19th December 2025

Welcome to our weekly bulletin,

The end of term has arrived and we wish all of our families a safe and happy holiday. Our students have shown confidence, ambition and respect in buckets during 2025 and we are proud of each and every one of them. From STAR students to STAR performers, we have been very busy...

Seeing it take shape

This week's building progress has seen the beginning of the building grow into a huge structure. The planning meetings have focused on our new auditorium and the new technology to be installed so that performances and assemblies have the best possible sound and lighting.

We can't wait to see what it looks like when we come back!

Thanking you

Thank you for your continued support throughout this term. It has been a busy yet wonderfully productive time for our students, who have consistently embodied our core values of confidence, ambition, and respect.

At Durham Academy, we are proud of the strong, caring community we share. Our students not only support one another but also make impressive progress in their lessons and enrichment activities, growing both academically and personally.

Looking ahead, we are especially excited about the opportunities that next year will bring — most notably, the move into our new building, which will provide an inspiring environment for learning and growth.

On behalf of all the staff, I wish you and your families a joyful Christmas and a happy, healthy, and successful 2026.

Warm regards,

Mrs Jobling

Headteacher

Rewarding students

Our Access programme has come to an end this term with an afternoon of celebration and rewards. Every single child qualified for an activity ranging from archery to xmas cookery.

Beamish was a hit, the Metro Centre was crammed full, Karaoke filled the air with marvellous sounds, FIFA was extremely competitive, Christmas crafts produced some amazing wreaths and a great time was had by all.

It must be noted that at the end of a very long term, our staff have once again risen to the challenge of widening experiences and developing talents so that every child has the opportunity to try something new.

Celebrating achievements

Our assemblies today have recognised the brilliance our students have shown since September and included live performances from our choir and guitarists. Brooke wowed us all with a Christmas reading which he delivered with great expression to all five year groups. It was a real treat to hear our artists show off their talents and demonstrate such confidence in performing in-front of their peers.

Students with 100% attendance were commended for their efforts and every subject nominated those who have exhibited our core values across the term.

Well done to all students who have been celebrated today.

Star poster - Durham Academy - outlined.pdf

Reminding Year 11 Parents about January Exams

Year 11 exams start in the first week back and following our bulletin last week, here is a reminder of the timetable.

Bulletin Exam TT - Sheet1.pdf

Giving out food boxes

Our feeding families food boxes are always well received and we have some left so if your family would benefit from one in January please let us know.

Drawing a raffle

With sponsorship from Tesco we have been able to create hampers containing Christmas essentials and one student from each year group has drawn a winning ticket.

Congratulations to Mia, Duncan, Jayden, Cameron and James who were the lucky winners.

We hope that all families who received them found them useful and urge them to pass on the good will if there were any surplus items that could be given to someone else who might need them more.

Sharing some advice

We always imagine the Christmas holidays to be filled with fun but the reality is, it is quite a stressful time and many young people struggle with the excitement, expectation, pressure and change of routine.

If your child is struggling, the Durham Mental Health Team have shared some helpful advice. Please see the attached flyer and contact numbers below should you require professional support.

Rainbow-Access-Support.pdf

Keeping our children safe

We wish all of our families a safe and happy holiday but in the event that you need some help, we have included some important contact details below.

If you have concerns about the welfare of a child call First Contact.

First Contact Durham is a service that acts as a single point of contact for professionals and the public to raise concerns about a child's welfare in County Durham. You can reach them by phone at 03000 267 979 or by email at firstcontact@durham.gov.uk. First Contact is open Monday to Thursday, 8:30 AM–5 PM, and Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM. In emergencies, an on-duty officer is available outside of these hours.

If you have concerns about your own or your child's mental health and reach a crisis point, contact CAMHs Crisis.

Call 111 and select Mental Health option 2. This is a 24 hour service.

Need some help but it isn't an emergency? Contact a Durham Family Hub.

Family Hubs support all families from pregnancy right up until your child turns 19, or 25 if they have special educational needs and disabilities. The Family Hubs team includes people from the council, NHS, community organisations and more. They can support you with everything to do with family life, we're here to make a positive difference for all families.

You can Register for free with our Family Hubs and you can call them on 03000 261 111.

Reminding you about the first day back

The holidays may not have started yet but we are already looking forward to the new year and remind all families that school opens to students on Monday 5th January.

The term will start at great speed so please ensure your child is ready for learning on that first day back. Every child will need their full uniform and PE kit if it is a PE day, a charged Chromebook and their basic equipment including planner. If they have any problems with that (we've all lost a shoe or two during a fortnight off!) please ensure that they report to student reception where they can purchase or borrow missing items to avoid behaviour points.