Cotham School
Weekly Mailing
12 December 2025
Embedded Files
Keep us posted - It would be great if parents/carers could let the school know of any student achievements outside of school. We would like to find out what students are doing in their own time and celebrate their achievements.
Email us: weeklymailing@cotham.bristol.sch.uk
Week commencing Monday 15 December 2025 is Week A
Headteacher's Welcome! 👩🏫
Headteacher's Welcome! 👩🏫
Positive Feedback of the Week 👍
Positive Feedback of the Week 👍
"A huge thank you to everyone who supported Year 11 at their final Parents' Evening last night. We had over 180 families through the door, a turn-out of 77%. Rough maths suggests 1260 conversations were held about the students' progress, next steps and aspirations. Thank you!
A special thank you to Corrie and Sophie for organising everything, and the wider admin, IT and Site teams for facilitating logistics on the day."
Ms J Sainsbury
Assistant Headteacher
Feedback received from Year 11 Parents' Evening Questionnaire
"We are very happy with Cotham School and all three of our children are happy here. They are happy, they have good and nice friends and I feel their teachers have their best interests at heart. I understand some of the behaviour in class is tricky, but so far this has had no meaningful negative impact on them. We feel the teachers have their best interests at heart and think the leadership team is strong. We are very happy with this - our local school."
"I’m really glad I chose Cotham as my child's secondary school. I recommend you to all prospective parents!"
"I am very pleased with the support the school provides in all areas of development including academically and socially. There are a lot of opportunities available which build wider skills, confidence and relationships. Louis really likes and respects his teachers and has commented how good his teachers are and that he looks forward to going into the sixth form to do his A Levels. As parents we really value the skills and dedication of the teachers and school community and are very reassured that he is in good hands. Many thanks"
Year 11 Parents
Parent and Carer Calendar 🗓️
Parent and Carer Calendar 🗓️
Announcements 📢
Announcements 📢
End of Term Arrangements
End of Term Arrangements
The arrangements for the last day of term, Friday 19 December, are as follows:
Year7-11:
There will be no break service for food from 10:45-11:05.
Students will leave school at 12:00.
Students who receive a free school meal will be provided with a packed lunch, which can be collected from K Block canteen after 12:00.
Post 16:
Students will leave school after period 2.
Students who receive a free school meal will be able to collect food from Charnwood canteen at breaktime.
Start of Term Arrangements
Start of Term Arrangements
Please note that Term 3 starts on Monday 5 January 2026 is a normal school day for all students.
Year 7 Library Lesson Winners!
Year 7 Library Lesson Winners!
A MASSIVE WELL DONE TO YEAR 7. They have all taken part in a BOOK HUNT and QUIZ LIBRARY LESSON. This lesson cements their understanding of how a library works and will help them navigate the library usefully during their time at Cotham.
All classes competed to find fiction and nonfiction books and answer library related questions correctly. Extra points were rewarded for AMAZING TEAMWORK, LEADERSHIP AND DELEGATION. ALL GROUPS IMPRESSED ME WITH THESE SKILLS! See attached for OVERALL WINNERS.
WM WINNERS OF BOOK HUNT & QUIZ 25 .pdfTake Books Home for the Holidays and Readathon
Take Books Home for the Holidays and Readathon
Please encourage your child to borrow a book from the library for the holiday break. We have lots of wintry warming books, snowy story books and festive fun books for everyone to enjoy. Also, it is still not to late to sign up for the Cotham READATHON. Help raise money for children in hospital whilst embracing READING FOR PLEASURE. The deadline is Monday 2 February 2026 so lots of time to read read read. Click on the link for BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS and all the information you need to sign up.
Readathon-Letter-to-Share-with-Parents-and-GuardiansWinter Reading 2025.pdf
🏆 Student Recognition and Empowerment Initiative
🏆 Student Recognition and Empowerment Initiative
We have created Students' Shout Out! to give teachers a quick and personal way to recognise students' achievements. Teachers can write a few words explaining why a student deserves praise, and the student receives an email along with their Learning Coordinator (LC), parents, and carers—so everyone knows exactly what's being celebrated.
