Inspire Magazine

INSPIRE MAGAZINE

01 AUTUMN/WINTER

Proudly committed to transforming education in the East of England.

WELCOME

Hello! Welcome to the first edition of our brand new Inspire Magazine, where we will be recapping on all the brilliant things that have happened in Autumn Term 1, Autumn Term 2 and Spring Term 1 across our trust and the schools we very proudly sponsor.

At the start of this academic year we made our Eco-Commitment in support of the Department of Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, pledging to reduce our energy consumption by 20% across the entirety of our trust. I am delighted to say we are currently hitting this target and I am so proud of how our staff and students have embraced this, driving this change through the implementation of a number of forward-thinking initiatives.

We’ve also been lucky enough to witness a number of sell-out performances, with our students performing everything from ‘Annie’ and ‘Matilda’, through to ‘Sister Act’ and ‘We Will Rock You’, as well as us hosting our first in-person Carol Service since Covid.

It has also been a year of growth; we’ve continued championing music and sport with the number of pupil premium students taking up music tuition rising by over 150% and the number of trust-wide sporting events increasing from six to nine!

Our trust has grown too! In September we opened the doors to our brand new sixth form - Sir Isaac Newton East, based at the brilliant Great Yarmouth Charter Academy and we’re looking forward to its first set of A-Level results next year. Two Thetford-based schools - Diamond Academy and Queensway Infant Academy and Nursery also joined our trust - two fantastic new additions which will allow us to provide top-quality education to the children of Thetford from 3 years old right up until they are 19. Finally, we were also awarded the opportunity to open a new Free School in Cringleford, with its building works currently underway.

This growth is a testament to our excellent staff and the fantastic outcomes both they and our students have achieved, with us not only bucking trends nationally seeing Maths, Reading and Writing exceed national averages across our primaries, but our KS4 and KS5 provision being ranked in the top 10% in the country too!

I hope you can take the time to celebrate these achievements (and many others) throughout this magazine with us - we’re already looking forward to the next edition.

Best,

Gareth Stevens, CEO, Inspiration Trust

CONTENTS

04 - 31 32 - 37 38 - 53

TRUST STORIES

Exciting happenings from across our trust that include onboarding two brilliant new schools, with a third currently being built and set to open in September 2024. We also cover our EcoCommittment to reduce energy consumption by 20%, celebrate 4 years of the Angles Maths Hub, and cover all the amazing productions, community activities and lovely stories in between.

SHINING A SPOTLIGHT SCHOOL STORIES

This edition we are shining a spotlight on two initiatives close to our heart - our sports provision and well-thought out trustwide sport competitions, as well as our fantastic Music Matters campaign that sees us championing the importance of music education within a child’s life.

A SHINY NEW SCHOOL COMES ONBOARD: Diamond Academy joins Inspiration Trust

Back in January, Diamond Academy became the 16th school to join our trust.

The primary school, based in Thetford, is not too far from one of our other trust schools - Thetford Academy. Diamond Academy is a two form entry primary that caters for around 200 children aged 7-11.

Inspiration Trust’s very own Heather Denny stepped into the role of Principal and with the support of all the brilliant teachers and support staff at the school, a number of positive changes have been made in the first half term alone.

Together, the school has already begun to deliver its new behaviour curriculum, aptly named ‘The Diamond Way’ which runs alongside a new rewards system - both of which have already received lots of positive feedback.

The school has also started its journey with UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools, which has seen Diamond Academy introduce weekly lessons on the conventions on the rights of a child. These sessions help pupils develop oracy and vocabulary as well as support in embedding values and setting the students up to lead happy, healthy lives.

A fantastic start to this gem of a school’s Inspiration Trust story!

A ROYAL WELCOME FOR QUEENSWAY INFANT ACADEMY AND NURSERY

Inspiration Trust is pleased to announce that on 1st May 2023 yet another Thetford school - Queensway Infant Academy and Nursery joined its roster of academies.

Having recently onboarded the adjoining junior school - Diamond Academy, just a few months prior, this expansion is wonderful news for all the children of Thetford who will be able to receive an exceptional education from 3 years old right up until they are 19, with Inspiration Trust’s secondary school, Thetford Academy and adjoining sixth form, Thomas Paine Sixth Form both close by.

We believe all children are entitled to a high-quality education and our vision is to ensure all pupils have solid foundations in reading, writing and numeracy. We help children develop their physical and emotional maturity in order for them to be prepared to take their next steps into Diamond Academy junior school.

We are delighted to have been awarded the opportunity to offer the children of Thetford a continuous curriculum

that will cover a range of academic opportunities as well as trips, events and outdoor learning.

Leading a group of schools that spans the life cycle of school life from nursery right through to sixth form also allows children to experience a smoother transition throughout the various stages of education.

Queensway Infant Academy and Nursery is the 17th school to join our ever-expanding MAT and we are incredibly proud to lead yet another school within the beautiful area of Thetford.

THE PERFECT PARTNERSHIP.

Inspiration Trust becomes the first Teaching School Hub in Norfolk to be an associate college for the National Institute of Teaching

Inspiration Trust is excited to announce that it has been identified as a school group with a strong track record and the capacity and expertise required to deepen the impact of the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) in our region.

As a school-led organisation, the NIoT has established itself as England’s new flagship teacher and leader training and development provider and our new partnership will support in delivering high-quality professional development across the full suite of ‘Golden Thread’ programmes, supporting teachers and leaders throughout their entire career.

The National Institute of Teaching seeks to boost the quality of teaching and school leadership by carrying out exciting research and applying these insights into its professional development programmes, which they then share with the education sector. We are extremely excited to be part of this.

We are really excited about our partnership with the NIoT as we know that teacher quality is one of the most significant factors in determining outcomes for children. We are positive that with this new partnership, we will be able to strengthen our existing offer, whilst also bolstering our recruitment and retention efforts in our region.

CARMEL GREENE, DIRECTOR OF INSPIRATION TEACHING SCHOOL HUB

CREATING INCREDIBLE TEACHERS OF THE FUTURE!

Inspiration Teaching School Hub’s delivery of Early Year Framework is recognised for its excellence

Delivery of the Early Career Framework (ECF) is a key component of the Department of Education’s ‘Golden Thread’, ensuring that teachers are supported to develop their practice in the first two years after obtaining Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Inspiration Teaching School Hub’s success in delivering the ECF as a delivery partner with Ambition Institute has been noted by Ambition’s Director of ECF delivery. Following a QA visit to an ECF conference, Carly Waterman commented on the “really highquality provision [which is] obvious from the very start”.

This excellent provision is further attested to in the feedback that participants have shared through the Hub’s feedback channels.

We have already established ourselves as a strong regional provider for the Early Career Framework, offering our expertise to support schools and participants on the programme. We look forward to expanding our support further as we transition into becoming an Appropriate Body.

The progress of these Early Career Teachers, and, in turn the pupils they teach, is at the heart of everything we do.

PAUL USHER, LEAD ON THE ECF

The following is feedback from our second ECT Conference on Adaptive Teaching and highlights the impact that the implementation of ECF is having in schools.

• 100% participants agreed that the facilitators showed good knowledge and expertise

• 100% participants agreed the session will help support improved practice in their school

SIR ISAAC NEWTON EAST

SIXTH FORM OPENS ITS DOORS.

Yarmouth Charter Academy

Residing on the grounds of our oversubscribed Great Yarmouth Charter Academy, Sir Isaac Newton East Sixth Form opened its doors in September 2022, welcoming in its first cohort of Year 12 students.

