Dear Parents and Carers,
I would like to take this opportunity to say once again how proud we continue to be of our year 11 students. Since returning for the summer term they have demonstrated a renewed focus and determination as their examinations edge closer. Thank you once more for the support and guidance you have provided. With less than two weeks to go before the students start their written exams, I wanted to share a reminder of our expectations of them during the upcoming exam period. Please can I ask that you take the time to read this letter carefully and give your child exactly the same messages from a parent/carer perspective.
In assembly with me on Friday 24th April, expectations for the upcoming exam period are to be outlined followed by what the evidence tells us are the most effective revision and self-care strategies to use when navigating this busy time. Students have also been given an updated revision timetable which commences Wednesday 6th May (included further below), and a copy of the exam timetable itself. The current Period 0/7 timetable will continue until Friday 1st May.
It is expected that students are now routinely completing 2 hours of revision (appropriately chunked up) each day/night. What we absolutely don’t want is for any of your children to fall behind their peers and it really is the case that each and every session of (high quality and structured) revision will make a difference.
A reminder of expectations of all students during the exam period:
- Students are expected to be in school every day up to the date of their last exam.
- Students are to register and attend P1 as normal with their tutor unless they have a morning exam.
- If your child has a morning exam that day, they will need to go directly to line up by 8.45am by the sports hall. (Times may differ if they have extra time).
- Students must also bring their own revision; this is for use in both in P1 and in lesson time where the GCSE exams have finished in that particular subject.
- Students are to be on time to lessons and for their exams.
- Students are to attend all exams and lessons in the full correct uniform.
A reminder of revision sessions during the exam period:
We know from experience that any dedicated student can drastically improve their grades, even in a short space of time. I have spoken repeatedly about the power of controlling the controllables, especially when not in school. We do know however, that this tends to happen more easily with the guided support from our subject specialist teachers, as they know the exams inside out. It is for that reason that we have timetabled a detailed provision for revision during the exams. Not only does this include revision the night before an exam (P7) and morning of (P0), but also during P4 for some subjects, if there is an exam in the afternoon. These new P4 revision sessions will appear on your child’s Arbor calendar and will typically take place in our Performing Arts Centre. Please encourage your child to attend the morning and P7 sessions, as we know they make a huge difference in improving confidence just before their exams.
As we did before their December mock exams, we will also be sharing ‘Night Before News’ videos with students to support their preparations for each exam. Please take a few minutes to watch these each night with your child.
Revision Timetable During the Exams
| Day | Morning: 7.45– 8.45 am in department areas | Afternoon revision – P4 11.35-12.35 | P7: 3.10- 4.10 In department areas |
| Wednesday 6th May | Citizenship | ||
| Thursday 7th May | Citizenship | Citizenship | Drama English literature Paper 1 – for Monday |
| Friday 8th May | Drama | Drama | English Literature Paper 1 |
| Monday 11th May | English Literature Paper 1 | Business Paper 1 | Biology Paper 1 |
| Tuesday 12th May | Biology Paper 1 | Biology Paper 1: triple science only | Geography Paper 1 Computer Science Paper 1 |
| Wednesday 13th May | Geography Paper | Computer Science | Maths Paper 1 |
| Thursday 14th May | Maths Paper 1 | Citizenship Paper 2 | History Paper 1 Chemistry Paper 1 for those not doing History |
| Friday 15th May | History Paper 1 | Chemistry Paper 1 | |
| Monday 18th May | Chemistry Paper 1 | English Lit Paper 2 | |
| Tuesday 19th May | English Lit Paper 2 | Computer Science Paper on screen | French Listening Extra English language Paper 1 |
| Wednesday 20th May | French Listening | English language Paper 1 | |
| Thursday 21st May | English language Paper 1 | Business Paper 2 | P.E Paper 1 |
| Friday 23rd May | P.E Paper 1 | P.E revision Physics Paper 1 | |
| May half term | |||
| Monday 1st June | P.E Paper 2 revision | Physics Paper 1 | |
| Tuesday 2nd June | Physics Paper 1 | Maths Paper 2 | |
| Wednesday 3rd June | Maths Paper 2 | Geography Paper 2 | History Paper 2 French Reading |
| Thursday 4th June | History Paper 2 | French reading | English Language Paper 2 |
| Friday 5th June | English Language Paper 2 | Music | Biology Paper 2 |
| Monday 8th June | Biology Paper 2 | French writing Further Maths | Spanish listening History Paper 3 |
| Tuesday 9th June | Spanish Listening History Paper 3 | History Paper 3 | Maths Paper 3 |
| Wednesday 10th June | Maths Paper 3 | Design Technology | Geography Paper 3 |
| Thursday 11th June | Geography Paper 3 | Chemistry Paper 2 | |
| Friday 12th June | Chemistry Paper 2 | Dance | Physics Paper 2 |
| Monday 16th June | Physics Paper 2 | Further Maths Paper 2 | Spanish reading |
| Tuesday 17th June | Spanish reading | Spanish writing | |
| Wednesday 18th June | Spanish writing | ||
Expectations of students immediately prior to and during an exam
The following messages are to be shared with students in assembly on Friday 24th April. Failure to adhere to these rules could impact not only on the exam result of the individual student but also the results of other students at DHS or, in the event of a breach of question paper security, at a national or international level.