This doesn't replace House points; it's a more personal complement to our existing system. It's an important way to positively acknowledge the majority of our students for their behaviour, work, manners, and more.
A HUGE thank you to Kieran Lavender (Assistant Director of IT and Facilities) for creating this invaluable tool!
Free Bus Travel over the Christmas Holidays
Free Bus Travel over the Christmas Holidays
Children under the age of 16 will receive free bus travel over the Christmas holidays, as the "hugely successful" Kids Go Free initiative returns. From Saturday 20 December until Sunday 4 January, kids up to the age of 15 will be able to hop on nearly any bus in Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire free of charge.
Uniform Sale
Uniform Sale
Monkhouse have reduced the price of some of our uniform items on their website, so please take a look if you need a dance t-shirt, rugby shirt, PE sweatshirt or some tailored shorts ready for the warmer weather. For further information, please click here.
Lost Property Reminder
Lost Property Reminder
This is an important reminder concerning the collection of student lost property.
We are currently holding a large volume of unclaimed uniform items and coats at Student Reception. We ask that students make every effort to visit the reception and check for their belongings as soon as possible.
We are committed to helping local charities; therefore, any property that is not claimed will be sorted and donated at the close of Term 2. Please take a moment to ensure your child has checked the collection point before the term concludes.
Year Group News 🏫
Year Group News 🏫
Year 7
Year 7
News!
The Year 7 Christmas Quiz was very exciting!
Nine teams battled it out to see who would be crowned the Christmas Quiz champions of 2025. The tension rose as we headed into a tie-break. After six challenging tie-breaker questions and lots of excitement, 7LBE were the winners!
Well done to all the students who took part.
Keep the date free for the Year 7 Disco - Wednesday 4 February 2026. More info to follow.
Fill the Tube with Change
Next Wednesday 17 December we will collect the tubes to see which tutor group has raised the most money. Please support us and send in any spare change to buy a Guide Dog Harness.
Year 7 Guide Dog Appeal Decorations
Over the last few weeks, our Year 7 students have been busy creating beautiful decorations to hang from a display stick that will soon be showcased in the HUB. The activity was shared with us as part of the Guide Dog Appeal, and students enjoyed contributing their creativity to support a wonderful cause.
Year 7 Tutor Football Update
The Year 7 league continues to deliver exciting matches, with plenty of goals and growing rivalry between tutor teams. Today’s fixture saw DSE claim a strong 4–0 victory over CGR, while last week SME secured an impressive 11–1 win against FRA. The competition is heating up as teams feel the pressure and push for top positions.
A huge thank you to Harry, who has been doing a fantastic job as our student referee.
Shout-Outs
Ms Bingham: Absolutely brilliant reading aloud from the following students who had written a full text about themselves using all the German we know:
Abrar
Sadam
Zakriya
Zuhahyr
Very brave to read so much in German to everyone in the class! Fantastish!
This week we launched the Student Cotham Shoutout online form and Year 7 are getting lots of wonderful, positive shoutouts from staff.
Well done to the following students.
Harry
Zubaida
Ruwaidah
Arez
Ilyas
Year 8
Year 8
Update
Some students have been part of the 'STRIDE' initiative. This is a chance for students to reflect and talk to their teachers about their learning. To celebrate the work that they are really proud of and to tell their teachers what could be even better. Well done to all of those who have taken part so far.
Year 8s have been reminded this week to make sure they use the bins around the site for rubbish and recycling. I have been really impressed how many of our year group come and request to use the litter picker during lunch and the tarmac has been looking immaculate.
Year 11
Year 11
Update
As we approach the final week of term, I wanted to share some highlights from what has been a very positive and productive week for Year 11. Our students took part in our Careers Fair, engaging with more than ten providers from a wide range of industries. It was a pleasure to attend and to hear students asking such thoughtful, well-prepared questions as they begin considering their next steps.
