Dear Parents, Carers and Families,
The new term started for all of us on Monday. A steady stream of young people walked past me at the gate that morning with bleary eyes and a clear sense that most hadn’t spent the two-week Easter holiday getting up quite as early as usual. This short half term marks the beginning of the formal public examination period, with Year 11 and Year 13 students all sitting their final exams in preparation for their next steps. We will also see students in Years 10 and 12 sitting mock exams in preparation for their own real ones this time next year. Moments like this in school give the sense that we’re just an exam factory. In the news this week, it was reported that nearly three-quarters of teachers think that the modern education system places too much emphasis on exams and not nearly enough on the real-world skills needed to succeed in employment, with people from within and outside the education system calling for this to change. This may well be correct, although people have been saying this for at least the 25 years I’ve spent working in schools, and long before that as well.
Exams are obviously important from the point of view of employment, in that for the vast, vast majority of jobs, your qualifications are your entry card to interview. However, lots of the skills you need to develop to be a success at work, I also see being displayed by our students all the time, not necessarily just in the classroom. The school production of Romeo and Juliet before Easter saw young people working together, having to negotiate, sort through difficulties and establish productive relationships with people they might not have known well before. I’ve seen young people going up to the library this week to apply for the position of library assistant; yes, a volunteer position, but still one where they go through the application process, along with then having to show responsibility and work alongside others. Every lunchtime this week, as I’ve been on duty, I’ve watched a group of Year 10 boys organise themselves into two teams, with someone appointed as referee, and play a game of football that means they need to talk and cooperate with each other. The football itself might not be great; it’s hard to carve out much space when you’re playing 20-a-side, but the development of the skills you need to succeed at work isn’t an issue.
I think things like this in school do allow students the opportunity to develop the real-world skills they need in the workplace, teach them how to communicate and negotiate with others, how to work alongside them and how to develop resilience and solve problems. You see all of these skills being developed in the classroom every day, with students carrying out experiments together in Science, debating key ideas in History, or working through increasingly challenging material in Maths. However, learning how to do these things shouldn’t just be about your future job. It should be about developing who you are as a person and an adult, so that you’re happy and successful, not just at work, but full stop. Those young people sitting their exams this half term might be taking a step closer to the world of work, but I’d also like to think they’re taking steps towards being a happy person, which will also be the most important thing and the most important thing we as a school can offer. We all wish them the best of luck.
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.
Library Fundraising Partnership with The Assembly Rooms and Collected Bookshop
A reminder that there are still tickets available to see Be More Chill at The Sir Tom Allen Assembly Rooms in Durham in a couple of weeks’ time – Thursday 7th (7.30pm), Friday 8th (7.30pm) and Saturday 9th May (2.30pm and 7.30pm).
In this season of heightened stress, take a couple of hours out to see what happens when a high school student implants himself with a computer chip to ‘be more chill’… A comedy musical that addresses identity and self.
Enjoy a night (or afternoon matinee) out knowing you’ll be helping raise money for us to update our school library while investing in your own self-care – what could be more chill?
Mrs Morgan, LRC and Library Officer
Parking near the school
Can we once again remind parents and carers not to use local residential streets for parking. This is a source of tension in the local community.
Exam Stress
April is Stress Awareness Month and as we move towards exam season, stress for students becomes more prevalent. If you’re worried about how your child is coping with the stress and worries of upcoming exams and revision, please see the links below which you may find helpful.
Exam Time & Exam Stress | Parents Guide To Support | YoungMinds
Help your child beat exam stress - NHS
Mentally Healthy Schools’ Anna Freud also shares some practical advice and resources for young people with their mental health and wellbeing through independent self-care. The link below may help students create their own self-care plan my-self-care-plan-secondary.pdf and support them emotionally and socially.
Mrs Osborne, Director of Safeguarding
Year 6 Parents
If you have a child starting with us in Year 7 in September, a reminder to visit this section of our website: Transition | Framwellgate School Durham
Parent Neurodevelopmental Information Evening
We have a large number of students who are, or could be, neurodivergent, and the waiting lists for assessment are lengthy. In school, we work on a ‘needs led’ basis rather than a ‘diagnosis led’ one, which means that we consider the needs of students who may be neurodivergent and try to put appropriate support in place. In addition to the support that school can offer, there are a number of agencies who can support students and their families while they await an assessment, or once a diagnosis has been given.
We are holding an Information Evening for parents on Wednesday 29th April at the Sjovoll Centre at 6pm. School staff will be present, along with representatives from the SEND and Inclusion Team, to advise on the support available in school and in the community.
Mrs Forrest, SENCo
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.
An assessment timetable can be found here: Exams | Framwellgate School Durham
Summer GCSE/A level/BTEC Examinations
Students will receive their personal timetable over the next two weeks. A general overview of the examinations can be found here: Exams | Framwellgate School Durham
Progress Evening
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.
For information about different A-Level and GCSE exam boards and programmes of study, please follow this link: Exams | Framwellgate School Durham