Principal’s message to families – 22nd May 2026

Our Family Fun Day last Saturday was another roaring success. Stalls run by friends and parents of the school were busy all day! The coffee queue was there all day! Their success and entry fees along with a donation or two, meant that the day ran at no cost to the school and over 200 people attended! We had children and parents, staff and families, local community and even some past pupils! One leaver shared about his successful job working for Rolls Royce, he has passed his driving test and bought a car and was just in the process of buying a house! Another leaver now works for ‘Speak Up’ in Rotherham, advocating for people with learning disabilities and autism  who work within the NHS.

The weather held out for the day, with just a little rain as our Makaton choir closed the event! Perfect.

You may remember that on Friday 27th February, we welcomed Singing Hands to our school for a truly engaging and inclusive musical experience.

This special visit was made possible thanks to the efforts of one of our families, who led a fundraising campaign by reaching out to local businesses. We are especially grateful to Southwell and District Lions Club for their generous contribution.

At our Family Fun Day on Saturday 16th May, we were proud to be presented with a cheque for £100! The event also featured a wonderful performance from our school Makaton choir, who showcased songs from The Lion King that they have been working hard to learn. It was a fantastic way to bring our community together and celebrate communication through music and sign.

We were also delighted to take part in ‘No Pens Day’ this week, a special day to raise awareness for children who struggle with understanding and using words. The day was a wonderful success, filled with engaging, hands-on activities that encouraged speaking, listening and teamwork. In Lower School, children explored Ancient Egyptian foods, giving them a chance to describe tastes and share their opinions, while also taking part in an exciting ‘Who Stole the Pharaoh’s Staff?’ mystery. Pupils searched the school for hidden hieroglyphs and worked together to transcribe them, using their findings to uncover the culprit’s initials. In Upper School, lessons were thoughtfully adapted so that pupils could take part in a range of activities without using pens, further promoting communication through discussion, collaboration and practical tasks. It was fantastic to see such enthusiasm, problem-solving and communication skills on display throughout the day.

We were running interviews on the day for a second Deputy Principal so they had an additional challenge in their lesson delivery!

The group played the roles of prisoners locked in a cell in Alcatraz, awaiting electrocution for a crime they need not commit. They had to work together as a team to solve a number of different puzzles and get released within a time limit of 60 minutes. Pupils showed impressive skills throughout the task and were released with 10 minutes to spare! Cole was quick to find the first clues which released the door and took us into the next chamber. Evie solved a symbol puzzle with amazing perception. Abi spotted we needed to reorder the numbers to open the door to the Governor’s Office and Will knew where to put the fuses which released another clue. The man running the escape room remarked on what a fabulous group of young people they were! Well done to all the pupils for representing Dawn House so positively!

Look out for more information on our website very soon.

On Monday, some of the Duke of Edinburgh staff pre-walked the expedition area to risk assess and prepare supervision plans. They completed a 10 mile circular walk linking up Black Rocks, Holloway, High Peak Junction and Cromford. The DofE students will be completing something similar (twice) in June.

We are looking forward to being part of this again and I’m sure there will be lots of photos to share. In other Duke of Edinburgh award news,  Mr Winfield was invited to celebrate the 70th year of the Duke of Edinburgh award at Buckingham Palace this week. He bumped into another Dawn House former pupil who had just achieved his GOLD award!

In case you’d like to treat us with a thank you, here is our updated Amazon wish list. This will feature each week up to the summer and is a preferred way to say thank you than buying individual staff gifts.  Many thanks!

Monday 1st June- return to school

Tuesday 16th June: Jungle Book School Performance

Thursday 25th June: School leavers party

Friday 26th June: Last day of school for leavers

Weds 1st – Friday 3rd July: KS4 YHA Residential Trip

Friday 17th July: House Events – Pride Theme

Friday 17th July: Summer Fair

Thursday 23rd July: Showtime Event (2 shows)

Friday 24th July: Summer Sports Day

Have a great half term break,

Jenny

If your child leaves home in the morning a little unsettled and you want to quickly tell us, so we know to expect a tricky start to the day, a quick email (that we can follow up later) to the tutor and/or core team with ‘Handle with Care’ in the email title will ensure that we are aware.