highlights 2017-18 · classics (accounting for 14% of all chosen degree courses) against this...

Highlights 2017-18

1Highlights 2017-18

Significant birthdays can evoke mixed feelings – an identity crisis at worst or at best many rueful backward glances as we survey the scene of our successes and failures, our hopes set against the realities that unfolded. For the High School’s big birthday – marking its 140th anniversary – there is no such ambivalence, even though its history has seen its share of highs and lows, successes and failures, triumphs and disasters.

1Highlights 2017-18

32 Highlights 2017-18

many challenges. Some apply to all young people, such as graduate debt, a ferociously competitive Higher Education and employment market, the challenges of the zero hours contracts and gig economy, and a shortage of affordable housing. Others are specific to young women. The gender pay gap currently stands at 18.4%, for example, and, while the proportion of women on boards in FTSE100 businesses rose to almost 29% in 2018, under pressure from the Hampton-Alexander Review, a fall in the number of executive directors in non-STEM companies last year suggests

Pioneering

— Chemistry in action (Opposite) Wellbeing

Above all, the fact of the anniversary is a cause for celebration. The School’s founders showed unusual foresight to establish an ambitious place of learning for girls in 1878. This was, remember, 40 years before women gained the vote in 1918 (and, staggeringly, a full 70 years before women were given the right to graduate from Cambridge University). And it is a remarkable achievement for a girls’ school to have enjoyed fourteen decades of success in the service of girls’ education.

Girls’ education – like the GDST itself (which was founded just 6 years before the High School) – was born out of rebellion. Rebellion against a situation in which a ramshackle school system (think Jane Eyre and Lowood School) left almost half of the female population illiterate, leaving girls with unimaginably narrow life chances. This meant going against the grain of convention, bucking prevailing trends and challenging stereotypes.

And, if we think that a double standard in education to the detriment of girls ended with the passing of the Victorian age, we need only to turn to the pages of The Northampton Independent of 1958. Here, a mere 60 years ago (well within living memory), the report on the speech by the Guest of Honour, Harley Street surgeon Mr Vivian Green-Armytage, at the High School’s Awards Evening, records that he told his audience (of prize-winning girls, their teachers and parents) that ‘there were no women geniuses and never would be!’

Those early battles to gain acceptance of the right of girls to have an education on a par with boys have, thanks to generations of bold and fearless pioneers, already been won (at least in Britain, though the struggle continues in many parts of the world, helped in no small part by Plan UK, the charity which the High School, as part of the GDST, supports through fundraising).

The political, economic and social vicissitudes of those fourteen decades have meant that there have been reverses along the way. For example, the School, according to the official history, was only just keeping its head above water financially in 1919 and a Chronicle and Echo article from 1970 brandished the headline ‘School’s future in doubt’ as the end of Direct Grant threatened its very existence.

That it survived these existential threats came down to the perspicacity of its leaders and governors at the time but also owed much to the spirit of the School – that indefinable but unmistakable quality the High School possesses that is shaped by and, in turn, shapes the loyalty of its students and their families, the exceptional commitment of its staff and the affection it has inspired and continues to inspire.Independent schools, and the sector in general, currently face many challenges – political and economic uncertainties on an unprecedented scale for at least a generation and threats to charitable status being the most obvious. Beyond these, though, there is the Gordian knot of regulation and the dominance of a post-truth culture that puts a low premium on many of the values we prize, such as the worth of the expert. Students and their families, too, face

that momentum is not yet being maintained by the leavening effect of a genuine culture shift.

Against this backdrop, though, the High School has gone from strength to strength as a power house for aspiring young women and continued to hold true to its purpose as a pioneer for girls’ education. We continue to go against the grain, buck the trend and challenge stereotypes fearlessly.

Going against the grain means continuing to offer genuine breadth in our

courses against a prevailing push towards a narrowing to the EBacc-orientated core. It means, for example, seeing our Languages programmes flourish and expand at a time when the uptake of languages at Advanced Level and degree level is in decline. Our Language Leaders came to the fore in the GDST Festival

It is a remarkable achievement for a girls’ school to have enjoyed fourteen decades of success in the service of girls’ education—

The right of girls to have an education on par with boys has, thanks to generations of bold and fearless pioneers, already been won —


of Languages, hosted by us through the inspiration of Mrs James and other members of the Faculty, and Northampton teams enjoyed considerable success. Central to it is keeping the flag of internationalism flying high at a time when the winds of national opinion are blowing in a different direction. Mrs Diez has spearheaded our eTwinning initiative, working with U3 on an award-winning project with schools in Greece, France, Spain, Ukraine, Slovakia and Slovenia. Entitled ‘Don’t judge a person by their face’, the project promoted the use of foreign languages for communication. Exciting news reached us in July that our bid for funding for an

and Gymnastics Extravaganza alongside the customary Arts Invitational, was an exuberant declaration of our belief in the importance of the Arts to our lives. This, at a time when creative industry professionals are warning of the serious impact on our economy of a decline of up to 26% in GCSE entries in the Arts in UK schools over the past five or six years.

When it comes to demolishing stereotypes in the curriculum and the classroom, hard evidence demonstrates beyond doubt the advantage of girls-only schools. This is most obvious in STEM. Here, once again, we have seen the popularity of science and

Pioneering

—This page (clockwise from top)

Fun in the snowTime Capsule ceremony

SpringtimeOpposite page, Friendships

Erasmus+ Project, joining the High School with schools in Germany, Hungary, Latvia and Portugal, had been successful. Mrs Hill is relishing the opportunity to lead on an ambitious collaborative venture spanning the European continent.

The sheer diversity of post-18 destinations – 28 different universities and five apprenticeships, subjects ranging across the full spectrum of arts to STEM via humanities and a full mix of vocational courses – testifies to the success of our philosophy of ambition, breadth and opportunity at a time when reductionist thinking is widespread in

the Higher Education sector, under the influence of the tuition fee burden and attendant debt. The strength of the Languages and Classics (accounting for 14% of all chosen degree courses) against this backdrop is remarkable in itself. The flow of aspiring film-makers and fashion designers equally so.

The continuing vibrancy of the creative and performing arts is a source of great pride in school. The extension of our annual Arts Festival in June to embrace a Literary Festival with a poetry showcase and food focus, a music recital, a cinema private view, a full-scale musical (The Sound of Music) and inaugural Dance

engineering courses for our leavers (26% of whom have embarked on STEM degrees) and the extraordinary popularity of science in the extra-curricular programme – whether that was a group of aspiring scientists visiting an Inspiring Females Conference

at the John Innes Centre or a group of keen mathematicians attending a Women in Maths Conference at Loughborough University, repeated success for L4 in the Salter’s Festival of Chemistry and a slew of Olympiad awards, a trip to Bletchley Park for all of U4 or a host of Café Sci events. A particular highlight of the year was the successful launch of the WHEW! (Women Helping to Empower Women) project – with a STEAM Extravaganza in June for over 160 Year 5 pupils (from our own juniors and neighbouring primary schools).

that indefinable but unmistakable quality the High School possesses that is shaped by and, in turn, shapes the loyalty of its students and their families—


Pioneering

Northampton High when School Captain Abigail Passmore, herself destined to gain a place at Loughborough to study Sports Technology, was chosen to lead the GDST XI against the Ladies MCC at a friendly game in Hampstead.

