Durham High School
End of Week Newsletter
Issue 35 – 5 July 2025
Dear Parents
I can hardly believe I am writing the final newsletter of the academic year. Where has the time gone? It feels like only yesterday that we were welcoming the girls back from their summer holidays.
Before I sign off and wish you all a happy holiday, there is still much to celebrate and be proud of from this final week of term at Durham High School.
Last Friday, our Year 8 Future Business Magnates attended the awards ceremony at Hardwick Hall Hotel. On their return, they were eager to share the fantastic news that they came third overall in the competition. I was absolutely delighted for them and so proud of their efforts. They have worked incredibly hard under the guidance of Miss Morales Salum and thoroughly deserved their success. It was a pleasure to present them with their prizes at our Senior Department Celebration Assembly yesterday. Each participant received a £30 shopping voucher, and the school received a £500 donation, which we will use to support next year’s Future Business Magnates team. You can read more about this achievement later in the newsletter.
On Monday, I had the great pleasure of presenting prizes to our wonderful Year 6 girls at their Celebration Assembly, followed by refreshments with parents. It has been a fantastic year for them, and they are more than ready to embrace the challenges of the Senior Department.
Later that day, I thoroughly enjoyed marvelling at the tremendous talent on display at our Annual Art Show. The standard was phenomenal. Huge thanks go to Mrs Sneddon Brown, Mrs Sutcliffe and Miss Hardy for the inspiration they give to the girls, and for their hard work and dedication in mounting and presenting the artwork so beautifully.
Tuesday brought a wonderful display of sportsmanship, team spirit, determination, resilience and courage as our Senior girls took to the track at Maiden Castle for Sports Day. Thankfully, the weather was a little cooler than Monday and the rain stayed away. I was blown away by the talent and camaraderie shown
throughout the day, and it was lovely to welcome so many parents and grandparents to support the event. Your presence made all the difference. It was an honour to present medals to recognise the girls' amazing performances, although next year I may need a step, as they are all taller than me.
On Wednesday, girls from Year 10, Year 11 and Lower Sixth set off on their three-week Care in the Community trip to Sri Lanka. With bags packed, passports in hand and spirits high, they left for what promises to be an unforgettable adventure. We wish them all the best for a safe and inspiring trip and look forward to hearing all about it when they return. Sincere thanks to Mrs Wheeler, Head of Sixth Form, Mrs Slane and Mrs Jenkinson for giving up three weeks of their summer holidays to accompany them.
This week also saw our Pre-Prep and Prep pupils take part in Moving Up Day, an exciting opportunity to meet their new teachers, explore new classrooms and spend time with future classmates. We also welcomed the incoming Year 7 pupils who will join us in September, giving them a chance to familiarise themselves with the Senior Department. One of the highlights of the day was their hands-on practical session in the Science Department. A huge thank you to all the staff who made both days so special.
We now have everything crossed for our Year 11 and Upper Sixth students ahead of their GCSE and A Level results days. They have worked incredibly hard and shown great commitment throughout, and we cannot wait to celebrate their success with them soon.
As we come to the end of another busy and successful academic year at Durham High School, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to our incredible staff, both teaching and support, who have such a profound impact on our girls. Their hard work, dedication
and good humour help make every school day so special. Thank you to our Parents and Friends Association for their dedicated fundraising support to provide opportunities over
and above the curriculum offer. Thank you also to you, our parents, for your continued support. This has been a year of growth, change and great achievement, and I am proud of how our pupils, staff and wider community have embraced it all.
Wishing you and your families a relaxing and joyful summer break filled with memorable moments. I am looking forward to a week in Cyprus with a good friend, a week in Croatia with my husband and daughters, and some bank holiday fun in Dumfries and Galloway, which is a treasured Hill family tradition.
I also have one more special occasion to look forward to. I will be graduating from Coventry University in July with a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Educational Leadership, and a Level 7 Apprenticeship in Leadership and Management, becoming a member of the Chartered Management Institute. I must admit, I am feeling a little proud. It has not been easy juggling my role as Headmistress with study, but it will be another day to remember, 28 years after graduating for the first time.
Best wishes
Mrs Michelle Hill Headmistress
Message from the Chair of the Management Board
Dear Parents
As the academic year draws to a close, I wanted to write a personal note of thanks to all the parents of our wonderful pupils, who have been so supportive of Durham High School throughout the year.
