Message from the Headteacher
I hope you all managed to take some time at Easter and enjoy the sunshine and, of course, enjoy the more relaxed measures that are in place now, which enable us to enjoy some long awaited time with our families and friends!
The fifth term of the year has started smoothly and the students are yet again making us proud. As the year approaches some better times for everyone, I found my self thinking about our amazing students. Each and every single child has experienced an unprecedented time over the last two academic years and yet they continue to amaze me with their ability to take everything in their stride.
I prefer not to hear them called the COVID generation but an extraordinary generation who have done an amazing job in so many ways.
They are not just the generation that needs to catch up, they are a generation that has learnt many skills throughout various lockdowns that have made them resilient, adaptable, independent and very tech savvy!
They are an incredible generation of children who will take all of these skills forward with them in life and they make the Huxlow staff proud of them every day.
At Huxlow we continue to adapt our teaching, timetables, lunches etc... to ensure the students have the best experience in school whilst being kept safe and we will continue to notify you of the changes as and when they happen. We are all looking forward to times of normality but will make the best of what we are allowed to to do as the measures are relaxed.
You will see below in the rest of the newsletter that the students are working hard and producing some amazing work in every subject and we will try and share as much of this as possible with you via the Newsletter and social media channels so keep your eyes peeled!
If you have any questions or concerns regarding anything, please do not hesitate to contact the school as we strive to work in partnership with our families to provide the best for each and every student at Huxlow.
Kim Isaksen (Acting Headteacher)
HUXLOW UNIFORM
Hoodies - Huxlow branded hoodies can be worn to school until the end of the academic year. However hoods should not be up at any point, whether the student is indoors or outdoors, unless it is raining. No other hoodies are permitted in school.
On a non-PE day, all students will need to wear smart black trousers, a white shirt and their House tie. They can wear black shoes which are NOT running shoes. On a PE day, students will be allowed to wear their Huxlow PE kits. If students do not wish to wear their shorts all day, they will be allowed to wear plain (black) track suit bottoms.
False lashes and false nails are not permitted in school. A detention will be issued to anyone wearing these to school.
EQUIPMENT
Sharing of stationery is not permitted, students should come to school with full stationery. As a reminder, all Huxlow students have the following items checked in LORIC time each day:
- Pen
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Full School Uniform
- Reading Book
- Mask (plain/no branding) / Lanyard (if exempt)
MASKS
Face coverings in schools and colleges to remain in place. The Government has confirmed that face coverings should continue to be worn in secondary school classrooms as a precautionary measure until at least Monday 17 May. This cautious approach will help limit the risk of transmission and enable continued monitoring of the effect of school and college returns, as twice weekly testing is established and embedded in pupil’s routines. Please continue to send students to school with a supply of face masks. Thank you for your ongoing support.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance is mandatory in school. Our aim is promote 100% attendance for every child.
- If your child is unwell and cannot attend school, please contact us on the first day of their absence.
- If the absence is due to COVID-19, please follow the guidance from the government and contact us.
- We will resume the use of our pre-lockdown attendance policy and procedures to monitor absences. See last newsletter for details.
CANTEEN / WATER
The canteen remains open as usual. Please ensure you have topped up your child's Wise Pay account - see link below.
Students should bring a refillable water bottle to school with them.
PARENT CONTACT DETAILS
Please ensure you keep your child's records up to date in school. We use your contact details regularly to get information to you so it is important we have the correct information. Should you need to change anything, please email a.webster@huxlow.northants.sch.uk
LUNCH TIMES
In order to lengthen the times and enable students to have a little more space to enjoy their breaks we have made some amendments to the lunchtimes and the locations.
YEAR 7 LUNCHTIME CLUB
Miss Pucel is running a Year 7 Games Club every Friday for those students who wish to join. It has been successful so far and all who have attended have really enjoyed themselves. For more information students should see Miss Pucel.
STUDENTS OF THE WEEK
As usual, our students continue to amaze us every week. The below students were the winners of the Student of the Week and should be proud of their efforts in school and their overall attitude to their learning. A huge well done to the winners and all the students who were nominated too - we are extremely proud of all of you!
