17 October 2025

Headmaster's Newsletter, Friday 17th October 2025

Dear Parents

“Learning to stand in somebody else's shoes, to see through their eyes, that's how peace begins. And it's up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.” Barack Obama.

In a week when we have finally heard some better news from the Middle East, I had the pleasure of attending Canford’s Festival of Ideas yesterday. I spoke to their Sixth Form on a topic I am deeply passionate about – the importance of emotional intelligence, and why empathy and kindness, far from being signs of weakness, should be recognised as great strengths.

It was a chance to share stories and research showing that our emotional intelligence (EQ) is integral to success and fulfilment in life. In fact, studies suggest that as much as 80% of our career success can be attributed to EQ, rather than IQ.

A key message I shared with them was that, unlike our IQ - which tends to remain relatively stable - our EQ can grow throughout our lives. All it takes is awareness and practice. This is why the RULER toolkit we use at Dumpton is so powerful. Every day, it helps our children become more aware of their emotions, learn how to regulate them, and develop the empathy that sits at the heart of all strong friendships and relationships.

Our theme of the week at Dumpton has been Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. While the ‘EDI’ agenda has faced criticism in some circles, I would challenge anyone to deny how integral these ideas are to kindness and empathy – especially in a school setting. They remind us of the value of every individual, of everyone’s unique strengths, and of the importance of building a community where every person truly belongs.

If the future our children will inherit is to be a bright one, it has never been clearer to me that the world needs more empathy. Working every day in a school surrounded by your children fills me with great hope and optimism that this will happen. I have no doubt that our pupils will each play their part in making the world a kinder, fairer, and better place for all.

Canford Schools Group
At the end of a half term where we announced our merger with Canford, a historic moment in the long history of both schools, we have released a short film. The film captures our excitement about this new chapter and the shared vision that unites both schools. It has been lovely to have so many positive conversations with so many of you about the benefits of the merger, and we look forward to what promises to be an exciting future for Dumpton. Please check our socials to see the film.

Character Education through Sport
This has been a wonderful season of sport so far. We’ve had so many successes, and this week alone our U13A Footballers have reached the third round of the ISFA National Cup, our U11 Girls Hockey team reached the quarter-finals of the IAPS Regionals, and our U13 Girls Hockey team have qualified from the In2 County Finals. But what has pleased us all most has been the character virtues on display throughout. From resilience, to collaboration, to courage, to empathy, the pupils across all the year groups and all our teams have really shone in so many ways. This character education is a big reason why we put so much into our sports provision – a big thank you to our superb coaches who do such sterling work to ensure sport at Dumpton is so fulfilling.

Year 1 Space Day Adventure! From Mr Perryman
The children explored the cosmos through a galaxy of hands-on activities, including baking space-themed bread, crafting junk model rockets, and watching an incredible science demonstration where dry ice was used to create comets. To wrap up the day in style, they donned their brilliant costumes and strutted their stuff in a fabulous fashion show. It was a celebration of creativity, curiosity, and cosmic fun!

Year 4 Visit to Monkey World – From Mr Ashworth
The children had a fantastic day at Monkey World! Our visit began with an engaging talk from the Education Leader on the differences between monkeys and apes, including fascinating facts about classification, habitats, and adaptations. After a quick snack, pupils explored the rescue centre in groups, completing worksheets about their chosen primate as part of their English learning.

Following a picnic lunch and playtime in the adventure area, the children continued their tour, enjoyed visiting the shop, and started to think about writing about one of the primates. It was a fun and educational day, full of curiosity, learning, and laughter!

Y6 Rivers Trip – from Mrs Cox
Year 6 enjoyed a morning out in the New Forest National Park this morning, visiting a local stream and making geographical theory come to life! They worked together to take measurements across meanders, to see how and why the shape of the channel changes. Lots of hard work in the fresh air and one or two wet feet later and they have some super data to plot back at school.

Netball Training at Dumpton
Further to my message about the football on Friday evenings, every Wednesday from 7.30pm to 8.30pm there are enjoyable Netball training sessions in our Sportshall which are open to all.

From Dumpton Friends

- Macmillan Bake Sale: drop off and pick-ups on Tuesday 21st October. Join us to purchase some tasty treats and support this wonderful charity. Alex from Golden Gate Coffee will be there too. Donations of baked goods welcomed on Monday 20th.

- Wreath Making Workshop: Wednesday 26th November - Tickets go on sale at 9am on Tuesday 21st Oct.

- Parents Christmas Party: Thursday 27th November at The Alpine Bar, Wimborne. It’s 10 weeks to Christmas but only 6 weeks until the Dumpton Christmas Party! Tickets go on sale at 10am Tuesday 21st October. Grab your tickets before they’re gone!

- Santa's Grotto: at The Dumpton Friends Christmas Fayre, Friday 5th December . Tickets will go on sale in person at the children's drop off area from 8.15am, Tues 21st Oct.

DECA Global Citizenship SDG2 Zero Hunger – from Mr Ashworth
As part of DECA, 4A raised £148.50 by making and selling their own chutney made with produce from our allotments! They decided to use this money to purchase and donate food to the Wimborne Food Bank. Following a shopping trip to Lidl this afternoon, they delivered the produce direct to the food bank. Lidl kindly donated £10 to add to the total. Their customer care representative said that "Each week I have a £10.00 voucher to give away as a Random Act of Kindness. You made my day today, so I‘m sending it to you." It was particularly heart warming to see the joy on the faces of the children. The comments they made about helping others and making a difference to those less fortunate than themselves was delightful.

With best wishes,