Dear Parents, Carers and Families, 

Those of you who live close to the school will be aware that the rebuilding work has been moving at pace, with our scheduled relocation into the new school still on track for September 2027. I’ve also written elsewhere that 2027 will mark 150 years of there being a school here on approximately this site in Framwellgate Moor since the opening of the Framwellgate Moor Board School in 1877. Finally, I’ve also commented before that in a way that stands out from any other school I’ve worked in since I started my career, this school is part of the community, and frequently when I’m talking to parents, they’ll tell me, “I went to this school.” All of this leads me to say that this update in particular is targeted at those of you who did attend this school, as we begin to prepare to move and celebrate our 150-year history all at the same time. 

We’re launching Alumni 150. To prepare for our celebrations next year, we’re keen to hear from as many ex-students as possible who went to secondary school here. Alumni can support the school in a variety of ways. Some people may just wish to hear news and updates about the school. Others may be happy to share memories of their time here, memories that we’ll collate and share. It’s possible that people might share photos and media of their time at school. We’re particularly interested in photos from the period in time before mobile phones, ones where you had to go and get them developed. Some people may be interested in attending events in the school, for example tours of the buildings before they’re demolished to bring back old memories. Others might want the opportunity to attend school productions or even reunion events – at least one ex-student has asked if we can host an 80s alumni disco. We’re also always keen for people who can offer practical support, for example by giving up their time to help deliver mock interviews for students as part of our careers programme. 

To get involved at this stage, all we’d ask is that people follow this link to sign up: Framwellgate School Durham - Alumni 150 sign up 

We’ll be asking for your name, when you attended the school and your email address so that we can contact people directly. This information will be held by the school but not shared with any other parties. On this form, we’ve also asked if people would like to share any brief stories about their time at the school that we may use on our website when we launch a dedicated alumni section later this year. We can’t share any stories that mention other people by name, as I’m sure you’ll appreciate. We’re not asking for any photos at this stage, but if you’d like to share some, please send them to enquiries@framdurham.com, marked for my attention. Many thanks in advance to those of you who are happy to sign up. A school is a community within itself, but also part of the community it sits within, and having stronger links with that wider community can only be a positive thing for everyone. 

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

Michael Wright 

Headteacher 

Please find this week's key messages below.  

Fram in Space! 

Last week, a group of students competing in the national CanSat competition travelled to York to launch their own satellite. The students successfully launched their satellite on a rocket, and they transmitted and received data on altitude, temperature, pressure, speed and acceleration for the duration of the flight. This was entirely built by our students with their own resources and very little input from us, and we are incredibly proud of them. 

The successful students with their CanSat, rocket and home-made receiver, made with recyclable goods.   

Miss Bartle, Deputy Curriculum Leader for Science 

New Library Fundraising 

We are very excited to again be partnering with The Sir Tom Allen Assembly Rooms in Durham and Collected Bookshop, to raise funds to buy some more books for our Library. This time the focus is on improving our Non-Fiction and Manga sections, where we’d love to develop our range for all our students. 

The deal is the same as last time – just buy tickets to see one of the two shows below and enjoy a night out, knowing that £1 from your ticket has helped our Library! 

To book - go to The Assembly Rooms website and click on What’s On: 

https://www.theassemblyroomstheatre.org/whats-on/ 

The two shows we are working with are: 

Julius Caesar – on THIS WEEK - Friday 13th (7.30pm), Saturday 14th (2.30pm and 7.30pm). 

Julius Caesar, one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies, navigates conspiracy, tyranny and morality - and the death and violence that follows it. (This is a great chance to see some more Shakespeare, in anticipation of seeing Romeo and Juliet in school at the end of March!) 

and 

Be More Chill – on 7th, 8th and 9th May. 

Based on the novel by Ned Vizzini, Be More Chill is a comedy musical that focuses on high school life, tackling questions of identity and self. 

Enjoy your show, knowing you’ve helped school too! 