The winners all received a delicious afternoon tea from our canteen.
W/C 12TH APRIL 2021
Year 7 Winner: Demi A
Year 8 Winner: Sophie B
Year 9 Winner: Kevin K
Year 10 Winner: Lily H
W/C 19TH APRIL 2021
Year 7 Winner: Monica Y
Year 8 Winner: Agatha P
Year 9 Winner Jack G
Year 10 Winner: Liam P
Year 11 Winner: Ella G
COVID-19 MEASURES UPDATE
It remains extremely important that all students are tested twice a week during term time and school holidays (Sun Eve & Tues Eve/Wed AM). We urge you to take the tests in the evening and inform us of the results ASAP so we can act on these before the next school day starts - this will limit the interruption to the school day for students and working day for parents.
If for any reason you run out, you can order Home Test Kits here. These generally arrive the next day via Royal Mail in boxes of 7.
Regardless of the outcome, all test results should be recorded on the Government website using the instructions provided in the instruction leaflet. We as a school are also required to log the results of tests, therefore please use this link to record your results – this will only take a short time.
SCHOOL MEASURES
Please see the below link to the latest letter sent to all parents regarding the move back to classrooms for teachers.
MATHS
Huxlow students continue to work hard in all aspects of their Maths. Here are some excellent examples of student work on algebraic manipulation, sequences and graphs.
The Maths department would like to give a special mention to the students responsible for the mathematician posters in Mr Darnbroook's class! Well done they are fabulous!
Keep up the good work everyone!
FRENCH
YEAR 7
Students have been researching schools in France and how different the British and French systems are. They particularly liked the idea of a daily 3 course-meal in the canteen and a 2-hours for lunch!
YEAR 8
Students have started the GCSE topic 'Family Relationships'. This enables the students to feel more confident next year when tackling this theme as part of their actual GCSE studies!
YEAR 9
Students are focusing on French celebrations; being able to name them, know when they happen, what they celebrate and write sentences in French about them. This is forms part of the GCSE course.
YEAR 10
Students have started the topic of Healthy Living and what to do to be healthy, from exercise to eating habits and addictions.
YEAR 11
Students have been preparing for their writing assessment and have all been very positive. They should be very proud of themselves!
MUSIC
INSTRUMENT/SINGING LESSONS
Good news.....! We are finally in a position to have the NMPAT Music teachers come back in to school to teach face to face music lessons from Monday 26th April. It will be so good for the students to see their teachers in person and it is the first step towards the Music Department being buzzing with live group music again!!
The lessons will take place in the conservatory and timetables have been sent out by email to both students and parents. Please see the general dates below:
Monday: Guitar and Drums
Tuesday: Singing and Piano
Wednesday: Woodwind
Thursday: Violin
Please remind student to bring their instruments, any books, drum sticks, etc etc!
As ever, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact r.runnells@huxlow.northants.sch.uk
Thank you, Mrs Runnells
DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
KEY STAGE 3
Design Technology, students have been working hard at developing their technical drawing skills, together with perspective and typographic skills and developing their timber finishing techniques, embroidery skills and a range of healthy eating recipes.
In Art the focus this term is North American native patterns and South American festival art with some lovely techniques being applied.
In Computing students have been working on coding with python and html techniques.
KEY STAGE 4 / GCSE
Design Technology students have been designing Passive Amplifiers through the interactive design process.
Graphics and Creative I-Media students have been focussing on their photoshop skills.
Textiles, Art and Hospitality & Catering students have been experimenting with a range of new techniques, with a focus on the practical elements, allowing us to regain momentum with their projects now we are back in school.
Einsteins, our school canteen, has also been celebrating our wonderful student's DT work by creating a central display within the canteen for everyone to admire.
In other DT news, staff have been creating beautiful squares for the new first aid blanket and Mrs Lane has been working tirelessly sewing them all together.... needless to say that Mrs Lane is no longer a fan of sewing squares together right now!! but it is all in aid of a good cause so she assures me she will get it all done and will share the end result with you all soon! Watch this space!
