Dear Parents, Girls and Friends of NGHS

As we reach the end of another academic year, I hope you will enjoy reading about all of the exciti ng things we have achieved during the summer term, and all of those sti ll on the horizon.

INSIGHTJuly 2015 Issue 41

NOTTINGHAM GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOLExperts in educating girls from 4-18 yearsLeading. Learning. Loving it.

We were delighted to welcome Professor Angus Wallace on Tuesday 30 June to present the prizes to the Year 9 winners of the ‘Step into the NHS’ careers competi ti on. This is the second ti me we have won this competi ti on and we are very proud of the girls. Dani and Emily were delighted to receive their laptops as prizes. Their hugely creati ve presentati on focussed on a litt le boy with a brain tumour and emphasised the work of the neurosurgeon who removed the tumour and put him on the road to recovery. It was a clever and moving presentati on designed to promote a career in neurosurgery in the NHS.

in just a few seconds. Nevertheless, parents and staff rallied round and we managed to get the girls under cover. Parents who were watching the sports took their daughters home and all the others went back to school. A huge thank you to the parents who came along and cheered on the girls. It was a wonderful occasion and we made the most of the good weather.We welcomed back the Year 9 girls from

their Netball tour to Malta during which they played some great netball against tough oppositi on including the Malta U18 Nati onal Development Squad, and enjoyed some lovely sights, such as the beauti ful island of Gozo by jeep safari.

Progress is already being made on the refurbishment of the all-weather pitch and we look forward to seeing the new area on our return in September, and of course to using it for playing and watching competi ti ve fi xtures of hockey, netball and tennis. This is a wonderful new facility for the PE department.

Constructi on work on The SPACe is also going well and we’re really looking forward to its completi on in the autumn of 2016. Thank you very much indeed for adhering to the new traffi c controls and parking restricti ons, it’s really helped to keep the traffi c moving around the school site.

Aft er much consultati on, checking of the weather on the BBC, and debate, we decided to go ahead with Sports Day and we were rewarded with a really good morning and plenty of sport from the Juniors and Seniors unti l approximately 12.30pm when the heavens opened; we got drenched

Good luck next year to our new Head Girl, Sophia Kapur, her Deputi es, the Prefect Team and House Captains, who have now been appointed and began their duti es aft er Easter.

This is the ti me of year when sadly, we have to say goodbye to any staff who are leaving us. I would like to thank these members of staff for their valuable contributi on to the life of the school over the years.

NOTTINGHAM HUB PHYSICS OLYMPICSFift een girls went along to the Trinity School for the Notti ngham Hub Physics Olympics run by the Ogden Trust. They had a great ti me and came back with a clutch of medals having won two out of fi ve of the Physics based competi ti ons, and been runners up in another two. Great work girls!

CADBURY WORLDYear 10 enjoyed their favourite DT trip of the year - Cadbury World in Birmingham. The girls watched and learned about the processes involved in producing and marketi ng all of their sweet favourites.

YEAR 8 HOUSE OF COMMONS WORKSHOPAs part of their PSHE lessons Year 8 recently had a visit from Diane Hedditch who is Educati on Outreach Offi cer for Parliament’s Educati on Service. She led a workshop on voti ng and electi ons with each class which included an overview of what electi ons are all about, and some general informati on about Parliament. The girls then worked in ‘parti es’ to design their own single issue manifestos, produce a Party Electi on Broadcast and take part in a vote. Results were discussed at the end and rosett es were presented to the leaders.

AUTHOR VISIT - EMMA PASSYear 8 and 9 girls were treated to a visit by Young Adult author, Emma Pass. Emma talked about her earliest infl uences and the world events that led her to the parti cular dystopian genre of her writi ng. She also gave the girls some good ti ps on how to become a writer, before signing copies of her books ‘Acid’ and ‘The Fearless’ which the girls snapped up.

BIRDWATCHINGSix Year 3 and fi ve Year 7 girls went to Att enborough Nature Reserve with Year 11 student Sorrel Lyall and two members of staff . Sorrel, who appeared on BBC Springwatch recently, was on hand to point out and help to identi fy the birds seen and heard. Everybody had a lovely morning, and saw around 35 species.

Their commitment, dedicati on and enthusiasm have been second to none. Whether they are going on to a promoti on or relocati ng, we wish them every success for the future.

We say farewell to Laura Hervas, our Spanish Language Assistant. Laura arrived in the UK in September 2012 and fi tt ed into the department straight away, communicati ng her enthusiasm for the Spanish language and culture daily to the pupils who had conversati on classes with her. She will be remembered for her kindness and her professionalism. We wish her well as she embarks on a teacher training course.