The brand new sixth form, which is modelled on our Ofsted Outstanding Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form in Norwich (ranked 7th best sixth form in the country) offers a wide range of A-Level courses, including: Physics, Computer Science, Geography, Art and Design, Psychology, Government and Politics, Philosophy, English Literature, Mathematics, Chemistry and much, much more.

The sixth form, which is headed up by Farai Chininga, focuses on academic excellence and has been formed to offer the young people of the east coast personalised, high-quality teaching.

Through partnering with the University of Cambridge and the UEA, it is able to offer the best career advice, as well as opportunities to attend the best university courses and apprenticeships.

Farai and everyone at SIN East is committed to ensuring students get all the support they need in order to achieve the best possible results, and have a dedicated team of support staff to ensure sixth formers make informed decisions about their careers.

The apple doesn’t fall too far from Great

INSPIRATION TRUST WINS BID TO OPEN NEW FREE SCHOOL IN CRINGLEFORD

We are extremely pleased to announce that Inspiration Trust has been successful in its bid to open the new Free School in Cringleford.

The school, situated off Colney Lane on the edge of Norwich, will be the second primary school in the area and will cater for children aged 4-11 years.

With a focus on academic excellence, sport, music, outdoor learning and the arts, the primary school will be the 18th school to join our trust and will be located in the catchment area of the county’s best secondary school - the Ofsted Outstanding, Hethersett Academy - also part of Inspiration Trust.

Proudly committed to improving the standards of education in the East of England, we have recently seen our current group of primary schools buck national trends, with outcomes in Reading, Writing and Maths all increasing, despite a UK-wide decline.

Our nationally-recognised curriculum will continue to be offered alongside quality enrichment opportunities that include trust-wide sports competitions, a pledge to provide every child with the chance to play an instrument, and a plethora of trips and out-of-classroom activities that span arts and culture.

Our new school in Cringleford will have a commitment to the pursuit of academic excellence, offering primary school pupils opportunities that match those afforded to those attending the very best establishments in the country.

Children will be able to shine! They will grow with confidence and resilience as they embrace new challenges. Wellbeing will be fundamental to the provision, ensuring all pupils feel safe, secure and valued as individuals. The school day will include a wealth of opportunities for sports, outdoor learning, music and the arts. There will also be an extensive extra-curricular offer to harness children’s interests and curiosity and provide wraparound care for parents.

This school is being built to support the growing Cringleford village which is currently in the midst of seeing around 1,300 new homes being erected. It will span two storeys and cater for up to 420 children. The school will have external hard and soft surfaced outdoor play areas allowing the pupils and teachers to embrace outdoor learning.

The new school is being funded and built as part of the county council’s Schools’ Capital Programme, which ensures sufficiency of school places in growing communities across Norfolk. The school aims to open in September 2024 and we are so excited to be able to contribute towards the brilliant Cringleford community.

The Angles Maths Hub, headed up and led by our Director of Maths, Nicola Coe, has been running a collaborative Work Group for Maths and Science teachers across Norfolk and Suffolk for the last four years.

It has been highly successful and has generated interest nationwide across twelve additional Maths Hubs, with approximately 200 participants joining in one year alone!

It has been an honour to lead likeminded teachers, on behalf of the NCETM, to investigate the benefits of working alongside crosscurricular partners. Upskilling teachers’ subject knowledge has a significant impact on their work in the classroom, ultimately improving the learning outcomes and life chances of pupils.

NICOLA COE, DIRECTOR OF MATHS

With the aim of inspiring the next generation of mathematicians and scientists, our Outreach Team came together to put on a stellar space-themed event that was open to students across all of Norfolk.

In honour of Maths Week 2022, our incredible Outreach Team wanted to do something big and brilliant to help all the children of Norfolk celebrate their love of Maths, Science and all things space.

As hosts of a monumental two-day event, we saw children and families from more than 20 different Norfolk schools attend to take part in a range of themed activities that included origami master-classes, alien times-table games, maths challenges and life-sized space battleships. There was even a talk on planets from real-life astronauts!

INSPIRATION FOR THE NATION!

Angles Maths Hub celebrates four years of creating excellence with Maths and Science teachers across the nation

A MATHS WEEK THAT WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD

Aligning with Angles Maths Hub’s core value of ‘sharing excellent practice for the benefit of all teachers and pupils, the programme is designed to promote cross-curricular collaboration, a key element in developing a coherent approach to the teaching and learning of Mathematics. Developed from an idea that emerged within a single classroom of 30 pupils, the programme has been refined and developed and has positively impacted more than 1500 pupils across England!

Current and previous course participants have highlighted the importance of “seeing Maths in the context of the wider curriculum”, particularly from a student’s perspective. The Work Group’s content has developed teachers’ Maths and Science subject knowledge through mutual understanding of different curricular areas.

This has enabled teachers to codevelop learning approaches and schemes of work that consider the coherence of Mathematical concepts between subjects - in turn improving pupil understanding.

Evidence of the programme’s success is evident in the collaborative links developed between individual Maths Hubs and their respective Science Learning Partnerships (who jointly run the Work Groups), in addition to feedback from attending teachers.

The success of the Angles Maths Hub‘s Maths and Science Programme has been recognised by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM), and a national version has been available since September 2022 for all interested schools in England that follow a Mastery Programme with the NCETM.

A SOARING SUCCESS! Phoenix Group’s social action brings new life to Hewett Academy’s muchloved theatre

A big thank you goes out to Hewett Academy’s brilliant ‘Friends of’ Group and one of Norwich’s leading insurance firms - the Phoenix Group, who volunteered hours of their time to bring Hewett Academy’s much-loved theatre back to life.

Based in Norwich’s City Centre, the Phoenix Group came forward to help staff and students at the Hewett Academy clear out and start the process of renovating the iconic theatre. The wonderful volunteers took the time to organise the recycling and empty the theatre spaces below the school, ensuring it was ready for redecorating allowing it to be used again by both the public and the academy’s Performing Arts students.

Principal Antony Little is extremely grateful to the 14 volunteers who gave their time to make this happen, as he is with the school’s fantastic ‘Friends of Hewett Academy’ Group who are always so supportive and turned the suggestion of working with volunteers into a reality.

The Phoenix Group is just as delighted to have been able to help, with Celia Boyle explaining, “Phoenix is a company with offices in many locations. However, every staff member is encouraged to support their local community through volunteering.

Supporting the Hewett Academy was a great break from office work that will hopefully benefit many students”.

Hewett Academy is so thankful to everyone who has been involved and they cannot wait to start using the space once again! Thanks to this brilliant initiative, we now have a space that we can modernise and make bright and welcoming. The backstage areas of the Walter Roy Theatre have never looked so good!

ANTONY LITTLE, PRINCIPAL OF HEWETT ACADEMY

CROWNING GLORY: Inspiration Trust schools go the extra mile to celebrate the King’s Coronation

In preparation for the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, schools across Inspiration Trust created crowns in art lessons, baked tasty treats in food technology, and even planted trees!

The Eco-Committee at Cromer Academy planted a beautiful magnolia tree to celebrate the Coronation. As King Charles III champions environmental issues, the Eco-Committee thought it would be fitting to plant the tree to mark this wonderful occasion.

At Norwich Primary Academy, the whole school community created a crown on the playground, bringing everyone together to celebrate the once in a generation event.

Hewett Academy and Stradbroke Primary Academy held a fantastic Coronation lunch with tasty cakes and treats on offer. Pupils celebrated the Coronation with flags and decorations to get everyone in high spirits.