- Arrive on time – lining up 15 mins before the start of your exam.
- Know your seat number and your candidate number (provided to students in advance).
- No phones, smart watches, AirPods/earbuds or headphones.
- Nothing on your water bottle (labels must be removed).
- Nothing written on your hands.
- Enter in silence and remain quiet throughout until you leave the room.
- No toilet breaks.
- Correct equipment – Black ball point pen, no tippex or correction fluid, no calculator lids.
- Check: which exams do you need a calculator, protractor or compass for? Arrive prepared.
- Check that your paper is correct before starting. Inform an invigilator immediately if not.
- No doodles or extra drawings – no scrap paper.
A reminder of key exam dates and important revision links:
Slides from our recent GCSE Support Evening:GCSE Support Evening 24th March 2026
All Subject’s google drives: contains all resources organised in exam date folders.
All subject’s revision resources
- Apps that are helpful with content revision:
https://senecalearning.com/en-GB
- Apps that are helpful to make a revision plan:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/easy-study-timetable-planner/id993247888
https://getrevising.co.uk/planner
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/mystudylife-study-planner/id910639339
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/exam-countdown-school-uni/id873279955
A reminder of end of year celebrations
Year 11 Leavers Assembly – Thursday 25th June 2026: 9.00 am for a 9.15 am start.
We will be holding a Leavers Assembly for the Year 11 cohort on Thursday 25th June at 9.15 am to celebrate their time with us at Durrington High School. The assembly is an opportunity for the whole cohort to be together and for staff to celebrate the achievements of the group. Students should wear full and complete uniform and the event will last approximately one hour. A key part of this assembly is also to look ahead to the Summer Ball taking place that evening and for staff to distribute the tickets. Students must ensure that they have returned all of their library books by this time. Please note that Summer Ball tickets will not be issued if a student has not returned any outstanding school resources. Unfortunately, due to capacity this event is limited to students only.
Summer Ball 2026 – Thursday 25th June 2025 – 6:30pm-10pm, The Avisford Park Hotel.
The Summer Ball will again be held at Avisford Park Hotel, Fontwell which is a fitting venue for what will be the formal celebration of Year 11 and their time at Durrington High School. It is a voluntary event that is always well attended by students and staff and tickets can be purchased on Arbor via the Shop. Students may arrive from 6:30pm ahead of the formal start at 7:00pm and will enjoy a DJ, buffet and various awards and speeches. Full details regarding this event can be found here: Summer Ball letter 2026
Please note that there are very clear expectations of the students throughout this event and in order to be able to purchase a ticket and to enjoy the event fully, we have shared with students and parents our expectations of behaviour. Please note that there are very clear criteria that students need to meet to qualify for a Summer Ball ticket, which are detailed in the letter. We would really appreciate parents / carers taking the time to discuss these with your child.
Whilst there are specific requirements regarding attendance, punctuality and behaviour for students to meet, we do not want any student to be prevented from attending due to financial constraints. To help support this we have a range of Prom suits and dresses that can be borrowed from the school and these will be showcased at school at an event following the Easter break. More details will be shared about this in due course. We are hoping that as many students (that meet the entry requirements) attend the event as possible and would ask any student that may require financial assistance to do this, contact Mr Fuller, Mrs Temple or Mr Atkins in confidence.
At this stage the most important things to support them with is their organisation, revision and making sure they are getting in a good sleep routine ready for the exam period. Lastly, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me or Mrs Parkes (Exam’s officer) if you have any further questions or are worried about your child’s well-being. Worried about your child’s wellbeing – quick support links here.
Kind regards,
Samuel Atkins