A line of poetry I am fond of quoting says ‘There is no road; the road is made by walking.’ It calls to mind the fearless exploration of untrodden grounds. This is the territory occupied by the best centres of education and recalls the bold enterprise of the School’s leaders and benefactors in the late 1980s when the move to Hardingstone was first contemplated. I believe it aptly describes our approach at Northampton High today. Innovations we have embraced in the past year alone include the introduction of two-year-olds into our

Nursery, the replacement of plastic products by plant-based equivalents in our dining room (thanks to an initiative by the EcoTeam and the negotiating skills of Mrs McCue), action research into the effects of changing carbon dioxide levels on learning, a collaboration with our uniform supplier on the best sports bras for teenage players, an introduction to wheelchair rugby as part of our Sports Disability Day, the establishment of a successful School Equestrian Team under the leadership and inspiration of Mrs Harvey and our Head of Science, Mrs Hodgetts-Tate, a project by A Level Business students to investigate future markets for wearable technology, a programme of mini-EPQs for U4 students, a campaign to tackle period poverty in Northampton and a new student newspaper, Backchat, showcasing creative writing and journalism.

In May, we ran our first whole-year trip for U4 to Outward Bound in the Lake District as an induction experience for the GCSE years. The thinking behind and observations during that trip informed my contribution – on the importance of adventure learning – to a workshop on Building the Skills for Success

It has also been apparent in sport, which the first leaders of the High School were forward thinking enough to include in the curriculum from a very early stage. Here, the introduction of our GDST Cricket Hub has kick-started an initiative in girls’ cricket which has quickly gained real momentum. The installation of a proper wicket was an important statement of intent, as was the invitation to Lydia Greenway Coaching to provide hands-on coaching. It was a proud moment for

—This page (clockwise from top)Outdoor learningSchool residentialArt in actionArts Festival Invitational EveningFood practical

Opposite page, Sound of Music performance

The self-confidence of our girls is a hallmark of the School. It originates with the inner spark in each individual —

8

Pioneering

beyond School at the Global Forum for Girls’ Education the following month. Experiences of outdoor education during the year have helped to shape our exciting, innovative programme of Confidence and Challenge (COaCH), launched with KS3 earlier this year.

The self-confidence of our girls is a hallmark of the School. It originates with the inner spark in each individual – the spark that we look for when we are assessing for entry. It grows, though, in the warm ambience of our school, as plants do in a well-tended garden, nurtured by teachers and support staff

—This page (clockwise from top)Disability sport focusBefore the matchInteractive Languages

who love what they do. It is strengthened by the example of role models among the girls – many of whom are blazing a trail in their chosen field. I think of Ellie Robinson, who has nothing to prove but still swam up a class in the Commonwealth Games to produce a PB and a handful of medals. I think of Kirstin Vogel reaching the heady heights of success in two unusual sports (shooting and water polo). I think of Leah Tanna-Shah building a formidable record of success in karate or Alexandra Daly doing the same in the field of cyphers.

Our confidence as educational professionals comes from the knowledge that our work is wholeheartedly supported by parents and the many well-wishers who give their time and expertise to further our cause – from the Swap Shop Committee and FoNHS (with an extraordinary fund-raising year completed in ’17-18) to our many advocates in the community, including our governors, and neighbours in the Hardingstone parish and in the town.

It is strengthened by our settled place within the GDST family of schools, giving us access to the highest echelons of educational expertise and debate, not just nationally (for example, the annual Summit) but internationally, such as the Global Forum for Girls’

9Highlights 2017-18

Education in Washington DC. This ensures that we can maintain our tradition of being pioneers in girls’ education, keeping abreast of new thinking and helping to shape the broader educational discourse.

As we approach the end of our fourteenth decade as a school championing opportunities for girls and young women, we can look back with pride at a pathway clearly delineated across the landscape – a pathway which our forebears helped to build. From the same vantage point, we can look forward with hope towards a broad and bright horizon of possibilities for our students and daughters – a horizon which my colleagues have helped to reveal.

Dr Helen StringerHeadmistress

Facultyhighlights


The Arts Festival gave us an opportunity to celebrate our 140th Birthday, so we created a new exhibition space, showing mixed media architecture studies from U4 girls, alongside their etchings, which focused on buildings in Northampton. Charlotte Dykes, Rosie Kelly and Zahra Al-Najjar enjoyed successes within the University of Northampton’s Schools Art Prizes: Rosie winning First Prize in Painting, Charlotte Second Prize in Drawing and Zahra Third Prize in Fashion and Textiles. This competition includes entries across The Midlands and East of England so we are very proud of all the girls who took part.

The Fashion and Textiles department continues to grow creatively and in student numbers. The GCSE textiles projects were original and varied, ranging from a costume design for Miss Havisham in Great Expectations by Sophie Morrison to outfits inspired by Japanese street style by Evie Roberts. We celebrated competition success with Megan Watts in U5 being shortlisted for the finals of Young Designer UK for her coat

Creative Arts

Faculty highlights


Sound of Music performanceWhite room textiles creations

Art showcaseSenior choir

—Food Practical

design: Megan was invited to spend a day with industry professionals to discuss her GCSE project work and learn about career opportunities. Two students have chosen to pursue careers within fashion design and have been successful in progressing onto prestigious degree courses, both having received unconditional offers during the interview and portfolio process. Zahra Al-Najjar has chosen to study Fashion Design at Kingston University and Phoebe Abbott, also Fashion Design, at Birmingham City University.

In Food, we launched the NHS Easter Bake-Off 2018 with entries from KS3, KS4 and members of staff. A cross-curricular U3 French lesson involved making crêpes with Mrs Diez and Miss Knight. Further collaboration with L5 Latin proved very successful as girls cooked recipes from the Roman era with Miss Mason and Miss Knight.

Music had a very busy year, with a refurbishment of the department including new pianos, computers and furniture. We held several concerts and recitals, while the main musical and theatrical collaborative event was the much loved The Sound of Music, in which the School Orchestra and cast did themselves proud. Music held two tranches of Associated Board instrumental examinations and the results were exceptional each time, reflecting the standard of musicianship in school.

In Theatre, all examined groups were taken to see the National Theatre’s Hedda Gabler, the RSC’s Hamlet and Wicked in the West End. GCSE Drama candidates performed their Component 1 devised performances, which were interpreted, researched and presented in many styles, with themes ranging from trapped miners to abduction and terrorism.

Mrs BeacroftHead of Creative and Performing Arts Faculty

The Arts Festival gave us an opportunity to celebrate our 140th Birthday, so we created a new exhibition space, showing mixed media architecture studies from U4 girls, alongside their etchings, which focused on buildings in Northampton.—


Enterprise activities have been an important part of the Business and Economics year. Two groups of entrepreneurial U3s took part in the national Tenner Challenge, seeing how much return they could make from an initial start-up fund of £10. The Sixth Form Social Enterprise groups worked with local charities to collect donations of essential items for new-born babies in low income families, raised money for the Northampton Hope Centre by marketing themed snacks at the school’s production of The Sound of Music and worked with a Milton Keynes charity to help feed the homeless. On top of this, the girls tirelessly volunteered at various organisations to work towards the University of Northampton’s Changemaker Award.

Geography students participated in a cross-curricular international visit to Geneva with the Physics department to visit the CERN facility as well as the United Nations, in order to learn

Humanities

This year witnessed continued cause for celebration in creative writing, with Holly Barry Commended for her beautifully poignant poem Grief Carries Bluebells in His Pocket in the Year 10 and 11 category of the GDST’s Laurie Magnus poetry competition. Further glory was achieved in the GDST’s creative writing competition, this year on the theme of ‘ambition’, with Georgia Lockey made Joint Winner in the Year 7, 8 and 9 category for her short story A Dark Shadow, while Julia Wardley-Kershaw was Winner in the Year 12 and 13 category with The Night’s Conquest. Perhaps it is no surprise then, that such a wave of creativity has found a natural outlet in Backchat: A Creative Review from Northampton High School. Led by an editorial team of students, two full editions were published last academic year, featuring poetry, short stories, interviews, news and reviews.