A wonderful time was had by all!

INSPIRATION TRUST PLEDGES TO REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY 20% ACROSS THE ENTIRETY OF ITS SCHOOLS

As part of the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, Inspiration Trust has committed to reducing its energy usage by 20% to both reduce costs and help save our planet, all while helping our students understand why both of these things are so important.

Together, we are proud to say we are currently hitting this target and that a number of initiatives have been put in place to ensure we are successful in our mission to become more environmentallyfriendly.

As most of our estate’s portfolio will need retrofitting, the Estates team led by Head

of Estates, Cheryl Ward and her team, Matt Bland and Nic Hunt, have already, with the support of the Inspiration Trust Board, completed a 100% LED lighting installation across all of our schools.

The team has partnered with our energy broker to bring cultural and organisational change across our buildings, pushing for staff, students, and visitors to identify, make and demonstrate energy savings.

For example, Energy Monitoring has been, and will continue to be, at the forefront of our drive to identify areas of tactical improvement. Alongside this, Inspiration Trust uses AI-powered platforms to gather and analyse data to help drive our mission of making every building healthy (safe, warm and dry), efficient and sustainable. This data directs us to areas that require a clinical and detailed investigation across the estate.

We are delighted to say that all of our staff and students have embraced these changes, with a number of activities taking place across all of our schools to support energy reduction. Staff have been participating in CPDs to further learn how to reduce energy consumption, while schools have designated Eco-Champions and have set up student-based EcoCommittees who come together to discuss how energy can be saved, complete audits and ensure lights and appliances are turned off when not in use.

Other schools have created eco-based challenges, recording data to see which department is the most energy efficient at the end of each half term, while others are awarding students Green Eco-Tickets to acknowledge their support. Some schools have got their ‘Friends of’ Groups involved, with some even investing in thermal imaging guns to engage students in the cause even further.

And, the passion hasn’t stopped in school, many students have been working with their local communities too, planting trees and building partnerships with Green Influencers.

Everyone at Inspiration Trust is extremely proud of everything all our colleagues and students are doing across our schools to support our planet and the Department of Education’s legislative target to be Net Zero by 2050.

INSPIRING OUR PUPILS TO SAVE THE PLANET ONE STEP AT A TIME.

Three Inspiration Trust schools win Utility Aid’s Energy Saving Competition

With saving energy and the planet both core missions of Inspiration Trust, we were thrilled to see three of our schools named as winners of Utility Aid’s Energy Saving Art Competition back in March.

Students from across our trust submitted posters to Utility Aid to demonstrate the importance of being eco-friendly and why we need to look after our planet. This is something we all feel very strongly about, with a number of initiatives being put into place across all of our schools to aid us in being successful in this mission.

Utility Aid confirmed that the standard of entries was extremely high and selecting just three lucky winners was not an easy task for the company’s Commercial Director, William Campbell. But, after much deliberation, the lucky winners were announced to be:

Frank Olson (Year 7, Hethersett Academy) was awarded third place and received a £50 gift voucher while being thrilled to hear that the academy plans to have copies of his poster put up around the school to remind pupils and staff to save energy every day. Ms Diver, Principal, was delighted that Frank’s poster had been chosen and said: “Frank is such an asset to our school community and is a shining example to others”.

Frank hopes that his poster will “inspire others to think about the energy they’re using, because everyone can make a real difference”.

Second place was awarded to Bella Leonard (Year 8, East Point Academy). Bella was over the moon to have come second place and said her reason for choosing an emotive image of polar bears was because she felt it was important to “make people think about the impact we are having on nature from the decisions we make every day”.

As a result of her excellent efforts, Bella has been asked to join the school’s flourishing Eco-committee, to which she excitedly accepted.

Finally, first place went to Demi Sadler (Year 11, Thetford Academy). Demi won a £100 gift voucher for her unique and creative poster which impressively brought two characters, Lux and Blight to life. The school is planning to make these characters their ‘energy mascots’, a decision which Demi is rightfully very proud of.

Demi feels very passionate about climate issues and similar to Bella, has now been asked to join the school’s Eco-Committee as a leader!

Bernadette Fowler, School Project Manager at Utility Aid had the pleasure of presenting the prizes and said how impressed she was with the artwork created. Bernadette said:

“[I was] even more impressed with the tangible passion and determination of the students I met to make a real difference… they are our future after all, and it certainly is in good hands”.

[I was] overjoyed to see how much the competition had inspired so many young people to think about the energy we use and the impact we can have on our environment.

RUAIRE GLACKIN, HEAD OF NET ZERO AT UTILITY AID

HEATHER DENNY, Principal, Diamond Academy

Heather is a real force for promoting diversity. You only have to walk around Norwich Primary Academy - the school at which she was previously Vice Principal (now Principal at Diamond Academy) to see the impact of her work. She has a fascinating work history, starting her career in the visual arts industry in London before moving into Art in High Schools.

Heather then secured an Assistant Principal position at Thetford Academy before moving into a Vice Principal role and is now Principal at Diamond Academy. Heather has been instrumental in establishing an inclusive culture in our schools and she fully deserves the spotlight being shone on her.

INTERNATIONAL WOMENS

Shining a light on inspirational women

JANE DIVER, Principal, Hethersett Academy

Jane is simply an excellent leader - one of those people who is unassuming and quietly works very hard to achieve the best for her students. Her recent Outstanding Ofsted and the incredible outcomes she achieved in the summer show the impact of her work. Jane is someone who embodies everything that is great about our trust.

INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY

on some of the women in our Trust

EMMA STEVENSON, Safeguarding Lead, Cobholm Primary Academy

Emma is an incredible Safeguarding Lead and Parent Support Advisor working within one of our primary schoolsCobholm Primary Academy. Emma is an extremely incredible individual who makes a considerable personal commitment to the children, families and staff at her school and has her feet firmly in the community. Emma is a true driving force behind much of the community engagement in the school’s local area, a real team player who is passionate about giving all children a voice and supporting families when they need it the most.

TRACEY DERRY, Safeguarding Lead, Great Yarmouth Charter Academy

For over ten years Tracey has been a vital part of the Great Yarmouth Charter community, providing help, support and guidance to pupils, staff and families in her role as Safeguarding Lead. Tenacious and driven, Tracey makes sure all children have the best chance of success. Tracey is truly inspirational, supporting DSLs and Safeguarding Leads both within the trust and within other secondary and primary schools in Yarmouth and Norfolk. For years she would give up her own time during school holidays to provide support for the most vulnerable pupils and has been like one of the emergency services; on call whenever she has been needed no matter what time of day or night. If you cut Tracey in half like a stick of rock from one of the shops on the Yarmouth seafront you would see the words community, caring, relentless and Charter.

HEATHER DENNY

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

International Women’s Day provides dedicated time to focus on celebrating women’s achievements, raise awareness about discrimination and take action to drive gender parity.

What is your proudest achievement while working in schools?

The biggest thing I have proudly achieved is to be a mother as well as a leaderwhich is no easy task! Being a parent has made me a better teacher because it has given me a deeper understanding of what parents care about, what their daily challenges are and what a complex job it can be!

The Inspiration Trust has a plethora of female leaders in positions of influence that serve as great role models. They are so inspirational, and many have inspired me to realise that leadership and motherhood can go hand in hand.

By working in an environment where equality and diversity is valued it has helped our workplace to generate broader societal impacts on pay equity, changing workplace policies in ways that benefit both men and women, and attract a more diverse workforce.

Which women inspire you and why?

