Friday 2 February 2024

Globalisation and Languages: Yet more reasons to be a lifelong learner!

If you ask my A level Geography classes to outline the cause of Globalisation, I am confident they would be able to describe a range of different factors, all of which would be convincingly linked to the start of the process that we know as globalisation. Diligent students would perhaps first offer you a definition of globalisation along the lines of, ‘The movement of people, goods, capital and information between countries with few to no barriers.’ They would discuss the rise of the internet and fibre optic cables, connecting us to remote parts of the planet in mere seconds. Some might talk animatedly about the developments in commercial air travel, connecting us physically for work or for pleasure, allowing us to traverse the globe and see the wonders that it has to hold. Others might delve a little further back to the 1950’s and the birth of containerisation, enabling transport of anything and everything from tropical fruits to the latest electronics. Those who are really showing off may go back further still and touch on geographies of exploration and the colonial era of the 16th century. They would explain the role that western European explorers played in finding new lands and making contact with new communities of people. And to be honest, I’d be pleased with this as the content for any good A level answer!

Beyond that however, there is substantial evidence to suggest that ancient maritime practices in the Pacific, may have dated as far back as 3000BC. The Austronesians traversed the Pacific and much of the Indian ocean right up until 1200AD, taking with them their heritage, their culture and their knowledge of the sea and their natural surroundings. This then must be a very good example of early globalisation. But I am left wondering if the start of globalisation is even simpler than this. A more human approach perhaps, and some might accuse me of being overly romantic here, but maybe the first examples of globalisation were simply those points where someone bothered to learn to communicate with someone outside of their familiar surroundings. An attempt to learn a new language or signal to one another to reach some form of mutual understanding.

This year, encouraged by my Dad, who is himself a natural linguist, I have started to re-learn German, a language I first learnt when I was in year 8 but, regrettably, discarded when I reached GCSE. My father has always been good at languages. He studied them at university as part of a Theology degree, learning Latin and Ancient Greek. From there, he has taught himself German, and enough French to get by, occasionally dabbling in either Italian or Spanish depending on the Kneen family holiday destination each year. It brings him genuine satisfaction to be able to successfully converse with someone in another language and I have always considered him to be a lifelong learner.

To read the full blog entry, please click here.

Miss Kneen
Deputy Head Pastoral

The Week Ahead

Monday 5 February
Book Week (all week)
U12 Netball vs Quinton House (H)

Tuesday 6 February
V and A Museum Textiles Trip
U14 & U15 Netball vs Kimbolton (H)
Year 8 Parents Evening

Wednesday 7 February
U15 Cricket vs Caroline Chisholm (H)
Linguistics Olympiad

Thursday 8 February
Arts Trip to London (Y10, 11, 12 & 13)
Reach Lecture (Y9, 10, 11, 12 & 13)
U16 Netball vs Quinton House (H)

Friday 9 February
GDST Sports Scholars Day
Music Scholars Concert

Please click here to view the spring term’s Clubs & Activities list and timetable

High Sports

Netball vs Caroline Chisholm, Tuesday 30 January: On Tuesday, the U14A and U15B netball teams travelled to Caroline Chisholm School. The matches went really well, with outstanding play on show from all involved. From the start, we exerted our dominance and were able to move into space effectively and passed the ball with confidence. This was also an ideal opportunity for the team to experience different positions. The U14 team won 25-0, with the U15 team winning 14-2 – two fantastic results! Congratulations to Elise R who was named Player of the Match for the U14’s. Bella F, Captain.

U12 GDST Netball Festival, Thursday 1 February: On Thursday, the U12 Netball teams played in a GDST Festival against Nottingham, Sheffield, Shrewsbury and Newcastle. This is a new event for the GDST, and we were fortunate to host the event here at Northampton High. The U12A team were drawn into a tough pool against experienced players. The first game was evenly matched until Maya fell badly, this shook the team and we unfortunately lost the game. The matches against Sheffield and Shrewsbury were closer, with the other schools pulling ahead in the last 5 mins of each match. Against Nottingham we enjoyed our best performance and won in the last minute with a goal from Grace F. Player of the Tournament was awarded to Erin A, and a big well done to all players. Grace F, Captain. The U12B team showcased resilience, securing victory in one game amid tough competition. We won our first match against Shrewsbury, but lost the other 3 by just a few goals. Despite the results, the Festival was an enjoyable experience for all the girls, with the Player of the Match being awarded to myself. Lily F, Captain

Regional Cross Country, Saturday 3 February: We would like to wish the best of luck to Emily K, who will be competing at the Anglian Trophy on Saturday in Stamford. She will be representing Northamptonshire against other counties in the region, for the opportunity to progress onto the English Schools event in March. Good luck, Emily!

Mrs Littlewood
PE Teacher

Year 10 Science Spirit Club talk about Valentines Day

Our Year 10 Science Club have been talking about Valentines Day, discussing topics such as ‘Why do your pupils dilate when you see someone you love?’. A full account can be found in the adjacent flyer, along with a tasty red velvet cupcake recipe!

A high resolution copy of the flyer can be found by clicking here.

We hope you have a wonderful Valentines Day!

Miss Parboteeah
Science Teacher

Whole School Open Morning - Friday 8 March

We look forward to welcoming so many lovely families to our upcoming Whole School Open Morning on Friday 8 March. The events promises to be a superb showcase of life at Northampton High School.

If you would like to come along, please do feel most welcome, and should you have family, friends, or neighbours keen to visit us, please encourage them to book their place here and join us!

Mr Nash
Marketing & Communications Manager

What's on at Northampton High - Spring Term

Career Start Events

There are many advantages to being part of the GDST network, and a current one is being able to join their online careers information events.

These events are open to students from across all year groups, as well as teachers and parents. The programme below shows interesting evenings across a wide range of disciplines:

Students can sign up for future events here. Bios for future speakers (once confirmed) can be found here.

Do feel free to contact me if you’d like more information on any of these events.

Mrs Forsyth
Careers Coordinator

Book Review

Stolen History: The truth about the British Empire and how it shaped us by Sathnam Sanghera

You’ve probably heard the word ’empire’ before. Perhaps because of the Roman empire. Or maybe even the Star Wars films.

But what about the British Empire? Why don’t we learn much about this? And what even is an empire, anyway?

This book will answer all the important questions about Britain’s imperial history. It will explore how Britain’s empire once made it the most powerful nation on earth, and how it still affects our lives in

many ways today – from the words we use, to the food we eat, the sports we play and even to every grown-up’s fixation with a good cup of tea.

Because how can we ever make the world a kinder, better place for the future, if we don’t know the truth about the past?

Miss Buxton
School Librarian

Save the Date: Alumnae Reunion Lunch

We are delighted to share the date for our 2024 Alumnae Reunion Lunch. This special lunch is always a highlight of the school calendar, and we are thrilled to be hosting this year’s event on Saturday 2 March at 12:30pm.

We hope to be joined by as many alumnae as possible from both the Hardingstone and Derngate sites, as well as former staff and friends of the school for a delicious two-course lunch and the opportunity to connect with friends old and new.

For more information and to book your tickets, please click here.

Mrs Wilmot
Director of Admissions & Marketing

Reach Lectures - Spring Term 2024

The weekly Reach talks are an opportunity for students in Years 9-13 to explore areas far beyond the school curriculum, broadening their horizons and developing their skills of curiosity and critical thinking. We are excited to offer this programme to our students and are very grateful to all our speakers for giving up their time to share their expertise with us.

Any parents who might be interested in contributing to the Reach lectures in 2025 are encouraged to email a.kilby@nhs.gdst.net.

Miss Kilby
Reach Coordinator