Durham High School End of Week Newsletter
Issue 22 – 9 March 2025
Dear Parents
Spring has arrived at Durham High School! What a wonderful welcome back after half-term, with the first crocuses and daffodils beginning to bloom. My morning drive to school this past week has been a delight, with breathtaking sunrises and beautiful views that I have missed during the darker winter mornings. It certainly adds a spring to my step and a wider smile to my face.
We have had an exciting and eventful week, celebrating National Careers Week, performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Gala Theatre as part of the Shakespeare Festival, and building up to World Book Day. While these events are always embedded in the High School’s ethos careers education is an integral part of our curriculum, and fostering a love of reading is at the heart of what we do it is still fantastic to have dedicated moments to celebrate and further inspire our girls.
On Friday morning, while greeting parents and pupils at drop-off, I was delighted to see the enthusiasm from our Pre-Prep and Prep girls as they excitedly shared and guessed each other’s favourite book characters. Thank you to all parents for the effort you put into the wonderful costumes, and to our staff for matching the girls’ enthusiasm! In the Senior Department, the transformation of form room doors into book covers was a fantastic team effort, and I look forward to judging the entries on Tuesday next week.
I would like to congratulate our KS4 Badminton Team who this week competed in the North East and Yorkshire Regional round of the National Schools Badminton Competition in York. Despite some challenging opposition teams, our girls were very enthusiastic and played some amazing badminton. Overall, we finished 7th in the North East and Yorkshire, well done girls! We are super proud of this, especially since we have only begun competing in this sport this academic year.
A huge thank you to those parents who attended our Careers Fayre with their daughters on Thursday. The event was a resounding success, and I extend my sincere gratitude to Miss Morales-Salum, our Careers Lead, for organising such a phenomenal opportunity for our pupils. Girls from Year 5 to Upper Sixth had the chance to engage with over 30 different professionals from sectors including Medicine, Veterinary Science, Paramedics, Law, Architecture, Journalism, Engineering, and IT, to name just a few.
It was particularly inspiring to welcome back many of our Old Girls, who are excelling in male-dominated industries and leading the way in fields such as engineering and technology. Their journeys remind us that real progress happens when we challenge stereotypes and push boundaries. Thank you to all the exhibitors for giving of your time to support the aspirations of our girls.
It was also wonderful to see so many universities represented, both local and national, including Newcastle, Oxford, Sunderland, Durham, Sheffield, Northumbria, and Manchester, giving our girls the chance to explore a wide range of courses and requirements. For those considering higher apprenticeships, ASK Apprenticeships was on hand to provide guidance. Time and again, exhibitors praised our pupils for their enthusiasm, articulation, and engagement another proud moment for me as Headmistress.
As I write this week’s newsletter, it is fitting that we are celebrating International Women’s Day 2025. Today, we come together to honour the achievements, aspirations, and limitless potential of every girl and woman in our school community and beyond. This year’s theme, Accelerate Action, is a powerful reminder that meaningful change does not happen by waiting it happens by taking action. At Durham High, we instil this belief in every girl, from our youngest in the Nursery to our Sixth Formers preparing for their futures. Whether it is raising their voices on issues that matter, stepping up for leadership roles, or supporting one another to succeed, our girls are ensuring that change happens now.
Finally, I would like to extend my warmest wishes to all members of our community observing Lent a blessed and reflective Lent to you all. To our Muslim families, Ramadan Mubarak for last weekend. A special thank you to Rayah for sharing delicious treats with our community in celebration of Ramadan. This holy month is a time of reflection, kindness, and generosity, and Rayah’s thoughtful gesture beautifully embodied its spirit. If your daughter is observing Ramadan and requires any additional support, please do not hesitate to contact her form teacher, who will be more than happy to help.