Frida Kahlo has been an inspiration to me since childhood. Her strength to overcome her obstacles and to aid women in their journey to defy stereotypes by making a lasting impact on our world makes her a truly inspiring figure.

Her determination to come out on top despite her severe circumstances demonstrated Kahlo’s tough mentality. In her era, women were treated as less than men, but even in a male dominated field, Kahlo asserted her position as a famed artist.

Her famous unibrow was a choice that she was very aware of. It symbolised Kahlo’s boldness. She was not afraid of the opinions of others, because she was strong. Kahlo had a confidence that I desire to have myself.

She broke societal expectations, just by simply being her true self. Not caring for the opinions of others, this empowered me and continues to do so today.

Her passion and commitment to the art she created along with her drive to create and make the world better for other people displays Frida Kahlo’s true heroism.

Which women inspire you and why?

Malala Yousafzai is the fearless young lady who risked her own life to promote what she felt was right. Malala was shot after refusing to adhere to the ban on education from the local Taliban in Pakistan. She went on to tell her story of inner courage and need to make change not for herself but for a whole community of young women.

What is your proudest achievement while working in schools?

I think the overall progress I have made; I started as an MSA over twenty years ago, worked and studied hard, volunteered at every opportunity trying to gain experience all alongside bringing up my son on my own. I wanted to evidence to my son that you can do anything in life you want to but it takes hard work and commitment.

I am also proud of the difference we have made to people’s lives. I think of the many families whose lives have been changed for the better by initiating processes and conversations, or how simply that time has made a difference either by helping them feel safe or reduce their feelings of sadness and worry. A specific case would undermine the impact of the many.

What made you want to work in schools?

I felt my own early adult experiences made me reflective and empathetic towards working with families and young people that perhaps did not have the supportive family I had, and this exposed me to an extensive level of first hand insight. I felt I had the strength of character to challenge, support and get the best possible help for our young people and wanted to make a difference to the community that I grew up in.

TRACEY DERRY

What advice would you give your younger self?

To be kinder to myself, to be less selfcritical, to learn to be more reflective and give some self-recognition for my successes.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to be proud to be female and celebrate the achievements women have made throughout the year and the decades.

DID YOU KNOW?

At Inspiration Trust 56.25% of our Principals and 55.6% of our Executive Senior Leadership Team are female.

JANE DIVER

community, parents and students she worked with – and that’s something that’s important to me in my career too - the community.

A memory from my childhood which stays with me, is two young teachers visiting my grandparents’ house and explaining to me what an inspirational teacher my grandmother was and what a difference she had made to their teaching careers and the lives of many children. From that moment, I knew that teaching was for me.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

For me International Women’s Day is a celebration of females who have overcome adversity in many forms, breaking down barriers and achieving their potential to be the best they can be. Success for one woman looks very different to that of another - it is the celebration of this in its many guises.

Which women inspire you and why?

My family is full of strong women who I am privileged to be surrounded by. Each one has inspired me in some way or another in how they have navigated the world and its challenges. Whether it is the extreme experiences of living through the war, dealing with terminal illness, the every day challenges of childhood squabbles, running a family or achieving an education.

What made you want to become a teacher/work in schools?

I’ve always wanted to be a teacher –it’s in the family. When I was a child, my grandmother was the Head of Mathematics at a large grammar school in Lanarkshire, Scotland. She had a big influence on me and would tell me lots of stories about the teaching profession. She was very well regarded by the

How do you influence your colleagues, students and the school community?

For me, the most important values I want to see in myself and others that I work with are integrity and a sense of empathy, compassion and commitment for children. I aim to treat others in a manner that I wish to be treated myself. I appoint colleagues that genuinely care about the children they work for and with. This way, we all dedicate ourselves to the same goal - getting the very best for the children in our care.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Success can take many forms. There isn’t one path or one outcome that defines a successful and happy person. Failure and adversity can enable us to grow, it’s part of a journey towards success if reflected upon correctly.

Which women inspire you and why?

I am inspired by women who are brave and bold, even when faced with great adversity. As part of my role I have met some remarkably courageous women, who have moved to the UK from overseas, who work long night shifts to support their families, study to achieve their career goals, and support each other through the hardest of times. I have also met women that have stood up against domestic abuse, struggled with and overcome substance misuse and asked for support when times are tough. They are my inspiration because they are testament to how strong women are and what we can achieve when we work hard and break down every barrier we are faced with.

What made you want to work in schools?

My eldest child is on the Autistic Spectrum and I have experienced first hand how important it is for schools to support families in their greatest times of need. This gave me the motivation to work within schools so I could strive to do my best to ensure that every parent and child feels supported and never alone.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

It means an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women everywhere, and to recognise the progress made in decreasing discrimination and increasing inclusivity. For me, it is also a reminder of how essential it is to empower the young women in our schools to not see their gender as a barrier, but as a strength and a super power!

What is your proudest achievement while working in schools?

I am incredibly proud of the firm connections I have made with the diverse Cobholm community. To see our families reaching out and feeling as though they

EMMA STEVENSON

can ask for help when it’s needed most makes me feel like I am doing my job correctly and it is wonderful to know we have built such a great level of trust. I am proud of the time I have taken to get to know and understand our community and the strong relationships we have created between school and home, which in turn contributes to excellent outcomes for our students. I am also very pleased to be so heavily involved in so many of our local events, providing even more opportunities for our deserving students.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell my younger self to set goals, the bigger the better! And always believe you can succeed.

#WORLDBOOKDAY2023

As one of the biggest events in any school calendar, Inspiration Trust went dressing up, incredible events, and an array of well-thought-out activities

Pupils at Cobholm Primary Academy paired their love of reading with their love of music, taking the time to create ‘story soundtracks’ and noises to accompany ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ using a wide range of instruments.

At both Cobholm Primary Academy and Diamond Academy, children were also able to show off their artistic talents through creating their favourite story characters on wooden spoons, all while enjoying the amazing backdrops that had been created by the teachers - whole classrooms decorated to represent wellknown book covers!

Throughout the day Reception children at both schools went exploring the grounds in search of their favourite reading spots, while pupils from all year groups were able to take part in a number of storyinspired activities including bookmark making, letter writing, and creating a story which the whole class contributed to.

At Norwich Primary Academy children also enjoyed a full day of book-inspired activities that covered everything from arts and crafts through to drama and origami. Pupils created ‘What the Ladybird Heard’ wanted posters, made ‘Room on the Broom’ brooms, took part in Matilda and Gruffalo performances, made ‘Kitchen-Disco’ inspired food from Playdough, and even did some creative writing around the ‘Wizard of Oz’ - just to name a few things.

went all out for World Book Day with activities taking places across our schools.

Over at Stradbroke Primary Academy, pupils and staff leant into how relaxing reading is and took the opportunity to wear pjs for the day. Classes ‘buddied up’ with each other to snuggle down in the hall on blankets and pillows, taking the time to share and read their favourite stories together.

The school also held a ‘Book Swap’, giving children the chance to swap their pre-loved books with those from another home, promoting a love of reading and the importance of sharing our favourite books with one another.

Over at Charles Darwin Primary, pupils marked the occasion by dressing up as their favourite book characters, with some children even dressing up in outfits relating to the school’s core texts.

All pupils got to show-off their outfits in a special assembly where they were able to explain why they chose to be that character for the day. They also shared the names of other authors and illustrators they were fans of. Some children even created their own stories throughout the day - future authors in the making!

At Great Yarmouth Primary Academy, the pupils’ love of books shone throughout all lessons. Even in Maths, where each class collected data on their year group’s favourite books and produced pictograms and bar charts to represent the findings.