Mrs Morgan, LRC and Library Officer 

Year 11 Easter RAS 

During the Easter break, students need to keep on top of their revision and exam prep, as well as have a well-earned rest. To help, many teachers have offered to run sessions to help focus students during this holiday period, as some may find it difficult to revise at home and prefer to come into school to work with friends and subject specialists.  Please see below a comprehensive Easter study programme that all Year 11 students can access during the upcoming Easter holiday.  

Please look at this with your child and decide together which sessions they are able to attend. Students can then factor this into their own revision schedules and start to plan their Easter break to make the most of this time.  

To attend - students must use the link sent out to them via ClassCharts 

Miss Lutynski, Assistant Headteacher 

GCSE Art & Photography Exams 

Please be aware of the upcoming GCSE practical exam dates for Art and Photography: 

GCSE Art Exams 

  • Thursday 26th March and Friday 27th March 

GCSE Photography Exams 

  • Monday 30th March and Wednesday 1st April 

It is essential that all pupils are in school on these allocated exam days and that they arrive fully prepared with all of their prep work (sketchbooks) and materials they need for the two days. 

Thank you in advance for your support. 

Mr Carney, Curriculum Leader of Art & Design 

Upcoming Assessment Dates 

KS3 Assessment Week will take place during lesson time, in the week beginning Monday 1st June. 

Year 10 Option Subjects' Assessments will take place in lesson time between Monday 20th April and Friday 8th May.  

Year 10 Core Mock Exams in the Main Hall will take place from Monday 27th April to Thursday 30th April. Further details will follow after Easter. 

Year 12 Mock Exams will take place during week beginning 30th March and the week beginning 20th April at the Sjovoll Centre.  

Progress Evenings 

Year 7 - Thursday 19th March 

Year 8 - Thursday 7th May 

Year 11 Summer Study Leave 

All Year 11 students will be expected to attend school and all timetabled lessons until Friday 22nd May. A leavers’ assembly will be held for students on this final day. Further details and information will follow from the year team. A quick-tips and grade booster timetable that will support students while completing exams in school will follow. 

Year 11 Leavers’ Prom 

The prom will take place on Monday 29th June at Ramside Hall. Invitations will be sent at a later date. Students are required to have 2000 positive achievement points to receive their invitation. Students’ behaviour and attendance will also be taken into account by the year team and SLT. Any further queries about the prom will be addressed by the year team. 

Summer 2026 Exams – Contingency Day 

All students taking GCSE, AS, or A‑Level examinations in summer 2026 must be available up to and including Wednesday 24th June 2026. 

This date is known as the contingency day. It is set nationally by the exam boards and the Department for Education as a safeguard. 

The contingency day is only used if there is a major disruption that prevents an examination from taking place as scheduled. This could include events such as: 

  • severe weather 

  • widespread transport disruption 

  • a national emergency 

If such a disruption occurs, affected examinations may be rescheduled to this contingency date. 

Students should therefore avoid making travel or other commitments that would prevent them from being available on this date. 

Mrs Mersh-Roberts, Deputy Headteacher 

What is my child learning?  

A reminder that you can find curriculum details about what your child is studying here on our website: Curriculum Overview | Framwellgate School Durham  

How to help support your child at home?  

Students can use the link below to access resources that will help them study independently at home, such as:  

  • Knowledge organisers  

  • Revision checklists  

  • Past exam papers  

  • ‘How to Revise’ instructional videos 

Students have been shown how to access this SharePoint site and a 'how to' sheet has been sent to you via ClassCharts. As parents and carers, you won’t be able to access this, but the link will work for all students. Students learning how to use this excellent resource early in their time here will be very beneficial to them later as they approach their GCSE studies. All GCSE students should be making regular use of it as a matter of course.  

Resource Hub 

For information about different A-Level and GCSE exam boards and programmes of study, please follow this link: Exams | Framwellgate School Durham