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Friday 14 May 2021 |
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An architect, a cost consultant and a structural engineer walked into a bar…… This sounds like the beginning of a bad joke but when I asked my husband how his world of work was evolving, these are the professions he chose and as he reeled off the job titles, I was minded of the old ‘walked into a bar’ joke. But to the point of this piece. Earlier in the term, I wrote a blog exploring some of the theories about the future of the workplace set out by Daniel Susskind (2020). My closing comments of that piece focused on the idea that the world of secondary education is beginning to really embrace the development of skills, over simply covering content. In this piece I would like to expand on that theme, not by considering how we ensure our pupils develop the skills (that is for another piece) but by considering how exactly workplaces have and continue to change and what this means for the future workforce. Let us consider the job of navigator in the Air Force. In the era before technology was used in aeroplanes, the job was highly skilled and specialist. Navigators might have had the same basic training as the pilot, but without the navigator by their side the pilot was blind. The flight plan was mapped out literally on a paper map and the pilot was given directions as they flew. Fly forward to 2021 and the job of navigator is still in existence but many fighter planes are single-seater now. The navigator plots the route electronically and with the assistance of GPS the pilot can follow the plan from the instrument panel. So, training as a navigator in the 1950s was vastly different from training in 2021 even though the basic aptitudes are the same. Which leads to the idea of developing transferable skills, which is something we discuss frequently with our pupils in school. Click here to read more Mrs O’Doherty |
The week ahead |
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Sunday 16 May Tuesday 18 May Sunday 23 May |
'Where are they now?' - Shefali |
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It is always great to hear from our former pupils, and celebrate the successes they have enjoyed since they left Northampton High. It’s amazing to catch up and learn about their individual triumphs; be they at university, in the world of work, or personally, and hearing about their aspirations for the future. Today, we speak to former pupil, Shefali, who left Northampton High to study at the University of Warwick in 2018, about her life since leaving school and an exciting new career opportunity in Geneva! |
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“Earlier this year I was thinking about what to do after finishing my degree (a few weeks away now!) and I decided to apply for a Master’s programme, since the job market is pretty bleak currently. My three years have highlighted my real interests in politics – diplomacy and humanitarian assistance – and so I’ve written my dissertation about the United Nations and whether collective security can adapt to 21st Century threats to international peace and security. Having very much fallen in love with this topic, I wanted to study a Master’s programme that focused on this, but my options in the UK were not incredibly diverse! So I applied to the Graduate Institute in Geneva, Switzerland, which is an Institute that specialises in International Relations, Development Studies and Issues. I figured I wouldn’t get in, as they have a pretty low acceptance rate and take students from all over the world. Recently though, I found out that I have been accepted onto their 2-year Master’s in Development Studies programme, for September enrolment! I’ll hopefully be moving out to Geneva in September – until then, all fingers will be crossed for restrictions lifting on international travel. Whilst it’s quite a daunting prospect for me, I’m excited to start a new adventure. Perhaps I’ll send a postcard from Lake Geneva one day – look out for it in the post!” Congratulations Shefali on this fantastic achievement, we wish you all the very best with your exciting new opportunity – and we look forward to receiving that postcard! We are excited to speak to more members of our Northampton High School family over the coming weeks and months, and we look forward to sharing their stories with you. Mr Nash |
Fixtures have returned! |
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We were delighted to get back to some form of normality this past week with 2 fixtures taking place. We held an internal hockey fixture and welcomed Wellingborough for the first round of the LTA Tennis Schools’ Championship. The hockey fixture saw U14s face off against the U16s. Our two teams played some exceptional hockey with the ball going very much end to end. Some great short corners and counter attacks were seen from both sides and the final score ended 2-2. |
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On Thursday evening we hosted our first tennis match in over a year. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side and it poured down during the entire two hours of play. This did not deter our players and they played some superb games.
Singles and doubles were played and across both age groups and in total we won three singles matches and lost three, and won two doubles and lost one. Overall, Northampton High won the Year 7/8 match and Wellingborough won the Year 9/10 match. Well done to all the girls involved and we look forward to the next round of matches scheduled for September 2021. Well played everyone! We look forward to more fixtures over the summer term. Mrs Blake |
U3 observe frequency and amplitude in Science! |
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Our U3 students have been having fun in the Science classrooms, as they have been working together investigating the topic of ‘waves’. Pupils have been using rubber bands to observe frequency and amplitude in slow motion, and you can see an example of what they discovered by clicking here. Great work everyone! Mrs Pearson |
Creative Arts Spotlight |
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This week, the Creative Arts Spotlight falls onto U4 students Mia C (violin) and Charlotte H (piano). Mia and Charlotte have chosen to prepare a violin and piano duet – Omori, composed by Pedro Silva. They have been tasked with preparing their own version (a remix) for performance to demonstrate both musical development and creativity, as well as instrumental technique. Both students have worked extremely well as a partnership, freely sharing ideas and experimenting with different interpretations of the original music. I look forward to seeing the final version! Mrs Smith |
Book of the Week |
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The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys Madrid, 1957. Daniel, young, wealthy and unsure of his place in the world, views the city through the lens of his camera. Ana, a hotel maid whose family is suffering under the fascist dictatorship of General Franco. Lives and hearts collide as they unite to uncover the hidden darkness within the city. A darkness that could engulf them all . . . |
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Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys once again shines light into one of history’s darkest corners in her novel about identity, love and the hidden violence of silence. Click here to read more about the Carnegie Shortlist 2021. Miss Buxton |
GDST Talks with Grace Barrett: Video available now |
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We are delighted to confirm that the footage from one of our most recent GDST Talks with Grace Barrett is now available to be viewed online. Grace joined us to talk on the subject of ‘Managing the transition from Primary to Secondary School’, and can be viewed on the official GDST YouTube page by clicking here. Here, you will also find links to videos from previous GDST Talks. We hope you have enjoyed the GDST Talks series so far this year, and as always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions for what topics you would like to see covered in the future. Mr Nash |
The Time Out for Parents - The Teenage Years |
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For your information: The Time Out for Parents – the Teenage Years course is an 8-session course for parents of children aged 11-19. The organisation Care for the Family, will cover topics such as helping children stay safe online, communication and handling conflict well. This is a fantastic course for those parenting teenagers, and for those who are nearly there! Date and time: Tuesday evenings, 7 – 9pm from 11 May – 6 July. Cost: £20 per household including accompanying parent handbook (RRP. £9.99) and additional resources and goodies. Bursary places are available for parents who qualify. To get tickets please visit: The Teenage Years. Mrs O’Doherty |
The Time Out for Parents - Handling Anger in the Family |
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For your information: Handling Anger in the Family is a short 4-session course for parents of children aged 5-16 years. This course from Care for the Family will look at how one can manage and handle anger in a safe and healthy way, starting with oneself as a parent and carer and then with helping children. This is a really popular course and the organisation has added extra dates due to demand, so they expect to fill all 12 spaces. If you are interested, please book ASAP to avoid disappointment. Date and time: Tuesday mornings, 9:30 – 11:30am from 15 June – 6 July. Cost: £10 per household including accompanying parent handbook (RRP. £9.99) and additional resources and goodies. Bursary places are available for parents who qualify. To get tickets please visit Handling Anger in the Family For more information contact Louise Willis on 07784 333825 or email hello@hopeforfamilies.org.uk Mrs O’Doherty |
Term Dates 20/21 |
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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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