COMPETITION ALERT - HELP FOR HEROES STAMP DESIGN
We are running the Heroes Stamp Design Competition for Year 7 and 8. We will be discussing this in DT lessons and Art lessons over the coming weeks. Students can enter themselves or they can email their entries to a.turner@huxlow.northants.sch.uk . All entries to be completed by 20th May 2021. Good luck to everyone who enters!
DRAMA
YEAR 7
Year 7 have been creating costumes of their very own superheroes. They will be using the characters they have created to produce their very own superhero shows and movies.
YEAR 9
Year 9 have completed their first scripted performance examination! They all did incredibly well and were all very creative and professional.
A playwright has also contacted the Drama department to ask if some of the Year 9 Class can perform scenes for their upcoming play TEEN. This is an incredible opportunity for the students so watch this space!
YEAR 11
Year 11 are currently preparing for their final performance assessment. They will be doing a range of monologues from contemporary plays such as the ones below. The department wishes them all the very best of luck!
ENGLISH
YEAR 7 & 8
All Year 7 & 8 students should have received their CGP workbook now - if your child hasn't got theirs, please contact their English teacher directly.
Year 7 & 8 are using Bedrock for their homework. They are absolutely smashing it with the time they have spent on there! Well done everyone!
A special well done to those students mentioned below, who are currently top of the Bedrock Leaderboard:
Year 7 - Mia C, Harlow F, Ella P, Ellis B, Melody W
Year 8 - Chloe R, Pheobe O, Deesha C, Maddie H, Carly G
All Year 7 and 8 students who earn 120 Bedrock points by Monday 31st May 2021 have a chance of winning a £250 technology allowance or a £10 voucher from Bedrock!
YEAR 9
Year 9 are being Activists this term - they are studying the Power of the Voice and developing their evaluation skills when analysing texts. They have developed their thoughts and opinions around some challenging ideas and have explained and backed up these fantastically!
YEAR 10
Year 10 are currently working towards their Speaking and Listening grade this term. This week they have looked at some inspiring speeches, including Amanda Gorman's inauguration poem. She overcame her speech impediment to deliver the poem to the entire world, which just goes to show that with hard work and perseverance you really can achieve anything!
YEAR 11
Year 11 have been writing persuasive speeches this week in English. There some fantastic ideas developing and we have some very persuasive speakers! Keep up the good work everyone.
HUXLOW RECOMMENDS
If you enjoyed reading books written by J K Rowling, such as the Harry Potter series......
Then why not try.....
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgewick
What would you sacrifice for someone you've loved forever?
Have you ever had the feeling that you've lived another life? Been somewhere that has felt totally familiar even though you've never been there before, or felt that you've known someone even though you are meeting them for the first time?
Eric and Merle loved and lost one another, and have been searching for each other through time ever since. This novel comprises seven short stories and travels in time, from 2073 back to the days of Viking sagas. Across the different tales, the two souls appear as lovers, mother and son, brother and sister, and artist and child as they come close to finding each other before facing the ultimate sacrifice . . .
OR
Night Speakers by Ali Sparkes
Night after night Elena, Matt, and Tima wake at exactly the same time, with no idea why. It's messing them up and fracturing their lives . . . until they venture out into the dark and find each other. And then the sleepless trio realize their astounding power - they can speak any language; they can even communicate with animals. But something is happening over on the industrial estate-something which is emitting sounds that only they can hear, and killing any winged thing that crosses its path. There's nobody to fight it but themselves, for only they can possibly understand it and what it means to do . . .
NATIONAL SURVEY OF CHILDREN - THE BIG ASK
Launched on 19th April 2021
The new Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has today launched The Big Ask – the largest ever consultation with children aged 4 to 17 in England. It aims to find out children’s concerns and aspirations about the future, so that we can put children at the heart of our country’s recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
All schools are encouraged to support their pupils to complete this survey. Parents, care givers and those working with children are also invited to complete the adult survey to share their views about the future for children and young people today, and what they think is holding young people back.
The results from this survey will help the Children’s Commissioner identify the barriers preventing children from reaching their potential, put forward solutions and set ambitious goals for the country to achieve.
