We're Hiring – Support Staff Vacancies The Durham Dales Partnership is recruiting and is looking for dedicated support staff to join our rural school communities. Current vacancies available: School Administrator – Woodland Primary School Grade 5 – £26,403–£28,598 Permanent, parttime – 18.5 hours over 3 days https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/School_Administrator/295407 Caretaker – Woodland Primary School Grade 1 – £24,796 (pro rata) Permanent, parttime – 20 hours per week Monday to Friday 7:00–9:00am and 3:30–5:30pm https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/Caretaker/295216 School Administrator – Wearhead & St John's Chapel Primary Schools Grade 5 – £26,403–£28,598 Permanent, parttime – 26 hours per week 7.5 hours at Wearhead Primary 18.5 hours at St John's Chapel Primary https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/School_Administrator/295368 Lunchtime Supervisor – Wearhead Primary School Grade 1 – £24,796 (pro rata) Permanent – 3.75 hours per week Monday to Wednesday, 11:55–13:10 https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/Lunchtime_supervisor/295286 Lunchtime Supervisor – St John's Chapel Primary School Grade 1 – £24,796 (pro rata) Permanent, parttime Monday to Friday, 11:55–13:10 6.25 hours per week https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/Lunchtime_supervisor/295242

Durham Dales Partnership 'Stay and Play' Sessions Take a look at our Stay and Play sessions this term! Parents and carers of children in Nursery and Reception are warmly invited to come along. These sessions are also open to any other children in our communities aged 0 to 4, so please feel free to share this with anyone who may be interested. All sessions are completely free we hope to see you there!

As part of our history this term we have been looking at the First World War. Jacob brought in some objects from the war which belonged to his great great grandad. A parent kindly brought in a photo of a relative whose job was to deliver messages by horseback to the officers as well as moving large artillery. She showed us the spurs from his boots that he wore and she explained the role that he had. The children really enjoyed looking at and touching the objects bringing the reality of the past into the classroom

Hamsterley Primary School It was Class 1's turn for map work and whittling sticks for their bread in Forest School this afternoon. We worked as a team, communicated brilliantly, put into practice our maths and writing work, helped each other out, and learned new skills along the way. Great work, Class 1

Wearhead Primary School This afternoon Forest School was full of energy and teamwork. We started with a fast-paced game of cops and robbers that had everyone laughing and running through the trees. Then it was time to get down to gardening. The beds needed lots of weeding and organising, but the children rose to the challengeworking together, filling our compost bins and taking real pride in caring for their outdoor space. Now we're all looking forward to planting and watching our garden grow.

PE in the sunshine. What could be better?

Reception and Nursery did some great pattern making this week.

St John's Chapel & Wearhead New Science Topic for Year 5 & 6! This morning, the children in Year 5 and Year 6 kicked off their brandnew science topic. We began by exploring some of the key vocabulary they'll be using throughout the unit. The children worked brilliantly, matching each word to its correct definition and when they weren't sure, they confidently used dictionaries to help them figure it out. Fantastic teamwork, problemsolving, and curiosity on display. A great start to the topic!

St. John's Chapel and Wearhead Primary Well done to all of this week's certificate winners!

Butterknowle Primary School Today we had a very exciting surprise in Key Stage 1! One of our pupils brought in an emu egg to show her friends. The children were fascinated by its incredible size, beautiful dark green colour, and learned how emu eggs are much larger and stronger than chicken eggs.

Hamsterley Primary School Jam tarts were on the menu at Cookery Club tonight

St John's Chapel Forest School Club is Back! Today was our first session of the new term, and the children jumped straight into their Forest School skills. They confidently used peelers, knives, and saws, learning how to handle each tool safely and responsibly. It was brilliant to see their focus, teamwork, and growing independence as they worked on their woodland creations. A fantastic start to the club we can't wait for next week's adventures.

St John's Chapel Forest School Fun for Class 1 & Class 2! Today in Forest School, the children in Class 1 and Class 2 teamed up for a brilliant outdoor challenge. Working together, they gathered natural materials and carefully constructed their very own bug hotel, creating a cosy space for minibeasts to explore and settle into. After all their hard work, we warmed up around the fire and enjoyed toasting marshmallows a delicious treat to end a fantastic session. Wonderful teamwork, creativity, and outdoor learning from everyone.

Hamsterley Primary School Class 2 had a fantastic afternoon back at Forest School. We put our map skills to the test and went around the school grounds, hunting for hidden woodland animals. Then we whittled sticks and toasted our own bread over the fire it was absolutely delicious!

St. John's Chapel Primary School We're Heading to the Seaside! Class 1 have had a "splashing" time today starting our brand new topic, 'At the Beach'! We kicked things off by watching a short film and sharing our favorite memories of trips to the coastfrom sandy toes to tasty ice creams! The highlight of the day was definitely creating our very own Class 1 Rock Pool. The children were so excited to help build it and have spent the whole afternoon exploring, splashing, and playing in their new seaside habitat. Check out those happy faces! We can't wait to see where this coastal adventure takes us next. #Class1 #AtTheBeach #EarlyYears #CreativeLearning #RockPoolFun