Jacob, Year 7, from our Northgate News Team, decided he wanted to interview Mrs Woods, Head of Computer Science. Here’s what she had to say in response to his questions.
What do you like about teaching computer science?
I like that it is innovative and creative. It inspires students to ask questions about technology, and it links well with my own interests and how I choose to spend my life.
What is your favourite book and why?
At the moment, I am listening to the audiobook The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, the second book in the series. It’s similar in feel to The Lord of the Rings and is a fantastic piece of fantasy fiction, which is why I enjoy it. I also like books by Dan Brown and have recently finished reading The Secrets of Secrets.
If you could build any LEGO set, what would it be and why?
I would build a LEGO Technic set of an oil rig, although it doesn’t exist yet—I’d love to design it myself. I’d also like to build the large LEGO T-REX dinosaur and the motorised lighthouse.
If computer science were never a thing, what would you want to teach?
I would love to teach engineering or Archeology.
Is it true you used to be a scuba-diving instructor, and what did you like about it?
Yes. I enjoyed it because I loved the technology involved, and I remember being one of the first people to use a dive computer. What I missed most, though, was teaching and using teaching skills when I stopped diving—so that’s ultimately why I became a teacher.
You used to have a job as an English teacher. What was your favourite thing about it?
I loved teaching the English language because it was my second language. I wanted to learn it well and teach it well. I was fascinated by grammar patterns, which is also why I enjoy the logic in computing.
What would you want to change about computer science?
I would like to have time for teaching more lessons across the KS3 year groups, so I can better share my love of computing.
Quick Fire Questions:
Crisps or peanuts? Peanuts
Movie or show? Movie
Car or train? Car
Cake or scone? Scone
Sweets or chocolate? – neither as I would have sherberts
Skin on or skin off chicken? Skin on
Keyboard or voice? Voice
Thank you to Mrs Woods for taking the time to answer Jacob’s questions. We always look forward to finding out a bit more about our teaching staff and support staff at Northgate. We look forward to the next interview.
We are pleased to introduce our December bulletin. In our bulletin this month there’s information about author visits, our Remembrance service, GCSE presentation evening, and updates from the Library. We also thank everyone for our fundraising week, celebrate successes 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.
Celebrating Non-Fiction November four teams of students took part in the National Online Britannica What on Earth Quiz. Mrs Gill, Head Librarian said, ‘The teams were supplied with the magazine editions that are needed, which they read and digested thoroughly before the event. This is an ‘open magazine’ quiz and so they were also allowed to use the magazines during the on-line event, making it accessible for all abilities, but the better they are known, the faster the team were be able to answer the questions, making for a very fast paced, energetic heat. Whilst we were not the heat winners, all students taking part were fantastic at their specific topics and worked brilliantly as a team.’
Millie A, Year 7, took part in the quiz and said, ‘It was very fun and competitive. I would definitely recommend it!’
Caitlin, Year 9, said, ‘It was a fast paced quiz -in which you had to study and read one of the Britannica magazines. Then in the quiz you would have 3 rounds of questions. Each round had 14 questions and 14 minutes to complete them in. You had to be very fast and work as a team which we did. In our team we had a designated typer, which greatly helped us answer questions quicker and more accurately. We all had our magazines laid out on the tables in front of us, some of us had our magazines labelled with sticky notes so we could quickly turn to a page to find the answer. It was very stressful but I think we did a good job in the end.’
Jacob, Year 7, took part in the quiz for the first time and said, ‘It was like a quiz version of mission impossible. It was so fun but you had to be really quick with the information at the same time. The quizmaster would tell you when the time started and you were running around helping your team mates with the information. I made a bit of a mistake though because when I was looking for some questions to answer I accidentally pressed submit. Gladly my team had answered nearly all the questions.’
Thursday 13th November marked the return of our Class of 2025 for their GCSE Presentation Evening – a special opportunity to recognise their successes and reconnect with students who have since moved on to Sixth Forms, colleges, or apprenticeships.
The evening, organised by Mrs Bone, opened with warm words from Heads of School, Mrs Galley and Dr Hone. Both reflected on the group’s commitment, perseverance, and achievements throughout their time at Northgate, acknowledging how much they had grown both academically and personally.
GCSE certificates were then presented by Head of Year, Mr Stirling. In addition, Progress Awards were handed out to those who had made exceptional strides from their starting points – a true testament to determination and hard work.