Alongside this, the academy completed a whole-school writing challenge based on the wordless picture book ‘Journey’ by Aaron Becker, with each year group responsible for writing a different part of the story.

The fun continued with Key Stage 1 pupils becoming detectives, taking time to discover the different storybook characters that had visited the school library the night before and left a series of clues behind them. The children found many peculiar items including a plate with a marmalade paw print, a mysterious waistcoat and a pocket watch.

Key Stage 2 children took part in an Extreme Reading Challenge which saw them go in search of the most unusual place for them to enjoy reading their book - everything being completed in an array of amazing outfits consisting of everything from princesses and superheroes through to Harry Potter and Oompa Loompas!

Across our secondaries there was just as much excitement and an appreciation of all things book-related with a number of imaginative events and activities taking place.

Hethersett Academy encouraged its students to have a ‘Blind Date with a Book’, which saw staff wrap over 100 books so students could choose their ‘date’ based on genre and the first line of the book alone.

Over at King Edward VII Academy, World Book Day turned into World Book Week! Having worked extremely hard to develop its culture of reading and deep love for books since joining Inspiration Trust, the school took the opportunity to go all out with their book-based plans.

Their creation of ‘The Masked Reader’, inspired by the popular ITV show, ‘The Masked Singer’ was a big hit and saw pupils having to guess book titles based on the extracts that the teachers read out to them.

Alongside this, over 150 pupils at KES Academy designed reading posters which the school went on to digitally produce in order to display them across the digital screens they have dotted around the school.

The academy went on to make the most of its brand new library, hosting an array of reading-themed events and activities that included writing six-word stories and sharing with other students the books they have been reading.

Finally, students were also able to pick up a free book of their choice and combined this with showing off their creative talents by designing an accompanying bookmark that doubled up as a reading ruler.

#WorldBookDay2023

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN IN STEM. Inspiration Trust launches its Women in STEM Mentoring Scheme

In-line with our commitment to provide our female students with more opportunities to take up STEM subjects, we are extremely proud to have been able to launch our Women in STEM Mentoring Scheme late last year.

The scheme, which sees inspirational women working in STEM careers across our region provide 1:1 support, guidance and mentoring to our GCSE and A-Level students, has already been a huge success, with the confidence our female students have to pursue STEM subjects increasing significantly.

The mentors meet with our students monthly to discuss their ambitions and work together to set goals that will support them in their post-18 choices, talking to them about their own real-life experiences of working within their own STEM careers.

We are really pleased to be currently working with women from Atkins Global, Cholich and Conisbee, and are keen to expand the number of businesses and organisations we are partnered in the future to offer our students even more opportunities.

SUPPORTING NORFOLK’S NEXT GENERATION OF MATHEMATICIANS: Inspiration Trust helps 350 students from all across Norfolk harvest their love of Maths

With a focus on academic excellence, September 2022 saw us launch our dedicated Maths Programme to support secondary school students from all across Norfolk explore and deepen their love of Mathematics.

Led by our expert teachers from the Ofsted Outstanding Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form, the online programme has been set up to support Year 10 and 11 students that would like to study GCSE Further Maths. The programme was open to any GCSE student living in Norfolk, from any school or trust in order to help deepen their understanding beyond their normal Maths lessons, and to date, we have had a whopping 350 students sign-up for the course!

The initiative has led to supporting GCSE students from 17 different schools and trusts from across all of Norfolk and aligns with our core values of providing ‘outstanding support’ and ‘the best learning opportunities’, with everyone involved so proud to be able to offer this beyond those that attend our trust schools.

Participating students have greatly appreciated the challenging content of the sessions, which is designed to be excellent preparation for those who are

interested in studying A-Level Maths or Further Maths helping them to develop their understanding of the depth of Maths topics.

Staff alike have also enjoyed revisiting aspects of Mathematics that they haven’t had the opportunity to teach, and have paid particular attention to the approach taken by our excellent teaching team, noting that “the sessions have been clear and the quality of teaching has been fantastic”.

The programme is continuing to grow, adapt and improve as we look to promote the sessions to the next cohort of Year 10 students toward the end of this academic year. We are really excited to be developing our Outreach Programme. Schools have been really supportive of the courses and events we are offering and we hope they are helping increase students’ love and enjoyment of these subjects.

CHRIS JENNINGS, PRINCIPAL, SIR ISAAC NEWTON SIXTH FORM

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

Inspiration Trust schools wow local communities with a series of sell-out shows

The bright lights of the stage have been shining on students from all across our Inspiration Trust schools, as they have been wowing their local communities while performing everything from ‘Annie the Musical’ and ‘We Will Rock You’ through to ‘Sister Act’ and ‘Back to the 80s’.

The shows, which give our students the opportunity to experience the entire production process from auditions and rehearsals through to the final performance, provide our pupils with the chance to show off their fantastic acting, singing and dancing skills, as well as simply have fun.

You can find out more about each school’s individual performances by visiting the news section of each schools websites.

Roll on next year’s shows!

SPORTING SPIRIT

Another year of incredible sporting competitions have begun to play out across Inspiration Trust

With a penchant for sport, we pride ourselves on not only being able to offer our students a nationally-recognised sports curriculum, but half-termly intra-trust sports competitions that give our students the chance to shine outside of the classroom too!

ANOTHER YEAR OF EPIC SPORTING EVENTS KICKED OFF AT THE NEST

With a monumental 176 games played over two days, a new year of incredible sporting events kicked off at The Nest in October with a large-scale Football Competition that spanned over two days.

Not for the faint-hearted, the trust-wide competition saw KS3 and KS4 boys and girls from all our schools battle it out to be crowned cup winners.

With an electric atmosphere and a fierce competitive spirit, the competition was a fantastic display of sportsmanship, teamwork and athletic ability which saw East Point Academy, Hethersett Academy, King Edward VII Academy and Wayland Academy coming out on top.

BACK IN THE SWIM OF THINGS

In November we saw 228 of our Inspiration Trust students go head-to-head in our trust-wide UEA Sportspark. As one of the only olympic-sized pools in all of the country, the swimmers were such a brilliant space, bringing all they had to the pool.

With a combination of 96 single races and relays that never saw the talent wavering, Thetford seized the day to be crowned overall winners.

Swimming Gala held at the incredible were ecstatic to be able to compete in

CHARLES DARWIN PRIMARY LAUNCHED TO TOP OF THE TABLE IN DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT

November saw us double-down on the sporting competitions with us also holding a trust-wide Dodgeball Tournament for our primary schools.

The competition, which saw around 100 pupils take part was a fantastic show of integrity and showed our younger students the importance of playing fairly. The mixed groups, which consisted of 10 pupils, played a round-robin style tournament that blended competition with fun and saw Charles Darwin Primary grab the top spot.

INSPIRATION TRUST SCHOOLS SMASH IT AT TRUST-WIDE BADMINTON COMPETITION

February saw our epic return to the UEA Sportspark where we held our trust-wide badminton competition.

The event was a total smash with students spanning from Year 7 through to Year 10. Each school held their own, right through to the nail-biting finish which saw King Edward VII Academy, Hethersett Academy and Great Yarmouth Charter Academy snatch the winning titles.

With a fantastic effort given by all, a number of individual awards were given out to pupils for playing with heart and dedication too.

Keep your eye out for more trust-wide competitions taking place soon!

Thetford Academy and Hethersett Academy

DID YOU KNOW?

Inspiration Trust has pledged to have a full orchestra or ensemble in each of its schools by 2027?!