And it is with great sadness that we say ¡Adiós! to Mrs Stephanie Kara who joined the school as Head of Spanish in April 2011. Since her appointment Mrs Kara has worked with considerable energy and passion to lead a vibrant and successful Spanish Department. Aft er giving birth to her fi rst child in 2014 Mrs Kara has decided to divide her ti me between her family and her career and will be taking up a part-ti me positi on in another school in September. She will be hugely missed by both staff and pupils and we all wish her the very best in her new venture.

Finally I would like to say a parti cular thank you to Faith Pott er. Faith has led the Junior School forward in so many ways since her appointment in 2010. Her enthusiasm for sport, outdoor educati on and music have provided opportuniti es for many girls to develop their talents in these areas and provided many happy ti mes for the girls. Faith has been a great colleague to work with. She has shown huge loyalty and commitment to the school and I have no doubt that she will be hugely successful in her new school and wish her every success.

With that, I would like to thank you all for your conti nued support of the school and hope you all have a very relaxing and enjoyable summer. I would like to say bon voyage and good luck to the team of 17 who will be heading out to Tanzania to embark on a 21 day expediti on leaving on Monday 13 July. The team will be trekking for 12 days (including an att empt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro), helping out in a school and going on safari! Have a wonderful ti me - we look forward to hearing about your adventure on your safe return.

With best wishesSusan M Gorham, Head

CHEMISTRY TRIP TO ECTON 2015The Chemistry fi eld trip to Ecton (in the Staff ordshire Peak District) was again a huge success. The trip involved the whole of Year 9 over two days. The girls were given a chance to climb the hill to collect rock samples to be tested later in the day, have a tour down the disused mine to experience the conditi ons miners had to work in over a hundred years ago and carry out chemical experiments to extract copper from their rock samples. Even the traffi c jam in 30˚C heat did not dampen the girls’ spirits!

YEAR 7 VISIT TO ST PETER’S CHURCHYear 7 girls visited St Peter’s Church in Notti ngham as part of their RS syllabus on World Faiths. The girls explored the church and hunted for clues in the stained glass windows as they learned about diff erent religious beliefs.

PHANTASTIC PHYSICSFour Year 9 girls att ended the Ogden Trust Phantasti c Physics contest on a Friday in July in Rutland at the Insti tute of Physics. There were 30 schools competi ng in a range of Physics based competi ti ons and our girls got into the fi nals and had to do a presentati on. They did really well and came third overall. Well done Rachel, Holly, Saffi yah and Tanisha.

YEAR 12 RESIDENTIAL TO NETTLECOMBEEarly on the morning of Wednesday the 1 July, thirty eight Year 12 Biology students and three staff set off on a Biology Field Trip to the Field Studies Centre at Nett lecombe Court. The Centre was set in a beauti ful valley and had lots of diverse habitat to study. The students practi sed random sampling with quadrats in the surrounding grassland, systemati c sampling with line transects on a rocky shore, a small

mammal study in the woodland, caught some stunning moths overnight in the moth trap and followed many of the studies up with some rigorous stati sti cal analysis.

YEAR 8 CHARITY NETBALL MATCH V STAFFThe Year 8 Netball team took on NGHS teaching and support staff in a match to raise money and awareness for the charity ‘Spiral’ which supports children and families suff ering from bereavement. Aft er a brave eff ort and a great game, the staff emerged victorious winning by nine goals to six. Both teams had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the experience.

KIDZANIAA group of our girls were lucky enough to be among the fi rst visitors to the pre-launch day of Kidzania in London. Kidzania provides a role-play experience

HOUSE CHORAL SPEAKINGThis year’s Year 7 House Choral Speaking was even more of a challenge. Not only was it the fi rst ti me working with their new House Captains, it was also a shorter ti me frame: the girls had an hour in which to rehearse and then perform on the same day!

ANIMAL VISITS DAYThe Year 7 and 10 students showed awe and wonder during the Biology Animal Visits Day. Pete from ‘Animal Visits’ kindly brought in a variety of animals to show the students, some of which included Giant Hissing Madagascan Cockroaches, a Slow Worm, a Leopard Gecko, a Royal Python, a Chinchilla, a Ferret, a Domesti c Fox and last but not least a Hawk Owl. The students learnt many interesti ng facts about each of these animals in a fun interacti ve way. A very exciti ng end of year for Biology indeed.

