There is a sense of anticipation that anything is possible – and, in just 11 weeks, the prospect of the long summer holiday. However there is much to pack in before we get there, and I am also looking forward to the hard work, activities, trips, performances and sporting endeavours which will fill all our lives over the coming months.

Of course, for our Year 11 and Year 13 students, this term is bittersweet. Their GCSE and A Level exams start in a couple of weeks, and indeed, some of the A Level and GCSE Drama practicals and Language orals have already taken place. While there is certainly nervous anticipation, the exams represent the culmination of everything our students have been working towards over the past 18 months, and I know they are focused and prepared to do their best and be the most powerful version of themselves. 

For Year 13, this will also be the term they say goodbye to the High School, and I am looking forward to celebrating their achievements with the school and their parents and guardians on Wednesday 7 May. Whether they have been with us since the age of two or joined at later stages, this is a moment filled with both excitement and nostalgia. I have been consistently impressed by their many accomplishments, across so many varied spheres. As usual, Year 13 will receive a fantastic send-off, filled with laughter, celebration and reflection, before their study leave begins on Friday 9 May!

It may seem counterintuitive, but these farewells are part of what binds our community together. There is something very special about acknowledging publicly the journey of these students through the school and wishing them well as they step out of our world and into a new one that they will make their own. This year, our leavers have chosen the theme of Shipwrecked for their Leavers’ Day, and they have thoughtfully produced a humorous powerpoint to help each department with their costume ideas – from Humanities as pirates, to Maths as mermaids, English staff as sailors and fishermen, and Languages as surfers. Not forgetting our Sports Faculty as lifeguards! I am delighted to have been asked to dress up as Captain Hook, along with Mr Rickman as Ursula and Mr Viesel as Poseidon. We look forward to seeing a variety of hilarious and brightly coloured fancy-dress costumes to mark this special occasion. 

Additionally, I am delighted to announce that six of our Year 13 students have collectively received a total of eleven Oxbridge and Medical School offers following an intensive selection process in the autumn and spring terms. Congratulations to these students – a great achievement in what is always a very strong field! They should be justifiably proud of the offers they have received from the following universities: Hull York, Leicester, Oxford, Plymouth, Queen’s Belfast, Sheffield, Southampton, Sunderland and East Anglia. We always pride ourselves on enabling our students to make the choices that best suit their aspirations and it is a cause for celebration to know that they have the confidence as well as the guidance and support from home and school to achieve credible offers.

This has made me reflect on some of the distinctive aspects of our all-girls setting that have a lasting impact on our Year 13 students. One is the cultivation of courage in the classroom, including the development of each girl’s individual voice – or, as we call it, being 10% braver. When faced with moments of fear or uncertainty, they do not need to conquer them entirely – just be 10% braver and push through. This might mean speaking up (no small feat in itself), engaging in discussion about complex or controversial topics, asking and answering questions without fear of looking ‘stupid’ or (worse) ‘swotty’, taking intellectual risks, resisting perfectionism, and embracing collaboration over competition as the default way of working. I believe that in a girls-only school, we can equip our students with the tools to engage with the real world on equal terms. Our role is to prepare girls for, not protect them from, the real world. I also sincerely hope they feel that their High School education has given them the foundations to overcome any obstacles they may encounter and to believe that there are no limits to what they can achieve.

As we celebrate our 147th birthday this year, we reflect on our long-standing commitment to girls’ education since 1878. On Friday 2 May, we celebrate the school’s birthday. As tradition dictates, we will have an assembly for the whole school, to include cutting of the birthday cake by the oldest and youngest pupils in the school.

Finally, I hope that many of you will be able to join us for Speech Day and Prize-Giving on Thursday 10 July. Arrangements for attendance will be confirmed in due course and parents and guardians are warmly invited to join us in our celebration of everything that has taken place at Northampton High over the year.

Another action-packed term lies ahead. I look forward to seeing you over the coming weeks. Thank you, as ever, for entrusting us with your daughter’s education. 

