Durham High School
End of Week Newsletter
Issue 27 – 4 May 2025
Dear Parents
I hope you all had a lovely Easter break and enjoyed some special time with your families. Once I’d submitted my master’s dissertation, we managed some family catch ups and a night away in London, where we enjoyed being tourists and watching Mrs Doubtfire at the theatre. When it begins its UK tour, I would thoroughly recommend the stage show to anyone who enjoyed the film. It offered lots of laughs, a few tears, and a real feel-good evening.
Over the Easter holidays, a number of trips took place, including our Spanish trip to Murcia, our Chinese Cultural Exchange programme, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award practice expeditions for both Silver and Gold. A big thank you to Madame Colon, Miss Shoulder, Mrs Docherty, Mrs Almond, Mrs Gardner and Dr Alvey for so generously giving their time to provide these fantastic opportunities for the girls. From all accounts, much fun was had, and I thoroughly enjoyed the daily updates on our social media pages.
We now look forward to more adventures abroad – with the Year 7 and 8 Paris trip in June, and the exciting Sri Lanka trip in the summer for our Year 10 and Sixth Form pupils. Year 6 are looking forward to their outdoor residential in Northumberland next week and Year 9 can look forward to their trip in the Lake District in June.
We’ve been welcomed back to the summer term with some fantastic weather, and it has been delightful to hear the girls playing and learning outside, making the most of the sunshine. I’ve especially loved seeing our Prep girls embracing their summer uniforms. They look wonderfully smart and seasonal.
Our Year 11 and Upper Sixth students have begun their public examinations this week, starting with the language speaking tests and practical exams in Art, Photography, Textiles, and Graphics. Written exams begin in earnest next week for Year 11, followed by A Levels the week after. The girls have worked incredibly hard, and we wish them the very best of luck.
To our parents, speaking as a mum who’s eldest is also sitting her A Levels this summer, I completely understand how stressful and emotional this period can be. If your daughter needs any support during study leave, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Mrs Wheeler or Mr Johnson. Girls are welcome to study at school in designated spaces if that suits them best. Of course, some may prefer to work at home, and that’s absolutely fine too. Please remember that our teachers are available and very willing to provide last-
minute help or encouragement whenever it’s needed.
This week, I was thrilled to hear that Miss Turner, our Head of Computing and Digital Strategy, has been shortlisted for the TES Awards in the category of Subject Lead of the Year (Secondary). We are not in the least bit surprised. It is well-deserved recognition of the incredible initiatives she has developed in school, and the fantastic support she gives to pupils involved in coding and computational logic through the various clubs and enrichment activities. It’s an honour for the High School to represent the North East in these national awards. Miss Turner will be heading to London for the ceremony in June, where we will all be cheering her on!
Finally, on Friday, I had the great pleasure of welcoming our Year 7 grandparents into school for Grandparents’ Morning. I hope they enjoyed their tours around the Senior Department and, of course, their tea and cakes. Our Year 7 and 8 performers gave some wonderful entertainment and I was incredibly proud of each one of them.
I am looking forward to welcoming our Pre-Prep & Prep grandparents on 23rd May 2025.
We have almost finished drafting the Q&A document addressing the key themes from the Co-Education Parent Forum meetings held at the end of last term. We hope to share this with you next week following the bank holiday.
As I write my thoughts for this week’s newsletter, it is almost time for our Durham High School Hollywood Glamour Ball. I am very much looking forward to spending the evening with those of you who have bought tickets. Our Parents and Friends Ball Committee always make the evening a truly special occasion. Thank you, in advance, for all the hard work you put into making the ball such a memorable event. See you on the dance floor!
I hope the sun shines and that you can enjoy a restful May Day Bank Holiday.
Best wishes
Mrs Michelle Hill Headmistress
Message from Mrs Hill to Year 11 and Upper Sixth girls.
Girls, as you step into your public exams, we want you to know something really important….. these exams do not define you! Yes, they matter Yes, you’ve worked hard for them, and you should be proud of all the time, energy, and effort you've given. But your grades will never capture the full picture of who you are.
They won't show your kindness, your creativity, your resilience, or your sense of humour. They won’t reflect the friendships you’ve built at the High School, the challenges you’ve overcome, or the moments you’ve lifted others up. Those are the things that truly shape your future, and they’re already within your hearts.
So, go into these exams with confidence. Do your best, not to prove your worth, but to honour the hard work you’ve put in. And if things feel overwhelming, take a breath and remember that you are more than any number or letter on a page. Our DHS community believes in you and are behind you. You’ve got this! Good Luck!
Senior Pupil Successes
We are delighted to share that Upper Sixth student Charisse has been awarded Associate of the Royal Schools of Music (ARSM) Diploma in piano, which is an exceptional achievement and equivalent to the standard of the first year of a university degree.