HOUSE PICNIC AND ALTERNATIVE SPORTS DAYOn a hot and sunny lunchti me the girls enjoyed a House picnic and alternati ve sports day during which they took part in space-hopper races, welly-wanging and ‘egg and spoon’ races among other fun acti viti es. Sixth Form girls and catering staff sold smoothies and snacks to keep everybody refreshed. It was brilliant fun.

of the adult world to children, and girls tried their hands at studying at university as well as visiti ng department stores and food kitchens.

All of the girls demonstrated sharp understanding of their chosen poems, confi dence in working as a team and variety in their creati ve delivery. Aft er much deliberati on, the overall winners were Luxton in their seamless performance of ‘Sick’ by Shel Silverstein. They brought out the humour and pace through engaging use of acti on, space and showed obvious synchronicity in their use of collecti ve voice. Superb, memorable performances all round and a wonderful way for all the year groups to mix. Well done, girls!

AFRICA DAYMiss Lynn, Head of Outdoor Learning, with the help of some of our Sixth Formers, held a fun African themed day to raise funds for their forthcoming trip to Tanzania to climb Kilimanjaro. Acti viti es included a treasure hunt, cooking on the fi re pit, face painti ng, African dancing and teepee building.

JUNIOR SCHOOLAft er a brilliant fi ve years leading the Junior School and being part of an amazing team of people, I’m now moving on to a Prep School Head post at Abbotsholme School in Derbyshire. I leave with very happy and fond memories and certainly feel that I have made a positi ve contributi on to the Junior School’s development during my ti me here. I am delighted that I leave a structured House system and increased leadership opportuniti es such as playground buddies and performing arts ambassadors, increased sport for KS2 pupils and a vast array of friendly and competi ti ve fi xtures against other local schools. We are really stamping a name for ourselves as a school with sporti ng excellence in hockey, netball and cross country. The enrichment opportuniti es across the school have developed to include fencing, ballet, musical theatre, tennis, netball, hockey, steel pans and gymnasti cs and unlimited aft er school care places. The school curriculum has been developed along with the progress, tracking and reporti ng systems. The Performing Arts has gone from strength to strength with the introducti on of the Arts Award in Year 3 and Year 5, a more comprehensive annual programme of informal and formal concerts and a wide range of charity fund-raising events. Residenti al trips have been extended to include Year 3 and Year 4 and the Year 5 trip updated to Boggle Hole and the enrichment visits to enhance the curriculum conti nue to go from strength to strength.

teachers. The Junior School is in a very strong positi on to conti nue this development with the new senior management who will be in place in September. The staff team have been incredible to work with and I know they will conti nue to ensure that every girl reaches her potenti al and enjoys every day in school. I wish you all a happy and successful future and hope to bump into some of you again in ti mes to come.

We are also saying goodbye to a few other staff from the Junior school this year. Aft er four years outstanding service as Deputy Head of the Junior School, Mrs Emma Nash is leaving us as she has been appointed Head of the Junior School at Manchester High School for Girls. Mrs Jules Sheppard is leaving to pursue her creati ve talents more fully and enjoy quality ti me with her family aft er almost 12 years of dedicated service working as a teaching assistant. Miss Jenny Collins, with us for 10 years, is taking up a new post which will allow her to further develop her love of academic research and curriculum development. Miss Katy Johnson joined as an NQT four years ago and is relocati ng and taking up a new teaching role at Kings School, Chester. Mrs Alison Garner will be leaving at the end of term to have her second child and join her husband and daughter in Switzerland. We wish all of them good luck and every happiness for the future.

Best wishes and keep aiming high!

Faith Pott er, Junior School Head

YEAR 6 NETBALLHuge congratulati ons to our Year 6 Netball team who became County Champions at the recent Notti nghamshire School Games. Well played girls, and well deserved.

CHORDS FOR PAWSOur Junior musicians put on a brilliant performance at the West Bridgford Bapti st Church recently and raised a huge £850 for Millwood Cat Rescue. Great eff ort girls; really well done.

YEAR 1 AND 2 DA CAPOYear 1 and 2 girls delighted parents with a concert of assorted music and song which was enjoyed by everybody and performed so well by girls so young. Well done girls.

NEVERLANDFriday 18 December, 1.30pmNotti ngham Lakeside ArtsA big thank you to everyone who has bought ti ckets for this winter’s SPACe fundraiser at Lakeside to see Neverland.Over half of the ti ckets have gone already! Mrs Sail will be in school over the holidays, so if you would like to post in your slip and cheque payable to NGHS (no cash please) before September, please do so. As our early bird off er has ended, ti ckets are now £9.50 each - friends and family are all welcome!

