Seaham High School

20/08/2026

GCSE Results Day – Class of 2026

The envelopes have been opened, the results are in, and today belongs to the Class of 2026!

Everyone at Seaham High School would like to congratulate our Year 11 students on receiving their GCSE results today. These results represent far more than grades on a page; they reflect five years of hard work, determination, resilience and countless moments when our students chose to keep going.

We are immensely proud of every member of this year group. Whether today brought celebration, relief or a result that was not quite what was hoped for, every student should take pride in everything they have achieved and the young person they have become.

We would also like to thank our staff, families and wider school community for the encouragement, guidance and support they have provided throughout their journey.

To the Class of 2026: wherever your next steps take you, move forward with confidence, ambition and pride. We wish you every success and happiness for the future and you will always remain an important part of Seaham High School.

Congratulations, Class of 2026. We are incredibly proud of you all! 🎓👏

17/08/2026

GCSE Results Day is Thursday the 20th of August, and we look forward to welcoming the Class of 26 back into school to tear open those envelopes and share their successes!

Results will be available to collect in the Main Hall at school between 10am and 12 Noon, or alternatively those who have downloaded the Education Record England app can access their results electronically.

We wish all of our Year 11 students the very best of luck and look forward to celebrating their hard work and success with them on Results Day.

12/08/2026

Our adventurers’ time in Borneo has came to an end, as the students and staff finished up their stay on the beautiful Island and packed for home.

After a gruelling spell in the jungle battling the elements and keeping a watchful eye for creatures that slithered or scuttled, the group returned to civilisation and the welcome opportunity to sleep in beds that didn’t swing from trees. They spent time helping out in the community, bringing a splash of colour to the village by painting the local Sunday school with murals and brightening up the whitewashed walls.

They were also taught bead making, as they were able to create jewellery featuring local wildlife as another little memento of their incredible trip. This was another chance to make more than mere trinkets, they also made friends of strangers and memories that will last long after they set foot back in Seaham.

The last couple of days were spent at an idyllic camp with the sand between their toes and the waves lapping gently on the shore, as the students were able to relax and reflect on a momentous trip. The next time they see the waves, it will probably be the North Sea and Seaham beach and minds may drift back to shores on the other side of the world.

Our students and staff have worked incredibly hard for the last month, and we hope they are as proud of themselves as we are of them. For every photo op by a beach, there was hours of hard work, challenging conditions and tropical weather. For every moment catching some sun, there were days getting their hands dirty, chipping in and helping out.

The smiles are warm and the memories will last a lifetime however.

One last shout out to everyone who helped make the trip a reality, and our sponsors Prima Cheese, Omega Asbestos Consulting Ltd, Hall Construction Services, Wealth of Advice - we've said it a lot, but opportunities like this simply wouldn't be possible without the support of the community and businesses of Seaham.

We hope the students hugged you extra hard when they arrived back home and we are sure they have a lot to tell you. Once they've slept off the jet lag, remember - if you need a spot of gardening doing or some paintwork tidying up - they're the experts now!

04/08/2026

Week three in the rainforests of Borneo for our Seaham explorers, and while the challenges continue to ramp up, there’s no stopping our students!

The week started gently with a birthday for one of the group, as Finlay celebrated turning sixteen far from home but surrounded by friends. The host village threw a little party to celebrate, with cake and dancing and our group got into the spirit of things by playing the gongs and throwing shapes on the dancefloor. Afterwards they bade a fond farewell and set out for the depths of the rainforest.

The group would be spending five days and four nights deep within the trees, which involved a gruelling trek through incredibly difficult terrain each day, before putting up a hammock to sleep each night. If you’ve ever watched ‘𝘐’𝘮 𝘢 𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺…’ the jungle looks flat and ideal for camping, but the reality saw our group having to climb steep inclines, scramble down sheer drops and deal with thick, cloying mud and slippery conditions. If the terrain wasn’t challenging enough, torrential rain made progress even more difficult, but our students showed tremendous spirit to push on to their goal.

By the time the trek was done, Seaham High School were one of only two teams who completed the entire journey as a group, and that says everything you need to know both about individual resilience and their strength as a team. We are incredibly proud of the students and staff!

Each night the students strung their hammocks from trees and prepared their meals, getting creative and setting up double decker hammocks to save space and provide extra shelter and company. While days were exhausting, nights in the rainforest are no less of a challenge as the local wildlife pays a visit to the camp, with the occasional millepede as long as a forearm wandering by! One night, the expedition guides caught and dealt with a venomous snake that slithered too close, a reminder that the whole jungle is alive with danger!

