Northampton High School inspire inclusion on International Women’s Day

Local GDST school marks global celebration with a series of educational activities and the release of their Made for Girls film

International Women’s Day has always been an important date in the High School’s calendar, with staff and students relishing the dedicated opportunity to celebrate and empower the women around them. Since its opening in 1878, Northampton High has been a pioneer in girls’ education and remains devoted to the GDST’s unwavering vision to create a more equal world in which girls can thrive. In line with this year’s theme, the school community aimed to #InspireInclusion through a series of educational activities, including the release of their brand new Made for Girls film.

The global celebration, which takes place every year on the 8th of March, provided a perfect opportunity for the girls’ school to host their Open Morning. With almost all of their prospective families coming from co-educational schools, Northampton High aims to showcase the benefits of a girls-only education, and incorporated their International Women’s Day celebrations into the event to spotlight the ways in which they inspire girls. The school community was thrilled to mark the occasion by premiering their new ‘Made for Girls’ video, which features a number of students aged 2-18 and demonstrates the power of an all-through, all-girls education.

The High School knows the value in providing girls with leadership opportunities, proudly offering pupils a number of important positions to represent the student body. Roles on the Student Senior Leadership Team are among the most prestigious in the school, and this year, staff chose to announce the new team on this dedicated day. The selection process for these sought-after positions is rigorous and the GDST school was keen to congratulate all candidates for stepping out of their comfort zones and achieving personal success as a result.

Following a memorable morning, their newly-appointed Head Girl, Anushka, aimed to inspire inclusion through her workshop on Intersectional Feminism. In her presentation, she explored a number of important themes and posed several thought-provoking questions to the attendees: ‘Who’s a feminist?’, ‘Do feminists hate men?’, ‘What does intersectional mean?’. The workshop was accessible for all and Anushka did a fantastic job of breaking down key terms and ideas for pupils in the younger years. After identifying what ‘intersectional’ means, the group explored examples of discrimination throughout history, recognising the ways in which our social and political identities result in unique combinations of discrimination and privilege.

The school’s popular feminist society enriched the celebrations with a brilliant initiative that saw pupils celebrating and expressing gratitude to the extraordinary women around them. Students were encouraged to look beyond celebrities and influencers, and instead recognise the women who make a significant impact on their personal lives. Noting down the ways in which their mothers, sisters, grandparents, teachers and friends consistently support and inspire them, the school community created a display of celebratory messages.

Concluding their International Women’s Day celebrations, children in the Junior School were delighted to invite parents and guardians to their special Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea. The importance of female role models in girls’ lives can not be overstated, and Northampton High was thrilled to recognise the immeasurable impact that the mothers and guardians in their Junior School have on students.

In a school that is Made for Girls, staff were thrilled to facilitate valuable learning opportunities and highlight their girls-first philosophy on this special day. In an environment where each and every pupil learns without limits, International Women’s Day proved the perfect opportunity for pupils to celebrate their friends and raise up the women around them!