Proud to be Dowdales
Headteacher Ms Aubrey Joins Podcast
The SecEd Podcast:
Teaching Shakespeare Effectively: Practical tips and classroom ideas
Hosted by Pete Henshaw, featuring Dowdales Headteacher Ms Aubrey, Geoff Barton and Jacqui O’Hanlon
In October Headteacher Ms Aubrey took part in a podcast produced in partnership with the RSC.
This episode marks the launch in November of RSC’s new Shakespeare Curriculum platform and offers a range of practical ideas, advice and teaching techniques for engaging students in the work of William Shakespeare – both in the English classroom and across the school.
To visit the SecEd website Click here
News
Five New School Records Broken in Outstanding Athletics Achievement
It has been a remarkable athletics season, with an incredible five new school records being broken by Dowdales students. These achievements are a testament to
RSC Director Mentor Inspires Students Ahead of Playmaking Festival
Students at Dowdales School had an exciting and inspiring rehearsal experience this week as Nicky Cox visited to work closely with performers preparing for the
Royal Shakespeare Company Music Director Inspires Students in Special Workshop Series
Thanks to generous funding from EMI, we were delighted to offer students six days of exciting music workshops led by visiting Music Director Ben McQuigg
Dowdales Students Shine in UK Maths Challenge Success
Following this year’s UK Mathematics Challenge, Dowdales School is celebrating the outstanding achievements of two students who produced exceptional performances and successfully qualified for the
Team Dowdales Successfully Completes the 2026 Coniston to Barrow Walk
Congratulations to everyone in Team Dowdales for successfully completing this year’s Coniston to Barrow walk challenge! This year marked another fantastic achievement for the
Good Luck to our C2B Teams!
Good luck to everyone taking part in the Coniston to Barrow tomorrow! Your commitment, determination and team spirit already make us incredibly proud. Whether
Year 7 Boys and Girls Shine at Barrow Schools Track Relays
Our Year 7 relay teams produced an outstanding display at the Barrow Schools Track Relays, delivering one of the most dominant performances seen at the
Year 7 Enjoy Adventure-Filled Residential Trip to Towerwood
Year 7 students recently returned from an unforgettable three-day residential trip to Tower Wood Outdoor Education Centre, where they experienced adventure, teamwork and plenty of
Inspiring Contemporary Dance Workshop with Lowry CAT
This week, our Dance department had the pleasure of hosting a dynamic and engaging workshop led by Kelly, the Cumbria Outreach Co-ordinator from Lowry CAT.
Year 11 Rugby – County Champions
The Year 11 rugby team finished their season in style, becoming Cumbria Schools champions with a dominant 50–4 victory in the county final at Craven
Dowdales Music Students Join County-Wide Orchestra Workshops
Music students from Dowdales School recently took part in the Cumbria Community Orchestra Collective workshops held at the Derwent Pencil Museum, joining hundreds of young
Achievers of the Term
Spring 2026 As we come to the end of another successful term, I would like to congratulate all of our students on their hard work,
Rotary Young Chef Competition 2026
Rotary Young Chef District Final Two talented students from Dowdales proudly represented the school at the Rotary Young Chef District Final – and what a
Dowdales Dancers perform at the Brewery Arts Centre
Dowdales Dance students recently took to the stage at The Brewery Arts Centre as part of the venue’s regional Dance Platform, delivering a powerful and
Netball Success at Furness Championships
Huge congratulations to both our Year 7 and Year 8 netball teams for their outstanding performances at the Furness Schools Netball Championships. Our Year 7 team
Dowdales Students Secure Three of Five National Places on Royal Shakespeare Company Youth Advisory Board
We are celebrating a remarkable achievement as three Year 8 students have been selected to join the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) Youth Advisory Board.
Shrek The Musical JR. comes to Dowdales
Dowdales performing arts students ended the half term on an incredible high after staging three spectacular evening performances of Shrek The Musical Jr. to completely
An Inspiring Educational Visit: Oxford University and Warwick Castle
This week, a group of Dowdales students enjoyed an enriching and memorable overnight Educational visit that perfectly showcased our commitment to broadening horizons beyond the
GCSE Music Students Meet Composer Mark Simpson
Year 10 GCSE Music students, along with a selected group of Year 9 pupils, recently had the opportunity to attend an inspiring talk and Q&A
Year 10 enjoy Italian Ski Trip
Our Year 10 students enjoyed an unforgettable ski trip to Aosta, set in the heart of the stunning Aosta Valley in northern Italy. Surrounded by
Coming together to support the Barrow Foodbank
Students, staff and members of our wider community came together to support Barrow Foodbank through generous food and monetary donations. Our Head Students were
Sport 2025-2026
Netball Success at the Furness Schools Championships
Huge congratulations to both our Year 7 and Year 8 netball teams for their outstanding performances at the Furness Schools Netball Championships.
