by K Theobald | May 30, 2023 | Latest News, Northgate Way, Student Blog, Uncategorized
Isla and Florence from Northgate’s News Team, decided they wanted to interview Mr Fair, Northgate’s food teacher! Here’s how it went:
What are your hobbies?
My hobbies are painting, cycling. I like walking/ going on walks and I enjoy paddle boarding too! Or any kind of extreme sports activity.
Have you had any previous jobs and what were they?
Yes, so I have had lots of jobs. So I was a teacher in another school, I was also an art teacher before I started teaching food tech. I lived in Spain for several years where I was a gardener and a greenkeeper and I even worked in hotels, restaurants and bars!
What is your favourite dish to make?
(Spaghetti) Carbonara. Or technically my dirty Carbonara, its not a very healthy dish that’s why I call it dirty. So it’s like my own spin on a traditional carbonara.’’
What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?
Umm that would have to be guinea pig, jellyfish or llama!
Have you ever met any famous chefs?
Yeah! I have met Gennaro Contaldo, he was the one who taught Jamie Oliver how to cook Italian food.  I have also met Tim Kinnard (from Masterchef), he came and taught some things to Year 10 students at Northgate.’’
What made you decide to teach food tech?
Well I love all the different types of food and I love cooking! But I think also the fact that I wanted to become a teacher was because I had a really bad time in school and the teachers were not very nice and they didn’t really listen or help you in the 1980s so I thought by being a teacher I could give you all someone who would listen and help you and make you feel better about school/
If you didn’t teach food tech what would be your other option/s?
Art or Spanish. Two very good subjects!
We have heard you like to travel. What’s your favourite destination?
Ooh that’s a good question! I think I would have to say, South America or Thailand.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to go camping, like I said before I like to go paddle boarding, I also enjoy watching films, painting and drawing too.
Do you have any siblings?
Yes, one brother and two sisters – all younger than me.
And finally, which place do you believe has the weirdest foods?
Actually, that’s a pretty easy one, it would have to be China, or probably North Korea.
A big thank you to Isla and Florence for posing the questions and to Mr Fair for sitting down and answering them (he thought they were particularly good questions too!)
by K Theobald | May 29, 2023 | Latest News, Northgate Way, Student Blog, Uncategorized
We are pleased to introduce our June bulletin. In our bulletin this month there’s information about our new Community Choir, recommended reads from Mrs Gill and celebrations for our UKMT Maths Challenge participants.
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.
by K Theobald | May 7, 2023 | Latest News, Northgate Way, Student Blog, Uncategorized
In our latest Northgate News Team interview, Daniel spoke to Mr Fox, a member of the Science Department. He had plenty of questions to find out more about Mr Fox, who also helps run the after school STEM club.
What is your favourite science subject?
My favourite science subject is biology as it is the study of living things which allows us to learn and understand more about life on Earth.
What was your favourite thing to study in science?
One of my favourite things in science is haematology, the study of blood. I worked in the haematology department at the N & N before I became a teacher.
If you could meet any Scientist, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
I would like to have met Charles Darwin. His theory of evolution was ground-breaking and it challenged many views and beliefs at the time.
What has been your weirdest experience as a science teacher?
During a trial run of the science show we hold during open evenings an experiment went wrong causing a ceiling tile to crack! It was quite a mess.
Did you have a teacher at school who inspired you to want to become a teacher?
During Year 13, I was taught by Mr Ashfield, who still works at Dereham Sixth Form. I was inspired by his teaching style and his personality made him approachable.
Did you have a dream job when you were younger?
When I was younger, I dreamed of being a professional tennis player because I loved sport and tennis especially.
When you were younger did you play any sports?
When I was younger I played an extensive number of sports from tennis, hockey, rugby, basketball, football and even skiing.
Do you have any hobbies outside of school?
Outside of school and playing sports, I like to go to the gym, watch films and television and play Xbox.
Tell me a random fact about yourself
Just before I started working at Northgate one of my front teeth was chipped while playing hockey. Don’t forget to wear gum shields!
What’s your best Science joke?
What did the biologist wear to impress his date? Designer genes.
What is the best thing about running the after-school STEM Club?
The best thing is when we run the science fair. The pupils spend weeks preparing a project to showcase in front of others and it is great seeing their ideas be presented.
A big thank you to Mr Fox for taking the time to answer Daniel’s questions. It’s always interesting to find out about the staff at Northgate. We look forward to the next interview. In the meantime, if you are interested in the after school STEM club, please speak to Mr Fox or any member of the Science department.
by K Theobald | Apr 30, 2023 | Latest News, Northgate Way, Student Blog, Uncategorized
We are pleased to introduce our May bulletin. In our bulletin this month there’s updates from the Library, a review of the recent Spring Showcase and information from our Orchard Committee’s recent trip to Gressenhall’s Earth Day event.
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.
by K Theobald | Mar 30, 2023 | Latest News, Northgate Way, Student Blog, Uncategorized
We are pleased to introduce our April bulletin. In our bulletin this month there’s information about our recent Science Fair and a jam-packed World Book Week as well as news of a grant that our Orchard Committee has been awarded.
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.
by K Theobald | Mar 23, 2023 | Latest News, Northgate Way, Student Blog, Uncategorized
As part of Science Week, 100 of our Year 7s headed to the National Space Centre in Leicester with the Science Department for an amazing experience.
Mrs Simms, who organised the trip, gives her take on the day.
The annual National Space Centre trip to Leicester was exciting from the start, being able to take double the number of pupils than previous years meant being surrounded by double the excitement and expectations.Â
As always, the entrance to the Space Centre is awesome, being able to see a Soyuz Capsule and different space suits used on different missions. Pupils were able to explore by themselves and most made it straight to the towers to see Thor Rocket and a piece of the actual moon. Some pupils were engrossed in a launch simulator, being able to communicate with their astronauts successfully for lift off, taking it in turns to be part of ground control or in the capsule.
There was a new large and impressive exhibit which helped to highlight the challenges faced on our planet Earth, an interactive screen which shows the changing environments and loss of habitats while the planet heats. Pupils loved stepping on the interactive floor making ripples and other patterns on the floor.
As always, the planetarium was an awesome experience, where pupils were made to feel like they were in space or on a centrifuge. They also learnt how dangerous travel to space can be with the help of Chad the astronaut. I think pupils this year appreciated the ability to learn more about the Space topic we have been studying in school in a completely interactive way, bringing to life the space race, how our knowledge has been gained and the different facts about our Solar System.Â
This year I spent some more time in our Solar System exhibit, learning different facts about planets. I was particularly taken aback by the vastness of some other moons. Io, a moon of Jupiter, has a Volcano called Pele, which is so large that when it erupts it covers an area equivalent to France. It is so unimaginable and is awe inspiring, there are very few people on the planet who can appreciate how small Earth is in comparison to the vastness of the universe, and those that do have seen Earth with their own eyes and been brave putting themselves in danger to explore a very inhospitable environment.   Â
Colette said of the trip, ‘The space trip was out of this world! My favourite part was the rocket tower, although there were so many stairs! Whilst we were there, we explored the museum and saw what happens to the human body in space. The museum was super fun and interactive. Me and my friend tried to create a successful space launch but I think it may have been a one-way mission! This was a fantastic trip and I would definitely recommend it (the only thing I would not recommend would be walking up the stairs to the rocket tower 4 times!)’
