16 January 2026
16 January 2026
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Above - Year 1 enjoying the recent cold weather. See It was great while it lasted!
Coming soon to Year 4!
Coming soon to Year 4!
Miss Baker
Above: Meeting a real-life archaeologist at work on the dig at Roman Vindolanda!
Purposeful study visits and field trips that combine exciting locations with memorable learning are a cornerstone of a creative curriculum - and our annual two-day Roman Britain adventure is just around the corner!
In March, Year 4 will be off to explore Britain's best preserved Roman fort at Housesteads in Northumberland, and the most iconic stretch of Hadrian's Wall at Steel Rigg - where they will put their recently-acquired OS map reading skills to good use! The girls will also visit the Roman Army Museum and Roman Vindolanda, two amazing archaeological sites and collections that tell the stories of those who lived under Roman colonisation between 85 CE and 370 CE.
This will be the perfect opportunity for our girls to apply their learning outside of the classroom, and to visualise the settings and scenes of this term's English text, Across the Roman Wall by Theresa Breslin. I am so looking forward to our adventure, girls!
Above: Overnight accommodation at The Sill
Below: Exploring Housesteads Roman Fort, map reading along Hadrian's Wall and visiting the Roman Army Museum
L-R: Miss Chappell, Miss Higgins
NEW FACES
NEW FACES
Mrs Sail
It's been lovely to see everyone back in class, ready for another busy term of new topics and challenges. I'm pleased to say that in my new role as Business Support Manager - leading the admin team for the whole school - I still spend some of my time in the Junior School, although your main daily point of contact is now Miss Morley.
We also have two new faces manning our reception desk or responding to your enquiries, Miss Higgins and Miss Chappell, who both look forward to getting to know our pupils and their parents.
Musical notes 🎺
Musical notes 🎺
Mr Rolfe
CLUBS
All music clubs have resumed and will run until Monday 27 March.
NEW YEAR, NEW OPPORTUNITIES?
If your daughter would like the challenge of learning a new instrument this term, please contact me m.rolfe@not.gdst.net. We offer one-to-one tuition across a wide range of instruments, as well as vocal lessons for pupils in Years 3-6.
We now have extra spaces for students learning clarinet, saxophone, oboe, guitar, bass guitar and flute.
COMING UP ...
Further details will be confirmed around three weeks prior to each event:
Friday 6 February
Years 5-6 Ukuladies at the Salvation Army
William Booth Birthplace Museum
17:00 - 17:45
Monday 9 February
NGHS Piano Festival
The SPACE
17:00
(Preceded by a daytime workshop for all piano students)
Wednesday 4 March
Year 4 Informal Concert
Junior School Hall
14:00
(Includes all Year 4 pupils)
Wednesday 11 March
Year 5 Informal Concert
Junior School Hall
14:00
(Includes all Year 5 pupils)
Earn it, spend it! 💰
Earn it, spend it! 💰
Miss Whitehead
Thank you to everyone who supported our Christmas Fair and bought one of the beautiful wreaths made by our Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. The money raised by the girls has been used to purchase some new firepit/pizza oven gloves and to restock our larger welly selection, helping us keep Outdoor Learning safe, dry and accessible for all. We really appreciate your support - please continue to donate unwanted wellies as you grow out of them!
Serious talk
Serious talk
Mrs Crawshaw and Mr Cox
Well done, Year 5! You approached your first two DAaRT lessons with plenty of POSITIVITY, listening carefully to the course leader and accepting the challenge of this ten-week programme.
DAaRT stands for Drug, Alcohol and Resilience Training and is a substance misuse prevention program for children aged 9-11. Sessions are delivered by a specially trained officer, supported by class teachers; they set out to equip young people with the skills and confidence to make informed choices and resist peer pressure. This includes topics such as bullying, social media use, and the identification of risks and consequences related to substance abuse and weapons.
It was great while it lasted! ☃️
It was great while it lasted! ☃️
Mrs Garton
Year 1 seized the moment and had great fun on the school field last Friday, where there was just about enough of the white stuff to make snowmen, snow dogs and snow angels before the melt! ❄️
Computing success 🖥️
Computing success 🖥️
Mrs Wood
Last term, our computer room was buzzing with logic and problem-solving as students from Years 2 to 6 participated in the UK Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge.
Competitors had to solve a series of interactive online puzzles, which introduced them to the skills required in computational thinking - and I was very impressed by the girls' focus and resilience as they tackled tricky scenarios with enthusiasm. They certainly proved that computer science is as much about creativity as it is about technology!
Well done to everyone who entered; I am pleased to report that many of our pupils achieved Merits and Distinctions, showing great aptitude for problem-solving.
Extra special mentions go to winners of the coveted Gold Award, which places them in the top 10% of entrants across the UK:
Year 3
Emily D, Connie, Imogen
Year 5
Etta, Hattie B, Sumaiyah, Chloe S, Emily W
Year 6
Emily B
(Emily competed in the 10-12 age group and came third against all of Years 6-7 at NGHS)
Year 5 in London
Year 5 in London
Mrs Fowler
Four students from Year 5 represented NGHS at GDST Head Office on Thursday, where they met and worked alongside their peers from our 25 sister schools. Together they explored the concept of equity being the route to equality, the importance of diversity, and how attentive listening and a feeling of belonging are vital in achieving these ideals.
The girls were empowered to highlight social issues that they feel strongly about, and they then collaborated to create a powerful sound scape that will be played to GDST senior leaders in the coming days.