In every student's (Year 7-11) Unifrog locker we have placed the above information and ask that they do the following:
HUXLOW PTFA
PARENTS, TEACHERS, FRIENDS, ASSOCIATION
Please come and join our fabulous PTFA team at the virtual AGM on Thursday 27th May. We are a friendly bunch of parents and friends of Huxlow who want to help the school community raise funds and plan events for the benefit of our wonderful students!
If you would like to join our super friendly PTFA please see the below poster for details....
PTFA FUNDRAISING
The PTFA have raised a substantial amount of money in the past (pre-COVID) and the below shows just a few of the wonderful ways in which these funds are spent:
The PTFA also funded some new I-Pads for the Science department!
NATIONAL STEPHEN LAWRENCE DAY 22ND APRIL 2021
Stephen’s story is both challenging and inspirational. He was a normal young person who made the most of everyday opportunities. Although his life was short, Stephen provides a positive role model of a life well lived.
Stephen Lawrence was born and grew up in south-east London, where he lived with his parents Neville and Doreen, his brother Stuart and sister Georgina.
Like most young people, he juggled an active social life, school work, family commitments, and part-time employment. But he also had ambitions to use his talent for maths, art, and design to become an architect, and wanted to have a positive impact on his community.
Tragically, his dream of becoming an architect was never realised. On 22 April 1993, at the age of just 18, Stephen was murdered in an unprovoked racist attack. He didn’t know his killers and his killers didn’t know him.
After the initial police investigation, five suspects were arrested but not convicted. A public inquiry into the handling of Stephen’s case was held in 1998, leading to the publication of the Macpherson Report, which has been called ‘one of the most important moments in the modern history of criminal justice in Britain’.
It led to profound cultural changes in attitudes to racism, to the law and to police practice. It also paved the way for a greater understanding of discrimination of all forms and new equalities legislation.
AT HUXLOW
Huxlow students spent the first part of the day learning about the tragic events that ended Stephen's life and how we can all be part of making changes for the future to help ensure this doesn't happen again!
Yet again the students made us proud as they were all thoughtful, kind and engaged in the discussions and listened carefully to a thought provoking assembly from Stephen's mother and brother.
We all have the power to make a difference and together we can make a change!
WELLBEING
Please take a look at the below resources regarding the local health, care and community services in Northamptonshire and the posters regarding anxiety and selfcare.
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CARERS - SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES
Carers support line offering a listening ear, practical advice & access to a wide range of services, including:
- Carers Assessments
- Support Groups & Cafes,
- Activities, breaks & sitting services
- Peer support
- Dedicated Young Carer and Young Adult Carer Teams
To access this support please call 01933 677907 or access our website using the below link:
See the below link for a wealth of information regarding wellbeing for parents and their children. The wellbeing of both are closely linked and this website offers a huge amount of resources and advice that may help.
SAFEGUARDING
SAFEGUARDING IS EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY
Call the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) helpline for support and advice if you have a concern for your own or another child’s safety on 0808 800 5000.
SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDANCE
With so many Social media platforms out there it is hard to understand how each one works. See below hints and tips for the most popular platforms our there, which could be helpful to both you and your child.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
MR MATT COUTTS - TEACHER OF MATHS
- How long have you been a Maths Teacher? I have been a teacher at Huxlow for 6 years.
- Why did you become a Maths Teacher? I fell in love with Maths during a stint as an Officer in the Royal Australian Navy and decided to study pure maths after that.
- Where did you grow up? I grew up on the Sunshine Coast but have lived all over Australia. I then travelled from the sunny Sunshine Coast of Australia to England to help spread a love of maths!
- What do you do in your free time? I enjoy doing maths, board games, card games, dice games, running, swimming, surfing, being outside and cooking.
- What did you want to be when you were younger? A Spy! I am still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up though!
- Who would play you in a movie? A young Tom Cruise of course!
- Who is your biggest role model? My Dad
- Which food is your guilty pleasure? Lasagna
- Last book you read? Abstract Algebra
- Describe yourself in 3 words? Curious, amicable, and above all, nerdy!
- What piece of advice would you give to 15 year old Mr Coutts? Surf more
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