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Ask yourself, what does Christmas mean to you? Is it a welcome break from the busy daily routine? Is it the Christmas gifts – giving or receiving? The long-awaited time to spend with family and friends? Is it the time to ‘give back’ and do something special for those in need? Is it the entire Christmas celebration: from the first lights, the glittering window displays, the sound of Christmas music on the radio and in the shops, the preparation of festive food, or is it the family sitting down together to share some quality, uninterrupted time together? For every one of us, Christmas means something different, something uniquely individual.
According to research by YouGov (2020) 91% of the British population celebrate Christmas in some shape or form, while only 1 in 5 Brits (22%) said that celebrating the birth of Christ makes Christmas an important time, suggesting that Christmas has become a fundamentally secular festival for most.
It is, of course, the most wonderful time of the year…at least that’s the expectation. The festive season – however it is celebrated in your home – has, in recent years, been heralded by Black Friday (today, Friday 25 November) and Cyber Monday, with big brands offering ‘cut price’ offers, and consumers looking to secure a great deal. We are bombarded – on social platforms and Google searches, emails, on the TV and radio and in the wider media – with ‘too good to be missed’ deals, creating an adrenaline-fuelled retail frenzy, escalating the urge to conquer the Christmas shopping list and ‘bag a bargain’.
UK shoppers are expected to spend around £8.71bn over this year’s Black Friday weekend, according to InternetRetailing. While taking advantage of these discounts can help us save money on things like Christmas presents, it’s important not to let the sales go to our head.
The number of people setting out to search for a bargain in shops across the UK is expected to be higher this year, according to Springboard, with UK shopping centres set to see 16% more customers than 2021 – although overall, footfall is expected to still be below pre-pandemic levels, it said.
Read more here.
Mrs Wilmot
Director of Marketing & Admissions
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Monday 28 November
Football: U13 vs Caroline Chisholm
Hockey Sevens: U13 vs Caroline Chisholm
Tuesday 29 November
Hockey: U14 vs Akeley Wood
Wednesday 30 November
Hockey Sevens: U10 vs Wellingborough
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Thursday 1 December
Year 10 Parents Evening
Friday 2 December
Christmas Fayre
Please click here to view the Clubs & Activities timetable for the Autumn Term
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As we begin to mark the start of Advent, I always like to welcome the season of celebration by remembering a quote from Desmond Tutu, the former Archbishop of Cape Town, who has lived through one of the darkest times of the last 50 years, who wrote “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness”.
With the festivities of the Christmas season approaching, and the burst of titivation underway across the school, I wanted to take time to consider the importance of using Advent as a period of reflection and to think about hope and the astounding strength of the human spirit.
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Through my time as a teacher working in three independent schools, I have witnessed incredible capacity for pupils and staff to come through the most extraordinarily difficult and challenging circumstances and not just survive but ultimately thrive, despite the pain of particular events never leaving them. I wonder how many of us have heard of something happening to someone and have thought ‘I just wouldn’t be able to cope with that.’
In the news we often hear of dramatic examples of humans giving hope to others through acts of bravery. Recently, our nation has been gripped by Kevin Sinfield’s quest in which he ran around 40 miles for seven consecutive days before reaching Old Trafford at half-time in the Rugby League World Cup final. The seven ultramarathons in seven days were a grueling challenge to raise money for five Motor Neurone Disease charities. Many people of the North-East braved inclement weather to support him and contribute. He has inspired us with his astonishing efforts and has noted that ‘The support and the awareness we have created, the money we have raised, we will find a cure for this disease. I don’t know when, but we all keep fighting together. We will get there.’ His sentiments remind us it is none other than the hope that allows us to see that there is light beyond the darkness. We all have the ability to understand that despite all the darkness, we would still need to focus on giving our best shot at each and every turn!
My thoughts have moved far from the usual message of festive optimism but what I want our pupils, and all of us, to remember is that to try and retain hope in the darkest of hours is essential, and hope is not only a part of the human condition, but it has to be believed in; it is a way of seeing which transforms not only the future, but the present too. When you are up against it, you will discover the most incredible strength and ability to survive locked inside you.
There is a fantastic quote, attributed to A. A. Milne but that was actually a Disney scriptwriter taking something written in the language of a child by A. A. Milne and making it absolutely explicit and it is this:
“Promise me you will always remember: You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
Dr Lee
Head
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Anti-Bullying Week at Northampton High School
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Last week was Anti-Bullying Week in the UK and this year the theme is reach out. In form time, Year 8 and 9 were looking at ways they could ‘Reach Out’ and ways they could encourage others to stand up and help prevent and stop bullying.
Students were given a list of suggested resources they could make, and some chose from this list while others were even more creative and came up with their own ways to present their ideas. The girls researched bullying and what to do if they are bullied or witness someone else being bullied and then went to work on their resources.
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From poems to videos to stories and posters the girls worked to showcase their ideas. I am pleased to share some of these with you at these links: Year 8 Presentation, Play from Year 9.
We continue to expect the highest standards of behaviour at Northampton High and part of this is working with our students to empower them to stand up for what is right and behave in a community spirited way by looking after one another.
Miss Fraser
Head of Year 8 & 9
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Year 10 & 11 enjoy a 'Women in Engineering' experience!
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On Wednesday last week, a group of Year 10 and 11 went to Nifty Lifts in Milton Keynes for a Women In Engineering experience. Here is their account of their visit.