Rocky Barnes – Moqtader Ahmady – Daniel Aitken – Alec Atkins – Mackenzie Brewster – Ben Chisholm – Jemima Cunningham – Evie Cutbush – Henry Drury – Wyn Evans – Daniel Fenby – Jack Ford – Phoebe Fulcher – Abi-Louise Goodwin Nelson – Anais Hall – Nathan Hoare – Ellis Hughes – Oscar Jarrett – Joshua Jasinski – Reece Johnson – Kaylee King – Harriet Long – Lewis Mayhew – Jack McGregor – Esme Mottley – Brooklyn Okeke – Kasey Phillips – Brayden Rice – Sophie Roberts – Ethan Rose – Thomas Sampford – Austin Sellers – Maisie Smith – Archie Strutt – Leah-Faith Taylor – Kyra Travers
The keynote speech came from Cameron Mason, a former Northgate student. Cameron spoke fondly of his time at Northgate and Dereham Sixth Form and how the support of his teachers helped him with the challenges he faced, including his dyslexia. He spoke about the tools that Northgate gave him for life which included teamwork, confidence good communication skills, respect and perhaps most importantly for him, resilience. Having now completed an undergraduate degree (BSc) in Politics and International Relations, Cameron went on to study for a Masters (MA) in International Law (LLM). He closed with some advice for students based on his time at Northgate – not to wish time away and savour every milestone, never underestimate the power of teamwork and what you can achieve yourself and finally ask for a take all the advice and support you can.
Following this, Subject Awards were presented by Mr Stirling. Each Head of Department selected a student who had demonstrated excellence, dedication, and a passion for their subject. Whether through outstanding results, creativity, or commitment to improvement, each winner embodied what it means to be a true learner.
Congratulations to Our Subject Award Winners:
Art: Robyn Hart
Fine Art: Amilie Anderton
Religious Studies: Taylor Withers
French: Jazmine Hogg
History: Esme Mottley
Physical Education: Ethan Rose
Design Technology: Austin Sellers
Photography: Agata Krotlinska
Textiles: Jemima Cunningham
Dance: Kaylee King
English Literature: Maisie Smith
Geography: Chloe Knights
Mathematics: Wyn Evans
Food & Nutrition: Daisy Kavanagh
Spanish: Kyra Travers
English Language: Alec Atkins
Science: Rocky Barnes
Computer Science: Dylan Melia
Music: Harriet Long
Graphics: Mia Santos
Drama: Henry Drury
Then an extra special achievement was recognised. A prestigious certificate that recognises our students’ incredible achievements in GCSE Photography was awarded to a number of students. The Royal Photographic Society, an esteemed organisation with a rich history of promoting excellence in photography, awards certificates to students who have shown exceptional skill, a profound work ethic, and commitment to artistic expression.
We celebrated these students not only for their accomplishments in photography but also for their dedication and integrity. The Royal Photographic Society certificate is a mark of distinction, honouring their work which reflects hours of thoughtful effort, perseverance and a willingness to experiment. Mrs Wright from the Art and Design Department was on hand to present these certificates, the first time this affiliation has occurred.
Congratulations to:
Sarah Bales – Kesh Winiarska – Evie Cutbush – Esme Mottley – Daniel Aitken – Shannon Barnett – Maisie Smith
Mr Stirling, Head of Year 11, spoke about his time as their Head of Year at Northgate. He mentioned how proud he was of them as a year group, and the progress they had made. It hadn’t been a smooth ride all the time but in Year 11 they really stepped up. He reminisced about students who had created fake money for him – ‘pounds stirling’ with his photo on and commented that his new Year group have upped their game with even better currency! He wished all students well in their futures and reminded them to keep in touch – it’s always lovely to hear how students get on after their time at Northgate.
The event also recognised the Year 11 Leadership Team for their commitment and contribution to school life. Mr Mason, Director of Education at Unity Education Trust, presented the Head Teacher’s Awards to:
Head Boy: Henry Drury
Head Girl: Kyra Travers
Deputy Head Boys: Wyn Evans and Nathan Hoare
Deputy Head Girls: Tallulah Goodwin and Maisie Smith
The evening concluded with the presentation of special prizes on behalf of Tim Kinnaird, the Governors, and Trustees — honouring outstanding personal progress, resilience, integrity, and contribution to the wider community.
