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Friday 31 March 2023 |
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Dear Parents and Guardians, I am pleased to report a school in very good heart. There has been an invigorating energy and a great deal of enthusiasm all round at Northampton High. The second term of the academic year 2022/2023 drew to a close today and it ended in grand style, although I sensed a collective sigh of relief after the intensity of activity that has taken place over the past three months. You will know that it has been a very busy and productive term with a plethora of co-curricular events to augment everything that takes place in the classroom. Just listening to the range of certificates and awards that our students received in the celebration assembly today really brings home how busy we are as a school and it is a joy to see how our young people achieve so much over such a wide range of disciplines, as well as their strengths in the intellectual characteristics that we prize at Northampton High, namely collaboration, curiosity, independence, perseverance, and risk-taking. As ever they have done us, and you, proud! In just the past three weeks, we have enjoyed the wonderful Science Week celebrations where our brilliant science teachers hosted a series of bespoke masterclasses during lunchtimes, with many students buzzing about their love of science and participating in hands-on activities and experiments that explored various scientific concepts. We also loved Neurodiversity Week which provided a special opportunity to celebrate the strengths and talents of students in our school with learning differences. The Year 8 students enjoyed an action-packed, educational adventure in Normandy where the special memories from the week-long trip will be treasured for many years to come! Our drama students exhibited creativity, talent and resilience and took to the stage to perform ‘Tuesday’ by Alison Carr; the entire cast worked very hard to refine the National Theatre Connections play which allowed the audience to explore themes such as friendship and family, and how humankind might cope with a terminal catastrophe. Our Eco-team led the Energy Switch Off Week with characteristic gusto and encouraged the school community to save energy and form positive habits to help take care of our environment. Our students learned about the importance of sustainability and taking action to reduce our carbon footprint. During the past week, we have witnessed some exceptional performances that have been touching and uplifting in equal measure. We had a fabulous Dance Festival where we were left in awe of the inspiring performances and the range of formidable talents and abilities that exists across the school. It was a vibrant celebration of dance, music and creativity where our students showcased their choreography and dancing skills in a range of styles. Their hard work and dedication shone through in every moment of the performances, and it was truly a feast for the senses. The stunning Music Examination Recital which left the audience captivated by the dedication to music that our senior students possess, and their ability to push themselves to build their confidence and to perform some technical and expressively challenging pieces. The Year 7 Showcase which consisted of speeches, poetry and song celebrated the impressive start that students have made since joining the Senior School at Northampton High. They presented their work to the audience, providing details about the different skills they have developed and knowledge they have acquired; an achievement in itself, as this was the first time many students will have presented to such a large audience! To read the full piece from Dr Lee, please click here. Dr Lee |
The Week Ahead |
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Thursday 20 April Friday 21 April Monday 24 April |
Wednesday 26 April Thursday 27 April Friday 28 April To view a list of the summer term clubs and activities, please click here. |
Dance Festival wows capacity audience with show for the ages! |
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On Wednesday 29 March, our school community came together to host one of the major showpiece events in the school calendar; our Dance Festival. In a collaborative event that involves our youngest school students in Reception, all the way up to our eldest Sixth Formers, the festival is a fantastic opportunity for students of all ages to work together to deliver a show to remember. The theme for this year’s show was ‘Through the decades’, and the performance, expertly directed and choreographed by Mrs Blake and her team, certainly catered for all tastes. There really was something for everybody during the two-hour show, with dances from genres such as musical theatre, tap, Irish dance, Indian dance, ballet and more wowing a near sell out crowd. |
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Over 300 excited guests ascended on to the Senior Hall for an evening of entertainment, and they certainly did not leave disappointed. All of our dancers performed admirably, and we are all immensely proud of the bravery, creativity and elegance they displayed throughout the evening. At Northampton High School we encourage expression, and it is always amazing to see our students express themselves on the stage, be that in a music concert, a theatre production, or like this evening, in a dance recital. An event like this does not come together overnight, and we thank Mrs Blake, the Sports Department and all of the amazing staff members who worked tirelessly to bring this event to life. We thank you, our audience, for joining us for this memorable evening and for your continued support and, most importantly, we thank our performers, who once again exceeded all expectations to deliver an exceptional show. We now look ahead to our Arts Season in the summer term, which kicks off with our Spring Arts Collective on Wednesday 26 April. We do hope to see you there as we continue to commemorate and celebrate the world of Creative Arts at Northampton High School. Mr Nash |
