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Friday 1 July 2022 |
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This week saw the beginning of the transition period for students across the country and Northampton High is no exception. As the A Level and GCSE examinations came to an end, we welcomed the new cohort of Year 12 pupils on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday were both welcome days for the Year 6 pupils joining Year 7 in September. We brought forward our annual Confidence and Challenge (COaCH) launch day and took the pupils to Willen Lake to have fun and begin building bonds with the other Year 6 pupils. Today, students enjoyed some activities in school to help them find their way around, meet other pupils, their tutors and Head of Year. Judging from the excited chatter in the courtyard at lunchtime, they were thoroughly enjoying their day and their buffet lunch! At the same time, in the Junior School, pupils were meeting with their new class teacher for next year too. |
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These transition points are so important and can make all the difference between pupils making a confident start to their new school year or not. I don’t believe the statement that ‘You don’t get a second chance at a first impression’ particularly in schools where everyone needs a fresh start now and then and the term breaks enable this quite well. But I do believe that there is such a thing as ‘starting well’ and ‘leaving well’. These moments are equally important for our new pupils and our leavers too and how we, as a school, guide the pupils through these moments is as important as how they navigate things themselves. Change is unsettling and requires much reassurance before it can be embraced fully. In the meantime, we have continued to enjoy our lead up to the end of the school year, with the Gym and Dance Extravaganza following hot on the heels of last week’s Arts Festival. Next week, Year 7 head off to Shropshire for their annual COaCH Humanities residential trip and Year 9 enjoy ‘type-2’ fun on Outward Bound. Both residentials offer some fun, some challenge and some confidence building. Outward Bound, in particular, is deliberately offered at the end of Year 9 as a way of showing pupils that we can do hard things if we persevere – great practice for the upcoming challenge of GCSEs. Have a lovely weekend. |
The week ahead |
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Monday 4 July Tuesday 5 July Wednesday 6 July |
Thursday 7 July Friday 8 July Saturday 9 July |
Gym & Dance Extravaganza |
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On Wednesday 29 June, we were delighted to host one of our favourite annual events, the Gym and Dance Extravaganza. This event is so special as it involves every year group from Reception to Sixth Form, and it proved to be an amazing spectacle as we approach the end of another action-packed academic year in the world of sport at Northampton High. The theme for this year was ‘Iconic’ and there were certainly iconic dances on display! From Elvis to Megan Trainer, from the Beach Boys to the theme of Friends, the students created a night to remember! |
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The Senior School Hall was full and the atmosphere was electric. From nerves, to excitement and everything inbetween – the full range of emotions relating to putting on a show were evident. Everyone performed magnificently well and we are immensely proud of all of the performers who were brave enough to go out there and perform. We are always in awe of people who can perform creatively to an audience, whether it is acting, singing, dancing or gymnastics. Putting on a show is hard work and this event was lovely because of the hard work and commitment everyone was prepared to put into it. One thing that stood out from start to finish was the camaraderie shown by all the performers. The cheering before they went on, the shouts of encouragement and the whoops of delight when the performance was done alongside hugs of celebration. This was a noteworthy addition to the show. It showed understanding, respect, and mutual delight in either getting through the performance or managing that gymnastic skill. We thank our wonderful audience for joining us for this celebration, and we hope to see you again next year! Mrs Littlewood |
Year 6 pupils enjoy enriching induction day ahead of their start in Senior School in September |
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On Thursday, our current Year 6 students enjoyed a fun-filled activity day at Willen Lake as they prepare for their start in Senior School in September. As part of our Confidence and Challenge (COaCH) programme, September’s Year 7 have been joined by their new classmates for a wonderful induction day where they got to make friends, share a laugh and enjoy the marvellous events that Willen has to offer. It proved to be a fantastic day and we are excited to welcome these students into the Senior School! Mr Nash |
Year 10 visit Bhaktivedanta Manor |