Mrs Michelle Hill
Headmistress
Open Morning
A gentle reminder that Open Morning is next Saturday. We have lots of interested families and can’t wait to welcome them to the High School, to see what we can offer their daughters. As ever, we are very appreciative of your support on these mornings, as your daughter’s really are the best ambassadors for our School. There is a letter in the weekly communications regarding this and a confirmation slip on School Gateway.
Parent Survey
At Durham High School, our aim continues to be providing the highest quality education for your children. We believe, with some pride, that we achieve this most of the time, however we are not complacent. We are constantly looking for ways in which we can enhance our provision by drawing on
your views and aspirations for our school.
In support of this goal, I would like to invite you to participate in a survey of parents. It has been structured as an online questionnaire, which will give you an opportunity to indicate what you value about the school, what you feel could be improved, and any changes you would like to see as the school develops.
Completing this questionnaire should only take a few minutes. Please be candid – the survey is being undertaken by a third party, MTM Consulting, your responses are entirely confidential and will not be disclosed individually to anyone at the school. However, please be assured that your feedback will be taken fully into consideration when we plan for the school’s future development.
There is a letter signposting you to a link in the weekly communications.
Durham High recently took part in the Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation, world’s largest youth drama festival across the country and, for us at the Gala Theatre, in Durham! Our girls performed A Midsummer Night's Dream, bringing Shakespeare's timeless story to life in an unforgettable way. The girls were truly incredible, and it was a fantastic evening of live theatre. A huge thank you to everyone for supporting our talented young performers from the community! Well done to the girls!
Speech Day 2025 – 11 September at Glow Venue, 3pm – 5.15pm
We have made the decision this year to change the timings of our Speech Day. It will continue to be held at Glow Venue in Newton Aycliffe, with a start time of 3pm, finishing at 5.15pm.
The Reception for Upper Sixth Leavers and their parents will take place between 5.15pm and 6pm.
Pre-Prep and Prep girls will need to be picked up from school at 1pm on this date.
We will send further correspondence nearer the time, but wanted to issue a ‘Save the Date’.
Gala Shakespeare Performance
Senior Sports Update
Well done to our U14 and U15 netballers in their league matches against Durham School this week. The U14's played well in a competitive game. Congratulations to Anna who was awarded player of the match.
The U15 match was closely contested and players worked hard to stay calm and secure a 2017 win. Congratulations to Chloé who was awarded player of the match.
Prep Sports Update
A huge well done to all the girls in Year 3 and Year 4 who played in the netball fixture against Dame Allan's Schools on Friday. Despite the wet weather, they embraced the challenge and played fantastically. Well done to everyone involved!
Exploring Future Careers at Durham High
This week, we celebrated National Careers Week. In Senior Department, girls had the opportunity to broaden their horizons during an engaging and insightful Careers Assembly, held on Monday and hosted by form 11H and Miss Morales-Salum, our Careers Leader. It’s not often Elvis joins us for Assembly!
We showcased a wide range of professions, from doctors to presenters, giving girls a glimpse into the diverse career options available to them and the support given by the school to explore these opportunities.
In Pre-Prep and Prep, it was all very exciting on Wednesday. As part of Careers Week, we welcomed a visit from Durham Constabulary. It was very hands on with a chance to ask questions and see some of the equipment used. It was also an opportunity to dress up and climb on board the police van as well as being very noisy with a few sirens being set off!
On Wednesday, our 8H class participated in a creative and engaging history lesson. Split into groups, the girls performed a mock trial and execution of Louis XVI for the rest of the class. With props, sound effects, and some truly entertaining scripts, the performances were both educational and hilarious! Well done 8H.
Creative Lesson with 8H: Trial and Execution of Louis XVI
Pupil Successes
Izzy and Zoe - Congratulations to Izzy and Zoe in Year 8 who competed in the Regional Round of the English Speaking Union’s Churchill Public Speaking Competition in Leeds on Monday. Both girls excelled and we are pleased to announce that they are through to the next round.