Contribution to the Community: Taylor Withers
Governors’ Prize for Personal Progress: Miami Standing
Trustees’ Award for Resilience: Sam Cox and Kasey Phillips
Tim Kinnaird Award for Integrity: Ethan Rose
It was a truly special evening celebrating a remarkable group of young people. Congratulations once again to the Class of 2025 — we are so proud of all that you have accomplished. As you move forward into the next stage of your journey, may you continue to build on the friendships, lessons, and experiences you gained here at Northgate. Your future is full of possibility, and we can’t wait to see all that you achieve.
Earlier in October, Mrs Norman, from the Languages Department took 3 Year 11s, Akhina, Mirren and James to a Modern Languages enrichment day at Girton College, one of the colleges at the University of Cambridge. We were very fortunate to get places as it was very limited. Students looked at translation, foreign cinema and how to apply to Oxbridge.
Akhina tells us about the trip:
What did you get up to in Cambridge?
First, we had a lecture on language degrees and what it’s like to have a year abroad while doing a language course. Right afterwards we had a translation workshop where we attempted to translate “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll while keeping the rhyme scheme and exact meaning. We resumed after a short break where we were all split up into groups based on different language workshops we were assigned to. We had French as our 2 workshops. In the 1st workshop we watched clips of ‘divine’ and discussed how France is made to be viewed by the world vs the harsh realities. In between the chosen workshops we had an amazing lunch by Girton and got to explore the campus a bit. And this is where we figured out they have a whole museum and an actual mummy called Hermoine!! It was so cool. In the 2nd workshop we studied French painting based on their types, colour schemes used and les point focals (the focus points). We concluded our day with a further insight on the admission and application process and a Q&A with Girton students.
What did you learn?
We were able to gain a huge amount of knowledge on what university is like. It allowed us to realise that college and university life doesn’t have to be scary and how many endless possibilities are out there for us! We also now have a deeper understanding of how even the slightest detail in a movie or painting can have a big meaning behind it.
What did you enjoy the most about the day?
I definitely enjoyed the 1st languages workshop the most because the lecturer was so nice and I felt like her words carried a lot of power and meaning. It also allowed me to get a wider knowledge of how easy it is to believe everything that is portrayed in the media, even when it’s far from reality. The view was also another highlight. It was so calming and just beautiful everywhere you turn your head to.
Has it sparked your love of languages?
Definitely. I’ve realised that I am able to understand lots of unfamiliar sentences in French by knowing a few words and connecting the rest. I have learned so much about not just French but also Anglo-Saxon history and how it has shaped the English language we all use on a daily basis today.
We like to celebrate successes here at Northgate and so want to say well done to Jasmine, Year 7. She is a new member of the Northgate News Team and recently told us that she’d earnt her 6 year Scout badge. In our latest blog, she tells us more about her Scouting journey.
Why do you enjoy going to Scouts?
I like doing Scouts because I get to see all my friends and Scouts is a really good place to go and learn new things weekly.
What is the most exciting thing you have done at Scouts?
Norjam – In august I took part in a worldwide week long camp at the Royal Norfolk Showground. Norjam happens every 5 years and I learnt modern and old skills like bushcraft.
Has there been anything that you have done at Scouts which has challenged you?
Dragon Slayer which is a 7 miles hike. This year it was from Mattishall to East Tuddenham and back. It was hard because there was a checkpoint every 2 miles. My group came 4th out of 6 teams.
What new skills have you learnt whilst being part of the Scouts?
I have learnt a lot of different knots like a sailor man knot, reef knot and figure of 8 knot.
What else would you like to achieve during your time at Scouts?
I would like to achieve my Chief Gold Scout Award, the highest Scout award possible. After that I would like to become a young leader.
Finally, why should others consider joining the Scouts?
People should consider joining Scouts because Scouts is fun, and you meet a lot of new people. You can get a badge like a challenge badge that goes towards the highest badge like the Gold. Some of the challenges are team leader, teamwork and more. You also get year badges for each year you are in Scouting. Recently I got my 6 year Scouting badge which means I have been a Scout for 6 years. You can get up to 18 years.
Jacob, Year 7, from our Northgate News Team, decided he wanted to interview Mrs Woods, Head of Computer Science. Here’s what she had to say in response to his questions.
We like to celebrate successes here at Northgate and so want to say well done to Jasmine, Year 7. She is a new member of the Northgate News Team and recently told us that she’d earnt her 6 year Scout badge. In our latest blog, she tells us more about her Scouting journey.
What new skills have you learnt whilst being part of the Scouts?