Inside this issue United Learning Northampton Academy Winter 2012 Awards Evening Newsletter Drama Production Parent Voice Principal’s Message Poetry Competition Sporting Success Design & Technology Open for Business Christmas Bazaar Enterprise Week Northampton Academy Twitter! Enterprise Week Christmas Lecture Newsletter - Winter 2012 Tom Davies Build a Boomerang First ever Awards Evening is a huge success Me, Prison, No Way th Northampton Academy celebrated its first ever Awards Evening on 14 November 2012. Sixth Form Open Even- The evening highlighted the fantastic work and effort that the students ing consistently put into their lessons and extra curriculum activities. Science Trip

The evening was held in the Travis Hall and students, parents and carers watched as Key Dates students were awarded from different subject areas. The evening also showcased some outstanding performances by Vocal Jazzers and an Advanced Vocal group as well as the Year 7 & Year 10 Drama club. In total 44 awards were given out, these can now be seen in our Awards cabinet situated in main reception.

The evening was supported by special guest speakers Mr Michael Ellis MP and our Chair of Governors, Mr Michael George.

Students, parents, carers, speakers and staff had a thoroughly enjoyable evening and look forward to next year’s Awards Evening.

Year 12 Drama Production

Parent Voice 'A Handbag' by Anthony Horowitz and 'The Real Inspector Hound' by Tom Stoppard, showed off the talents of some of our amazing pupils. We are always looking for feedback from parents and 'A Handbag' presents a bunch of disparate youngsters 'having a go' at Oscar Wilde's play 'The Importance of Being Earnest' in somewhat inauspicious circumstances. All are inviting as many parents is not as it seems as the characters reveal more about themselves than about Oscar as possible to join our Wilde's pristine masterpiece, as Algernon Moncrieff (Sulaiman) pronounces on dear Parent Voice group. old Oscar. A handbag is the least of their worries. Performed with panache and much wit the outstanding cast including Katie (Lady Bracknell) and Jason (Jack The group has been Worthing) work miracles, gleefully deconstructing the said masterpiece. Gwendolyn (Aaliyah) fills the air with certain 'bon mots' that certainly launched to help us gain a have us realising that this is no ordinary cast of characters. Francesca better understanding of and Abigail reinforce admirably even as the butt of some wicked what you think about what humour. we do. 'The Real Inspector Hound' had Moon (Charlotte) and Birdboot (Tanaka), two pomp- ous theatre critics, getting more involved than intended whilst the other cast mem- We would love you to join bers ruminate on who has shot one (or two) of the others. Typical Tom Stoppard with our group, if you would like his ability to wordplay to delight and confuse. Charlotte and Tanaka, outstanding, whilst Mrs Drudge (Kirsty) the housekeeper, sees and hears all; Simon (Tom) saunters to , please give us a call. in without a care on the world; Felicity Cunningham (Molly) is 'anyone's for tennis'; Lady Cynthia (Caitlin) plays it cool; and the Major, played by Matthew, literally bursts onto the scene with daredevil wickedness; and last but not least, an inspired outra- geous Inspector Hound played by the ebullient Gabriella rounded off a thoroughly 2 entertaining evening.

Poetry Competition

The 2012 Library Poetry Competition winner was Sophie Rosetti (7T1) for her beautiful acrostic poem ‘Stars’, and the runner up Hina Hothi (8T1). Sophie was presented with a £5 National Book Token and both girls received a certificate and letter writing set. The annual competition is held to celebrate National Poetry Day, a national event of poetry readings, A Message from Anne Hill, Principal competitions and

Welcome to our new look newsletter. I do hope you like the format and content and web-based activities for peo- that it gives you a real flavour of Academy life this last term. ple young and old through- out the country. Northamp- This is an extremely busy time of year and there have been many events at the ton Academy students were Academy and beyond which students and parents have enjoyed enormously. At the end of a long term, I must thank our hard working staff who have spent time invited to write a poem with organising and taking students on trips, given up many hours after school for revision this year’s theme of ‘Stars’. sessions, rehearsing plays, practising music ensembles, coaching our sports teams The competition was judged and delivering a huge range of extra-curricular activities. I would also like to by a small group of A Level congratulate our students on their behaviour when representing the Academy on such events, we receive many positive comments about their exemplary attitude. English students.

We have hosted several parent information evenings this term and I would like to thank you for your attendance and support for the Academy. It was particularly pleasing that we were full both nights of the year 6 parent information evening and again for the sixth form opportunities evening. We are all so proud that due to your support and confidence in us the Academy continues to be successful and oversubscribed.

Our first awards evening, attended by our Local Governing Body and Michael Ellis MP, was a huge success and such a proud moment for us all. If you have not yet done so, pop into reception to see our glittering awards cabinet and trophies, kindly donated by the LGB.

