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Friday 7 October 2022 |
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Some advice on universities The High School’s Year 13 students are in the midst of animated discussions about their plans for life after school. Personal statements are being edited and re-edited, the relative benefits of city vs. campus university are being weighed and everyone agrees that there is actually a lot to be said for having access to one’s own washing machine at home. In the course of these conversations, I have been struck by the degree to which the university landscape is in flux. Changes in Higher Education are nothing new, of course. Northampton can lay claim to the UK’s third most venerable university, a foundation that was established in 1261 and dissolved by Henry III in 1265 – apparently on account of the threat it posed to some rather insecure scholars in Oxford. But the changes of the last few years have been notably rapid and represent an acceleration of a trend that has been apparent since the introduction of university tuition fees by Tony Blair’s Labour government. Since 1998, just under 20 new institutions have been founded, existing ones expanded, new courses introduced and others retired. University funding per student has increased significantly, as has the degree to which universities are scrutinised, held accountable and managed. There are now more different types of higher education provider and different methods of assessment and learning, with a greater focus on employability and on traditionally vocational courses. The UK’s higher education participation rate has grown to over 50 per cent, while the proportion of students who are female has risen to 57 per cent. The UK’s university system continues to gain in popularity worldwide, as more international students are choosing to study here than ever before, with particularly strong growth coming from China, India and Nigeria over the last five years. Such changes are not confined to the UK, as countries seek to attract talented young people from across the globe. Many universities in non-English-speaking countries now deliver some undergraduate courses in English, whether in Egypt, the Netherlands, Singapore or Sweden. What does all this mean for our High School students? Cutting through the complexity, there are two sets of seemingly contradictory advice that I think matter most. To read the full piece, please click here. Mr Viesel |
The Week Ahead |
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Monday 10 October Tuesday 11 October Wednesday 12 October |
Thursday 13 October Please click here to view the Clubs & Activities timetable for the Autumn Term |
Black History Month at Northampton High |
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This week in school, we have been delighted to start our annual Black History Month celebrations with a series of educational and informative activities. We started the week with a fascinating assembly in which we were joined by Dr Marcella Daye from the University of Northampton. Dr Daye spoke to pupils about removing the lasting effects of history and working towards a world that respects human rights and enables sustainable development for everyone. To accompany this, a fantastic display has been erected in the Senior School foyer which showcases a whole host of key figures for students to research, and we were also treated to music of black origin in the dining hall this lunchtime! |
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Today’s assembly was expertly delivered by Mrs Vizor, as she spoke to staff and students about black women in space, incorporating important topics from Black History Month and World Space Week. We learnt about Mary Jackson, the first black female engineer at NASA, and Mae Jemison, the first black woman to visit space! We look forward to commemorating Black History Month throughout October, and look forward to sharing more details on social media and in High News throughout the month. Mr Nash |
Pupils at Northampton High School awarded a coveted Eco-Schools Green Flag |
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Pupils at Northampton High School have earned an international accreditation this academic year, recognising their amazing work in making their school more environmentally friendly and raising eco-awareness in fellow pupils. Eco-Schools is an international education programme that prompts young people to explore sustainability and climate change and take action. Pupils at Northampton High School collaborated with Mr Earp to conduct an environmental review, assessing how eco-friendly their school is. They reviewed everything from the school’s recycling practices, to energy usage, to how environmental themes are covered in classrooms. Building on their findings, the pupils and Mr Earp planned a year of activities that would up their green-credentials.
