Dear Parents, Carers and Families,

In assemblies this week we’ve been talking to students about sustainability, a suitable theme it feels for a week that began with high temperatures here and across much of the country, that will have caused discomfort to many. Of course, the topic of sustainability isn’t just about reducing consumption to try and mitigate some of the impact of global warming. As a history teacher I’m aware that wars have long been driven by the desire of one country to have the resources of another, and it's easy to see this same base desire driving conflict now. In addition, a country in charge of its own resources is better able to navigate an ever-changing world and bring more stability to its citizens. However, caring about the environment you’re living in should be the norm, as should having compassion for other people, other animals and knowing that casually throwing away waste can have a real impact on them. I can talk about the big reasons why sustainability is important, but on a fundamental level, behaving in a sustainable fashion is just good manners.

Students were asked what they might personally do, what small actions they could take to help, following the notion that, “We don’t need a handful of people doing sustainability perfectly. We need millions doing it imperfectly.” We spoke about reducing their reliance on single-use plastics, something that students coming to school with their own reusable water bottle (and not then losing it!) would help address. We also talked about trying to use the right bins for recycling. Like many workplaces, since March of this year we’ve been required to offer students simpler recycling options, and we encourage all students to take a tiny moment out of their day to think about what waste goes into what bin. Students who choose to think about how they travel to school are also helping, although I appreciate that this can be a different proposition for a Year 7 student compared to a Year 13. By themselves these small actions can seem inconsequential, but collectively and over time they can have a significant impact. One of our core values is that of collective endeavour, and this would seem to be very much a case where collective action is what will drive real change.

In addition to our work around sustainability, some of our students have also been thinking about the importance of biodiversity. The STEM club, younger students with excellent support from Mia in our 6th Form and Mrs Sumega from the Science department, wish to increase the number of wildflowers being grown on our school site and have been looking at areas where they might flourish that won’t be torn up by any of the imminent building work. They have found some perfect spots but are now asking for your help as a community in obtaining some wildflower seeds. If there is anyone reading this who has any spare seeds or even knows of a local business that might be able to supply them, please could I ask you to contact the school with emails marked for the attention of Mrs Sumega, with the subject being ‘Wildflower Seeds’. We can also take direct donations of seed packets but if you are sending in seeds, please package them carefully in a sustainable fashion! Again, these should be marked for the attention of Mrs Sumega. The younger students who make up STEM club will be really grateful for any support.

Many thanks for your continued support of the school; I hope you all have a good weekend.

Michael Wright

Headteacher

Visit from our local MP

This week we hosted the MP for the City of Durham, Mary Kelly Foy. Mary was here, not at my invitation, but at that of some of our 6th Form students, the members of of the band ‘Jam Tub’, Michael, Freddy and Fergus. She came in to talk about music and how she could support young musicians in the area. From my own perspective, I’m really glad that we have students here who are not just willing to engage with politicians directly, but actively create opportunities to do so. Thanks to Mary for coming in, it was "interesting" to hear about her love of both Irish dancing, The Corrs and the potential for a direct collaboration with the band... More information about the band can be found here at their website: Jam Tub

Durham Miners Gala

The annual Durham Miners Gala is on Saturday 12th July here in the city. The Durham Miners’ motto – ‘the past we inherit, the future we build’ - is one with real resonance across the region, here in the city and for this school as in many ways it echoes all that we're trying to achieve. With some 200,000 people due to attend I know that many of our families will have some involvement in the day and I'll look forward to seeing some of you there. My own grandfather would often talk of his pride in being asked to carry the banner for the mine that his father worked in, although he would also be more focused on telling me about the queues outside the pubs. To all involved next weekend on whatever level, I hope you have a great day. 

Enrichment Week

Next week is Enrichment Week in school which includes a plethora of activities that are aimed at encouraging aspiration, appreciation of different cultures, cultivating teamwork and bringing enjoyment.  Students have had assemblies this week, which have outlined the plans and expectations for next week.  Information will be shared on Class Charts Announcements that summarise these assemblies (Miss Surtees will provide information for Year 7 and Mr Ward for Year 8 and Year 9).  We have managed to get over 90% of our Year 10 students on work experience next week – those who have not managed to organise a work experience placement will be in school, in uniform and doing consolidation lessons in core subjects.

Key information for parents/carers whose child is in school next week is that it is non-uniform (clothing to be appropriate for the activity they are involved in) and the day will finish slightly earlier (2.30pm).

Mr Ward, Assistant Headteacher

Final Headteacher Update

This is the last ‘normal’ Headteacher update of this academic year in the usual Friday slot. Due to Enrichment Week, we won’t offer one next week, nor on the last day of term, as sending one on a Friday when we’ll then be closed for the summer holiday would prevent us being able to respond to any questions or queries. We will send a final update on Monday 14th July with details about the end of term, the start of the next academic year and information about a variety of structural changes we’re making to some of the operational aspects of the school.

Last day of term

Please note that on Friday 18th July school will, as usual for the end of the academic year, finish early. We’ll move our lunch time forward so that all students have an opportunity to have a hot meal, but then dismiss from the school site at 12.45pm, with the buses having been informed of this change.