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Friday 17 January 2020 |
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2020, a new year, a new decade even! Talk of new ideas and resolutions are flooding onto my Instagram feed. This year I am not contemplating dry January or any get fit quick regimes, I have decided to set myself a challenge which is by far more difficult for a self confessed shopaholic. For 2020 I am setting myself the task not to buy any new items of clothing for one whole year (with the exception of smalls). Faced with tempting sale rails and new season window dressing, I know I will find it hard to resist the lure of the high street or filling my ASOS basket with gorgeous goodies, but before I head out into the January sales I am taking a stand to think about the impact of fast fashion on the environment. I am sure this pledge will come as a laugh out loud surprise to many, particularly those who know me well, this is for several reasons.
That being said, what better way is there to inspire and teach this generation to consider environmental and ethical issues surrounding fast fashion to create a more sustainable future for the industry. Read more here Miss Lycett |
Week Ahead |
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Monday 20 January Tuesday 21 January Wednesday 22 Janaury |
Thursday 23 January Friday 24 January Saturday 25 January |
Inspection Report for Northampton High School |
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Following our visit by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in November 2019, I am pleased to tell you that the report has now been published. In their three days in school, the inspectors observed lessons and extracurricular activities, conducted interviews with pupils and staff and attended form meetings and assemblies. They also scrutinised data and the results of pre-inspection questionnaires, which were extremely positive. I thank all parents who contributed to these. The Focused Compliance and Educational Quality Inspection concentrated on compliance with regulations, such as health and safety and the welfare of pupils, and on achievement and personal development. I am delighted to tell you that we met the regulations in all areas and that the report captures the essence of the school in so many ways. “Pupil questionnaire responses confirm that an overwhelming majority believe that the school encourages them to respect and tolerate each other; this is clearly a strength of the school.” The inspectors noted that ‘the quality of the pupils’ personal development is excellent’, ‘academic and other successes are excellent’ and that ‘pupils of all ages show extremely positive attitudes to learning’. They were deeply impressed by the girls, and I am too, for each was touched by the inspection in some way and was an ambassador for the school in her own right. Comments such as ‘pupils develop a strong and deep appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures and traditions’ and ’pupils throughout the school make excellent contributions to the school and the wider community’ come as no surprise, and the inspectors spoke of the girls’ self-understanding, self-confidence, self-discipline and resilience, too. “Pupils have excellent communication skills, and collaborative working is a strength of the school.” I speak on behalf of all staff in saying how proud I am of all of our pupils, and I know that you will be, too. My thanks to them, to you and to all colleagues and governors for securing this hugely positive report and for continuing to work together to make the High School the special place that it is. For more information, including a link to the press release and full report, please click here. Mrs Petryszak |
Helena secures her place at the Royal College of Music! |
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We are delighted to learn that Sixth Form student Helena has secured her place at at the Royal College of Music, in Kensington, London. Helena has been given a guaranteed conditional offer to play the violin at the College, which is the top conservatoire in the UK. Helena’s achievement is made all the more impressive, as only approximately 20 violin undergraduates are accepted each year, with half of these being from overseas! Congratulations Helena on a fantastic and well deserved achievement! Mr Nash |
Students take part in 'Cats' workshop! |
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As part of the sports departments new “Try a New Sport” Initiative, the U5 and Sixth Form girls had an amazing opportunity just before the Christmas break to take part in a workshop led by one of the cast in ‘Cats’, the movie. Katie Morton, cast member of ‘Cats’, was back in her home town of Northampton before she sets off to London to promote the film. The film premiered in the West End from 20 December, and Northampton High School were in an enviable position to be able to steal a precious couple of hours of her time to come in to teach a dance piece from the film. We were able to do this as Katie was an ex-pupil of Sinead Jones’ Dance School. |
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A select 15 girls were chosen to attend the workshop and were guided through a 2 hour workshop learning an exclusive choreography piece from the film. This was truly a ‘never forget memory’ for the girls and we thank Katie for her time spent with the girls and Sinead Jones for organising this. Mrs Littlewood
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Creative Arts Spotlight |
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This week, the Creative Arts Spotlight falls onto Jasmine. Jasmine has settled in superbly, offering up fantastic ideas in group work as well as delivering a super performance! Well done Jasmine! Mrs Care |
High School Sport |
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Happy New Year and welcome back! We kicked off the Netball season with a fixture versus King Henry VIII last weekend. It was a fantastic morning of Netball and the blustery conditions didn’t prevent us coming away with 4 wins. Congratulations to the U15s, U13As, U13Bs and U12As. The season begins to get into full swing from this week onward and we wish all of our Netball teams the best of luck with their forthcoming fixtures, and all the best to our Cross Country runners in their races at Abington Park tomorrow. Mrs Blake |
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Netball:The U14B Netball team were amazing on Saturday, as we had our first match of the season. It was a close game throughout and the team played very nicely but unfortunately lost 20-15 to King Henry VIII. Well done to all of the team that was able to attend! Anjola |
