodgeball sees players eliminate others by hitting them with a ball while dodging incoming throws. If a player catches a ball from the opposing team, the thrower is out and a player from the catching team can reinstate a player.

Our school held its vibrant fundraising event last Thursday, inviting pupils to wear something in the dashing yellow shade of Pudsey Bear or to sport spotty clothing like the charity mascot’s eye patch.

To help the children reach their £200 fundraising target, there were also fun activities, including Pudsey ears and face painting.
The event was a huge success, reinforcing the school’s commitment to community responsibility and helping those in need.

Across the West Norfolk Academies Trust, other schools like West Lynn Primary focused on Pudsey-themed art and craft activities, while Smithdon High students battled teachers in sporting duels.

Staff and children at Walpole Cross Keys, West Lynn and Clenchwarton primaries were in every shade of yellow to raise awareness of the Young Minds charity behind the Hello Yellow mental health awareness day.

“It was great to see so many children supporting the charity,” said Assistant Head at Walpole Cross Keys Billy Overton.

At West Lynn there were some tasty yellow cookies to enjoy and at Clenchwarton Winnie the Pooh could be found alongside football fans sporting Canary shirts for Norwich City. All the schools are members of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

Under the Hello Yellow slogan, the annual event is designed to focus on the Young Minds charity which was raising awareness of young people’s mental health. It is a global event and was first held in 1992.

Young Minds campaigns to ensure young people who need support with their mental health receive timely intervention and care.  According to the charity, there was a ten per cent increase of referrals to emergency mental health care for children and young people between 2023 and 2024. 

Pupils of all ages at Clenchwarton, West Lynn, and Walpole Cross Keys Primaries joined forces to collect an array of non-perishable items for the King’s Lynn Foodbank, including tinned meat, fish, and vegetables; tinned and packet soups; jars of cooking sauce; bottles of squash; jars of instant coffee; tinned rice pudding and custard; tinned fruit; biscuits; and milk.

The event was organised by Jo Borley, Executive Headteacher across the three schools, which are all members of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

Children at Clenchwarton also enjoyed a special Harvest Festival Assembly to mark the occasion.

Run by the Trust in association with the King’s Lynn & District Camera Club, the WNAT Photography Competition was renamed this year as the David Ashfield Photography Cup, in honour of a KLDCC member who had recently died.

“The competition started in 2024 as a collaboration between the WNAT and the KLDCC, who use the Springwood High School for their weekly Monday meetings,” explained KLDCC Chair Brian Sadler, who organised the event with Emma Pearman from WNAT.

“That was a great success, so we decided to build upon that and make the competition a regular event to encourage youngsters into photography.

“The late David Ashfield was a pivotal and influential member of the KLDCC, so we decided to honour his memory by naming the competition after him.”

Competition categories comprised Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, and Key Stage 5, plus one for WNAT staff, and almost 150 entries were received from Years 3 to 13 across the Trust’s member schools.

Those participating included Marshland High School in West Walton, St Clement’s High School in Terrington St Clement, Smithdon High School in Hunstanton, and Springwood High School in King’s Lynn, as well as primaries Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn.

WNAT undertook the first round of judging, shortlisting ten images from each of the five categories to go through to the final at Springwood, where experienced circuit judge and honorary KLDCC member Allan Livingstone had the task of selecting the winners.

The first place category prizes went to Ava F for Key Stage 5; Thomas S for Key Stage 4; Scarlett C for Key Stage 3; and Sydney C for Key Stage 2; while L Sedgley won the Staff Award.

WNAT Executive Headteacher Andy Johnson was on hand to present the prizes, with each category winner receiving an Amazon voucher, and all finalists receiving mounted prints of their entries.

An additional award went to overall winner Ava, who was presented with the David Ashfield Cup by the late Mr Ashfield’s daughters, Jill Smithson and Sally Ashfield  – a former Deputy Headteacher at Springwood.

“This competition has become an important part of our Trust calendar,” added Mr Johnson. “All entrants enjoy this extra-curricular pursuit.

“It is also important that our Trust is part of the local community. We enjoy working with our partners in the KLDCC, alongside other community partners.”

The popular annual event was taking place for the fourth time, and saw performers from our school join others from across the Trust, alongside a host of other music groups from across the region.