Oracy continues to be an important focus, for the faculty and the School, in developing students’ confidence and ability to express their point of view. As such, it was great to witness closely-contested House debates in the Senior School as well as to see this supported by the Junior School via their Day of Debating.

Englishand Film

Faculty highlights

—Berlin trip. Below, Geography field trip

— Author wokshop with Robin Stevens

We are fortunate enough to host regular author visits and this year we welcomed Robin Stevens, author of the Murder Most Unladylike series, to talk to students about her experiences as a writer. Credited with reinventing the boarding school novel, Robin is hugely popular with the girls here, who gave her a very warm reception.

In March, AS Film students visited Artem Studios in London, where Paul Gorrie showed us how live action special effects became magical moments in films such as Paddington 2, Hot Fuzz and Call the Midwife. Phoebe Abbott and Ezri Mannion got to break down barriers by shattering ‘glass’. Feature film director Harry Michell spoke to students in October, as he was in pre-production for his new film, Ilkley, starring Derek Jacobi and Roger Allam. Harry gave tips on getting into the film industry and was particularly encouraging of young women taking senior roles in film direction, writing and cinematography. A link with Screen Northants has led to work experience opportunities. In December, a professional film crew used the school for the BSL/Channel 4 television drama Reverberations, which gave Amelia Simpson the chance to shadow the director and for Leila Shahin to work with the make-up team. Ruth Purser and Leila joined the

production team for Screen Northants’ Macbeth, filmed in Northampton during the winter.

Success in national competitions this year has been spectacular. Amelia Simpson won first place in the 70/30 campaign for her film promoting the fight to eliminate child abuse. A cheque for £500 was presented to Amelia by The Wave Trust at a Showcase at the Errol Flynn Cinema in May. Amelia and Ruth’s The Leading Lady won the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Film Challenge and they were invited to a panel discussion and showing at the Barbican in November. The Northampton High Film competition took the 100th Anniversary of Universal Suffrage as its inspiration, considering how the world would be different if the Suffragettes had failed to win the vote. The winners engaged with dilemmas facing young women today: Amelia, Ruth and Ezri Mannion’s Her considered the loneliness of isolation, Katie Maybin’s What Would Life Be Like? examined the tragic consequences of extreme gender discrimination and Laura Charles’ Suffragette Saviours explored the consequences of altering a key Suffragette event. Her has been shortlisted for the Cambridge Film Festival.

Mr WilliamsHead of English Faculty

about its pivotal role in maintaining the current global order. The students also visited the rapidly-receding Lang glacier, witnessing clearly the impacts of climate change.

In an exciting collaboration with Mrs Fordham’s Junior School class, U4 students delivered a carousel of activities on the topic of super volcanoes to both consolidate their own knowledge and introduce Year 3 to completely new material. A Level Geography students successfully completed the first run through of the independent investigations, whereby they had to plan and execute a research project independently; they produced some fantastic projects, demonstrating their analytical skills.

There has been continued development of the Sixth Form Politics Elective with the annual Westminster trip now firmly established. There have also been two

separate Q&A sessions with MPs and, as a result, three girls arranged work experience in Westminster. Politics and International Relations courses at university have grown in popularity, with four students (Erin Barton, Francesca Cook, Alix Langford and Shefali Nandhra) choosing this route.

The Berlin trip at Easter was greatly enjoyed by all participants, with a wide range of activities including guided tours inside the German Bundestag, the Olympic Stadium and a nuclear bunker.

There was cause for celebration in the Theology and Philosophy department as Emma Bird went off to read Philosophy at Cambridge and two other students, Sally Croker and Zahrah Hussein, chose to read Law, in part inspired by their study of ethics and, particularly, topics such as utilitarianism and medical ethics. We were also proud of so many girls attending our revision days in the holidays and our academic clubs last year. We also enjoyed our annual trip with the L5 in the summer term to Bhaktivedanta Manor, a Mandir and Cow Sanctuary for ISKCON (International Society of Krishna Consciousness).

Mr EarpHead of Humanities Faculty


Languages

Faculty highlights

Last March was a particularly busy time in the French department, with both the Normandy trip and the Montpellier home stay. Although the Normandy trip is well established, this year’s L4 were the first to experience the new cultural day in Le Havre. This new addition to the itinerary enabled girls to discover the MuMa, the modern art museum, thus giving a new cross-curricular dimension to an already well-rounded trip. Students enjoyed pushing the limits of their comfort zones while exploring this UNESCO-listed city and its architecture, which was destroyed during the Second World War and which is a tribute to Auguste Perret’s modern take on architecture. In the first week of the Easter holidays, KS4 and KS5 girls headed to Montpellier for a home stay visit, which included morning lessons in a language school and cultural activities each afternoon. Girls were challenged every step of the way, whether that was through the total immersion in the target language in their lessons, in the activities designed to send them out and about around Montpellier interviewing the local population, the journeys to and from school on public transport and the evenings

spent en famille. The girls embraced all these challenges and returned to school bolder and more competent in French as a result.

As part of her eTwinning initiative, Mrs Diez worked with U3 girls in French on a project with schools in Greece, France, Spain, Ukraine, Slovakia and Slovenia. The theme of the project was kindness and inclusion and it promoted the use of foreign languages for communication. Entitled and ‘Don’t judge a person by their face’ and, this project won two awards: Best EU project on inclusion, and a Recognition for the Federation of Children’s Books Story Month Award.

A highlight of the year in Classics was the trip to hear internationally-renowned classicist, Director of the British School at Rome and leader of the Herculaneum Conservation Project, Dr Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, speak about his research. We were also enriched by our expanding lunchtime lecture programme, so that, in addition to our annual talks on Classics, Art and Philosophy by Mr Laubscher and Miss Robinson, we were able to welcome Ms Heimfeld to give a multi-disciplinary talk on Euripides’s Medea and its transmission into modernist film and literature; this was particularly interesting for the L5 Greek club, who had been studying an adapted version of Medea alongside beginners’ language activities. In addition, we welcomed

Dr Angeliki Roumpou who gave us a thrilling lecture on Virgil’s Aeneid and its links to Augustan propaganda. Classics also enthusiastically embraced the School’s hosting of the GDST Languages Festival, and U4 snatched victory in the drama competition with their rendition of Little Red Riding Hood. We are also pleased to celebrate the achievements of Anya Douras, Ella McManus, Amelia Naylor and Jessica Scrimshaw, who will take up University places at UCL, Leeds and Warwick to read Classics.

Mrs HillHead of Languages Faculty


Montpellier homestay Bundestag, Berlin

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin


many new initiatives. Students have studied the physics of rockets, culminating in the building of a solid fuel propelled rocket with built-in parachute to aid descent. The Sixth Form students in EngSoc have also reached out to younger girls this year, running an Engineering Project club for L4 pupils, which has had a very competitive element.

A Level Psychology students attended a Psychology in Action conference to broaden their knowledge of the subject beyond the confines of the A Level specification. They heard from distinguished psychologists from a range of fields, from criminal psychology to dance psychology. 6.2 students conducted their own independent research project, investigating an array of phenomena such as bystander behaviour and the link between facial symmetry and attractiveness. They then presented their findings at the first Psychology department poster conference.

