Extending and Enhancing Learning

In 2018-19 we ran these extra-curricular clubs:

1st place in the District team cross country championships for Junior girls, Inter girls and 2nd place for Minor and Junior boys
1st place for inter girls and 3rd for minor boys and girls, junior boys and inter boys at the District Athletics team championships. 3 pupils qualified to represent the Country at the regional championships
2nd place for yr7 and y8 girls and 3rd for yr 7 boys at the district sportshall athletics championship.
2nd place for yr8 girls at the country sportshall championships.
We are District team champions in both indoor and outdoor Athletics and Cross-Country

The school show for 2018 was ‘Hairspray’. In 2019 we are performing ‘School of Rock’
Drama Club made up of year 7 and 8 students takes place each week. They also performed ‘The Ratz’ in an evening performance

Coding club takes place every week.
Art club allows students the opportunity to learn different skills and experiment with a variety of materials that are not taught in their lessons. Art competitions also take place throughout the year to produce a drawings, paintings, photography or Photo shop creation on a range of themes. Prizes are awarded for the best entrees.
Sixth Form

Chess league,
Breakfast badminton
Table tennis, an
Economics society,
Medicine society,
Debating society and a
Film makers’ society.
Students took part in the ESU Schools Mace Debating and Bar mock trial competitions.

In 2018/19 we ran these trips:

Languages trip - 30 students from years 8 and 9 to Barcelona to gain a fun cultural and linguistic experience, including visits to landmarks such as the Rambla and Sagrada Familia.
Watersports - 37 students from year 8 went to Le Lac Mimizan in Southwest France staying in tents! They took part in a variety of activities including stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, surfing and catamaran sailing.
CERN – A level Physics students visited CERN, home of the large hadron collider, a big particle accelerator in Geneva, Switzerland. They also visited the United Nations building.
Oxford University – A level Biology students visited Oxford University where they analysed their own DNA.
Geography - GCSE students all take part in in 2 days of fieldwork. I day is an urban study in their local area and the 2nd day is a rivers study based in Epping Forest. A level students take part in 4 days of fieldwork which is a residential visit to Norfolk to study coastal environments.
Rugby – Students went to watch England play Japan at Twickenham. There are also usually trips to Welford Road to see Leicester Tigers. Many students regularly attend Northampton Saints home games.
Ski Trip – this is Bi-annual so this last took place in 2017-18. The trip in 2019-20 is to Vermont USA, via New York
Careers – see in the careers section below for full details
Drama

Year 10, 11 and 12 saw the Muddy Choir – Theatre Centre London (in school), a play about the first world war.
Year 12 and 13 saw Frantic Assembly’s version of the Unreturning
Year 7 went to the Derngate Theatre’s Christmas Pantomine, Cinderella
Year 9 saw Thirsty a play by Paper Birds,

We run these whole school initiatives:

A Student Leadership Programme where students take on responsibility roles around the school including
Student mentor
Sports Leader
Charity rep,
Transition Leader,
Year Focus Group,
School Council or
Anti-Bullying representative,
Sports Leader,
Gold Sports Leader,
Social media rep,
Prefect,
Head teacher’s ambassador,
Senior prefect,
Head Boy/Head Girl,
Subject ambassador,
Reading leader,
Maths leader.
Peer mediators and Reading and Maths Leaders – a group of students in the leadership programme have undertaken training to support younger students with issues they have. (where appropriate)
Challenge and Aspiration (AG+T):

KS3 and KS4 pupils on the Challenge and Aspiration Programme take part in several STEM activities and workshops throughout their school career, in particular, attending the Big Bang Exhibition.
Pupils' progress is tracked and rewarded throughout the year.
Year 9 Take part in a Girls Vs Boys 'The Apprentice' competition to raise money for their school charities.
KS5 pupils are taken to University of Cambridge and are supported in their Oxbridge applications.
All key stages are encouraged to attend Careers and Higher Education events and seek advice from our Careers Advisor.

Accelerated Reader Programme – We encourage Year 7 and 8 to read regularly and follow the accelerated reader programme. Here students regularly take online quizzes on the books they read to build up points and achieve awards. The programme also suggests future reading.
Charity work – In the main school we have a charity group who organise fund raising for an allocated charity. In the sixth form, a similar group also raises money for different charities. Students also take part in the National Citizen Service – a volunteering scheme.
Engagement coaches – Selected students meet weekly with their achievement coach to improve self-esteem confidence and motivation issues.
Activity day – Careers based day where local employers come to school to run skills sessions on employability skills for younger students and run mock interviews and help with CVs for older students
Careers support – We hold the Gold Career Mark Award. An independent career advisor, Jenny Lal, works at the school 2 ½ days a week meeting students. In 2018-19 Jenny ran careers trips to

We have planned trips in 2019-20 to

In 2019-20 years 10 and 12 will have work experience placements.

Team Building Days for form groups – year 7 form groups take part in a bonding and friendship activity day in September to build rapport.
Anti-bullying – We hold the Bronze Anti-bullying Quality mark and a group of staff, students and governors are working on implementing further actions and achieving the silver award.
Northamptonshire Schools County Challenge – We were a finalist in this year’s competition on road safety.