MUSIC MATTERS.

Inspiration Trust continues to champion the importance of music education within a child’s life

A pioneer in music education, Inspiration Trust wholeheartedly believes that all pupils, no matter their circumstance, should have the opportunity to learn, play and perform music.

As a trust, we evidence this commitment through heavily subsidising music tuition for our pupils, hiring our own in-house team of Peripatetic Music Teachers and providing free instruments to those pupils who may not have had the opportunity to take up the extra-curricular activity otherwise.

We are delighted to announce that the number of pupil premium students taking up music tuition has increased by 150% in the last year, with over 200 pupils who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to do so now learning to play an instrument and get top-rate tuition free of charge.

A good music education has a significant impact on a child’s life, helping them to develop both cognitive and social skills, helping them to expand their language and improve their motor skills, as well as give them the chance to have fun.

As a trust, we are proud to offer a wealth of extra-curricular music activities, all organised to compliment the music curriculum.

DID YOU KNOW?

Over 200 pupil premium students now take up music tuition?

BATTLE OF THE BANDS

The ultimate Rock and Pop Competition returned with over 60 pupils coming together for the first musical event of the year, the Battle of the Bands. This was a chance for avid Rock and Pop musicians to showcase their prowess in their instruments and to highlight one of the more non-classical routes in music at all ages and levels.

Every musician played to the best of their ability, with bands competing from nearly every secondary school in the Trust! This was an opportunity for not only pre-existing bands to hone their musical skills, but to also give those who may have been newlyformed the chance to compete and gain more experience performing in front of an audience.

Pupils performed using a variety of instruments and not just those that are traditionally in the rock and pop genre. For example, bands consisted of drums, guitar, keyboard and bass, as well as saxophone and vocals.

Winners were picked by a panel of music professionals, consisting of both internal and external members. These included our Director of Music, John Stephens and Trinity’s National Advisor for Rock and Pop, Toby Davies.

LIVE MUSIC WEEK

In October we celebrated Live Music Week where our fantastic Visiting Music Teachers showcased their skills across our family of schools in a variety of performances. They played orchestral pieces by Beethoven, Disney favourites and AC/DC’s Back in Black.

Our teachers also played a myriad of instruments including, but not limited to, violin, cello, flute, oboe, piano, guitar and drums. Live Music Week was also the perfect opportunity for us to provide a plethora of exciting information to pupils about their chosen instruments too.

DID YOU KNOW?

That in the last year alone, the number of pupils taking up extracurricular music lessons has doubled to over 600!

CAROL SERVICE

Now an annual tradition, our growing portfolio of schools came together at the wonderful St Andrew’s Hall in Norwich to perform a special Christmas Service consisting of traditional carols and hymns.

With over 350 pupils from our primaries, secondaries and sixth forms performing a variety of Christmas carols the event was spectacular. The audience was blown away by the talent, as were all members of staff and our senior leadership team and trust board. The night ended in a magical rendition of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, which had everyone up on their feet in applause. We are delighted to be able to provide opportunities for our pupils to perform in such an incredible venue. Watch this space for information on this year’s event, coming soon!

Charles Darwin Primary pupils reach for the STARS!

Pupils take part in Astro Pi

Mission Zero as their codes run in space.

Across our Inspiration Trust schools we know how important it is for our children to be learning Computer Science from a young age and we are exceptionally proud to be able to offer our students access to the very best opportunities and be taught by the very best subject specialists.

In February we were especially excited as our Charles Darwin Primary pupils got to be part of Astro Pi Mission Zero, seeing their codes run in space! A once-in-alifetime opportunity, this project saw the pupils’ codes take a reading from a colour and luminosity sensor from on-board the International Space Station to set a colour and personalised image for the astronauts as they go about their daily tasks.

This year’s theme was Flora and Fauna and each pupil was fully inspired by this, coding flowers, trees, insects and animals as part of the personalised images they designed for the astronauts.

All of this was made possible by the brilliant Dr Trudy Coleman and as part of the session each pupil received a certificate which listed the exact start and end time of their program, as well as the position of the International Space Station when their program ran - a real piece of space history that they all loved!

Wayland Academy bowled over by cricketing success.

Wayland Academy girls selected to attend the Girls in Cricket Leaders Course.

It has been a season of sporting success over at Wayland Academy with twelve of their girls from Years 9 and 10 being selected to take part in the Girls in Cricket Leaders course. In partnership with the Norfolk Cricket Board, six secondary schools from across Norfolk were chosen to participate, providing the opportunity for a number of girls across the county to try out softball cricket with the help and support of qualified cricket coaches.

All the girls involved attended a brilliant three-hour session run by Lewis Denmark and Pete Free that consisted of them learning the rules of softball cricket, how to score, and how to umpire.

There was also a series of practical sessions that focused on introducing and leading cricket for beginners and the girls also learnt the skills needed in order to coach small groups.

Overall it was a fantastic opportunity for the girls at Wayland Academy who are passionate about cricket, not only providing them with new cricket-playing skills, but also helping them develop their confidence in leadership.

We are extremely proud that Wayland Academy had been selected and we’re looking forward to seeing the girls helping to lead a KS1 & KS2 cricket tournament in Norwich next term, now that they have completed their Leaders Course.

Great Yarmouth Primary Academy launches its Reading Cannon

Cultivating a love of reading for pleasure is something we feel strongly about across our entire trust, and we truly believe that every child has the right to experience a wide range of engaging and diverse literature.

Great Yarmouth Primary Academy has committed to this belief by launching its very own Reading Cannon.

The school is proudly prioritising starting the school day with whole class reading where they are enjoying books such as ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’, ‘Toto - The Wizard of Oz as told by the Dog’, ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’, ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ and many more.

Great Yarmouth Primary Academy has carefully selected a wide range of literature as part of the Cannon to ensure their pupils not only engage and relate to characters, but that they are also able to learn about and understand other cultures, backgrounds and experiences too, all helping to broaden their knowledge of the world.

Through class discussions and questions centred around the texts, pupils are expanding their vocabulary and comprehension skills, talking about the plots, characters and themes they encounter and explaining the meanings of unfamiliar words.

Great Yarmouth Primary Academy is extremely proud of being able to provide such a calm start to the day with pupils truly excited to find out what is going to happen next in each book.

Norwich Primary Academy has the secret ingredient for the perfect parent partnership... Activity Cafes!

This term, Norwich Primary Academy launched their Activity Cafes, which cover the likes of maths, literacy, art, and crafts.

The cafes are open to all parents and carers of the school and aim to give caregivers the opportunity to understand more about what their child is learning at school and encourages them to actively work with their child and their class teacher on a project directly linked to the book they are reading.

Proving to be highly successful, Norwich Primary Academy has expanded on these events, adding art and craft cafes to the

line up. These cafes have seen pupils and their parents create art work also linked to the class reading book.

Norwich Primary Academy is delighted with how well attended these cafes have been, with the majority of their pupils being supported by one or more family members. As a result of much success, the school will continue to run these cafes each term to fully engage their parent community.

Cromer Academy staff take on National Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for Cure Leukaemia in memory of Alfie Gibson

Last November, Cromer lost a much-loved member of its community, Alfie Gibson. Alfie, who was due to start as a Year 7 student at Cromer Academy in September 2022 was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia on Christmas day 2020.

He spent the next two years undergoing pioneering stem cell treatment involving chemotherapy and transplants. Sadly, Alfie passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday 20th November 2022 and all the staff at Cromer Academy wanted to do something special to remember him, while helping to raise money for the brilliant charity close to the family’s heart.