Charisse, who has been playing piano since the age of five, has shown remarkable dedication in balancing her musical studies alongside A Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Music. She is a valued member of the school’s orchestra and choir and also leads worship at her church in Newcastle. Charisse performed in Durham’s Lumiere Festival as part of the ‘Keys of Light’ installation and hopes to continue her musical journey by working towards her Licentiate qualification.
Well done, Charisse!
Bebras Coding Competition Success!
We are thrilled to share some outstanding results from the recent second round of the prestigious Bebras Computing Challenge and are very proud of all the girls taking part.
Ruth in Upper Sixth was named Best in School for the ‘Trailblazers’ category and achieved the Highest Score in County Durham.
Jasmine in Lower Sixth led the way in the ‘Navigators’ category as ‘Best in School’, securing the Highest Score in the Country and ranking in the Top 25% Nationally.
Sarah in Year 9 earned a gold star in the ‘Explorers’ category and placed in the Top 25% Nationally. A fantastic accomplishment.
Carola Elin in Year 8 earned ‘Best in School’ for the ‘Explorers’ category, with the Highest Score in County Durham and a Top 25% National Ranking.
Tara in Year 6 shone in the ‘Novices’ category, was named ‘Best in School’ and placed in the Top 25% Nationally.
Pre Prep & Prep Pupils of the week
This week’s Pupils of the Week in Pre-Prep and Prep are:
Nursery: Ettie for listening carefully and responding brilliantly to questions in discussions.
Reception: Amelia for good focus and super number work involving recognition of teen numbers.
Y1&2: Thea for settling in wonderfully and getting used to new routines, and for making friends so quickly.
Y3&4: Jessica for showing a huge amount of resilience in Maths lessons this week.
Y5: Mia for her incredible work in Maths. She has shown resilience when tackling long multiplication calculations.
Y6: Ananya for a thoughtful piece of writing about memories.
Two Lingotot’s Star of the Week certificates were awarded to Annabelle for the 27 March and Alicia for 1 May.
All the girls who participated in round two of the Bebras competition were presented with their certificates.
Several children have been busy outside of school:
➢ Sama was presented with certificates for her Spanish entries in the Northeast Festival of Languages;
➢ Rose was presented with badges and a certificate earned in Brownies;
➢ Amelia was presented with a skiing award;
➢ Lola was presented with rosettes from a show jumping competition.
Well done, everyone!
Inspiring Careers in Radiotherapy: A Visit from James Cook University Hospital
On Thursday lunchtime, we were delighted to welcome Rosie Robinson and Danielle Clydesdale, from the Radiotherapy and Oncology Department at James Cook University Hospital, for a fascinating career talk on Therapeutic Radiography.
Rosie and Danielle shared their professional journeys and gave girls a powerful insight into the vital role therapeutic radiographers play in treating patients. Another great session as part of our careers programme.
Music for a May Evening
On Tuesday 6 May at 7pm, Durham High School invite you to our annual ‘Music for a May Evening’ concert. It is the last time our Upper Sixth girls will be joining us before they go off to University. Performances will include our choirs, instrument ensembles, rock bands and solo renditions. Please do join us by using the link below to book your tickets. https://www.trybooking.com/uk/ERYA
Prep and Pre-Prep Open Morning, Saturday 17 May ,10.30am-12.30pm
We are looking forward to welcoming prospective families to our upcoming Open Morning on Saturday 17 May, for children aged 3 to 11. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore life at Durham High School, meet our dedicated staff, and see how we support every child to thrive in a warm, nurturing, and academically ambitious environment.
If you know someone who might be interested in joining Nursery to Year Six in September, please encourage them to come along. It would be lovely to meet them!
Please share the link for booking - https://www.trybooking.com/uk/EQLT
Key Dates up to May Half Term
Please check the events calendar on our website for further dates.
Date Event Time (if relevant)
Saturday 3 May Parents & Friends Annual School Ball. Ramside Hall Hotel. 7.00pm – 12.30am
Saturday 3 May –Sunday 4 May Bronze D of E Practice Weekend
Monday 5 May Bank Holiday Monday
Tuesday 6 May Year 11 Study Leave begins
Tuesday 6 May Music for a May Evening 7.00pm – 9.30pm
Wednesday 7 May –Friday 9 May Y6 Ford Castle Residential
Wednesday 7 May Parents and Friends Meeting 4.15pm – 17.45pm
Thursday 8 May GCSE exams begin
Thursday 8 May A Level French Speaking Exam
Thursday 8 May Year 10 Universities Evening 6.00pm – 7.00pm
Monday 12 May-
Friday 16 May Revision Week in Senior Dept
Tuesday 13 May Nursery Stay and Play Event 13.30pm – 3.30pm
Friday 16 May Upper Sixth Study Leave
Saturday 17 May Pre-Prep and Prep Open Morning 10.30pm –12.30pm
Monday 19 – 23 May Senior Department Exam Week
Friday 23 May Grandparents Day Pre-Prep and Prep 13.30pm –15.30pm
Friday 23 May Term Ends Normal time