Sunday 23rd June saw two members of Northgate’s Orchard Committee, alongside their teacher, attend the Norfolk Community Biodiversity Awards, held at The Forum, in Norwich. It was an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of some amazing groups, communities and individuals and recognise the hard work going into improving biodiversity in Norfolk. There were 26 nominations across 6 categories and the judging panel had a very difficult task deciding on the winners and runners up. Nick Acheson, a naturalist, conservationist, and presenter, gave the key note speech and said those present were standing up to say enough of biodiversity loss. All of the nominated projects are inspiring others around them and young people, in particular, hold the key to the future.
The first award to be presented was for Young Peoples Achievement. Northgate High School was incredibly proud to be announced as the winners! Orchard Committee members, Annabelle and Akhina, alongside Miss Theobald, who leads the group, accepted the framed winner’s certificate from the category sponsor, Lanpro. Miss Theobald commented, ‘The Orchard at Northgate not only allows our students to learn new skills and work with others, but also to connect with nature and have a positive impact on biodiversity. The award recognises the hard work put in by a dedicated group of students over the past couple of years. It was lovely to be at an event where so many inspiring projects were being recognised.’
The Orchard Committee meets weekly after school in The Orchard, a special outdoor area on the school site. Not only does The Orchard contain seven Norfolk Heritage apple trees and a flourishing wildflower area, but students are also establishing their own mini tree nursery, growing trees from seeds. They have worked on a number of projects over the last year including planting a hedgerow, taking part in a BioBlitz event at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse and their most recent project, ‘Bugingham Palace’, a huge bug mansion taking pride of place at the entrance to The Orchard.
To celebrate the success and hard work of our Art and Design Y11 GCSE students we held a private view of a selection of their work. Mrs Mottley, Head of Art and Design said, ‘The event was well attended and our visitors were impressed with the variety and quality of all the work displayed throughout the exhibition. I am extremely proud of all of our students and their hard work and determination throughout the courses. An amazing show of creative outcomes in a diverse range of materials and techniques are demonstrated from across the specialisms in our faculty as a result. The Design Department wish our Y11 pupils every success for the future.’
Here are some of the lovely comments left by those that visited the exhibition:
‘Amazing work, well done! You should be proud!’
‘Amazing works of art. You guys will have great careers in whatever you do.’
‘An excellent collection of work, well done all.’
‘Fantastic work. Talented students and teachers!’
In our latest staff interview, some of our Year 8 Northgate News Team spoke to Dr Barrett, Head of Geography. Here’s what he had to say in response to their questions.
How long have you been teaching at Northgate?
I’ve worked at Northgate for 13 years.
Why did you choose to teach Geography?
I love the subject, the variety of different topics we cover and the way it connects to all our lives from the sights we see to the places we live and the weather we experience.
Which Geography field trip do you enjoy doing the most at Northgate?
My favourite trip would be Cambridge because it is so different to any place in Norfolk.
What’s your favourite chocolate?
Dark chocolate.
If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
I would say a giraffe. They must have a great view of the world.
What are your hobbies outside of school?
I love to go running and am actively involved in a local running club. If not running, walking and hiking are the next best things.
I take enough photos to create a family calendar each year and I do like the odd quiz. I have been doing Spanish on Duolingo for the last four years.
What Geography topic do you enjoy teaching the most and why?
Coasts, as most people have been to the coast and so can relate to what we are studying.
Which country would you most like to travel to?
Canada – mountains and wildlife are the way to go for me.
Why should someone choose Geography as a GCSE option?
The world is constantly changing and Geography helps us to understand a lot of these changes.
What is your favourite seasonal holiday?
My favourite holiday would be Easter, the first one with longer evenings.
Which year group is your favourite to teach and why?
Year 7, Year 10 and Year 12 as they are all starting new stages in their school or college journeys.
Have you taught at any other schools before Northgate?
I taught at one school in Peterborough for 12 years.
If you had to describe Northgate in 3 words, what would they be?
Lively, community and caring
Thank you to Dr Barrett for taking the time to answer the questions and to Colette, Morganne and Poppy for asking them. We look forward to seeing which member of staff is interviewed next.
I joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 18 to became a chef. I was fortunate to have 22 years in the service where I was able to travel the world and learnt many different cultures and cuisines that inspired my passion for catering
Have you cooked for anyone famous before?
During my time in Royal Air Force. I was selected to be part of a catering team that prepared and cooked for the late Queen on two occasions where I was able to meet her and have a chat. I was in Belize, America where I also cooked for King Charles who was only a Prince at the time.
What is your favourite thing to cook?
I love cooking all different cuisines from Caribbean, French, Chinese, Indian but my favourite would be Thai food.
What’s your favourite meal to eat?
It is really hard to choose a favourite meal I just like food but if I had to pick it would probably be something spicy like a Vindaloo, Jalfrezi curry.
What’s the most popular food in the canteen?
Most popular food in the canteen would have to be Meat Pizza Italian. But there are a lot of different things that the pupils enjoy. Everybody has different tastes and preferences.
Is there any food that you haven’t tried that you would like to?
During my time I have tried many different foods such as tarantulas, shark, snake, frog and even sheep’s brains. But there is nothing that I can think of that I would like to try but never say never.
How long does it take to prep the food in the morning?
All depends on the menu as to how long preparation takes. But we always get it on the serving hatch on time.
Do you have any hobbies outside of school?
I like golf, hiking and football. (I could have been a footballer with Luton Town). I also have a passion for Scuba diving that goes back a long time.
What advice would you give to someone who is looking to go into the catering industry?
To go into catering industry, you need to be passionate and dedicated Study hard at school, Maths and English are really important and essential in the catering world.
What has been your favourite themed menu at Northgate to do?
I enjoy all themed menus that we cater for and love to see the pupils try different things that they maybe haven’t tried before. Looking forward to the next themed menu coming soon.
Do you have a celebrity chef that inspires you?
No one comes to mind! I admire Jamie Oliver for how he is trying to campaign for Children’s health.
We are pleased to introduce our June bulletin. In our bulletin this month there’s updates from our Orchard Committee, news about a recent Duke of Edinburgh expedition, highlights from a STEM workshop and much more.
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.
In our latest staff interview, Olivia and Willow, Year 8, spoke to Alan, Chef Manager of Café North. Here’s what he had to say in response to their questions.