Mrs Hodgetts-TateHead of Science Faculty

Mr BallHead of Mathematics Faculty

In Biology this year, the highlights have often involved a link with another area. In June, we took U3 to Salcey Forest for an outdoor education day. Half the day was spent doing biological investigations and fieldwork on the ecology of forests, while the other half was spent working creatively to explore an issue using problem-solving skills. Pupils produced films, songs and poems as they grappled with the dilemma of conserving natural spaces such as forests and providing much-needed housing for the growing human population. With the L4, we visited Whipsnade zoo to see examples of animal adaptations, comparing herbivores and carnivores. At the same time, the girls were challenged to think about the ethics of zoos and whether the good work that is done there in education, conservation and caring for animals justifies keeping them in captivity away from their natural habitats. The Biology Olympiad gives our A Level students the chance to compete with the best sixth form biologists in the country. This year our girls achieved excellent results, with Silver medals awarded to Ella Ashton and Idil Mohamed,

STEM

Faculty highlights

and Bronze awarded to Annabel Green. Serene Batson-Patel, Francesca Cook, Alice Morgan and Mona Rahnama all achieved Highly Commended and Jessica Carter Commended.

In May, four L4 students - Megan Allen, Amy Jenkins, Olivia Russell and Lucy Stringfellow - travelled to the University of Leicester to attend the Salters’ Festival of Chemistry. The challenge involved solving a murder mystery and identifying the prime suspect. Two practical experiments were undertaken, one using chromatography to analyse the ink found at the crime scene, and the other

senior team Maths Challenge, where our team came fourth, and in the various individual Maths Challenges, where Hannah Goddard and Ruby Howard followed their success in the Intermediate Maths Challenge by competing in the Pink Kangaroo. Emma Bird, Tamsin Mathewman and Caitlin Urquhart also gained Distinctions in the Maths Olympiad for Girls, a competition that we have not entered before.

The year brought many opportunities to see Physics in action, with trips to The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, The Big Bang Fair, The Manufacturing Technology Centre’s Women in Engineering Day, and The Space Centre. The School’s Engineering Society has thrived this year with the number of attendees more than doubling. As well as regular events of Materials Masterclasses and visiting speakers such as Kate Goldup (2nd year Aeronautical Engineering, Bristol University), Rebekka Price (1st year Engineering, Nottingham University), and Karen Holland (Engineer and designer of cameras for NASA), EngSoc has expanded this year with

testing a white powder for its pH properties. The High School team came away with First Prize for the second year in a row.

A highlight of the year in Mathematics was a trip by U4 to Bletchley Park. The students looked at the history of the mathematical pioneers of codebreaking and explored the idea of cyphers. Alexandra Daley took this idea further and competed for a second time in the National Cypher Challenge coming Joint First in the A cipher and 57th out of 850 entrants in the B cipher (which was aimed at GCSE and A Level students). We had success both in the


Scientific discoveriesHands on Science

Keen Mathematicians Fun with experiments

Opposite page Interactive learning


Sport

Faculty highlights

This has been a most exciting year in the faculty with some phenomenal results and events. For example, our netball teams have been outstanding, winning the county tournaments at U14, U15 and U16 and representing the region at U14 and U16, as well as our Senior Netball team winning the GDST Plate competition. In hockey, our U11, U13 and U16 teams all reached the regional finals. However our highlight was, without a doubt, the performance of the U14 team at the GDST residential tournament in Bath where, despite all the odds, they finished as winners after very tense and exciting penalty shuffles. In badminton, our U14 and U16 teams were again county champions, representing the county at the regional finals where they finished fourth and sixth respectively. In swimming, our U13 team qualified for the IAPS National Finals, where there were some superb individual swims. In our first year of competition for some time, our Equestrian team – and more specifically the 90cm team – reached the national finals and performed brilliantly.

Turning to summer sports, we enjoyed our first full year for all year groups in cricket and enjoyed the first GDST Select XI vs. the MCC. We were delighted that our School Captain, Abigail Passmore, was named GDST Captain for the match and kept wicket, showing her skills throughout. In tennis, both our U13 and U15 teams again became division champions and have progressed to the next round. In athletics our success was dominated by individual performances, most notably Georgina Forde-Wells who became county, district and regional champion having cleared 1m 65 in the high jump, thus securing a place in the National Final team. Here she again jumped well reaching the final eight, which is a superb achievement.

In addition to our team performances, the year has been marked by some big events. Sports Day had a ‘new look’ and the comradeship between senior and junior pupils was wonderful. Our Year 4 Enrichment and Disability Sport Awareness Day was eye opening and inspiring; our group, led by Ellie Robinson, took

part in a wide variety of sports. All pupils thoroughly enjoyed trying wheelchair rugby and meeting players from Northampton Saints Wheelchair Rugby team. As is customary, we had a lively and entertaining Sorts Presentation Evening, where our guests Karen Pickering and Jamal Forde-Robinson inspired us all with their stories. We celebrated the success of Ellie Robinson in the Commonwealth Games as well as the high standard of both our teams and individual performers, both in and out of school.

The school year ended with a new event for the faculty: the Gymnastics and Dance Extravaganza. All girls in the Junior School had the opportunity to perform and many Senior School girls. The event showed our girls at their most daring and lively. Over the summer, 40 girls travelled to South Africa for a two-week hockey and netball tour. In an immersive programme, we played matches against four different schools in both sports, stayed with local families at two of the schools, enjoyed a game drive, visited the Voortrekker Monument in Johannesburg, Boulders Beach, Simon’s Town, the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, before finally taking a boat trip to see seals. We packed so much into the time but, without doubt, the most memorable for all the students and staff was the tour of the township and visit to the kindergarten; seeing the living conditions and the disparity between areas in such close proximity will stay with the girls for a long time.

Mrs HackettHead of Sports Faculty


Fixture warm upOur Team of the Year

Abigail Passmore with former England CricketCaptain Charlotte Edwards

Opposite pageEllie Robinson with her Commonwealth Gold medal

20

ExamResults

The first year of our new Outreach programme, Queen’s Cross Connect, has been ground-breaking, creating opportunities for engagement with the local community and high-profile volunteering projects. Generous funding from the Northamptonshire Community Foundation enabled the launch of the WHEW! (Women Helping Empower Women) project with a Summer STEAM Extravaganza attended by over 180 Year 5 pupils from 14 local primary schools. A key feature of the project is Northampton High students acting as mentors, so

Social responsibility Faculty highlights

21Highlights 2017-18

workshops were led by L5 Café Sci and GCSE Computing students. U3 hosted the day, guiding younger students with their enthusiasm for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. The second stage of WHEW! includes Masterclasses in the Autumn, delivered by the Sixth Form, to further encourage young women to consider careers in Science.

The Sports Department ran a wide range of outreach events. 175 Year 4 pupils from both our own Junior School and local primaries attended our popular day of Sports

Enrichment in July, taking part in a range of activities including wheelchair rugby, cricket, athletics, netball, hockey and tennis.

Links with the local Hardingstone community have consolidated through volunteering. At the Live Nativity, Millie Andrew, Jessica Carter, Harriet Clare, Sally Croker and Bethany Saunders helped create costumes, props and a dance for this fantastic annual event. A highly entertaining Quiz Night in the Spring, organised by Bethany, drew together students, staff, parents and the local community, raising over £1000 for Plan International.

