Reflections on what makes our school special

Over the festive period, I took some time to reflect on what makes Northampton High such a wonderful place to work. What stands out most to me is the passionate focus and commitment to teaching and learning among our colleagues. That phrase, “teaching and learning” encapsulates the dynamic process of education – not only what teachers do in the classroom but, more importantly, how their efforts benefit each child, fostering growth, confidence and curiosity.

At Northampton High, we dedicate significant energy to innovation, exploration and creativity in teaching and learning. For example, Mrs Hodgetts-Tate, our Professional Tutor and Head of Science Faculty, advises teachers on good pedagogical practices grounded in educational research. She shares weekly insights which she calls ‘Monday Morsels’, including creative and inclusive strategies to improve pupils’ attitudes towards learning. Similarly, Miss Hopley, our Edtech Champion, leads the Digacy programme, ensuring technology enhances learning inside and outside the classroom. She offers invaluable support and training to colleagues and contributes regularly to the school’s INSET programme. At the heart of these initiatives is the belief that to teach is to learn – an endlessly rewarding process when working with young people.

Reach programme

Another example of how we inspire curiosity and critical thinking is through our Reach lecture series, held each spring term. This initiative, spearheaded by Miss Kilby, features a diverse programme of talks, covering topics such as The Psychology of Money and Behind the Scenes of Political Life. Since its launch two years ago for Years 9 to 13, the Reach programme has exceeded expectations, encouraging students to broaden their horizons and engage in independent learning or group discussions.

Additionally, our Reach programme is complemented by Reach reading weeks, during which there is no written work, allowing the students to immerse themselves in broader areas of interest in the week before a holiday. The aim is to motivate the pupils to select reading materials that pique their curiosity both during the reading weeks and throughout the holidays. For those interested, you can find recommended reading lists in the Library section of Firefly, which may serve as valuable resources for discussions with your daughter.

Putting girls first

One of our key principles as a school is putting girls first and “we believe in each and every one of our girls and they believe in themselves” is a value that is firmly embedded in our culture. That means everyone is known and heard for who they are. Every single person who works as part of this organisation is listening to and caring for students. It is everyone’s business to know and support them. This will always remain a key principle and we will always aim to do this better: because in so many ways it is what matters most. All the restless ways in which we think about teaching and learning and how to improve it share one common aim at their heart: to instil confidence, self-belief, a sense of purpose and meaning in life, a readiness to seek and aim for joy. Learning as a celebration of each individual; as a celebration of growth and change and development in life. That is what we seek to teach and what we are privileged, everyday, to learn.

 Celebrating achievements

Suffice to say, I am always impressed by the quality of performance of our pupils and their capacity to achieve so much. They work hard in lessons and in private study to ensure they capitalise on their abilities. Beyond the classroom pupils of all ages offer a courteous and enthusiastic welcome to our many visitors, they represent us valiantly on sport fields, perform with aplomb on stage, tackle competition with flair and face the physical and intellectual challenges they encounter with courage and confidence. I am immensely proud of them and of the teachers and support staff who make such a wealth of opportunities available to them. It is moments such as these, when the school community works together, that make me so proud to be Head.

Looking ahead

Finally looking ahead into next week, I thought I would update you on our admissions process which is in full swing at 11+. The start of spring term is always particularly busy, with entrance assessments, interviews, offers and acceptances. Year 7 is our most popular entry point and we will be welcoming 46 external applicants for the assessment day on Friday, 17 January who are all hoping to join the High School in Year 7 in September. They will be joined by our current Year 6 pupils and we wish them well with their assessments and the fun range of afternoon activities.

As we begin the new term, mock examinations have already started for Year 11 and Year 13 students and I wish them well. Another action packed term lies ahead and I look forward to seeing you at one of the many events this term, or at one of the Parents’ Evening over the course of the term. For now, let me once again wish you a very Happy New Year. May all our pupils be the best they can be, with a thirst for learning, a zest for living and a spirit of kindness.

I hope that all good things come to you and those you love in 2025.

