Dear parents, carers and families,
One of my nephews, who has just started Year 7 at his own secondary school after attending a very small village primary school, said to me last week that he liked being with "the lads" but was struggling a little with the "lads' lads". With over 4 billion men in the world there are 4 billion different ways of being a man but for some young boys they can find themselves forced into a persona of extreme confidence, physical strength and disengagement with emotions that after a while stops being something they're pretending to be and instead, to their peers at least, becomes who they are. Online culture can amplify this and then mean that any young man who doesn't conform to this stereotype has a constant sense that they don't fit in and are somehow not being a "proper" man. This is a national issue, but something I do see here in school, sadly with some frequency.
On lunch duty most days I'll stand between seven or eight different football games taking place on the backfield. I'll see boys who don't take part but just watch because they're worried others will judge them for not being good enough instead of seeing it as just a lunch time kick-about where frankly who cares who's the best? In my office I'll talk to young men who'll break down away from their peers as they admit they feel trapped by their own behaviour but they don't know how to stop. This term I had one heartbreaking conversation with a young lad who told me his dream was to have a family and a Labrador he could take for walks but he was worried that he didn't "deserve" this happiness and that he couldn't talk about the stress this was causing him with anyone else. I certainly think it's true that the lives of young girls can be just as restricted and pressured as young boys but boys are more likely to lack the language to talk about how they feel and, if they do, have a greater sense that they can't talk about any negative emotions with others. I would hope that no one in 2026 thinks a stiff upper lip and bottling up your feelings is the solution to this.
There are things we can do about this together. In school, that means celebrating boys' achievements, challenging harmful stereotypes and helping young people develop the confidence to talk openly about how they feel. It can mean assemblies and sessions in tutor time on the benefits of being honest about your emotions, of treating others with respect and the dangers of believing what so-called influences online have to say about "being a man." It also means that all staff can act as role models and demonstrate that it's perfectly possible to be a man who's happy to talk about their emotions, isn't afraid to try and maybe fail or not come first and realises that solving issues just by being the largest, loudest person isn't necessarily the path to long-term happiness. I would ask you as parents and carers to make sure, you're maintaining an open relationship with your children, keep talking to them even when they might not seem like they want to talk to you. If you're finding that difficult right now, do know that you're not alone and remember the school can help signpost you to support for families in Durham through the Family Hub service. Most importantly we need to continue to work in collaboration with you all to make sure as many young men as possible don't find themselves trapped by their own behaviours living a life they really don't want to.
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.
Rebuild Update
This week marked the halfway point in the rebuild project with the target of 50% of the build work being complete comfortably met. We'll be sharing more footage from our in-house media club soon, but it's exciting that we're still on track to move into the new building in September next year.
Art Department Christmas Card competition
It may only just have become October, but the supermarkets are already selling mince pies and the Art Department will be launching the annual Christmas Card competition next week with the winning design becoming the school's official Christmas card. This year we'll be looking to select two winners, one from Years 7 to 9 and one from Year 10 upwards. Information on how to take part will be shared next week on the Art Department's own website and in lessons: FSD ART & DESIGN - home The deadline for entries will be 9th November.
Spectating sports fixtures
The school hosts a variety of different sports fixtures at the end of the formal school day and many parents and carers choose to attend to watch their children take part. Can I remind those parents and carers who do this that the school will often still have students inside taking part in afterschool clubs and therefore people shouldn't look to go into the school itself. Equally we're prohibited from allowing people to bring their dogs with them or in having people vape on the school site. An increasing number of schools in the region have moved to not allowing any parents and carers to watch their children take part in afterschool clubs due to these sorts of concerns. I'm very keen to avoid this but would ask all parents and carers to support us by behaving appropriately when on site.
Sixth Form Personal Development
Year 12 participated in a road safety session with DCC road safety team for this week's Personal Development. Some of them are starting to learn to drive now or will be passengers for newly qualified drivers. They covered the risks of driving including speed and driving under the influence.
AI Companion Apps: What Parents Need to Know
Artificial intelligence (AI) companion apps such as Swerve AI, Polybuzz, and Character.AI are becoming increasingly popular online. These platforms allow users to interact with AI-generated characters, engage in roleplay, create stories, and hold conversations with virtual personalities. While Swerve AI is designed for users aged 18 and over, there are growing concerns that children and young people may still be accessing these apps.
Unlike traditional online roleplay and conversations, AI conversations are generated in real time, making interactions highly immersive and often very realistic. Users can chat with individual characters, participate in group conversations, or even create their own AI personas. While this can seem creative and entertaining, it also presents significant safeguarding risks.
Many of these platforms include features such as disappearing messages, location services, photo and video sharing, live streaming, in-app purchases, and private chat functions. These features can expose young users to inappropriate content, privacy concerns, and potentially harmful interactions.
One of the greatest concerns is the possibility of emotional dependency. AI characters are designed to appear supportive, understanding, and responsive, which can lead some young people to form unhealthy attachments. Because these conversations feel human-like, children and teenagers may find it difficult to distinguish between genuine relationships and AI-generated interactions. In addition, chatbot responses are unpredictable and can sometimes introduce mature, upsetting, or inappropriate topics without warning.
To help keep children safe, parents and carers are encouraged to:
- Have open conversations about AI and the risks associated with companion apps.
- Use parental controls and filtering tools to restrict access to unsuitable content.
- Establish clear family agreements about technology and app usage.
- Stay informed about emerging digital trends and the apps young people may encounter.
While AI technologies offer exciting opportunities, experts advise that AI companion platforms are not suitable for children and teenagers. Regular communication, clear boundaries, and effective parental oversight remain the best ways to support young people in navigating these rapidly evolving technologies safely and responsibly.
If you have concerns for your child, please feel free to contact your child's Year Team for further advice.
Mrs Osborne, Director of Safeguarding
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