During September we asked students to describe Northgate in 3 words – easy you’d think! However, when you actually stop and think there are so many different words that could be used. We are proud of all our students, staff and the wider Northgate community, the vast range of opportunities on offer, the positive relationships established and the pride students take in their work and have of the school as a whole. The graphic to the right shows the words our students used to describe Northgate. The bigger the word, the more frequently it was suggested. We hope these are words that you would use too, when you think of our school!
We are pleased to introduce our September bulletin. In our bumper bulletin this month there’s information about our Year 7 transition and summer school, the amazing Alice in Wonderland production, our Sports Awards evening and so much more.
We hope that you are able to take some time to have a look at all the goings on at Northgate from the last month and enjoy seeing what we’ve been up to. Please share with your friends and family via our Facebook and twitter pages.
Miss Theobald (School Council Coordinator) + Northgate School Council.
The Brilliant Club or Scholars’ Programme is a charity which provides students from a variety of backgrounds a taster of what university life and studies are all about. We have been running this programme at Northgate for several years and our pupils have always found it hugely beneficial.
This year’s cohort of 14 Year 9 students were no exception; they really embraced the programme and made the most of the time we got to spend at Cambridge University for the launch and graduation trips. Mrs Kaufmann-Ward said, ‘I have been particularly impressed by how confident, engaged and respectful; all of our students were when visiting these historical Cambridge colleges.’
‘After our launch trip, students met weekly with their PhD tutor and worked through a personalised series of tutorials on History and Historical Re-enactments before they wrote their final assignment. This assignment was graded using university grades and I am incredibly proud of their results. All 14 students passed with either a 2:2, 2:1 and we even got a 1st from Harry W!’
Mrs Kaufmann-Ward is looking forward to taking another group of students through this programme next year and continuing to work with this year’s cohort to make sure they continue on their path of academic excellence.
Here’s what some of the participants had to say about the experience:
Maisie:
The Brilliant Club experience was challenging yet fulfilling. It happened from around April to July and consisted of an initial trip (to get an understanding of the Brilliant Club, and to learn about universities), and many meetings with our Brilliant Club tutor about “is all history the history of thought?” We also did a graduation trip to Cambridge which was very enjoyable and inspiring.
At the end, we wrote our 2000 word essay based around the main topic and got graded based on university terms and grade boundaries. I felt really proud when I was awarded a 2:1 for my essay. This programme was a great opportunity to get a university experience and challenge myself in a topic that I’m not as familiar with.
Seren:
For the Brilliant Club we went to two universities in Cambridge. At the first university we had our introduction to the Brilliant Club Programme. Then when we returned to school we had our first tutorials. Kate, our tutor, taught us about History and the History of Thought. We did a few assignments and then a final assignment. Our final assignment had to be 2000 words and had to include evidence about Colingwood’s theories. We were then graded like real university essays and on our second trip to Cambridge University we had a graduation.
Kyra:
I really enjoyed being a part of the Brilliant Club as it was such an interesting experience for me. Getting a chance to be involved in a Cambridge University programme gave me a great view at the subjects and level of work that they have to offer.
Taylor:
It was certainly a different experience and was a fun, interesting and a challenge at times and it really made me want to go to a university in Cambridge. The opening ceremony was at Saint Catherine’s where the entire ‘project’ was explained. Finally the graduation ceremony was at Emmanuel University and was a fun opportunity to go to.
At the end of June, a number of our amazing Year 7 Accelerated Reader superstars attended the Children’s Book Day at the Norwich School. They were treated to talks by a range of authors. Here, Colette and Imogen tell us all about the day.
Why were you chosen to go?
Imogen: I think I was chosen to go as I believe I am an avid reader.
Colette: I was selected to go because of my love of creative writing and enjoyment in reading.
What did you enjoy and what did the trip involve?
Imogen: The trip involved going to Norwich School where we would be greeted with three talks from very popular authors such as Lisa Thompson and William Hussey. My favourite part of the trip was meeting the authors and getting my books personally signed by my favourite authors!
