Headteacher's Bulletin - Friday, July 12th 2024
At the end of last week, 36 of our young artists explored three of the nation's iconic cultural institutions: the National Portrait Gallery, the National Gallery, and the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.
Mr Bradbury reports: 'At the National Portrait Gallery, the students immersed themselves in the rich history of portraiture, examining works that span from the Tudor period to contemporary times. This offered valuable insight into the evolution of artistic techniques and styles. The National Gallery provided a broad survey of Western art, where students encountered masterpieces from the Renaissance to the 19th century, deepening their understanding of historical and contextual influences on art. Finally, at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, the students experienced a diverse array of contemporary artworks, which broadened their perspectives on modern artistic practices. This visit enriched their contextual knowledge and provided a vital reference framework to support their future studies and to inspire their own creative endeavours.'
The end of Term 6 is always full of exciting school events and the last two weeks have been no exception.
Over the next two days we have three showings of the school Musical - The Addams Family - to look forward to. Following a successful dress rehearsal the opening night tonight, looks set to be a great performance!
On the Sporting Front sport, we also enjoyed a fantastic Sports Day on Wednesday with Chipsey House emerging victorious overall after a highly competitive series of events. The Sixth Form also had a great bespoke Sports Day today, with Washington coming out on top.
We also wish the very best of luck to the following students who are competing at the All England Athletics Championships this weekend in Birmingham having met the exacting qualification standards that only very few junior athletes in the country reach.
Michael Graham in the Shot Put Final
Reuben Walter in the heats of the 80m Hurdles
Nathan Lamb in the heats of the 1500m
Alice Bennett in the heats of the 800m
Rhys Owen is in the Pole Vault Final
Well done also to William Robertson Y7, who has just achieved his 1st Dan Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, an incredible achievement for a student who has only just turned 12 and who also broke his arm only 4 months ago! Congratulations as well to Benjamin Wordsworth Y10 who is excelling in his Volleyball and his rapid progress led recently to his selection to the East Midlands Region U15 Boys Team at the English Regional Finals.
Oliver Underwood Y11 has been a Northamptonshire Emergency Services Cadet since September 2022 and a Police & Fire Specialism Cadet since January 2024. Since finishing his GCSEs, Oliver has used his skill and expertise in the work of our emergency services to produce water, road and fire safety materials which will be shared in Personal Development sessions for water, fire and road safety. Mrs Greenaway, who is in charge of Personal Development, stated 'Ollie is such a dedicated young man who can see the power of education in keeping people safe and for him to put the hard work into these to give back to the school is admirable and very much appreciated.'
Finally, our Year 13 students said a fond farewell to NSB at their Leavers Prom which was held at the Northampton Saints on Saturday night. Mrs Bradley-Brophy reports:
The Year 13 prom on Saturday was a truly unforgettable evening. Held at the Rodber Suite at the Saints, the night was filled with laughter, photos, dancing, and a sense of celebration. Students arrived (albeit after England won on penalties) in dazzling attire, they all looked amazing. The welcome drinks and three course meal went down a storm and the Photo Booth with props was busy all night with students capturing smiles and friendships. The dance floor was alive with energy, as everyone enjoyed a mix of their top 40 songs created by their votes to the NSB Playlist! It was a perfect farewell to NSB Sixth Form, leaving lasting memories for all who attended. The staff had a great time too and it's certainly true that the students of Year 13 2024 will be missed! Thank you for the last 2 years.
Richard Bernard
Headteacher