The staff at Cromer Academy love a challenge and have decided to take on the National Three Peaks Challenge. Notorious for its physical demands, the challenge is also incredibly difficult due to its time constraints. Sixteen Cromer staff, consisting of twelve climbers and four support crew, aim to hike up and down the highest mountain in Scotland (Ben Nevis 1345m), England (Scafell Pike 978m) and Wales (Snowdon 1085m) within 24 hours.

Alongside the 23 miles of hiking, there is a lot of travelling and probably very little sleep but it is all worth it for beloved Alfie. The team have been putting in the hours, going on practice walks whenever possible with many Cromer residents seeing them out and about dressed in their full Cure Leukaemia kit.

Cure Leukaemia was established in 2003 by Professor Charlie Craddock CBE and patients Graham Silk and Michael Woolley, allowing those with blood cancer in the Birmingham region to access effective treatments which were becoming available. Since then, Cure Leukaemia has been able to expand to a national level, and are now able to offer potential lifesaving treatment to patients across the UK.

If you would like to support Cure Leukaemia and the brilliant team at Cromer Academy, any donations would be greatly appreciated.

Scan here!

Jane Austen College pays homage to literary icon as hosts of Inspiration Trust’s Literary Olympiad

With the academy named after the literary icon Jane Austen herself, there was nowhere better than Norwich’s Jane Austen College to host the highly-coveted trust-wide Literary Olympiad.

With a love of literature and an English specialist at the helm as Principal. Jane Austen College opened its doors to all of Inspiration Trust’s secondary schools to run an action-packed event full of poetry, debate, awards, speeches and even book shadowing.

The atmosphere in the atrium was electric, full of support for the performers and encouraging words provided by friends and teachers a-like.

Things kicked-off with the poetry competition, seeing students present both original creations and popular classics to the audience. Followed swiftly by a heated debate that covered topics such as censorship and the importance of reading.

The academy was particularly impressed with the book shadowing - now a firm Inspiration Trust tradition, the initiative has

been running for a few years and sees our wide array of Trust librarians presiding over their own version of the famous Carnegie Award Shadowing.

The programme encourages pupils from across the trust to read the same books and vote for their favourites, with awards being given to individual pupils for personal endeavours: those that managed to read the entire selection of books, and those that had greatly improved their reading by attending the shadowing sessions.

Finally, the day ended with a series of well-thought out, considered speeches that centred around the theme of ‘how can we change the world’ and saw students speak on a variety of topics, some of which included climate change, beauty standards and role models.

East Point Academy empowers the next generation of Anti-Bullying Ambassadors

Set up in the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Diana Award centres around the Princess’ belief that young people have the power to change the world.

The charity’s Anti-Bullying Programme was set up to change the attitudes, behaviour and culture of bullying, helping pupils, parents and teachers build the skills and confidence to address varying degrees of bullying both on and offline.

The team at East Point Academy have fully embraced this programme, with the school’s Pastoral Team working with those at the Diana Award to train up the newest generation of Anti-Bullying Ambassadors which now consists of two members of staff, an Assistant Head of Year and a Head of Year as well as ten students (two from each year group) all serving as Ambassadors.

The programme, which has a strong peerto-peer focus will see the students at East Point Academy undertake three projects, the first being the running of antibullying assemblies which has seen the

Ambassadors present their understanding of what being a bully is, explaining the definition of a perpetrator and making it clear that a one-off incident is also an issue.

The Ambassadors have done a fantastic job of asking all students to become ‘upstanders’ and have been brilliant at ensuring they are available to listen to anyone with worries or concerns. The group have set up a rota of drop-in sessions within a designated anti-bullying area at lunchtime and they proudly wear their Anti-Bullying Ambassador badges to ensure they are always visible.

We are incredibly proud of our Ambassadors at East Point Academy and the way they work together to create a school community where the students and staff support one another to provide a safe and warm learning environment for the whole school to enjoy.

Diamond Academy and the Charles Burrell Centre create a recipe for success

Over the last year, Diamond Academy and the Charles Burrell Centre have been working together to provide high quality food technology lessons.

All children at Diamond Academy have the opportunity to take part in these lessons led by Tracy Terry who has previously worked as a Raising Achievement Manager at Inspiration Trust’s Thomas Paine Sixth Form and now leads the community café and kitchen at the Charles Burrell Centre. Tracy has made a huge impact in the community, leading community dinners each week for 60+ people, hosting events such as the Platinum Jubilee Big Lunch for over 200 people, and running oversubscribed summer holiday cookery classes for Diamond Academy pupils and their families.

Tracy Terry has worked closely with Diamond Academy to create an exciting food technology curriculum which provides children with an understanding of nutrition allowing pupils to learn about healthy eating and seasonality as well as cooking some exciting dishes.

The kitchen at the Charles Burrell Centre is organised into different stations with ovens, hobs and enough equipment for children to work in small groups to cook a range of healthy recipes. There is a

demonstration station where Tracy is able to model different aspects of the cooking process and this is displayed on the TV for all children to see.

After being shown how to use equipment, children have the opportunity to practice these skills and build independence over a sequence of sessions.

Diamond Academy pupils take part in all aspects of the lesson from preparing ingredients to washing-up in order to gain valuable life skills. When everything is cooked and clean, the children then sit down in the café next to the kitchen to taste the meals they have made and sometimes there is even enough to take some home for their families.

King Edward VII Academy pupils shine at trust-wide Literary Olympiad

King Edward VII Academy is celebrating the incredible achievements of their new debate club this term, with the team knocking it out the park at our trust-wide Literary Olympiad.

The team was made up of three students whose dedication to succeed has seen them working exceptionally hard both at lunchtime and during their extra-curricular time to hone their speech making and debating skills. Their phenomenal delivery saw the team come in second place for their debate which is an incredible achievement for a group that was only formed a couple of months prior.

Students individually went up on stage in front of a large audience and delivered speeches on the theme of ‘we can change the world’ and spoke about everything from the ‘presentation of beauty in social media’ through to the ‘importance of politics within education’ as well as ‘financial education’.

In total, fifteen students from King Edward VII Academy participated in the Olympiad, showcasing their love of literature. A number of these pupils took to the stage to read their favourite poems, including ones which they had created themselves during their extra-curricular Creative Writing Club. We couldn’t be prouder of the confidence and enthusiasm these students demonstrated, it was astonishing - especially as many of them had never performed before.

Cobholm Primary Academy’s future university stars!

The children of Great Yarmouth get to explore what university education is like with the University of East Anglia.

University may not be something most children are thinking about until secondary school, however, for the pupils of Cobholm Primary Academy the thought of their future education is something they have been embracing while getting involved with the University of East Anglia’s Future Stars Outreach Programme.

Held by ambassadors from the UEA, the programme has been set up to get children thinking about their futures earlier, providing them with knowledge about what university is like and helping them understand the sort of skills they may need to achieve their goals, no matter what path they decide to take.

The trip, which gave the pupils the chance to explore what a university campus looks and feels like, provided the pupils from the Great Yarmouth primary school the opportunity to take part in a variety of STEM events that focused on everything from circuit building right through to occupation therapy support. It also gave pupils a chance to see all the facilities available to students at UEA, and understand the independence young adult learners are given at university.

Overall, it was a fantastic event with the UEA ambassadors praising the pupils of Cobholm Primary Academy pupils for their enthusiasm and high interest in what their future education could look like.

