Friday 14 June 2024

A Summer of Sport 2024: Uniting the World and Inspiring the Young

I said it last year, and I will say it again…. I love Sports Day! Huge thanks, as always, must go to our dedicated sports faculty, and in particular to Mrs Littlewood who is the brains behind the operation for the Sports Day itself. I love Sports Day because of what it represents. A coming together of our community as a whole, pupils, teachers and parents all celebrating, all having fun and all getting stuck in. I love the House system that represents family, and encourages pupils to take part as a cog in a bigger machine, recognising that they play an important role no matter what they are doing. And I love seeing the looks on their faces when they support each other, congratulating their peers on their successes and commiserating with them when things don’t go quite to plan. My personal challenge this year was adding up the scores on the results desk. All I will say is thank goodness that my companion was a mathematician, and I’ll move swiftly on!

Following the fantastic success of our Sports Day last week, I was inspired to have a look at what is coming up for us over the summer in relation to sports. We are lucky that pupils at the High School value sport and are very enthusiastic about getting involved, trying new things and developing their competitive spirit. Whilst many sporting opportunities tail off a little during the summer holidays, many others are just getting started and this year in particular is a rather exciting one!

The summer of 2024 promises to be an exhilarating season for sports enthusiasts around the globe. From the iconic Wimbledon Championships in the UK to the highly anticipated Olympic Games in Paris, the season will be filled with thrilling competitions, record-breaking performances, and unforgettable moments. Special mention here to all those pupils who broke school or personal records last Friday! What an achievement for you all! So let’s have a look at what is coming up over the months ahead of us:

2024 Olympic Games – Paris

Let’s start with the big one. Arguably the biggest global sporting event, taking place once every 4 years, the Olympics represents a global phenomenon, where the global sporting community comes together to celebrate the wonders of sports and the individuals who train so hard to be the best in the world. The 2024 Summer Olympics, taking place from July 26 to August 11, will be hosted in Paris, France. This prestigious event will bring together over 10,000 athletes from more than 200 countries, competing in 33 sports across 50 disciplines. The Paris Olympics will introduce new sports such as breakdancing, surfing, and skateboarding, reflecting the evolving landscape of global sport. The event is, as it is every time, expected to be a showcase of human strength, agility, and determination, inspiring millions worldwide. I very much hope that our pupils will be watching, taking inspiration and considering what they might do to take part in more sporting activities in their future. It is never too late to try something new and with such a range of sports on offer these days, most people will find something they enjoy.

Wimbledon Championships

One of the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournaments (and my personal favourite annual event in the sporting calendar!), the Wimbledon Championships, will take place from June 24 to July 14, 2024. Held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, Wimbledon is renowned for its rich traditions, including its grass courts, strict dress code, and the consumption of Pimms, strawberries and cream by spectators.

This year, our NHS tennis players and fans will surely be eagerly watching to see if Katie Boulter, the British number one, will take to the courts again to challenge her international counterparts. Or perhaps we will see the return of last year’s wild cards, Harriet Dart or Jodie Burrage. We have certainly had our own success with Tennis over the last 12 months, with our senior school team winning the overall GDST Tennis Trophy last season. This was a huge achievement as the competition was strong, but out of the family of schools, none could match Northampton High School!

UEFA Euro 2024

Football fans around the world are eagerly awaiting UEFA Euro 2024, set to be hosted by Germany from June 14 to July 14. The tournament will feature 24 national teams competing across 10 cities, including Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt. This edition of the Euros promises intense rivalries, thrilling matches, and the emergence of new footballing talents.

Of course, we will have to wait a little longer for the Women’s tournament, taking place in 2025, but the qualifying matches kick off (pardon the pun!) this summer. I know our girls are eager to see if the Lionesses can retain their title from 2022 as the defending champions. Will they bring football home once more?

To read the full blog entry, please click here.