We were delighted to be able to support our chosen Staff Charity, which this year was The Cynthia Spencer Hospice. By hosting events such as cake sales, coffee mornings and more, we were delighted to be able to raise the sum of £1920.83, and we are overjoyed to be able to help such a fantastic cause.

—This page (from top)

Mrs Langhorn hands the fundraising cheque to Cynthia Spencer

Hardingstone WW1 heroesCafe Sci and Steam Extravaganza

A Level GCSE

ArtIn Art we have been delighted with the quality of work and in the moderator report for A Level, the examiner noted that ‘outcomes were a strength’ and the ‘quality of work was impressive’. 50% of candidates gained A*/A 80% A* - B, with university destinations including Art and Design, Fine Art and Interior Architecture and Design.

LanguagesOnce again we are very pleased with the success of our linguists in this summer’s public exams. 90% of our IGCSE German students achieved A* - B whilst all Greek GCSE students achieved a grade 7 or above. Over 80% of our A level linguists across the Faculty achieved A* - B grades, with a number of them going on to study Languages at university, including our successful Oxbridge candidates Lara Pieczka and Ellen Watson.

EnglishWe are proud of all our students and their outcomes and were especially delighted by the number of top grades in English Language and Literature at GCSE, as well as with the fact that two students managed to gain the sought-after A* in English Literature. AS Film again met with great success, with 67% of candidates receiving a grade A.

MathsCongratulations must go to our 6.2 Further Mathematicians, with 5 out of the 6 gaining a grade A*. Our GCSE results were impressive with Kushman Bhullar, Alexa Dykes, Alexandra Neuhoff, Emily Potter, Keira Stopher and Jasmine Whitham gaining a grade 9.

HumanitiesThe exam results within Humanities were incredibly positive and reflect the hard work put in by staff and students in planning for the joint delivery of new GCSE and A Level qualifications. The quality of A Level teaching within the Humanities is well demonstrated by almost a quarter of leavers studying a related subject at university.

SportsWe achieved some very strong exam results this year and were delighted that at A Level 50% of our students have gone on to study Sports at University. At GCSE level our results were superb with 100% achieving a 4 or higher and 85% achieving a 6 or above.

52% of grades A*/A

Examination results

61% of students achieved 5 or more 7 to 9 grades

Exam results


41%

74% 46%

34%

74% of students achieved all A* to B grades

46% of students achieved 7 or more 7 to 9 grades

41% of students achieved at least one A* 34% of all grades 8 to 9

Prizes &Awards

Achievement and progress awards

24 25Highlights 2017-18

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9

Year 10

GCSE

A Level

Eliza AliAngelina AmericaCecily BullockAnnika DaniHannah DaviesJanice HuangKatie MaybinIzabela NabiShreya SharmaNabila SheikhEleanor SmearsHeidi TerblancheHarriet WilliamsEmily Xu

Roseanna BealeAbhisri ChadalavadaRiley CulverhouseFlorence EmerySaesha GuptaEloise HarveyAmelia HineAmy JenkinsOlivia JepsonAmelia MurphyOlivia RussellLucy StringfellowSophia SymeouEmilia ThompsonEeman Yousaf

Katie AshtonAnisha ChadalavadaJessica Cressey-JonesAlexandra DalyFlorence GundleAnraj MahilScarlett MooreAvani NandhraNifé OluwatayoRadhika PandyaIsobel PearsonLucy RamskillTanya RoyDaisy RumsbyGrace SansomShreya SrinivasanSophie Taylor-Lewis

Academic ExcellenceIsabel BalkhiKhushman BhullarAlexa DykesEmily PotterAlexandra NeuhoffRukaiya Sadikot Keira StopherLucy WardJasmine WhithamCaroline Whittaker

Head of Year Academic Achievement AwardMaya KumaranEmma MyersRosie Saxton

Daria Alexander-SefreIsobelle AphaléDiya BatraSophie CoombesHannah GoddardIsabel GreensladeRuby HowardFaye HudsonLara JamesonShri KakodkarShreya MittalShruthi NagarajanAmelia SmartGemma UrquhartHannah WhitfieldJennifer WienkampIsobel WilliamsElena WilmotMeenakshy Yogasigamany

Academic ExcellenceElla AshtonEmma BirdCharlotte CarterAnnabel GreenMartha HarrisJevvy HuangRachel LiTamsin MatthewmanElla McManusIdil MohamedAmelia NaylorLara PieczkaAnne-Sophie PierreAmelia SimpsonAnna SouterCaitlin Urquhart Julia Wardley-KershawEllen WatsonCynthia Yang

Head of Year Academic Achievement AwardSally CrokerKatarina HutchinBethany SaundersHarriet Smith

Art Charlotte CarterBiology Annabel GreenBusiness Studies Gemma DaveyChemistry Ella AshtonClassical Civilisation Amelia NaylorDrama & Theatre Studies Amelia Simpson Economics Erin BartonEnglish Literature Martha HarrisFilm Studies Amelia SimpsonFrench Ellen Watson Geography Caitlin UrquhartGerman Vanessa Peñuela Traub History Ellen WatsonLatin Ellen WatsonMathematics Tamsin MatthewmanMusic Beth HarrisPhilosophy and Ethics Zahrah Hussain

and Emma BirdPhysical Education Abigail PassmorePhysics Caitlin Urquhart Psychology Emma BirdSpanish Vanessa Peñuela Traub

Prizes & Awards

Scholarships

Special Prizes

11+ Academic Laila AitkenAnika KhanamMia LewisJulia OkowinskaShruthi Padmabushan

11+ Creative ArtsLois Beacroft

11+ Swimming Elyse CollinsEmily Horne

13+ Academic Neeya BhadreshaZoya Bilal

Lightburne Prize for Service to the School Bethany Saunders

Wallace Prize for Head Girl Sally Croker

Mrs John Woods Prize for Deputy Head Girl (Student Services) Lara Pieczka

Mrs John Woods Prize for Deputy Head Girl (Charities) Bethany Saunders

Mrs John Woods Prize for Deputy Head Girl (Marketing) Charlotte Carter

The Sarah Casson Cup for Service to the School Claudia Pieczka

The Susan Lamb KS3 Public Speaking AwardHannah Smyth

Head of House Anne-Sophie Pierre

Head of House Ella Ashton

Head of House Harriet Smith

Head of House Phoebe Abbott

Head of House Tess Heaton-Harris

Service Awards

Year 7 Emma SaxtonYear 8 Chelsea HikwaYear 9 Sophie Taylor-LewisYear 10 Daria Alexander-SefreYear 11 Hollie-Megan Mullen

Subject Prizes

Subject Prizes are awarded to the outstanding senior girl working within each department in 2017-2018.

