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.
Aspiring writers were put through their creative paces, when an author visited Smithdon High School as part of our annual Literary Festival.
The two week celebration was brought to an appropriate close on Friday 13 March when Year 7 and 8 students were joined by Lisa Thompson, whose popular novels include The Goldfish Boy, The Day I Was Erased, The Boy Who Fooled the World, and Owen and the Soldier.
“During her visit, Lisa delivered an author talk in the school hall, sharing insights into her writing journey and creative process,” said Marie Taylor, Librarian at our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.
“Following this, she ran a small writing workshop for a group of our most talented young writers. There was also an opportunity for students to have books signed.”
Co-organised by Miss Taylor and our Head of English, Amanda Wright, the Literary Festival takes place each year at Smithdon, and features an author visit, as well as encompassing World Book Day, and a range of other events and activities themed around all things literary.
“Events like our annual author visit are an important part of building a strong reading culture in school,” continued Miss Taylor. “Meeting a writer such as Lisa Thompson helps students see that books are created by real people, making reading feel more relevant and inspiring.
“Hearing about novels like The Goldfish Boy encourages enthusiasm for reading. Experiences like this can hopefully spark a lasting interest in books and creativity, supporting both literacy development and confidence. They also inspire creativity.”
“Hearing about the writing process, including drafting, editing, and overcoming challenges, can help our students to understand that writing is a skill that develops over time,” she added. For aspiring writers, workshops can provide valuable encouragement.
“After Dan Freedman visited last year, demand for his books in the school library increased significantly, with many students keen to read his books.
“This demonstrated the powerful impact that author visits can have on reading engagement, enthusiasm, and library use across the school.”
Budding scientists were put through their paces, when students from Smithdon High School led a series of experiments as part of British Science Week.
The Year 9 group visited pupils at Flitcham, Snettisham, Ingoldisthorpe, Dersingham, and Hunstanton primary schools in turn over the course of the week, delivering workshops for the children which featured a range of different activities designed to promote a love of science.
Our Science Teacher, Veronica Roper, who accompanied the students, explained: “We took five different activities, including a moss safari using microscopes to look at the moss and organisms living in it; a mini light show using coloured ray boxes, lenses, and screens; making a compass and investigating magnetism; using static electricity to make straws spin; and building electrical circuits to test the conductivity of different materials, as well as drawing graphite circuits to light an LED.”
Smithdon, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, has been taking part in British Science Week for more than a decade, and there were plenty of other events taking place this time round.
“The theme this year was ‘Curiosity: What’s Your Question?’,” said our Head of Science, Claire Pike, who kicked off the week with a whole-school assembly on the theme.
“We took part in a poster competition, researched what it’s like to live and work in the Antarctic, and used microscopes to look at things like cobwebs and pet hair to see what they look like.”
Ten Year 8 students also attended a WNAT Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) ‘Race to the Line’ challenge at Springwood High School, which tasked participants with designing, building, and racing their own CO2-powered model cars.
“We have promoted British Science Week at Smithdon for over ten years, and it is always fascinating to be able to look at science outside of the curriculum,” added Mrs Pike.
“We also focus on Science careers during the week, to promote where Science can take you.”
The spotlight was on the world of literature when we staged our Literary Festival this month.
The popular event at Smithdon High School took place during the first two weeks of March, and included a diverse range of activities, talks, and competitions for all year groups.
Incorporating World Book Day on Thursday 5 March, the Festival also featured a visit from author Lisa Thompson; a 500-word short story competition; Roald Dahl Day; ‘Blind Date with a Book’; Journalism Day; and a ‘Masked Reader’ challenge, where students were tasked with uncovering the identities of disguised readers.
“The Festival provides an opportunity for students of all ages to engage with literature creatively, whether through writing, performance, or discovering new books,” said our Librarian, Marie Taylor, who organised the events with the support of the English Department and English Teacher Keziah Howlett.
“The fortnight includes a range of events designed to celebrate reading and writing in different forms,” she continued.