We also welcomed many of you to our Year 11 Parents’ Evening. Thank you for your support and the constructive conversations throughout the evening. Your partnership is invaluable as we move into the new year and continue preparing students for their GCSE examinations.
I am also very much looking forward to next week’s Awards Assembly, where we have the opportunity to celebrate and reward so many wonderful students for their hard work, commitment, and achievements over the past two terms.
Wishing you all a restful final week of term.
Best wishes,
Mr Arnold
Learning Coordinator
Year 11 Revision Workshops Dates Announced
Year 11 revision workshops will be taking place in school on Wednesday 07 January, Monday 12 January and Wednesday 14 January. All students will have the opportunity to attend one of these workshops in place of their usual PE lessons. Parents are not required to attend. These workshops are designed to support students with creating a revision timetable and developing effective revision strategies.
Mrs A Khan
Assistant Headteacher
North Bristol Post 16 🚀
North Bristol Post 16 🚀
Update
Update
Post 16 Meet with Local MP
This week our student leadership team, RESPECT ambassadors and some of our Politics students met with local MP Carla Denyer of the Green Party. They met with other students and had passionate discussions about the issues important to them including the environment gender equality and the future of education in light of AI. As always, our students conducted themselves very well. It was a great opportunity for them to act as role models to our younger student leaders who also took part. Well done!
Subject Announcements 📖 ✏️ 🔢 🧪 🌍 🏛️ 🖥️🧮 🎨 🎭 🎵 🔨 🧑🍳 🏃♂️
Subject Announcements 📖 ✏️ 🔢 🧪 🌍 🏛️ 🖥️🧮 🎨 🎭 🎵 🔨 🧑🍳 🏃♂️
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STEAM
STEAM
This week in Food Science!
As the new rotation of students begins - Year 8 enjoyed a hands-on practical lesson making delicious shortbread and a colourful fruit salad. They refreshed their practical skills, including the rubbing-in method, correct knife techniques and safe oven use, all while carefully following a recipe.
Students worked safely and confidently throughout the session and their final dishes were a fantastic reflection of their teamwork, focus and growing independence in the kitchen.
Work of the Week
This week, Year 10 Art students created sandwich art made entirely out of food. Their pieces draw inspiration from famous paintings, as well as their own creative ideas. Some spent time cutting intricate pieces of cheese, vegetables, and other foods to decorate their bread. Others used a painting technique called impasto, which usually involves applying thick oil paint with a palette knife, but swapped out the paint for icing.
This week in Year 9, students explored the power of protest art and how visual symbols can communicate strong messages about society. They learned how artists use imagery to challenge injustice & inspire change. Focusing on the raised fist, students discussed how it represents strength, unity, and the ongoing fight for freedom, justice, and liberation. Through their own artwork, they experimented with this symbol to express their personal voices and highlight causes they feel passionate about.
Social Sciences
Social Sciences
Year 10 Child Development Meal Preparation
Year 10 Child Development students had a fantastic cooking session, preparing healthy, balanced meals for toddlers. This work forms part of their non-examined assessment. Ms Wellington was really impressed with their excellent behaviour and engagement.
Bristol Education Partnership 🤝
Bristol Education Partnership 🤝
Update
Update
This week Maud in year 10 joined the BEP Student Board to represent Cotham. The board, which included students from all the schools in the partnership, works to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion, and explore issues of relevance to young people in our city. This collaboration is important in shaping the future of the BEP and our students have been praised for their thoughtful articulation and creativity. Welcome to the BEP Maud!
Mrs Griffin
Careers 💼
Careers 💼
Update
Update
Career of the Week.....is PLANETARY SCIENTIST!
Could this be a career for your child?
Is your child a natural with languages? Do they love learning about other cultures? A career as a PLANETARY SCIENTIST might be a perfect fit!
Planetary science, also sometimes called planetology, is the interdisciplinary scientific study of planets, moons and planetary systems (especially the Solar System), as well as smaller bodies like asteroids, comets and exoplanets.
