A teacher at our school is retiring after nearly five decades in the profession.

Hilary Johnson joined Smithdon High School as a Maths Teacher in 1980 and has held a number of different roles during her varied career at the school, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“Over the 46 years, I have held many responsibilities, the first being Head of Careers in the eighties,” she said. “When the Headteacher, Doug Little, appointed me, he said I would have an interesting career, and he was right.

“When the Sixth Form opened at Smithdon, I was involved from the first year coordinating our link for vocational courses with the college in King’s Lynn. This led to my next role as GNVQ Coordinator, then Assistant Director of Sixth Form, and subsequently Director of Sixth Form.”

During her time at Smithdon, Miss Johnson witnessed the introduction of the GCSE exam system, as well as the arrival of a range of technology.

She continued: “I started with a blackboard and chalk and a textbook for each student, then along came overhead projectors and transparencies, whiteboards and marker pens, then eventually IT came into the classroom, with computers, screens, and interactive whiteboards.

“When I started teaching, there were two or three Commodore Pet computers in one classroom. This was followed by a suite of BBC computers and Archimedes, before eventually the PC arrived. It was the Maths Department who took this new technology on board, hence leading to me teaching Computer Studies and adult education night classes in word processing, spreadsheets et cetera.”

She has also been involved in extra-curricular activities, and has even had a brush with royalty.

She explained: “Lunchtime used to be one hour and twenty-five minutes, enabling great extra-curricular activities to take place. This gave me the opportunity to be involved in my second subject, Music, teaching guitar (folk and classical) to many young people. This also resulted in me being involved in school productions and concerts.

“I have valued the opportunities to develop in so many areas, as well as to teach Maths to so many young people.

“It was also a privilege to meet Queen Elizabeth II when she opened the new building in 2000.”

She added: “Every day and every day lesson is different. There have been so many memorable moments that it is hard to single one out. The Year 9 lesson when a sixth former had left some sheets on the desk, so the Year 9 students taught himself the A-Level work while keeping an eye on the lesson I was teaching. Opportunities like that do not arise now, as the school no longer has a Sixth Form.

“I will miss the teaching, the students, and my colleagues.”

Following her retirement, Miss Johnson hopes to spend more time with her grandchildren – and perhaps with her guitar.

Our Acting Headteacher, Sarah Robinson, said: “Words cannot do justice to the contribution that Hilary has made to Smithdon over her 46 years. The impact she has had on generations of students, families, staff, and the wider community is incredible.

“She has rightly been described as ‘Smithdon Royalty’, and we wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement.”

From new bands to a preview of an upcoming musical, there was a range of talent on show when we held our annual Summer Concert.

Thirty-five students from Years 7 upwards at Smithdon High School took part in the event at Hunstanton Town Hall, which featured instrumental performances and song, and even saw some of the school’s Year 11 leavers returning to perform.

With Music Teacher Andrea Barnes on maternity leave, Design and Technology Teacher Alix Birks stepped in to oversee this year’s event, with the support of peripatetic music teachers at our school, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“There was a mix of vocal and instrumental pieces, with new bands coming together for the first time,” she said.

“There was a sneak peek from the Aladdin Junior cast, singing ‘Friend Like Me’ – this is our school production for 2026, and performances will be in December at the town hall.

“Year 11s Ellie and Geo also returned to perform.”

More than 100 people attended the concert, while Mrs Barnes also put in an appearance.

Ms Birks continued: “Mrs Barnes came in for the day of the concert, so she was able to help with rehearsal and the running of the day.

“Parents were impressed by the performers’ talent and skill, and commented on how much progress the performers have made over the years.

“Students not only performed in the concert, but also did all the production, lighting, sound, running, and backstage.”

She added: “It was excellent to be able to showcase our students’ talents to the local community, and lovely to be able to perform in the Town Hall.”

An all-star occasion saw the Class of 2026 from Smithdon High School attend their end-of-year Prom on Thursday 25 June in style.

Our Year 11 leavers were greeted by friends, family, and well wishers as they arrived at Knights Hill Barn in an array of different vehicles, from sports cars and classic motors, to double-decker buses, and even a horse and carriage.

Outfits on show added sparkle to the evening, with the 85 students sporting a range of ballgowns, cocktail dresses, and suits, in keeping with the ‘Starry Night’ theme, which saw the venue decorated with star balloons.

Refreshments on offer included mocktails on arrival, and a barbecue buffet, along with desserts supplied courtesy of Reesey’s Ice Cream Van.