The Xing Ding Prize for Service to Music Katie Ratcliffe

Environmental Prize Alix Langford

Excellence in Public Speaking Cup Freya Tansley

Governors’ Cup Oluwateniola Ramos Leaviss Mathematics Prize Ruby Howard

GDST Anne Hogg MFL PrizeRuby Howard

GDST Laurie Magnus Poetry Prize 2018 (Certificate of Commendation)Holly Barry GDST Travel ScholarshipJodie Clare GDST Travel ScholarshipOlivia Foster

University of Northampton Changemaker Award Gemma Davey Alix Langford Ruth Purser Natasha Retnasingam Ellen Watson


13+ Performing ArtsHannah Smith

13+ Creative ArtsTilly Poole

13+ SportsMadeleine DownEve Welton

13+ SwimmingRebecca Lowe

Sixth Form Scholarships AcademicOlivia BrittainLaura CharlesworthAlexa Dykes Poppy Jacobs Maya Kumaran Alexandra Neuhoff Emily Potter Naomi Worth

Creative ArtsFlora Kelly

Performing Arts Jessica Greenough

Scholarship for ExcellenceEmily Jordan

Bronze certificatesAshley BasfordIsabella FlynnOlivia GreenGigi HowardKatarina HutchinAlexandra LockeyAbigail PassmoreAnna ShaoMahita TailorJulia Wardley-Kershaw

Silver certificatesEmma BirdUjjesa ChaudharyCharlotte FuJevvy HuangElizabeth Johns Lydia LuoCynthia Yang

Gold CertificatesRachel Li (who was also awarded Best in Year)Azura Lin (who was also awarded Best in Year and Best in School)Tamsin Matthewman

Senior KangarooRachel Li – MeritAzura Lin – QualificationTamsin Matthewman – QualificationCynthia Yang - Qualification

Mathematical Olympiad For GirlsEmma Bird – Distinction Katarina Hutchin – Participation Tamsin Matthewman - DistinctionCaitlin Urquhart - Distinction

Prizes & Awards

Intermediate Mathematical Challenge

Senior Mathematical Challenge

Bronze certificatesKatie AshtonRena BainesJessica Cressey-JonesEleanor DunkleyNiamh McArdleChloe MercerAlexandra NeuhoffRadhika PandyaDaisy RumsbyRukaiya Sadikot Hemali ShahSabrina SheikhKeira StopherFreya TansleyCaroline Whittaker

Silver CertificatesMahnoor AzimKyla BansilDiya BatraAnisha ChadalavadaAlexandra DalyAlexa DykesMaya KumaranShreya MittalEmily Potter Shreya Srinivasan (who was also awarded Best in Year)

GoldHannah Goddard (who was also awarded Best in Year and Best in school)Ruby HowardJasmine Whitham (who was also awarded Best in Year)

Intermediate KangarooHannah Goddard – ParticipationRuby Howard – Merit

50th International Chemistry Olympiad 2018 Round One

Salter’s Chemistry Prize

UK Linguistics Olympiad

Routes into Languages Language Leaders National Award

British Biology Olympiad 2018

Silver Lara Pieczka

Megan AllenAmy JenkinsOlivia RussellLucy Stringfellow

SilverSilver Bronze

Lucy ExleyEzri MannionLara Pieczka

Daria Alexander-SefreDiya BatraSophie CoombesRuby Howard

Silver Ella AshtonHighly Commended Serene Batson-PatelCommended Jessica CarterHighly Commended Francesca Cook Bronze Annabel GreenSilver Idil Mohamed Highly Commended Alice Morgan Highly Commended Mona Rahnama

Junior Mathematical Challenge

Bronze certificatesVidushi BanerjeeJayna BhadreshaRisha BhasinZoya BilalAbhisri ChadalavadaRiley CulverhouseMiyali KamathKatie MaybinSimran SandhuIsabella Spokes Heidi TerblancheVishnavi YogasigamanyEeman Yousaf

Silver certificatesMegan AllenRoseanna BealeAshmita DasSaesha GuptaKatie HarrisonJanice HuangRachel HubbardAmy IngleHannah OkamotoJessica PicotRebecca ReaMargot RoyerOlivia RussellMei Lai Swan

Gold certificatesAnnika DaniAmy Jenkins (plus Best in Year)Charlotte Johns Shreya Sharma Emily Xu(who was also awarded Best in Year and Best in School)


Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Bronze Alice AmosOlivia BrittainHolly BrownNoor HammadJodie HudsonEzri MannionMatilda MiddletonEleanor MittonEmma MyersEleanor PillingEmily PotterBronwyn TaggMeghana VipinLucy WardMegan WattsChloe Welsh

SilverJoanna BradleyUjjesa ChaudharyThéa DeaconAnya DourasCharlotte FuNoor HammadGigi HowardKate JamesonImogen McKeeEzri MannionMaya PatelLeila ShahinAnna SouterEleanor WhiteCynthian Yang

GoldKirstin Vogel

Royal Academy of Dance

Level 3 Award in Graded Examination in Dance: Grade 8 (Ballet) Distinction Gigi HowardDistinction Sadie Lauder

Level 2 Award in Graded Examination in Dance: Grade 4 (Ballet) Merit Jessica LloydMerit Margot RoyerMerit Mei Lai SwanMerit Sophia Symeou

Level 2 Award in Solo Performance in Dance: Grade 4 Merit Mia Watson

31

Prizes & Awards


Associated Board of the Royal School of Music

London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA)

Level 1 Award in Performance

Nikki Lily Atife Violin Grade 1 DistinctionSophie Cox Singing Grade 5 MeritThéa Deacon Singing Grade 8 MeritFfion Donlevy Singing Grade 5 MeritCatherine Eden Trombone Grade 8 DistinctionGeorgina Forde-Wells Singing Grade 3 MeritRebecca James Singing Grade 4 MeritPriya Lakkappa Piano Grade 7 DistinctionPriya Lakkappa Bassoon Grade 5 DistinctionElisha Lal Flute Grade 3 MeritKatie Maybin Flute Grade 2 MeritChloe Mercer Flute Grade 3 MeritGrace Moulton Flute Grade 1 DistinctionSonia Popazov Piano Grade 4 MeritKatie Ratcliffe Piano Grade 8 MeritEllie Sentance Clarinet Grade 2 MeritIshika Shah Violin Grade 2 MeritKeira Shah Piano Grade 1 MeritMahita Tailor Singing Grade 5 MeritEve Welton Alto Saxophone Grade 2 MeritYinuo Zhang Flute Grade 3 Merit

Tobi Akintade Solo Grade 2 MeritEliza Ali Combined Grade 3 DistinctionRisha Bhasin Combined Grade 3 MeritCecily Bullock Combined Grade 3 MeritEloise Harvey Duo Grade 3 MeritPhoebe Haynes Combined Grade 3 DistinctionRebecca James Combined Grade 3 MeritJessica Lloyd Duo Grade 3 MeritKatie Maybin Combined Grade 3 DistinctionEmma Saxton Solo Grade 2 MeritEllie Sentance Combined Grade 3 DistinctionHannah Smyth Solo Grade 3 DistinctionSophia Symeou Solo Grade 3 Distinction

Prizes & Awards

Level 3 Certificate in Performance Shannon Molloy Solo Grade 6 Distinction (Bronze Medal)Natasha Retnasingam Public Speaking Grade 8 Distinction (Gold Medal)

Level 2 Award in Performance Tamara Aina Duo Grade 5 DistinctionLeila Burge Duo Grade 4 DistinctionSophie Cox Combined Grade 5 DistinctionAnnabelle Ellis Duo Grade 5 MeritHannah Gibson Combined Grade 5 MeritLia Halpin Combined Grade 5 DistinctionEllen Keys Combined Grade 5 MeritLauren Marocco Solo Grade 5 DistinctionNifé Oluwatayo Solo Grade 5 MeritSonia Popazov Combined Grade 5 DistinctionGrace Sansom Duo Grade 4 MeritShreya Srinivasan Combined Grade 5 DistinctionMaaya Tailor Combined Grade 5 MeritAmelia Tutt Combined Grade 5 MeritElena Wilmot Duo Grade 5 DistinctionMeenakshy Yogasigamany Duo Grade 5 Distinction

