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Friday 8 July 2022 |
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As a Geography teacher, it is perhaps to be expected that I have strong feelings about learning opportunities that are afforded to us when we venture out of the confines of a classroom. My own A Level Geography teacher was equally keen on learning outside and indeed has written books on the subject. For disciplines such as Geography or Biology it is easy to see the links to outdoor education and the field trips that are required to facilitate field work. From traffic flows to pedestrian questionnaires, sand dune succession to channel flow calculations or beach profiles to dehydration rates of seaweed (a personal favourite from my own A Level experience!), Geography and Biology departments nationwide have got us covered! The ramifications of this type of outdoor learning are clear. It offers opportunities to see the world in real time. It produces opportunities for getting stuck into the practical element of these subjects and reinforces the learning that takes place more formally in a classroom. It also allows for development of exploration and investigation. The latter is a critical skill that students are expected to utilise at university. Whether they are out in the field or formulating a literature review, the skills required are similar and the thought process identical. Those who are able to hone this skill go on to be the world’ great problem solvers, considering how investigations may take place to produce results that can then be used to better a part of our world. Year 7, currently on the Shropshire residential are starting their journey with fieldwork and discovering its many applications to a range of the humanities subjects. I look forward to hearing about their experiences next week when they return. But learning beyond the classroom is far more than just fieldwork opportunities. This week Year 9 are enjoying this fabulous weather from the picturesque setting of the Lake District, incidentally also a Geographer’s paradise! Whilst there, they will not be learning about mountain formation or processes of glaciation. In fact they are lucky that no members of the geography department are there with them otherwise they would certainly be enduring an influx of geeky geography facts on an hourly basis! Instead, they will be learning about themselves, learning about their friends and their peers, testing their limits and problem solving as teams and as individuals. They will learn to value the art of real communication, be forced out of their comfort zone and learn to make compromises whilst leading each other to success. To read the full blog entry, please click here. Miss Kneen |
The week ahead |
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Monday 11 July Tuesday 12 July Wednesday 13 July |
Thursday 14 July Friday 15 July
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Northampton High students invited to perform at summer fundraiser at Althorp House |
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On Wednesday 6 July, Northampton High School were honoured to be asked to provide the musical accompaniment to a special fundraising event at Althorp House in Northamptonshire. The Summer Reception, held in the picturesque setting of Althorp’s beautiful Stable Courtyard, is an annual event which helps to raise money for the Army Benevolent Fund. Our students Alexis, Amelia, Aurelia, Charlotte and Emma played beautifully all evening alongside staff members Mr Hume and Miss Smith, to provide a beautiful ambience for the celebration’s many guests. Before the evening’s close, we were delighted to meet Earl Spencer and his wife Karen, who were only too happy to speak to our students and learn about their studies and future plans, as well as thank them immensely for their wonderful musical talents. On an evening where thousands of pounds were raised to support such a wonderful cause, we were delighted to play a part in making the event truly special. A huge congratulations once again to our students, who played a massive part in making the evening one to remember. To view some photos and videos from the reception, please click here. Mr Nash |
Year 7 and Year 9 head off for special residential trips! |
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At Northampton High, we love being able to offer our students a whole range of exciting and enriching trips throughout the academic year. This week has been no different, with students in Years 7 and 9 heading off to enjoy residentials of their own as the summer term draws to a close. Year 7 have been exploring Shropshire, as they take part in their Geography residential visit. Students have had a wonderful time in the countrysideand have been taking part in activities such as walks through Snowdonia National Park, a visit to the Iron Bridge (in Ironbridge!) and an exciting activity where pupils ‘rebranded’ Shrewsbury! Year 9 on the other hand have been to Ullswater on their travels, as they embarked on their Outward Bound adventure. Students have enjoyed taking part in the various activities, which have included hikes, canoeing, raft building, rock climbing and more in what has proved to be an adventure to remember! We look forward to sharing more reports and photos from this week’s residentials! Mr Nash |
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High Sports |
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What a jam packed year of sport we have had here at Northampton High! It has been incredibly busy and the sports department would like to say a big thank you to all of the pupils who have participated in any of the events, teams, matches and practices we have organised. It has been great fun to spend time with the girls and watch them develop and grow in confidence.The highlight for me must be the Gym and Dance Extravaganza and as a department we are so proud of all of the performances. I hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did. All that remains for me to do is to detail the final match reports and to note this week’s external performances, and finally, to welcome back Mrs Blake who returns as the Director of Sport next week. Have a wonderful summer! Mrs Littlewood