Dr May Lee
Head

Year 1 developed independence and enjoyed new experiences such as Spanish and Atomic Tom clubs, along with an exciting trip to the Oxford Story Museum. Year 2 worked hard on their nativity play, showcasing their confidence and enthusiasm. Year 3 enjoyed creative projects like pneumatic monsters, snowflake dances, and woolly mammoth descriptions. Year 4 excelled in performances, creative writing, and hands-on learning about Roman history. Years 5 and 6 had many highlights, from inspiring lessons to exciting trips like the Grafham Water and Think Tank visits, to creative projects including writing newspaper articles and making playground models.

The end of the autumn term brought the festive season in style to the High School, with the Christmas Fayre, the Nativity play and Celebration event. If you would like to purchase any photos of the Christmas Celebration or the Junior Nativity please contact Jane Ellis Designs on 07766 307595 www.janeellisdesigns.com

As we look forward to the arrival of Mrs Stawt in September, the vibrant and exciting life of the Nursery, Preschool and Junior School continues unabated. Mrs Saunders-Wall and I will be working closely with Mrs Dadge and Mrs Purvey-Tyrer and the other teachers to maintain our excellent teaching and learning environment. We look forward to an action packed programme of extracurricular activities and events, including the Year 5 Hobbies Morning on 29 January, the Music Scholars Concert in February, Science week in March, the Year 3 and Year 4 Beaumanor Residential trip and the Year 5 trip to Bletchley Park also in March. Not to mention the Preschool Easter Forest School with parents invited for refreshments, Comic Relief and the much anticipated Dance Festival before the end of term. Year 6 pupils will enjoy the Transition Day on 17 January, when they will get to meet prospective pupils from our feeder schools as well as enjoying an exciting range of lesson activities in the afternoon with our Senior School teachers.

Academically we will continue to build on the core skills in numeracy and literacy, combined with exciting projects in science and the arts, linked to our Reach academic programme and developing our intellectual characteristics using the ‘High School Approach’ wheel to highlight collaboration, curiosity, independence, perseverance, and risk-taking. Pupils will receive epraise recognition for academic achievement as well as personal development aims and there will be an update separately from Miss Kneen on some changes to the epraise system and approach, following its successful implementation last year.

Mrs Saunders-Wall and I look forward to getting to know families better in the coming weeks and we will be available on the gate morning and afternoon for informal discussions and questions. Of course, we will also have regular contact with Mrs Stawt, who will also attend school on a weekly basis in the summer term so that parents and guardians can arrange to see her if needed. Meanwhile, please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or would like to discuss any aspect of the girls’ experiences at school in more detail.

Henry Rickman
Deputy Head

Parents and guardians are thanked for supporting these traits at home and school and your feedback is always welcome to further enhance the recognition of pupil success. Miss Kneen will contact you shortly with an update to the epraise system following our experiences this year so far.

Cocurricular

The cocurricular programme remains central to developing the whole person at Northampton High, encouraging creativity, leadership, and teamwork among our pupils. We remind them regularly to take part in a variety of lunchtime and after-school clubs, and older students are encouraged to run their own if they wish to share personal interests. As mentioned by Dr Lee above, the Reach Lectures are a highlight again this term, offering inspiring talks during lunchtimes from external speakers alongside the expertise of our own staff. As a reminder, Years 9–13 are expected to attend these talks, with exceptions during mock exams, and we welcome contributions to future lecture programmes from people connected to the school. If you know of anyone who might be able to help in this way please contact Miss Kilby, Reach Coordinator.

Assessments

Mock exams for Years 11 and 13 are an important part of the school year, offering students a realistic experience of the final exams. The school prioritises making students feel comfortable, with the Examinations Officer, Mrs Rimmer, ensuring they have everything they need to succeed on exam days. Students with access arrangements are catered for with the help of the Learning Enhancement Coordinator, Mrs Beezley. We have enhanced the support available for pupils with specific needs in examinations by developing a new space in our central admin corridor in school. This is well positioned to ensure both Mrs Rimmer and Mrs Beezley can be on hand and provides much needed additional resilience in terms of how pupils access technology for assessments.

