Dear parents, carers and families,
In assembly on Monday morning this week I spoke to Year 7 students about what respect means. This year we've been instilling in all our students and staff the importance of being respectful, responsible and ready to learn. I wanted to talk specifically to Year 7 about respect because, of these three strands, it is the one students find hardest to define. They understand that being ready to learn means arriving on time and having the correct equipment. They understand that being responsible means taking ownership of their learning and completing their homework. The slightly more abstract idea of respect is harder for them to envisage. However, I shared with all of them examples of disrespect, something that's easier for many people to recognise. All of us can empathise with the feeling of hot humiliation that comes when we feel we're being disrespected and not treated how we would hope everyone is treated, whether it is someone pushing in front of us in a queue (is there any greater crime in this country?) or feeling that we are being laughed at rather than laughed with.
I see lots of examples of respect in school. My Year 7 students who thank me for their history lesson each week – there are genuinely few greater pleasures as a teacher than to have a student say thank you for a lesson - or the students who hold open doors for others without being asked. Probably the most impactful way I see respect in school is in how tolerant the students are of each other as a community. The culture wars that rage online seem to rarely bleed into real life here with an acceptance of difference from the vast majority of our students. We're also clear that respect is a two-way street and that everyone deserves to be respected just as much as the next person. I hold doors open for students, I'll thank my students for their thanks. When one of my Year 9 students gave a great answer to a question about the place of women in society in the late 1800s last week, I hope my enthusiasm for their response showed how much I respected how deeply they were thinking about things.
More broadly, the work we've been doing in school around being respectful, responsible and ready to learn is beginning to help some of our students who do not always get it right to understand both what success looks like and why it matters. Using a common language across the school helps everyone and it is especially powerful when parents and carers reinforce these same messages at home. School is about belonging, and being respectful of others is a key part of creating a community where everyone feels valued. Ultimately, respect is about empathy: thinking about how others might feel and maintaining that empathy even when it is not always returned. We tell our students that this is one of the most important life skills they can develop. Whether in the workplace, in a community group, or in personal relationships, the ability to treat others with dignity and understanding will serve them well throughout their lives. Many thanks to all of you who chose this school because you share that belief.
Many thanks 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.
Seneca
We are trialling a new online learning platform called Seneca to help students with their individual learning needs. The system allows assignments to be set for independent learning which can be tracked and monitored easily by the teacher, parent, and student themselves. At KS4, the system allows bespoke assignments to be set and tailored to students' need, as highlighted by class and assessment performance. Students can log in on any device and use their office 365 login to do so. Parents and carers will receive an invite to join Seneca where student assignments and progress can be monitored. Some parents/carers have reported that advertisements for 1:1 tutoring appear once logged in. If you do not wish to see these advertisements, you can turn off these notifications by clicking on the notifications tab and setting your own notification preferences
Ms Lutynski, Assistant Headteacher
Art Work Collection for former exam students
Students who completed GCSE or A Level Art and Photography courses last year can collect their coursework and exam work from the Art Department on Tuesday 20th October between 4:00pm and 6:00pm. We look forward to welcoming students back and giving them the opportunity to take home their work.
Mr Carney, Curriculum Leader for Art & Design
Maths Past Paper Club
Every Friday after school Year 11 students are invited to stay back in school for past paper club, working together to get ready for their Maths exams. Attendance for the current Year 11 is strong with more students than ever before choosing to stop back and attend. The best way to get better at Maths is to do more Maths and we know that the students who attended last year's past paper club performed above expectations when it came to their real exams. All Year 11 students are invited to attend; students should speak to their Maths teacher if they'd like to find out more.
Mr Robinson, Curriculum Leader for Maths
In School Assessments
An overview of when students will be assessed in Term 1 can be found at
Assessment | Framwellgate School Durham
Further to this KS3 End of Year Assessments will take place on the following dates:
Year 7 - Week Beginning 24th May
Year 8- Week Beginning 7th June
Year 9- Week Beginning 14th June
Key Stage 4 Mock Examinations
Year 10- Mock Exams Week Beginning 12th April and 19th April
Year 11- Mock Exams 1 Week Beginning 16th November and 23rd November
Year 11- Mock Exams 2 Week Beginning 22nd Feb and 1st March
Key Stage 5 Assessments/Mock Examinations
Year 12 and 13 Week 1 - Week Beginning 2nd November and 9th November
Year 12 - Assessment Week 2 -Week Beginning 1st February and 8th February
Year 12 Mocks- Week Beginning 21st June and 28th June
Year 13 Mocks - Week Beginning 1st February and 8th February
Summer 2027 Exams – Contingency Day
All students taking GCSE, AS, or A Level examinations in summer 2027 must be available up to and including Wednesday 23rd June 2027.
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:
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severe weather
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widespread transport disruption
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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.
Key Dates
Year 7 Progress Evening Tuesday 27th April 2027
Year 8 Progress Evening Tuesday 18th May 2027
Year 9 Progress Evening Tuesday 19th January 2027
Year 10 Progress Evening Thursday 18th March 2027
Year 11 Progress Evening Thursday 15th October 2026
Sixth Form Progress Evening Thursday 10th December 2026 and Tuesday 9th March 2027
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:
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Knowledge organisers
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Revision checklists
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Past exam papers
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‘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. Learning how to use this excellent resource early in their time here will be very beneficial to students 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