01 May 2026

Headmaster's Newsletter, Friday 1st May 2026

Dear Parents

Following our parent survey, I spent an energising hour this morning with a small group of parents from across the school discussing Dumpton’s future as part of our ongoing ‘2030 Conversation’ process. While the parent survey is invaluable in capturing the detail of your day-to-day experience at Dumpton - and I will share a summary with you in the coming weeks - today’s discussion focused on the bigger questions about the school’s future.

What do we want Dumpton to feel like in 2030? What matters most to you as parents, both in what you value now and what you hope to see in the years ahead? And, importantly, how can our decision to join the Canford Schools Group help shape a future that honours everything that makes Dumpton such a special place.

It was a privilege to listen to such thoughtful, candid and personal reflections. One message came through with real clarity: it is not so much that parents are calling for Dumpton to change, but rather that there is a deep and shared determination for us to protect what makes it so special. Whatever our ambition for the future and continued evolution, no one wants Dumpton to lose its identity, its strong sense of community, its small-class model, its autonomy, its ability to serve all families and all children, or - most importantly - the culture and ethos that runs through the heart of the school.

Alongside the ongoing work with our staff team, School Council and pupils, these conversations will help shape our vision for Dumpton in 2030. I look forward to sharing that vision with you all at the start of the next academic year.

IAPS Swimming National Finalists
Congratulations to Tansie, Amelie, Matilda, Eva, George, and Cameron who have qualified for the National Swimming Finals. We’re so excited to see how they will get on at the London Aquatics Centre on Saturday 6 June. A special well done however to AL our swimmers, many of whom missed out on qualification by just a whisker. The future of swimming at Dumpton is looking very bright indeed!

IAPS Golf
Another sport that so many Dumpton pupils enjoy is golf, and thank you to Mr Caine who took Flynn, Freddie and Jacob to Gloucestershire for the IAPS Finals. Playing in a field of over 170 pupils, all three boys did Dumpton proud, with Flynn coming 10th, Freddie 12th and Jacob 26th in their age category – a terrific achievement!

LAMDA Exams
Well done to the brilliant pupils who sat their LAMDA exams today. We had around 35 pupils, and they all performed with real confidence and skill. We’re really proud, and we wish you the very best for the outcomes!

Cricket
We had our first cricket fixtures of the season this week, and it was lovely to see all the girls and boys making such an impressive start. Cricket brings a whole new set of challenges, with patience, resilience, and courage coming to the fore. Two Y5 teams were lucky enough to spend the day at Canford for their cricket festival where they performed superbly. A special mention to our Y3s who played their first ever game for the school, but also to a number of girls and boys who played their first ever ‘hardball’ match.

Future Schools Webinar
Mr Morgan and I spoke to a number of parents last night about future schools, and how we can support you all. Importantly, it was a chance to stress just how much supporting every individual family on this journey matters to us, and how Dumpton will continue to take great pride in feeding to a range of senior school options.

Residentials Next Week
School will be quiet next week, with Y5, Y6 and Y7 off on residentials, in the New Forest, North Devon and Normandy respectively. What incredible opportunities for the children on these trips – quite apart from being a whole lot of fun, there are so many chances for them to grow as young people. Thank you as ever to the brilliant staff team spending time away from their own families to take such good care of our pupils!

From Dumpton Friends - It's party time for the Nursery Children!
Dumpton Friends are delighted to invite all of the Nursery children to enjoy some games and a boogie! The disco party is on Friday 8 May, 3.15-4.15pm in the Assembly Hall. Please look at Classlist to find out all the details and let us know you are attending - thank you.

Performing Arts and Food Technology Vacancies
Mrs Radford, our Pre-Prep Music Teacher, is stepping down at the end of this term so we are looking for an equally brilliant and passionate music specialist to join our performing arts team. At the same time, we have exciting plans for LAMDA at Dumpton, and we’re advertising for a part time employed role so that we can further enhance our offering. Finally, whilst Mrs Brown, our wonderful food tech teacher is not completely stepping away from Dumpton, she will be reducing her commitments significantly – and we're therefore seeking another exceptional food technology teacher for next year to ensure that our sessions remain just as magical as ever for the pupils. Please see the Vacancies section of our website for more information.

Matron
We are all thinking of Bev, our lead matron, who will be off school this term due to illness. You may notice a new face on our Matron team in the meantime – Caroline Janssen – who will be supporting Janette and Hayley. Until recently, Caroline was the Matron at Castle Court School and we are so lucky to have found someone of her calibre and experience to support us.

With best wishes for the long bank holiday weekend.