A group of pupils kicked off their summer break in high spirits, taking part in a variety of adventurous activity days designed to get them outdoors and active.
Some went to Thetford Forest and enjoyed a day on the mountain biking trails, while others completed courses in powerboating and sailing, including some advanced level modules, at Hickling Broad. They were accompanied by (mostly) blue skies and beautiful sunshine – the perfect conditions for getting outside and being active.
On Saturday 28 June 2025, we held our annual Speech Day event to celebrate the work and achievements from our 2024-25 leavers. It was an exceptionally warm day, as staff, pupils and parents gathered in our woodland amphitheatre.
Headmaster, Mr Robb, opened the ceremony, and our Heads of School, Emily M, and Albert W, presented their reports for 2024/25, after which Chairman of Governors, Paul Marriage introduced our guest speaker.
We were thrilled to welcome member of parliament and former president of the National Farmers’ Union, Baroness Batters, who went on to present pupils with prizes.
Over the last few days, pupils have been taking part in their Annual CCF Summer Field Days across our Tri-Service Contingent (Army, Navy, RAF).
Our CCF Cadets were lucky enough to have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities including Live Firing at Robertson Army Barracks in Swanton Morley, Overnight Patrol Exercise at Muckleburgh, Open Water Sailing at Hickling Broad, and an Adventure Training package at the Mike Thurston Centre – to name but a few.
These Field Days offered a fantastic opportunity for pupils to get out and exercise the skills that they have been learning all year.
None of this would happen without the dedicated work of our CCF Contingent Commander and his extensive CCF team, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the pupils have the absolute best experiences possible.
A huge well done to all who took part in this truly fantastic event.
Four Year 12 pupils from the Senior School are currently on a mega fundraising mission to raise £10,000 for Cancer Research UK.
Close friends, Seb W, James C-M, Dougie L and Tamim R have all seen loved ones affected by cancer. More recently, Seb’s father was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer which has spread to his spine, inspiring the boys to group together to show their support.
The group, branding themselves as ‘banter not cancer’, have been taking part in a series of forfeits. From shaving their heads (in solidarity with Seb’s dad during his chemo treatment) and ice bucket challenges to the ultimate goal of a 45K ultra marathon along the Norfolk coast, documenting each challenge on their dedicated social media channels.
So far, they have managed to raise a whopping £8,075 and continue to push forward. The boys have put in a tremendous effort and are welcoming any support for this important cause.
If you would like to donate, please click here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/banternotcancer
Gresham’s was proud to send two teams in support of Break Charity’s annual clay shooting event, ‘Breaking Clays’. This year, the event was held in the beautiful grounds of Kimberley Hall. The Senior team was made up of Edgar A , Jack K, Alf S and Toby A. The Junior team was made up of Alec A, James B, Harry L and Max C.
The teams shot a total of 8 stands of 80 ‘birds’ that were presented as a ‘flush’. The 8 different stands were varied and challenging. There were more than twenty adult teams who had entered, with Gresham’s being the only school teams.
On arrival, pupils enjoyed a Bacon roll, followed by the safety briefing. During the morning around 40,000 cartridges are fired in around three hours of shooting; there were some bruised shoulders by the end of it!
When the shooting was over, there was a fantastic lunch provided in the marquee, followed by some games and auctions to raise money for Break’s valuable charity work.
The Senior team scored a total of 528 / 640 clays, only about 40 clays short of the seasoned adult team who won the competition. The Junior team demonstrated great promise with a score of 488.
Thanks go to Break charity for an amazing day and to all the teams who entered for making our pupils feel so welcome throughout the whole day. It was great to see several OG’s shooting too.
We were delighted to welcome Ed Boase and Rosie Frecker from the One Day Film School to Gresham’s. Year 9 pupils were fully immersed in the world of filmmaking, working collaboratively to create their own short films with expert, step-by-step guidance.
In the morning, they learned the essentials:
Then it was time for the 10 Shot Challenge: pupils worked in groups to create silent (with music) films of up to 2 minutes based on a classic narrative (eg. ’Someone is kidnapped, an attempted rescue’).