A new PSHE curriculum ‘Bounce Back’ has been introduced teaching girls to be resilient whilst enjoying life’s challenges. We also have Upnah Wood; a fantasti c resource on our doorstep where girls can have fun, be themselves outside of the classroom and work together as a team; alternati vely enjoy marshmallows by the campfi re!

The journey has been a privilege; to work with your daughters and see how much they have developed, love school and enjoy being with their friends and

YEAR 5 RESIDENTIAL TO BOGGLE HOLEGirls from Year 5 were blessed with fi ne weather, beauti ful scenery and interesti ng opportuniti es to learn about coastal defences and foreshore habitats during their three-day residenti al at Boggle Hole, near Robin Hood’s Bay. Highlights of the trip included exploring rock pools teeming with hermit and spider crabs, discovering 18th Century smuggler routes and uncovering fossils. The visit culminated with a day trip to Whitby, the setti ng for one of this year’s English texts, ‘Room 13’ by Robert Swindells.

YEAR 5 VISIT TO SEVERN TRENTPupils from Year 5 visited Severn Trent Water’s sewage treatment works last month which linked with their study of managing water in the environment. This gave them an insight into the mechanical processes of fi ltrati on,

YEAR 6 PRODUCTION - MY SON PINOCCHIOYear 6 pulled out all the stops in this amazing dramati c and musical extravaganza. The girls performed brilliantly singing in beauti ful harmony, dancing with energy and enthusiasm even in the extreme heat, and wowing the audience with a fabulous acrobati c element too. Well done everybody, on a show to remember.

ABLE WRITERS WORKSHOPAuthor Nick Cook’s workshop was based around his book, Cloud Riders, in which a boy dreams of being a storm chaser like his late father. The children were mesmerised and enjoyed making their own mini news bulleti ns dramati sing oncoming tornadoes. Our girls and their visitors had a brilliant day.

YEAR 1 PIRATE PARTYYear 1 had a wonderful aft ernoon dressed up as pirates; they were proud to wear their own hats and t-shirts for the occasion. Parents were invited to fi nd out what the girls had been learning in their pirate topic and all the girls chose which thing they liked most in the topic. They also performed some pirate themed songs too!

sedimentati on and separati on which are employed on an industrial scale when cleaning water before returning it safely to the water cycle. The girls were also fascinated by the idea of ‘friendly’ bacteria being fed with oxygen in the latt er stages of sewage treatment, and were impressed by the recovery of energy from waste which makes the plant at Spondon a net provider of electricity to the grid.

SENIOR SPORTWell done to all girls and staff who have been involved in the many and varied sporti ng acti viti es during this very busy summer term. You are all a credit to the school.

YEAR 9/10 ATHLETICS KO CUP Well done to our Year 9/10 athletes who came 2nd in the North Midlands KO cup at Grantham in June with an excellent points return.

ROUNDERSOur Year 7 Rounders team played at the City Rounders Finals at the start of July and emerged as CHAMPIONS. Well played girls.

NATIONAL SCHOOL SPORTS WEEKOur girls tried an array of new sporti ng acti viti es during Nati onal School Sports Week from fencing to roller skati ng, and had a lot of fun.

CITY ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPSCongratulati ons to Year 9 and 10 who became CHAMPIONS at the City Athleti cs Championships at the Moorways Stadium in Derby on Monday 29 June. Great performance everybody.

NOTTS SCHOOL GAMESCongratulati ons to Year 8 and 9 who became Rounders Champions at the Notti nghamshire School Games - great achievement girls. Also, well done to Kay and Abby in Year 7 who won their doubles match at the games too.

Year 7 also became CHAMPIONS at the same event, same venue but on Sunday 5 July - excellent result for our younger girls. Well done also to Year 8 who were runners up in their event. All in all, a tremendous term for athleti cs.

SPORTS DAYThe Junior girls just about managed to complete their events at Sports Day, and their enthusiasm was not dampened even when the rain poured down and cut the day short. It was a great, fun event enjoyed by competi tors and spectators alike. Well done everybody.

is both challenging and supportive to the pupils. As Deputy I look forward to working with the Senior Leadership Team in developing the curriculum and the opportunities available in exciting ways that will inspire a love of learning in the pupils.

MRS SOPHIE CRABTREE

YEAR 1 TEACHERI graduated from Derby University with a BEd (Hons) degree in Primary Teaching in 2001. Since graduating nearly 14 years ago I have taught in a primary school in Nottingham, teaching in mainly KS1 and lower KS2. I have a love of literacy and over the years have been a literacy coordinator and more recently I have taken on the role of Art coordinator.

