STONEWALL BRONZE AWARD

For the last year and a half Dorothy Stringer has been accredited with Stonewall which is the largest LGBTQ+ charity in the UK. This has allowed us to access resources to support LGBTQ+ inclusion in and out of the classroom, as well as staff training and support.

The school has also been working hard to achieve its Bronze Champion Award which recognises the work schools do to promote inclusion for LGBTQ+ students and staff. We are very proud to say that Dorothy Stringer School has just achieved this Bronze Award! This is a very challenging award to achieve and involved collecting evidence from every aspect of the school, from the curriculum, student well-being and safeguarding, student voice and leadership. The award is testament to how inclusive Dorothy Stringer is for LGBQT+ students in every area and this is a chance to celebrate the great work our whole school community does to support equality.

As well as celebrating our award, our canteen created some rainbow-coloured lunches to celebrate Pride month in June, and we also held a Pride bake-off and cake sale which raised money for the Rainbow Fund, a vital charity within Brighton and Hove helping to fund projects which make a difference to the lives of thousands of individuals within the LGBTQ+ community. Take a look at some of the colourful bakes below!

In the May half term we took 55 of our Year 8 students on our annual trip to Lido di Jesolo, an Italian coastal town near Venice.

Our Year 8 students had an amazing time and we took the opportunity to visit Venice and the Doge’s Palace as well as the islands of Murano and Burano. We were also able to visit the beautiful city of Verona, where we stopped at the amphitheatre and Juliet’s house, before continuing on to the stunning Lake Garda, where students went for a dip and picked up some delicious ice creams. The students also spent a lot of time on the beach, taking part in sand castle competitions and playing games, as well as having an incredible time at the local waterpark!

All in all it was an action packed six days and we were absolutely blown away by how well behaved the students were. Not only were they great company, but they took everything in their stride and really looked out for one another – well done, Year 8!

We’re always so excited to return to Lido di Jesolo and to Hotel Jalisco in particular - the staff there have been looking after us for many years. Watch this space for information on next year’s trip!

On 26 May we took a group of our Creative iMedia students to MCM Comic Con, the ultimate gathering for pop culture enthusiasts! It proved to be a mesmerizing adventure for our group of Creative iMedia students! Stepping into the convention hall was like entering a parallel universe where superheroes, fantastical creatures, and beloved characters came to life. The air buzzed with excitement as we navigated through a vibrant sea of cosplayers, immersing ourselves in a whirlwind of creativity and fandom. From meeting renowned artists and attending exclusive panels to browsing an awe-inspiring array of merchandise, the experience was a feast for the senses and taught students a lot about the many different revenue streams that are available to aspiring artists, creators and writers. We left Comic Con with unforgettable memories, new-found aspirations, and a deep appreciation for the power of imagination that permeated every corner of this extraordinary event.

The English Department hosted a series of Literature Lectures at the start of this term. The lectures provided an additional opportunity for Year 11 for some guided revision along with a chance to experience a style of teaching which may well be a part of their future:

Ms Richards gave the first lecture, asking: ‘Is A Christmas Carol a religious novel? Or is its message about kindness and generosity just about human nature, not religion?’ Ms Uren was next up, delivering a lecture exploring images of the natural world in Macbeth. Finally, Ms Taylor’s lecture addressed the question: ‘How do the symbols within An Inspector Calls reflect society and socialism?’

Focusing on building students’ knowledge of the texts and their contexts, the lectures were very well-received, and the attendees were enthusiastic and engaged, making us very proud of them.