There was a treat in store for music lovers when musicians from our school joined others from across the West Norfolk Academies Trust for a Piano Recital.

The performance featured pianists from across the Trust’s primary and secondary schools, and took place at Springwood High School.

Participating high schools included Marshland, St Clement’s, and Smithdon, as well as host Springwood, while among the primaries taking part were Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn.

“Performers represented a broad range of students, from debut and initial-level performers, through to diploma-level pianists,” said Benjamin Howell, who is Peripatetic Music Lead at the Trust and oversaw the event, with the support of WNAT staff including CEO Andy Johnson, and Director of Music Robin Norman.

“One of the lovely aspects of the recital was the variety of repertoire featured, spanning everything from pop and contemporary music, through to Baroque and classical works,” he continued.

“We also included several piano duets within the programme, which always add a particularly engaging dimension to the evening.”

Musical events are held regularly within the Trust, with a previous piano recital having taken place at Springwood in the Autumn Term.

“Events such as these form an important part of the wider musical journey across the Trust, providing valuable stepping stones towards both short- and long-term goals for our students,” added Mr Howell.

“This very much reflects the ethos of the WNAT Peri Team this year: Practice, Progress, Performance.”

Children from our school were hitting all the right targets, when they joined others from across the West Norfolk Academies Trust to test their skills in an archery competition.

The Upper Key Stage 2 event was hosted by Heacham Junior School, and saw 30 Year 5 and 6 pupils from across the Trust’s six primary schools compete in teams in a series of challenges.

Among the activities were a ‘pizza game’ where pupils had to hit coloured segments of a target representing ‘base’, ‘sauce’, and ‘toppings’ in the right order to build up a pizza, and a contest to score the highest points in a set time limit. Each participant received a certificate to mark their achievements.

Besides Heacham Junior, other participating Trust primaries included Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn.

“Events hosted by our Trust are important because they help children build confidence, focus, and teamwork, while trying something new and inclusive,” said James Agate, who is Year 4 Class Teacher at Heacham Junior and oversaw the event.

“They also give schools a chance to bring students together, encourage participation in sport, and support wellbeing and personal development. These events create positive experiences that can inspire children both in and outside the classroom.”

Clenchwarton Primary pupils followed in a teacher’s footsteps, when Michelle Ryan inspired them to join her at the Great East Anglia Run (GEAR) to raise more than £630 for a good cause.

Mrs Ryan, who is our Year 4 Teacher, was running to raise money for the East Anglia Air Ambulance (EAAA), along with more than 30 children from the school, who were keen to do their bit for the charity.

Younger children were accompanied by adults in the Mini GEAR, while those from Years 3 to 6 ran on their own.

“The children covered 1.9km, and they said they loved running with lots of people cheering around them,” said Mrs Ryan, who was taking part for the fourth time, and completed the course in a personal best of under one hour four minutes.

“A few of the children I started running with were really engaged with the music and the warm up to get everyone in the mood to run. There was a lot of excitement on the starting line!

“The total is currently at £634 and will go directly to the EAAA. They will use this for life-saving resources, such as equipment, fuel for the air ambulance, staffing, and training.”

Our school, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, regularly fundraises for the EAAA.

“My last three classes have all been involved in organising cakes on a cake sale to raise money for the EAAA,” continued Mrs Ryan. “The children take responsibility for it, which opens up ideas and discussions about preparation, organisation skills before and on the day, and selling skills, including using their maths facts to take payment and give change.

“I fully believe the children in the rest of the school now look forward to joining my class, knowing they will be learning about the EAAA throughout the year and raising money for them.

“The awareness and money raised by the school community obviously helps people in the local community and Norfolk area in emergency situations, and long may it continue.”

There are plans for pupils and staff to take part in GEAR again next year for the charity.

“I am planning to run again next year, obviously to raise more for the EAAA, but hope to make more momentum in school by encouraging more children to take part in a bigger school team, and encouraging staff to create a staff team for 2027,” added Mrs Ryan.

“I would like to say that I have done this completely off my own back, as a teacher wanting to inspire children. It has not been linked to a Trust or school initiative. I would, however, like to see this sort of thing continue to thrive in schools, and to become more of a normal practice within education, not an add-on.

“It really means a great deal to raise money and awareness for such a great charity.”

It was around the world in 21 schools, when our dancers joined others from across the region for the West Norfolk School Sport Partnership (WNSSP) Dance Festival.

