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.”

Inclusivity was the name of the game, when a diverse mix of students came together for the inaugural West Norfolk Academies Trust Kinball Tournament.

Hosted by Smithdon High School, the event was open to players from Years 7 to 11 at the Trust’s four secondary schools, which also include Marshland, St Clement’s, and Springwood in King’s Lynn.

“Kinball is an inclusive sport that can be played by everyone,” explained Smithdon Head of PE Jamie Tilley, who organised the event with the support of his counterparts Paul Swinburn from Marshland, Anna Froswick from St Clement’s, and Tracey Honey from Springwood.

“We had players from Years 7 to 11, played by mixed genders. Overall we had 40 players across the Trust schools participating."

“Everyone who attended played. There were eight teams of six – two teams from each Trust school – all playing to score points. It was a race to see which team could score ten points first.”

“The objective of the game is, when attacking, a team must serve, or hit, the ball so that it lands and touches the ground before a nominated team can catch or control it,” he continued.

“When defending, the nominated team must stop the ball touching the floor. If the ball touches the ground, then all the other teams, including the attacking team, gains a point.

“We  wanted to make sure that everyone went away from the event knowing that they had achieved something. Whether they worked in a team, showed leadership qualities, scored points, or even stopped the other teams from scoring, that was the biggest win of the competition.”

Although it was the first time the tournament had taken place, its success has meant that there are now plans to make it a regular fixture in the WNAT calendar.

“Having Trust schools coming together for fixtures of inclusive sports, as well as the traditional sports, supports the students to thrive and develop in sports,” added Mr Tilley.

“Trust schools have different facilities, sporting experience, and all-round positive knowledge within their PE Departments, which helps to improve PE and Sport across the schools.

“As Heads of Departments across the Trust, this is something that we are discussing and organising to do on a regular basis, to organise friendly development fixtures of inclusive and traditional sports to give sporting pupils the opportunity to shine.”

There was something for everyone, when musicians from our school joined others from across West Norfolk for a performance at St Nicholas Chapel in King’s Lynn.

Organised by the West Norfolk Academies Trust, the WNAT Play Day event saw primary school pupils perform alongside older students from the Trust’s four high schools, which include Marshland in West Walton, St Clement’s in Terrington St Clement, Smithdon in Hunstanton, and Springwood in Lynn.

“The Play Day brought together students from across the feeder primary schools to the four WNAT high schools, spanning the breadth of West Norfolk, from West Walton through to Hunstanton and the surrounding areas,” said Benjamin Howell, who is Peripatetic Music Lead at the Trust and helped co-ordinate the event.

“The event featured primary school musicians alongside high school and sixth-form students, who came together to perform as a large Trust ensemble.”

The musical offering was equally wide-ranging, covering themes from television and film as well as classical pieces, while there were also guest performances from some of the schools’ music groups.

“The musical programme was varied and engaging, ranging from the dramatic theme from The Traitors, music from How to Train Your Dragon, Hungarian Dance No. 5, and both the ‘Habanera’ and ‘Toreador’s Song’ from Carmen,” continued Mr Howell

“In addition, we were delighted to feature performances from the Springwood Concert Band, the Sinfonia String Group, and the St Clement’s High School Band, whose performances further demonstrated the musical progression available to students across the Trust.”

Some 187 musicians were involved in the day, which concluded with a concert performance for WNAT staff, trustees, family members, and friends.

Support was provided by WNAT Peripatetic Team members Jo Kemp, Music Lead at St Clement’s; Mary-Ann Robertson; Emily Savage; David Maddison; Nic Bouskill; and Helen Johnson; along with David Stowell from the Norfolk Music Hub; while the event was organised by WNAT Director of Music, Robin Norman, with the assistance of Emma Pearman and Sam Johnson from the Trust.

“We are very appreciative of the Trust Administration Team, Senior Leadership, and Trustees for their support – particularly CEO Andy Johnson,” added Mr Howell.

“Our thanks also go to St Nicholas Chapel for hosting the event, and to the many parents, carers, families, and friends who attended the concluding performance.”