Miss Kneen
Deputy Head Pastoral

The Week Ahead

Monday 17 June
Fixture: U13A&B vs Akeley Wood

Tuesday 18 June
Fixture: U15 vs Akeley Wood

Wednesday 19 June
Annie (external primary schools performance)
U12 & U13A&B vs Winchester House
Yr8 Parents’ Evening

Thursday 20 June
Annie (Senior School performance)
Yr12 Business Trip to Wicksteed Park

Friday 21 June
Annie (Public performance)

Please click here to view the summer term’s Clubs & Activities list and timetable

The Arts Season at Northampton High

The Creative Arts faculty are very excited to present ‘Annie’ and our annual Arts Festival this half term! We are thrilled that so many tickets for ‘Annie’ have already been sold and would like to encourage all who are yet to order to do so quickly to avoid disappointment! Please also respond to the Arts Festival invitation so that we can cater for you with mouthwatering food and refreshing drinks during our exciting evening.

Annie
Students and staff have been working tirelessly and with great passion. The costumes, props, lighting and sound are all waiting for you and, thanks to the excellent leadership of teachers and support staff over an extensive rehearsal period, our orchestra and actors are feeling well prepared and confident. Mrs Marriott, Mr Nathan and Mr Laubscher certainly have a clear vision for the sound and aesthetics of the production. Miss Lycett and her team have professionally sewn tremendous costumes, and the props department, including Mr Ham, Mr Laubscher and Miss Sanderson, have also excelled themselves. I have been amazed by the intricate construction of Sandy the Dog, worthy of a Broadway production! Watching Sandy take shape at the hands of Miss Sanderson has been a privilege. Seeing is believing, so grab your tickets!

Arts Festival
Our annual Arts Festival includes an exciting Performing Arts Showcase in the Theatre, along with a summer picnic served from the Food Department. There are outstanding displays of Art and Textiles work around the site and we are delighted that Year 4’s sea urchin ceramic lights will take pride of place as a solo exhibition outside the Theatre entrance. All students from Nursery to Year 13 will be justly celebrated and we take great pride in our inclusive school where every girl’s creativity matters to us all.

As Head of Faculty, and on behalf of my talented team, I would like to thank you for your continued support of our students in the world of the Arts. Never underestimate how much it means to a young person when you attend an event and offer those words of encouragement and praise. They will not forget your kindness.

Mrs Beacroft
Head of Creative Arts Faculty

Year 12 visit Oxford Brookes University

On Wednesday 12 June, Year 12 enjoyed a visit to Oxford Brookes University to learn more about the opportunities that await them after Sixth Form. The day played host to a series of activities that were both thought-provoking and encouraging, providing greater insight into possible ‘next steps’ for our students.

The trip was divided into two parts, with the first half involving exploratory work around the city. Pupils were encouraged to visit some of Oxford’s famous museums and libraries to find something interesting relating to their subject. The activity encouraged participants to be creative in their thinking, which resulted in lots of fantastic findings and proved a great way to develop interests and knowledge beyond the curriculum!

During the second half of the day, our students enjoyed a university and apprenticeships fair where they were able to connect with representatives from a variety of organisations and educational institutions. Many of our Year 12 pupils are beginning to form their university and career preferences, so it was incredibly beneficial for them to learn more about potential routes from industry professionals!

The group returned to school feeling inspired after an exciting and informative day. We look forward to supporting the pupils as they navigate this important time and explore the many possibilities that are open to them!

High Sports

Volleyball News

On Saturday 18 May, I attended a Volleyball England Futures training camp. This is a day run by Volleyball England where you get to experience a National Team training environment. The day consisted of training led by England National team coaches, finding out what is expected from an England athlete and learning about what makes a top volleyball player. We also analysed some video clips from international matches to go into more depth about how professional players play. This is helpful for getting onto the England talent pathway- being part of the England pathway means you have the potential to play for England as your development is tracked and you can be selected for trials.

The following weekend, I was competing in the Volleyball Inter Regionals competition at the National Volleyball Centre. I played for East Midlands girls U17 squad and our team placed 7th overall out of 9 regions. We played a very close match against our first team, East, and only lost by 2 points each set. This was impressive since East were considered the hardest team to beat in our pool. We lost our next 2 matches against North West and West Midlands in a similar way, but still played to a very high standard. On day 2, we won our first match against North East by over 10 points. Our final match against South East was a tougher match, but we also managed to win, putting us in 7th place. Although we didn’t get the results we were hoping for, it still turned out to be a super fun weekend and I learnt a lot about what it means to play volleyball at a high competition standard. Emma B, Year 12

District Athletics

On Wednesday 5 June, our Year 7 and Year 8 Athletics team enjoyed a great afternoon at the Daventry Athletics stadium.

