Young people often seem to gravitate towards fiction. And why not? Getting lost in a new novel or discovering a favourite character’s next adventure is a great way of spending time and developing reading confidence. Non-fiction doesn’t always scream excitement in the same way to a young audience. It’s often lumped in with textbooks, manuals, or the kind of reading that people think will slowly send them to sleep. But I think we can persuade pupils that non-fiction might just be the secret superpower they didn’t know they needed. So here is my advice to our girls, in the hope that they might give over some of their precious reading time to High News!
You may be curious about the world and aware of the inevitable future, looming ahead with its uncertainties. It can seem daunting at times, and that’s exactly where non-fiction steps in as a reliable, insightful guide. By delving into non-fiction books, you gain access to diverse parts of the world, various walks of life, and multiple perspectives, all from the comfort of your favourite chair.
Reading about history, science, politics, or economics can help make sense of the world around you, a world that feels increasingly complex and difficult to navigate. Consider a book on climate change, for instance. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by news headlines, you can begin to understand the broader context: the causes, effects, and what can be done about it. Find out about how some amazing people have taken things into their own hands with Rebel Girls Climate Warriors: 25 Tales of Women Who Protect the Earth by Cristina Mittermeier (Rebel Girls Inc 2022).
This kind of knowledge is empowering, especially when so much of life seems uncompromising and hard to decode. Imagine sitting in a café with friends, dropping a casual reference to the latest biography of Michelle Obama or sharing insights from a book on the wonders of the natural world. Rather than coming off like a walking encyclopaedia, you’ll appear as someone genuinely interested in how the world works. That kind of curiosity is compelling.
In a world saturated with social media, influencers, and reality TV stars vying for attention, it’s easy to feel pressured to conform to a particular image or lifestyle. But non-fiction allows you to step back and escape the constant comparison. Biographies and memoirs are especially helpful for this. Reading about someone’s real-life struggles, failures, and successes reminds you that nobody’s life is as flawless as it appears. Even highly successful people have had awkward moments or spilled coffee before important meetings.
Through non-fiction, you gain a front-row seat to the real-world, messy processes that people undergo to achieve success or fulfilment. You start to realise that no one has all the answers and if they claim to, it’s likely they are exaggerating. Additionally, non-fiction offers a broader perspective on what success and happiness can look like, beyond the glossy portrayals on social media. Learning about different people’s journeys helps you see that it’s okay to forge your own path, even if it’s unconventional.
Read the full entry here.
Mr Rickman
Deputy Head Academic
The week ahead
Monday 4 November
Year 11 Drama Component 2 Rehearsal
Hockey Sevens: U12 & 13 vs Quinton House
Tuesday 5 November
Year 11 ComSci GCSE Clinic
Hockey: U15 vs Quinton House
Wednesday 6 November
Junior School Coffee Morning
Nursery and Preschool Stay and Play
Hockey Sevens: U13 vs Bilton Grange
Reception Information Evening
Thursday 7 November
Live Theatre Review Student Conference at the National Theatre
GDST Rally (Cross Country, Football & Hockey)
Component 2 Directing Session
Sixth Form Scholarship/Bursary Assessment
Outward Bound Information Evening
Christmas Fayre returns - Friday 29 November!
You will have seen in recent editions of High and Junior News that we are hosting our annual Christmas Fayre event on Friday 29 November, from 4.30pm until 6.30pm. With preparations for the event in full swing, we would like to take the opportunity to formally invite you, your family and friends to this event to kick off the Christmas festivities. Like last year, proceeds from the event will be going to help the Hope Centre. The Fayre will be free to enter, and will include the following attractions:
– Christmas Market, with stalls run by our staff, students, parents and other external vendors
– Festive Refreshments
– Father Christmas in his Grotto
– Charity Silent Auction
– Christmas Carols and festive cheer
– Charity Raffle and Tombola
– Christmas-themed Junior School games and activities
– Visit from Santa’s reindeer
Further information about this event, including how parents can apply to be a stallholder, are to be circulated via SchoolPost this evening – so keep an eye on your emails! We look forward to welcoming you to this community festive treat and thank you so much for your support.
Rehome Pudsey for Children in Need!
With Children in Need around the corner, we are excited to be raising money for this wonderful cause. This year, as part of our fundraising efforts, we once again have a special guest in school who we would like to rehome!
Pudsey Bear has arrived at Northampton High School and is looking for a new home – and that could be with you! You can help our fundraising efforts by making a donation for a virtual raffle ticket (suggested minimum donation of £2), and if your number is pulled out on Friday 15 November, Pudsey will be yours!