“Suffice to say we had a real mix of younger WNAT ensembles, alongside more experienced ensembles and professional musicians,” said Robin Norman, Director of Music at WNAT and organiser of the event. “There was a real mix of different styles and ages, with performers from all schools across the WNAT family, along with other community ensembles.

“There was, without doubt, something for everyone, with a wonderful range of instrumental and vocal ensembles.”

Besides Springwood, the participating Trust high schools comprised Marshland in West Walton, St Clement’s in Terrington St Clement, and Smithdon in Hunstanton, while member primaries taking part included Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Infant, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn.

“Across the four nights, there were in excess of 500 performers from across all year groups from Reception through to Year 13,” explained Mr Norman. “These were spread across all the schools in the West Norfolk Academies Trust and beyond.

“Students from all WNAT schools were involved. However, we were also joined by community music groups including the West Norfolk Music Centre, West Norfolk Winds, and others – a real showcase of all the different types of music from across West Norfolk.”

Among the performers were musicians from the Trust’s Musical Instrumental Tuition Initiative (MITI) Programme, including a String Ensemble, a Wind Band, and individual piano and percussion students.

More than 900 people attended the Community Music Festival, which culminated in the WNAT Choral Spectacular, featuring choirs from all the Trust’s schools, along with special guest St Martha’s – a total of around 250 students, aged five to 18.

“The students of all ages coming together is a unique experience,” continued Mr Norman. “There is an overarching sense of camaraderie, and, whatever the age, the students joke, and laugh, and just enjoy making music together.

“There was a wide range of pieces on offer, from musical theatre to classic pop to rock. However, the highlight had to be the grand finale when all the children joined together to perform ‘This is Me’ from The Greatest Showman.”

“For the young people in our schools, this now-annual event is important in so many ways,” added Mr Norman. “The professional-level stage is just one aspect of this, as all performers have the joy of performing in front of appreciative audiences on equipment of such a high level.

“However, this is just the tip of the iceberg, as you cannot measure the good a series of events like this does on inspiring future musicians, who, in some cases, will be hearing advanced performances for the first time.

“This gives them the opportunity to perform and work with a whole range of musicians. This is something you cannot really measure as both an inspirational and aspirational tool.”

The West Norfolk Academies Trust event was hosted by fellow Trust member Springwood High School in King’s Lynn, and saw Year 5 and 6 pupils from primary schools across the region work together in teams of four to solve a series of maths problems.

“Students were given four rounds: Group; Relay; Cross Numbers; and Shuttle,” explained WNAT Maths Lead Connie Loizou, who organised the Challenge with the assistance of colleagues Sylvilyn Forbes-Clake from WNAT and Springwood Maths Teacher Luke Rawlings, as well as a group of the school’s sixth formers.

“They had to work as a team to solve challenging maths problems using mathematical techniques they had already learnt and applying them to unfamiliar situations.”

Launched in 2018, the event featured eight schools this year, including WNAT primaries Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn.

First place went to St Martha’s, with each member of the winning team receiving a certificate from WNAT CEO Andy Johnson.

“The Primary Maths Challenge promotes mathematical thinking, teamwork, and communication skills,” added Ms Loizou.

“It also gives students the opportunity to compete against students from other schools in their area.”

Representatives from each of the Trust’s six primary schools gathered for the final of the event, including host Gaywood Primary. The other participating schools comprised Walpole Cross Keys, West Lynn, and Snettisham Primaries, and Heacham Junior.

Eighteen pupils from Years 3 to 6 made it through to the closing stage, having qualified through previous rounds held within their respective year groups and schools.

“There were three pupils for each primary school taking part from across Key Stage 2,” said Emma Hunt, who is Executive Deputy Headteacher at Heacham Junior and oversaw the competition.

“Round One was a class round, Round Two a school round, then three pupils from each school reached the final.”

Caller for the spelling contest was Amanda Wright, Head of English at fellow WNAT member Smithdon High School, who dressed as a bee for the occasion.

“Pupils picked a number from a hat,” continued Mrs Hunt. “This matched a chair for competitors to sit on. Spellings were called and individuals answered. They remained in the competition until they spelt a word incorrectly, then they sat down until a winner was found.”

