Northampton High Junior School

The Good Schools Guide Review of Northampton High Junior School, Northampton, NN4 6UU

Our View

School is housed in same building as its older sibling. Shares facilities like canteen, swimming pool and sports pitches but has its own distinctive feel. Like other GDST junior schools, it combines first-rate delivery of the curriculum with a nurturing environment where girls feel safe and secure. Most year groups have two classes, three in year 6. Maximum of 16 to a class up to year 2, 18 in year 3, 20 in year 4, 22 in year 5 and 24 in year 6. French from year 1 and ICT lessons once a week for all. Modern building means all classrooms are airy and spacious, with oodles of storage space for books, coats and PE kit. Classrooms at lower end of school open on to their own enclosed areas. When we visited one had been temporarily transformed into a mini racing track, complete with scooters, toy cars and cardboard petrol pumps. All classrooms equipped with overhead projectors and most with interactive whiteboards too.

Glowing 2011 ISI report judged the school’s EYFS provision to be ‘outstanding’ in every category, highlighting the fact that girls here are ‘happy and greatly enjoy the setting’. Own SENCo, who works with each class once a week as well as offering one-to-one learning support before school and during lunch breaks. Mild learning disabilities catered for plus enrichment opportunities for gifted and talented. Teachers (16 full-time) have good working relationship with their counterparts in senior school, meeting regularly to discuss curriculum.

Excellent pastoral care. PSHCE lessons given over to issues girls may face, such as eating disorders or friendship problems. Teachers give girls opportunity to play old-fashioned (and very wholesome) playground games like Grandmother’s Footsteps, What’s the Time, Mr Wolf? and Stuck in the Mud, with aim of getting everyone involved.

Own hall for assemblies, dance, ballet and gym and library. Around £3,000 spent on new library books each year - Michael Morpurgo, Dick King-Smith and Anne Fine are girls’ current favourite authors. Pupils get the chance to air their views at school council meetings. Head was astonished recently when girls vetoed his plans for a school disco and said they’d like a barn dance instead! Music, drama, art and sport galore, plus activities like sponsored spellathon, cyber fashion show, talent show, hobbies convention and trips to pony club, music festivals, museums and art galleries.

Parents give school a firm thumbs-up. Two-thirds of girls are from families where both parents work, and with this in mind recently introduced breakfast club – for parents as well as girls. It opens at 7.45am, charges £2.15 per head and has proved hugely popular, particularly with the dads.

Fizzes with energy and enthusiasm. Girls are an industrious lot who like being busy and working hard. As one year 3 told us: ‘The teachers here are very kind and they help us a lot.’

Head

Since 2009, Mr Andrew Noakes BA MA (Ed) (late thirties), until September 2011 the only male head at a GDST junior school. Educated at Reed’s School, Surrey, then read European studies and French at De Montfort University. Worked in industry for several years, before realising he wanted to teach. Trained at St George’s College in Weybridge, then taught at Parkside and Bedford Modern Junior School. Calm, committed and unflappable, he teaches several periods of French, busy schedule permitting, as well as taking cover lessons. Keen on allowing pupils to grow up in their own time and thinks single-sex education is hugely beneficial to girls. Married to Abigail, a teacher at Kimbolton School, with two children. Daughter is a pupil at Northampton High Junior School.

Entrance

Pupils admitted to nursery on first come, first served basis. After that main entry points are reception, year 3, year 5 and (increasingly) year 6. Prospective pupils visit for a half-day, doing assessments in English and maths, before hearing whether they've got a place. Not completely full at the moment - 'possibly due to our selective entry - not that it's particularly high,' says head.

Exit

Virtually all progress to senior school. 'Robust tracking system' and any concerns get flagged up early on, but head says, 'We very rarely find ourselves in that situation'.

This school has not yet completed our SEN Survey

School Features

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