Sports Leaders UK The Spirit of Leadership Award Joanna BradleyKatrina Harris

Most Talented Sportswoman

Year 7 Phoebe HaynesYear 8 Katie HarrisonYear 9 Lily KingYear 10 Georgina Forde-WellsYear 11 Emily York

Most Improved Sportswoman

Year 7 Jayna BhadreshaYear 8 Jessica PicotYear 9 Lucy Shepherd Year 10 Sophie CoombesYear 11 Eleanor Pilling


Sarah Hunt Award (for contribution to Swimming)Bethany Saunders

Vicki Parker Award (for contribution to PE Department)Caitlin Urquhart

Sixth Form Sports Awards

Netball

Full Colours

Caitlin Urquhart

Half Colours

Alicia BreuerGeorgina Forde-WellsIsabella HawkinsHollie-Megan MullenMadeleine PicotGemma UrquhartHannah Whitfield

Commendations

Charlotte CarterFrancesca MussonAmelia SimpsonMariam Ziada

Year 11Nina-Mari ArhainxEmily York

Year 10Evelyn BealeBryony BirdSophie CoombesSophie CoxAnna GallianoLily GoochIsabel GreensladeShri KakodkarNisheeta KauraEllen KeysPriya LakkappaElysia LayLauren MaroccoChloe MercerChristie NormantonOlivia PillingHemali ShahAnna SigobodhlaAmelia Smart

Year 9Zoe BradleyEsmé EllisLily KingAnika LalAnraj MahilScarlett Moore

Lydia MoseleyRadhika PandyaIsobel PearsonLucy RamskillMolly Roberts-CrawfordLucy ShepherdKirsty SibandaSophie Taylor-LewisJodie Welton

Year 8Feyi AfonjaJane AmpiahRiley CulverhouseMadeleine DownConstance GrayKatie HarrisonEloise HarveyAmy IngleRebecca JamesJessica LloydRebecca LoweAnna McFarlandGeorgia MillburnEbubechukwu OsehenyeJessica PicotAngelica SumaEmilia ThompsonLilli TrimbleEve Welton

Year 7 Eliza AliJayna BhadreshaCecily BullockLaibah ChoudaryGrace CrowleyHannah DaviesMegan DoAlessia EmanuelePhoebe HaynesAmy HowardJanice HuangCharlotte JohnsEvie KingKatie MaybinLauren NamujjuziAnjola OgunsolaGrace Rivers-LambertSimran SandhuEleanor SmearsIsabella SpokesIsabelle ThorpeGemma WattsHarriet Williams

Individual Awards

Players’ Player AwardHockey Alexa DykesNetball Madeleine Picot

Coaches’ Player Award Hockey Francesca MussonNetball Caitlin Urquhart

Headmistress’s Sports Award (full colours in more than one sport)Amelia Simpson


Hockey

Half Colours

Evelyn BealeSophie CoombesIsabel Greenslade Commendations

Year 10Sophie CoxGeorgina Forde-WellsAnna GallianoNisheeta KauraEllen KeysPriya LakkappaElysia LayChloe MercerOlivia PillingHemali ShahAnna SigobodhlaAmelia SmartGemma UrquhartHannah Whitfield

Year 9Zoe BradleyJessica Cressey-JonesEsmé EllisSuzannah GibsonLily KingAnraj MahilScarlett MooreCharlotte MorrisLydia MoseleyIsobel PearsonLucy RamskillMolly Roberts-CrawfordLucy ShepherdJodie Welton

Badminton

Half Colours

Diya BatraShri KakodkarMishan ThakararEmily York Commendations

Year 8Abhisri ChadalavadaAnraj MahilRadhika PandyaShreya Srinivasan

Tennis

Full Colours

Anraj MahilEmily York

Year 11Madeleine Picot

Year 8Lilli Trimble

Gymnastics

Full Colours

Georgina Forde-Wells

Half Colours

Eloise Harvey

Year 8Katie HarrisonLibby RobbinsLilli Trimble

Year 7Nabila Sheikh

Year 7 Hannah DaviesRobyn HalpinPhoebe HaynesEmily LuuLauren NamujjuziElla NicholasIsabelle ThorpeEmily Xu

Cross-Country Commendations

Sixth FormKate JamesonEzri Mannion

Year 10Elysia Lay

Year 9Tanya RoyLucy Shepherd

Year 8Emilia Thompson

Year 7Phoebe Haynes

Athletics

Half Colours

Holly BarryGeorgina Forde-WellsFreya StevensAmelia Tutt

Swimming

Full Colours

Charlotte Fletcher-StablesEzri MannionEleanor RobinsonBethany SaundersKirstin Vogel (Waterpolo)

Half Colours

Chloe MercerFreya Stevens Commendations

Sixth FormHannah Berck-MayGrace GeeAmy HillyardKate JamesonCaroline Rookledge

Year 11Maddison Saunders

Year 10Alexandra Berck-MayBryony BirdSophie CoombesPriya LakkappaEleanor McNicholas

Year 9Jessica Langdon

Year 8 Ellie ChinnockRebecca JamesAmelia MurphyLydia PartingtonHannah PearsonAna Xiang Sanchez-ThompsonEllie Sentance

Prizes & Awards

2017/18 Sports Achievements

International

SwimmingEleanor Robinson

British Nationals

SwimmingCharlotte Fletcher Stables Freya Stevens

National

Athletics Georgina Forde-Wells

Equestrian Gemma WattsMegan Watts Eve Welton Jodie Welton

Regional

Netball Georgina Forde-Wells

Rugby Lucy Ramskill Amelia Tutt

SwimmingKhushman Bhullar Ellie ChinnockRebecca LoweChloe Mercer

Trampolining Molly Roberts-Crawford

Tennis Charlotte Johns Anraj Mahil

County

Athletics Georgina Forde-Wells

BadmintonDiya BatraShri KakodkarVeena ShivakumarShreya SrinivasanMishan Thakarar

Cricket Alicia BreuerJaisie Burnett Hemali Shah

Hockey Evelyn BealeJoanna BradleyZoe BradleyMadeleine DownAlexa DykesSuzannah GibsonIsabel GreensladeArianna HayFrancesca MussonIsobel PearsonEleanor PillingMolly Roberts-Crawford Hemali ShahLucy ShepherdAnna SigobodhlaJane SigobodhlaEve WeltonJodie WeltonHannah WhitfieldAmelia Williamson

Karate

Black belt Nisheeta KauraLeah Tanna-Shah

Netball Jane AmpiahAlicia BreuerGeorgina Forde-WellsPhoebe HaynesLily KingScarlett MooreRadhika PandyaJessica PicotMolly Roberts-CrawfordAngelica SumaGemma UrquhartHannah Whitfield

SwimmingHannah DaviesAnna Johnson

TennisElla NicholasIsabelle ThorpeLilli TrimbleEmily York

—Awards Evening with guest

speaker Jamal Ford-Robinson

3736 Highlights 2017-18 37

University destinationsName

Phoebe AbbottZahra Al-NajjarElla AshtonErin BartonSerene Batson-PatelEmma BirdKatie BrewillCharlotte CarterDaisy CarvellJodie ClareFrancesca CookGemma DaveyAnya DourasIsabella FlynnZekun FuAnnabel GreenMelisande HaggerMartha HarrisBeth HarrisIsabella HawkinsTess Heaton-HarrisDanielle HowardJiawei HuangZahrah HussainKatarina HutchinAlix LangfordRongwei LiTamsin MatthewmanElla McmanusNandi MhlongoKathryn MitchellIdil MohamedKaitlin MolloyShefali NandhraAmelia NaylorSabihah NazirBronte NightingaleAbigail PassmoreLara PieczkaAnne-Sophie PierreRuth PurserMona RahnamaKatie RatcliffeNatasha RetnasingamEve SalmonsJessica ScrimshawSarah SeleimAmelia SimpsonChloe SmithLeah SmithHarriet SmithAnna SouterEleanor SterlingAmy ThomasDasha ThomasLucy TomanCaitlin UrquhartKirstin VogelJulia Wardley-KershawEllen WatsonWanru Yang