With very best wishes for the term ahead,  

Dr May Lee
Head

The Early Years and Junior School team has been buzzing with preparations, ready to deliver engaging and enriching learning adventures for our girls. This summer term promises to be a time of significant growth for all our pupils, from our youngest explorers to those eagerly anticipating Senior School. They will have fantastic opportunities to deepen their academic understanding, nurture their personal development and further develop their intellectual skills, both inside and outside the classroom. We are confident that this productive period will set them up brilliantly for the next academic year.

Together, we will encourage our girls to step outside their comfort zones, tackle challenges with confidence, and truly live our ‘be 10% braver’ ethos. This could be through confident presentations in class assemblies, or performances at our inspiring Scholars’ Music Recitals, discovering in Forest School, embracing teamwork in sports, venturing into new clubs, or unleashing their creativity in Art.

Our Whole School Open Morning on Friday 2 May is shaping up to be a fantastic event, with many visitors eager to experience our dynamic school firsthand. Please do invite any family members or friends who might be interested in seeing us in action.

Other highlights this term include our much-loved parent coffee mornings, the vibrant Summer Fayre, and energetic Sports Days. We will also be celebrating our young athletes at the Sports Celebration Event, capturing memories during the Junior School sports photos, and showcasing creativity at the Junior School art gallery. Our annual Cultures Day promises to be a colourful and enriching celebration of diversity across our community. 

An important date for your diaries will be Speech Day and Awards on Thursday 10 July, as mentioned above. This year, we are delighted to host two events: a morning session for Reception to Year 4, featuring Dr Kevin Stannard, Director of Innovation and Learning at the GDST, and an evening session for Years 5 to 13 with Maggie Alphonsi MBE as our guest speaker.

In addition to these events, individual classes have some exciting trips planned. Reception pupils will be heading to Woburn Safari Park, Year 5 will dive into geography with their Everdon River Study, and Year 3 will explore local history at the Northampton Museum.

As the academic year begins to draw to a close, many pupils are looking ahead to new beginnings. Preschool children will enjoy a special Teddy Bear’s Picnic as part of their transition, while Year 6 will mark the end of their Junior School journey with a celebration event and a fun-filled trip to Willen Lake.

Finally, we are looking forward to seeing Mrs Lucy Stawt in school over the coming weeks as she makes a number of visits and starts getting to know everyone. At our coffee morning on 29 April she will give some  information about herself and her journey to becoming our Junior School Head from September. We know that she shares our values of learning without limits and is a great believer in the importance of understanding how individuals learn and thrive in education. Mrs Stawt is keen to see the school in different lights and we will shortly arrange a more comprehensive schedule to share with parents and guardians.

Henry Rickman
Deputy Head and Interim Junior School Leadership

This enables us to monitor their progress effectively, ensure they are flourishing educationally and provide targeted support where needed, strengthening their resilience when it comes to real examinations.

Alongside these internal assessments, we are, of course, mindful of the upcoming public examinations. We recognise the impact that high-stakes assessments can have on young people and understand that meticulous attention to detail and a profound knowledge of each pupil’s needs are paramount to their success. In addition to our dedicated teaching staff, we are fortunate to have Mrs Beezley, our Learning Enhancement Coordinator (SENDCo), Mrs Rimmer, our Examinations Officer, and our wellbeing team, all of whom are available to support pupils and their families as they navigate GCSEs and A Levels. We have observed an increase in the number of pupils benefiting from access arrangements and assistive technology over recent years. This is a testament to our ability to identify specific learning needs and support families in securing diagnoses where appropriate. It was particularly gratifying last term to witness two of our neurodiverse Sixth Form students sharing their learning journeys with pupils in the Junior School, highlighting the school’s instrumental role in their excellent GCSE results and the ongoing support they receive. 

Of course, beyond any possible specific learning needs, we know that good revision and study skills, and an awareness of the best approaches to tackling different types of assessment, all play an important part in student success. For this reason, we have our ‘On Track’ study skills programme, which incorporates individual mentoring of students identified by colleagues, as well as year and subject group sessions looking at the principles of successful study. Next year, we are adapting our academic programme in the light of student and staff feedback to incorporate a dedicated study period for all Year 10 and 11 students. This will provide a flexible opportunity for students to receive individual and group support if needed, as well as giving them some personal study time in the week. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like to discuss approaches for assessments and exams, or indeed individual learning needs at any stage in the school.  

