Harry Potter met the Gruffalo and Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, when Gaywood Primary took part in this year’s World Book Day on Thursday 5 March.

Each class based their celebrations around a different children’s author, with pupils and teachers alike dressing as characters from the chosen writer’s books.

“We continued our tradition of celebrating different authors,” said Chloe Sneath, Writing Lead at our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“On the day, the children’s English lessons were based on that author’s work. These lessons encouraged creative writing and fostered the independent ideas of the children.”

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) children focused on traditional stories, while Years 1 and 2 enjoyed Julia Donaldson’s many popular books, from The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom to The Snail and the Whale.

Year 3 took their pick from the vast selection of classics by Roald Dahl, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The Magic Finger, The Witches, and Danny Champion of the World.

The Year 4 children drew inspiration from Cressida Cowell, who is best known for the How to Train Your Dragon series starring Hiccup the Viking and his dragon, Toothless; while Warhorse author Michael Morpurgo influenced Year 5; and Year 6 chose perennial favourite JK Rowling, creator of Harry Potter.

“The theme was celebrating authors,” continued Mrs Sneath. “We aimed to choose authors that are popular within different year groups, and books we think children especially enjoy.

“For example, in Year 4 we have learnt about the Vikings in history, which the children really enjoyed. Due to this, we chose How to Train Your Dragon as the main focus of the learning that day.

“Michael Morpurgo is another firm favourite throughout many year groups, and an author who many children enjoy. Many teachers have enjoyed reading his books for pleasure with their classes this year.

“In Year 6, many children have been enjoying reading the Harry Potter series, so JK Rowling was chosen as their author.”

“World Book Day is important because it celebrates the diversity of stories and voices,” she added. “It’s a day that encourages a love of reading, allowing children to become completely immersed in an author’s imaginary world.

“Whether it’s adventure, mystery, or fantasy, authors’ stories inspire creativity within children, giving them the opportunity to think outside the box.

“It’s also a day full of fun, where we get to bring authors’ stories to life by dressing up as our favourite characters. More importantly, it can spark new interests and inspire children to develop a love of reading.”

Young voices came together to celebrate the season, when our school joined others from across the West Norfolk Academies Trust and Windmill Federation for the annual WNAT Christmas Carol Service.

The popular event at St Nicholas Chapel took place on Wednesday 3 December, and featured performances from around 250 pupils from across the primary and secondary schools within the Trust and the Windmill Federation.

“The annual event is a traditional Christmas Carol Service with a selection of readings, a blessing from Canon Mark Dimond from the Minster, and also communal carols, as well as each group of schools performing a song on their own,” said Robin Norman, who is Director of Music at WNAT.

“This is the fourth time we have run this event, and it was my ‘brainchild’ to bring a more traditional feel to an event in the town,” he continued. “One that could bring together all of our schools, our parents, and the local community in general – something that would become magical and truly give the Christmas Spirit.

“We started with around 250 in the congregation for the first one in 2022, and this year there was ‘standing room only’, so I am absolutely thrilled how it has grown.”

Participating primary schools included WNAT members Clenchwarton, Gaywood, Heacham Infant, Heacham Junior, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, and West Lynn, along with Terrington St John, Tilney St Lawrence, Walpole Highway, and West Walton from the Windmill Federation; while the WNAT high schools taking part were Marshland, St Clements, Smithdon, and Springwood.

“Many members of staff have been involved in the organisation, but a particular thanks to Emma Pearman in the Admin Team for her work on the logistics,” added Mr Norman.

“Also, a huge shout-out to all the teachers across all the schools who worked with the children and made it a truly memorable event. It really helps bring the community together and bring a magical start to the Christmas Season.”

There was great excitement when a former CBeebies producer shared stories from his television career with children at our school.

Bruce Turner joined pupils from Years 4 to 6 at Gaywood Primary virtually via Microsoft Teams, as part of a series of Career Conversations organised by the Raising Aspirations Programme.

Mr Turner, who was born with cerebral palsy, worked on the BBC children’s series Something Special, which celebrated the achievements and potential of youngsters with disabilities, before moving to Channel 4’s 24 Hours in A&E, and then Dragonfly’s Ambulance.

He is also creative director of his own company, Proud Mary Productions, which makes charity appeal films.

“Gaywood Primary School takes part in the Raising Aspirations Programme run by the Ambition Institute,” said Neil Mindham, Executive Headteacher at our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“They hold frequent meetings online, where children get the chance to meet adults working in various careers, and chat to them about their jobs.

“It is really exciting for the children, and gets them thinking about their lives beyond the classroom, and what careers they might have a passion for.”

The session with Mr Turner was facilitated by Michelle Parry, who is one of the organisers at Raising Aspirations.

“Bruce spoke about his career in the BBC, and also about the skills needed for him to succeed,” continued Mr Mindham. “He spoke a lot about his travelling and time spent away, which the children saw as an exciting opportunity.

