Nothampton High School
High News

High News 19 October 2018

Having enjoyed another action-packed start to the term, I wish all girls and their families a restful half term break. This is, of course, our inaugural two-week holiday at this time of year, and I hope you will benefit from some well-deserved rest and relaxation, ready to embrace the busy second half of the autumn term and all that it brings.

For those girls who are heading off on the various residential trips this half term, enjoy every opportunity to the full and come back inspired, recharged and ready for action!

There was an interesting  synchronicity to my spending the day on Wednesday of last week (National Mental Health Awareness Day) at Bristol University at a meeting of the HMC/GSA Universities Committee. Undergraduate mental health was right at the top of our agenda, on the back of research which showed that  the suicide rate among UK students has risen by 56% in the ten years to 2016 and a recent report that there were 95 suicides in English universities in the twelve months to July 2017.

These worrying statistics have given rise to calls among some educationalists to redefine the start of full adulthood in the UK from 18 to 21, thereby giving parents a greater say in the lives of their children through higher education.  In practice, some moves in this direction are already being seen ‘on the ground.’  Bristol, which has faced adverse press coverage in the recent past on this topic, now invites students to opt into a system, which allows the university to initiate contact with parents if there are concerns about a student’s mental well-being.

Read more here

Dr Stringer
Headmistress

Week Ahead

Half Term Break

Monday 22 October
Sixth Form Iceland Trip
Languages Trip to Granada
Erasmus+ Conference in Budapest

Tuesday 23 October
Sixth Form Iceland Trip
Languages Trip to Granada
Erasmus+ Conference in Budapest

Wednesday 24 October
Sixth Form Iceland Trip
Languages Trip to Granada
Erasmus+ Conference in Budapest

Thursday 25 October
Languages Trip to Granada
Erasmus+ Conference in Budapest

Friday 26 October
Languages Trip to Granada
Art Workshops
Erasmus+ Conference in Budapest

Wednesday 31 October
Oxbridge Entrance Exams

First week back

Tuesday 6 November
Senior Maths Challenge
6.1 Trip to Parliament
6.1 Chemistry Live Trip
NT New Views Playwright Visit

Wednesday 7 November
Sixth Form Senior Team Maths Challenge
Classics Film Night

Thursday 8 November
Sixth Form Scholarship Exam

Friday 9 November
Awards Evening

GSA Stem Day at Cambridge

On Tuesday at 7:15am, 14 bleary eyed Lower Fourth students, and an even more bleary eyed Mrs H-T, left school for the long trip to Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology to experience a day submerged in the world of STEM.

We started with a lecture about entrepreneurship and we were pitched to by three STEM dragons. We had a Smart Trainer, a Revision App and a Lunch Food Van and we had to analyse each pitch using a SWOT analysis and decide who to invest £100,000 in. We chose the Smart Trainer as, even though, they were in debt already, they had the best growth market.

We then experienced a STEM career panel which gave us lots of insight into careers in the STEM field and the different roles available. After lunch we were in breakout activities and ours was ‘understanding your brain’. We learned how to persuade people to do what we would like and also what to do when our mind goes blank. Our last session was an ethical debate with a competition to win a box of chocolates. Needless to say with our newly learned persuasive skills, we won the prize!

The best part of the day was learning how to persuade anyone with a change of language, and the chocolates. Huge thank you to St Mary’s, Cambridge, for running the event and we look forward to the next event in the National Space Centre next year.

Mrs Hodgetts-Tate and Lower 4 STEM winners

Cambridge Festival of Ideas

On Wednesday, a group of Sixth Form Economics students travelled to Cambridge to participate in the Annual Festival of Ideas. Friend of the school, Professor Tony Cockerill, had invited us to attend his annual “Running the British Economy” activity.

Professor Cockerill started the afternoon with an insightful presentation into the ‘Extremes’ experienced by the UK economy in recent years, so the girls were treated to a whistle-stop tour of economic cycles, unemployment, income and wealth inequalities, and even an hint of when the next financial crisis might hit….

The rest of the afternoon was spent analysing economic data and manipulatingm four key variables: government spending, VAT, income tax and the money supply to achieve the best possible outcome for the UK economy. The girls worked well as a team and enjoyed working against teams from other schools, while interacting with the Economics undergraduates who had volunteered to assist.