I am an enthusiastic and experienced teacher who has high expectations of learning and behaviour of all pupils. I enjoy teaching and make my lessons inspiring and fun to fully engage the children to help develop their learning.

In 2013 I gave birth to a lovely girl who is now 18 months. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family and walking in the Lake and Peak Districts.

I can’t wait to start working at Nottingham Girls’ High School. I am excited to meet the girls and look forward to teaching them and watching them grow in confidence every day. I feel privileged to be teaching your daughter in these important first years of school and look forward to helping her discover, try new things and develop a passion for learning.

MISS DEBBIE BAKER

YEAR 2 TEACHER / KS1 PHASE LEADERHaving left University in 2003 with a degree in Statistics, I moved back to Nottingham and began to pursue my interest in Education. In 2009 I graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a PGCE in Primary Education. After completing my PGCE, I spent two years at a Nottingham City School as a Year 2 and Year 5 Teacher.

At the end of the two years, I took up an exciting opportunity to work abroad. As a teacher of the PYP at the International School of Siena, my role was supporting the development of children’s inquiry skills inside and outside the classroom. This allowed children to take the lead, working together in different

SPOTLIGHT ON NEW STAFF AND PROMOTED POSTSI am delighted to introduce some very talented new members of staff who will be joining our dedicated team in September, and also congratulate staff who have been appointed to new roles.

As many of you are aware, our Deputy Head Miss Keller will take on the role of Acting Executive Head at the Junior School. She will be overseeing important plans to develop an even more integrated approach to a whole school educational environment, and continue to build on the strong links between Junior and Senior Schools, reap the rewards of the close relationships and benefit from even greater collaboration across academic and non-academic areas.

With best wishes

Susan M Gorham, Head

NEW JUNIOR STAFF

PETER ELKINGTON

DEPUTY HEAD OF THE JUNIOR SCHOOLAfter graduating with a degree in Geography and Environmental studies, I completed a PGCE at the University of Leicester. I moved to Nottingham in 1993 to take up my first teaching post. Having spent 22 years in primary education, I have taught in a range of schools and across the key stages, specialising in Year 6 teaching. I completed my MA in Special Educational Needs and I feel that this has enabled me to further support all children in achieving their potential, whatever their learning needs. For the last fourteen years I have been a Deputy Head, and during this time I have completed my National Professional Qualification for Headship and I have passed my training to become a school inspector. However, I still very much enjoy being in the classroom and teaching as well as providing extra-curricular clubs; I ran girls cricket and football teams, enjoying their success - and some failures! - in matches and tournaments. Recently I have been teaching a Year 4 class and Year 6 challenge groups in English and Maths.

I’ve been married for over 20 years and have two children; my son, Joe, has just started his second year at the University of Cambridge where he is reading Geography and my daughter, Megan, is in Year 11. My hobbies include watching football with my children (we are Leicester City season ticket holders!), playing golf, walking and reading. I am the cook in our household so do enjoy trying out my creations on our unsuspecting guests!

Starting at NGHS presents a new and exciting challenge for me. I am very much looking forward to working in a school which

was here that I have spent the last four years of my life, honing my EAL skills and developing a greater insight into the culture and its role in education.

During my time in Egypt, I taught Year 6 and was the Junior School Numeracy Coordinator. This position entailed the overseeing of how Numeracy was taught from Foundation through to Year 6, ensuring the highest quality of education was being taught consistently throughout all year groups.

Now, my next challenge will be at Nottingham Girls’ High School, where I envisage a very successful time in Year 5. Here, I’m anticipating fun and engaging lessons, with excellent cross-curricular links, that the children will long remember.

Outside the classroom, I’m an avid football fan and have supported Nottingham Forest since I was young, all the way from Devon! I’ve made it up here a fair few times for home matches and look forward to being able to attend many more. I’d love to take this interest and my experience in coaching and help with a football team at NGHS.

I look forward to meeting you all and teaching your children. Here’s to a great year!

NEW SENIOR STAFF

LINSEY PAUL

TEACHER OF ARTI studied Fine Art Sculpture (BA Hons) at Norwich School of Art and Design. It was a fantastic experience and I gained knowledge in a wide range of skills within the discipline of sculpture. In 2003 I decided to gain a PGCE in Art and Design so I could inspire young people within the subject as I had been inspired throughout my education.