Our Year 7 team delivered an exceptional display throughout the tournament, remaining undefeated in every match they played. Their determination, teamwork, and skill saw them secure victory and be crowned Furness Schools champions—an incredible achievement that reflects their hard work and commitment.
The Year 8 team also had a fantastic tournament, making a strong start by winning their first two matches. Their journey came down to a निर्णसive final game to determine the overall winners. Despite a valiant effort, they were narrowly beaten, finishing in an impressive second place. Their resilience and competitive spirit were evident throughout.
Both teams should be immensely proud of their performances. Their success is a testament to their dedication, teamwork, and passion for the sport. Well done to all players involved for a fantastic season.
Strong Performances in National Cup and Festival Success for Girls Team
It was been a week of impressive performances and determination from our rugby teams, highlighted by two closely contested matches in the Boys’ National Cup against some of the country’s top Rugby League schools.
Our Year 11 side put in a spirited display against Syrius Academy from Hull, narrowly losing 14–24 in a hard-fought encounter. Despite the result, the team showed resilience and quality throughout, competing strongly against a well-established rugby programme.
Similarly, the Year 7 boys were involved in a tightly contested match against Libery Academy, also from Hull. In a game defined by strong defence and determination on both sides, our team were edged out 6–10. The narrow margin reflects just how competitive the fixture was, with plenty of positives to take forward.
While the boys were unlucky not to progress, there was fantastic success for our Year 7 girls, who claimed victory at the Cumbria Festival. Their outstanding teamwork and skill saw them crowned champions, a testament to their hard work and commitment.
The girls now look ahead to the National Festival, which will take place in May. This is a fantastic opportunity for the team to test themselves against top competition from across the country and they go into the event full of confidence.
Overall, it has been an exciting period for rugby at the school, with all teams demonstrating great effort, sportsmanship, and potential for future success.
It has been an action-packed start to the sporting year, with students across all year groups representing the school with pride, commitment and enthusiasm in a wide range of competitions.
Football
Across the school, both boys’ and girls’ football teams from all year groups have been busy competing in fixtures both home and away. Teams have faced schools from the local area, taken part in the Furness Schools Competition, the Cumbria Schools Cup and also represented the school in the English Schools Competition, gaining valuable match experience throughout the season.
The girls’ football team in Year 7 have had a great experience in the English Schools Cup, after getting through to the 3rd round with some good performances they faced Ribblesdale School here at Dowdales. Ribblesdale are one of the best footballing schools in the country and were last year’s National Y7 champions. The Ribblesdale team were a different class to anything our girls had faced before and although we lost 1-3, it was a proud performance and superb learning experience for our girls. The Year 7 & Year 8 girls teams are through to the Cumbria quarter finals later this term, as are the Year 9 boys team.
Netball
Netball has been extremely busy, with all year groups competing in both the Furness Schools League and the English Schools Competition.
The Year 7 and Year 8 Netball teams have enjoyed some strong performances against local schools, winning most of their matches so far this year. This is building confidence and expectations as they approach the end of season Barrow Cup in March.
The Year 9, 10 and 11 Netball teams have had a mixed start, playing matches against St.Bernard’s, Ulverston, Furness Academy and Chetwynde but performances are improving with every match as teamwork and consistency continue to develop.
Rugby
Rugby has seen excellent participation across all year groups since September. Teams have taken part in a variety of competitive fixtures, including entering several teams in all year groups at the Barrow 9-a-side festivals. The Year 7 & Year 8 teams reached the Barrow Rugby Finals at Craven Park in November. The Year 7 team won to join Year 11 as Barrow Champions, whilst the Year 8 team have to await the re-arranged final after 2 postponements due to weather.