School Sport: Cricket GDST Rally: On Friday 22 June, our Year 10 cricket team played in the GDST Rally which we hosted at NHS. The format of the games was 8-a-side, 12 over games and 9 different schools came to play. We lost our first three matches against Brighton, Wimbledon and South Hampstead, however we were only a few runs behind in each of them. Everyone put up an excellent front leading us to our victory against Sutton where we bowled all of the opponents out and beat them by 2 runs with 2 balls to spare! Notable performances came from Prachi who gained the most number of boundary shots throughout the day (with four 4’s in the first match) and Grace, Prachi and Ques-Li who were all chosen as Players’ Player in at least one of the matches. Well done everyone for your hard work and I look forward to the next rally where we will hopefully make it into the knockouts! Jasmine U14 and U15 vs Quinton: On Wednesday 27 June, Year 10 enjoyed a pairs cricket match against Quinton which we won 238 runs to 214, in what as our last match of the year. Everyone played well with boundary shots from Prachi, Emma and Grace and we saw some amazing bowling from all. The Players’ Player award went to Laura, whose bowling has extremely improved since the start of the season, who got multiple wickets throughout the match. Well done everybody for a great season! |
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External Successes Swimming: Congratulations to Poppy B who has competed in a tough couple of weekend competitions – achieving PB’s on both occasions. During the weekend of 18 June at the Leicester Diddy League Finals, Corby Swimming Club won the overall league and Poppy enjoyed her first PB in the 50m backstroke, with a time of 37.26. Last weekend it was the Club Championships, where Poppy won bronze in the 50m freestyle – with another PB of 33.76. Well done Poppy! Athletics: A huge congratulations to Ella D, who is through to the English Schools Combined Events Final. Ella was the only girl representing the Northamptonshire Schools Under 15 Category and the overall winner for East Anglia Region. Well done Ella! Netball: Congratulations are in order for for Issy H who is through to the next round of the GDST Netball trials, and also to Bella F, who has just heard that she has been selected for the Storm U14 squad. That announcement made it a double celebration for her family as Evie was also selected. Well done everyone! |
Mural painting in Hardingstone village |
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On Monday this week, Year 6 and volunteer students from Year 12 took part in a community project at Hardingstone Rec. St Edmunds Church in Hardingstone is working together with an internationally acclaimed mural artist, Nicki Blanchard (Deux), to produce a vibrant mural which depicts the last 70 years through images of historical events and music. The mural has been designed collaboratively within the community, it is a nod to the Queen’s jubilee and in celebration of the community and our hopes for the future. The project will continue over the coming months and members of the Hardingstone community will work together to collaboratively paint the 70-meter-long concrete wall following Nicki’s painting by numbers instructions. Shown here our students are painting the background ready for Nicki to add the intricate outlines for the next stage. If you would like to take part in a mural painting session, please email hardingstonemuralproject@gmail.com Miss Lycett |
Book of the Week |
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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. The Girl Who Became a Tree sees Joseph Coelho deploy a wide |
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variety of poetic forms with consummate skill in its narration of events. He seamlessly but searingly weaves together the ancient legend of Daphne, who was turned into a tree to avoid the attentions of the god Apollo, and a totally modern tale, mixing real-life and fantasy, in which a latter-day Daphne seeks her own freedom. Joseph Coelho is the new Waterstones Children’s Laureate. Miss Buxton |
Raise Her Up - Sisterhood, Resilience and Wellbeing |
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This week, for our last episode of the academic year, the GDST ‘Raise Her Up’ podcast features mental health campaigner, broadcaster and now Young Adult author, Natasha Devon MBE. Natasha joins us to talk about her new novel ‘Toxic’, which addresses the topics of friendship issues, well-being and sisterhood. Natasha discusses her research around young peoples’ mental health and shares insights into her career as an outspoken woman in the public eye, touching on how she has handled online backlash and come back stronger. You can listen to the episode for yourself by clicking here, or downloading from wherever you get your podcasts. Mr Nash |
Inclusivity Bulletin: July |
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We are delighted to share with you the latest Northampton High School Inclusivity Bulletin. The above graphic outlines what will be happening throughout this month, but to read more and to view the July bulletin in full, please click here. Mrs Wilmot |
Community Nursery Sessions |
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Tennis4All Summer Camps |
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Join Tom, Imogen, Steve and the Tennis4All team for 3 days of tennis fun in the summer holidays, from Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 August, between 10am and 1pm. The tennis camp follows a clear daily structure, focusing on the technical, tactical, physical side of tennis taught in a fun and engaging way. Children will be put into groups depending on age ability. For details on how to book a space, please contact Tennis4All by clicking here. Mrs Rose |
What's on your mind? |
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The Pauline Quirke Academy Northampton - Drama Summer School |
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Rugby & Northampton Athletics - Saturday Track Club |
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Term Dates 21/22 |
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Term Dates 22/23 |
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Northampton High School |
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