Thank you to the 2022/23 SSLT |
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With the spring term drawing to a close, the time has come to bid farewell to our departing SSLT (Head Girl) team, who are now handing over the reigns to the newly appointed team for the 23/24 academic year. Chelsea, Grace, Abhi and Saesha have all done a fantastic job in their respective roles, and we all thank them greatly for all of their efforts. We asked the team for their memories and thoughts as they look back on their tenure, and their thoughts are below:
“Being Head Girl has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me. I have led a team of students and contributed to fostering a supportive educational climate. I’ve had the opportunity to interact with Junior School students by presenting them with assemblies and the running of events such as ‘Christmas Bingo’. This has allowed me to see first-hand the impact this has had on their school experience. Events at the school, like the annual Open Morning and the Year 7 induction day, have presented me with the opportunity to be front-of-house greeting prospective parents and students…” Chelsea, Head Girl “The past year, being part of the SSLT as Deputy Head Girl of Marketing has been an honour. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the team on events such as Open Days, organising school events (in particular, setting up Santa’s Grotto for the Christmas Fayre). From Junior School and Senior School assemblies to organising tour guides and planning routes for the tours, it has been a whistle stop tour of what life is like for the staff at school along with the dedication and efficiency needed. As I now move onto the next chapter of taking A Level exams, I wish Eliza (the new Deputy Head Girl of Marketing) all the best alongside the rest of the new team!” Grace, Deputy Head Girl Marketing “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as Deputy Head Girl of Partnerships. I was able to connect with so many different people and have learnt so much from each and every one of them. One of my highlights has to be the Hardingstone mural. This 70m mural celebrating the years of the late Queen’s reign, was organised by the Hardingstone community. Our school was involved from the start as I created a focus group of Year 5 and 6 pupils who input their design ideas, as well as sketches drawn by Junior School pupils, of what they would like the mural to look like. Following this, we had some Year 6 students help paint the background alongside some Year 12 volunteers. In the end, the mural turned out to be extremely impressive and I am very grateful to have been a part of it…” Abhi, Deputy Head Girl Partnerships “Reflecting on my time as Deputy Head Girl of Student Services, I have enjoyed every moment. This role has given me the opportunity to get involved greatly in our community whether through attending events and speaking with parents, or becoming more familiar with younger pupils. Running the School Council has been a delight and I have found it has massively furthered my public speaking skills as well as importantly addressing what pupils hope to see in school. Some outcomes from meetings have been creating a lunch committee where meetings are held to discuss our lunch menus and the idea of summative year group disco’s to end the year…” Saesha, Deputy Head Girl Student Services To read the full farewell messages from Chelsea, Grace, Abhi and Saesha, please click here. Mr Viesel |
House Singing 2023 |
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In true Northampton High School tradition, we were delighted to hold our annual House Singing to mark the end of the spring term. Over recent weeks, students from Artemis, Demeter, Hestia and Selene have been rehearsing their chosen songs and working collaboratively to produce unique musical performances. This afternoon, the different Houses took to the stage, in a friendly yet fiercely competitive affair to see who would be this year’s recipients of the prestigious trophy! Commencing the celebration in style was Demeter, followed by a fabulous performance by Hestia. Up next to impress the judges was Selene, before ending the competition with Artemis. Pupils demonstrated excellent teamwork and musical talent and it was delightful to see everyone in such high spirits! Despite the exceptional displays there could only be one winner and after all four Houses had performed it was time for our judges to vote. Following much deliberation, it was Hestia who were crowned this year’s House Singing winners! A huge congratulations to Hestia for a fantastic performance, and well done to everyone for a wonderful afternoon of entertainment and joy! Miss Price |
NSEA showjumping at Bury Farm Equestrian Village |