As with last year, students will receive a consolidated results sheet for their mocks, giving them time to focus on feedback before receiving final grades, which are also sent to parents and guardians. This mirrors the summer results process and promotes a growth mindset. In a change to previous years, we are also sending an updated ‘teacher indicative grade’ report to parents and guardians in advance of the Easter break. We hope this will provide additional context in addition to the mock results, demonstrating how students have improved and developed their skills. Of course, mock results and teacher indicative grades are not restrictive and in many cases provide a springboard for even better outcomes in the real exams. We firmly believe that our students’ excellent academic performance in public examinations is down to the attention to detail and nurturing approach not only of academic teaching staff but also the supportive and caring environment we offer for every student.

Options and careers

GCSE and A Level options take place during the spring term and support and guidance is on hand to help pupils decide which subjects to take as well as offering details of what the courses involve, particularly where those may not be included in the curriculum lower down in the school. For our Year 11 students, the individual guidance sessions in November play an important role in helping with subject choices, however, the focus here is much more on future direction and helping them to develop a better understanding of how their choices now might impact on this. For Year 9 pupils, although some may have a general idea of the area they would like to move into, we recognised that it is very unusual to be certain of their future careers at this stage. For this reason, we help students to see their time in school, especially in Year 10 and above, as preparing them for life as a global citizen, voter, neighbour and potentially a parent as well as a professional.

We are fortunate in school to have a dedicated Careers Coordinator, Mrs Forsyth, who is on hand to offer guidance and advice both to staff and students. She attends future-focused events in school such as options evenings and further education events as well as working with academic subject areas and PSHE teachers to help them enhance their careers provision. Should you wish to arrange a meeting with Mrs Forsyth, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Digacy

The school’s digital education programme, referred to as ‘Digacy,’ plays a key role in preparing pupils for the future. This includes introducing an AI-focused unit in Humanities to explore the impact of technology on pupils’ lives. As part of the GDST, pupils benefit from a range of tools like Canva and teachers have access to expert guidance in educational technology (Edtech) pedagogy. Google Classroom remains the central platform for organising and sharing work between pupils and teachers. In an effort to promote independence and resilience among the pupil body, parents do not have direct access, however, please do discuss Google Classroom at home and offer help with prioritising and developing better organisational skills. Teachers use Classroom to share resources, feedback, and updates, ensuring open communication. Pupils can submit work in various formats, and teachers are pleased to support different learning styles in this way. Parents and guardians with further questions are encouraged to contact the school for a discussion.

Henry Rickman
Deputy Head

In the most recent term alone, we have seen a plethora of sporting achievements, academic highs and many moments of pure joy when individuals accomplish a personal goal or target.

In addition to this, our community spirit remains strong and this is always displayed best during our fantastic house events. So far this year, we have enjoyed the Big Brag event, the House Storytelling and the Christmas Plays. Thanks, as always, go to Mr Laubscher who puts in so much time and energy to facilitating these events across the year. We have also been delighted with the roll out of our new rewards system, epraise. The pupils have embraced this with enthusiasm and the race is most definitely on for top spot across form groups, year groups and even the whole school community. We will continue to review this system and tweak it to make it work for us as best we can. More information on this will be coming out to parents in the coming week. In the meantime, my thanks go out to our parents for embracing this as part of our positive culture and for continuing to foster our three pillars of being respectful to others, responsible in our actions and ready to learn.

Our second annual PSHE day took place in November and we were thrilled to welcome a range of speakers, including our keynote speaker for the day, Tanya Goodin. Her talk in particular, on our evolving relationship with technology, was one that I am sure our community will remember for some time. It is sometimes very easy to be negative about changes in technology, particularly when we discuss social media. There is certainly a wide variety of research out there that supports a negative narrative on the subject, and Tanya was clear in her messages about the potential risks. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom! Tanya’s message was one of hope, rather than despair. Having built her career around tech, and most recently within the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in technology, she is well placed to talk about the advantages and opportunities that technology presents us with. Her advice to the girls was invaluable in how to spot misinformation and disinformation. Encouraging them to demonstrate critical curiosity when looking at online content is a lesson that I hope they will all remember over the coming months and years as social media platforms, most recently Meta, appear to abandon independent fact checking.