This year has brought its share of change from the transition to ownership by Galaxy Global Education, to the announcement of the move to co-education in Pre-Prep and Prep from
September 2025, and in the Senior Department and Sixth Form from September 2026. Despite these changes, the future of the High School is looking bright. Thank you for your continued trust in us to provide excellent education and care for your children in the year ahead and beyond.
I would also like to pay a personal tribute to Mrs Hill, Headmistress, for her tireless efforts on behalf of Durham High School, and to the rest of the Leadership Team, teachers, and support staff for their dedication, hard work, and good humour. Their contribution is vital to the school’s growth and is deeply appreciated.
Finally, I hope to see many of you at Speech Day in September. In the meantime, I wish you and your families a restful and enjoyable summer holiday.
Yours sincerely
Mr Nick Grenfell Marten Chair of the Management Board
Staff Goodbyes
The end of term is always filled with mixed emotions, as we say goodbye to staff who have been much-loved members of our school community.
Mrs Tomlinson, after 23 years at Durham High School, is now retiring fully. She took semi-retirement in 2022, stepping down as Senior Deputy Head, but continued to teach Biology and act as Exams Officer on a part-time basis.
Mrs Kenyon is hanging up her lab coat as she retires from her role as Teacher of Chemistry after 18 years at the High School. Dr Alvey is packing up his telescope after 18 years of service, as he retires from teaching Physics. Mrs Smith is saying farewell to Pre-Prep and Prep after 15 years of nurturing our youngest pupils, though we’re delighted she will return for Junior Bake Off! Dr Glen is also retiring after one year at the High School.
We wish them all a long, happy, and healthy retirement filled with all their favourite things.
Mrs Slane is leaving her role as Director of Sport and PE after 23 years of dedicated service. However, we’re pleased that she will still be involved, supporting at fixtures and festivals, and possibly coaching some teams too.
Mrs Lawrence-Wills has decided to focus on classroom teaching, and so after nine years, we are very sad to be saying goodbye to her as Director of Music.
Mr Annal, our Physics supply teacher, is heading off to become a Data Analyst with the NHS as he prepares for his PhD. Miss Skelton is moving abroad to teach at an international school.
Dr Gower, our temporary Lab Technician, is setting off on her next adventure, while Mrs Cowey returns to her role as Lab Technician. We are very grateful to Mrs Cowey for teaching Biology this year while we recruited a permanent replacement.
Finally, we say goodbye to Dr Robinson in her role as Subject Leader of Classics and Latin, but we are delighted she will remain with us as our Peripatetic Teacher of Classics and Latin, continuing to run her popular lunchtime clubs.
We will miss every one of these colleagues dearly and remind them they will always be part of our Durham High community. We would love them to come back and visit us soon.
Whilst it is always sad to say goodbye, we are excited about the new appointments and look forward to welcoming our new staff in September. We will introduce them properly at the start of the new academic year.
Galaxy Global
Thank you to those who joined us online last week for Mrs Gao’s introduction as the owner of Galaxy Global Education (GGE). I hope you found the session both informative and interesting.
We are thrilled to be part of the GGE group, and it has been wonderful to welcome members of their team into school on a number of occasions. I thought it might be helpful to share just how visible Galaxy has been in school since their acquisition in December:
• Christmas Carol Service at Durham Cathedral – Mrs Gao, her youngest daughter, Dr Yu (CEO), and other members of the group were in attendance.
• LAMDA Evening in February – Mrs Gao, Dr Yu, Mr Grenfell Marten, and several Galaxy consultants attended and thoroughly enjoyed the performances.
• Co-education Parent Forum Meetings – Mr Grenfell Marten and Mr Duncan Murphy (external consultant) were in attendance.
• Matilda Junior Production – Mr Grenfell Marten and Mr Duncan Murphy also attended this wonderful performance.
• Architect visits in preparation for co-education – Since May half term, we have welcomed multiple visits from the GGE architect and Ms Yan Gao (Mrs Gao’s sister), who is project managing the renovations to ensure we are ready to welcome boys in Pre-Prep and Prep from September 2025, and in the Senior Department from September 2026.
• Open Morning in June – Dr Yu and Mr Murphy attended our most recent Open Morning. Dr Yu was so impressed by the way our girls spoke and acted as guides that he hopes to introduce a similar format in their Yinhe School in Anshun City, China.
• DHS Live – Dr Yu and Mr Murphy were blown away by the talent and sense of community when they attended Durham High Live last week.
We look forward to welcoming members of the Galaxy team to our Speech Day in September.
