The current year 10 pupils in the German GCSE group include Evie M, Hector B, Ulysses O and Hen C. They enjoyed a typical German breakfast with German dark rye bread, salami, gherkins, Emmentaler cheese and some Lebkuchen washed down with a slug of Erdinger non alcoholic beer, which is an isotonic drink and highly regarded in Switzerland as part of a healthy eating regime. The opportunity to taste the culinary delights of the country whose language they are learning, helps to bring the culture and quite literally the ‘tastes’ of the language closer to the pupils through their senses.
On Thursday 28th September, the U14 rugby team travelled to Langley for the County Cup. They played Wymondham first, and in a physical encounter ran out 21-7 winners, with tries from Sam T, Elliott A and Henry K. They then put in an even stronger performance against Langley, recording a 24-0 victory with a hat trick of tries for Henry K, Henry R and Henry P, with Roland W capping off a fine display. Captain, Sam T lifted the U14 County Cup, which Gresham’s has not managed to win since 1994!
Eduvie helped us to mark the beginning of Black History Month in Chapel this week by delivering a brilliant talk on Nigerian history which was inspired by his Grandfather.
We welcomed Old Greshamian Irenosen Okojie, Nigerian born English writer back to Gresham’s as part of Black History Month.
Irenosen visited the Prep School where she was a pupil for 6 years; embracing the dual culture and the introduction to the books of Roald Dahl.
Irenosen talked to the Year 13 pupils in a Q&A discussion with Year 12 pupil, Mojuba, from Nigeria.
The platform of this discussion gave opportunity for both to give further depth and insight to the richness of embracing dual culture and people; the authors that have inspired and influenced Irenosen’s writing and her positivity in embracing the dual culture together with the superb inclusion and diversity of teaching and culture that the Gresham’s education gives its pupils.
It was wonderful to welcome OG Tom Youngs back to Chapel for our Michaelmas Day celebration. The service began with our heavenly trumpeters filling the building with wonderful music, playing above the heads of the congregation from the West Window. Our pupils then asked Tom questions about his career in professional Rugby, life in farming and his time at Gresham’s.
Gresham’s History Department was lucky enough to be involved in some outreach work with Year 6 pupils in Great Yarmouth in partnership with IntoUniversity in late September. Head of History, Simon Kinder, journeyed out to Great Yarmouth and spent two hours with a group of local schoolchildren. In a two-hour session, the pupils explored the origins of the Cold War and its major flashpoints. They also reviewed 600 years of medical change in just twenty minutes, identifying six key turning points. The pupils showed impressive concentration and engagement and the group contained many budding historians. At the end of a week of activities, they had a graduation ceremony at the University of East Anglia.
Patrick is a former professional cricketer, insurance broker and independent schoolteacher whose life was torn to shreds by his pathological gambling addiction. Despite his idyllic upbringing and incredible success as a youngster, Patrick’s life became monopolised by gambling from his university days onwards as he found making the transition from playing sport and into the real world a huge challenge. His gambling addiction brought him to the verge of taking his own life in March 2018.
Patrick delivered a powerful message to our sixth form, staff and parents not just about gambling but about addiction and the wider issues of not acknowledging or accepting help for mental health problems.
On Tuesday 19th September Year 12 and Year 10 GCSE Drama pupils had a workshop with Paperbirds Theatre Company. The company have become hugely influential with their powerful and thought provoking productions and their generous approach to sharing their highly accessible theatrical toolkit which they use for creating original theatre. Over the two hours pupils were given a 5 point approach to the devising process.
W H Auden attended Gresham’s from 1920-1925 and 29th September marks the 50th Anniversary of his death. He was a leading poet of his generation and having collaborated with another OG and friend Benjamin Britten during their lifetimes it was only fitting the school should acknowledge him. A Special Evensong on Thursday 21st September in the full candle-lit Chapel where both Auden and Britten would spend many hours, included poems written by Auden. Stop all the Clocks and O Tell me the Truth about Love, were eloquently read by boys from Auden’s boarding House, Farfield and the choir sang Hymn to St Cecilia, Britten’s lyrical yet challenging setting of Auden beautiful poem honouring the patron saint of music and musicians. Former teacher Steve Benson delivered the address recounting the life of Auden.
Last year our pupils raised an amazing £23,486 for our main charity partner the Holt Youth Project. The pupils, involved in the school’s Charity Committee, worked hard throughout the academic year to raise money through a variety of innovative activities and events. On Wednesday 20th September Julie Alford, HYP Founder, joined the Senior School in Chapel to thank them for their donation and to share some of the wonderful and moving work the project has been involved in over the summer.