Making a splash! Sir Isaac Newton student off to represent Great Britain in the World Aquathlon Championships

Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form is excited to share the news that their Year 12 student, Matthew Lightfoot will be off to Ibiza this spring to represent Great Britain in the World Aquathlon Championships!

Matthew, who is already the Under 20’s Champion after competing in the British Championships in Windsor is currently in training for the World Championships which will see him complete a lengthy swim before immediately going on to run over various distances.

All of this would be an amazing achievement by anyone’s standards, but for Matthew it is even more incredible, as due to an injury, he was unable to participate in sport for several years. Following physio, Matthew persevered, taking up running during lockdown, and although difficult, and at times, even painful, Matthew remained determined to continue building his strength. Eventually the training became easier, and it has lead him to achieve things he couldn’t have even dreamed of a few short years ago.

Matthew, who comes from a family of athletes (his dad competes in Ironman Triathlons, while his mum is a passionate runner), said he was “grateful for the support he receives from his family”.

Truly dedicated to his passion, Matthew spends 10 hours a week training, taking time to swim, run, cycle and participate in strength sessions.

Matthew does this all while studying for his A-Levels too, and although it can sometimes be difficult, he understands the importance of having a good balance between his studies and his training.

Matthew is super excited about going to the World Championships as is everyone at Sir isaac Newton Sixth Form and he plans to continue participating in sporting events for as long as it remains fun and enjoyable. When it comes to a future career, Matthew hopes to work in a biology-based field, of which Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form is the perfect place to build those foundations.

On location! Hethersett Academy welcomed in two stars from the theatre world to work with drama students

It has been an exciting term for Hethersett Academy, which had visits to their school from not just one, but TWO stars of the theatre world!

With the importance of creative arts felt across our entire trust, Hethersett Academy was thrilled to welcome producer Richard Jordan to its school to offer advice to their students looking to pursue a career in the arts.

The visit was even more monumental as Richard once attended Hethersett Academy (then Hethersett High) himself and it is where he discovered his love of theatre through watching performances at our beloved Norwich Theatre Royal before going on to forge his very successful career in theatre. His Londonbased production company, Richard Jordan Productions, has helped him win over 60 awards as a producer, including an Olivier Award, a TONY, and an EMMY.

Richard kindly spoke to the students about his background, education and impressive career before answering any questions the pupils had. Following that, all the students involved in the school’s sell-out production of ‘Sister Act’ were given the opportunity to perform songs and scenes for Richard’s feedback.

And, the opportunity to be reviewed and critiqued by success stars of the stage didn’t stop there. Following Richard’s visit, West End Star Lizzie Bea (who starred as Sister Mary Robert in ‘Sister Act The Musical’) also visited Hethersett Academy

to answer questions about her education, her spectacular career, and of course Sister Act, which the students also got to see her perform in ‘Sister Act The Musical’ at Norwich Theatre Royal!

Pupils were also able to perform to Lizzie, gaining her valuable insight and a wealth of advice relating to stage direction and character development.

Lizzie is currently touring the UK in ‘Sister Act The Musical’, and has previously performed in both ‘Heathers’ and ‘Kinky Boots’. In 2021, Lizzie also starred in the West End’s ‘Hair Spray’ as the leading lady, Tracy Turnblad. Lizzie trained at the National Youth Theatre and National Youth Music Theatre and also attended the National Student Drama Festival. Her career includes stage performances in Nick Evans’ ‘Billy Elliot’, ‘The 3 Little Pigs’, ‘Fat Friends The Musical’ and ‘Becoming Nancy’ at the Alliance Theatre.

Hewett Academy’s creative arts

division becomes a viral success

Hewett Academy’s Art Department was bowled over by the substantial national and international attention the recording of their artistic kinetic performance received, with numerous artists and art teachers from all over the world getting in touch with the school’s Art Lead to request the lesson plan be shared with them, alongside the subject philosophy.

The exercise, which explored the theme of ‘Play’ encouraged Hewett’s GCSE students to participate in a kinetic performance, inspired by the physical and geometric works of American artist, Heather Hansen, and saw the school’s iconic Walter Roy Theatre get covered in paper while students were given graphite sticks and loose instructions to mark their physical space with full body movements. The video generated over one million views on Instagram as well as over 115,000 likes, with no sign of slowing down!

Great Yarmouth Charter Academy raises

£2,854.67 For

East

Anglia’s Children’s Hospices

Great Yarmouth Charter Academy is celebrating its incredible fundraising efforts after raising a whopping £2,854.67 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) following an epic Santa Run that took place over the festive period.

The charity, which works to support families and care for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk hosts an annual Santa Run to raise vital funds for its cause and for yet another year, the brilliant students from Great Yarmouth Charter Academy put themselves through their paces to take part.

The academy is so dedicated to the cause that EACH’s annual Santa Run now forms part of the school’s House Competitions with students encouraged to take part to raise points for their House Team as well as money for the charity.

Everyone at Great Yarmouth Charter Academy is blown away by the continued generosity of its pupils and families and are delighted that so many of its students have been involved in such a cause.

We are incredibly grateful for the support from Great Yarmouth Charter Academy from their annual Santa runs. 84% of our money is from fundraising and donatinations. so this money is vital.

EACH

Thetford Academy awarded £30k scholarship by University of Oxford

Excitement has been rife at Thetford Academy as Caroline Richards - a brilliant teacher who specialises in supporting students in their quest to attend the country’s most prestigious and competitive universities, was awarded a whopping £30k scholarship to further support the school’s students in this ambition.

Balliol College, who awarded the school the funding via the Gregson Teacher Scholarship, was extremely impressed with Thetford Academy’s ever-improving GCSE results alongside the school’s sixth form achieving its best-ever A-Level results in 2022. The college also acknowledged the great destinations the students at Thetford Academy and its adjoining Thomas Paine Sixth Form were already going on to attend as a result of the school’s brilliant careers team, and knew the extra funding would go on to support even more students to achieve their academic potential.

This is a really exciting opportunity for Thetford Academy and Thomas Paine Sixth Form; one which is only possible because of the strong position our school and sixth form is in. This funding will make a real difference to the provision we can provide when supporting our students from all year groups with their university aspirations. I’m really looking forward to working closely with Balliol College to help support our students.

MS RICHARDS

Stradbroke Primary celebrates diversity through art

During the Autumn Term, pupils at Stradbroke Primary Academy explored the idea of ‘celebrating diversity’ through art in order to capture the importance of uniqueness and individuality; acknowledging how special both themselves and those around them are.

The entire school was involved in the project, with young artists from Reception right up to Year 6 being inspired by different artists, art movements and styles. This ignited and influenced their imaginations leading each class to explore their creativity through their own interpretation of the theme, while developing their art knowledge.

Exploring these different styles led the children to create individual self portraits, expressing themselves through the use of a range of mediums. Some used colour pencils and oil pastels, while others opted for delicate watercolours. The results were bright, bold, and colourful portraits depicting how each child views themselves, showcasing their style and individuality.

The school went on to present these fantastic pieces of art at an amazing exhibition which was organised by Miss Barnes, the Art Lead at Stradbroke Primary as well as the Art Associate for the Trust. It was an incredible event which saw attendees ranging from parents through to the local community.

We have been on a journey to develop a fantastic art curriculum and this exhibition celebrates the achievements of our staff and pupils. I am immensely proud of them all. One of our core values is ‘Love of Learning’ and all of our pupils and teachers have demonstrated this on their journey to explore their artistic talents. Miss Barnes has led us in an exploration of our abilities to produce quality art work. This is a tremendous achievement.

TANYA BLAKE, PRINCIPAL

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