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This week, Year 10 Religious Studies GCSE students enjoyed a wonderful day at Bhaktivedanta Manor, a Hindu temple, education centre and Goshalla (cow sanctuary). We had a great morning working with Alison who introduced us to some ‘mystery artefacts’ some of which we had come across before, like flower garlands, and others which we had no idea about, like chalk, used to create a tilak (a mark worn on the forehead traditionally to indicate caste, status, or denomination). Next, we enjoyed a tour around the grounds finding various quotes from scripture at small stops in the woods. It was great to get the chance to interpret scripture and hear how it is understood by ISCKON followers (followers of Krishna/Vaishnavas). We also saw the beautiful garden dedicated to George Harrison, a member of the Beatles who sold the estate to ISKCON (International Society of Krishna Consciousness) for £1! A real highlight in the grounds was being able to feed the cows in the Goshalla and ride on an ox-driven cart. We really enjoyed trying on saris and wore these down to the shrine room where we were able to observe aarti (light ceremony) and puja (worship) being performed. We were particularly impressed with the fun and loving form of devotion devotees expressed known as ‘bhakti’ since the singing and dancing was loud and engaging. Seeing the shrine took our breath away – it really was beautiful, and the smell of incense really lifted our spirits. Lunch was delicious! A paneer curry with peas, rice, chips and a puri (a small, round piece of bread made of unleavened wheat flour, deep-fried) and we enjoyed purchasing a few items from the gift shop including jewellery and reading materials. To conclude the day, we had our face or hands painted with traditional shapes in nature, including fire, lightning bolts and flowers. It was lovely to hear a kirtan (hymn) being sung live with drums before we had to depart for the coach. This really was a trip to bring our textbook studies to life and we all had a wonderful time. Miss Robinson |
Tré Ventour visits Northampton High School |
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Last Friday, we were delighted to welcome back Tré Ventour to Northampton High School. Tré last visited us in October for our Black History Month projects, and it was fantastic to see him one again, this time for talks with Year 7 and Year 12. Tré started the day by leading an inspiring early morning session with Year 7. His presentation invited us to reflect on hair touching and how touching someone else’s hair, without their consent/permission is not okay. Tré surprised us with the example of Lupita Nyong’o whose ponytail had been airbrushed out of the photograph for the cover of Grazia. Tré showed us this example and others where anything deviating from ‘whiteness’ was treated negatively and discriminated against. It was a challenging but important lesson for us to explore together and it helped us to reflect on how society behaves but how we can choose to behave better! In the afternoon, Tré led another fantastic session, this time with Year 12. We read one of his journal articles entitled ‘Race and Racism in Austen Spaces: National Trust in Jane Austen’s Empires of Sugar’ and it was a great opportunity for us to explore university-level work and discuss referencing and writing in an academic format. Tré’s presentation involved us analysing a series of video clips as extracts from dramatic versions of Austen’s novels. In all of them, the wealth accumulated must be associated with slavery and some, like Mansfield Park, acknowledge this explicitly. Tré challenged us to reflect on some of the spaces in the UK that exist because of money from slavery and how it can change people’s perspective towards this architecture and/or location. We thank Tré for his visit and look forward to working with him again in the future. Miss Robinson, a Year 7 and Year 12 student |
Eco Team raise £168 for One Tree Day! |
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On Monday 27 June, the Eco Team ran a bake sale to raise money for One Tree Day. We raised £168 for this amazing cause; thank you to everyone who purchased a cake at break time – you got delicious cake and we planted trees! One Tree Day is an organisation that aims to plant a tree for every school child around the world. One pound plants one tree, and these are located in carefully selected areas to help combat climate change and keep global warming below 1.5 degrees. If you would like to find out more about One Tree Day, then click here to watch this informative video about what impact Just One Tree is having on the world. Mr Earp & Esme |
Northampton High School Master Chef 2022 |
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On Wednesday 22 June, we were delighted to hold the final of Northampton High’s Master Chef 2022. There were 7 teams competing who had to produce and present 1 sweet or savoury dish, depending on what they made in the first round, within 45 minutes. We observed fantastic teamwork, creativity and skills and there was a real buzz of excitement in the kitchen. Whilst there were many excellent offerings, it was decided Alexis and Himaya were the first-place winners with their deconstructed chicken and mushroom pie, and Matilda and Rithika were the runners up with their Dutch pancake with berry sauce. It was a delight to hold this competition again and this year invite Year 6 to participate. Master Chef will be back in Summer 2023! Miss Knight |