A Party Starter disco provided entertainment, while a Magic Mirror Photo Booth allowed the partygoers to create lasting mementoes of the event, which was organised by Year 11 Pastoral Manager Sarah Green, with help from Year 11 students in the Student Leadership Team.

Assistant Headteacher Dan Ward is Head of Year 11 at Smithdon, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, and was among the staff members celebrating the cohort’s successes.

“This is one of our favourite events of the year in the school calendar,” he said. “It is a fantastic evening that celebrates the hard work that students have put in during their time with us at Smithdon, and especially during their recent GCSE examination period.”

He added: “The Class of 2026 have been a fantastic part of the Smithdon community. They are a cohort filled with wonderful young people, who have achieved so much during their time with us.

“I am very confident they will go on to achieve great things in their lives, and we wish them the best of luck for their futures, and thank them for being a fantastic part of the school over the last five years.”

There was a treat in store for music lovers when musicians from our school joined others from across the West Norfolk Academies Trust for a Piano Recital.

The performance featured pianists from across the Trust’s primary and secondary schools, and took place at Springwood High School.

Participating high schools included Marshland, St Clement’s, and Smithdon, as well as host Springwood, while among the primaries taking part were Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn.

“Performers represented a broad range of students, from debut and initial-level performers, through to diploma-level pianists,” said Benjamin Howell, who is Peripatetic Music Lead at the Trust and oversaw the event, with the support of WNAT staff including CEO Andy Johnson, and Director of Music Robin Norman.

“One of the lovely aspects of the recital was the variety of repertoire featured, spanning everything from pop and contemporary music, through to Baroque and classical works,” he continued.

“We also included several piano duets within the programme, which always add a particularly engaging dimension to the evening.”

Musical events are held regularly within the Trust, with a previous piano recital having taken place at Springwood in the Autumn Term.

“Events such as these form an important part of the wider musical journey across the Trust, providing valuable stepping stones towards both short- and long-term goals for our students,” added Mr Howell.

“This very much reflects the ethos of the WNAT Peri Team this year: Practice, Progress, Performance.”

The end of term was a literal rollercoaster ride, when our hard-working students saw their efforts rewarded with a day out at a theme park.

A group of 50 Year 11 students from Smithdon High School celebrated the term’s successes with a trip to Alton Towers in Staffordshire, where they had the opportunity to test their nerve on rides such as Nemesis Reborn, Toxicator, Oblivion, Galactica, and the world’s first 14-loop rollercoaster The Smiler.

“The trip was to reward the hard work that Year 11 students have put in so far this year in school, and a chance for them to relax before a busy exam season after the Easter break,” said our Assistant Head Dan Ward, who organised the event.

“They get the opportunity to go on thrill-seeking rides at one of the country’s best theme parks.”

The trip has become an annual fixture on the calendar at Smithdon, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“It is really important that we recognise the hard work and dedication of our students,” added Mr Ward.

“It gives the Year 11 students motivation to work hard, and gives them a sense of achievement by earning a place on the trip.”

Our students flocked to meet the new arrivals, when their Smithdon High School welcomed three woolly visitors for the week.

We were hosting a mother sheep and her two lambs in the school grounds, as part of an initiative sent up by the Food and Farming Discovery Trust to increase young people’s awareness of the farming industry.

“The objective was to widen students’ knowledge on where their food comes from, farming as an industry, and to have the opportunity to see the animals close up,” said Teacher of Food and Nutrition Becky Dibble, who organised the event with the assistance of Assistant Headteacher Alysha Moat, as well as taking responsibility for the animals during their stay.

“We both attended the mandatory briefing at the Norfolk Showground to allow us to have the sheep at the school. They also then put together the Livestock Sheep Project sessions for our students to take part in.”

“The sessions were for Year 7 and Year 8,” she continued. “They were split into groups and spent a lesson learning all about sheep. The Livestock Sheep Project included four activity stations that were run by Year 10 students, which included activities like learning where the different breeds originate from around the UK, how sheep help with climate changes, to understanding where our food comes from, and being able to locate local produce on a large map of Norfolk.

“A select few students who are interested in animal care and farming as a career took charge of caring for the animals, by feeding them, checking on them, helping to move the pen, and making sure they had clean straw in their shelter.”

The students also spent time outside with the sheep, where Mrs Dibble was able to share her own farming experience, as she and her family have a flock of sheep.

It was the second time that our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, had been involved in the project, with this year’s ewe and lambs provided by Dereham-based farmer Josh Hill.

“For some students, this was the first time they had been up close to a farm animal and also had the confidence to ask questions about them,” added Mrs Dibble.

“It gives them a chance to understand the importance of farming in the UK, discuss welfare standards, and understand how to care and be empathic towards another being.”