Last year, we presented Year 10 and Year 12 with their internal summer assessment outcomes in a consolidated results sheet, aiming to minimise the impact of receiving results in a more fragmented manner. For the Year 11 and Year 13 mock examinations this year, we maintained the ‘results day’ approach for a second year, which was well received by students as it alleviated grade-related stress and facilitated a more focused review of feedback for improvement. However, following valuable observations from students and staff in Years 10 and 12, we have opted for a ‘feedback week’ after the internal assessments this year. This more flexible approach, we believe, will continue to mitigate any potential negative experiences for students. Parents and guardians will, of course, continue to receive tracking data and reports as usual. Teachers are available for ongoing feedback and support beyond the feedback week, addressing any concerns or queries. The Year 10 and Year 12 assessments will commence on 23 April and conclude on 2 May, with the feedback week beginning on Monday 12 May and results available to parents and guardians via the SIMS app on 23 May. Other internal assessments will commence in the week beginning 19 May.

This year, we have placed a particular emphasis on educational technology (edtech), under the expert guidance of our Edtech Champion, Mrs Hopley. We remain committed to prioritising digital learning through our Digacy programme, and we are dedicated to supporting our teachers in developing their digital skills, ensuring our pupils are well prepared for the future. As part of the GDST, we benefit from access to digital technology experts and subscriptions to packages such as Kami, Canva, Mote, FigJam, Brisk, Notebook LM and other valuable technologies that support learning. We recognise the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and believe that its judicious application can enhance learning and improve pupil outcomes. We continue to prioritise digital work via the Google Classroom platform. Our ‘bring your own device’ policy has proven highly successful, and we remain committed to this approach. We kindly request that parents and guardians ensure pupil devices are fully charged and appropriately protected each day. Please do not hesitate to contact the school with any queries regarding the use of 1-to-1 devices.

While the summer term is associated with assessments in the Senior School, we remain dedicated to delivering our vibrant and comprehensive curriculum across the school, providing opportunities for deep learning and pupil engagement. Our teachers are committed to offering a diverse range of activities, making full use of our exceptional learning environments. Our Reach programme, which encompasses extracurricular activities, clubs, societies, and enrichment subjects in Years 10-13, plays a vital role in our pupils’ development. We encourage everyone to participate in the numerous opportunities available and we welcome any feedback on how we can further enhance this programme. Please contact Miss Kilby, Reach Coordinator, or me to discuss any suggestions.

Finally, as mentioned by Dr Lee, we eagerly anticipate welcoming you to our Speech Day and Awards event on Thursday 10 July, where we will celebrate the achievements of our pupils. This year, we are delighted to host two events: a morning session for Reception to Year 4, featuring Dr Kevin Stannard, Director of Innovation and Learning at the GDST, and an evening session for Years 5 to 13, with Maggie Alphonsi MBE as our guest speaker. These events will provide a wonderful opportunity to celebrate academic and broader achievements, including our school characteristics, and to welcome our new Reach, Spirit, and Flair scholars.

Henry Rickman
Deputy Head and Interim Junior School Leadership

And thankfully, despite a brief but classic April downpour earlier this week, the weather seems to be shifting towards those brighter, warmer days we all look forward to. Dr Lee’s inspiring words from L M Montgomery at the end of last term, “Nothing ever seems impossible in spring, you know,” still resonate, and I hope our pupils are also embracing this season with optimism as we approach the final stretch of the academic year, brimming with opportunities.

The Year 10 and 12 pupils have started their return to school very well with focused and positive mindsets for their internal assessments. I was extremely impressed with how quickly they adapted to this process on Tuesday morning and I wish them all the best for the coming days. It is important to remember that these assessments, whilst an important part of their learning process, should be seen as an opportunity to practice and develop their examination skills. They are not necessarily indicative of what we expect them to achieve at the end of the formal examination process when they sit their exams next year, and although we hope they will take them seriously, it is important that they do not pressure themselves to achieve perfection. If you are at all concerned about this, please speak to your relevant head of year. 