“It has become a highlight of the school calendar, and a wonderful way to promote a love of reading across the school community.”
It was the fifth year that the celebration had taken place at our school, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.
“The Smithdon Literary Festival is important because it places reading, writing, and creativity at the heart of school life,” added our Headteacher, Amanda Gibbins. “It shows students that literature is not just something studied in lessons, but something to be enjoyed and celebrated.
“Through events such as Roald Dahl Day, the 500-Word Story Competition, and our author visit, students build confidence, develop communication skills, and engage with a wide range of texts.
“The festival strengthens our reading culture across Smithdon, and nurtures a strong sense of community, making it a valued and inspiring part of the school calendar.”
Jilted bride Miss Havisham met Little Red Riding Hood, when Smithdon High School took part in this year’s World Book Day on Thursday 5 March.
Staff and pupils alike arrived for the annual celebration of reading dressed as their favourite fictional characters, with lunchtime photo sessions taking place in the school library to commemorate the occasion.
“We invited all students from every year group, as well as staff members, to join in the celebrations by dressing up as a favourite book character,” explained our Librarian, Marie Taylor – who set a standard as Miss Haversham from Great Expectations, alongside our Headteacher, Amanda Gibbins, as Little Red Riding Hood.
“This is a tradition we have proudly continued for five years, and it’s always a fantastic way to celebrate reading across the school community.”
World Book Day has become part of a wider, annual Literary Festival at Smithdon, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, with themed activities taking place across the entire week.
“Events like World Book Day are important, because they hopefully promote a love of reading in an engaging and memorable way,” added Miss Taylor, who co-organised the Festival with our Head of English, Amanda Wright.
“They encourage creativity, spark interest in new books, and show that reading is valued across the whole school community.
“Events like this also build confidence, strengthen school spirit, and reinforce our commitment to literacy.”
It was full speed ahead, when aspiring engineers at Smithdon High School were tasked with designing, building, testing, and even marketing their own self-driving vehicles.
Sixty of our Year 10 students were put through their paces at the Smallpiece Trust Autonomous Vehicle Challenge STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) Day on Friday 16 January, which saw them work in small teams to both create and pitch their designs.
“The event was run by staff from the Smallpiece Trust, who came in armed with several STEM Lego Spike Kits and iPads, testing tracks, and more,” said Sam Fairweather, Lead for both Careers and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) at our school, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.
“In this particular challenge, students were split into teams, and self-selected certain roles within the group to compete against other teams to design, build, and code a working, autonomous vehicle that had to be programmed to navigate, avoid obstacles, and respond to scenarios.
“Not only this, but students also had to pitch their designs, which focused on teamwork, marketing, and understanding real-world engineering problems.”
It was the first time that the event had taken place at Smithdon, but Taionee Rhodes and Daniel Foulsham from the Smallpiece Trust are scheduled to return in a few months, so that the rest of Year 10 can test their engineering prowess too.
“Fortunately, I have managed to secure another booking for May, which will see the remaining students in Year 10 getting their opportunities to complete a similar event too, that time on wind turbines,” continued Miss Fairweather.
“The project is designed to bring real-world applications of STEM subjects to the classroom, sparking an interest through fun, hands-on activities.
“It’s a way of encouraging students to look at the possibilities for a career in engineering, and help them to build life and leadership skills that can be used throughout all aspects of life.”
“Events like the Smallpiece Trust Autonomous Vehicle Challenge are important because they give students the chance to experience real-world engineering and technology in a practical, engaging way,” she added.
“Rather than just learning theory in the classroom, students can see how subjects like maths, science, computing, and design work together to solve complex, real problems.
“For students, the benefits are wide-ranging. They develop key skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication, all of which are essential for further education and careers. Taking part in an engineering challenge also helps build confidence, resilience, and creativity, as students must test ideas, learn from mistakes, and adapt their designs.
“Importantly, events like this can inspire students by exposing them to cutting-edge technologies such as autonomous vehicles, and showing clear links between school subjects and exciting career pathways.
