Northgate Way | Northgate High School

Northgate Council April Bulletin

by K Theobald | Mar 30, 2026 | Latest News, Northgate Way, Student Blog, Uncategorized

We are pleased to introduce our April bulletin. It’s certainly a bumper edition this month with so much having gone on in March. In our bulletin this month we are celebrating lots of successes of our students. There’s updates from Science Week, World Book Week, sporting updates and lots 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.

Amazing Artwork

by K Theobald | Mar 22, 2026 | Latest News, Northgate Way, Student Blog, Uncategorized

We love to showcase the amazing work of our students from the Art and Design department and so would like to share some of the work produced over the last half term. We hope you’ll agree, we have some very talented students at Northgate!

Year 7 sunset paintings focussed on warm and cool colours, Year 8 packaging paintings focussed on tints and shades, Year 8s produced some Moroccan tile inspired lino prints, Year 9 biro drawings focussed on tone and mark making and finally, Year 10 produced some lino prints as part of their GCSE course. You can some of our students’ work below by scrolling through the gallery.

We look forward to sharing more work with you in the coming months, particularly when our Year 11s showcase their GCSE coursework and exam pieces.

Northgate News Interview – Mr Jewell

by K Theobald | Mar 15, 2026 | Latest News, Northgate Way, Student Blog, Uncategorized

Max, Year 11, is part of the Northgate News Team. He decided to interview Mr Jewell who is our Design Department Technician. Here’s what he had to say in response to Max’s questions.

What is your role in the wood technology department, and what does it involve?

My role as Design & Technology Technician involves a great deal of tasks. These include:

preparing and setting up resources for practical lessons across the department
maintaining machinery and equipment and repairing if necessary
helping students with their designs for practical projects and realising them
assisting teachers with preparation for classes throughout the day

These are just a few of the various duties I perform from day to day.

What made you want to work in wood technology and in a school environment?
I have always enjoyed designing, making, repairing, and creating all sorts of things using as many tools and types of machinery as I can. I also enjoy passing on knowledge that I have gained through experience and if this can help students with their projects and interests and teach them skills for their future then I am more than happy to help.

What kind of work did you do before coming to this school?
I was a full-time dad for a while, looking after my children and before that I worked in retail and retail management.

What is your favourite part of working in a workshop?
Seeing the end result of something that has been designed and realised from start to finish, either by myself or students.

Do you have any hobbies?
I love spending time with my children, designing and making things, going for bike rides or walks and Geocaching. I have always loved movies, especially sci-fi and I do like gaming.

Have you worked on any personal projects? If not, would you like to?
I have completed many personal projects, from home DIY, to log reindeers, to hollowed out tree trunk lamps, to 3D printing and furniture to name a few.

What advice would you give students who are thinking about a career in wood technology or something similar?

If you enjoy making things, keep at it, keep practicing, try new ways of making things. If you have ideas running around your head, build them! There is nothing better than seeing and feeling something you have imagined and made real with your own hands.

Do you watch any sports or do you support a team?

I don’t follow sports at all, I enjoy taking part in a few different sports here and there.

What do you enjoy outside of school?

I love relaxing at home or getting out and about doing different things with my family, but always having a laugh and not taking things too seriously.

What’s a book, film, or documentary that has influenced the way you think?

I love sci-fi and new technologies so I like to aim for the future in the things I do, try to find better ways of doing things or more efficient ways. I think this started when I saw my favourite movie – Aliens, so I think this has influenced the way I think more than anything else.

Who was a teacher or role model that inspired you when you were younger, and why?

I would say my dad is a role model for me as he was not particularly an academic person, but he could make anything from computers to buildings, from cars to gadgets for home. I joke and say he was able to make a flying tank from a bean tin and a lolly stick.

What’s a fun or unexpected fact about you?

A fun fact is, I love a good party and am usually the life and soul of it.

A big thank you to Mr Jewell for answering these questions and obviously for the valued support he is able to offer the Design Department and students.

Po-e-tree Competition

by K Theobald | Mar 15, 2026 | Latest News, Northgate Way, Student Blog, Uncategorized

This World Poetry Day, the Tree Council want to celebrate childrens’ love of trees and nature with our own ‘po-e-tree’ competition.

Taking place on 21 March 2026, World Poetry Day celebrates one of the most treasured forms of expression that helps people understand and appreciate the world. The Tree Council wanted to hear childrens’ thoughts, feelings and hopes for trees, nature and our environment.

