School closure - 08.10.26

Many thanks to all the parents and carers who supported the school yesterday when we were forced to close unexpectedly. A mains gas leak on the edge of the school property, unconnected to the current rebuild work, meant we lost gas power and therefore weren't in a position to feed students leading to the decision to close. It's fortunate that this was repaired swiftly and that we have reopened fully today. Thanks again for your understanding.

Dear parents, carers and families, 

The best thing your child can do this weekend, both for their future academic success and their wellbeing, is read. It’s also true to say that if your child does this, they will be part of an increasingly small minority. Surrounded by screens and information, many of our young people will read a wide range of texts this weekend but the percentage of them likely to read a book is just under 20%. An almost identical number will admit that they never read, not just this weekend but not once as a teenager. This pattern is seen across all teenagers. Although girls are more likely to re-engage with reading as they get older, young people of both genders readily acknowledge its benefits. The challenge is that reading is often squeezed out by competing activities and, once lost as a habit, can be difficult to rebuild. Those young people who do continue to make reading a part of their life are much more likely to enjoy academic success, in part because their literacy skills make navigating exams so much easier but also because for all of us the more knowledge we possess the easier it is to learn even more as we form links and recall new information far more easily when we already have a sense of other knowledge that connects to this. 

2026 has been designated the year of reading by the Department for Education and even though we’re now in the tenth month of the year there’s still lots for people to take part in. This weekend is the Durham Book Festival with tickets still available for many of the events: Durham Book Festival 2026. The range of topics being covered does show how there is a way into the world of books for everyone be it crime, cookery, sport, the early life of Neil Tennant (!) or something even more niche. One of the festival discussions even focuses on the decline in reading, describing it as a potential new dark age for literacy. In school, our library is an excellent starting point for young people who aren’t sure where to start with books. At a time when many schools have lost their libraries and librarians due to spending pressures, we’re lucky to continue to have Mrs Morgan working with a huge range of our students to help guide and support them.  

Students have the chance to join the library committee and apply for a position as a library assistant. There are reading challenges, specially themed reading weeks, the celebration of world book day and our own Fram book week as well as quizzes, crafts and puzzles along with one off special events. Students this week could have taken part in two different library challenges, one around designing a book cover, another around poetry and on Thursday the library was full of students taking part in a range of board games. Alongside these wider activities, students have access to an extensive and carefully curated collection of books. There is an impressive range of books from different genres, including sport, non-fiction, mystery, thrillers, manga, graphic novels, autobiography and biography, historical fiction, romance and many of the classics of literature. Any student looking to try a new book will find something of interest and can ask Mrs Morgan for assistance and recommendations. When we were designing the new school building, we wanted to signal to everyone how important we believe reading and the library are, which is why it will be directly next to the main entrance with floor to ceiling windows to act as a beacon of learning. Hopefully the new library will be just as full of students learning and enjoying the world of reading as the current one.  

Below you can find out more specific details about some specific things students can get involved in in the library. 

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.  

Library Update

Our Library continues to be a busy hub of activity before school, at break, lunchtime and after school. Alongside access to computers, study spaces and books, students can take part in a growing range of enrichment opportunities including board games, puzzles, creative activities and writing competitions.

It has been particularly pleasing to see students helping to shape the Library this year. Following discussions with KS3 students, many of their suggested titles have already been added to our collection, while our team of Library Assistants have been working hard to reorganise books into genres, making it even easier for students to discover their next read.

A writing challenge is currently running, with entries due by Monday 12 October and an Amazon voucher available for the winner. Students should check the weekly slides for details. We are also grateful for the support of our fundraising partnership with Durham's Assembly Rooms Theatre, which has helped us expand our library provision and enrich the opportunities available to students.

Mrs Morgan, LRC and Library Officer

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 Weeks 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 - Weeks 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: 

  • 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. 

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:  

  • 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. 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.  

Resource Hub 

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