There was fun for everyone, when staff and pupils at Clenchwarton Primary donned costumes for World Book Day on Thursday 5 March.

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.”

There was a festive flavour to the day when children at Clenchwarton Primary swapped their usual uniforms for more seasonal attire.

Our pupils were celebrating this year’s Christmas Jumper Day on Thursday 11 December, with staff members also joining in the fun and donning winter woollies for the occasion.

“Over 200 children from Reception to Year 6 took part,” said Charlotte Howells, Assistant Headteacher at our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

The annual event has become a regular fixture in our calendar, with the children also enjoying a celebratory meal on the day.

“The whole school had Christmas lunch of roast turkey with all the trimmings served by the staff, and then the staff had Christmas lunch too,” continued Mrs Howells.

“The children loved the food, and being able to pull crackers as well.”

Other WNAT primaries participating in Christmas Jumper Day included Heacham Infant, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn, alongside Trust high schools Marshland, Smithdon, and Springwood.

“We take part in Christmas Jumper Day every year, and also serve the children Christmas lunch,” added Mrs Howells.

“Events like these bring all the year groups together, and our wonderful staff work as a team. Everyone gets in the festive spirit, and is thoroughly enjoyed by children and staff.”

Taking aim and throwing a ball at your opposition is at the heart of Dodgeball, and pupils from across the West Norfolk Academies Trust made the most of trying out the sport.

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.

Veterans and members of the Armed Forces were among the audience when our children joined others from across the region for the annual West Norfolk Academies Trust Remembrance Performance.

Featuring almost a hundred Year 4 pupils from ten different primary schools, the evening included poetry and narration, as well as wartime classics such as ‘A Bicycle Made for Two’ and ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’ – which had the audience members singing along and waving flags. There was also a standard bearer, and a moving rendition of ‘The Last Post’.

Among the participating schools were Clenchwarton Primary, Gaywood Primary, Heacham Junior, Snettisham Primary, Terrington St John Primary, Tilney St Lawrence Primary, Walpole Cross Keys Primary, Walpole Highway Primary, West Lynn Primary, and West Walton Primary, while the event was hosted by Springwood High School in King’s Lynn.

“Events like this enable children to build confidence, communication, and teamwork, as they learn to express themselves and work with others,” said Emma Hunt, who is Executive Headteacher at Terrington St John, Tilney St Lawrence, and Walpole Highway, and led the event alongside Snettisham Teacher Helen LeStrange and WNAT Administrator Emma Pearman.

It was the sixth time the event had taken place, with this year’s performance attracting around 300 family members, staff, and trustees, as well as war veterans and members of the armed services.

“I believe it is so important for children to learn about Remembrance, so that they can understand the sacrifices made by soldiers and civilians during times of war, appreciate the value of peace, and develop gratitude for the freedoms they enjoy today," added Mrs Hunt.

“Learning about this day helps them connect with history, show respect for those who served, and carry forward the tradition of remembrance, ensuring the lessons of the past are never lost.”

Everything yellow, from princesses and Minions to Pudsey Bear and Winnie the Pooh could be found at our group of West Norfolk primary schools last Friday.

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. 

Not only was the harvest particularly bountiful this year, but it also benefited those in need, as children from our school supported a charity in Lynn as part of our Harvest Festival celebrations.

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.