‘We took part in various activities such as using CAD to design a switch, putting on a tyre and even driving our own cherry pickers. The highlight for most of us though was the opportunity to go up in the HR28 (24m high) where we could see all of Milton Keynes and even the Northampton lift tower. It was a very inspiring experience with so many women engineers providing us with information on their expert area and different pathways to the engineering industry. We found it very interesting to learn more about engineering and understand more about potential future careers.
‘This was the first time we had been on this particular experience. It was packed full of different hands on activities from beginning to end and provided many new opportunities to the students. We hope to repeat the visit in future years.
Mrs Vizor
Subject Leader Physics
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Sixth Form students visit Westminster
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Last week, a group of our Sixth Form students enjoyed a special trip to Westminster. Our pupils had a fabulous time and were able to watch the Autumn Statement being delivered live!
We would like to give a huge thanks to the brilliant Will and Dawn of @UKParlEducation for hosting us.
Mr Donaldson
Head of History
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This week, the Creative Arts Spotlight falls onto Sarah and Kelly Marie in Year 8.
These pupils have been selected for their fantastic research work into footwear, completed during our visit to the Northampton Art Gallery and Museum.
Great work!
Miss Lycett
Subject Leader – Textiles
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Ruby qualifies for Crufts 2023 and is selected for Team England!
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We are delighted to report the fantastic success of one of our students in the world of Dog Agility!
Year 9 pupil Ruby S has gone from strength to strength in her journey, and after a successful year of competition she has qualified for the prestigious Crufts event in 2023!
Alongside this fantastic achievement, after successfully taking part in tryouts, collecting points, and competing in Junior Masters, Ruby has also been selected to represent Team England in the 2023 World Agility Open! Taking place in the Netherlands, Ruby will be competing in various events alongside the 27 other people on the team!
This is a huge achievement for Ruby and her dog Miley, pictured, especially considering this is only their 2nd year competing!
A huge congratulations Ruby!
Mr Nash
Marketing & Communications Manager
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Budding young chefs to compete in the Rotary cooking tournament this Saturday
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We are wishing contestants from Years 7, 8 and 9 the best of luck as they take part in the Rotary Chef Competition this Saturday. They are required to cook a 3-course meal within 2 hours. We hope that they will embrace this perfect challenge of putting their culinary skills to the test and have fun cooking their meal for the Rotary judges.
Dr Lee
Head
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Book of the Week - Lioness: My Journey to Glory by Beth Mead
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Beth Mead is one of the world’s most talented footballers – Golden Boot winner and Player of the Tournament at the UEFA Euro 2022, England Player of the Year 2021-22, Arsenal Player of the Season 2021-22, and runner-up for the 2022 Ballon d’Or. But long before this, Beth was just an ordinary kid from Hinderwell, North Yorkshire who wanted to play football.
From being placed in the local boys’ team as a child because her mum wanted her to run off her boundless energy, to joining Middlesbrough FC’s Centre of Excellence and making her professional debut at Sunderland,
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Beth and women’s football have come a long way. Now, Beth shares the challenges that shaped her, what she faced on the journey to the top, and the life events that made her stronger – from being dropped from the England squad and receiving devastating family news, to finding her best form under the guidance of Jonas Eidevall and Sarina Wiegman.
Filled with positive lessons and an exclusive account of England’s triumphant Euros campaign, Beth offers readers of all ages a heartfelt, behind-the-scenes look into her remarkable journey to glory.
Miss Buxton
School Librarian
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Children in Need - over £1200 raised!
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We would like to thank our Northampton High School family for all of your generous donations to our Children in Need fundraising efforts.
We are delighted to report that we have raised over £1,200, and we thank everyone for taking part in our fundraising activities including the raffle to rehome Pudsey, and for making a real difference. The money we have raised will be used to help change the lives of children and young people facing disadvantage in communities across the UK. Further donations can still be made on our JustGiving page, here.
Thank you once again for your continued support.
Mr Nash
Marketing & Communications Manager
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We are delighted to invite our parents, families and friends to our annual Christmas Carol Concert.
Taking place on Thursday 15 December from 7pm, we do hope you can join us for this marquee event in the school calendar, as we bring a close to the autumn term with a festive celebration.
Tickets are available via TryBooking here, and if you have any questions please do get in touch.
Mr Campling
Music Assistant
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Christmas Fayre - Friday 2 December
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Christmas Fayre Silent Auction - Bidding open!
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High School raise money for Poppy Appeal
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Flu Immunisations - Tuesday 29 November
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We kindly remind parents that flu immunisations for students in Reception to Year 9 will be taking place on Tuesday 29 November.
Please can we ask that you sign and return the sent out consent form, being mindful that the consent period closes 72 hours before the date of immunisation.
If you have any questions, please do get in touch.
Mrs Dunkley
School Nurse
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Community Nursery Sessions
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Festive Wreath Workshops - Adults Only
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We have arranged for an excellent florist (Bouquet Chic) to deliver wreath-making workshops for any interested staff, parents, friends and family members.
Why not book a place to enjoy making a festive creation along with friendly people and a supportive and talented instructor? Spaces are £65 per person which includes everything you’ll need to make a fantastic, impressive wreath for your door and refreshments during the workshop.
Join us on Tuesday 5 December 5:30-7.00 on Wednesday 6 December 12:15-1:45. To book a space for yourself and/or friends and family members please contact junioradmin@nhs.GDST.net
Miss Hair
Head of Junior School
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Northampton High School
Newport Pagnell Road, Hardingstone Northampton NN4 6UU
T: 01604 765765 nhsadmin@nhs.Gdst.Net
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