There is something truly special about a birthday – a time to celebrate, reflect and look ahead. And today, it is our school’s turn! Northampton High School turns 147 years old – a remarkable milestone that brings our community together to honour nearly a century and a half of girls’ education.

Anniversaries and birthdays are important milestones for any community. They allow us to pause and reflect on our shared history, to acknowledge our achievements and our challenges, and to renew our commitment to our core values and mission. The celebration of Northampton High School’s 147th birthday is a perfect opportunity to recognise the school’s rich history and legacy, as well as its ongoing commitment to providing a high quality and irresistible education for girls.

In assembly today, I had the joy of speaking with students from Year 1 to the Sixth Form about our beautiful school crest – a symbol deeply rooted in the fabric of our town and the county, with the four segments of our crest representing aspects of the school, its history and links to the local area. Indeed, each part tells a story about who we are, where we have come from, and the values we hold dear.

We remembered Miss Alice Straker, a trailblazing Headmistress who led the school from 1890 for 21 years and gave us our original motto, ‘The Utmost for the Highest’. Her vision of a school that would inspire young women to aim high and never stop striving still guides us today. Her legacy of ambition and integrity is woven into the very fabric of our school.

Miss Straker also believed in recognising character and conduct. Students were awarded Courtesy Badges and Honour Cards as symbols of pride in both behaviour and academic achievement. There was even a single, coveted Good Conduct Medal, worn with honour by one student each year. These traditions remind us how long we have been nurturing not only academic success but also kindness, respect and responsibility.

The school modern crest also celebrates our link to the town and to our former home in Derngate, with a design inspired by the artwork on the door of 78 Derngate. This house was formerly used as Sixth Form classrooms by the school and was famously designed and remodelled by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Now, of course, it is a much-loved visitor attraction celebrating his final major commission.

We were therefore delighted to re-establish our connection with 78 Derngate earlier this year, when we held our Retrospective Art Exhibition there in February – now to become an annual event. This showcase of A Level Art and Textiles work from our alumnae took place in the beautifully lit upper galleries, offering a fitting tribute to the school’s heritage and our original site from 1878. It provided a retrospective celebration of the girls’ creative achievements within a space brimming with the school’s history. 

Our current location in Hardingstone is also reflected in the crest, through the image of the Queen Eleanor Cross, only a few hundred metres from school and one of Northampton’s most important historical monuments. It is one of the only remaining crosses erected by Edward I along the route of the funeral procession of his late queen, Eleanor of Castile. It marks our place in the local landscape and serves as a daily reminder of the rich heritage that surrounds us.

We also retain a tribute to the school’s historical status as a church school in the current crest through the Dioscian keys. Of course, since the school joined the GDST in 2007, we are now non-denominational, something reflected in our diverse and vibrant student and staff body. However, the universal Christian values of kindness, charity and service remain at the heart of our ethos and are lived out in the everyday life of the school.

And of course, the rose – the emblem of Northamptonshire affectionately referred to as The Rose of the Shires – holds a special place in our story. It represents the girls themselves and is used as the symbol for our alumnae. Every student who leaves the Sixth Form is given a yellow rose to symbolise her time at the school and the bright future that lies ahead.

Since our founding in 1878, we have remained unwavering in our commitment to educating girls free from the constraints of gender stereotypes and the perceptions of what girls can and cannot do. As we celebrate this milestone, we honour the thousands of young women who have passed through our doors, cherish the present with pride, and look forward to a future of continued excellence in girls’ education.

Northampton High School has undergone many changes, both physically and academically, and established a long and illustrious heritage in the town itself. From our beginnings with just 29 students, to today’s thriving community of over 485 girls aged 2 to 18, we continue to help girls learn without limits, so that they go on to lead lives without limits.

Through the school’s modern motto, ‘We believe in our girls and they believe in themselves’, we hope that we remain true to the original spirit and ethos of the school. A school that proudly puts girls first where they take centre stage, and they are the focus of everything we do. 

So here’s to our past, our present, and our future. 

Happy Birthday, Northampton High School – may you continue to flourish for many years to come.