Parent Voice Update
The Parent Voice group who met at the beginning of June, asked if it would be possible to have a search function as part of the parent weekly communications pages to help find letters from previous weeks. We are delighted to report that we have been working with our website provider and this function should go live on 14 July.
Senior Sports Day
On Tuesday, our Senior girls and staff came together for a brilliant day of athleticism, friendship and House spirit at Maiden Castle for Senior Sports Day. It was a fantastic occasion that truly showcased the strength of our school community, with pupils cheering one another on, giving their all, and celebrating each other's successes.
The event ran seamlessly thanks to the dedication of our incredible staff, particularly Mrs Slane and the entire PE Department, whose organisation ensured the day was safe, smooth and full of energy from start to finish.
The girls were a real credit to Durham High School, demonstrating sportsmanship, determination and pride throughout the day. The PE Department was especially proud of the effort, energy and positivity shown by all.
A huge well done to Tempest, who took the crown this year, followed by Booth in second place, Neville in third place and Heath in fourth place.
Record Breakers and Championship Athletes
Our girls did not just compete; they made Durham High School history. Several school records were broken (some more than once) in what was an exceptional day of performances.
Year 7 – 300m 51.6s – Millie S Matched by: Cara K
Year 8 – Triple Jump 6.11m – Charlotte S 6.43m – Eliana M
Year 9 – Triple Jump 6.10m – Charlotte S 6.44m – Phoebe A (Record first broken by Megan S –6.18m, then surpassed by Phoebe)
Year 10 – Shot Put 7.62m 8.69m – Annabelle E (Record first broken by Chloé M – 7.77m, then rebroken by Annabelle)
Championship Athletes
Position Year 7 Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
1st Evie K Zarah H Megan S Millie S
2nd Antonia I Esmée L Phoebe A Annabelle E
3rd Cara K Rayah H Yulia V Charlotte S
Well done to all pupils for making the day such a memorable celebration of sport, teamwork and achievement!
Y6 Celebration Assembly
On Monday, our wonderful Year 6 pupils gathered with their parents and teachers for a heartfelt celebration of their time in the Prep School. Together, they shared special memories, sang their favourite hymns, and received awards recognising their achievements. Well done, girls –we are so proud of you.
A final, sincere thank you to all the members of staff at Durham High School who have helped shape their journey through the Pre-Prep and Prep Department, especially Mrs Hopper, Head of Pre-Prep and Prep, who has of course also been their Year 6 teacher.
This week, our Year 8 pupils rounded off the term with a fantastic trip to the TCR Hub in Barnard Castle. The girls embraced a wide range of activities, including canoeing, crate stacking and lino printing. It was a wonderful opportunity to build confidence, strengthen friendships and enjoy some well-deserved fun before the summer break.
Year 8 Adventure at Barnard Castle TCR The Hub
History Meets AI in Year 12
The Year 12 History class used artificial intelligence as a creative tool to generate their own Wedgwood-inspired designs. As part of the A Level course, students study Josiah Wedgwood and explore how he used various techniques and styles to create fashionable pieces that appealed to an elite audience.
To generate their designs, students needed to understand Wedgwood's different design styles, such as creamware and jasperware, and use this knowledge to prompt the AI effectively. They also drew on their understanding of other historical modules studied during the course, including South Africa and America, to inform their creative choices.
Students refined their prompts to ensure the outputs reflected Wedgwood’s distinctive aesthetic, incorporating features such as neoclassical cameos and the matte finish characteristic of jasperware.
Outstanding Effort in Karate Gradings
A big well done to our Prep and Pre-Prep pupils who completed their Karate Gradings on Wednesday afternoon.
You have been working incredibly hard in lunchtime clubs and truly rose to the occasion on grading day. The girls were poised, focused and determined, and they thoroughly deserve to be celebrated. Well done to each and every one of you.
GCSE and A Level Art Show
On Monday, we were delighted to welcome the Durham High School community to our End-of-Term Art Show. The exhibition was a celebration of the outstanding creativity and talent of our Senior Department pupils, showcasing a wide range of artwork produced throughout the year.
From detailed sketches to bold mixed-media pieces, the standard of work on display was truly exceptional. We are incredibly proud of our pupils for their imagination, skill and dedication, and it was a pleasure to see their efforts recognised and appreciated by staff, parents and peers alike. Well done to all involved!
DHS Shines at the Future Business Magnates Awards Ceremony
Last Friday, 27 June, the Durham High School team representing Future Business Magnates had the honour of attending the official Awards Ceremony at Hardwick Hall Hotel an unforgettable and truly inspiring experience for all involved.
