Highlights 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. Highlights 2017-18 1 Pioneering Above all, the fact of the And, if we think that a double The political, economic and anniversary is a cause for standard in education to the social vicissitudes of those celebration. The School’s detriment of girls ended with fourteen decades have meant founders showed unusual the passing of the Victorian that there have been reverses foresight to establish an age, we need only to turn to along the way. For example, ambitious place of learning the pages of The Northampton the School, according to for girls in 1878. This was, Independent of 1958. Here, a the official history, was only remember, 40 years before mere 60 years ago (well within just keeping its head above women gained the vote in living memory), the report on water financially in 1919 and 1918 (and, staggeringly, a full the speech by the Guest of a Chronicle and Echo article 70 years before women were Honour, Harley Street surgeon from 1970 brandished the given the right to graduate Mr Vivian Green-Armytage, headline ‘School’s future in from Cambridge University). at the High School’s Awards doubt’ as the end of Direct And it is a remarkable Evening, records that he Grant threatened its very achievement for a girls’ school told his audience (of prize- existence. to have enjoyed fourteen winning girls, their teachers decades of success in the and parents) that ‘there were That it survived these service of girls’ education. no women geniuses and never existential threats came down would be!’ to the perspicacity of its Girls’ education – like the leaders and governors at the GDST itself (which was time but also owed much to founded just 6 years before It is a remarkable the spirit of the School – that the High School) – was born indefinable but unmistakable out of rebellion. Rebellion achievement for a quality the High School — Chemistry in action The right of girls to against a situation in which girls’ school to have possesses that is shaped (Opposite) Wellbeing a ramshackle school system by and, in turn, shapes the have an education (think Jane Eyre and Lowood enjoyed fourteen loyalty of its students and on par with boys School) left almost half of the decades of success their families, the exceptional female population illiterate, commitment of its staff and many challenges. Some apply that momentum is not yet has, thanks to leaving girls with unimaginably in the service of the affection it has inspired to all young people, such as being maintained by the generations of narrow life chances. This girls’ education and continues to inspire. graduate debt, a ferociously leavening effect of a genuine meant going against the Independent schools, competitive Higher Education culture shift. bold and fearless grain of convention, bucking — and the sector in general, and employment market, the pioneers, already prevailing trends and currently face many challenges of the zero hours Against this backdrop, though, challenging stereotypes. Those early battles to gain challenges – political and contracts and gig economy, the High School has gone been won acceptance of the right of economic uncertainties on an and a shortage of affordable from strength to strength as — girls to have an education on unprecedented scale for at housing. Others are specific a power house for aspiring a par with boys have, thanks least a generation and threats to young women. The gender young women and continued courses against a prevailing to generations of bold and to charitable status being pay gap currently stands at to hold true to its purpose as push towards a narrowing to fearless pioneers, already the most obvious. Beyond 18.4%, for example, and, while a pioneer for girls’ education. the EBacc-orientated core. It been won (at least in Britain, these, though, there is the the proportion of women on We continue to go against means, for example, seeing though the struggle continues Gordian knot of regulation boards in FTSE100 businesses the grain, buck the trend our Languages programmes in many parts of the world, and the dominance of a rose to almost 29% in 2018, and challenge stereotypes flourish and expand at a time helped in no small part by post-truth culture that puts a under pressure from the fearlessly. when the uptake of languages Plan UK, the charity which low premium on many of the Hampton-Alexander Review, a at Advanced Level and the High School, as part of values we prize, such as the fall in the number of executive Going against the grain degree level is in decline. Our the GDST, supports through worth of the expert. Students directors in non-STEM means continuing to offer Language Leaders came to fundraising). and their families, too, face companies last year suggests genuine breadth in our the fore in the GDST Festival 2 Highlights 2017-18 3 Pioneering — This page (clockwise from top) Fun in the snow Time Capsule ceremony Springtime Opposite page, Friendships of Languages, hosted by Erasmus+ Project, joining the Higher Education sector, and Gymnastics Extravaganza that indefinable but at the John Innes Centre or a us through the inspiration the High School with schools under the influence of alongside the customary Arts group of keen mathematicians of Mrs James and other in Germany, Hungary, Latvia the tuition fee burden and Invitational, was an exuberant unmistakable quality attending a Women in Maths members of the Faculty, and and Portugal, had been attendant debt. The strength declaration of our belief in the High School Conference at Loughborough Northampton teams enjoyed successful. Mrs Hill is relishing of the Languages and the importance of the Arts to possesses that is University, repeated success considerable success. Central the opportunity to lead on Classics (accounting for 14% our lives. This, at a time when for L4 in the Salter’s Festival to it is keeping the flag of an ambitious collaborative of all chosen degree courses) creative industry professionals shaped by and, in of Chemistry and a slew of internationalism flying high venture spanning the against this backdrop is are warning of the serious turn, shapes the Olympiad awards, a trip to at a time when the winds of European continent. remarkable in itself. The flow impact on our economy of Bletchley Park for all of U4 or national opinion are blowing of aspiring film-makers and a decline of up to 26% in loyalty of its students a host of Café Sci events. A in a different direction. Mrs The sheer diversity of fashion designers equally so. GCSE entries in the Arts in UK and their families particular highlight of the year Diez has spearheaded our post-18 destinations – 28 schools over the past five or — was the successful launch of eTwinning initiative, working different universities and five The continuing vibrancy of the six years. the WHEW! (Women Helping with U3 on an award-winning apprenticeships, subjects creative and performing arts to Empower Women) project project with schools in Greece, ranging across the full is a source of great pride in When it comes to demolishing engineering courses for our – with a STEAM Extravaganza France, Spain, Ukraine, spectrum of arts to STEM school. The extension of our stereotypes in the curriculum leavers (26% of whom have in June for over 160 Year 5 Slovakia and Slovenia. Entitled via humanities and a full annual Arts Festival in June and the classroom, hard embarked on STEM degrees) pupils (from our own juniors ‘Don’t judge a person by their mix of vocational courses to embrace a Literary Festival evidence demonstrates and the extraordinary and neighbouring primary face’, the project promoted – testifies to the success of with a poetry showcase and beyond doubt the advantage popularity of science in the schools). the use of foreign languages our philosophy of ambition, food focus, a music recital, a of girls-only schools. This is extra-curricular programme – for communication. Exciting breadth and opportunity at cinema private view, a full- most obvious in STEM. Here, whether that was a group of news reached us in July that a time when reductionist scale musical (The Sound of once again, we have seen aspiring scientists visiting an our bid for funding for an thinking is widespread in Music) and inaugural Dance the popularity of science and Inspiring Females Conference 4 Highlights 2017-18 5 Pioneering 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 The self-confidence Northampton High when establishment of a successful of our girls is a School Captain Abigail School Equestrian Team Passmore, herself destined to under the leadership and hallmark of the gain a place at Loughborough inspiration of Mrs Harvey and School. It originates to study Sports Technology, our Head of Science, Mrs with the inner spark was chosen to lead the GDST Hodgetts-Tate, a project by XI against the Ladies MCC at a A Level Business students in each individual friendly game in Hampstead.