Nothampton High School
High News

Friday 3 May 2019

Celebrating the School Birthday

Whenever I tell people that I am a teacher, they almost always make the same reply.  They tell me about a teacher they remember from their own school days.  They repeat to me verbatim what that teacher said to them – often something inspiring or encouraging but sometimes, alas, the opposite.  Their school days may have been many, many years ago but the memory of what their teacher said stays very fresh.  (A comment to me by the teacher in charge of Careers at my school –  ‘well, of course, it is easier for girls because you can either be a success or marry a success’  – still has the power to annoy me!).  This reminds us what a big impact teachers can have and what an important job teaching is.

Currently, though, the standing of the teaching profession is lower than it has ever been in my career – and recruitment levels to the profession are correspondingly depressed.  Time, then, to redress the balance in a small way by celebrating the joys of teaching – and what better opportunity than our School Birthday?

Read more here

Dr Stringer
Headmistress

Pictures

Week Ahead

Monday 6 May
BANK HOLIDAY – School Closed

Tuesday 7 May
GCSE, IGCSE and A Level Orals
U4 Tutorials
A Level Textiles Examination
Cricket Fixtures: U15A v Thornton (H)
World Class Universities Seminar

Wednesday 8 May
GCSE, IGCSE and A Level Orals
U4 Tutorials
A Level Textiles Examination
GCSE Art Exam
Minerva Seminar

Thursday 9 May
GCSE, IGCSE and A Level Orals
U4 Tutorials
A Level Textiles Examination
GCSE Art Exam
Senior School House Assemblies
L5 Anglian Water Talk

BBC Question Time
School Production Rehearsals
Tennis Fixtures: U13A, U15A vs Caroline Chisholm (H)

Friday 10 May
GCSE, IGCSE and A Level Orals
U4 Tutorials
Senior School Assembly – U5 Pre-Exam Leave Assembly
U5 Exam Leave Begins
Cricket Fixtures: U9A vs The Grove (A)

School Equestrian team take National Championship Show Jumping win

Over the Easter holidays, the supremely successful Northampton High School show jumping team added another title to their trophy cabinet, as we won the coveted NSEA (National Schools Equestrian Association) 100cm show jumping championship. The event saw teams from across the country, who qualified as the best equestrian school teams in their county, compete in two days of show jumping. Teams came from as far away as Suffolk, Kent and Country Durham to the championship event, hosted at Bury Farm Equestrian Centre.

The team consisted of Lily Roberts and her pony Corraghoe Whisper (Whisper), Imogen Mitchell and Clonboy Cassanova (Rio), Jodie Welton and Cloosh Coral (Coral) and Gemma Watts and Renkum Bombadier (Bomba). The event required the team to jump two impressive rounds, over full height, imposing championship show jump tracks, with the best three scores taken forward. The High School team took the podium position, finishing on a very low 12 points, well ahead of the second place team on 24. Two of the team achieved double clear rounds, two of only four double clear rounds all day in a field of 72 riders.

Read the full story here

Mr Nash
Marketing & Communications 

Mr Donaldson swaps the classroom for the typewriter with amazing debut novel

Andy Donaldson, Head of History here at Northampton High School, has made his exciting debut as an author with the hilarious ‘Rain Town’. After years of aspiring to become an author, Andy finally decided to put pen to paper for his first book after being inspired reading his young children bedtime stories.

In an interview with BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire’s John Fox, Mr Donaldson explained that the books he would read to his children didn’t make him or his kids laugh, and failed to make them think about feelings and emotions. “It’s a magical time reading stories at night with your kids, and you want to enjoy the story too”, Andy explained to Fox, and this was the final inspiration he needed to pursue his dream and enter the world of writing.

Read the full story here

Mr Nash
Marketing & Communications 

Ellie named in British squad for World Para Swimming Championships!

Huge congratulations go to Ellie Robinson, who has been named as part of the British squad who will take part in the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London this September.

Congratulations Ellie on a magnificent achievement! To read the full announcement by British Swimming, please click here

Mr Nash
Marketing & Communications 

L5 visit the Oxford Natural History Museum

On Thursday 25 of April, students in Lower Fifth visited the Oxford Natural History Museum.

We received two interesting talks on the evolution of skulls and humans, and how fossils and geology inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution. We then got to walk around the actual museum itself, and observe both the live and fossilised exhibits; including live cockroaches and tarantulas and the skeleton cast of a Tyrannosaurus-Rex.

It was a truly useful and thought provoking experience that we will be sure to utilise in our Biology GCSEs.

Mishka and Katie
L5 

Nadia returns to NHS as part of her International Relations at Nottingham Trent

I am a former student of Northampton High School and left in 2017. I am currently studying at Nottingham Trent University where I am reading Spanish and International Relations and I am in my second year.

One of the requirements of my course is to carry out a work placement for a minimum of 30 hours. I looked around for opportunities in Nottingham, however, I wanted to ensure that I would gain invaluable experience from the placement. I soon thought that coming back NHS would be a great way of not only enhancing my Spanish language but also, it would be a good way to try and give something back to the teachers that dedicated so much of their time and effort in ensuring I received not only the best teaching but also, the best school experience. I held conversation classes with the girls and observed Maths, German, Spanish, French and Biology lessons. Spending time working at NHS gave me an insight to what teaching is like which has now inspired me to ponder the possibility of going into teaching after university, something which I never even thought I would have considered.

The experience that I gained from my placement was extremely useful and I would like to give thanks to the school for allowing me to work here but special thanks go to the MFL department in particular, Mr Watson. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work alongside you and the girls so that I could really experience what teaching is like.