Then it was time for the Oscars: the judges (Young Film Academy representatives) took their seats for the world premiere of pupils’ films, and to decide who would win Best Motion Picture, Best Performance and Best Technical Achievement.
Congratulations to the winners:
Best Motion Picture: “Together, Forever?”
Best Performance: Esme, “Double Jeopardy”
Best Technical Achievement: “Capturing the Crown”
“Together, Forever?” will be eligible for the 2025 10 Shot Film Awards (Years 7-9) which recognises filmmaking excellence in 150+ leading UK schools. The judging panel is headed by Robin Kinsey, Vice President Marketing, Walt Disney Studios EMEA & UK – Marvel, Lucasfilm & 20th Century Studios. Nominations will be announced in November.
Recently, our A Level Biology, IB Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS), and IB Biology pupils embarked on an exciting field trip to West Runton to investigate the fascinating ecology of local rock pools. This hands-on experience provided an excellent opportunity for pupils to deepen their understanding of marine biodiversity and ecological survey techniques.
The primary focus of the trip was to study the rich variety of life inhabiting the rock pools. Pupils began by identifying a diverse range of species observed during the excursion. Notable fauna included beadlet anemones, crabs, shrimp, gobies, sand eels, limpets, barnacles, among many others.
Following the animal identification, attention shifted to the marine flora, particularly the various species of seaweed present. Pupils carried out systematic sampling using transect lines placed at different heights up the shore. This method allowed them to examine whether the distribution of seaweed species correlated with their position relative to the tide line, offering insights into zonation patterns and environmental gradients within the rock pool ecosystem.
Back in the classroom, pupils analysed the collected data to identify trends and ecological relationships. They applied their findings by constructing kite diagrams, a visual tool that effectively represents species distribution and abundance along the transects. This exercise reinforced data interpretation skills and provided a meaningful connection between field observations and theoretical ecological concepts.
The British Biology Challenge is a national academic Biology competition organised by the Royal Society of Biology. Over 42000 pupils took part in this, including 19 of our own pupils, who gave up their own time to complete the two online exams required for this competition.
Very well done to Isabelle L, Alessandro M, Sophie J, Jack M, Johnnie O, Isaac B and Xander B who were all ‘Commended’ or ‘Highly Commended’ for their results.
Congratulations go to Emilio H, Alex H, Aydan M, Agnes L, Elsie S, Lucy C, Tristan B and Amir R for getting a Bronze award, meaning they were in the top 30% of the 42000 pupils who took part.
Megan O, Myles D and Morgana M were given a Silver award for finishing in the top 15%. This is a fantastic achievement, especially as the competition is for up to Year 11 and they are all in Year 10. They should be hugely proud of this result.
Congratulations to everyone who took part.
Last week, Year 9 pupils battled it out in the Translation Bee class competitions, racing against the clock to earn a spot in the grand final. With just one minute on the clock, participants strived to translate as many sentences as possible, out loud, in either French or Spanish. The top performers will then take the stage at Fishmongers’ Recital Hall.
A huge congratulations go to Sophie J, winner of the Spanish competition and to Amelie S, winner of the French competition.
This year’s Year 9 Inter-House Debating Competition came to a fitting finale with an excellent Grand Final held in Chapel on Monday evening.
Two very talented teams faced each other in debating the motion This House would rather be Pope than President of the USA.
Woodlands – Albert L, Albert P and Bertie B – proposed the motion and they were opposed by Tallis – Lewis H, Arlo G and Olly M.
The two teams clashed over which position was the better institution from which to provide a moral compass and deliver change and impact on people’s lives. Both teams dealt brilliantly with many challenging questions from the floor, including some put by pupils from our Prep School.
The result was very close but Tallis just edged home against a very promising Woodlands team and therefore lifted the Carolyn Thomas Trophy.
Well done to all those Year 9 pupils who have participated in this year’s competition and particularly to Howson’s and Queens’ who both reached the semi-final stage.