The next step is for our attendees to inspire and lead NGHS students, continuing to ensure our school is a safe and supportive space for everyone.
Finding her Voice
Finding her Voice
Mrs Fowler
Finding her Voice shines a spotlight on the achievements of our girls beyond the classroom - moments where they’ve taken the skills, values and confidence nurtured at school and applied them in exciting, real-world ways, and then shared those high points with their classmates.
Neve dances with determination!
This week, we’re delighted to celebrate the achievements of a Year 3 pupil whose recent endeavours have been the subject of great personal pride:
When Neve decided to try a mixed dance class for the first time back in August, she stepped bravely into something completely new. What she didn’t expect was a last‑minute challenge: an administrative mix‑up meant she wasn’t added to the Christmas dance show cast list until just four weeks before the performance. Whilst others had been rehearsing for months, Neve had only a handful of sessions to learn two full modern routines. But instead of stepping back, she stepped up!
In December, under the lights of the Squire Performing Arts Centre and in front of a full house, Neve took to the stage with confidence and composure. She kept pace beautifully with her group, performing two energetic modern dances with a smile; her POSITIVITY and RESILIENCE shone through every beat.
This is a brilliant reminder that finding your voice sometimes means saying yes, even when the odds feel stacked against you - well done, Neve!
Sports Desk
Sports Desk
Miss Abbott
With recent research from Women in Sport showing that 48% of girls think their mother or a female figure at home is the person who best supports them to be active, this week saw us launch our very first 'mums and daughters' event after school.
Options included yoga or Zumba in the dance studio, workouts in the fitness suite, and badminton or netball in the sports hall where our girls were able to show their grown ups what fantastic facilities we have.
This was a relaxed affair, with refreshments and opportunities for mums to see what their daughters experience at school. It was lovely to see so many enjoying themselves; we look forward to hosting a similar event in the summer, so if you were unable to attend this time please do join us for tennis, rounders and other activities later this year. Watch this space!
Click on the GALLERY below for highlights:
What pays the bills?
What pays the bills?
And why it matters to know what grown-ups do
Mr Cox
Teachers love helping girls to understand the world around them - and that includes the world of work. Knowing what adults do for a living helps children to see the effort, skills and dedication that go into 'putting food on the table'. It builds gratitude and pride, and it sparks curiosity; when girls see and understand the real-life roles played by their parents, they begin to imagine the careers they might one day take on themselves and they develop a better appreciation for the efforts of others.
✍️ Spring Term Essay Competition ✍️
We will soon launch this year’s essay competition for girls in Years 3 to 6. The theme is wonderfully close to home: “My Mum’s Job” or “My Dad’s Job” - a chance to celebrate the amazing adults who support our girls every day, and to explore the fascinating work that keeps our families thriving.
We can’t wait to read our girls' reflections and discoveries. Good luck to everyone - we hope that you will embrace the challenge, research carefully, and write with pride!
Girls will receive further guidelines over the coming weeks, and the judges' expectations will of course be age-related. In the meantime, here are some excerpts from essays written by the 9 year-old daughter of a medic, the 10 year-old daughter of a hill farmer, and the 11-year old son of a firefighter - who all clearly know and are proud of what their parents get up to at work!
'My mum is a surgeon. She deals with problems in hands, wrists and forearms. She operates on both adults and children, and she loves every part of her job.'
'Sometimes Mummy's job means working long hours or away from home. This is because she also helps to train students in other hospitals and goes to conferences.'
'February is really busy for my dad, because that's when he has to collect the ewes (female sheep) from the moor and bring them to the shed where they are scanned to see how many lambs they're going to have.'
'In May, we have an important livestock show nearby. On show day, Dad starts work extra early to do his last minute checks and load the sheep into the trailer. He usually does well, and this year he won two trophies.'
'I'm proud to come from a line of family members who have served our town as retained fire fighters - my grandad, dad, great uncle and cousin have all, at some point, had to rush to the fire station at a moment's notice to help people in need, whilst still working in full-time jobs.'
'In this essay, I will be looking at my dad’s role in the fire service and I'll explain how his work has changed over the years. I will also describe how he thinks the job might change for future fire fighters.'
'In a busy year, the volunteers will have around twelve callouts, although they are also called upon to help the full-time crew at Richmond. Emergencies include house fires, chimney fires and moorland fires, with occasional animal rescues too.'
Poetry, please
Poetry, please
Mrs Crabtree
The GDST Laurie Magnus Poetry Prize was established in memory of Laurie Magnus by his widow. Laurie Magnus was a GDST Council member from 1907, and Chairman from 1929 until his death in 1933. He also wrote The Jubilee Book of the Girls’ Day School Trust (1923).
This year's competition provides an opportunity for girls in Years 1-6 to compose a poem on any subject. Entries should:
have a title
be typed in WORD
be attached to an email and sent to Miss Morley k.morley@not.gdst.net no later than 9am on Friday 6 March.
This is a great opportunity for ambitious girls to be creative, with the chance of winning a prize.
HALF TERM HELP
HALF TERM HELP
There's still plenty of time to book a place at Supercamps for Half Term, hosted by the Junior School - however the early bird 15% discount ends at midnight this coming Sunday, 18 January. After that, the NGHS parent discount will be 10%.
Is your daughter aged 2-4?
Is your daughter aged 2-4?
Last-minute FREE places at this event are available to NGHS families this coming Saturday!
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