Looking forward, I would like to ‘plug’ our parent voice meetings and encourage you to attend so we can learn your views on the Academy and what we can do to improve. Details are on the website and we will also offer more sessions as a result of parents’ requests for help. Coming in January will be a session on how to understand reports and grades and details will be issued with the December reports due out after the break.

I wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas and look forward to seeing you in 3 the New Year.

Sporting Successes Northampton Academy students have had some We competed in all of this year’s town cross country incredible sporting successes this term. championships and the following students finished in the top 16 and gained entry to the County We have successfully qualified for the Level 3 School Championships in January: Connor finishing 6th (U15 Winter Games in Year 7/8/9 Boys Badminton. The boys) and Chris finishing 12th (U17 boys), both will now county finals take place next year at Kettering Leisure be invited to represent the Northampton Cross Country Village and the winners go to the National Finals in Team at the Town Championships. Nottingham. Our Year 7/8 boys & girls table tennis team won the Level 2 competition organised and hosted here at the Academy. Our Year 7 and 10 boys football team reached the quar- ter finals of the county cup. Our Under 16 boys basketball team travelled to Derby to play their first fixture in the National Schools basketball Premier Central league. Our U12, 13 and 14 boys and girls basketball teams competed in the school games Level 2 competitions at various venues around the county. Year 7 girls finished 3rd in the town’s football tournament

Open for Business Year 7 Design & Technology

Would you like to hire Year 7 have been busy again making their brilliant Animal Notebooks as part of their Year 7 Textiles rotation in Design and Technology. They have spent 12 Northampton Academy for weeks designing and making a useful notebook that they have designed your event? themselves, printed, decorated We have first class sporting and then used the facilities, ideal spaces for sewing machines to put together. They conferences and perfect have learnt lots of places for lectures. new skills in this project including To discuss your some new practical requirements in more detail skills and how to please give us a call on design for purpose. Their 01604 402811 or pop in one design skills this evening and we’ll show you year have been around. outstanding, a very talented and crea- tive year group!

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Year 7 Christmas Bazaar Follow us on Twitter! Year 7 hosted their first Christmas Bazaar on 13th December to raise money as part of a business and enterprise scheme. Year 7 will spend this money and Many of you have noticed, invest it either into a new project or spend the money wisely towards some new but Northampton Academy equipment for their year group. is now tweeting!

Tutors spent lots of time preparing for this and the students made some wonderful things. They made cards, decorations, cakes and parents also We use it to pass on contributed by donating immediate pieces of useful items that were also for information and we are sale. picking up new followers

Parents were invited after- daily. wards to come along and see some of the fantastic To join the conversation craft items that they had please search for made. northacad, that’s us!

It was a very busy and suc- cessful day that the children thoroughly enjoyed and after all their hard work they managed to raise a brilliant £238.84.

Enterprise Week

Year 8 developed their entrepreneurial skills during our Enterprise week by project managing the building of a pyramid commissioned by the Pharaoh, under the guidance of Barclaycard and Young Enterprise; students gained team work and leadership skills as well as money making skills.

The Work Experience Programme for 2013 was launched for Year 10, ena- bling for the first time, students to organise their own placement and think about their lives after they leave the Academy

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Enterprise Week Tom Davies Northampton Academy aims to employers and learn about a wide “inspire and challenge” students and variety of careers. The students made Year 12 student Tom Davies one of the ways we do this is through the most of their visit by talking to has won the Northampton Enterprise within the school. representatives from Universities, Leisure Trust Young Leaders Apprenticeships, and engaging with During National Enterprise and the interactive activities – chocolate Award. Employability week in November our making, hairdressing, multi-media aim was to develop our students’ skills among others. As if this wasn’t enough, and employability for the Tom was then shortlisted future through the concept of for the Northamptonshire entrepreneurship, realisation of skills Sport Awards in November and to encourage students to think where he was up against about their life when school ends. some great young leaders from across the county. He Year 11 students went to The Skills Show Careers exhibition at the NEC beat them all to become Birmingham on Thursday 15th Northamptonshire’s Young November where they had the Leader of the Year. opportunity to meet with prospective

From the county awards Tom's nomination form was Liam (Year 11): ‘The day was an amazing experience at the NEC; it was great to see the opportunities available to us for our future education and jobs. I put forward to the BBC East really enjoyed the Business activities and blockbuster game; it really Sports Awards, where he challenged my Business Studies knowledge.’ was shortlisted for the 'Young Unsung Hero Award' Open University Christmas Lecture: Boomerangs, Bouncing

