13 September 2024

Headmaster's Newsletter, Friday 13th September 2024

Dear Parents

This week, our first full week, feels like it has captured brilliantly what a Dumpton education is all about.

On the one hand, warmth and kindness. Our Theme of the Week has been ‘Be Kind’, and a main priority has been establishing to our pupils that of all the things we will ask of them at Dumpton, to be a kind, caring and empathetic individual is at the top of our list. From our youngest pupils who have settled so well in the Nursery and Pre-Prep, to our swiftly maturing pupils in the Prep School, it has been great to see the children taking on board this message so well, as well as using the RULER tools which guide our social and emotional learning. The adults at Dumpton, as ever, set the tone – so a big thank you to the staff team for their warmth and kindness, and for building such strong relationships with every single child. These nurturing relationships are the building blocks upon which so much else at Dumpton is built.

At the same time, this week has exemplified our desire to gently stretch our pupils - to create an environment where they can become the very best that they can be. From establishing high expectations for learning and behaviour in our classrooms, to opportunities like the Y5 Camp and Y8 Scotland Trip, this may be a nurturing school, but it is also an aspirational one. Children are capable of so much more than they sometimes realise – the culture we create and experiences we provide are designed to help and encourage our young pupils to ‘aim high’ for themselves, and to open their eyes to their own remarkable potential. As the words I often quote from the brilliant educator Kurt Hahn say - “there is more in us than we know. If only we could be made to see it; perhaps for the rest of our lives, we would be unwilling to settle for less.”

The staff team and I have commented a few times this week that this has been the best start to a school year we can remember: what a brilliant job the pupils are doing. A most auspicious start to the school year!

Residentials – Y5 Camp and Y8 Scotland
Bravo to all the children who successfully completed these two residential trips, Y5 on the stunning Jurassic Coast, and Y8 in the remarkable Assynt on the far Northwest coast of Scotland. They will remember some of the experiences they have had for the rest of their lives – and the benefits to all the children in terms of their ‘character education’ will be considerable. We will share more footage as it arrives. Mr Cox, Miss Shepherd, Miss Ashworth, Mrs Wakefield, Mrs Clemmitt, Mr Harris and Mr Loe deserve a special mention for spending time away from their own families to take care of the children this week – we are all hugely, hugely grateful.

New Library and Dance Studio
We enjoyed a grand opening of the library today. It is already proving to be such a hit with the children, especially the non-fiction zone, hidden away on the ground floor, and the magical story loft on the first floor. As well as this, the new Dance Studio will soon be ready for Miss Sophie’s Dance sessions, and we look forward to our first formal Ballet sessions beginning next week.

3G Assembly
What a lovely class assembly to start the year and thank you to so many parents for joining us. The children should be so proud of the confidence they showed on the stage – what a lovely way to start the school year.

Lunchtime Swimming – From Mr Jeremiah
From next week we will be running lunchtime swimming sessions for Juniors on a Thursday and for Seniors on a Friday. This is a change to the current schedule and will give the older pupils that also want to attend Senior Choir at lunchtime on a Tuesday the opportunity to take part in both activities.

Individual School Photos
Fraser Portraits will be in school to take photographs of each child on Monday 16th September. They will also take sibling photographs. If you would prefer not to have a sibling photograph taken, please just let us know n.miller@dumpton.com Nursery children that are not usually in school on a Monday are most welcome to have a photograph taken too – please see the separate email from Mrs Goodwin sent earlier this week for details.

Music Lessons and Chorister Opportunities - from Ms Oakes
So that we can ensure excellent progress for our young musicians, great communication with parents, and clear advice on what to practise between lessons, please would you make sure your child has a dedicated notebook for their instrumental/vocal teacher to write in at each lesson from next week. We have a stock of small notebooks in the department which we are happy to give to the children if they don't have one next week. These will appear on your bill at the end of term and cost £1.60. As a reminder, the timetable is published here each week, so you know which day to send them in with their equipment. Happy practicing!

We have been contacted by the Organist and Director of Choirs at Wimborne Minster. They have had choristers attend from Dumpton for many years. They are currently recruiting choristers to join the treble line and a flyer with further information is attached below.

Dumpton Friends
There are some lovely events fast approaching. The September Stroll takes place next weekend (Sunday 22 September) and a Quiz & Cheese Night quickly follows on Thursday 3rd October. Please see Classlist for full details and to RSVP.

And finally
I wrote separately earlier today to all parents on the subject of VAT, with an important plea. I do hope each of you might take some time in the coming days to complete the survey. We really appreciate you doing your bit to support the school and helping our decision-making.

With best wishes