27 March 2026

Headmaster's Newsletter, Friday 27th March 2026

Dear Parents

In assembly on Monday, I spoke to the children about the true meaning of Easter – it’s important that they understand it is not just about chocolate!

We delved into art history, exploring the use of light in depictions of the Resurrection of Christ. We unpicked why eggs became a symbol of Easter, and reflected on the themes of resilience, hope and new beginnings that the Easter story represents. Importantly, we also drew links with other world religions and celebrations, where light is used in similar and meaningful ways.

Whilst Dumpton has a gentle Christian ethos that runs through school life, it is important to emphasise that our school is welcoming to those of all faiths and none. In a world still full of division, this is a vital part of our ‘Be Kind’ ethos. We want to ensure that our pupils not only tolerate and accept those who are different from themselves, but also celebrate and value that diversity in our community, and our society. Ultimately, we want them to understand that, whatever our backgrounds, beliefs or ethnicities, we have far more in common than that which sets us apart. As the great author and poet Maya Angelou said, “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”

Mr Moulton’s assembly on Tuesday to our Senior pupils articulated this beautifully and powerfully. He shared his favourite cookbook, Jerusalem, and the story of its authors, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. Born at the same time in Jerusalem - one Jewish, the other Muslim - their childhoods were shaped by division. Yet, as adults, they discovered that their shared love of food and cooking far outweighed any differences between them. Just like the wonderful fusion of flavours and cuisines in their work, let us hope that the future our children inherit is just as harmonious, cohesive and collaborative.

House Cross Country
Well, the cross country running gods certainly brought the weather with them for this event, with icy cold winds and even some hail making it very tough running conditions. However, the pupils were amazing! There were so many super stories of resilience, courage and empathy on display, as all the children ran their hearts out and cheered one another along the finish line. Congratulations to Kent for winning the day, but also to every child who pushed themselves out of their comfort zone to complete the course.

Cross Country Running – National Success!
Francis K (Y4) has only really just discovered his running talent but decided to ‘aim high’ and enter the National Primary Cross Country Running championships. Amazingly, Francis finished an incredible 2nd place, pipped to the title by a youngster from Yorkshire. We will be watching Francis’s running exploits with real interest over the coming years!

Swimming Success
The provisional results are in from the IAPS National Swimming Qualifiers, and we have had our best ever team performance! Whilst a number of children look like they will be heading to London for the Nationals next term, so many other children only just missed out, and they should be very proud indeed to have performed so well. Mr Jeremiah has written a lovely review with far more detail which can be found attached.

U11 Boys Hockey – 5th in the Region
To round off a fantastically busy term on the sport front, our U11 Boys tested themselves against the very best schools across the South West, and came a terrific 5th. We’re so proud of the progress they have made, and we hope they have learnt so much from challenging themselves in such a prestigious tournament.

Townsend Warner
Congratulations to Joshua G and Flynn B for their performance in the final of the Townsend Warner History Prize. Flynn also received a highly commended award. This is an excellent achievement in this prestigious competition.

Old Dumptonian’s Day – Saturday 16 May
We are hosting an Old Dumptonian’s Day on the 16 May. Do share this widely with any old Dumptonians you know. We’d love to welcome back as many as possible, and we’re really excited to host an Old Dumptonian’s cricket match, against the mighty Dumpton Ducks. Full details may be found on our website.

Dumpton Ducks Cricket Team
If there are any keen cricketers on the parent body who aren’t yet part of the Dumpton Ducks Whatsapp group, do get in touch with John Micklewright via Classlist.

Science Competition Posters – From Mrs Catton
Thank you to everyone that entered the British Science Week Poster Competition. We received some incredible entries and fascinating examples of 'what makes a positive childhood'. We have really enjoyed judging them, and some highly commended posters will be displayed in the main teaching block. It was a close decision, and after some debate in the science department I am pleased to announce the five Dumpton winning entries, which will be submitted to the national competition, are: Elisa A, Flora J, Immi T and Charlotte G, Jayden L, and Saurav M. We also wanted to highlight a highly commended entry by Wilbur S and Toby F. There will be further congratulations in assembly next term.

Hobbies
A reminder that the Hobbies forms for the Summer Term were sent out on Wednesday. Please do fill these in if you haven’t already. There are some fantastic new opportunities across Prep and Pre-Prep Hobbies, including sailing, triathlon, petanque, croquet, sewing, and ‘unhurried art’.

Dumpton Friends - Easter Egg Hunts
An enormous thank you to the Dumpton Friends volunteers - as always, the children greatly enjoyed this Dumpton tradition.

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter.