Durham High School End of Week Newsletter
Issue 17 – 26 January 2025
Dear Parents
As I reflect on the week gone by, I must express how immensely proud I am of our Year 6 girls, who sat their 11+ entrance exams on Friday. They approached the challenge with remarkable maturity, and during their break, over juice and biscuits, some even shared how much they had enjoyed the experience! What stood out even more was the kindness and warmth they extended to the girls from other primary schools who joined us to sit the tests. It was heartening to see them all enjoying an afternoon of fun activities, including PE, Drama, and Art. Well done to each and every one of you! My heartfelt thanks go to our Marketing and Admissions Team for organising the day, our Teaching Staff for leading both the tests and the activities, and our Sixth Form representatives, who, as always, were simply outstanding.
I thoroughly enjoyed our Excellence Book signings again this week, where I had the pleasure of meeting the girls nominated for their Norman Castle projects. It was a delight to hear them discuss their favourite aspects of the project and share their final designs. Additionally, I was thrilled to award two nominations for excellence in Art congratulations to all the girls involved! You can read more about their achievements in the content below.
This week also marked further Year 6 Parent Transition Meetings. It has been a joy to meet with so many families, discussing the key differences between our Prep and Senior Departments and how we continue to support your daughters as they embark on the next phase of their educational journey. I am very much looking forward to meeting with those of you booked in next week.
Looking ahead, on Friday, 31 January, our Interact Group has organised a day of fundraising to support our upcoming Projects Abroad Trip to Sri Lanka in July. During this trip, our Year 10 to Upper Sixth girls will participate in a building and renovation project within a deprived community, such as constructing a classroom, play area, or enhancing local facilities for children. All funds raised will go directly towards this initiative.
The day will include a whole-school non-uniform day, where girls from Nursery to Upper Sixth are encouraged to wear clothes in the colours of the Sri Lankan flag (gold, red, yellow, and green) in exchange for a £1 donation. There will also be a bake sale in the Senior Department during break time. If you are able to bake, we thank you in advance for your contributions but kindly ask that all items are sent in with an ingredients list and are nut-free to ensure the safety of pupils with severe nut allergies.
I am looking forward to welcoming the parents of our Lower Sixth students on Thursday for their Parents’ Evening. Please do say “hello” if you see me while waiting for your appointments. Finally, may I wish our Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award girls the very best of luck for their Gold navigation training next weekend.
With best wishes
The Religious Education department is thrilled to announce our participation in the curricular Spirited Arts competition. Each year, thousands of entries from around the world are submitted, showcasing a wide range of artistic expressions, to take part in this exciting opportunity to demonstrate both their artistic talents and their knowledge of Religious
Living in a Diverse World, Stories that Change Lives, Thinking About God, Sacred Places, All God’s Creatures, and Making . They will select one theme as the foundation for their artwork. After will also write a commentary explaining their artwork, how it relates to the chosen theme, and their understanding of the broader topic.
Although we can submit a maximum of 10 entries from across the school, we are eager to will produce. Good luck to all participants –
Classics Field Trip
Our Year 11 and 13 Classics girls enjoyed a day of lectures at Newcastle University. The lectures ranged from Augustus and the use of propaganda to discussion of the world's first computer, the antikythera mechanism. We even had a private tour of the Hancock Museum, focusing on their Hadrian's Wall exhibition.
Sixth Form Enrichment Programme -
Visit from Northumbria University
Stay & Play Session
This week we welcomed guests from Northumbria University who talked to our Sixth Formers about critical thinking and the ability to analyse, evaluate, and interpret information objectively and make reasoned decisions or solve problems. A well-attended session which we hope will encourage the girls to adopt this approach with their studies
Yesterday’s Nursery Stay and Play event was a delightful hive of activity, filled with laughter, learning, and exploration! Thank-you to all the parents and little ones who joined us it was a joy to share our Nursery with you.
If you missed this session, don’t worry as our upcoming Stay and Play events are just around the corner: Monday, March 18 and Monday, May 13 - 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm.
These sessions are the perfect opportunity to experience the magic of our Nursery setting and see our girls in action. Weather permitting, we’re planning to explore our glorious outdoor spaces and equipment at these future events. We warmly welcome everyone there’s plenty of space and car parking available.
Pre-Prep and Prep Pupils of the week
Nursery: Ettie for excellent interest and super answers during our science experiment.
Reception: Layla for super maths work when weighing objects on a balance scale.
Year 1 & 2: Neive for excellent maths work and for thinking about others as she moves around the classroom.
Year 3 & 4: Lily for showing a huge commitment to her reading. It is such a pleasure to listen to her read!
Year 5: Nancy for being a fantastic role model, for working hard in all her lessons and for her maturity when discussing complex topics.