Opening the sold-out show at the Corn Exchange were performers from Springwood High School, who rose to the challenge of this year’s ‘Different Countries’ theme. The ten students from Years 8 to 12 danced to a variety of music, which included ‘Waka Waka’ by Shakira, ‘Let's Get Loud’ by Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin’s ‘Maria’, and ‘Mambo No.5’ by Lou Bega.  

“It’s an honour to be invited to perform at this event,” said Dawn Paulo, Head of Dance at Springwood, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust. “It allows our dancers the opportunity to come together to perform in a professional venue, and to interact and support younger students in West Norfolk.

“It is lovely to see our Springwood students enjoying themselves on stage, but it’s also great to see our primary schools getting a chance to perform too.”

Among the 20 primary schools participating were fellow WNAT members Clenchwarton, West Lynn, and Walpole Cross Keys primaries, and Heacham Infant School.

Twenty-seven Year 3 pupils from Clenchwarton performed a routine to ‘Cheers to Life’, which had been choreographed by Dance Teacher Kate Whyborn.

“This was our third year taking part,” said Class Teacher Sophie Tarsey.

“It is a great opportunity for children to step outside their comfort zones and do something they have probably never experienced before.

“Many children expressed how much they enjoyed it and wanted to do it again, when they were really nervous about it at the start of the year.

“I hope it encourages more children to find opportunities for dance outside school, as well as inspiring other children in school.”

The Walpole Cross Keys dancers drew inspiration from America for their routine. The 16 pupils from Years 2 and 3 at the school performed to a medley which featured ‘Party in the USA’, ‘Hey Mickey’, ‘Everybody’s Surfing’, and ‘Achy Breaky Heart’.

“Events like this are vitally important, as the children get to take part in an activity and perform on stage,” said Class Teacher Carol Jones. “It shows them resilience through learning the routine, encouragement from other class members and adults.”

The Dance Festival takes place twice-yearly, each March and June.

“It’s definitely a highlight of the year, as it brings so many schools together to perform and celebrate one another’s work,” added Ms Paulo.

“Springwood will be performing once more at the next WNSSP Dance Festival in June. The theme for this event will be ‘Popstars’.”

There was something for everyone, when musicians from our school joined others from across West Norfolk for a performance at St Nicholas Chapel in King’s Lynn.

Organised by the West Norfolk Academies Trust, the WNAT Play Day event saw primary school pupils perform alongside older students from the Trust’s four high schools, which include Marshland in West Walton, St Clement’s in Terrington St Clement, Smithdon in Hunstanton, and Springwood in Lynn.

“The Play Day brought together students from across the feeder primary schools to the four WNAT high schools, spanning the breadth of West Norfolk, from West Walton through to Hunstanton and the surrounding areas,” said Benjamin Howell, who is Peripatetic Music Lead at the Trust and helped co-ordinate the event.

“The event featured primary school musicians alongside high school and sixth-form students, who came together to perform as a large Trust ensemble.”

The musical offering was equally wide-ranging, covering themes from television and film as well as classical pieces, while there were also guest performances from some of the schools’ music groups.

“The musical programme was varied and engaging, ranging from the dramatic theme from The Traitors, music from How to Train Your Dragon, Hungarian Dance No. 5, and both the ‘Habanera’ and ‘Toreador’s Song’ from Carmen,” continued Mr Howell

“In addition, we were delighted to feature performances from the Springwood Concert Band, the Sinfonia String Group, and the St Clement’s High School Band, whose performances further demonstrated the musical progression available to students across the Trust.”

Some 187 musicians were involved in the day, which concluded with a concert performance for WNAT staff, trustees, family members, and friends.

Support was provided by WNAT Peripatetic Team members Jo Kemp, Music Lead at St Clement’s; Mary-Ann Robertson; Emily Savage; David Maddison; Nic Bouskill; and Helen Johnson; along with David Stowell from the Norfolk Music Hub; while the event was organised by WNAT Director of Music, Robin Norman, with the assistance of Emma Pearman and Sam Johnson from the Trust.

“We are very appreciative of the Trust Administration Team, Senior Leadership, and Trustees for their support – particularly CEO Andy Johnson,” added Mr Howell.

“Our thanks also go to St Nicholas Chapel for hosting the event, and to the many parents, carers, families, and friends who attended the concluding performance.”

Entries for the KLCC / WNAT Photographic Competition are now open!

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.