During the past 11 years I have taught art to students of all ages and abilities, taking a lead in the 3D specialism of the curriculum. It was important to me to broaden the experience for the students, allowing them to explore all disciplines within art. I have always sought opportunities to develop professionally and, as well as continually expanding my knowledge of art and design practice, I was also passionate about the Pastoral Care of my students. I soon became a Head of Year in my first school and found a different and equally rewarding avenue to support young people.

I have gained so much from being a Head of Year and Student Manager in the two schools in which I have worked. It has allowed me to work with students in a huge variety of ways,

roles celebrating strengths and uniqueness. After two wonderful years, I returned to the UK and am currently working at Ark Conway Primary, an Outstanding Free School in West London. I was given the opportunity to act as both English Lead and the Year 2 Class Teacher in a school with very high aspirations for all pupils. Last year, my class achieved the top KS1 results in the country, an achievement of which both the school and I are very proud.

I have been lucky to have had the opportunity to live in both London and Siena, immersing myself in the contrasting cultures. Travel is a great love of mine. Above everything, I value my time with friends and family, and I look forward to seeing much more of them upon my return home to Nottingham. I applied to the school because of its ethos and high quality of education. My beliefs and teaching style echo the school ethos for the development of girls as confident risk takers, ready to take on the world!

MISS HANNAH CALLOW

YEAR 2 TEACHERI graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2011 with a degree in Psychology. I spent a year of my degree studying at the University of Western Australia and had some amazing and enriching experiences whilst out there, including snorkelling in Fiji and travelling round New Zealand. After my degree and two years working in an HR department I decided to pursue a PGCE at the University of Nottingham. This was primarily a schools-based course and I was placed in a large outstanding primary school in Edmonton, North London. I then moved to Nottingham and have spent the last year teaching in a primary school in East Leake near Loughborough. With two very different teaching experiences I have realised that instilling passion and enthusiasm for learning are the stepping stones to a successful school experience, and I aim to do this for all children I teach. I have high expectations of behaviour and learning and aim to build positive relationships, creating exciting and engaging lessons. I am delighted to be joining NGHS and am looking forward to developing a life-long love for learning among the girls I teach.

I have volunteered for many organisations since the age of 14, and currently help to run the youth group for my local church and community. I also enjoy watching and participating in many sports, including swimming and cycling.

MR SAM COOPER

YEAR 5 TEACHER After graduating with a BEd in Primary Education, I stayed local and taught supply in and around Plymouth. Here I taught a number of year groups in a variety of schools, all with very different challenges.

Not six months into my new career, I took up the opportunity of teaching internationally at a British school in Cairo, Egypt. It

from supporti ng them through transiti on, opti ons, exam preparati on, careers advice and guidance to friendship issues, diffi cult family circumstances and att endance. It has been immeasurably rewarding and I look back over my career to date with immense pride.

I am thrilled to be starti ng at NGHS in September. I will get the chance to work with thoughtf ul, intelligent, moti vated and hard-working girls using Art and Design to develop their resilience, communicati on skills and their sense of self. I will be developing my own business alongside my teaching this year and am certain this will enrich my teaching as I pass on my own experience of business and enterprise and how these skills can be developed.

I look forward to starti ng the next chapter in my career and working with the dedicated colleagues and parents at NGHS.

JENNIFER HANNAH

TEACHER OF SPANISHI graduated from the University of Exeter in 2010 with a BA Honours degree in French and Spanish. As part of my degree I was able to spend a year studying at a Spanish University and, alongside my studies, I spent some ti me working as a Language Assistant in a local school. Having always wanted to teach, I decided upon graduati ng to gain some further experience in the educati on sector and so I began working as a Learning Support Assistant at a Secondary School in Leicestershire. I thoroughly enjoyed this role and this led me to complete a PGCE in Secondary Educati on at Durham University in 2012. For the last 3 years I have been working at Toot Hill School as a Teacher of Modern Foreign Languages, as well as conti nuing my studies in my free ti me for an MA in Educati on with the University of Notti ngham. This year I have also taken on the additi onal role of Assistant SENCO.

I am very much looking forward to working at Notti ngham Girls’ High School and I hope to share my passion for languages with the pupils I teach. I aim to create a classroom environment where the girls will thoroughly enjoy learning languages and develop the academic skills, cultural understanding and the wider skills needed to achieve great academic success in their language studies and to thrive in an ever-changing society and workplace.

MARIA CARNERO-TORRES

LANGUAGES ASSISTANT (SPANISH)Born and raised in Málaga, Spain I always felt such a strong interest in languages, especially English and its culture. Consequently, I completed a degree in English which helped me discover a deeper understanding of the country and its people. In 2010, I graduated from the University of Málaga and the University of Sheffi eld, where I spent my Erasmus exchange programme. It enabled me to live life abroad for the

fi rst ti me and wet my appeti te to further pursue my love for English. Furthermore, it was an experience which broadened my mind and widened my horizons.