To purchase a raffle ticket and support a deserving cause, please click below. Last year we raised a whopping £1,005 for Children in Need – let’s see if we can beat that total this year!
Students receive Head's Commendation Awards!
A huge congratulations to our students who have been awarded Head’s Commendations Awards for demonstrating kindness and dedication to school life, as well as for outstanding achievements this half term. Congratulations to: Millie C, Ruby C, Esther W, Charlotte D, Chanan S, Olivia S, Safiya C, Bella K, Georgina P and Zara B who were presented with their awards during lunchtime this Tuesday. A special mention to Georgina (Year 2) for achieving her award at such a young age, which is extremely impressive! The girls, and Dr Lee, enjoyed hearing an excerpt from her English book, which Georgina read aloud, about her learnings surrounding Black History Month focusing on Rosa Parks. Dr Lee presented the girls with their well-deserved certificates and sweets. Well done to this amazing group for your positive attitudes and contributions.
House Storytelling a huge hit!
As we come to the end of this half term, our Year 7 students participated in our annual House Storytelling assemblies. Each House put on wonderful performances for the rest of the Senior School, putting in maximum effort and energy.
A huge well done to the Year 7’s for their performances, and to their Sixth Form leaders who supported them with planning their performances and their stories.
Well done to Artemis for your deserved win, and a huge thank you to all of our students for their efforts in making this year’s competition one to remember. Thank you to our judges and to Mr Laubscher, for his tireless efforts in making our House events so special!
High Sports
U18 Netball, Tuesday 15 October: On Tuesday 15 October, the first team travelled to Oundle to participate in the U18 County Cup. Opposition was fierce so the girls really had to step up to the challenge, fighting for every turnover and every goal. Each game was a close fought battle and although the results didn’t go our way, there were lots of passages of excellent play from our young side. Well done everyone!
U14 Hockey, Tuesday 15 October: The U14A team enjoyed a home hockey fixture against Stowe on Tuesday this week. Emily and Mimi made some good runs down the wings, and Ellie and Clara secured the middle and created some good goal scoring opportunities. Esme performed well in goal and made a number of important saves throughout the match. The end result was a 5:1 loss with the goal coming from Lyra and Clara being awarded Player of the Match. As a team we improved throughout the game and everyone can be proud of how they performed. Kara R
Rotary Chef Competition 24/25
All students aged between 11-17 are invited to take part in this year’s Rotary Chef Competition. This is a nationwide competition, with the first round being held at Northampton High School for our students on Saturday 11 January. The arrival time is 9.30am and the competition will conclude between 1 and 1.30pm.
This is an exciting competition where contestants are to prepare a 2-course meal (main and dessert) within 2 hours. It is a fantastic opportunity to be creative through food presentation, and challenged through the skill-level of dishes and time management.
Students should register their interest through this Google Form. Please do contact Miss Knight at s.knight@nhs.gdst.net if you have any questions about the competition, or see the Rotary Chef booklet here.
Good luck everyone!
Book Review: The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
What’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?
Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner treats its customers to wonderfully extravagant meals. But that’s not the main reason to stop by . . .
The father-daughter duo have started advertising their services as ‘food detectives’. Through ingenious investigations, they are capable of recreating a dish from their customers’ pasts – dishes that may well hold the keys to unlocking forgotten memories and future happiness.
From the widower looking for a specific noodle dish that his wife used to cook, to a first love’s beef stew, the restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to the past – and a way to a more contented future.
EcoClub build a bug hotel!
As this is the time of year when many animals look for cosy places to hibernate over winter, EcoClub have prepared them a luxury Bug Hotel, repurposing a range of materials. Hopefully we will soon have some resident minibeasts such as ladybirds, bees, woodlice and spiders!
There are many ways to make homes for our animal friends over winter, use the below link to discover some potential October half-term activities – let us know how you get on!
Parents and Staff Quiz Night - Thursday 21 November
Do you love general knowledge? Are you a whizz at fascinating facts? Do you have a competitive streak? Would you enjoy a relaxed, fun evening with friends?
Following the success of our inaugural event last year, please join us at our second Parents’ and Staff Quiz Night on Thursday 21 November, 7pm-9pm.
Come along as a team (up to eight members) or join a team on arrival. Price per person is £15 which includes a delicious fish and chip supper; gluten free and vegetarian options will be available. A bar will also be available and there is a prize for the winning team!
To book your tickets, please follow the below link by Thursday 14 November 2024. Looking forward to an entertaining and ‘educational’ evening!