Colette: The trip involved visiting Norwich School, meeting various authors. The trip also included the opportunity to get our books signed and ask any questions we had. I enjoyed listening to all the authors’ talks as it was very insightful into their writing processes.
Which authors did you see and who was most inspiring and why?
Imogen: The authors we went to go see were: Lisa Thompson, William Hussey and Ross Montgomery, who I thought was interesting as his writing style was a lot like mine.
Colette: The most inspiring author was Lisa Thompson because she is someone I look up to. Her writing genre is mysteries, which is the style of writing I love to read.
What was the best bit about the trip?
Imogen: The best bit about the trip was getting my books personally signed by the authors!
Colette: The best bit of the trip was seeing how the authors create the characters, the ideas and the plot then turn them into a book.
Why do you enjoy reading so much and why do you think reading for pleasure is so important?
Imogen: Reading for pleasure is incredibly important as it can help with grammar and spelling but it can also expand your vocabulary.
Colette: I enjoy reading because it teleports me to a different universe and helps my writing. It also helps feed my imagination, which benefits my mental health.
Who is your favourite author?
Imogen: My favourite author at the moment has to be the great Jonathan Stroud and my favourite book he wrote is actually part of the series Lockwood and Co which has been made into a Netflix series which I would definitely recommend.
Colette: My favourite authors are Emma Carroll and J.K Rowling because these authors write amazingly good historical and magical books.
What are you planning on reading over the summer?
Imogen: I plan to read the trilogy ‘Bartimaeus’ by Jonathan Stroud.
Colette: Over the holidays I will be reading the second part of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as I thought part one, The Fellowship of the Rings, was very good as it was set in Middle Earth, a world I had never heard of but could imagine.
Have you set yourself a target for how many books you would like to read next year or even how many words?
Imogen: I have no limit to the books I would like to read next year but I would like to become a word millionaire!
Colette: I would like to read 30 books next year but I don’t have target for words!
Our Northgate’s News Team decided they wanted to interview Mr Dungar, who teaches Drama at Northgate. Here’s what they found out.
What was your favourite subject when you were at school?
Geography. I loved being outside when I was younger.
What is your favourite movie or play?
Alien vs Predator (film) and The Woman in Black (play).
Who’s your favourite actor?
Patrick Stewart. He also inspired me to be a teacher.
What’s your favourite Shakespeare play?
Macbeth. I like many plays that include death as one of their themes!
Which do you prefer, dogs or cats?
Dogs, I have two dogs called Albus and Phoenix.
Why did you want to be a Drama teacher?
Primarily I love the escapism of drama, the ability to be in the American West for one hour and then in the 1900’s playing Charlie Chaplin through Slapstick.
Have you taught any other subjects apart from Drama?
I have taught drama for eleven years but also English, ICT, Citizenship and Ethics.
What hobbies do you have?
I am very keen on my motorsport and I am often found at a local racing circuit at the weekends. I have travelled the world following F1 over the last few years including trips to Belgium, France and Hungary.
If you had to describe Northgate in 3 words, what would they be?
Respectful, ambitious and innovative.
What is the best thing about being a teacher?
I have always found it exciting and fulfilling when students take a brief for a performance and develop the drama into a piece that I would never have thought of or imagined to be possible.
Which famous actor would you like to play you in a movie or play about your life and why?
I would love Patrick Stewart to do a biography. I think our joint passion for Shakespeare performances would complicate each other in a film.
A big thank you to Mr Dungar for answering the questions – it’s always great to find out a bit more about our Northgate members of staff!
We are pleased to introduce our July bulletin. In our bulletin this month there’s information and pictures from our recent Orchard opening, updates from the library and our Primary Team Maths challenge.
We hope that you are able to take some time to have a look at all the goings on at Northgate from the last month and enjoy seeing what we’ve been up to. Please share with your friends and family via our Facebook and twitter pages.
Miss Theobald (School Council Coordinator) + Northgate School Council.
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Why were you chosen to go?
Why do you enjoy reading so much and why do you think reading for pleasure is so important?
What was your favourite subject when you were at school?