The week finished as it began, as the party packed up their kit and left the jungle for rest and recuperation at Sabah Teahouse, with incredible food, delicious tea and some of the most jaw dropping views so far.

Rested up, the group moved on to Camp Tonagol to take part in some more community work with the villagers. A second birthday was celebrated as Thomas turned sixteen and was presented with a cake as the locals threw a bash to welcome the expedition to their home.

Our students have seen some incredible sights, taken part in some unbelievable experiences and threw themselves at every new challenge with a smile. They couldn’t have done it without the help and support of everyone back home, and of course Miss Hebron and Mrs Davison who are out there in the thick of it with them.

Thanks to our friends at Prima Cheese, Omega Asbestos Consulting Ltd, Hall Construction Services and Wealth of Advice - each of whom really helped turn the students' dream into reality.

We’ll be back with another update next week, stay tuned!

27/07/2026

For the second week of their adventures in Borneo, our young explorers have split their time between helping build communities and getting face to face with nature, as they immerse themselves in their temporary home.

The party left their jungle camp behind and spent a day planting saplings which will one day grow into the mighty trees of the rainforest, a task that took hours but could have a lifetime’s worth of impact to the habitat. They wound down with a friendly game of football with some of the local youths as the World Cup spirit of togetherness continued long after the final whistle in the USA.

From there, our group visited Sepilock Orangutan Sanctuary, where they were lucky enough to see these magnificent creatures feeding and interacting with each other in a protected environment. The students then swapped primates for bears as they visited the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, which is home to the world’s smallest species of bear. The facility is a rescue and rehabilitation centre for the animals, under threat due to loss of habitat and poaching.

Our students took in lunch by the lake and made the most of the comparative luxury on offer as they hit the local laundrette in preparation for five nights in the thick of the jungle.

Camp Narawang became home from home as our group set about helping the local villagers. The students worked long days in sweltering heat and humidity, mixing and laying concrete to be used in the local nursery and a retaining wall near the camp. They rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in - painting the outside of the nursery and winning the hearts of their temporary hosts – even the Chief of the village commented how hard working and resilient our students were!

Villagers held a welcoming ceremony in thanks and showed our explorers their traditional dance and music, which they were happy to teach and our students were grateful to learn and take part in.

It’s gratifying to know that the time our group has spent overseas could have a long lasting impact, whether planting trees or helping maintain a nursery, and we continue to be incredibly proud of the work they are doing. Whether it’s a paintbrush, a football or a laugh shared between teenagers from vastly different worlds, they continue to show Seaham in the best possible light.

Once again, we are grateful to everyone who supported the group on making the trip possible. Without your help our students would not have such an incredible opportunity. Special mention to our friends at Prima Cheese, Omega Asbestos Consulting Ltd, Hall Construction Services and Wealth of Advice Financial Planning.

The group head deeper into the jungle this week, and we’ll be back with more pictures and news as their trip continues.

21/07/2026

Our Borneo expedition have spent their first week exploring the delights of the island, and have made the most of a moment’s downtime to check in with home and let us know how it’s going.

Highlights of a packed itinerary include a visit to Borneo Marine institute where our students spent the day doing conservation activities and learning about the abundant life teeming in the island’s waters. The day was rounded off by a beach trip where the group were able to take in a breath-taking sunset, half a world away from home.

Sleep was put to one side as the students got up in the middle of the night to cheer on England in the World Cup semi final against Argentina, and while the result might not have gone our way, the memories made will last a lifetime.

The group also took part in upcycling craft workshops, learning how to make new from old and reuse valuable resources. They had the opportunity to visit both the Art Gallery and Shopping Mall, taking in culture and consumerism in the same visit.

On Friday they relocated to Camp Pisan, with a detour to take in the splendour of Mount Kinabalu and pay their respects at the Kundasang War Memorial. The following morning it was off into the jungle as they travelled to Batu Puteh, for two nights beneath the jungle canopy. This saw students responsible for their own sleeping arrangements, stringing hammocks from trees before getting some shut-eye.

The days in the jungle saw the group taking part in the conservation efforts – long, hot days clearing the jungle floor using machetes and then planting new trees to help replenish the foliage. These were tough days in incredibly humid conditions, but our staff said the students showed remarkable resilience throughout and finished their time tired but satisfied with the work they did.

