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Friday 9 December 2022 |
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You may have seen the High School approach wheel around school and in some of our publications. We use this to help illustrate the High School’s uniqueness as a learning community. Within the wheel are 3 distinct areas reflecting our view that it is impossible to separate the purely academic aspects of school life from the wider cocurriculum and the pastoral. This is why the High School approach takes the form of a circle, with these aspects represented by the words Learn, Reach and Coach. They form a unity; without one part the others would be incomplete and the rounded education we seek to provide would be compromised. I have explained the thinking behind the wheel in a previous article, but today I would like to focus on one element in particular. Reach. By this we refer to the expansive cocurricular programme of activities to support, stretch and inspire pupils throughout the school. Through the Reach programme, we encourage pupils to find their own paths and to discover what makes them tick as learners. Our Reach Coordinator, Miss Anna Kilby, also Head of Classics at the school, has a wealth of experience working with talented and able pupils like ours, to motivate and inspire them to find their passions in life. Miss Kilby is ably assisted by Miss Steph Knight, the Reach Assistant, whose area of expertise is the extracurricular programme that teachers and coaches offer pupils of all ages in school. These clubs and societies scatter their paths with opportunities to satiate their curiosity and expand their horizons, or inspire them in various ecological, scientific, sporting and artistic areas. Many of these clubs run across the junior and senior school years, allowing older pupils to enjoy time in the company of younger ones. Also within Reach is the Enrichment and Electives programme which spans the 4-year journey of GCSE and A Level study from Year 10 to Year 13. This offers our students a huge range of non-examined, timetabled courses, from Photography to Computing, from Film Studies to Yoga. The programme develops over the years, so that, by the time students reach the Sixth Form, they have access to more independent opportunities, such as Young Philanthropy, Enterprise, Politics and International Relations and, for the next academic year, Sociology too. Beyond this, the Reach programme caters for the needs of distinct groups of students, with support clinics for those taking public examinations, or groups for those with specific university requirements, such as for medicine and engineering. Scholarships are also within the purview of the Reach Coordinator. These fall into 3 categories; Reach, in recognition of excellent academic results in our papers; Flair, for pupils demonstrating excellence in a wide range of disciplines, from sport to music and everything in between; and Spirit, for pupils who live and breathe characteristics that are prized by the school, such as service to the community. Pupils who have undertaken the rigorous but inspiring selection process for these awards develop excellent self-awareness and interpersonal skills, whether or not they are ultimately successful in receiving a scholarship. We heartily encourage all pupils to consider applying for these when appropriate. More information about scholarships can be found in the General Information booklet. In the spring term, the Reach programme really comes to life, with our Reach Lecture series taking place during Thursday lunchtimes (11:50-12:20). This is a great opportunity for pupils to discover more about a huge range of subjects, as you can see from the poster featured in the next article of the newsletter. All students in Years 9, 10 and 12 are expected to attend the Lectures; there are no clubs for those year groups on Thursdays next term, so that the Lectures do not clash with another activity. Students in Years 11 and 13 are warmly invited to attend the lectures if they do not have a revision or support session during Thursday lunchtime. When we ask our pupils to find their passions at the High School, we want them to know that the opportunities are only limited by their own imaginations. However, just as importantly, we want them to be confident that dedicated and focused support is always available – they need only reach out for it. Mr Rickman |
The Week Ahead |
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Monday 12 December Tuesday 13 December Wednesday 14 December
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Thursday 15 December Friday 16 December Please click here to view the Clubs & Activities timetable for the Autumn Term |
Reach Lectures: Spring 2023 |
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Northampton High School Christmas Fayre |
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We were delighted to host our annual Christmas Fayre on Friday 2 December for our staff, students, families and friends. The occasion proved a huge success and provided an opportunity for our school community to come together during the festive period whilst raising funds for our local chosen charity and the refurbishment of our Astroturf. At Northampton High, we always aim to support the local community through donations and various fundraising activities. This Christmas, Northampton High are supporting KidsAid, a Northampton-based child-focused charity that delivers long-term therapeutic support for young people who have experienced trauma and are suffering from mental health difficulties. On the evening of the event, we were thrilled to open our fabulous Christmas market, comprising 20 independent stalls, to families and friends, following an extremely successful lunchtime opening for our students. It was wonderful to watch our devoted community fill the Senior Hall to show their support, once again, and enjoy the array of handmade goods and tasty home-baked treats on offer! |
