Good afternoon, Joanne

We’ve just wrapped up the second day of our Blunt Truth workshop with your Year 8 group, and I wanted to share how fantastic the experience has been.

Across both days, the students demonstrated outstanding engagement and impeccable behaviour. Their energy was infectious, and they brought so much to the discussions. One of the real strengths of the BT workshop is the close ratio of professionals to students, which creates an environment where almost every student feels confident to participate—and this group truly embraced that opportunity.

The Year 8 students impressed us with their curiosity and thoughtful contributions. They asked intelligent, insightful questions that showed a genuine interest in the topics we explored. It was a pleasure to see such enthusiasm and maturity from them. It would be great to have this passed on to parents and carers.

We look forward to coming back into the school.

Many thanks

Elli Campbell
Blunt Truth Lead – Avon & Somerset Constabulary | Youth Project & Engagement Coordinator - Bristol & South Gloucestershire
Early Interventions and Child Centred Policing | Public Protection Unit 

Another Positive Feedback Received

Author and Ex-Cotham student Charlie Nutbrown came to visit the school recently and talked about his brilliant new book 'The Feathered Book'.  He encouraged the Year 7s to think about their own writing and how you must read read read as many books as possible to help their own writing improve.  The Year 7s talked about their favourite books and asked Charlie lots and lots of fascinating questions!  Year 7 you were amazing - Please click below for more information and a link to buy a signed book.  Happy reading!!

Update

What a fantastic term it has been, filled with so many exciting moments and wonderful achievements to celebrate.  We are especially proud of Year 7, who have achieved the highest attendance in the school.  This is a brilliant reflection of their enthusiasm, commitment, and positive attitude towards learning.  Being in school every day, surrounded by teachers and friends, gives pupils the very best opportunity to grow, succeed, and reach their full potential.  Well done, Year 7!

Year 7 Winter Awards Assembly

Year 7 celebrated the end of term with their Winter Awards Assembly! 

Tutors recognised two students from each tutor group for consistently doing the right thing every day.  The LC Award was presented to three outstanding students who are in school every day, always prepared to learn, and exemplary role models for their peers.

In addition, 10 lucky students were awarded prizes in the House Point Raffle.  Congratulations to all our Year 7 students for their hard work and dedication this term!

Well done to:

Balqees, Henry and Marae who won the LC award

Tutor awards:

Rory , Balqees, Ben, Daksh, Finn, Abrar, Matilda, Xavier, Liam, Rayan, Gene, Ariana, Birahim, Rebeka, Sam, Rowa, Noah, Abdulsalam

Mrs Arnold's Super LC Bar of Chocolate

Each week in assembly, we celebrate students who have shown respect and kindness with the Mrs Arnold Super LC bar of chocolate.  A huge well done to the following students, who have all received the award over the last few weeks: Arez, Birahim, Danile, Yasmin, Munzer, Leai, Saeed, and Fatima.

Keep up the great work – your kindness and respect make our school a better place every day!

Guess the number of Candy Canes in the Jar

Guess the number of Candy Canes in the jar was a huge success, 7FRA won the entire contents of the jar and Ethan won a small box for guessing the number correct.

Year 7 Shout Outs

Update

What a start to the year!

Year 9 go into the Christmas break having had a fantastic first 2 terms.  Attitude and engagement in learning has been amazing and bodes well for term 3 which promises to be exciting and busy.

GCSE options will be coming into conversations and I have no doubt that Year 9 will face this with the same maturity, resilience and positivity that they have shown so far this year.

Please have a restful, peaceful and happy Christmas and I look forward to seeing everyone in January.

Mr Knight
Year 9 Learning Coordinator

KS4 Pathways Evening

Yes, It’s Another Positive Year 10 Update 😊

Winter Holidays 

As we reach the end of the term and move into the winter holidays, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on what has been a very busy, productive and successful two terms for our Year 11 cohort.

Firstly, I am extremely proud of how students approached the October/November recent mock examinations.  They showed maturity, resilience and a growing understanding of the expectations placed upon them as they move closer to their GCSEs.  These mocks have provided invaluable feedback, helping students and staff identify strengths and areas for development as we continue to support them in the months ahead.

We were also pleased with the success of our recent Year 11 Parents’ Evening.  It was fantastic to see such strong attendance and positive, constructive conversations between families, students and staff. 

Alongside this, many students have worked hard on their Post-16 applications.  It has been encouraging to see such thoughtful engagement with future pathways, whether through college, sixth form or apprenticeships.  Our 1:1 careers meetings and recent careers fairs further supported this, giving students the opportunity to explore options, ask insightful questions and begin shaping their next steps with confidence.

I would also like to highlight our Year 11 Prefects, who have stepped into their roles with real purpose and leadership.  They have set an excellent example as role models to younger year groups, and contributed positively across the school community.  Additionally, we saw fantastic engagement from Year 11 girls supporting the work with Girlhood Reclaimed.  The enthusiasm shown during these sessions has been inspirational. 

In addition, students have recently formed the  Year 11 Student Prom Committee, who will be beginning their work on fundraising and planning for the Year 11 Prom taking place on 24 June.  It has been wonderful to see students already feeling excited and taking ownership of this important celebration.

As we look ahead, a reminder that our next set of mock exams will take place at the start of February.  While the holidays are an important time to rest and recharge, some consistent revision will help students return feeling confident and prepared.

Finally, I would like to wish all students a restful and well deserved winter break.  Thank you, as always, for your continued support.  We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for the next stage of this important year.

Best wishes, 

Mr Arnold
Year 11 Learning Coordinator

Year 11 Revision Workshops Dates Announced

Last week of term 2

Update

Please see the attached letter for the Term 2 BEP update.

Gamma House’s annual Candy Cane Delivery fundraiser has been a huge success, spreading festive cheer across the school.  Hundreds of candy canes were purchased by generous students eager to send kind, joyful messages to friends, teachers and classmates.  Every cane was carefully wrapped and labelled by Miss Madge and her brilliant student leaders, before being delivered this final week by our dedicated prefects.  This showed the power of generosity, teamwork and community spirit. 🎄🍬

Gamma Fundraising

Gamma House are incredibly proud to celebrate their total fundraising contribution to Bristol and Weston Hospitals Charity, a cause they have proudly supported for the past eight years.  This week marks another milestone, with an amazing £816.78 donated from the last academic year alone.  This sustained commitment reflects the generosity, compassion and determination of Gamma and Cotham students. Miss Madge wants to say a massive thank you!

Non-Uniform Day 

Thank you to everyone who brought in £1 on Tuesday 16 December for Non-Uniform Day.  Your generosity means the money raised will be shared between Cotham’s four house charities: Gamma – Bristol & Weston Hospitals, Delta – SARI, Sigma – British Red Cross and Omega – Cancer Research UK. An amazing effort that also earned hundreds of house points, with the final total still being counted.  Well done everyone!

Merry Christmas everyone, from all of us at Omega!

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