As we come to the end of another eventful academic year, it is important to reflect on what has been achieved by our pupils and staff in the last 10 months. The list is potentially endless, but when you think of the wonderful drama, musical and artistic productions, sporting achievements, fundraising, social action, and general academic endeavour, it reminds us of what a special place Durham High School is.
We would like to take this final opportunity to say thank you to parents and pupils for all your support and efforts, and to our tremendous teaching and support staff, and our magnificent Facilities, Cleaning, Catering, IT and Admin teams, for their tireless work in continuing to ensure the best possible experience for our pupils.
Independent Schools of the Year 2023
We are delighted that we have been shortlisted for the Independent Schools of the Year Awards for the third year in a row. Durham High School has been shortlisted in the Independent School of the Year for Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Justice, which recognises, among other things, the huge amount of work schools are putting into enhancing and strengthening their safeguarding and diversity & inclusion. The finalists will be revealed in September.
Year 11 Prom
There was an amazing prom at Bowburn Hall last week for pupils in Year 11. It was a celebration that that was so well deserved, after an incredible amount of hard work leading up to their GCSE examinations. They all looked fabulous and we wish them a very enjoyable, and well-deserved, summer break. We look forward to catching up with you all on GCSE Results Day.
Uniform Shop
The Uniform Shop will be open at times during the summer holidays, for appointments only. Appointments must be booked online on the Emblematic website. The appointments are approximately 15 minutes each and please try to limit yourself to one appointment to give as many parents as possible the opportunity to access the service. All items of uniform can also be ordered via the Emblematic website. However, it should be noted that orders are completed in the school shop, during opening hours, before they are sent to Newcastle for despatch. This may lead to a delay between the order being placed and being delivered to your home. All orders placed online are for home delivery during the holidays.
Year 6 Play
Well done to Year 6, who performed Treasure Island to their family and friends on Monday and Tuesday evening. It is a thrilling tale of pirates, treasure maps, mutiny on the high seas and pieces of eight based on the childhood adventure story. It was a wonderful performance, and it is clear that there is a lot of talent heading up to Senior Department in September.
Lion King Jr
Pupils in Year 7 and 8 put on two fantastic evenings of entertainment, as they took to the stage to perform The Lion King Jr. The show, which features all the classic characters and songs from the original movie, stirred all the emotions, including laughter, tears and enjoyment. It was a fitting way to bring down the curtains on another academic year.
Sixth Form Philippines Trip
A group of Sixth Form pupils have headed on a three-week project to Cebu Island in the Philippines, where they will be volunteering at a local school. Maño Integrated School is in a particularly underprivileged area, and the girls will be working in the classrooms in the mornings and supporting the children with their lessons. In the afternoon they will be undertaking a renovation project where they will be updating an outdoor covered sports area. It is hoped that this area will support the children both in their sporting activities and their outdoor education.
Darcy’s Javelin Success
Darcy in Year 10 represented Durham in Javelin at the English Schools’ Finals in Birmingham last Friday. She threw an impressive 33.58m, which placed her 12th overall for U17 girls. Well done, Darcy.
Rounders Tournament
The U13s won the Durham Area Rounders tournament earlier this week, with some great individual performances alongside their fabulous teamwork. Well done to the team.
School Transport
A reminder that parents of those pupils that anticipate accessing school transport provision in September should complete this form by Friday 4 August. You should complete this form even if your child already accesses school transport. This will ensure there is space reserved for them for next year. If you would like assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Wilson via [email protected].
Communication over the holidays
A reminder that the school breaks up for the Summer holidays today. Please be aware that there will be nobody monitoring telephone calls from 6pm this evening, until the middle of August, and phone messages will only be checked sporadically. If you have any reason for which you need to contact the school, please email [email protected], but please be aware that you may not receive an immediate response.