Year 6: As the girls were busy with their Entrance Tests during this week's Celebration Assembly, this week's award will be presented next week.
In addition, Molly-Rose was presented with a rosette for horse riding.
Maja was this week’s Lingotot’s Star of the Week.
Guest Speaker for A Level History: Professor Hlonipha Mokoena
On Thursday, our A Level History girls had the privilege of attending a seminar led by the distinguished Professor Hlonipha Mokoena, from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. The session took place in school via Teams, providing a unique opportunity for girls to engage with a world-renowned expert in the field of South African History.
Professor Mokoena’s seminar focused on Steve Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement, an integral part of the A Level course on South Africa’s History of Apartheid. Her insightful presentation explored the philosophical underpinnings and political strategies of the movement, offering girls a deeper understanding of its significance in the fight against apartheid.
Senior Sports Update
On Tuesday, our U15 Netball team faced Whitburn in a match to decide the U16 County Schools title. It was an extremely close game with Whitburn narrowly taking the win. This was a great opportunity for the team to prepare for the Regional Schools' Tournament on 1st February. We wish them lots of luck! Congratulations to our player of the match, Annabelle.
Some of our U18 and U15 players joined forces on Wednesday to play a team from Gateshead College. They gave a fabulous performance to win 36-29, with a tight defence, brilliant passages of play and super shooting. Well done to all players and to our player of the match, Millie.
Our Year 7's enjoyed a fun afternoon of Netball whilst competing for all important House Points in their House Netball Tournament on Thursday. It was brilliant to see how much progress the girls have made throughout the year and to see them supporting and encouraging each other whilst playing competitive games. Results:1st – Tempest, 2ndNeville, 3rd – Booth, 4th - Heath.
Careers Events
A reminder that this week we have two very exciting speakers in school.
• Chloe Hincliffe is joining us to share her journey and career in Engineering on Monday 27 January in the Main Hall.
• Durham Museums share their role in the management and curation of the county’s museums on Tuesday 28 January.
Girls Invited to Sign the Excellence Book
We are delighted to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the following girls who have been invited to sign the Durham High School Excellence Book. Their dedication, creativity, and hard work have earned them this special recognition.
Antonia created an outstanding model of a Norman Castle, demonstrating exceptional effort and attention to detail. Mrs Almond particularly admired the crenellations surrounding the top of the castle.
Cara created a fantastically detailed model of a Norman Castle, showcasing impressive effort and research. Mrs Almond was especially pleased with the model’s depiction of different levels of the castle, including the bailey and the stone keep.
Heidi’s model of a Norman Castle highlighted her extraordinary effort and research. Mrs Almond commended the clear labels for the different parts of the castle, including an escape door!
Sobia was nominated by Mrs Sutcliffe for her outstanding observation skills and sensitive handling of paint in Art. Her talent and precision have made her a standout in the subject.
Tallulah was nominated by Mrs Sneddon-Brown for her exceptional participation in recent Art workshops. Despite initial trepidation, Tallulah excelled in mastering new techniques and was even identified by the visiting artist as a
standout performer. She dedicated extra time to ensure her work was completed to the highest standard and provided assistance to her peers.
Congratulations to all the girls for their remarkable accomplishments. Their dedication and hard work continue to inspire our school community!
Year 6 Science Sparks
‘Good News’ for all budding scientists. We are excited to release the dates for the next programme of Science Sparks.
Dates are as follows – 13 February, 20 February, 6 March, 13 March
These popular Thursday sessions from 4pm – 5pm are returning for any girls in Year 6 attending Durham High School, or primary schools in the local area. From slime making to fire writing, this is no ordinary lab experience! If you attended last term, you are welcome to sign up again to experience different activities and develop new skills.
If you are interested in booking, places are limited to 20 and the sessions are free of charge.
Book here
Save the Date – Parents and Friends Summer Ball
Saturday 3rd May – We will come together for our annual Summer Ball with the theme of Hollywood Glamour!
Further details will follow in coming weeks.
Key Dates up to February Half Term.
The school calendar is available on the website and is updated with changes as they arise.
27 January STEM Career talk – Yr 11 & 9
30 January Lower Sixth Parents’ Evening 4.30pm
31 January Interact Sri Lanka non uniform and bake sale Main Hall
1 February D of E First Aid Gold training 9.00am
4 February Scholars‘ Concert 7.00pm
5 February Scholars‘ Concert 7.00pm
11 February Year 11 Parents’ Evening 4.30pm
14 February Pre-prep and Prep Valentine’s disco 4.00pm
17 February Careers – Applying for Medicine and Dentistry 1.05pm
17 February Year 9 Parents’ Evening 4.30pm
21 February Break up for Half Term