Year 7: Grace P came second in the shot.
Year 8: Nathania I came first in the 100m and took the District record (13.02), Elise R came second in the high jump and Amelia smashed her personal best in the 800m achieving 3 min 13.

LTA Schools Tennis Competition

Our U13 and U15 tennis teams each had a match against Wellingborough on Thursday. It was their first game of the season and we were fortunate to have good weather, rather than the huge amounts of rain of late. Results were as follows:

U15: Won 6:0 rubbers
6:0 6:0 6:0 6:1 6:0 6:1

U13: Lost 4;2 rubbers
1:6 6:3 6:1 0:6 3:6 2:6

County Championships at Rockingham Triangle Corby

On Saturday 8 June, six pupils competed at the Athletic County Championships at Rockingham Triangle in Corby. The group competed in a range of events, from Hurdles, Sprints, Discus, Long Jump and 800m, and each did exceptionally well! Well done to Ella D, Jemima C, Tobi O, Evie F, Emily K, Grace K for their great performances. Stand out results are as follows:

Ella D: 3rd in 100m and 2nd in 80m Hurdles
Jemima C: 1st in 1500m
Emily K: 1st in Javelin
Grace K: 1st in 75m Hurdles
Evie F: 2nd in Long Jump

The athletes who placed 1st to 3rd, along with Bella F in the Hammer, have qualified for the Masons trophy in Stoke on Trent on Saturday 15 June. Good luck to the pupils competing!

U13A and U12A Cricket vs Thornton

U13A: On Monday 10 June, the U13 team played Thornton College. We won the toss and decided to field first. Overall, we had 4 wickets, with their team scoring a total of 226 runs. Our bowler of the match was Daisy. At half time we were going in to bat, and after losing a few wickets, we soon gained runs. The batter of the match was Safiya. In the end, we sadly lost the match with a total of 219 runs, but it was a close game. Lottie, Captain

U12A: On Monday 10 June, the U12 team played a very competitive match against Thornton College. Overall, Northampton won and Amelie was the player of the match. Well done to everyone for playing well. Francesca G, Captain

U15AB Cricket vs Bedford Modern

U15A: We played Bedford Modern U15 team on Tuesday 11 June. Bedford won the toss and decided to field first. Charlotte D and Katie F made 48 runs from our first three overs. Ellie and Tess came in to bat next and made a nice number of runs but lost two wickets which kept Bedford in the game. Charlotte F and Rose N batted after this, accumulating 15 runs and losing one wicket. Finally, Abi S and Frankie batted scoring 25 in three overs to take our final score to 285 runs for 3 wickets.

Northampton came in to field and Katie opened the bowling achieving 4 dot balls. Ellie bowled next and gave away only two runs from an over of 6 balls. Abi bowled a good over and Bedford had accumulated 22 runs from their first three overs. Three out of the next four bowlers, Tess, Charlotte and Rose, took a wicket in their next over and Charlotte bowled 5/6 dot balls. Ellie, Abi, Charlotte and Tess bowled again and Bedford finished their inning with 244 runs for 5 wickets.

Congratulations to Katie and Abi who were players of the match.

U15B: Result: Won 121 – 71 runs

Batting Player of the Match – Lucy H
Bowling Player of the Match – Nat S

The U15B team put on a stunning performance against a very strong BMS side. We batted exceptionally well and found boundary after boundary. Our bowling was controlled and we backed up well in the field.

U15 Cricket vs Wellingborough

The U15 Cricket team travelled to Wellingborough this Thursday in an aim to continue the success they have had against their rivals in the past. They won the toss and bowled first. Abi and Rose opened the bowling and wicket keeping, and Charlotte F took a catch to keep the score at 8 runs after three overs. Unfortunately, the team was then impeded by the wind leading to a large amount of wide balls. Wellingborough headed into the final three overs with 64 runs. Katie and Ellie bowled and kept the wicket, with Katie bowling a batter out to score 4 from 12 balls, and Ellie bowling a near perfect over giving away only one 1 run on the last ball. The team headed into their batting spell with a target of 62 to win.