Since I am studying Spanish at university, I have been given the opportunity to study abroad in my third year. I am currently in the application process of applying to universities and intend to study at a university in Santiago de Chile, South America. After this I will also have time to travel around South America and I hope to visit Machu Picchu over Christmas, as well as visiting places like Colombia and Patagonia. Depending on how that all goes, I might stay out there and get a job somewhere but my backup it to study in Seville, Spain which, isn’t that bad a backup if you ask me.

Until I studied a language at university I didn’t realise how much it can offer you. Spanish, in particular, is the second-most spoken language in the world (based on native speakers). With languages, you gain an appreciation of the language and culture as well as attaining a skill which you can take with you all over the world. The gift of being able to communicate to others in a language other than your mother tongue is such a rewarding feeling, and I really would encourage anyone to learn languages since it really is a great skill to have.

Nadia McCormick
Northampton High Alumnae

World Cup winning cricketer joins NHS as part of 'Cricket for Girls'

This summer term, we are delighted to once again continue our participation in the exciting sporting initiative ‘Cricket for Girls’.

You may remember that last year we were able to welcome Ireland international cricketer Ciara Metcalfe into school, to help coach and share her experience with students of all ages. This year, we are delighted to welcome another coach of international pedigree, as Beth Langston joins Northampton High. Beth, a current England international, was part of the England squad who successfully won the cricket World Cup on home soil in 2017, and looks forward to sharing her passion for the game with students and staff alike.

Beth joined us at the beginning of the summer term, and she will be with us on Mondays and Tuesdays. We are overjoyed to be able to welcome a competitor of Beth’s stature into School, and we are sure our students will find her coaching to be invaluable as they progress and learn the game.

You can find out more about the Cricket for Girls programme by clicking here.

Mr Nash
Marketing & Communications

High School Sport


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It has been a great to start our matches this week some close fought cricket fixtures against Spratton with mixed success. The U13s showed their strength on Thursday in their first cup match beating Wellingborough in both the A and B competitions, with the A team winning an impressive 6-0.

Mrs Hackett
Director of Sport

Badminton

This year, the County trials will be taking place on Sunday 19 May here at Northampton High. Please see below the time table for each age group:

Age Group Time Slot Year Born
U12 09:30am – 11:00am 2009 or after
U14 11:15am – 12:45pm 2007 or after
U16 13:00pm – 14:30pm 2005 or after
U19 14:45pm – 16:30pm 2002 or after

Mrs Hackett
Director of Sport

Creative Spotlight

This week’s Creative Arts Spotlight falls onto Roseanna and Meenakshy.

In Textile Design, U4 have been exploring the subject of ‘Cats’ in Prep for this term’s forthcoming musical theatre production in school. Roseanna has created a wonderful Lion’s head using the technique of needle felting. I was really impressed with her use of colour and the detail she has shown within this piece of work.

Meenakshy has also produced some impressive work, going the extra mile with her GCSE Drama exam revision.

Fantastic work, ladies!

Miss Lycett
Subject Leader – Textiles   

Mrs Care
Director of Theatre 

Book Review

Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay

Shortlisted for the Carnegie Award 2019 – recommended for L4 and above

The Philippines, 100 years ago. A boy called Samkad wants to become a man. He is desperate to be given his own shield, spear and axe. His best friend, Luki, wants to be a warrior too – but she is a girl and that is forbidden. Then a new boy arrives in the village and everything changes. He brings news that a people called ‘Americans’ are bringing war right to his home…

To find out more about the 2019 Carnegie Award, please click here

Miss Buxton
School Librarian

New issue of 'Backchat' now available!

The Backchat Editorial Team worked incredibly hard last term to produce what is undoubtedly the best issue yet of the school’s student-run magazine. You can read the whole thing in glorious technicolor by clicking here.

Many thanks to the whole editorial team for making this happen, and in particular to Saskia, Jess, Lexy, Siya, Eeman and Olivia for the time and energy they have dedicated to the magazine.

Don’t forget, students can win a £10 Amazon voucher next term by submitting your writing, photographs, drawings, interviews, etc to Backchat via backchat.admin@nhs.gdst.net. If you have any feedback, please do send it our way.

Mr Viesel
Teacher of English

School to host 'World Class Universities Evening'

As mentioned before half term, we are holding a number of follow up events including an optional World Class Universities Evening next Tuesday 7 May. If your daughter is considering studying at Oxford or Cambridge or at a World Class University abroad, you may find the evening of interest.

There will be presentations from David Hawkins from Hawkins Global Education and Elena Sorochina from St Hugh’s College in Oxford, and you will have the opportunity to ask questions after the presentations. There will also be a roadshow of visiting universities from the USA and Canada.

If you would like any more information ahead of the event, please do get in touch.

Mrs Cantwell
Director of Sixth Form

Northampton High School Community Choir represent the School over Easter

The ladies of our Northampton High School Community Choir were out and about during the Easter holidays, representing the school and singing at the Easter service at the United Reformed Church in Olney. A special service was held to celebrate the unveiling and dedication of a new wicker shepherd and his flock in the church garden.

Led by Northampton High School music teacher and Olney resident, Mrs German, the choir sang a two-part version of the hymn ‘Let there be Peace on Earth’.

If you’d like to find out more or join the choir, please contact rachael.eden1@btinternet.com for more details. We meet at school at 7.30pm to 9pm on Thursday evenings during school terms. We sing a mixed repertoire – old and new, musicals to madrigals. No auditions, nor is it a requirement to read music.

Kate Thompson
Northampton High School Community Choir

Term Dates

Visit our website

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