Mrs Tansley
Subject Leader Economics & Business Studies

DNA Production a fantastic success!

Huge congratulations go to our Senior Drama Company, for their stunning performance of Dennis Kelly’s DNA.

A challenging and disturbing piece, the group successfully put together the production in just five weeks, and were delighted to showcase their work in front of a packed theatre here in School on Monday evening.

Congratulations, girls!

Mrs Care
Director of Theatre

To see more photos from the production, please click here

Cafe Sci 'Pumpkin Trail' Quiz!

The Cafe Sci group, run by Lower Fifth girls, organised a pumpkin trail that was held on Wednesday during REC.

It was open to girls from any year group in the Senior School and involved answering quiz questions tied to strategically placed pumpkins all around the school.

This was all led by the Cafe Sci girls, who showed great initiative, leadership and organisation skills. The participants had great fun and the first to complete the trail correctly won a pumpkin.

Congratulations on a superbly organised and run event girls!

Mr Attwood
Subject Leader Biology

School Sport

Hockey

On Monday 15 October, the U13 A Hockey team played Kimbolton away. At the start of the first half, Kimbolton scored, and the rest of the half remained goalless to make the half time score 1-0.

With a big motivation to win the next half we started strongly, scoring a goal courtesy of Harriet Williams, followed by Phoebe Haynes adding another soon after.

A little after that, Harriet took a chance and scored an excellent goal, making it 3-1 to Northampton High, and that is how the match ended.

Well played to all the girls and a special mention to Simran Sandhu who was player of the match!

Isabella
U13 A Hockey

Book Review

Mud by Emily Thomas
Recommended for L4 and above

It’s 1979, and thirteen-year-old Lydia has no idea how she’ll cope when her dad announces that the family has to sell up and move onto a Thames sailing barge in Essex. With his girlfriend. And her three kids.

Between trying to keep her clothes dry in a leaky cabin, disastrous hair-dye attempts, awkward encounters with local boys, and coping with her suddenly enormous and troublesome family, Lydia fears she’ll sink rather than swim . . .

At turns heart breaking and uplifting, through Lydia’s innocent and perceptive voice we find out that while the mud may stick, the tide can turn – and in unexpected and joyful ways.

Miss Buxton
School Librarian

Catering Team Members leave for pastures new

I have some staff news from the Catering Team to bring to you as we enter our Half Term break.

Gill Brett has been here 11 years and has run The Big Blue Café excellently during this time. Gill is semi retiring and going to spend time enjoying her new grandchild. Piya Wheeldon has been with us for two and a half years and is off to pastures new.

I wish them both the best of luck for their next steps.

Mrs McCue
Catering and Hospitality Manager

Bonfire Lunch Menu

Bonfire Lunch Menu – Monday 5 November 2018

Fiery Tomato Soup served with fresh Artisan Breads

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Spicy Minced Beef Chilli served with Steamed Rice and Tortilla Chips

Bangers in a roll served with Jacket Wedge Potatoes and Baked Beans

*Roasted Vegetable Catherine Wheel served with Jacket Wedge Potatoes and Baked Beans

Salad Bar: Toasted Pumpkin and Sunflower Seed and Feta Cheese Salad, Houmous with Sliced Peppers and a Selection of Basic and Composite Salads

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Multi-Coloured Campfire Cake with Sprinkles and Popping Candy

Mrs McCue
Catering & Hospitality Manager

Art Workshops over Half Term and in November

We are delighted to be able to offer some Art Workshops for students over the upcoming October Half Term and also in November.

If you would like your daughter to attend any of the below camps, please get in touch via email at artworkshopswithemma@gmail.com or alternatively via phone at 07570 772334.

Friday 26 October – 09:30am to 11:30am – Wake Wing – £15

Saturday 10 November  – 09:30am to 11:30am – Wake Wing – £15

Saturday 17 November – 09:30am to 11:30am – Wake Wing – £15

Emma Lindsay

Hot Yoga & HIIT Pilates

Kings Camp - October Half Term

Term Dates

Northampton High School
Newport Pagnell Road, Hardingstone Northampton NN4 6UU
T: 01604 765765 nhsadmin@nhs.Gdst.Net