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.  

Gresham’s second annual Diversity Day, organised by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team, was celebrated in even more style this year, with pupils showcasing aspects of their identities of which they are proud of. Organised to coincide with Pride month, pupils were invited to showcase something about themselves by ‘dressing to express’. Outfits ranged from national dress – German, Dutch, Indian and German, Native Canadian, American and Thai –  to LGBT+ colours, favourite band t-shirts, favourite hobbies, including sports, cooking and crafts, music genres, through to dressing as your favourite animal. Slogans were used to educate too: notably, a t-shirt emblazoned ‘Autism: seeing the world through a different angle’.

The celebrations continued into breaktime with a tea party of colourful cakes and drinks. Pupils came along and discussed their outfits and explained the meaning behind their clothes and why this aspect of themselves was one they wanted to express today. Then at lunchtime, we were all treated to a fantastic jazz concert in the CFB, orchestrated by Benny and Timo and their talented band, designed to showcase a diverse range of music from around the world.

In the morning, we also had a fantastic Chapel talk by Mr O’Donnell, who shared insights from his American heritage. His talk marked the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolutionary Wars and offered an engaging and educational perspective on this significant moment in history.

On Sunday 15th June, a team of around eighteen Gresham’s pupils and staff took on the North Norfolk Coastal Challenge Walk to raise money for the Holt Youth Project.

In previous years, we’ve completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks and the National Three Peaks challenges. This year, we chose a local route to make the event more accessible and to encourage broader participation.

We departed school by minibus at 4:00am and headed to Hunstanton to begin the walk at sunrise. From there, we walked east along the coastal path throughout the day. It was a tough day, particularly the 6km shingle section from Cley to Weybourne after 13 hours of walking. 

Every pupil who took part put in an amazing effort and should be very proud of this achievement.

There is still time to donate using the link below: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/north-norfolk-coastal-challenge-walk

Year 12 Religious Studies and Philosophy pupils enjoyed a morning at the Padmaloka Buddhist Retreat centre on Thursday as part of an experience designed to enhance their understanding of Buddhism. They were given an insight into Buddhist ritual practice in a highly decorative shrine room before spending time immersing themselves in the artistic representations and their symbolism. Then, they had a Q&A session, putting questions to their Buddhist hosts covering topics of ethics, philosophical ideas and the role of Buddhism, both in their lives and in the wider world.

This was an informative and engaging day, which provided an excellent opportunity to see something of Buddhism outside of the classroom setting.

The Year 9 Drama department recently held an impressive showcase, marking the culmination of a year-long journey exploring acting and design skills. Pupils worked in small theatre companies, each producing either a scene from a classic play or an original devised drama piece.

Pupils chose to focus on different areas of theatre production, including acting, set design, costume, sound, and lighting. This collaborative approach ensured every pupil contributed to bringing their performances to life.

The event was an amazing celebration of live theatre, highlighting both the creative talents and teamwork of the Year 9 cohort.

We recently welcomed Craig Anderson, a retired farmer and water irrigation engineer from New South Wales, Australia, to Gresham’s. Craig met with current Sixth Form leavers Jack K, Will R, and Toby A to discuss exciting farming work placement opportunities in NSW.

This enriching encounter not only broadened the pupils’ horizons but also highlighted the power of global networking and the practical support offered by the Careers Department in preparing pupils for life beyond school.