A persistent misconception about the summer term is that it offers a quieter pace. However, I’m always reminded of just how dynamic and full it truly is. We begin with the exam season, a significant challenge for all our students this term. This is particularly true for our resilient Year 11 and Year 13 students, who are now approaching the culmination of their two-year GCSE and A Level courses. Their dedication and hard work over the past two years are about to be showcased. The experience of assessments isn’t limited to these year groups, though. All Senior School students will be undertaking a range of summer assessments this half-term, which can naturally bring about some anxiety. We are fortunate to have an exceptional pastoral team, from our form tutors, heads of year, to our medical and wellbeing team, and they are all readily available to provide support and guidance through these potential pressures. If you have any concerns about your child’s wellbeing during this assessment period, please do not hesitate to reach out to us for support and advice. Our fantastic Examinations Officer, Mrs Rimmer, is also on hand to offer guidance and support and has a wealth of experience in dealing with the many pressures of formal examinations.

Our dedicated pastoral team has continued its excellent work this past term, and we were absolutely delighted and immensely proud that their commitment was so clearly acknowledged in our recent Food Allergy Awareness Audit. Many thanks to the parents who contributed their voices to this process, it was greatly appreciated. The medical and wellbeing team received particular praise for their proactive approach in identifying and addressing potential risks to student mental health and wellbeing and the catering team were praised for their dedication to ensuring that a wider variety of foods are available for our community. 

Once the internal assessments are complete, the energy at the High School doesn’t diminish; in many ways, the excitement amplifies. Sports Day, always a highlight for me, will be here before we know it and we would sincerely appreciate your efforts in keeping all fingers crossed for good weather! Following that, an exciting array of trips and activities awaits our pupils, including several residential experiences to stunning locations across the UK, such as the Shropshire Beacons and the Lake District. Year 10 will also be taking part in their Careers Day. We will conclude the year with our annual summer Speech Day, this year scheduled for Thursday 10 July. 

As this time of year invariably brings a close to periods of learning, I extend my very best wishes to all our pupils undertaking public exams. Their commitment has been outstanding, we are incredibly proud of their efforts and we remain fully committed to supporting them right through to the end, so please do not hesitate to contact us if there is anything you or your children need.

Wishing you all a wonderful and fulfilling summer term!

Rebecca Kneen
Deputy Head

School Transport

Bookings are now open for September 2025 – please do take a look at the provisional routes and timetables available School Transport 25-26. There are full details of Booking Information and Deadlines 2025-2026 on the above website. Please let us know of any questions or stop requests you may have via email contact@vectare.co.uk and we will review these in advance of September.

Thank you to everyone who completed our recent school transport survey. We received a great response of really useful feedback, it was really lovely to hear such positive comments about the driver team, and the school transport service. We will continue to review how we can improve the booking window for the late service, as we acknowledge the flexibility this provides for families.

For those of you who haven’t yet used school transport, the summer term can be a great opportunity to give the service a try, as availability for spaces often improves as exam year groups finish their GCSE/A Levels. We know that both students and parents appreciate the independence of school transport, but that it can also be daunting and unfamiliar to begin with. If you would like to come and meet a driver with your child prior to using the service, please let us know via email (nhsadmin@nhs.gdst.net) and we can arrange this for you at the beginning or end of the school day. We can also arrange a transfer home for parents who would like to accompany younger children into school on transport for the first time to help provide reassurance – please contact the school office via the email above. For bookings within our current year, please go to School Transport 24-25. 

Health and Safety

We 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. We have over 200 parking spaces on site, and we would advise that there are a number of bays at the rear of the school should you be struggling to find a space. If you are picking up pupils in Sixth Form, or pupils who have lessons such as art, food tech, textiles at the end of the day, then this car park may be much more convenient than the front of school. We would also remind all users of the car park to take great care at the pedestrian crossings and ensure that these are approached with caution giving way to pedestrians.