The group connected their work to 3 Eco-Schools topics: Energy, Global Citizenship and Marine. Activities included; Holding a bake sale for one tree day, introducing more vegetarian and vegan options to the lunch menu and raising money for the Shanti Bhavan charity which helps educate children in India. Mr Earp, the eco coordinator said; “I’d like to wholeheartedly thank the amazing NHS eco team for all their efforts over many years. It’s particularly inspiring to see such a range of ages from our youngest KS2 students right up to the sixth form all working together so effectively.” Cecily, a student at Northampton High School said: “As a vegetarian the variety of the options has benefitted me immensely. I am enjoying all of my meals instead of having the same thing everyday. I also feel more people are becoming vegetarian due to the amazing options which is so much better for the environment!” Eco-Schools England Manager, Adam Flint, said: “Earning an Eco-Schools Green Flag Award takes passion, commitment and a desire to make a difference. Pupils should be proud of their great work. They’re an inspiration and it makes us feel heartened and positive about the future of our planet.” To learn more about Eco-Schools head to www.eco-schools.org.uk. Mr Earp |
Abhi and Northampton High featured by ITV for work on Hardingstone mural |
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As mentioned in previous editions of High News, we have been delighted to assist in the creation of the magnificent Hardingstone mural paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. The project has continued to receive nationwide attention, this time being featured by ITV online and on screen! Deputy Head Girl Abhi, who was a huge part in our school’s assistance in the project, was more than happy to feature in ITV’s broadcast, and she was highly commended by the stations reporter for being an excellent ambassador for the school. Well done Abhi for all of your fantastic work in helping to make this project come to life! To read the ITV story about the mural, please click here. Mr Nash |
Languages Week at Northampton High! |
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This term, as is tradition, we have been delighted to celebrate Languages Week here at Northampton High. As part of the celebrations, we held a number of exciting Classics events and activities for our students to enjoy. Congratulations go out to the winners of our Latin scavenger hunt; Aaima, Aditi and Evelyn, and we hope you enjoyed your tasty prizes! We were also fortunate to take part in a fascinating talk with a friend of Northampton High. Jess Cressy-Jones joined us via Zoom to talk about her experience of applying and moving to Leiden University in the Netherlands, where she is studying Politics and International Relations. It was amazing to hear from her directly and it gave us all an insight into what it was like moving and living abroad. She said to remember and value high school life, the routine and time we have with our friends. I think it opened my eyes and others to the opportunities available and how going to a university abroad may not be such a daunting possibility. Mrs Peto |
Year 12 & 13 Physicists and Psychologists visit Alton Towers! |
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On 30 September, Year 12 and 13 Physics and Psychology students visited to Alton Towers to enhance their learning experience. For Psychology students, everyone completed a questionnaire to determine how much of a thrill seeker they were. The Physics students used an app called ‘Phyphox’ to measure the velocity and acceleration of the rides in order to calculate the centripetal and linear accelerations acting on a passenger. Our favourite rides were ‘Galactica’ and ‘Oblivion’ and there were lots of screams on ‘The Smiler’. The rides were enjoyable despite the pouring rain and at least the queues were much shorter. By the end of the day, we were all shivering and looking forward to a much needed hot bath at home! Mrs Vizor |
High Sports - Hockey |
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U13B Hockey: On Saturday, we travelled to Bedford Modern and played multiple Hockey matches against different schools. It was a great start back to the Hockey season and even if we didn’t win many matches we learnt new skills and how to play as a team. In each match we played for 15 minutes and every single person in the team got the ball and performed a tackle. As it was a tournament we did shuffles (one-on-one attacker and goalie in the D) and these actually went very well and Tess, our goalie, played extremely well to stop many goals. The whole team played extremely well and we are looking forward to what the season brings. Verity Hockey vs Kimbolton: On Monday 3 October, we played a Hockey match against Kimbolton School. In the first half of the match we enjoyed really strong defence and the opposition didn’t manage to score any goals. In the second half we could’ve perhaps been a bit quicker with hit outs and had more accurate passes, but other than that we played well and almost scored! Unfortunately we lost 1-0, but we really enjoyed the game. Well done everyone! Mrs Blake
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External Sports: Faith |
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My Ice Hockey season started with an away match in Oxford against the Oxford Junior Stars. I played forward, which meant I had to do the face off. It was a great game, which we won 12-0 and I scored the 11th goal. I was presented with a puck as it was my first goal of the season. I was also very proud to win the Spirit of the Game award, taking home a star trophy. I’m really excited to see what this season brings! Faith PN