The evening began with an elegant smart dress code and a beautifully decorated ballroom, setting the tone for a night of celebration and recognition. Guests were welcomed with a delightful buffet and treated to dazzling close-up magic performed by professional magicians, who moved from table to table adding extra sparkle to the occasion.
As the ceremony began, excitement filled the room with the announcement of nominations across a range of categories, including Best Original Idea, Best Showcase, Most Resilient Team, Best Final Presentation in which our DHS team proudly received a nomination and the Brian Manning Award for Best Use of Networks.
The highlight of the evening came with the announcement of the top three teams, those who achieved the highest scores across the past seven months of challenges, progress reports and presentations. Then came the moment we had all been waiting for… Durham High School was named the Bronze Winner, securing third place among all participating schools.
This has been an incredible journey for our students, who embraced every stage of the competition with enthusiasm, dedication and creativity. We are especially grateful to Miss Morales Salum, our inspiring Teacher of Business and Careers Lead, who guided and supported the team throughout.
Congratulations to our Year 8 DHS Team: Zarah, Katie, Zoe, Charlotte, Kate, Eliza, Sobia and Senuri.
We are incredibly proud of this achievement and hope it will inspire our incoming Year 7 pupils to take on the challenge next year.
Computing at School Success
We are delighted to share that Florence and Tilly in Year 8 have been shortlisted and received a Judges’ Commendation in the national Computing At School competition.
Their innovative project tackled the issue of noise disruption in exam halls, and the judging panel praised the girls for their creativity, problem-solving skills, and impressive use of iterative design.
Although not selected as a category winner this time, reaching the shortlist is a fantastic achievement, and Florence and Tilly should be very proud of their work. Well done, girls!
Year 7 and 8 Cross Curricular Project Week
Last week, pupils in Year 7 and Year 8 took part in our exciting CrossCurricular Project Week, themed around ‘Paris’. The week offered a wide range of activities designed to encourage creativity, collaboration and critical thinking across subject areas.
Highlights included an Eiffel Tower building competition, podcast creation, a fun Olympic-themed event, and research into famous historical figures. Well done to all pupils involved for their enthusiasm and teamwork throughout the week!
Congratulations to the winners of the Eiffel Tower competition, which was judged on cost, stability and resemblance to the real structure.
Year 7 Winners: Heidi, Annabel, Cara and Milly
Special Mentions: Antonia and Lemma (7H) and Matilda, Abigail and Lucy (7D)
Year 8 Winners: Lara S, Robyn, Izzy H and Dvorah
Special Mentions: Tilly’s team, Kate’s team and Rana’s team.
Pupil Successes
A Field of Gold with 7D Biology
7D took on a fun challenge: estimating how many buttercups are growing on the school field. Armed with clipboards and curiosity, they used sampling and multiplication techniques to make their best predictions. The result? A field that could contain hundreds of thousands of these bright yellow flowers – a beautiful reminder of the summer term in full bloom.
Celebrating Kate's Success at the Junior Theatre Festival Europe!
We are incredibly proud of Kate, who recently took part in the MTI Europe Junior Theatre Festival 2025 at the International Conference Centre in Birmingham, performing with Tyne Theatre Stage School (TTSS).
Competing against talented performers from across Europe, TTSS were awarded first place in the Outstanding Adjudication category and first place in Excellence in Dance for their brilliant performance of Oliver Jr
Well done, Kate – what an amazing achievement to be part of such a successful and inspiring production.
Rowing
success for Sea Cadet, Ruien
Last weekend, Sea Cadet Ruien and her team won gold at the Tyne South District Rowing Regatta, held at the Derwenthaugh Boat Station on Sunday. The team will now go on to represent the Chester-leStreet unit in the Area Rowing Regatta in Scotland this summer.
We wish them the very best of luck!
Sixth Form China Exchange Assembly
A big thank you to Yasmeen and Isla, who, alongside Mrs Almod, presented Monday’s assembly on their China Exchange visit which took place over Easter. They spoke with confidence and gave a wonderful insight into the experience, sharing highlights from the trip and reflecting on what they learned along the way.
Key Dates
Please check the list below for activities/ events that may involve your daughter.
Wednesday 2- 24 July Sri Lanka Projects Abroad and Sports Tour
Thursday 28 August –
Monday 1 September Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Assessed Expedition
Monday 1 September INSET Day
Tuesday 2 September INSET Day
Wednesday 3 September Term Begins for all year groups
Thursday 11 September Speech Day- Glow Venue 3pm – 5.15 pm