“Bruce spoke about the shows he has worked on, which some children knew about and were able to ask questions on.

“The children found it interesting learning how a producer works with so many other important people to get TV shows to come to life. They were also interested in learning about his time at CBeebies – something that many children were familiar with.”

Other Career Conversations taking place at Gaywood over the past months have featured an author, a perfumer, a cardiologist, account managers, and even a TikTok star.

“Throughout the rest of the year, we will get the opportunity to sign up to the next round of Career Conversations when they become available,” added Mr Mindham.

“It is always an exciting time for children to learn about important careers and finding out who we will be meeting.”

Gaywood Primary hosts a successful community support marketplace.

A community support marketplace held at our school proved so successful there are already plans for another.

A range of organisations were invited to take part in the inaugural event, which was designed to help families who may be facing barriers when trying to access support they need.

“Families often face complex challenges – ranging from financial pressures and health concerns to educational needs and emotional wellbeing. Extra support agencies help bridge these gaps by providing specialist knowledge, practical assistance and early intervention,” said Lara Wardill, pastoral support, attendance and safeguarding officer.

After discussions with Lex Smith, Early Help Community Worker in West Norfolk, the idea of creating a marketplace developed, and it was very well-supported, both by local organisations and families.

“As the organiser, I really wanted to put together an event that gave everyone in our school community a chance to come together in a relaxed, stress-free environment. It was all about creating a space where people could feel comfortable and connect with local support services without any pressure.”

Executive Headteacher, Neil Mindham said: “I was delighted that we were able to host this Community Marketplace Event in our school. Bringing together so many local services and organisations under one roof was a wonderful opportunity for our families to find out what support was available to them. We were incredibly proud of our partnerships with these teams and hope that everyone who came along felt welcomed, informed and inspired by the wealth of expertise in our community. This is something that we hope to host termly as a valuable ongoing resource for our families.”

Extra support agencies help to bridge any gaps in health and welfare by providing specialist knowledge and offering practical help and signposting. Among those taking part were Mental Health Support Teams, Family Voice, Norfolk Family Hubs and the King’s Lynn Foodbank.

“We fully intend to run it again. It is clear that this kind of event fills an important gap,” added Ms Wardill.

Horrendous weather put paid to a fundraising run at our school, but pupils weren’t about to be deterred.

They had planned a run on Friday, November 14, but Storm Claudia had other ideas and brought a deluge and gale-force winds so the event had to be postponed to Monday, November 17.

The children were raising money for the BBC Children in Need Appeal and were inspired by Radio Two presenter Sara Cox who completed five marathons in five days to raise more than £10m for the charity.

The school, a member of West Norfolk Academies Trust, had been planning the run for the Friday to coincide with Sara’s last day.

Executive Headteacher Neil Minham said: “Despite the weather having other ideas on Children in Need Day, our Runathon spirit didn’t go anywhere. The children, inspired by Sara Cox, simply saved their energy for Monday and ran with real enthusiasm and kindness in support of a fantastic cause. We are very proud of them and hugely appreciative of the ongoing support from our families.”

Younger pupils at the school took part in a 25-minute dance-athon on Children in Need Day when they embraced this year’s theme of Challenge Yourself 25. The group raised more than £300.

Veterans and members of the Armed Forces were among the audience when our children joined others from across the region for the annual West Norfolk Academies Trust Remembrance Performance.

Featuring almost a hundred Year 4 pupils from ten different primary schools, the evening included poetry and narration, as well as wartime classics such as ‘A Bicycle Made for Two’ and ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’ – which had the audience members singing along and waving flags. There was also a standard bearer, and a moving rendition of ‘The Last Post’.

Among the participating schools were Clenchwarton Primary, Gaywood Primary, Heacham Junior, Snettisham Primary, Terrington St John Primary, Tilney St Lawrence Primary, Walpole Cross Keys Primary, Walpole Highway Primary, West Lynn Primary, and West Walton Primary, while the event was hosted by Springwood High School in King’s Lynn.

“Events like this enable children to build confidence, communication, and teamwork, as they learn to express themselves and work with others,” said Emma Hunt, who is Executive Headteacher at Terrington St John, Tilney St Lawrence, and Walpole Highway, and led the event alongside Snettisham Teacher Helen LeStrange and WNAT Administrator Emma Pearman.

It was the sixth time the event had taken place, with this year’s performance attracting around 300 family members, staff, and trustees, as well as war veterans and members of the armed services.

“I believe it is so important for children to learn about Remembrance, so that they can understand the sacrifices made by soldiers and civilians during times of war, appreciate the value of peace, and develop gratitude for the freedoms they enjoy today," added Mrs Hunt.

“Learning about this day helps them connect with history, show respect for those who served, and carry forward the tradition of remembrance, ensuring the lessons of the past are never lost.”