Creative Arts Spotlight |
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This week, the Creative Arts Spotlight falls onto the entire Year 8 who have created the most wonderful ceramics this term. Their marine life project has been a joy to work on and I have been so excited to see how the students have sculpted their creatures and reef organisms – awesome work from each and every class member! Well done to all pupils! Mrs Beacroft |
GDST Debating Competition - Saturday 25 June |
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Last Saturday 22 June, 4 students from Northampton High took part in the annual GDST Debating Competition. Aiyven, Arna, Lucy and Tanishqa represented the school in this prestigious competition in which 34 teams took part and they were all wonderful. A special congratulations to Lucy for being the winning speaker in the novice category and for Lucy and Aiyven for jointly winning first place in the novice team category. We look forward to future competitions. Mrs Earl |
Book of the Week |
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The Promise by Damon Galgut – Winner of The Booker Prize 2022 – recommended for Year 9+ On a farm outside Pretoria, the Swarts are gathering for Ma’s funeral. The younger generation, Anton and Amor, detest everything the family stand for – not least their treatment of the black woman who has worked for them her whole life. Salome was to be given her own house, her own land…yet somehow, that vow is carefully ignored.As each decade passes and the family assemble again, one question hovers over them. Can you ever escape the repercussions of a broken promise? Miss Buxton |
GDST Alumna of the Year Award Nominees - Sasha Roseneil nominated! |
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We are incredibly proud that Northampton High School alum Professor Sasha Roseneil features in the shortlist for this year’s GDST Alumna of the Year award. Sasha is a true advocate for inclusivity and equality and an inspirational role model for all of our pupils. A world-renowned interdisciplinary social scientist, a group analyst and psychoanalytic psychotherapist and a distinguished university leader, Sasha is truly a powerful advocate for women and girls through her work. Everyone at Northampton High congratulates Sasha on this amazing achievement. To find out more information about the award and to register your vote, please click here. Good luck Sasha, we are all rooting for you! Mr Nash |
Summer Reception and Charity Auction at Althorp House – Wednesday 6 July |
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We have received communication from Mr. James Saunders Watson (Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Northamptonshire) and members of the Northamptonshire Committee of ABF The Soldier’s Charity that parents of Northampton High School are warmly invited to attend the ‘Summer Reception and Charity Auction’ in the Stable’s Courtyard at Althorp House. The evening will commence at 18:00 for drinks and canapés, with music provided by students from Northampton High School, with an option to stay on for the Charity Auction as well (19:30-20:30). As this is a charity event there is a charge of £30 per person, if you would like to attend please email nhsadmin@nhs.gdst.net no later than 14:00 on Thursday 23 June, and we will confirm details of how to make payment directly with the ABF The Soldier’s Charity. Due to security arrangements at Althorp Estate, this is a strictly ticket-only event with confirmations required well in advance of the event. If you would like any further information, please do get in touch. Mr Hume |
Reunion Lunch - Saturday 9 July 2022 |
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Tickets for our Summer Reunion Lunch are on sale now! Taking place on Saturday 9 July, the lunch is a highlight of any year, where alumnae from both the Derngate and Hardingstone sites get together for a delicious two-course meal and to catch up with friends old and new. For more information and to book your tickets, please click here. We are also delighted to share with you the latest edition of our Alumnae Newsletter. To take a read, please click here. Mrs Wilmot |
Inclusivity Bulletin: July |
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We are delighted to share with you the latest Northampton High School Inclusivity Bulletin. The above graphic outlines what will be happening throughout this month, but to read more and to view the July bulletin in full, please click here. Mrs Wilmot |
Community Nursery Sessions |
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Rugby & Northampton Athletics - Saturday Track Club |
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Term Dates 21/22 |
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Term Dates 22/23 |
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Northampton High School |
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