They therefore launched a po-e-tree competition which we opened up to all Northgate students. The poem could take any form and could be about a favourite tree, dreams of a tree-filled future or just capture a beautiful moment.

We had lots of entries from some very talented students, including some from our creative writing group. It was very difficult to judge them, based on such a high standard. Congratulations to our winner Jessica S (Year 7) and runners up Lewis E (Year 9) and Saskia O (Year 7) who all reeived prizes for their efforts.

All of the poems have been entered into the Tree Council’s national competition. You can scroll through the entries below.

Northgate Council March Bulletin

by K Theobald | Feb 26, 2026 | Latest News, Northgate Way, Student Blog, Uncategorized

We are pleased to introduce our March bulletin. In our bulletin this month we are looking forward to some great activities for World Book Day and British Science Week. There’s updates from the library and Orchard as well as Maths Challenge successes.

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.

Northgate News Interview – Miss Woodier

by K Theobald | Feb 11, 2026 | Latest News, Northgate Way, Student Blog, Uncategorized

Pera, Year 8, is part of our Northgate News Team. She decided to interview Miss Woodier who teaches English and a little bit of Drama and Citizenship. She also runs a creative writing club and works with some super talented writers. Here’s what she had to say in response to Pera’s questions:

What made you want to become a teacher?

I was inspired by my English teacher when I was at school. I was a very shy student, and they helped me find my voice and gain confidence through reading and writing.

What’s your favourite book or text to teach, and why?

My favourite text to teach is Boys Don’t Cry because it really resonates with students. It’s an emotional and powerful story and everyone connects with it in different ways. It often leads to some of the most meaningful lessons.

What was your favourite subject at school?

English was my favourite subject at school because I loved reading and writing. I enjoyed exploring different stories and expressing my ideas creatively, which made lessons something I always looked forward to.

Did you always enjoy English when you were a student?

I always have enjoyed English but I had other favourites too.

What advice would you give to students preparing for exams?

Start revising early so you don’t feel overwhelmed, and try to stay calm. Doing a little revision regularly and looking after yourself makes a big difference.

What do you enjoy doing outside of school?
Outside of school, I enjoy bouldering – which is climbing without the harness, spending time with my friends, making really strange jam, and reading lots of books. I like having a mix of active hobbies and relaxing ones

If you weren’t a teacher, what job do you think you’d be doing?
If I wasn’t a teacher, I think I would be a nurse because I enjoy helping people and making a positive difference in their lives. I worked in healthcare alongside studying at university so the field is familiar.

What’s a fun or surprising fact about you?

I have four cats and they are all named after Pokemon.

We noticed you like dressing up, for example for the spelling bee and for open evenings. What is the most random costume you have ever worn?
The most random costume I’ve ever worn was Miss Trunchbull. It was definitely one of the scariest costumes, but also one of the most fun to dress up as.

Describe Northgate in 3 words.
Inclusive

Creative
Supportive

Quick Fire Questions:

Books or movies? Books

Writing a story or reading? Writing a story

Who is your favourite author? Stephanie Garber is the author I would recommend to students.

Home cooked meal or takeaway? Home cooked

Spring or Autumn? Spring

Vacation or staycation? Vacation

Chocolate or crisps? Chocolate

Giving presents or receiving presents? Giving

Poetry or creative writing? Creative writing

Xander is part of the Creative Writing group that Miss Woodier works with on a Monday after school. He then asked her a few questions about the group:

What do you like about the creative writing club?

I really enjoy seeing the differing skills between the students, as everyone brings their own strengths and ideas to the group. I love teaching new writing skills and techniques, and sharing my passion for writing while watching students grow in confidence and creativity.

What’s your favourite competition?

My favourite competition has been the Halloween stories. The students really love the horror genre, so there was a lot of enthusiasm and creativity, which made it a particularly strong and exciting competition.

What’s your favourite fairytale?

My favourite fairytale is Little Red Riding Hood because of its dark themes and the many different ways the story can be interpreted and retold.

What poem do you like the most?

One of my favourite poems is within a collection of code poetry by Daniel Holden and Chriss Kerr because it blends creativity with structure in an interesting and unexpected way. You can read the poem and see what is formed when entered into JavaScript.

What three words would you use to describe the school creative writing group?

Motivational, imaginative, inspiring.

Below you can scroll through some recent poems written by our Creative Writing Club as part of Children’s Mental Health Week.