I studied for my PGCE in teaching foreign languages at The University of Málaga, obtaining qualifi cati ons of disti ncti on in teacher training. In additi on, I spent a further six months in Ireland with the intent to immerse myself more deeply in a culture that would test my newly acquired skills. I feel that this dramati cally improved my language comprehension.

On my return, I took up residence in Madrid. I lived there for 3 years, teaching English as a foreign language to students of all ages. During my ti me in Spain’s capital city, my students have taught me some valuable lessons. They remind me that every day is a new day, to grow and learn inside the classroom.

Being a Spanish language assistant at NGHS, I have been handed an opportunity to teach my own language and culture which I’m deeply passionate about. I believe it is going to be a challenging and rewarding experience; one that I will relish! I look forward to sharing my profound love of languages and hope that my moti vati on can aid as a catalyst for students to explore and enjoy!

NEW SUPPORT STAFF

CARLY WHITEHEAD

COVER SUPERVISORI graduated from Notti ngham Trent University with a BA (Hons) degree in Decorati ve Arts in 2012. I have since spent the past 3 years striving towards developing my knowledge and experience in various educati onal setti ngs to aid my future teaching career. I began my teaching experience spending two years as an Adult Educati on tutor working with adults with a wide range of disabiliti es. Using my creati ve background, I was able to develop and deliver diff erenti ated Art based courses and lessons to help support and inspire learning to a variety of individual needs. Alongside this I completed my level 5 DTLLs qualifi cati on for teaching in FE.

The knowledge and experience gained from delivering these courses, then allowed me to transfer my skills to Secondary Educati on when an opportunity arose for a Cover Supervisor role. Over the past year I have been inspired by working with young people and thrived at the challenge of creati ng sti mulati ng cover lessons.

Outside of working hours, I am Chief Instructor of my local Taekwondo club which I have been a part of for the past 15 years. My classes are spent teaching a variety of age groups the

art of Taekwondo and I am currently training towards taking my Master Grade (5th Dan) next year.

I am committed to making the students learning journey both enjoyable and motivating, and I am excited to be joining Nottingham Girls’ High School in September.

LUCY WYATT

COVER SUPERVISORI graduated from the University of Derby in 2011 with a Joint BA (Hons) degree in English and Education Studies. This was the most rewarding experience of my life; it also gave me the determination to succeed in any way possible to work my way up into becoming a teacher.

I decided to find a way of gaining classroom experience so that it would strengthen my professional development; I worked for an agency for the first 6 months in various Secondary Schools as a Cover Supervisor; gaining confidence and expanding my knowledge. I was then extremely fortunate to secure a permanent position within a Secondary School. My current role is to ensure that the students remain focused and mentally stimulated from the work that I have received from their subject teacher. I cover a wide range of lessons and enjoy working with young people as it gives me a sense of fulfilment to inspire the next generation. I have worked within a challenging school for almost 2 years now and I can adapt myself to any situation.

In my spare time I like to go travelling with my partner Luke. We recently visited LA and Las Vegas; living the high life. I love to travel to new places and learn about different cultures. My next excursion is to Prague which I will be visting in the summer holidays and I cannot wait to be mesmerised by the historical architecture. I have a 5 month old Beagle puppy who definitely keeps me on my toes but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I am extremely committed and very passionate about my work. I am absolutely thrilled to be starting my new venture in September at Nottingham Girls’ High School; I will guide the girls through their educational journey so that they strive to be the very best.

PROMOTED POSTS

KATRINA HANDFORD-SMITH

ASSISTANT HEAD (PASTORAL) I graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2007, with a 2:1 in Economic and Social History and stayed on in Birmingham to complete my PGCE and my Master’s Degree in Education. Since then, I have been teaching History at NGHS, also taking up the role of Deputy Head of Sixth Form in 2012. I love teaching History and seeing the girls progress from one year to the next and helping them to achieve their potential. However, here at NGHS, excellent lessons come as standard and I firmly believe

that coming to school is more than just about the academic lessons. This is why I am involved in Young Enterprise, for example, as the girls are able to learn so many valuable life skills from setting up their own business. Similarly I have loved working in the Sixth Form and supporting the girls in their studies, as well as being there to help celebrate the achievements of the girls and being there when times are tough. We aim to ensure the happiness and wellbeing of the

girls and I want to be part of making girls’ experiences here at NGHS the very best of their lives. To see confident, happy and successful girls leave our Sixth Form for their chosen future certainly makes the job worthwhile. I am very excited to have been appointed as Assistant Head (Pastoral) from September and using the skills and experiences I have gained in the Sixth Form at a whole school level. I will be working very closely with tutors and Heads of Section on issues which face girls as they work their way up the school, so that we can help to equip them with the necessary skills to be able to flourish.