‘Risk it for a biscuit’ was the resounding message from Charlotte F in the team talk, and they started strongly, running hard to achieve as many runs as possible. At the half way point, the team had accumulated 43 runs, thanks largely to Charlotte D who made three excellent pull shots in three balls to push the team towards their target. This was followed by Charlotte F making two fours on the bounce two overs later. Katie came into bat with Ellie last needing 7 runs to draw and eight to win. The pair made 7 runs in their first over. Wellingborough replied by moving in their fielders, hoping to make some catches to push Northampton High back. Ellie and Katie were relentless and ran hard again to put Katie back on strike where she scored two 4s and a 6 to achieve a total of 86 runs.

In pairs, each team are given 200 runs, so the final score was 261 to Wellingborough and 286 to Northampton High School. A lovely afternoon of cricket for all. Congratulations to Katie, who was named Bowler of the Match and Katie and Ellie who were Batting pair of the Match.

Mrs Littlewood
Teacher of Physical Education

Northampton High welcome guest speakers from Q Space

We were delighted to welcome Zach and Will from Q Space into Northampton High School on Thursday as part of our Pride Month celebrations.

Q Space is a voluntary youth work association that aims to improve the lives of Northampton’s LGBTQ+ community through helping young people with their personal, social, and spiritual development. They aim to bridge the gaps in understanding between the local community and the LGBTQ+ community to make Northampton a safer place. Working to identify the needs and interests of LGBTQ young people, Q Space develop appropriate strategies for action and strive to promote acceptance and understanding.

Pupils from Year 9 upwards were invited to attend a dedicated talk with our guests and engage in a fantastic Q&A session over lunchtime! The group covered a variety of topics, including self-acceptance, gender-friendly terminology and how to support others. A huge thank you to our speakers, attendees and Femsoc members for a wonderful event.

NHS MasterChef is back!

Students are invited to take part in our school cooking competition. They are required to cook individually, or team up with another student, to produce and present a dish.

Students have been sent an email with a Google Form link to sign up and choose which day they would like to compete. The first round date choices are Monday 24, Tuesday 25 and Thursday 27 June, with the final taking place during the last week of term.

There are prizes for the runners up and winners.

I look forward to this event taking place!

Miss Knight
Subject Lead Food Technology

RHS - No Adults Allowed Garden Design entry

Earlier in the year, members of our Wildlife and Gardening club had a go at designing their own mini gardens. The group is now hoping to make their garden design ideas a reality and plant up some mini-gardens before the end of term to take part in the RHS ‘No Adults Allowed’ garden design competition!

We would love to make this project as exciting as possible and would like to ask for your help in collecting a few of the required materials. If you happen to have any of the below and would be able to donate, we would be very grateful!

Old wellies/walking boots
Fishtank/transparent bowl
Plastic trays
Large container or buckets (suitable for mini trees)
Old colander
Any spare plants, e.g. herbs, annuals, basket plants, etc.

Many thanks in advance for your generosity.

Mrs Peto
Teacher of Latin

Swap Shop donations

Swap Shop offers a sustainable option for families who wish to donate old uniform or purchase new items of clothing for their daughter. It is particularly well received by new parents of the school and relies on donations from current or past parents. If you have any items of uniform that your daughter no longer wears, please can we encourage you to donate them via the Junior or Senior School receptions. All items will be gratefully received, particularly Junior School summer dresses, as we currently have very little stock remaining! Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Swap Shop Team

Book Review

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros – Recommended for Yr9 +

Violet Sorrengail expected to live a quiet life surrounded by books, until she was forced onto the world’s deadliest training ground.

Now she must fight to join the army’s elite: dragon riders. But dragons don’t choose fragile riders, they incinerate them, and when your body breaks as easily as Violet’s does – death is only a heartbeat away.

EVERY NIGHT COULD BE YOUR LAST

Many cadets would kill Violet to better their own chances of success; the rest would kill her just because of her last name . . . including the ruthless Xaden Riorson, her family’s greatest enemy. With the odds stacked against her, Violet must use every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise, because once you enter Basgiath War College, there are only two ways out: GRADUATE OR DIE

Miss Buxton
School Librarian

Save the Date: Annie

We are delighted to invite you to this year’s musical production of Annie!

As always, we are thrilled to be hosting our much loved family-friendly production this term, and would love the pleasure of your company at this special event. Our cast and crew are working exceptionally hard and it promises to be a night to remember!

Tickets are available to purchase here and we look forward to welcoming as many guests as possible!

Creative Arts Faculty