Amongst the words posed to the contestants were ‘pronunciation’, ‘accommodate’, ‘convenience’, and ‘environment’ – none of which foxed George B from our school, who correctly spelt ‘acquaintance’ to win the contest.

He was presented with a Kindle Fire tablet, while all the finalists received certificates and chocolate.

“The event is part of a calendar of events throughout the academic year organised by the Trust,” added Mrs Hunt. “The aim of these events is to boost confidence, provide opportunities for our pupils to interact and socialise with peers from across the Trust, to provide pupils with a range of new skills, and, most importantly, to have fun.

“The Spelling Bee is important as it helps pupils to develop a profound understanding of the English language and improve their vocabulary. It is not about merely memorising spellings – it develops skills in planning and preparation.”

Michelle Ryan took part in the recent 10k GEAR run in King’s Lynn, and was supported by pupils and colleagues at our school,  where she has taught for 24 years.

Her initial target of £300 raised on the online JustGiving sponsorship page has been completely smashed and currently stands at £785 - more than 260 per cent of her self-set target.

A group of young runners from her school, a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, also took part in GEAR and completed the mini-event before cheering Mrs Ryan on for her longer run.

The air ambulance was chosen after an incident near the school in 2023 when a life was saved because of the prompt medical action of staff and the arrival of the distinctive helicopter to take the patient to a specialist hospital where they survived.

Although Mrs Ryan had taken part in the GEAR event before, it had been several years and she trained hard for the event, juggling work, family and training to make sure she could complete the course.

Children in her Year 4 class are currently working towards their EAAA Challenge badge and recently raised £134.20 from a cake sale they held at the school.

Mrs Ryan’s fundraising page is still open on the JustGiving website, and can be found here.

Pupils in Year 6 created a huge rosette-style collection of 200 individually coloured flags, and they were also asked to dress in red, white and blue.

Some even sported Union Jack face paint, just to make sure everyone knew they were marking a special occasion, and the rest of the school, including staff, also joined the dress code.

And she will be cheered-on by pupils as they will also be taking part in the mini-GEAR on Sunday (4).

Michelle Ryan, who has been a teacher at Clenchwarton Primary  for 24 years, signed up for the 10k to raise money for the charity after seeing it's work first hand when a parent was taken ill near to the school.

The air ambulance’s response saved a life, and Mrs Ryan is raising money for the organisation, which relies on donations.

“A medical emergency happened near the school at pick-up time in 2023. Some Clenchwarton school staff responded by providing immediate and life-saving CPR and the EAAA arrived very quickly, took over, and transported the patient to a specialist hospital where they made their recovery,” she said.

The children in her class are working towards the EAAA Challenge Badge and recently held a cake sale where they decorated tables, put up bunting and sold cakes to raise £134.20 towards the charity.

Although it is the third time she has run the 10k, it has been a few years, and Mrs Ryan (47) has been training hard for the weekend’s event.

“I have tried to juggle work, family and training - it’s been difficult to fit it all in, but my main aim has been to follow the Couch to 10k training plan. Over the Easter break I have been fortunate enough to run every other day and I feel great!” she said.

Mrs Ryan has already raised more than £300 from sponsorship - but is aiming for more and she has her own fundraising page on the JustGiving website. The link is here.

Each mission for the air ambulance costs an average of around £4,250 and the EAAA relies entirely on donations to keep providing the 365-day, 24-hour service for Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.

Junior Leadership Teams at our school were joined by Walpole Cross Keys  and West Lynn Primary Schools and we were led by Assistant Head (Walpole Cross Keys) Billy Overton.

The group was treated to a guided tour of the historic building and discovered how laws have been created by those who work in both houses and how they are shaped by people from the past and the present.

The Junior Leadership Teams are elected at each of the primary schools, all members of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“They have a role in making decisions as to how our schools may be improved through a range of initiatives including learning walks and they also help celebrate our schools’ achievements,” said Mr Overton.

“The trip to Parliament showed the children how our system works and enabled them to see the political system at work. Our leadership teams are encouraged to acquire skills and knowledge that, it is hoped, will encourage them to consider taking an active role in leading people in the future,” he added.

Children from Walpole Cross Keys, Clenchwarton and West Lynn primary schools even had the chance to try on uniforms at the former base in Cambridgeshire, now part of the Imperial War Museum.

