Achieving Excellence Together
Our Wessex family of schools
Bere Regis School
Damers First School
Dorchester Middle School
Frome Valley First School
Manor Park CE First School
Milborne St Andrews First School
Piddle Valley CE First School
Puddletown CE First School
The Purbeck School
St. Mary's CE Middle School
St Osmund's CE Middle School
Thomas Hardye School
Year 10 and year 12 Chemistry students were given a festive treat of a titration today. By reacting Extract of Tinsel with Sleigh Polish to determine its concentration, they found that Santa's sleigh will be able to fly this year – hooray!
On Wednesday a dedicated band of sixth formers visited Middlebere Farm and planted over one hundred trees. This is part of our partnership with the National Trust, with the students working hard to complete their Environmental Leadership Award as part of enrichment. Many thanks to Farmer Jake and the National Trust’s Jill Bailey for this opportunity. #Grow!
Last week, The Purbeck School also donated a huge amount of food to The Wareham Food Bank.
Pictured above are members of The Purbeck School Sixth Form’s Charity Team loading for delivery just some of the hundreds of chocolate boxes gathered by families and staff: a Volkswagen was stuffed to the roof! We are delighted to continue to support the work of the charity Hope For Food, with these chocolate boxes being added to Christmas hampers that will be donated to Dorset families needing a little help. You can discover more about the work of Hope For Food here: https://www.hopeforfood.org.uk/
We would like to thank all those in our school and sixth form community for your support and wish you the very best this Christmastime.
On Friday 12th December, The Purbeck School held a non-uniform day where students swapped their school uniform for their own clothes and brought in donations for Wareham Food Bank.
We are proud to share that this event resulted in our biggest ever contribution, with approximately 1,000 items donated. The food bank has since collected the items and confirmed that they have never received a donation of this scale before.
This incredible achievement was organised by our Student Leadership Team, whose dedication and enthusiasm helped bring our school community together for such a meaningful cause.
On Tuesday 2nd December, The Purbeck School welcomed the Dorset Heath Partnership (DHP) into school to deliver an exciting and thought-provoking session for our Year 8 students.
The interactive Arson Courtroom Drama (ACD), supported by Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service and Dorset Police, gave pupils a unique insight into the workings of the justice system. Through a realistic courtroom scenario, students explored the roles of the police, the operation of a Crown Court, and the serious consequences of arson.
This National Curriculum-linked session also highlighted the devastating impact arson can have on our local heathland, encouraging students to think about responsibility and community safety.
Mock Interviews for Year 12 Students
On Thursday 4th December, The Purbeck School welcomed a range of external employers who conducted mock interviews with our year 12 students. This valuable experience was designed to help students develop confidence and practical skills ahead of their upcoming work experience placements in February.
The purpose of the mock interviews was to give students a realistic insight into the recruitment process, allowing them to practice answering questions, presenting themselves professionally, and reflecting on their strengths and areas for development. Feedback from employers provided constructive guidance, helping students to refine their communication skills and build resilience for future opportunities.
On Thursday, the Year 13 English Literature students visited the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in London for one of the hottest tickets in town: Othello. The current production of Shakespeare’s well-known tragedy has received rave reviews, featuring as it does incredibly well-respected leads such as David Harewood as Othello (seen on TV in Homeland, Sherwood), Toby Jones as Iago (Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Detectorists), Caitlin Fitzgerald as Desdemona (Inventing Anna) with music composed by PJ Harvey. Purbeck were not disappointed!
Year 11 Product Design students had an incredible opportunity on 3rd December 2025 when the KIER construction team visited for an action-packed STEAM challenge!
The session kicked off with an inspiring presentation about the wide range of careers in construction—opening students’ eyes to the possibilities of shaping the world around us.
Then came the real test:, a hands-on building project that pushed their skills in project management, budgeting, engineering, and surveying to the limit. Working from a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) blueprint, teams had to memorise the structure, purchase blocks at set prices, and manage their time and money wisely to create the closest match to the original design.
The competition was fierce! Every decision mattered—every second counted. In the end, the winning team proved themselves masters of strategy and precision, delivering a build that was both cost-effective and impressively accurate.
What a fantastic way to combine creativity, problem-solving, and real-world skills!
Mrs Sarah Shepherd
Head of Product Design
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At The Purbeck School, our ethos of Kindness, Aspiration, and Perseverance guides everything we do. In the spirit of kindness and community support, we are delighted to announce that Friday 12th December will be a non-uniform day.
In return for wearing their own appropriate clothing, we kindly ask students to bring in donations for our local foodbank in Wareham. Suggested items include non-perishable goods such as tins, packets, and other essential items.
Last year, thanks to your incredible generosity, we collected over 1,000 items for the Hope for Food during our Christmas appeal. This year, we aspire to match or even exceed that achievement, showing the perseverance and commitment that make our school community so special.
All items must be brought into school on Friday 12th December, and the foodbank will collect them on Monday 15th December.
Thank you for your continued support in helping us make a positive difference to local families in need.
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