Darcy in Lower Sixth visited the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle on Thursday, to compete in the Regional round of the Articulation Prize 2025 The organisers of the competition comment on how impressed they both were with Darcy's presentation and delivery. We are very proud of Darcy for her dedication to the competition.
Matilda Junior Production
Our Year 7 and 8 girls have been rehearsing super hard in preparation for their Matilda Junior Production, taking place in the Studio in the last week of this half term (Monday 31 March –Thursday 3 April).
Keep an eye out for tickets going on sale next week. Be sure to book early as we are anticipating a sell out on each evening.
Pancakes proved to be very popular this week as all the girls seemed very excited in the dining hall. Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day, is the traditional celebration before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Today, many people celebrate by making
Shrove Tuesday
and eating pancakes, continuing a long-standing tradition of indulgence before the season of reflection and self-discipline.
Year 3 & 4 Book Bistro
World Book Day
World Book Day celebrations were in full swing on Friday! From beloved book characters to cosy reading outfits, our girls (and teachers!) truly brought stories to life today! Notable mentions go to the box of crayons and three little pigs, but everyone looked fantastic. A huge well done to all.
The day was filled with fun activities, including a costume parade and assembly where students showcased their imaginative outfits. We also hosted a book swap at the book Bistro, offering the chance for everyone to discover new stories, and a staff story swap, where teachers shared their favourite literary adventures.
We can't wait for next year’s celebrations!
A very special mention to the “three little piggies” aka the nursery staff and for all the Pre-Prep and Prep staff for joining in the fun in with girls.
To celebrate World Book Day, our Year 3 and 4 pupils enjoyed a fantastic Book Bistro experience. They took time to explore a variety of books, sharing their thoughts through thoughtful reviews. The event also gave them the opportunity to swap books they had already read for new ones, encouraging a love of reading and discovery. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the joy of books and storytelling!
Parents
Easter Quiz
Tickets are now available for this year's Easter Quiz! Join us for this beloved family event in the Main Hall at 6pm on Friday, 28 March 25. It is open to the entire school community where no question is too challenging and no child is too young to participate! You can purchase tickets through the following link: https://form.jotform.com/250574654243357
Come and put your Easter knowledge to the test, enjoy engaging games, and, as always, participate in a game of Bingo! We will also be selling raffle tickets during the evening for our fantastic Easter Raffle, offering prizes that range from adorable stuffed bunnies to gourmet chocolates.
If you can contribute any Easter Eggs for the raffle, we would greatly appreciate it. Please ensure that all donations are submitted to the school Reception by Friday, March 21st.
Annual School Ball – A Night to Remember!
Join us on May 3rd for our Hollywood Glamour Ball! It’s the perfect opportunity to get together with friends and celebrate as a school communityDon’t miss out tickets are now available! Scan the QR code below to get yours today. We can’t wait to see you there!
March Key Dates
Please check the events calendar on our website for further dates.
w/c10 March British Science Week
10 March Pre-Prep & Prep Parents Evening 11March Pre-Prep & Prep Parents Evening 14 March Gold DofE Navigation Training
15 March Open Morning 9.30am – 12.30pm 17 March Elevate Study Session Yr 7-11
18 March Reception, Y1 and Y2 Seven Stories Trip
18 March She can Code & Robo Queens Competition
18 March Nursery Stay and Play 1.30pm – 3.30pm
19 March Silver D of E First Aid Training 4pm – 6pm
19 March Year 5 & 6 Music Concert 2pm- 3.30pm
20 March Year 8 Parents’ Evening 4.30pm – 7pm
24 March Year 9 HPV Vaccination
24 March Year 7 Parents’ Evening 4.30pm – 7pm
25 March Spain Trip Parent Meeting 4.15pm – 4.45pm
27 March Sports Presentation Evening 6.30pm – 9pm
28 March Prep Swimming Gala @ Freeman’s Quay 10.00am – 12.00pm
28 March Parents and Friends Easter Quiz 6.00pm – 8.30pm
1 April Year 9 Science Durham University Trip