Year 6 pupils at all three schools, members of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, have been studying the Second World War and the Battle of Britain Gallery at the museum ensured they could see a Spitfire and Hurricane close-up. There is also a crash-landed Messerschmitt as part of the exhibition.

“The children were really interested in finding out about the planes involved in the Battle of Britain and even some that featured in the Pearl Harbour attack. 

“We saw all the big-name planes and quite a few more modern ones, including Concorde. The children also enjoyed trying on some RAF uniforms and using the interactive devices to find out more about the exhibits and listening to information on the telephones on different stations,” said Billy Overton, Assistant Headteacher at Walpole Cross Keys.

The group visited a historic hangar, which houses the WWII exhibition, that was once home to the first operational Spitfires and the US 78th Fighter Group.

But then it’s not every day your school has a purpose-built sheep pen on the playing field and an army of volunteers waiting for their turn to meet the new stars of the show.

Ethel and Gromit, both Wensleydale sheep, spent a week at our school as part of a Learn About Livestock topic which enabled the children to see first-hand what life is like when you have animals depending on you.

“The whole school took part and had the opportunity to learn about farming, food production, and the importance of feed and how wool is used. The children also spent time sketching the sheep,” said Charlie Howells, Assistant Headteacher.

Our school was joined by West Lynn and Walpole Cross Keys Primaries in hosting guests from a farm as part of the special project.

“Staff received training on how to care for sheep and established a relationship with the farmer. We are extremely excited to take part in this project and have the sheep stay with us,” added Mrs Howells.

Sophy Tarsey, Head of Year 3, spent the week in her wellies and looking after the school’s newest arrivals with the aid of excited children, as she was the designated person to be in charge of the visitors.

Betty and her lamb Flora were the guests at West Lynn Primary School while Walpole Cross Keys Primary School hosted Donna and Minty for the week.

The Learn about Livestock initiative is now in its fifth year and is organised by the Food and Farming Discovery Trust, Rare Breeds Survival Trust, Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association and Chapelfield Veterinary Partnership.

A total of 20 schools across the county took part in the scheme this year by hosting livestock.

“The project is the most rewarding I think I have ever been involved with. From the initial pilot scheme in 2019, it has grown significantly in reputation and reach,” said Gail Sprake, of Rare Breeds Survival.

“To have a ewe and her lambs on the school site for one week provides an opportunity for the entire school to get up close to the animals, and to take responsibility for their animals. So many of the pupils have never been up close to farm livestock,” she added.

Marnie-Rae Hornsby celebrated her sixth birthday today (20) and is having her hair cut later this year for the Little Princess charity.

Marnie is also raising money for the charity and had hit £375 this week via a page on the Just Giving website which was created for her by dad Shaun Hornsby.

Her proud mum Chelsea Owen said Marnie was inspired to help after her aunt lost her hair while receiving treatment for cancer before she died last year.  

“Marnie has been asking me for a while to cut her hair to her shoulders, and I’ve been putting it off as it’s so beautiful and long,  and not wanting her hair to go to waste and be thrown straight in the bin,” she said.

“She loves to have pretty hairstyles and I’m sure she still can with short hair. Marnie has a really kind nature and helps others.”

Marnie,  has been watching her list of sponsors increase on the web page and Chelsea said her daughter was ‘very grateful for every pound she has received.’

Her hair will be cut in June or July and donated to the Little Princess Trust which was established 20 years ago. It provides free, real hair wigs to children and young people aged up to 24 who lose their hair through cancer treatment or other conditions.

It also raises money to help fund childhood cancer research and for the last nine years has been funding scientists in the field of paediatric cancer. It has paid for 152 research projects in a bid to find a kinder and more effective treatment for childhood cancer.

Search ‘Marnies fundraiser for Little Princess Trust’ on justgiving.com to make a donation.

The special menu, with Lord Voldemort Veggie burger for non-meat eaters, also included Charlie and the Chocolate Ice Cream Factory or James and the Giant Peach Fruit Selection.

It was the second inspired menu of the week as the school also marked Pancake Day by including them on the lunch dessert menu - along with chocolate sauce, jelly or fruit.

The costumes the children arrived in brought a whole host of book characters to life for the day and there was even a fashion parade where pupils were encouraged to showcase their outfits to the whole school.