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Creative Arts Spotlight |
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This week, the Creative Arts Spotlight is reflecting on the recent Year 7 Corgi Dog displays that have been capturing attention from staff and students around the school and outside the Art Department. We wanted to remember the Queen through her beloved pets and this work encouraged us to talk about Queen Elizabeth II, and specifically her love of corgis and horses. I am sure you will agree that the students created wonderful designs, some of which you can see here. Well done everyone! Mrs Beacroft |
Students enjoy a live virtual author visit with Robin Stevens! |
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On Wednesday afternoon, the Year 4 and 7 girls were lucky to attend the live streaming of author Robin Stevens’ visit to fellow GDST school Norwich High. Robin is well known for writing the incredibly popular Murder Most Unladylike series and began by telling us a little about her own background and how this has formed her writing, along with her fascination for detective and mystery writing. Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong attend Deepdean School for Girls, not unlike the school Robin attended when younger, they set up their own detective agency but struggle to find any real crimes to investigate. Then Hazel discovers the Science mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the gym. The series, set in the 1930s reached its successful conclusion a few years ago. Robin’s new book, The Ministry of Unladylike Activity is out now and to quote Robin, it “is about new beginnings, teamwork and the way every person can work to make the world around them a better place. And, of course, spying and murder!” In war-torn 1940s Britain, would-be spy May Wong and her friend Eric, try to get themselves evacuated to Elysium Hall, home to the wealthy Verey family. If they can prove one of the family is spying for Germany, the Ministry will have to take them on! But then someone is murdered. Robin is like Agatha Christie for young people and I’m sure her new book and the series of books to follow will be hugely successful. Miss Buxton |
Book of the Week |
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In Poems to Live Your Life by Chris Riddell, he has selected his very favourite classic and modern poems about life, death and everything inbetween. Divided into sections covering: musings, youth, family, love, imaginings, nature, war and endings, Chris Riddell brings them to life with his exquisite artwork, featuring famous poems, old and new from Shakespeare and Simon Armitage to Kate Tempest and Phoebe Bridgers. The Girl Who Became a Tree by Joseph Coelho – Daphne is unbearably sad and adrift. She feels the painful loss of her father acutely and seeks solace both in the security of her local library and the escape her phone screen provides by blocking out the world around her. As Daphne tries to make sense of what has happened she recalls memories of shared times and stories past, and in facing the darkness she finds a way back from the tangle of fear and confusion, to feel connected once more with her friends and family. This imaginative story told in poems, at times tragic, is layered, rich and ultimately a tour de force of poetic skill and energy. Celebrate National Poetry Day – National Poetry Day – Thursday 6 October 2022 Miss Buxton |
Classics Ovid competition open to students |
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The Classics department are delighted to encourage Year 7 pupils to enter a national Ovid competition run by the Cambridge Schools Classics Project – the very people who created and maintain our Latin course! Having explored one of Ovid’s tales of Metamorphosis, students should respond – individually or in a group of up to 4 – in one of four categories: performance, animation, creative writing or animation. Students may already know the stories of Midas, Demeter and Persephone, Daedalus and Icarus or Pandora’s box but there is plenty of time to discover other stories before deciding upon their entry. |
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This project is definitely recommended to any student looking for a creative challenge, or of course something exciting to do over half term! The final deadline for submissions is 11 November, and more infromation can be found here and here. Miss Kilby & Mrs Peto |
Sixth Form Information Evening - Wednesday 19 October 2022 |
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We look forward to welcoming so many lovely families to our upcoming Sixth Form Information Evening on Wednesday 19 October. The evening promises to be a superb showcase of Sixth Form 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 |
Join our team! |
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At Northampton High School, we currently have a number of exciting vacancies available, which include teaching positions, catering and hospitality assistants, nursery nurses and more. If you would like to know any more information about these exciting opportunities we would love to hear from you! Full details can be found by clicking here, or alternatively, please feel free to give us a call on 01604 765765. Mr Nash |
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 |
Community Nursery Sessions |
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Term Dates 22/23 |
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Northampton High School |
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