The highlight so far has been a superb result for the Year 11 Rugby team, who recorded a 12–8 victory against St.Benedict’s in Whitehaven to progress through to the Cumbria Final and also the National Quarter-Finals— a fantastic achievement and a reward for their hard work and determination. The Year 7 & Year 8 teams are also through to the Cumbria semi-finals, also against St.Benedict’s and this is being played at the end of January with a place in the National Cup if successful.
Sport 2024-2025
Yr7 Athletics
What a debut!
Our amazing Year 7 students took part in their very first Track and Field Athletics event at the Furness Schools’ Track Relays and made history!
Competing against schools from across the area, our students won all 6 relay races, the first time this has ever been done! Incredible effort, teamwork and determination from every one of them.
We’re so proud!
Yr7 Netball Furness Champions!
Our Year 7 Netball team have been working hard all season, showing dedication, teamwork and determination.
Their efforts paid off on Monday, when they competed in the Furness Schools Final – and won every single game to be crowned champions!
A huge congratulations to the team for their outstanding performance and for representing Dowdales with such skill and spirit. Well done, girls!
#Champions #DowdalesNetball #Proudtobedowdales
Table Cricket Semi-Final!
Students from Year 7-10 competed in the Lord Taverner’s Table Cricket tournament at UVHS.
Eleven schools took part and our Super Six got all the way through to the semi-final, just missing out on the County Finals by losing to Dallam.
Well done to all participants – they did themselves and Dowdales very proud.
Yr7 Rugby Team Semi-Final
Our Year 7 rugby team put in a fantastic performance against West Lakes Academy in the Cumbria semi-final. Despite a 4-12 loss, the team showed incredible determination, skill and teamwork throughout the match.
A huge well done to all the players – you did Dowdales proud!
#DowdalesRugby #TeamSpirit #Proudtobedowdales
U16 Netball Champions
Furness Schools Competition
Our U16 Netball team showcased outstanding determination and skill on the court this week, beating both Furness Academy and UVHS to be crowned Furness Champions. This victory is a testament to the hard work, teamwork and spirit that our young athletes bring to every game.
We are incredibly proud of the team for their dedication, resilience and sportsmanship. Their commitment to excellence both on and off the court is truly inspiring. A huge congratulations to the players and teachers for this fantastic achievement!
Proud to be Dowdales!
Year 8 Rugby
Cumbria Schools Semi-Final
A huge well done to our Year 8 Rugby Team, who played an incredible Y8 Cumbria Cup semi-final against St Benedict’s on home turf!
With parents, carers, and a crowd of students cheering them on as they left school for the day, the team put on a fantastic performance, securing a 30-18 victory!
This amazing win means the boys are now through to the County Final and have also qualified for the National ‘Champion Schools’ competition, joining the best 12 teams in the country!
An incredible achievement—bring on the finals!
#Rugby #Teamwork #CumbriaCup #ChampionSchools #Victory
Year 10 Rugby
Cumbria Schools Semi-Final
January 2025
Congratulations to our Year 10 Rugby Team who travelled to Egremont to take on West Lakes Academy in the semi-final of the Cumbria Cup.
They had a fantastic game and won 18-6!
Birmingham University Visit
Sports Science Department
December 2024
Our Year 11 BTEC Sport and Sports Science students had an amazing trip to Birmingham University’s Sports Science Department, getting hands-on experience with cutting-edge lab equipment!
They explored the effects of exercise using high-tech testing facilities and even stepped into the climate control room, running on a treadmill at a scorching 40°C! (It was definitely too hot for Mr. Byers!)
A fantastic experience bringing sports science to life!
U16 Netball
County Cup Final
November 2024
Congratulations to our U16 Netball team on competing in the County Cup final after their impressive victory in the Furness Competition.
Year 10 Football
Cumbria Cup
November 2024
Well done to our Year 10 football team. They beat Furness Academy 4-1 in the 1st round of the Cumbria Cup.
They will now progress to the next round!
Year 7 Rugby
November 2024
Congratulations to our Year 7 Rugby team for their 34-4 win!
U14 Football
Cumbria Cup
October 2024
Our U14 football team had a big win against the Lakes School, beating them 13-0! The team will now progress on to the next round of the Cumbria Cup.
Year 8 Rugby
9-A-Side Festivall
September 2024
Two teams of Year 8 boys competed in the 9-A-Side rugby festival at Furness Academy.
Well done to both teams placing third in your groups.