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Last weekend, our students enjoyed a fabulous day at Bury Farm Equestrian Village for the NSEA showjumping event! Greats rounds in the 60cm from Maisie and Alexis saw them place 10th and 14th respectively in a class of 42 riders. In the 70cm round, Alexis and Maisie both had 4 unlucky faults, however, they enjoyed the experience and finished with big smiles. Izzy was up next in the 80cm class and had a lovely round to finish 10th in a round of 32 riders. More of the same in the 90cm from Izzy led to a fabulous 9th place in a class of 26 riders. It was a wonderful day filled with smiles and support, even from the Prime Minister! Well done and good luck for Dallas on Monday 10 April. Mrs Hodgetts-Tate |
Eco Team Tote Bag Workshop |
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On Tuesday 28 March, the Eco Team were delighted to welcome Mrs Hughes (mother of Sarah in Year 8) to lead a workshop showing how to make tote bags from old unwanted shirts. A range of students from across the Senior and Junior Schools took part and learned how to make the tote bags using just a pair of scissors (no sewing required!). The students had a lot of fun, learned a lot and came up with some great final products. The Eco Team would like to extend their thanks to Mrs Hughes for giving up her time and sharing her skills.’ Mr Earp |
Inside the classroom: Year 7 Music |
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This term in music, Year 7 have built on the skills learned during the Ukulele unit. Both the guitar and ukulele use TAB and chord boxes, however, it is more complicated for the guitar as there are now six strings instead of four. We have learned to perform several different pieces, from something as simple as Twinkle Twinkle to more confident students performing Spanish Study, which is more of a technical challenge. In addition to playing melodically, they have also learned three common chords used to accompany themselves when performing the song ‘One Love.’ Miss Smith |
Year 7 Charity Bake Sale |
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This Wednesday, Amelia, Riya, Emilly and Rithika, from Year 7 held a bake sale to raise money for Restless Development, a charity working to help mentor young people to help make a change. We are taking part in a triathlon in which we have to raise £200 as an entry fee, all of which will go to the charity. We managed to raise an amazing £137.35. The students would like to say a big thank you to everyone who helped make cakes, as well as their parents for helping them to make the cakes. Finally, a big thank you goes to everyone who bought the cakes to help us raise money for such a good cause! Mrs Fordham |
High Sports - Spring term edition available now! |
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We are delighted to share with parents the latest edition of High Sports. High Sports takes a retrospective look back at the world of sport here at Northampton High, and you can take a look at the spring term’s edition by clicking here. Mr Nash |
Book Review |
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Medusa by Jessie Burton – shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2023 If I told you that I’d killed a man with a glance, would you wait to hear the rest? The why, the how, what happened next? Monster. Man-hater. Murderess. Forget everything you’ve been told about Medusa. Internationally bestselling author Jessie Burton flips the script in this astonishing retelling of Greek myth, illuminating the woman behind the legend at last. |
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Exiled to a far-flung island after being abused by powerful Gods, Medusa has little company other than the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair. Haunted by the memories of a life before everything was stolen from her, she has no choice but to make peace with her present: Medusa the Monster. But when the charmed and beautiful Perseus arrives on the island, her lonely existence is blown apart, unleashing desire, love… and betrayal. Find out more about the Carnegie shortlist 2023 The Yoto Carnegies. Miss Buxton |
Turning 'can we?' into 'we can!' - Open Morning, Friday 28 April |
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We look forward to welcoming so many lovely families to our upcoming Open Morning on Friday 28 April. The event 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 |
Save the Date: Spring Arts Exhibition 2023 |
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Save the Date: Creative Arts Festival |
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Save the date: Alumnae Reunion Lunch |
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Save the Date: Speech Day 2023 |
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Save the Date: Parents Afternoon Tea - Friday 7 July |
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We invite you to save the date for this summer’s Parent Afternoon Tea event, which will be taking place on Friday 7 July, from 2 – 3.30pm. The cost for this event will be £15pp, and bookings can be made via ParentPay, with a deadline of Wednesday 31 May. More information will follow over the coming weeks and months, but we do hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be a lovely afternoon. Miss Hair |
Community Nursery Sessions |
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Cricket Coaching in Northampton |
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Term Dates |
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Northampton High School |
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