The annual School versus Old Greshamian small-bore target rifle match recently took place at Gresham’s. Traditionally, the match has been held on Winfarthing Rifle Range, in Suffolk, but this year, it was decided that the event would take place on the Gresham’s School Range. A total of thirty-five people competed, and for the first time in many years, both the School and the OGs were able to field two teams of eight for the match.

Within the match, each individual shoots two 10-bull deliberate cards to give the team a total out of a possible 1,600 points. The ‘A’ team’s match was a very close contest, with the School scoring a strong 1,542 points, just five points behind the OGs’ 1,547 points. 

Although the OG team have won this match for the past four years, the School team didn’t make it easy for them this year. The top shot on the day was from Ilana B, who scored a fantastic 199 out of 200. The top OG shot was by Ben D, who scored an impressive 198, having not shot a small-bore rifle since he left school five years ago. 

In the ‘B’ Team’s match, the OGs had a slightly more comfortable victory, by 26 points, against our younger School team. The top shot was Bertie B, who scored an impressive 195 out of 200. Matt F was top shot for the OG team, with a 193.

We also ran a Rapid competition, in which each competitor had just 90 seconds to fire 10 scoring shots. With so little time available, there is barely a moment for anything other than focusing on getting the best ten shots away as quickly as possible. Many shooters struggle simply to complete the course of fire, let alone achieve a strong score. That was not the case for Bertie B, who not only completed his shoot but also recorded his first-ever perfect score of 100. An impressive achievement!

The day ended with a debrief and an enjoyable Sunday roast for the OG team at The Feathers.

Year 10 historians studying Medicine Through Time as part of their GCSE History course were able to explore the impact of the printing press in the Renaissance period by visiting the School Archive.

They journeyed to the basement under the Library to explore the Foundation Library, which dates back to the time of Headmaster Thomas Tallis. Pupils were able to handle books dating back to the 1530s and received a memorable insight into the difference that the printing press made to the transmission of knowledge.

On Wednesday afternoon, our Year 12 and 13 A level historians studying the Wars of the Roses were fortunate enough to be addressed by Andy Johnson, a former Gresham’s parent, who has recently published a book entitled ‘York versus Lancaster: The Battles and History of the Wars of the Roses’.

Mr Johnson explored the origins of the conflict and explained how recent scholarship is challenging the traditional explanations of battles such as St Albans I, Wakefield and Towton. His Q & A session followed, exploring all aspects of the conflict through to the 1460s.

We were delighted to welcome OG, Kaff Booty, to speak to our Year 13 pupils as part of their Academic Enrichment series. Kaff delivered an engaging and highly informative session on the subject of tax.

Kaff provided pupils with a clear and accessible overview of the history of taxation, exploring why tax exists and the vital role it plays in funding public services. The talk helped demystify a topic that can often feel complex or intimidating, breaking it down into real-world examples that were directly relevant to pupils as they prepare for life beyond school.

Overall, the talk was both insightful and highly beneficial, equipping our Year 13 pupils with a stronger understanding of the tax system and greater confidence in managing their future finances.

We were delighted to welcome Old Greshamian Beth Dunk to deliver an inspiring Chapel talk on her journey into Pharmacy. Beth demonstrated that STEAM is far broader than engineering, highlighting the dynamic and evolving pathways available across pharmacy.

She shared her personal story of resilience after missing out on her first degree path, explaining how resilience and perseverance enabled her to re-sit, redirect and ultimately achieve First-Class Honours. Her message was clear and motivating: a setback is not the end—keep going, stay open to new possibilities, and success will follow.

Last week, our Year 13 BTEC Business class were warmly welcomed by Sponge in Holt for an inside look at the company’s Marketing and Production functions.

The visit was led by Mark Joll (OG 1982–1991 (T)) and Marketing Director Natalie Douglas. Ahead of the trip, pupils researched the business and its recent successes, including Sponge’s gold medal at Britain’s Best Cake 2025 for its vegan chocolate caramel fudge cake.

After sharing a brief history, Mark and Natalie outlined Sponge’s business and marketing aims before taking pupils on a tour of the bakery. A group discussion followed, focusing on recent marketing developments, particularly the move toward greater product personalisation for gifting. The standout innovation was a new QR-code feature that lets gift senders upload personalised video messages, an idea pupils hope to reference in their external exam in January. The visit came at a great time, as it provided real-world insight for this upcoming assessment that requires pupils to create a full marketing plan based on a case study released just 24 hours before the exam.

Pupils were fascinated by the state-of-the-art production facilities, watching cakes and brownies move from mixing to packing and postal dispatch. They were struck by the rigorous separation of gluten-free production to maintain Coeliac UK accreditation.

It was hard not to build up an appetite during the tour, with so many delicious sights and smells. All were particularly delighted with the Legends Brownie Box they each received, printed off in a customised Gresham’s box, thanking them for the visit!

We are extremely grateful to Sponge and their team for such a warm welcome, and especially to Mark and Natalie for providing a truly valuable and inspiring visit.

On Tuesday evening, the History Society was treated to a stimulating lecture on the topic of ‘The Black Prince and the Terrors of Chivalry’ delivered by Professor David Green of Harlaxton College, University of Evansville.

David was a pupil in Tallis between 1983 and 1988 and was making a return to his old school for the first time in several decades. His lecture explored the origins, significance and demise of chivalry with the help of primary sources and written manuscripts from the medieval period.

A packed house of A level and IB historians witnessed a very special evening and asked several pertinent questions about chivalry. Thank you Professor Green for journeying out to Norfolk and hope he will visit again soon.