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 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

Thank you to everyone who attended and support our official astroturf opening event – with alumna Emily Kilner (Sports Presenter, Commentator and Broadcaster) providing us with her own experience of how much the foundations of playing on our school astroturf pitch has led the way for a future career and opened up opportunities for building confidence, collaboration and community. This project was funded through our commercial lettings revenue and fundraising from school events, as well as funding from our parent-led school uniform Swap-Shop.

We are now busy preparing for the summer works that will take place, and this includes work on upgrading our food tech room, amongst other areas that will receive refreshes.

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 and you can find out more on our website: https://www.northamptonhigh.co.uk/community/partners/

Northampton Swimming Club are based here every Tuesday-Friday for lessons available to all through the Queen’s Cross Connect Program. They also use our facilities for squad training on evenings and weekends, with some swimmers going 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, so 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.

SuperCamps is a leading provider of activity camps in the UK, with over 25 years of experience and a reputation for quality. They pride themselves on being the home of holiday camps, offering parents a worry-free and tailored childcare solution outside the school term. Supercamps are experts in their field and will undoubtedly bring their energy and expertise, to offer a wide range of sporting and non-sporting activities for children aged 4-12 in all school holidays.

In addition to their core Multi-Activity programme, that runs every day, they also offer a range of specialist supplementary programmes. These week-long focused courses are designed for children who want to dive deeper into their passions and develop new skills under expert-led instruction. The Specialist Courses focus on skill acquisition and offer children the opportunity to explore their interests and excel in areas they’re passionate about.

Bookings can be made via the Supercamps website https://www.supercamps.co.uk/Venue/northampton-high-school, and there is a discount available for our own pupils using the code in the below flyer.

Alex Hume

Director of Finance and Operations

• Mrs Laura Rathore – Head of Spanish (fixed term, maternity cover)
• Miss Anais Vicente – Head of French (fixed term, maternity cover)
• Miss Lucy John – Junior School Teaching Assistant
• Mrs Joanne Purvey-Tyrer – Junior School Assistant Head Pastoral 
• Mrs Amanda Wilmot – Director of Marketing and Admissions 
• Mr Jamie Nash – Marking and Communications Manager 
• Mr Keith Sampson – Cleaner 
• Mrs Alison Smith – Invigilator 
• Mrs Yvonne Jinks – Invigilator 
• Mrs Kimberley Deeks – Cover Supervisor 

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

In particular, we would like to express our deep gratitude to Mrs Purvey-Tyrer, who has dedicated 25 years to Northampton High School. As a talented and compassionate class teacher, and as a key member of the Junior School Leadership Team with a pastoral focus, she has embodied the values of kindness and integrity that we seek to instil in our students. Her sense of humour, generosity of spirit, and unwavering support will be greatly missed by us all. We thank her for her remarkable contribution and wish her every happiness in this next chapter as she takes early retirement from teaching.

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to Mrs Wilmot, who has served the school for nine years in a range of roles: initially as Registrar, then as Director of Marketing and Admissions, and most recently as Acting Head of the Junior School. The school has clearly held a special place in her heart, and we are so grateful for the passion and commitment she has brought to every role. She has been a tireless advocate for all that Northampton High stands for, consistently championing our values and spirit. We wish her every success as she takes on an exciting new role in the charity sector, and hope she leaves with many fond memories of her time with us.

The new term brings new faces to the Northampton High community, and I have no doubt that you will get to know them over the coming weeks. We are pleased to welcome the following staff who have joined us in the spring term or joining us in the summer terms 2025:

• Mr Gary Page – Premises/ Facilities Supervisor 
• Mr Christopher Street – Premises/Facilities Supervisor 
• Mrs Lindsay Latimer – Junior School Class Teacher 
• Mr Morris Waithaka – Chef 
• Mr Stuart Lathan – Fitness Instructor 
• Mr Stuart Roberts – Minibus Driver (casual)
• Mrs Anna-Maria Miceli-Worth – General Assistant 

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

We are very happy to welcome Mrs Sandy Black, Head of Faculty Languages and Mrs Anita Romano, Head of Spanish, back from their maternity leave and we look forward to their continued contributions to the richness of life at Northampton High. 

• Marketing and Admissions Manager
• Marketing Content Assistant

Please click here to see these roles.

Please click here to see the Term Dates.