House Announcement 🏠
House Announcement 🏠
Non Uniform Day - Tuesday 16 December 2025
Non Uniform Day - Tuesday 16 December 2025
Tuesday 16 December we have non uniform day and students are welcome to bring £1 for their House charity. The money will be collected by the prefects on the gates.
Literacy 📖
Literacy 📖
KS3
KS3
Word of the Week
Word of the Week
Consequently
Consequently
'Con - suh - kwent - lee'
Meaning:
As a result of something (adverb).
Example:
Consequently, the experiment proves that the material is flammable.
I ate five doughnuts last night and consequently felt sick.
Synonyms:
As a result, therefore, thus…
KS4
KS4
Word of the Week
Word of the Week
Portray
Portray
'Por-tray'
Meaning:
To represent or describe someone or something in a painting, film, book or other artistic work (verb).
Example:
The artist portrays their passion for colour in their latest work.
Shakespeare portrays the character of Macbeth as ruthless.
Synonyms:
Represent, illustrate, show…
Digital Literacy Corner 💻
Digital Literacy Corner 💻
Online Safety Newsletter
Online Safety Newsletter
Please find our latest online safety newsletter attached.
Important Notice:
This newsletter is intended for adults and includes discussions on online safety, including sensitive topics such as the online exploitation of children. Some of this content may be upsetting to both adults and children.
We strongly encourage parents and carers to prepare themselves before reading and to carefully consider which information to share with their child, based on their age and cognitive ability. The language and explanations used may not always be suitable for younger children, so please use your discretion when deciding what is appropriate for your child.
Your awareness and thoughtful approach is vital in ensuring a safe and informed discussion about online safety.
Kind regards
Farhan Ahmed
Digital Strategy Lead
Email: AhmedF@cotham.bristol.sch.uk
Online_Saftey_Newsletter_10.pdfCommunity 🏘️
Community 🏘️
Relief for Jamaican Hurricane Victims
Relief for Jamaican Hurricane Victims
Fantasy Wings in partnership with the British Airways Community fund and RAFFA will be sending relief to Jamaica for Hurricane Victims
British Airways will be providing Cargo Space to send essential aid to Jamaica to be distributed to those devastated by the Hurricane
If you are able to send anything from this list of needed aid provided by the Jamaican Government please fill in the form.
Please click here for further information.
If you have any questions please contact them on relief@fantasywings.co.uk, through the website.
Fantastic Youth Performance Event
Fantastic Youth Performance Event
The Children and Young People team at the Trinity Centre is delighted to invite you to a special community event showcasing the talents of local young people, including many who regularly participate in our creative music projects.
Time: 4.30pm to 6.00pm
Location: Trinity Centre, BS2 0NW, Bristol
If you have any questions please contact the CYP team directly at the Trinity centre, Bristol.
Reminders 🔔
Reminders 🔔
Reporting Student Absence - Studybugs
Reporting Student Absence - Studybugs
Please inform the school by 9.00am on the first and subsequent days of absence.
School procedure is as follows:
absence message sent if absences have not been reported.
if no response to the absence message, a follow up letter requesting reason for absence will be sent.
If you haven’t already, please download the free Studybugs app, or register on the Studybugs website, and use it to tell us whenever your child is ill and unable to attend school.
Get the app or register now by clicking here.
Thank you
Cotham School
Poster with Additional Info.pdf
Key Dates - Term Dates 2025/2026
Key Dates - Term Dates 2025/2026
Term 1 Monday 1 September 2025 to Friday 24 October 2025
Term 2 Monday 3 November 2025 to Friday 19 December 2025
Term 3 Monday 5 January 2026 to Friday 13 February 2026
Term 4 Monday 23 February 2026 to Thursday 2 April 2026
Term 5 Monday 20 April 2026 to Friday 22 May 2026
Term 6 Monday 1 June 2026 to Friday 17 July 2026
INSET Days - 2025/2026
INSET Days - 2025/2026
Monday 1 September 2025
Friday 26 September 2025
Friday 14 November 2025
Monday 30 March 2026
Monday 20 April 2026
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