“For many students, it can spark a lasting interest in STEM and help them make more informed choices about GCSEs, A-Levels, apprenticeships, or future careers in engineering and technology.”
Students from all four West Norfolk secondary schools put their spelling skills to the test for the finals of a keenly-fought contest.
The West Norfolk Academies Trust event was held at Smithdon High School, and the Year 7 and 8 students had to come up with the correct spelling for a range of tricky words.
Among them were antidisestablishmentarianism, martyr, mnemonic and conscientious – but all the students rose to the challenge.
It was a close contest with teams from Marshland, St Clement’s, Springwood and Smithdon High schools all concentrating hard during a tough session of serious spelling.
Springwood High School took first place with Shanjana in Year 8 taking the title of the WNAT Spelling Bee Winner, and she was presented with the prize of an Amazon Kindle Fire and a trophy.
English Lead for the Trust, Sarah Murkin, organised the annual event which was the culmination of a round of heats within each school.
“All four schools competed with outstanding team spirit and integrity. Springwood secured the win, closely followed by Marshland, St Clement’s and Smithdon. Every team delivered a fantastic performance, making the event a true celebration of talent and sportsmanship,” said Amira O’Neill, English teacher at St Clement’s High.
Each of the Trust’s secondary schools take it in turn to host the annual finals and this year was Smithdon’s turn just before the Christmas break.
There were high-flyers and synchronised swimmers, when students from Smithdon High School celebrated the end of term circus-style.
Our Year 8 cohort enjoyed a trip to the historic Hippodrome in Great Yarmouth to see the Circus, which featured a wide range of international artistes such as aerialists and acrobats, as well as the show’s famous synchronised swimmers, ‘Water Spectacle’, and Giant Fountains, and comedy from comedians Jack Jay and Ben Langley.
It was the first time the trip had taken place – although our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, has a long tradition of exposing students to the performing arts.
“Trips like this are part of a performing arts plan, where students have the opportunity to see a show each year that they are at Smithdon, from the local pantomime in Year 7, to where Years 9 to 11 are invited to West End shows in London, and theatre trips locally in Norwich,” said Assistant Headteacher Alysha Moat, who accompanied the students to the Hippodrome, along with Pastoral Manager Sally Collins.
“It is important to come together as a year group to attend exciting trips and see things that we would not normally see.”
There was a magical end to the year, when Smithdon High School students celebrated the term’s successes with a trip to the pantomime.
In what has become an annual tradition, 81 Year 7 students from our school visited the Princess Theatre, where their ‘wishes were granted’ with a sparkling production of Aladdin.
“At Smithdon, we believe that capitalising on cultural enrichment for our students is vitally important, and we seek to ensure that students have many opportunities to engage with the arts throughout their time at Smithdon,” said our Head of Drama, Vicky Proctor, who organised the trip.
“Over the last 12 months, we have taken students to Lake Garda, London, and Norwich to participate in workshops such as mask making in Venice, a musical theatre extravaganza with the educational team from Wicked the Musical, as well as watching productions such as War Horse, and The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
“This all begins in Year 7 with the annual trip to the pantomime, which we have been running since 2021.”
This year’s production stars Sam Littlewood as hero Aladdin, alongside Josh Rettie as Widow Twankey – while some of those on the stage had a link to Smithdon, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.
“The performance features dancers from the Rollason Stage School, where they have cast some of our students past and present, whom we were very excited to watch perform,” continued Mrs Proctor, who was accompanied by Head of Year 7 Alysha Moat, Year 7 Pastoral Manager Sally Collins, and Drama Teacher Kayleigh Brown.
“The pantomime is a fabulous way for us to end the school term on a festive note, as well as providing experience and new learning opportunities for our young people,” she added.
“As staff and students, we love it so much that when it comes to 2026… ‘We’ll have to visit again then, won’t we?’”
Young artists across the West Norfolk Academies Trust secondary schools have put their work on show for a free exhibition at a King’s Lynn gallery.