Balls and Other Spinning Things – Dr. Hugh Hunt

Build your own Fourteen Year 12 A-Level Mathematics students boomerang! attended the annual Open University Christmas Lecture on Tuesday 4th December at the Berrill www2.eng.cam.ac.uk/ Theatre, Milton Keynes. The Academy has ~hemh/boomerangs.htm attended this event since 2006, the lectures consistently delivering exciting mathematical www2.eng.cam.ac.uk/ enrichment for students taking sixth form ~hemh/lectures.htm courses and planning ahead to take a mathematics-related degree. www.ice.cam.ac.uk/ madingleylectures/ Dr Hugh Hunt, Cambridge University Senior dambusters-and-the- Lecturer, thrilled us with spinning tops, engineering-behind-the- boomerangs, gyroscopes and rotating platforms. bouncing-bomb Alongside these applications of Newtonian Mechanics, Dr Hunt discussed his interest in the Barnes Wallis bouncing bombs (which involved spin, essentially the theme of the day) and a reconstruction of the Colditz Castle escape glider. Both of these topics were covered in recent Channel 6 4 documentaries featuring Dr Hunt as Scientific Advisor.

Me, Prison, No Way! Year 13 Science Trip On 13th November, Northampton Academy held a Year 9 crime and safety th awareness day entitled, “Me, Prison, No Way!”, designed to make pupils aware of On 10 October, twelve of the consequences of crime. our Year 13 students travelled to Paddington The day started with all pupils watching a staged car accident, which involved our Academy to attend a Year 11 pupils as actors. The pupils stole a car to go out for a joy ride but ended Symposium on The human up having an accident. The year group watched the scene as police, ambulance and fire engines arrived and dealt with the consequences. brain provided by The Oxford International For the rest of the day there were planned workshops which dealt with what the Biomedical Centre (OIBC) students had done, the students stayed in character for the whole day as they and supported by The Lady experienced being questioned by the police, faced magistrates and were given Foley Trust, Doris Field sentences. Trust and PF Charitable

Trust. Other workshops included seeing The brain is the last and visiting a po- lice cell, watching uncharted territory in the a street crime human body posing many scene and questions such as ‘how do raising the its 100 billion nerve cells awareness of the interact to produce consequences of sensations, movement of crime in the our limbs, speech and community. understanding?’

On hand to discuss these issues were Prof John Sixth Form Open Evening O’Keefe (University College London) and Prof Christo- pher Kennard (Department The prospective Sixth Form Open evening took place on the 21st November and wel- comed Year 11 students from both the Academy and other Secondary schools to two of Clinical Neurology, informative talks led by key members of staff. The evening centred on making well in- Oxford University. formed progression plans and students and parents were able to choose from a number The specialist talks were of workshops, in addition to speaking to subject staff, to support their sixth form choices. interspersed with break-out We would like to thank: Birmingham, Coventry, Northampton, De – Montfort and Leices- sessions as well as a debate ter Universities for offering excellent advice and guidance on the evening and Student at which all participants Finance for their informative talk on how to survive university on a budget. were able to quiz each speaker and to put their “Thank you for reading our new look newsletter, own views forward. we wish you all a very happy and peaceful Year 13 thoroughly enjoyed the experience and left with Christmas and look forward to seeing you in the many more questions than New Year.” answers, which were enthu- siastically debated on the way home. Anne Hill, Principal 7

Northampton Academy Key dates:

Northampton Academy is a Thursday 3rd January Teacher Training Day high performing secondary Friday 4th January Academy reopens for all students school in the heart of East Wednesday 9th January GCSE and A level exams begin (see website) Northampton. Wednesday 30th January Year 10 GCSE English Controlled Assessment Wednesday 6th February Year 11 GCSE English Controlled Assessment In 2012, we celebrated our best Friday 8th February Academy closes for half term ever GCSE results, here are Monday 18th February Academy reopens for all students Wednesday 27th February Parent Voice meeting some of the highlights: Monday 4th March Careers week begins 55% of our students achieved Friday 8th March Careers week ends Monday 11th March Apprenticeship week begins five or more A* - C grades in- Friday 15th March Apprenticeship week ends cluding English & Maths Monday 18th March Work Experience begins Wednesday 27th March Work Experience ends 96% of our students achieved Thursday 28th March Teacher Training Day five or more A* - C grades Friday 29th March Beginning of Easter Holidays Monday 15th April Academy reopens for all students 7% of our students achieved the English Baccalaureate

In the sixth form, 84% of year 13 students progressed to Universi- ty, and 17% of year 13 students progressed to prestigious Rus- sell Group universities.

Northampton Academy

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Phone: 01604 402811 Fax: 01604 773830

E-mail: [email protected] www.northampton-academy.org