Past inspired present when alumni from our school returned to share their knowledge and career advice with the current pupils.

Speakers at the Springwood High School Futures Event included former students Adam Wren from Larking Gowen accountants; Nathan Poll from Inshore Fisheries; Ruby Goodchild from Brown & Co estate agency; Aaron Winters and Dan McNicol from Stephenson Smart Chartered Accountants; Ryan Lake from John Lake Shellfish; Owen Claydon-Nicol from the NHS East of England Ambulance Service; and Izzy King, who is a fourth-year veterinary student at Harper Adams University.

Our Careers Lead and Head of Year 12, Nicky Thompson, arranged the event with Head of Year 10 Oliver Denton, Head of Year 11 Pete Cuss, and Head of Year 13 Luke Rawling.

“There were more than 50 exhibitors from the world of work and education,” she explained. “A wide range of employment sectors were represented this year, with key employers being Bespak, Dodmans, British Sugar, QEH, BAE Systems, Cranswick Food, Mars, Stephenson Smart, and Ward Gethin.

“New this year were Searles, Pilgrim Foods, RMD Kwikform, MVV Environment, Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, and John Lake Shellfish.”

More than 1,000 students from Years 10 to 13 attended the day-long event, in which potential employers and education providers delivered workshops to help them make informed decisions about the future.

“It was a pleasure to meet the students at Springwood Sixth Form and talk to them about a career in accountancy,” said Tax Assistant Mr Wren. “They showed a real interest in the profession, and it was great to share some insight into the variety of work we do on a day-to-day basis.

“It was especially rewarding to speak with students as they explored their future career options, and to highlight the many opportunities available at Larking Gowen and within the wider profession, as well as the multiple routes that can be taken to pursue a career in accountancy.”

Conservation Officer Mr Poll agreed: “It was a real pleasure to return to my old school, this time representing Eastern IFCA.

“Having studied here before going on to pursue a career in marine conservation and fisheries management, it was great to share my experiences with students and show them some of the opportunities available in protecting our local seas and marine environment.”

Fellow alumnus Mr McNicol also enjoyed revisiting Springwood, saying: “It was great to return to my old school and speak to students about where a career in accountancy can take you.

“It was particularly rewarding to answer their questions and hopefully give them a better idea of the different opportunities and apprenticeships available at Stephenson Smart.”

Paramedic Operations Manager Mr Claydon-Nicol added: “As a former pupil of Springwood, it is always nice to come back and engage with the students.”

It was the third time the event had taken place at our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

Miss Thompson continued: “Springwood High School is committed to providing high quality Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) for all students – encouraging them to aim higher and explore engaging and rewarding careers.

“The School's Careers Plan ensures that every student has opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace – the Futures Event brought together students and multiple employers to do just that.”

There were poppies all round when our students were joined by representatives from St John’s Ambulance, scouts, and cadet groups, as well as Mayor of King’s Lynn Steve Bearshaw, for the school’s annual Remembrance Service on Wednesday 11 November.

The event at Springwood High School saw the Year 7 cohort and sixth formers take part in a Remembrance Day Parade, which was followed by a ceremony where our Executive Headteacher, Andy Johnson, laid a wreath.

Rebecca Davies-Mays is Deputy Head at our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“Our cadets led a parade that included representatives from other groups,” she said. “We then had a reading and two minutes’ silence.

“Mr Johnson laid a wreath, and the King’s Lynn Mayor also laid a poppy. Members of the Governing Body were also present.”

The occasion has been marked annually by Springwood for more than 15 years.

Mrs Davies-Mays added: “It provides a historical understanding of local history, community memorials, and family stories. It fosters gratitude, respect, and a sense of responsibility by exploring concepts like selflessness and courage.

“It also brings together multi-generational groups – including school staff, families, local veterans, and community leaders – through shared rituals like two-minute silences and assemblies.”

Our scientists, engineers and mathematicians saw their successes celebrated at a special ceremony held in their honour.

Around fifty students from Years 8 to 12 at Springwood High School attended the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Celebration Evening, where awards and certificates were presented in recognition of their achievements over the past academic year.

Isabel Colley is a Science Teacher at our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, and helped to organise the event.

“The evening celebrates the STEM achievements from the previous school year with certificates and awards from school and regional competitions,” she explained.

The event was also supported by our STEM Lead and Assistant Head, Victoria Mann, and Science Teacher and Deputy Head Rebecca Davies-Mays, while guest speaker Professor Abby Onencan from the University of East Anglia shared her experience in STEM and explained why the field is so important.

Miss Colley added: “It is a chance to celebrate the success of the pupils with them and their parents. It shows all the contributions to STEM from across the school, and inspires pupils that STEM is accessible for all pupils at Springwood High School.”

It all added up to some impressive results, when Maths aces at Springwood High School ranked among the top scorers in two national problem-solving challenges.

Organised by the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust and open only to female students, the UKMT Maths Competition for Girls and UKMT Maths Olympiad for Girls saw the eight of our sixth formers rise to the occasion, with six entering the Competition and two the Olympiad.

Maths Teacher Lucy Edwards supported both events, which were organised by Key Stage 5 Maths Lead Ben Coote.

“Mr Coote organised the running of the competition within our school and sought some of our top performing sixth form students to take part,” she explained.

“These competitions run across the UK, produced by the UK Maths Trust, and students in year 11 and above could be selected.

“Both assessments consisted of problem-solving questions. The Maths Olympiad paper was two hours and 30 minutes long, and the Maths Competition paper was 90 minutes long.”

Among the Year 12 and 13 students from our school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, Methumlee and Matilda each achieved a Distinction in the Olympiad; while Emilia, Grace, and Esther were awarded Merits in the Competition, and Cherish, Sofia, and Caitlin received certificates.

Miss Edwards continued: “Events like these are vital for closing the gender gap in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths] by providing a supportive environment that builds confidence and breaks down stereotypes. These competitions take place once per year.

“These competitions benefit students by developing advanced problem-solving skills, fostering a community of like-minded peers, and strengthening university applications through recognised academic achievements.”

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.”