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Netball: Our first match of the season saw us at home against King Henry VIII School. We took to the court feeling determined, hoping to start our season with a win and get some good match play ahead of the Regionals in a couple of weeks. We started the game well and took control of the match with strong, accurate passing and accurate shooting from Jess & Eve. The score was 8-0 by the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, we changed our positions and everyone took to the court ready to try the new team formation. Katie took on the GA bib effortlessly and scored some great goals and combined with Tilly’s accurate shooting the score moved to 17-3 at half time. |
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After half time, we changed our positions again with everyone trying a new position and we took to the court with renewed energy and continued to keep hold of the ball. Elosie made some fantastic interceptions at GK, and Amy helped move the ball back down the court where Maddie & Jane had become the shooters. Jane scored some lovely goals and we moved further ahead with the score at the end of the third quarter being 21-5. In the final quarter, with yet another change of positions, the team continued to dominate the match. Everyone played their part and with Tilly and Eve’s continued accurate shooting the final score was 28-7. A great win for the team especially as we only played one quarter in our usual positions. Opposition Player of the match went to Maddie. Jess |
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Netball: On Saturday, the U14A team faced off against King Henry VIII; it was our first match of the season and we hadn’t had any practice. In the first quarter of the match we were rusty but by the time we got to half time we had only let 2 goals in because our marking was better, with Rebecca very tight on their goal shooter, intercepting the ball effectively and passing towards our direction. Jayna and myself worked well at centre passes, with Alessia and Ella moved the ball down to the goal shooter quickly. Overall everyone played really well and we are happy with the performance. Grace |
Book Review |
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Gloves Off by Louisa Reid A page-turning and immersive YA novel in verse, telling the story of Lily who is mercilessly bullied at school and who turns to boxing in an attempt to fight back; a story of hope and resilience breaking through even the most difficult situations. Lily turns sixteen with two very different sides to her life: school, where she is badly bullied, and home with her mum and dad, warm and comforting but with its own difficulties. After a particularly terrible bullying incident, Lily’s dad determines to give his daughter the tools to fight back. |
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Introducing her to boxing, he encourages Lily to find her own worth. It is both difficult and challenging but in confronting her own fears she finds a way through that illuminates her life and friendships. Meeting Rose, and seeing that there is another world out there, enables her to live her own life fully and gives her the knowledge that she is both beautiful and worth it. Miss Buxton |
James McInerney: The Poetry Project |
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We are pleased to introduce the work of local poet James McInerney into school as part of his Poetry in Public project. James grew up in an area in Northampton aptly named ‘Poets Corner’, not realising that poetry was to become a huge part of his life. Having no prior interest in the subject matter in his younger years, James discovered the wonders of writing in his twenties. Mixing his own thoughts and emotions with classical and instrumental film scores, he realised for the first time in his life that there was more to writing than met the eye. |
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With no real influences or coming from a writing background, James’ enthusiasm grew, utilising his skill on media to great effect. His work has been featured in various UK and International magazines and on various radio stations in the UK and the Netherlands including the BBC (where he is currently a part of the newspaper review team). His words have been adapted and performed by many musicians and vocalists. James’ books ‘In between the Lines’, ‘Bloom’ and ‘Red’ are all available to borrow from the Senior School Library. James began running his Poetry in Public project in December 2018. “On a visit to London, I was inspired by the Service Information boards on the London Underground that display train information and delays. I occasionally saw quotes from famous authors but never poetry. When I returned home I immediately messaged one of stations and was pleasantly surprised when they said yes. The aim of the project is to get poetry into places you wouldn’t normally see it and open people`s eyes to the joy of poetry. Since this project has been running, the response from the commuters has been amazing!” The quotes featured are both supportive and affirming, chiming well with the current positive approach to mental health and well-being. As James comments “I think there needs to be a good balance when it comes to the fake news and negativity that we cannot escape on a daily basis. The general public have been sharing my words across social media, proving there is a real healing power to poetry. I think right now, more than ever, we are a country that needs positivity in our daily lives. It is a real honour to have my words on display.” James’ work will be on display in the Library and promoted across the school in a variety of other ways. James can be found at: https://jamesmcinerney.wixsite.com/poetry/news, @MILLSMC07 on Twitter and https://www.instagram.com/millsmc07/ on Instagram. Miss Buxton |
Northampton High Film Competition |
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Dining Room update |
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Due to our commitment to helping the environment, the Catering Department are no longer providing plastic cups situated next to the water fountains in the dining room. Reusable cups are to be provided on the dining tables and students are more than welcome to use their own bottles too. Mr Stubbs |
Join Our Team |
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We have a number of exciting vacancies available here at Northampton High School. Please click the below link to view, and feel free to contact us if you would like further details. Mrs Gates |
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Term Dates |
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Northampton High School |
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