Didcot Girls' School

🎉Year 9 - First Give Final 🎉

Big congratulations to One-Eighty and the Year 9 tutor group who supported them in the First Give final yesterday.

It was a joyous occasion for all the charities and year group involved and a very closely contested final, with excellent presentations from all of the student presenters. This was backed up over the last two months with some inspirational social action from our Year 9s including:
🚶‍♀️long distance charity walks
🛻car-washing
🧶charity crocheting

One of the charity reps at the final commented: "Thank you so much to you and your brilliant year 9 pupils for their outstanding efforts today. Their passion to make a difference is so uplifting and inspired us all."

🚨 Important Water Safety Message from Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service 🚨

As temperatures rise, it’s vital to remember that open water can be extremely dangerous - even for strong swimmers. Every year, preventable incidents occur in rivers, lakes and canals. Please take a moment to read and share this important safety advice from Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service:

Spending time near water can be fun, especially in warm weather, but open water can be dangerous even if you are a strong swimmer. Rivers, lakes, canals, quarries and reservoirs can be much colder than they look, with hidden hazards and strong currents.

• Do not jump, dive or swim in open water unless it is a supervised, designated place.
• Never go near water alone - stay with friends and make sure someone knows where you are.
• Be aware that cold water shock can affect anyone, even strong swimmers, and can make it hard to breathe or move.
• Rivers, canals and lakes may have hidden dangers under the surface such as rocks, rubbish, weeds, fishing line or sudden drops.
• Do not take risks to impress others, including dares, bridge jumps or entering the water for social media content.
• If you fall in, try to stay calm, float on your back, keep your airway clear and control your breathing.
• If you see someone in trouble, call 999 or 112, shout for help, and throw something that floats. Do not go in after them.
• If possible, choose supervised swimming venues or pools instead of unsupervised open water.

Remember: Enjoy the good weather, look out for your mates, and stay safe around water.

📚✨ Author Event Announcement – Lucas Maxwell ✨📚

We’re thrilled to welcome Lucas Maxwell to Didcot Girls’ School on Thursday 11th June to celebrate the release of his brand-new novel, 'A Million Tiny Missiles All At Once'!

Thanks to independent bookshop Mostly Books, students have the opportunity to pre-order the book at a special reduced price of £8.

📖 How to get your copy:

Pre-order via the Didcot Girls’ School Shop: https://shorturl.at/CJphD
Or purchase on the day (cash or card accepted)
Pre-ordered copies will be available for collection at break time on 11th June

💡 While the event is for Year 10 students, books are available for students in all years to purchase.

✨ About the book:
Elias’s world is full of fear and uncertainty. His once-loving brother has changed, and his family is falling apart. When things take a dangerous turn, Elias sets out with a simple plan to bring everyone back together - but it quickly spirals into chaos. Can he save his family before it’s too late?

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to meet the author and grab a copy of this powerful new story! 📖💬

✨ End of Term Message from Our Co-Headteachers ✨

As we come to the end of Term 5, we would like to congratulate all of our students on their hard work, commitment and enthusiasm - there is so much to celebrate across the school.

Year 11 have approached their exams with calm focus and resilience, and we hope they enjoy a well‑earned rest over the break. Year 10 impressed greatly during their work experience placements, with many employers praising their attitude and professionalism. Year 9 have shown fantastic engagement through their First Give projects and Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, while Year 8 demonstrated real determination and teamwork on their climbing trip. Year 7 continue to impress with their enthusiasm and we look forward to their involvement in upcoming events next term.

We are also incredibly proud of our U14 football team for finishing 4th nationally in the Sisters n Sport competition, and of our Mock Magistrates team for their excellent performance at the regional finals.

Thank you to our whole school community for your continued support this term. We hope you all enjoy a restful and sunny break.

Best wishes,

Martha Hawes & Sarah Roberts

💼 Year 10 Work Experience Success! 💼

We’ve loved hearing all about the fantastic work experience placements our Year 10 students completed last week and it’s been wonderful to see them in action in the photos shared!

It has been especially pleasing to receive such positive feedback from employers, many of whom have taken the time to contact us to praise our students for their hard work, enthusiasm and professionalism.

Well done to all of our Year 10 students for representing the school so brilliantly - we are incredibly proud of you 👏✨

🎗️ Supporting a Fantastic Cause 🎗️

This week, staff were encouraged to support a very special fundraiser led by one of our wonderful former students, Grace Beardsley.

Grace joined our Interact Club to sell a range of delicious treats, all in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust, as she prepares to take on the incredible Everest Base Camp Challenge 🏔️

It’s been fantastic to see our school community come together to support both Grace and such an important cause. Congratulations to our students for helping to organise such a thoughtful initiative 👏

🎓 Well Done Years 11 & 13! 🎓

A huge well done to all of our Year 11 and Year 13 students for the incredible effort you have put into your GCSE and A Level exams so far. Your hard work, resilience and determination have truly shown, and we are so proud of everything you have already achieved.

As we approach half term, we hope you take some well‑deserved time to rest and recharge. At the same time, remember to keep your routines going, maintain your high standards, and stay on track with your revision.

We are with you every step of the way and will continue to support you throughout the rest of the exam period. Keep going, you’ve got this! 👏✨

🎤 Public Speaking Success! 🎤

A huge well done to our Mock Magistrates team, who competed in the regional finals against schools from across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

Although we didn’t take the top spot this time, the standard of competition was incredibly high, and our students performed brilliantly in their roles. Their confidence, teamwork and professionalism were outstanding throughout.

We are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication they showed in preparing for the competition - a fantastic achievement and an experience to be very proud of 👏✨

A special thank you to Miss Marshall for all her support in preparing the team and accompanying them on the day.

🌄 Year 8 Climbing Trip Adventure! 🧗‍♀️

This week, our Year 8 students enjoyed an exciting trip to 270 Climbing Park, taking place across two fantastic days.

Returning for the second year, the experience did not disappoint! Students loved exploring this unique high ropes course, taking on a variety of challenges (including the unforgettable bike across the wire! 🚴‍♂️).

With stunning views across the Gloucestershire countryside and perfect weather, it was the ideal setting for adventure. Students were able to choose their own routes across the course and discovered that some of the trickiest sections were not always the highest!

As well as the high ropes, students also took part in the thrilling 18m Freefall jump and tackled the climbing towers during their action-packed 4-hour session.
A brilliant experience full of challenge, teamwork, and fun — well done Year 8! 👏✨

📣 Join Our Team at Didcot Girls’ School 📣

We are currently recruiting for a number of exciting opportunities to join our dedicated and supportive team at Didcot Girls’ School.

If you are passionate about education and want to be part of a school with a strong culture of excellence, we’d love to hear from you!

🔎 Explore our current vacancies:
Science Teacher:
👉 https://mynewterm.com/jobs/138490/EDV-2026-DGS-99227

Deputy SENDCo:
👉 https://mynewterm.com/jobs/138490/EDV-2026-DGS-48013

Exam Access Coordinator:
👉 https://mynewterm.com/jobs/138490/EDV-2026-DGS-26981

Out Of Hours Cleaner:
👉 https://mynewterm.com/jobs/138490/EDV-2026-DGS-83607

At DGS, we are proud of our collaborative community, high expectations, and commitment to supporting both staff and students to thrive.

✨ Come and be part of something special