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The night was filled with Christmas Carols and a festive buzz as we welcomed our families to enjoy the tasty refreshments and take part in a very popular bottle tombola and raffle. With a whole host of prizes to be won, our guests returned home with full arms and wide smiles! We were particularly thrilled to be joined by Santa Claus and his elves at our Christmas Fayre, and our children were overjoyed to visit him in his grotto to receive a special gift! As the evening came to a close, so did our Silent Auction, with many last minute bids flying in to win one of the fabulous prizes. We would like to thank everyone for their participation in our Christmas auction and can reveal that our fundraising efforts totalled £1,019 for this activity alone! With the generosity of our entire school community we are extremely proud to have raised over £2,300 which will be donated to KidsAid to support their incredible work and the safeguarding of children as well as supporting the refurbishment of our Astroturf. Miss Price |
GCSE Food students visit Borough Market |
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On Tuesday 6 December, we were excited to go to Borough Market and attend a Japanese bread cooking class at Bread Ahead Bakery. We loved walking around Borough Market as it was highly festive and there were various stalls. From fudge to spices and the overpriced pot of chocolate-covered strawberries, there really was something for everyone. We also thoroughly enjoyed our custom apple crumble from Humble Crumble, which we found through social media. |
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The Japanese bread cooking class at Bread Ahead Bakery taught us new bread-making skills. The class itself was very relaxing and the products we baked (a rice flour loaf, cheese buns and melon pan), despite not trying them before, were delicious. We also loved the souvenir we received from the class, a scraper, that we used when making the bread, although we also wanted to keep the apron! Overall, it was a fun trip, we recommend both the market, and the class, to anyone. Alice & Imogen
Year 10 GCSE Food students
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St. Nikolaus Day at Northampton High! |
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Children in German speaking countries get very excited on 6 December as they celebrate St. Nikolaus Day! In honour of this wonderful tradition, a group of enthusiastic Year 9 students made their way to Junior School to teach Year 6 about this much-loved festival. Jasmine and Lucy did a fantastic job of explaining the story behind the tradition. Afterwards, it was time for Year 6 students to get creative as Year 9 pupils demonstrated how to make origami St. Nikolaus. By the end of the session, everyone got to have their own St. Nikolaus. Happy St. Nikolaus Day! Ms Doerpinghaus |
Year 7 House Hockey |
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This year’s Year 7 House Hockey tournament was an amazing chance to put the skills we have been learning and improving throughout this term to the test. There were some epic wins, and some losses, but the tournament was thoroughly enjoyed by all. The people elected as Captains had to put their organisational and hockey skills to their highest standard, encouraging and organising the Hestia, Artemis, Selene and Demeter teams. There were 2 competitions running; one was an indoor competition and one was an outdoor competition. In the indoor competition it was only Demeter vs Artemis, as Hestia and Selene didn’t have enough players. Artemis won and the score was 3-1. The first matches outdoors were Selene vs Hestia and Artemis vs Demeter. Selene and Hestia drew 0-0, and although no goals were scored it was an encouragement for Selene, as the loss of 3 players through illness was substantial. The Artemis vs Demeter score was 3-0 to Artemis, and in the second game Demeter played Hestia with the score being 1-0 to Demeter. Selene then lost against Demeter, the score being 2-0. In the third match Artemis played Selene and the final score was 2-0 to Artemis. Hestia and Demeter also met with the score being 1-0 to Demeter. The final placings were as follows: First place – Artemis, Second place – Demeter, Third place – Hestia, Fourth place – Selene. Overall, the matches were a great way to test our skills and think about improvements for the future. Well done to everyone who took part! Lydia |
Creative Arts Spotlight |
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This week, the Creative Arts Spotlight shines into the Junior School, and onto Year 6 pupil Sri. Pictured showing off her wonderful print Christmas card design, Printmakers Society member Sri test printed in black ahead of printing in colour next week. Students have been having fun hand carving beautiful festive greetings ready to send to family and friends. Well done Sri and Year 6! Mrs Beacroft |
Book of the Week - Tyger by SF Said |
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‘There are three doors that I may show you. You will find a different kind of power behind each one…’ Adam has found something incredible in a rubbish dump in London. A mysterious, mythical, magical animal. A tyger. And the tyger is in danger. Adam and his friend Zadie are determined to help, but it isn’t just the tyger’s life at stake. Their whole world is on the verge of destruction. Can they learn to use their powers before it’s too late? Next level excellent. This book is a gem ― Malorie Blackman This is surely a future prize winner, highly recommended. |
Christmas Carol Concert |
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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 |
Community Nursery Sessions |
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Term Dates |
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Northampton High School |
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