At the High School we continue to reinforce positive messaging around technology and ‘digacy’. Mrs Hopley in particular, our resident Ed Tech coordinator, has angled her focus for the term on how staff can develop opportunities for exploring AI in the classroom in a positive way. We very much look forward to the new learning experiences this will bring to our pupils and help them engage in critical thinking as well as continuing to develop their creativity and curiosity in this field. My warm thanks also goes to Mr Pietropaoli, who coordinates the PSHE programme and ensures that it remains a current, relevant and vibrant vehicle for our pupils to engage with the world around them.

The final, and arguably most spectacular, event of the term was the ski trip to Austria, expertly organised and run by Mrs Littlewood and ably assisted by Miss Knight. Ten members of staff in total, accompanied by 80 pupils from the senior school, took to the slopes above Schladming and had the most wonderful time. I hope you were able to enjoy some of the photos that came through on our own social media platforms and we all very much look forward to hearing more about the frosty adventures of our skiers in an assembly later this year.

This term, as always, we have hit the ground running and for our exam years, that means we are leaping straight back into the mock exams. This can be a daunting time for pupils who are starting this vital step in exam preparation but our pastoral and wellbeing teams remain on hand to support where needed. This time can feel intense but it won’t last long, and as the days gradually begin to get longer again and the hopes of spring start to break through the cold, there is plenty to look forward to on the horizon for this term and beyond and I very much look forward to celebrating the ongoing successes of our girls as we move through the term.

Rebecca Kneen
Deputy Head

https://northamptonhigh.vectare.co.uk/. Routes for September 2025 will be forecast later this term once incoming Year 7 pupils have been offered places, and bookings will open towards the end of the spring term to enable plenty of time for families to book regular passes in advance. If you wish to use transport from September 2025, and would like a new stop to be requested, please get in touch now so we can add this to the list. We offer a late service departing from 17:15 Monday-Thursday evenings – this can be booked by those with regular travel passes, or on an ad-hoc basis. If you would like an additional stop added to the late service, we have more flexibility due to the bespoke nature of the demand-based late service, so please get in touch via contact@vectare.co.uk. Full details of the late service can be found here: Late Service

If you have any questions regarding school transport, please get in touch with Vectare via contact@vectare.co.uk

Health and Safety

We would like to remind all parents accessing the school site by car when collecting or dropping off pupils, that we do not have any designated drop-off/pick-up zones, and that all cars should be parked in a marked bay. Please note the long bays in front of the school must be kept free for school minibuses and MPVs and are not to be used by cars at any time.

Catering

We have welcomed our new Chef Manager, Jack Hogg to our catering and hospitality team during the autumn term, and along with Luke Smith (Customer Experience Manager) they are committed to offering a high standard of catering provision. Jack and Luke, along with the catering team, invite parents to join us for breakfast in the dining room which is available daily from 07:45-08:20 – card payments are accepted. If you have any feedback around our catering provision, please feel free to get in touch with Mr Smith or Mr Hogg via catering@nhs.gdst.net who will be happy to speak with families.

Estates

We were pleased to launch our new astroturf pitch at the start of the autumn term, and know this facility will be well-used across the school. Our next project will be a refurbishment of the library, which we know is well-used and a key facility. We will continue to use funding from our lettings revenue and any fundraising opportunities for this project, and many more improvement projects in the future.

Luke Smith (Customer Experience Manager) and Alice Afford (Lettings Manager) have been very busy arranging bookings to make full use of our fantastic facilities, and in turn improve lettings revenues which benefit all pupils at the school. In addition to our site facilities, we are now able to offer full hospitality as required to meet the needs of any hirers, from hot drinks after a sports match, to hot lunches for over 250 people, or ice cream and a bar for theatre performances. Our Theatre can hold over 600 people, and we have recently hosted various conferences, theatre performances and shows for large numbers. If you would like more information on our facilities available to hire please contact Mrs Afford: lettings@nhs.gdst.net

Northampton Swimming Club are based here every Tuesday-Friday for lessons available to all through the Queen’s Cross Connect Programme. They also use our facilities for squad training on evenings and weekends, with some swimmers going on to compete at regional level, national level and beyond. During the holidays, they also run intensive courses here. Contact NSC for details at: https://uk.gomotionapp.com/team/reczznsc/page/system/classreg-shopping

