It was a life-changing experience for a group of Springwood High School students who spent more than two weeks exploring and volunteering in Cambodia.

The 14 sixth formers enjoyed an action-packed itinerary during the 16-day Challenges Abroad trip, which saw them spend time in the cities of Phnom Penh, Battambang, and Siem Reap, as well as visit Pu Long village, the island of Koh Trang, temples, the S21 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, and the country’s infamous Killing Fields.

Accompanying the intrepid students was our Head of History, Chris Whitlam, along with Georgia Littlemore, Head of Drama at the school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“Students spent one week touring Cambodia, including seeing river dolphins in the Mekong River, trekking in the Cambodian jungle, and sites associated with the Khmer Rouge regime,” he said. “Most spectacular was seeing the sun rise over Angkor Wat.

“The second week was spent in the Challenges Abroad Hub at Battambang, where students prepared lessons to deliver to a local school.”

It was the fourth time students from our school had taken part in the trip, which included a four-day FutureSense Foundation community project, where they delivered workshops on sustainable waste management and environmental responsibility to Cambodian school children.

There was also plenty of time to soak up the country’s rich culture and history, as well as to experience its diverse wildlife, with opportunities to see turtles, Irrawaddy dolphins, and a bat cave, jungles, waterfalls, rivers, mountains, and lakes.

Among the many other highlights were visits to the world-renowned temples of Angkor Wat, Baya, and Ta Prohm; a trip to a coffee plantation; tours of each of the three cities; and introductions to the Khmer language and traditional dance.

Group member Lyndon said: “This trip opened my eyes to new cultures around the world, as well as allowing me to explore remarkable temples and landmarks. When we went to the partner school, we helped enrich the children’s knowledge about helping the environment. This showed us first hand the impact that education can have on a small community school.”

Classmate Isla agreed: “This once-in-a-lifetime experience has taught me so much about the world, the importance of spreading awareness about the environment, and also about myself. I have gained a plethora of new amazing memories, whether that be completing a jungle trek or playing musical statues with one of my classes.

“I have also developed so many of my skills, gaining so much confidence and growing my leadership skills. I had the best time, and signing up was genuinely one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Mr Whitlam added: “Trips like this are incredibly important for students’ cultural awareness, as well as knowledge of events such as the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime.”

Teamwork paid off when aspiring engineers from our school put their racer through its paces at this year’s Hunstanton Soap Box Derby.

Six students from Springwood High School attended on the day, while others were involved at earlier stages in the project, which saw the group fine-tune and modify the soapbox car that had been designed and created for last year’s event.

Richard Moore ran the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) club with the assistance of fellow Springwood Science Teacher Matilda Waite.

“This was the second year we had entered into the competition,” he explained. “So, unlike last year where we needed to build the soapbox from scratch, we only needed to modify it.

“They added a rear removable pushing mechanism and replaced some wooden body parts with metal to add extra strength. There was a lot of testing of the new pushing mechanism which took up most of the time.

“This mechanism was built from scrap metal – a few old school chair and table legs that the students cut down, drilled, and fitted together.”

He continued: “The group competed in the 16- to 49-year-old adults category. This was open to anybody or group of people who wanted to compete. Most came from the local area of North Norfolk, but some came from further afield.

“We sadly didn’t make it into the top three. Our fastest time was 38 seconds – the top three all had times below 30 seconds.”

Our students were once again supported by members of the Rolls Royce engineering team from RAF Marham – and there are already plans for the school, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, to race in next year’s Derby.

Mr Moore added: “We already have plans to take part in 2027. We plan on building a new soapbox so we can enter both the adult and under-16 categories. This should allow even more students from Springwood to get involved in the STEM activities.

“These clubs and events are really important for students, as it gives them the opportunity to try something new, and explore interests that they might not normally be able to from normal school life.

“It also allows them to showcase their skills and work with experts, which in turn allows them to learn new skills and improve on existing ones.”

Graduating students from Springwood Sixth Form gathered at The Duke’s Head in King’s Lynn to celebrate their exam successes and the end of their school years.

The Class of 2026 walked the red carpet dressed in a dazzling array of evening wear, from suits to ballgowns and cocktail dresses, to find the venue had been transformed into a casino for the night.

As well as blackjack and roulette, there were arcade games and a dance machine, along with a DJ. There was also a photo booth where the partygoers could create lasting mementoes of the occasion.

Refreshments on offer included a hot buffet and brownies, and the leavers were joined by members of staff from our school, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

The event was organised by Jess Cuss and her fellow Head of Year 13, Nicky Thompson.

“Prom was more than a night of music and dancing,” she said. “It was a celebration of friendship, memories, and the unforgettable journey of the Class of 2026.”

A Springwood sixth former has been inaugurated as a member of the Norfolk Youth Parliament, at a ceremony which took place at County Hall.

The academic year came to a sticky end for four of our teachers, when students at Springwood High School rounded off the term with a different kind of fundraising bucket.

From high-vis corsetry to upcycled evening wear, there was a range of innovative fashion on display at our annual showcase event.