Children also completed a range of activities in their classes to mark the day, including taking part in a national competition to design a book token.

The annual WNAT Primary Literary Event took place at the King’s Lynn Corn Exchange, where Year 5 children from the Trust’s six primary schools gave group presentations on book-related subjects.

“Teams of three pupils were asked to speak for five minutes,” explained event organiser Emma Hunt, Executive Deputy Headteacher at Heacham Infant and Junior Schools and Snettisham Primary.

“The first pupil introduced the speaker, to provide the audience with a little background; the main speaker then had approximately three minutes to deliver their views on the team’s chosen topic; the final team member then delivered the vote of thanks.”

Participating schools were: Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn; while subjects under discussion included the pros and cons of online learning, whether reading different genres contributes to social and emotional development, whether reading a book is better than watching a film, and whether characters influence the enjoyment of a book.

It was the fifth time that the event had taken place, and it was attended by an audience of pupils, staff members and trustees, as well as the CEO and Deputy CEO of WNAT.

All the speakers received certificates and goodie bags for taking part.

“The event provides an opportunity for pupils to develop their presentation skills, teaching them how to arrange and articulate their ideas and organise their thoughts, to deliver captivating presentations to an audience,” added Mrs Hunt.

“Utilising the skill to speak effectively at a young age, enables them to express their views in a balanced way, connecting with and motivating others. These skills are useful in formal situations, and will no doubt support future employment. They are also important in everyday life.”

The group of 40 from Clenchwarton, West Lynn and Walpole Cross Keys Primary Schools made the trip to Sheffield on Wednesday (19) to participate in a mass choir of 8,000 for the Young Voices concert.

All three schools have choirs which have been meeting weekly to practice their numbers ahead of travelling to the Sheffield Arena for their gig.

“Young Voices is a great opportunity for our pupils, to be part of a choir of over 8,000 pupils all singing together is incredible. We get to visit huge arenas, whether in London or, this time Sheffield, and see some vastly different places,” said Billy Overton, Assistant Headteacher at Walpole Cross Keys Primary.

“The atmosphere is incredible and very noisy, but when the children all sing together, it certainly gives you goosebumps - they sound incredible when they sing in unison and surprise themselves in how good they are and they can’t stop smiling. They go from very nervous to very excited in a couple of beats,” he added.

The playlist for this year included 12 songs with many based on compilations on different themes. There was a Bob Marley medley, Hairspray medley as well as songs from pop and dance as well as a few original songs.

The Marley Magic medley was to celebrate the legacy of the artist who would have been 80 earlier this month. The special arrangement included Three Little Birds and One Love and was performed in conjunction with the Bob and Rita Marley Foundation.

Last year the children visited the O2 Arena in London, but this year it was decided to try somewhere different with an arena they had never visited.

“Our three schools have been going to Young Voices for a while, before I started. Last year was my first experience and I thought it was a brilliant opportunity for pupils and a tradition well worth maintaining,” added Mr Overton.

Young Voices has been running for more than 30 years and offers a concert experience for children of primary school age - and is the largest children’s choir in the world. 

“Music is a really important part of a well-balanced curriculum both for individuals and bringing people together as a whole. Learning about music and understanding musical elements, as well as playing and performing, gives every pupil a better understanding of where music comes from, what influences it and the skills involved,” said Mr Overton.

Pupils from all West Norfolk Academies Trust primary schools were able to have a go at a range of activities - from Hockey Dominoes to the Beanbag Challenge and Boccia - at the sport festival.

Originally, the KS1 (aged five to seven) festival meeting was arranged at Snettisham Primary, but a flooded field saw the action move to Heacham Junior where children from the school were joined by those from Gaywood, Walpole Cross Keys, West Lynn, Heacham Infants and Clenchwarton.

Heacham Junior’s PE lead James Agate said Sports Leaders from Heacham Junior School in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 helped to run the events and explained the rules to the younger children who took part. Members of the Year 4 Avocets class were also involved with the sport festival.

“I enjoyed running the sports as they were fun and engaging for the younger children,” said one of the leaders. 

Year One Gaywood Primary School pupil Ottilie Blackmore said the games had been great. 

“My favourite game was throwing a bean bag into a hoop. I liked getting it through the hoop at the back because it was worth 10 points. Gracie and I got 220 points together! We beat the world record.”