Pauline Quirke Academy run a Performing Arts Academy based here every Saturday with both a morning and an afternoon session held in our School Theatre and Drama Studio for students aged 4-18. They performed a fantastic performance of ‘Matilda’ here in our School Theatre last year. For further details of PQA Saturday sessions, please get in touch with Alistair and his team at: https:// www.pqacademy.com/academies/pqa-northampton/

Sinead Loughnane Academy offers a range of dance classes for children from the age of 3 up to, and including, adult classes. It is never too late to start dancing, and whilst many students start their dancing education with an introduction to the delights of Ballet, they could equally pursue one of our other disciplines such as Tap, Modern and Contemporary. Students are also offered the chance to train to become teachers in the only centre in Northamptonshire for specialised training in Modern and Tap DDE teaching qualifications. Please email sineadacademy@gmail.com for more information.

Alex Hume
Director of Finance and Operations

Mrs Stawt is currently Deputy Head at Maidwell Hall, where she has served since September 2021. During her tenure, she also held the position of Assistant Head Cocurricular and Compliance and has led significant strategic, whole-school improvements, successfully expanding the school’s cocurricular provision to enhance opportunities for students.

Her passion for education, her admiration for the ethos of Northampton High School, and her innovative ideas for the Junior School were abundantly clear during the interview process. Her commitment to fostering a supportive and holistic educational environment aligns perfectly with our school’s values.

Mrs Stawt will start her role from September 2025 and is excited to join our community. She will be visiting one day per week during the summer term to get to know pupils, staff and parents. I look forward to welcoming her and introducing her to you after Easter.

For the spring and summer terms, Mr Rickman, Deputy Head, will provide strategic leadership and oversee the operational management of the Junior School, including teaching and learning, staff performance and welfare. Many of you are already familiar with Mr Rickman, who has been part of the school community for over thirteen years.

He will be supported by Mrs Saunders-Wall, who will take on the role of Interim Director of Junior School Liaison. Mrs Saunders-Wall will be primarily responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Junior School, ensuring that provision meets pupils’ needs, and acting as the primary point of contact for Junior School parents. She will also continue teaching some Physical Education across the whole school.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Mrs Wilmot for her outstanding contributions over the past two terms as Acting Head of Junior School. She has provided stability and continuity to this vital part of our school, significantly strengthening relationships with parents and supporting pupil retention and recruitment. As previously communicated, Mrs Wilmot will return to her substantive role as Director of Marketing and Admissions in January 2025. We thank her for her leadership and unwavering support for staff, pupils and parents during her tenure.

Governor News

At Northampton High School, we are incredibly lucky to have a team of governors who are dedicated and supportive. We are very pleased that Mr David Seymour has been successfully appointed as a Parent Governor in November 2024. His vast expertise and valuable experience in private equity real estate will be instrumental to the school and the Governing Body. We wish him every success in his role and look forward to working with him.

Staff Updates

We were sorry to say farewell to the following colleagues during the autumn term 2024:

• Miss Katie Price – Digital Marketing Assistant
• Mrs April Jones – Chef Manager
• Mrs Emma Currier – Chef
• Mrs Helen Maskey – Chef
• Mr James Campling – IT Assistant and Music Assistant
• Mr Stuart Rose – Theatre Technician
• Mr Sean Walters – Minibus Driver
• Mrs Liesel Murphy – Teacher of Science
• Mr Paddy Waugh – Teacher of Computing (fixed term)

We thank them for their contributions they have made to the life of the school and wish them bright and fulfilling futures.

The New Year brings new staff to the Northampton High community and I have no doubt that you will get to know them over the coming weeks. We extend a warm welcome to new staff joining us in the spring term 2025:

• Miss Rachel Wilkinson – Teacher of Science, part-time
• Mr Rafez Noorullah – Sports Assistant
• Mrs Abbey Grainger – Learning Support Coordinator
• Miss Emily Read – Learning Support Coordinator

We offer them all a warm welcome and wish them a happy time here in Northampton High.

We are very happy to welcome Mrs Emma Blake, our Director of Sport, back from her maternity leave and look forward to her continued contributions to the richness of life at Northampton High.