Apprenticeships

Chloe ChamberlainSamantha FletcherOlivia Foster Vanessa Peñuela TraubIsla Stevens

University

Birmingham City UniversityKingston UniversityUniversity of ManchesterUniversity of LeedsUniversity of BirminghamUniversity of Cambridge, Trinity HallSheffield Hallam UniversityUniversity of ManchesterLondon Metropolitan UniversityUniversity of NottinghamUniversity of NottinghamUniversity of BirminghamUniversity College LondonUniversity of LeedsUniversity of WarwickUniversity of Cambridge, NewnhamNottingham Trent UniversityUniversity of LeedsUniversity of LiverpoolUniversity of NottinghamUniversity of ExeterRobert Gordon UniversityUniversity of BristolUniversity of BirminghamUniversity of WarwickOxford Brookes UniversityLondon School of EconomicsUniversity of DurhamUniversity of LeedsNottingham Trent UniversityUniversity of ChichesterUniversity of BirminghamBirmingham City UniversityUniversity of WarwickUniversity of LeedsOxford Brookes UniversityNottingham Trent UniversityLoughborough UniversityUniversity of Cambridge, Gonville and CaiusUniversity of YorkUniversity of LeedsUniversity of ValenciaUniversity of BirminghamKing’s College LondonBirmingham City UniversityUniversity of WarwickKing’s College LondonUniversity of BirminghamBirmingham City UniversityUniversity of East LondonNottingham Trent UniversityLancaster UniversityOxford Brookes UniversityNottingham Trent UniversityUniversity of YorkUniversity of BirminghamUniversity of Cambridge, NewnhamLoughborough UniversityUniversity of ManchesterUniversity of Cambridge, PeterhouseImperial College London

Degree Apprenticeship, BusinessDegree Apprenticeship, BusinessDegree Apprenticeship, Wilmot BrownGap Year followed by Degree ApprenticeshipDegree Apprenticeship, Business

Course

Fashion DesignFashionMedicinePoliticsMedicinePhilosophyHuman GeographyFashion Buying and MerchandisingArt and DesignGeographyPolitics and International RelationsPsychologyClassicsChemistryBiological SciencesMedicineCriminologyFine ArtPopular MusicLawEnglish and Film StudiesInternational Business ManagementMaths and StatisticsLawPhysicsInternational Relations and PoliticsFinancial Mathematics and StatisticsTheoretical PhysicsClassical CivilisationBiomedical SciencesTheatreMedicinePsychology with BusinessPolitics and International StudiesClassical CivilisationLawCriminologySports TechnologyLinguisticsPsychologyReligion, Politics and SocietyDentistryMusicFrench and ManagementInterior Architecture and DesignClassicsFrenchEnglish and FilmPsychology with CriminologyEarly Childhood StudiesBusiness Management and Human ResourcesGeographyMarketing ManagementFrench and SpanishEconomicsBiomedical SciencesEngineeringSport and Exercise ScienceEconomics and PoliticsModern and Medieval LanguagesCivil Engineering

—This page (clockwise from top) SmilesStudent Leadership Team withThe Mayor of Northampton Cllr Tony AnsellDance at the Arts InvitationalInspiring FuturesSixth Form leavers140th Birthday celebrations at 44 Derngate


Class of 2018


—Introducing the newly elected Student Leader-ship Team, who took us through the Summer term and into the new 18/19 academic year. Pictured with Dr Stringer.

Staff leavers

StaffMrs Joanne James moved to a new post as Head of Modern Languages in a local prep school after four years of service to the School. A highlight of her time with us was the introduction of the Montpellier homestay earlier this year.

Dr Neil Carr retired from the Science Faculty after 12 years of service. After an earlier career in industry, Dr Carr greatly relished the atmosphere in the school lab and his parting gift to the School was to guide teams in two successive years to first place in the Salter’s Festival of Chemistry.

Mrs Helen Greenbank left us after 14 years in the Junior School to relocate to Cheltenham and take up a post in a prep school. Latterly Helen contributed to school life as English Coordinator and a member of the extended SMT of the School, as well as an exemplary practitioner.

Mrs Sarah Revie moved to a post in Lincolnshire after 14 years at the Junior School. Her most recent contribution to school life was as Art and Design Coordinator, in which capacity she organised the impressive junior displays for the Arts Festival.

Mrs Sarah Holland retired from her post as Head of Classics after 15 years of service. Mrs Holland had the pleasure of seeing four of her 6.2 students go on to read Classics at university in her final year.

Mrs Carol Bleech left us after 17 years in order – in her own typically self-deprecating phase – to try something new before it was too late in her career to do it. A scientist by training, Carol made her mark in many ways, notably as STEM Coordinator, Junior SMT member and champion of outdoor learning.

Mrs Kate Miller retired at the end of a career at the High School spanning 26 years as a teacher – Kate arrived when the Hardingstone site opened – not to mention a connection with the School as a parent. The junior music programme that we see today – daring in its ambition and astonishing in the quality of its execution – is the fruit of Kate’s inspiration and dedication.

Miss Sonia Margareto left us for pastures new after 16 years of service – in her early days as special needs coordinator and, more recently, combining this role with a post on the Extended Senior Leadership Team as Head of Pastoral Care in the Senior School. Miss Margareto served as acting Deputy Head (Pastoral) for a term in 2016 and was instrumental in preparing for the ISI Compliance inspection in the following Spring.

Finally, Mr Ross Urquhart left us after six years in post as Head of Junior School and a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Mr Urquhart worked closely with all members of the SLT to build on the many strengths of the Junior School and to help to

make it the special place it is today. He also played an outstanding part in developing sport in the Junior School – a personal passion – by coaching teams himself and driving forward initiatives to broaden participation and enhance elite training. Mr Urquhart was a most valued contributor to strategic discussions and planning, devising a strategic plan for the Junior School which will set it up for the next decade.

GovernorsMr Stephen Chown and Mr Jamie Lane stepped down from the School Governing Board after completing their periods of service. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them both for their contribution to the School, both in sharing their expertise and in supporting school events. Additionally, I wish formally to express our gratitude to Mr Chown for his very generous donation of an archive of historic newspapers to the School’s collection of artefacts.

Staff Long ServiceMrs Michele Langhorn (Assistant Head Staff) completed 20 years of serviceThe following staff completed 10 years of service – Miss Naomi Brandon-Jones (Junior School teacher), Mrs Karen Bull (Art Technician), Mr Andrew Donaldson (Head of History), Mrs Julie Fergusson (Catering and Hospitality Assistant), Mrs Tracy Masterson (Food and Textiles Technician), Mrs Lynn Nash (Receptionist) and Mrs Amanda Vizor (Head of Physics).

01604 [email protected]

www.northamptonhigh.gdst.net

Newport Pagnell RoadHardingstone

Northampton NN4 6UU

A limited company registered in England no. 6400C

A registered charity no. 306983

highlights 2017-18 · classics (accounting for 14% of all chosen degree courses) against this...

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