The Thread Exhibition features art from students at Springwood in King’s Lynn, Smithdon in Hunstanton, Marshland in West Walton and St Clement’s in Terrington St Clement.
More than 60 students from Year 11 and 13 have used a wide range of media from painting and drawing to sculpture, digital art and photography. It is on show at Chequers House Gallery, King Street, and is open to the public from 11am to 4pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays to December 28.
“There is no specific theme, but students respond from a range of starting points for their exam and coursework projects and build this into their own style and practice,” said Lee Eveson, Head of Art and Photography at Springwood.
He organised and curated the exhibition with Phil Bennell, Head of Art at the West Norfolk Academies Trust.
“Even as a 50-year-old artist and teacher, every painting that you start is an adventure. Sometimes it’s a trial of wits between you and the artwork and, as a creative, you are always evolving. For this reason, I thought Thread was an apt name for the exhibition,” said Mr Eveson.
This year is the eleventh that Mr Eveson has run the event, which often welcomes 500 visitors during the course of the month.
“We have been lucky enough to work with Chequers House Gallery in doing this. They have been amazing, and offered us their new gallery, which I can’t thank them enough for,” he said.
“This exhibition shows students what their work looks like in a professional setting. It raises aspirations, confidence and contribution to the creative arts.
“Creative arts is the second biggest economic provider in the UK. Creative industries are such an important part of our education system and society. We are very lucky to receive the support we do from our senior leadership teams and the community as a whole.
“I feel very lucky to be an art teacher here, not only because of this but because we have outstanding students at our schools,” added Mr Eveson.
There was sparkle at the school gates when Smithdon High School students swapped their uniforms for festive knitwear to raise money for Christmas Jumper Day.
All year groups at our school took part in the annual Save the Children appeal, with the aim of topping last year’s total.
“We do Christmas Jumper Day every year to raise funds for Save the Children,” said Deputy Headteacher Sarah Robinson. “Last year we raised nearly £300.”
The first Christmas Jumper Day was launched by Save the Children in December 2012, and the event has since raised £30 million to help children in 93 countries across the globe. Last year, the charity reached 41.2 million children worldwide, and supported 375,000 UK children and families.
Adding to the festive flavour at Smithdon, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, the students were also served Christmas lunches on the day, while the Year 7 cohort enjoyed activities such as Music Bingo, which was organised by Assistant Headteacher Alysha Moat.
“We feel it’s important to raise awareness and support this charity, and it also brings some festive cheer to the school, as some students and staff really go to town with lights and Christmas decorations,” added Mrs Robinson.
Young voices came together to celebrate the season, when our school joined others from across the West Norfolk Academies Trust and Windmill Federation for the annual WNAT Christmas Carol Service.
The popular event at St Nicholas Chapel took place on Wednesday 3 December, and featured performances from around 250 pupils from across the primary and secondary schools within the Trust and the Windmill Federation.
“The annual event is a traditional Christmas Carol Service with a selection of readings, a blessing from Canon Mark Dimond from the Minster, and also communal carols, as well as each group of schools performing a song on their own,” said Robin Norman, who is Director of Music at WNAT.
“This is the fourth time we have run this event, and it was my ‘brainchild’ to bring a more traditional feel to an event in the town,” he continued. “One that could bring together all of our schools, our parents, and the local community in general – something that would become magical and truly give the Christmas Spirit.
“We started with around 250 in the congregation for the first one in 2022, and this year there was ‘standing room only’, so I am absolutely thrilled how it has grown.”
Participating primary schools included WNAT members Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Infant, 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 Federation; while the WNAT high schools taking part were Marshland, St Clements, Smithdon, and Springwood.
“Many members of staff have been involved in the organisation, but a particular thanks to Emma Pearman in the Admin Team for her work on the logistics,” added Mr Norman.
“Also, a huge shout-out to all the teachers across all the schools who worked with the children and made it a truly memorable event. It really helps bring the community together and bring a magical start to the Christmas Season.”
