09 October 2026

Headmaster's Newsletter, Friday 9th October 2026

Dear Parents

Our theme this week was Charity, and in assembly I used the story of the Good Samaritan to help the children understand an important message: true kindness isn’t only about how we treat the people we know. It’s also about how we treat those we don’t know, or those who may be different from us.

That’s why it was so lovely to see our community come together today with such generosity and empathy for others. Wimborne Foodbank could not have been more delighted with the minibus full of donations that arrived, and I know every one of them will make a real difference to a local family. It matters that our children understand they can have a positive impact on others, and this is exactly what our Global Citizenship work at Dumpton aims to nurture.

A special mention goes to Year 2, whose Harvest Assembly this morning beautifully captured the spirit of Harvest, of charity and of Global Citizenship. Their confidence on stage, at such a young age, was wonderful to see.

On the topic of community, please do see the message from the Dumpton Friends below – I hope to see lots of you at the Parent Christmas party!

Pupil Images Online
Next week I will be writing to parents with more detail on the steps we are taking to keep images of our pupils safe online. Although we are confident in our current approach and the measures already in place, we are taking the time to review things carefully, and an important part of that review is hearing your views as parents. Please do look out for my letter and thank you in advance for your input as we work through this together.

Girls U11 Football - National Finalists!
Huge congrats to our U11 Girls football team who have qualified for the IAPS National Finals! This is an incredible achievement, and the girls saw off competition from schools from all over the South of England to secure their place. We can’t wait to see how they get on later this term in the finals in London.

New Parent Portal
We’re excited to be relaunching our Parent Portal this year. Significant work has gone on behind the scenes with our supplier ISAMs to make this more efficient, more practical, and more useful to you as parents – and we hope to be able to explore even more functionality than before. Significantly, the portal is now cloud-based, meaning it can be accessed in the same way on any device without needing a separate app. We will be sending more information to Prep parents on Monday in readiness for the publication of pupils’ Attitude to Learning Grades.

Parents’ Evenings
It is parents evening next week! How wonderful that we will hold individual conversations for around 300 children with form tutors to ensure that everyone has settled into the year positively. These conversations are so important as we all work together to support your children to have a fantastic year. I will be available along with the Senior Team on both evenings to touch base too.

School Lunches
It has been lovely to hear so much positive feedback about our school lunches this term from our pupils, with the Tandoori Chicken with aioli flatbreads, the Mexican Chicken ‘Boats’, and especially the very popular ‘yoghurt bar’ proving a real hit. We have also received public praise from Allmanhall our food suppliers, about the way the Dumpton menus balance nutritious yet appetising food choices that encourage children to eat healthily. Well done to Steph and her team!

A note from Mrs Brown and Miss Goodhew
The DECA children have been working hard over the last weeks foraging, prepping and cooking a delicious chutney that will be ready for Christmas. They will be selling it next Thursday 15th October at the 4.15pm pick up. All monies raised will go to the Wimborne Food Bank. Thank you for your support. A poster designed by one of our pupils is attached.

Individual School Photographs
Final reminder! Today is the last opportunity to place your order for your child’s school photographs and have them delivered directly back to school. Orders placed by the end of today will avoid any postage and packing charges.

Second-Hand Uniform Shop
Unfortunately, our Second-Hand Uniform Shop will be closed this Monday. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. The good news is that we’ll be back open on Monday 19 October, and Jo looks forward to welcoming you then. Thank you for your understanding and continued support!

From Dumpton Friends
Bake Sale – Thursday 15 October. Dumpton Friends is hosting a bake sale in aid of Forest Holme Hospice, a local charity providing specialist care to people with life-limiting illnesses. The sale will take place in the Parent Pick-Up Area at morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up. Donations of homemade or shop-bought sweet and savoury bakes are very welcome. Please ensure all donations are nut-free and deliver them to Reception by the end of the day on Wednesday 14 October. Thank you for your support of this wonderful local cause!

Dates for Your Diary