“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
Henry David Thoreau
Message From Mr Sutherland
Message From Mr SutherlandWelcome to our final newsletter for academic year 2025-26 and my final message to you as Headteacher of Dunston Hill Community Primary School.
As I write, children are moving to their new classes for the second of their Transition Mornings and a chance to spend some time with their new teacher in their new classroom. The whole transition process has evolved significantly over time and is particularly relevant this year as some of our classes will now be mixed-age. We ensure that all children and staff are fully prepared to make a confident and settled start in September and aim to alleviate those anxieties about change that we all have. Please rest assured that every teacher has completed a full handover so that your child’s new teacher has a really sound knowledge-base from which to start. Transition will look different for everyone and it is a strength of our provision that we now offer some of the most inclusive and individual provision we have ever done.
It would be impossible to list everything we have done in school this year, but I do know that we have tried our very best to give your children a variety of experiences and opportunities, as well as a broad and rich curriculum of academic subjects. They have seized these opportunities with relish and it is one of the joys of our lives as teachers when we see a child connecting with an idea or concept, loving a lesson or making huge progress in an aspect of a subject they thought they couldn’t do! We will shortly be publishing the latest statutory data on our website but I can tell you that I am immensely proud of children and staff for these outcomes and I know you will be too.
Last Friday, we sent home your child’s end of year reports and, having read each and every one personally, I know you will be absolutely delighted with them. I would be very grateful if you could take 5 minutes to complete the online form to indicate that you have received your child’s report and let us know if you are happy or if you have any questions.
I would also like to wish our Year 6 children every success and happiness as they go on to secondary education. We will give them all a very special Dunston Hill send-off on Wednesday at their Leavers’ Celebration after school and are looking forward to seeing lots of you there. We are sad to see them go but they are ready to leave us and head out on new adventures, and I know they will go from strength to strength. Thank you Year 6 and good luck!
Speaking of new adventures, it is also time for me to say “Goodbye” to Dunston Hill. Eight years has flown by in a heartbeat! Being a Headteacher really is an all-consuming job but is a role that I have been immensely proud to undertake. From my very first visit prior to applying for the position, I knew I wanted this job.
It has been the honour and privilege of my life to serve the community of Dunston Hill as Headteacher. When I look back and reflect, I have so many happy memories. Despite some significant challenges faced along the way, I have loved every minute and feel blessed to have been a small part of our continuing success. I look back with an immense amount of pride on what we have achieved together and would like to thank the staff for their support of my vision.
My thanks go also to all the parents, carers and the wider community. I will miss our interactions on the yard before and after school, watching your children skipping into school and looking forward to the day ahead with excitement and enthusiasm. I really do appreciate your support over the years.
Finally, the children are the reason I took on this role in the first place and I am hoping that I have made a difference to those who have journeyed through our school. I will miss them terribly and I thank them for their inspiration, enthusiasm, laughter and sense of fun.
There is no doubt that I will miss my role and the school immensely but it is time for me to move on to other adventures, (hopefully involving music, reading, films, coffee and Chelsea Football Club), and to move aside to allow a fresh perspective from a new Headteacher.
The one thing I do know, however, is that Dunston Hill will be forever in my heart
Have a wonderful, safe summer break and my very best wishes to you and your families for the future!
Whole School Information
Cross-Curricular World Cup Days – To celebrate the excitement of the World Cup 2026, each year group adopted a participating country and explored it through a range of engaging cross-curricular activities. Children delved into the culture, language, and traditions of their chosen nation, while also learning about famous artists and footballers from that country. They were immersed in lots of creative activities, bringing their learning to life in a fun and memorable way. The enthusiasm across the school was fantastic, and all children thoroughly enjoyed their day!
Family Learning
Family Forest School
Toddlers
Join our Toddlers Group every Wednesday morning, 8.50am-9.45am in the School Hall. This will start on Wednesday, 9 September. We would love to see you there.
Forest School and PE Days
Information will be emailed to parents/carers tomorrow.
Swimming from Monday 7 September
Year 5 will swim on Mondays.
Events to look forward to…
Meet the Teacher – details to follow in September.
Nursery Stay and Read – details to follow in September.
Reception Stay and Read – details to follow in September.
Year 6 Ford Castle Residential – Wednesday 30 September 2026 to Friday 2 October 2026.
MacMillan Coffee Morning – Friday 25 September 2026.
Harvest Festival Celebration – children only – details to follow in September.
School photographs – Monday 12 October 2026, details to follow in September.
School Lunch
The menu for the week commencing Monday, 31 August 2026 is Week 1. School lunch costs £3.10 per day, payable in advance using the school app Arbor.
As part of our Healthy Schools programme, we ask that children not bring crisps, chocolate or fizzy drinks in their packed lunches.
Due to allergies, please ensure that no peanuts or items containing nuts are brought into school, including in the form of Snickers, chocolate spread or peanut butter sandwiches. This is especially important to remember for children bringing in packed lunches or snacks.
Names in school clothing
Please ensure your child’s name is clearly written in all jumpers, hoodies and coats. This really helps us return lost items quickly – thank you!
Children’s Flu Vaccination – Monday 19 October 2026
Parents/Carers received an email from school on Friday 3 July 2026 with information for the Flu Vaccinations taking place in school next half term.
The online consent can be accessed via any device. Please click on the following link https://www.northumbriaimmunisations.co.uk/Forms/Flu This will direct you to the online consent form. Please complete using the entire school code NB108338
Please complete a non-consent if you do not wish for your child to be vaccinated by using the link above.
Lower Key Stage Two News
Upper Key Stage Two News
Times Tables
Climate Crew
The Climate Crew have had a fantastic year at Dunston Hill and have been brilliant Ambassadors for Climate Change across our school. They have worked brilliantly as a team to deliver assemblies and workshops and to raise awareness with all children across our school. We have continued to support the WOW walk to school campaign and the Climate Crew have ensured that children received their badges in acknowledgement of their efforts to reduce carbon emissions around school. We are looking forward to appointing our new Climate Crew in September, and we already have a calendar jam-packed with initiatives to ensure that Dunston Hill remains committed to making our world a more sustainable place in which to live and grow together. Well done, Climate Crew 😊
Sports News
This half-term, children across the school have taken part in a wide range of exciting sporting events and outdoor activities.
Cricket – Our Year 3 and 4 children thoroughly enjoyed developing their cricket skills, showing great enthusiasm and teamwork. Similarly, our Year 5 and 6 girls have been working hard to refine their cricket techniques.
Football – We were especially proud of a group of Year 5 and 6 girls who represented the school at the Blaydon and District seven-a-side competition, where they performed brilliantly and demonstrated fantastic sportsmanship.
Quadkids – Some of our Year 3 and 4 children attended a QuadKids event at Kingsmeadow, where they developed a range of athletic and team-building skills while supporting one another and having lots of fun.
Orienteering Festival – More recently, some of our Year 2 children visited Gibside to take part in an orienteering challenge. During the visit, they explored the outdoors while collecting materials to build a hedgehog home, as well as enjoying activities such as bug hunting and bark rubbing.
We are incredibly proud of all our children for their participation, effort, and positive attitudes throughout these activities.
SEND/Nurture
As I prepare to leave the school, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our children, parents and carers for their support and kindness during my time here. It has been a genuine privilege to work alongside so many wonderful children and families, and I have greatly enjoyed being part of their journeys and celebrating their achievements.
I would also like to reassure parents and carers that a thorough handover has taken place with our new SENDCo, Mrs Osborne, to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of support for all children. Mrs Osborne will also be taking over the SENDCo email account, so families can continue to use the same contact details for any SEND-related queries or concerns.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of such a special school community. I leave with many happy memories and wish all of our children and families every success and happiness for the future.
Miss Tuart❤️