The Summer Review, Dumpton School

The Summer Ter m is always the busiest and most joyful of ter ms, and this one was no exception It is cer tainly an exciting time to be a par t of this sc hool community

Whilst we had significant academic success this year, it is our fir m belief at Dumpton that c hildren are more than just their academic g rades; that pupils’ development at sc hool goes far beyond the four walls of the classrooms and extends to their per sonal and c haracter qualities. We call this ‘ c haracter education’. I hope flic king through these pages g ives you a sense of the wonderful ar ray of activities and exper iences on offer for the pupils, as well as the very special atmosphere that exists at Dumpton that allows c hildren to be gently c hallenged to fulfil their potential

We were extremely proud to be shor tlisted for ‘Independent Prep Sc hool of the Year’ - a wonderful accolade, and testament to the superb commitment of the staff at Dumpton. I would like to extend my thanks to every single one of them for their continued effor ts

Christian Saenger, Headmaster

Nursery

Children learnt their initial sounds using phonics

Dumpton Friends hosted a fantastic disco for Nursery children

Nursery enjoyed a sunny picnic lunch on the last day of summer term

Mr Cox explained the lifecycle of egg to chicken for the Nursery children, as they gently handled the chicks

The children gave their best efforts on the summer Nursery Sports Day

Nursery loved time in Food Technology creating hedgehog bread

Nursery have regular swim lessons to improve confidence in the water

Nursery worked together to make dens in the Dumpton woodland

Sports Day was very sunny, and children enjoyed ice lollies after their events

What fun the children had with the allotment sprinkler this summer term

Nursery explored shapes and textures with Playdoh in the garden area

We used bricks to help with counting the number bonds to ten

Children have enjoyed learning through role play in Nursery

Sand play mark making is always a popular activity in Nursery

Nursery children were very proud of their FoodTechnology efforts this summer term

Pre-Prep enjoyed our local coast, making sand sculptures this summer term

We learnt about our local habitats pond dipping this term

Pre-

Pre-Prep parents were invited to be shown around their child’s world at school on our Dumpton Family Afternoon

Pre-Prep discovered all kinds of creatures pond dipping

Pre-Prep were inspired to create magnificent lighthouses after reading ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch’ by Ronda and David Armitage

Dumpton Pre-Prep families loved to showcase much loved pets in our annual Pet Show

Children sketched the bluebells in the Dumpton woods

Children were proud to show parents their Food Technology skills during our Dumpton Family Afternoon

Mr Cox introduced the Dumpton chicks to the children this term

Prep

Pre-Prep learnt all about how we use Guide Dogs and what important, clever work these dogs do

The children had a trip to MoorsValley and learnt about woodland and heath habitats

Children used mixed media sketching and painting bluebells and compared the results

day of the summer term

Mr Cox showed the children the lifecycle of a chicken from egg to chick

the most wonderful creations

Parents collaborated with their children to make their hat designs a reality for our Mad Hatters Tea Party at the end of term

The Mad Hatters Tea Party parade showcased

The children loved handling the baby chicks with care during Mr Cox science lesson

Pre-Prep had a sunny picnic lunch on the last

Pre-Prep developed their tennis skills in P.E this summer

Prep children enjoyed making carrot and sultana muffins this summer termdid any make it home?

Dumpton children enjoyed regular cricket fixtures and tournaments over the summer term

Year 7 enjoyed a hike across our Dorset Jurassic coast

Year 4 loved learning new outdoor skills at the bushcraft camp at Dumpton with Mr Cox

Huge congratulations to Seni who had a fantastic athletics season with wins at School, County, Regional and National level

Year 3 discovered fossils at Kimmeridge Bay and visited the Etches Collection museum

Year 7 explored Northern France including St Mont Michael, La Point du Hoc

Year 4 prepared the ground well for our Royal Oak coronation tree at Dumpton

Year 6 learnt about the geographical processes that form our unique coastline and the features that are created

Prep

We are lucky to live by the Jurassic coast for the children to have learnt history, science and geography on this field trip to Kimmeridge Bay

Prep children loved handling the chicks and seeing how they grew over the summer term

Mr Cox introduced the Dumpton chicks and discussed lifecycles with the Prep children

Prep children improved technique in both track and field events this summer

Year 3 had a practical science lesson learning about mass extinction

Our summer serenade celebrated the Prep children’s efforts of smaller music groups, vocal and instrumental

We enjoyed our Family Afternoon with the theme of Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

Huge congratulations to Harry for success in Athletics at School, County, Regional and National level

Year 6 met a new friend at Skern Lodge

Summer Spor ts Events

Another exceptional term of sport with all the children progressing well in cricket, swimming, tennis and athletics; from our egg and spoon races in Nursery to National Champions in Year 8 we are proud of all the children’s efforts living our value of ‘AIM HIGH’

The Wor st Witch

Penned by our own Mrs Warde, this production brought out the magical and talented side of Year 4 and 5

“I couldn’t have asked for a more delightful cast to work with! Each member of Year 4 and 5, no matter how big or small their part, added to the magic of bringing the Worst Witch to life.They exceeded my expectations with their collaborative skills and independence on stage; I was so proud of them all!

Mrs N Warde

Leaver s Prog ramme

A wonderful array of trips, challenges and memorable experiences for our Year 8. From business enterprise to fanc y dress tennis the children will treasure the memories of their last few weeks at Dumpton.

Speech Day

A day to be proud of all our pupils and recognise real outstanding achievement. We welcomed Old Dumptonian Sam Jones, Founder of Gener8 as our guest speaker to inspire and engage our current pupils and wider Dumpton community.

Dumpton Friends Summer Picnic

We thank our volunteering parents on the Dumpton Friends team for organising such a wonderful event celebrating together the end of a fantastic year.

A Fond Farewell

We said goodbye to several Dumpton staff this summer term, including Carol Hargreaves, Lydia Harvey, Freya Carson, Liz Bradbury and Liz Murfin. We wish them every happiness for their future paths.

Ter m Dates 2023/24

Autumn Ter m 2023

Ter m Ends: Fr iday 15 December

Half Ter m: Thur sday 19 to Fr iday 27 October

Spr ing Ter m 2024

Wednesday 3 Januar y: Staff INSET

Ter m Star ts: Thur sday 4 Januar y

Ter m Ends: Fr iday 22 Marc h

Half Ter m: Monday 12 to Fr iday 16 Febr uar y

Summer Ter m 2024

Monday 15 Apr il: Staff INSET

Ter m Star ts:Tuesday 16 Apr il

Ter m Ends: Fr iday 5 July

Early May Bank Holiday: Monday 6 May

Half Ter m: Monday 27 May to Fr iday 31 May

Summer Holiday Club: Monday 8 July to Fr iday 19 July