It’s not all work however, the party took in a jungle river cruise which got them into the heart of the environment. They saw Proboscis Monkeys, Rhinoceros Hornbirds and Long Tailed Macaque Monkeys in their natural habitat, as well as Crocodiles feeding mere feet from their boat. Thankfully the native beasts do not seem to have a taste for Seaham folk, and so everyone is safe and sound and looking forward to what comes next.

Thanks again to everyone who supported our efforts to get the group on the trip of a lifetime, every donation helped make their dream a reality. Thanks in particular to our friends at Prima Cheese, Omega Asbestos Consulting Ltd, Hall Construction Services and Wealth of Advice Financial Planning.

Enjoy these photos and we’ll update again once we can.

20/07/2026

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service have asked we share the water safety messages with parents, carers and students as we go into the summer holidays.

If you see someone in difficulty in the water, remember the slogan, ‘Phone, Float, Throw.’

•Phone 999 and ask for the fire and rescue service.
•Tell them to stay calm and float on their back.
•Throw rescue equipment to help them float.

If you get into difficulty in the water, remember, ‘Float to Live.’

Float on your back with your ears under the water and use your hands to stay afloat.

CDDFRS has warned that open water - such as rivers, reservoirs, and lakes - can be much colder than expected, even on the hottest days. This sudden cold shock can cause your body to gasp uncontrollably, increasing the risk of inhaling water and drowning.

The Service strongly advises against jumping or diving into unknown waters. Hidden hazards like rocks, debris, or sudden drops can lead to serious injury. Even strong swimmers can struggle with currents or become exhausted in cold water.

If you are a parent or a guardian, please keep a close eye on children at all times near water. It only takes a moment for an accident to happen.

We want everyone to enjoy the holidays, safely.

13/07/2026

This group of Seaham students and staff will be swapping the seaside for the jungle this summer, as they fly to the other side of the world for four weeks in Borneo.

Their adventure starts today, and will see them splitting their time between relief work in one of the many villages in the region and rainforest exploration as they uncover the local ecology and take part in conservation efforts. Our intrepid group could be digging a well or helping to build a school one day, and face to face with the orangutans that call the forest their home the next.

The adventure is the trip of a lifetime, and lives up to the school motto of Engaging Minds and Broadening Horizons. It could not have been possible without the hard work of our fundraisers and the support of friends of the school. We would like to give particular thanks to four local businesses who have helped make the dream a reality for our young people – Prima Cheese, Omega Asbestos Consulting Ltd, Hall Construction Services and Wealth of Advice Financial Planning.

We are incredibly grateful for their belief in the project and financial support, and know that the students will create memories that will last a lifetime over the next few weeks.

10/07/2026

The final Keeping Connected of our academic year sees us checking in with the spirited students who completed their Duke of Edinburgh's Award Silver Expedition last weekend.

They spent two nights under the stars, and had an incredible time. You can read all about their adventures in the wild places of Northumberland in our cover story.

We swap hiking boots and waterproofs for ball gowns and tuxedos on our back page, as we have a report from the Year 11 Prom that took place at Beamish Hall on Tuesday. The Class of 2026 went out with a bang and looked a million dollars, and there's a selection of Mrs McCann's photographs on page 4.

Those two stories sandwich the usual roundup of events in school as we check in with our Year Leaders on a fortnight which had two rock concerts in school, four awards ceremonies, a college visit, Sports Day and celebration assemblies. Who said the end of term is a wind down?

You can read all about it here, in Keeping Connected:

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10/07/2026

It’s the last Friday of term, and a group of lucky students will be starting summer with a new wardrobe thanks to our Be In. To Win attendance draw.

Every week names go into the hat to be drawn at the end of term, with £100 of vouchers to be won to shop on the High Street or online. This term’s winning trio are;

Joe T in Year 10, who will be able to spend at BooHoo Man.
Ava D also in year 10, who bagged a Love2Shop voucher.
Oliwer L from Year 9, who won a JD Sports voucher.

We also had the draw for the top prizes in our Go For Gold rewards programme, and the two lucky winners also pictured are;

Scott H in Year 8 who has a brand new laptop to do homework on.
Finnley B in Year 10 won a Playstation 5, to play on after he has completed his homework.

The fab five are pictured with Head Teacher Mr Lumsdon with the Cross of St. George billowing in the background. Hopefully they won’t be the only winners this weekend, and England will continue their progress in the World Cup.

Congratulations to all our winners, and well done to every student whose name that went into the draw. Next time it could be you!