ANNA SHIPMAN

HEAD OF KS3I have been part of the pastoral team at NGHS since 2007 and Head of Middle-school since 2008. I am also part of the Design and Technology team and although I started here specialising in Graphics I currently seem to have taken on the role of Mary Berry in the department as I am largely responsible for Food Technology and have recently introduced A-Level food which is proving to be a very popular subject choice. I am passionate and interested in my subject but also thoroughly enjoy my role as a pastoral head. I love all the different opportunities I have been given whilst working here and I find it very rewarding seeing the girls in my care go on to be mature, well rounded and confident individuals.

I have always worked closely with Mrs Wynne, our current Head of Year 7 and her decision to reduce her teaching time in preparation for retirement has given me the opportunity to take on further responsibility and bring Year 7 under my umbrella as the new Head of KS3. Mrs Wynne and I will continue to work together on the days that she is in school which will help make the transition into my new role all the more smooth. This is an exciting time and I am thoroughly looking forward to the different challenges Year 7 will present whilst continuing with my responsibilities for Years 8 and 9.

CATHERINE PILLING

HEAD OF SPANISHAft er graduati ng from the University of Sheffi eld with a degree in French and Spanish in 1995 I began my career working for an Internati onal metal company which imported steel, primarily from France and Spain. However, I very soon realised that industry was not the fi eld in which I wished to apply my knowledge of languages and, having already gained signifi cant experience of working with young people in school placements and summer camps, I decided to pursue a career in teaching. I studied for my PGCE at the University of Central England and upon completi on began my teaching career at Alderbrook School in Solihull. In my second year of teaching I was appointed as Head of the Spanish Department and I conti nued in this role unti l I relocated to Notti ngham with my young family. I initi ally started at NGHS in September 2009 as a part-ti me teacher of French and Spanish and acted as Head of Spanish for a seven month period during my second year. We live in an increasingly globalised society and I am very excited at the prospect of leading this successful and dynamic department forward and off ering pupils opportuniti es to use and develop their language skills for real purposes and to engage with the Spanish speaking world. In October I will be taking a group of pupils on a study visit to Spain and I am keen to embrace all the opportuniti es that new technology will bring to teaching and learning Spanish at NGHS.

OLIVIA HUTCHINGS

KS4 PSHE DEVELOPMENT LEADERI was delighted to be appointed as a Teacher of English at NGHS in September and am thoroughly enjoying working in a ‘girls’ fi rst’ environment. It has been wonderful getti ng to know the pupils here and I am thrilled to be taking on the role of KS4 PSHE Development Leader in September. Aft er speaking extensively with pupils across the year groups, I have some exciti ng ideas to incorporate into the curriculum next year and I am very much looking forward to the challenges ahead.

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DATES FOR YOUR DIARYThursday 13 AugustA Level results day

Thursday 20 AugustGCSE results day

Thursday 3 SeptemberAutumn term begins

Tuesday 8 September Year 12 Parents and Students Welcome BBQ, 4.00pm - 6.00pm

Friday 11 SeptemberYear 7 Icebreaker event, 6.30pm - 8.30pm

Wednesday 16 SeptemberYear 8 - 13 Northern Trust Rally, NGHS

Thursday 17 SeptemberCelebrati on and Awards Evening at the Albert Hall, 6.30pm - 9.00pm

Friday 18 SeptemberYear 3 Southwell Workhouse visit

Tuesday 22 SeptemberYear 6 WW2 day at Beaumanor Hall

Thursday 24 SeptemberSpanish trip Parents’ Evening, 7.00pm - 8.00pm

Wednesday 30 September - Sunday 4 October Goose Fair

Saturday 10 OctoberOpen morning, 9.30am - 12.30pm

Tuesday 13 OctoberYear 9 Geography trip New Parent Tutor Evening, 4.30pm - 7.00pm

Thursday 15 OctoberYear 4 Roman workshop visit to Lincoln

Friday 16 OctoberNon-uniform day

Friday 16 to Monday 19 OctoberYear 6 and 7 Hockey tour to Holland

Monday 19 October - Friday 30 OctoberHalf term

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