Cotham School
Weekly Mailing
3 July 2026
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 6 July 2026 is Week B
Headteacher's Welcome! 👩🏫
Headteacher's Welcome! 👩🏫
Dear Parents and Carers
We hope you enjoy this week's update and find the information helpful as we look ahead to the coming days.
Wishing everyone a wonderful and relaxing weekend ahead.
Kindest regards
Ms Jo Butler
Headteacher
Weekly Mailing - 3 July 2026 Headteacher’s Welcome-1.webmAchievement and Positive Feedback of the Week 👍
Achievement and Positive Feedback of the Week 👍
Heartfelt Thanks from visiting Korean Teachers
Following their recent visit to our school, the delegation of Korean teachers sent a beautiful, handwritten note to thank our community.
They shared how much they loved meeting our children, how inspired they were by observing the German class, and how deeply they appreciated the warm hospitality of our school.
We are so proud of our students and staff for being such wonderful global ambassadors. Thank you for making our guests feel so incredibly welcome!
Another Heartwarming Thank You
We were absolutely delighted to receive a wonderful thank you card from a parent following our recent Year 9 trip. They shared how much their child enjoyed making lasting memories and extended a heartfelt thank you to Mrs Bingham and the entire staff team for going "above and beyond" - especially while managing the trip during the recent heatwave!
Organising these experiences takes an incredible amount of time and effort and we are deeply grateful for such kind words. Feedback like this means the world to our staff. Thank you to our wonderful community for your ongoing support!
Parent and Carer Calendar 🗓️
Parent and Carer Calendar 🗓️
Announcements 📢
Announcements 📢
Open Evenings - 2026/2027
Open Evenings - 2026/2027
We are delighted to invite you to our upcoming Open Evenings, a wonderful opportunity to experience our school community and learn more about what we offer.
Cotham School : Thursday 24 September 2026
North Bristol Post 16 Centre - RGS : Thursday 1 October 2026
North Bristol Post 16 Centre - Cotham : Thursday 8 October 2026
The Big Future National Children's Survey
The Big Future National Children's Survey
The Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has launched The Big Future, a national survey giving children and young people a direct voice in shaping future government policy and decision-making.
We want to ensure our students' experiences, views, and aspirations are represented in this national picture.
Who can take part? All children and young people.
How long does it take? Just a few minutes.
Where can they complete it? Parents and children can access the survey directly here: The Big Future Survey.
We will be highlighting this opportunity in school, but we would be incredibly grateful if you could encourage your child to fill it out at home. Thank you for your support in helping ensure our students' voices are heard.
Refugee Week at Cotham
Refugee Week at Cotham
International Refugee Week falls in June, but as a School of Sanctuary we extended our celebrations across the whole month! This year's theme is Courage, and we have run so many wonderful events, led by Miss Andouard and the EAL team - but supported by every member of our community.
From workshops for Year 7 on Kindness delivered by the Roots of Belonging organisation, to parent support groups and staff training; from cake sales, author events and film screenings to cultural clothes fashion show; from our familiar Cooking Club to an incredible experience for students who created beautiful music with Dovetail Orchestra - we have had so many fantastic opportunities to learn more about different cultures and also about our role in creating a welcoming society in school and beyond. In addition, all students have discussed and explored the refugee experience in various subjects across the school. We are so proud to be a School of Sanctuary, and have loved highlighting the kindness, courage and compassion that is on show every day in our wonderful community.
Photos to follow next week.
Celebration of PRIDE Month in Cotham
Celebration of PRIDE Month in Cotham
We had the pleasure of welcoming ex Cotham student and shortlisted author O R Sorrel last week. Olivia has written a funny LGBT dystopian book and shared excerpts to a group of Year 8, 9 and 10s. They took part in a dystopian workshop where students shared brilliant ideas of their own bleak (mutant fruits rising up!) dystopian futures!
We also have a fab book display in the library with fantastic free bookmarks. LGBT BOOKS are POWERFUL tools for BUILDING EMPATHY and BELONGING. See below for more.
WM O R SORREL author visit Preloved Uniform Sale
Preloved Uniform Sale
We will be holding a preloved uniform sale:
When: Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 July
Where: Visitor Reception (Cotham Lawn Road)
Time: Call in anytime between 10.00am to 2.30pm
Preloved uniform items include:
1. polo shirts for all houses
2. school jumpers
3. dance t-shirts, PE tops and PE jumpers
4. black trousers and skirts
All items are £1.00 each - payment by cash or card
Items/sizes are subject to availability
Please note there will not be any new uniform for sale.
Year Group News 🏫
Year Group News 🏫
Year 7
Year 7
Bake Off
Our Year 7 Bake Off was a huge success! Bakers took on the challenge of making, baking and presenting four cookies in just 1 hour and 15 minutes, all decorated with colourful summer-themed icing.
The standard was incredibly high, with lots of creative designs on display, including a brilliant FIFA World Cup-inspired creation. Our judges had the difficult task of selecting an overall winner from such an impressive field.
Congratulations to everyone who took part, and a special well done to Finn (7KD), who was crowned the overall winner. Fantastic effort from all our bakers!
Year 7 Sports Day
What a fantastic day we had at our first Sports Day! The atmosphere was incredible, and it was wonderful to see everyone getting fully involved, whether they were competing in the events or enthusiastically cheering on their teammates. The enthusiasm, teamwork and sportsmanship on display made it a memorable day for everyone involved. Well done to all who took part!
Year 7 CUE
On Monday 29 June, I had the pleasure of attending the CUE performance, and what a fantastic show it was! It was wonderful to see so many Year 7 students involved in the production.
The Year 7 modern-day interpretation of The Tempest was outstanding, and the performances of songs from Hamilton were both heartfelt and memorable. Every student involved gave their very best, and their talent, confidence and hard work shone through throughout the evening.
Congratulations and well done to everyone who took part in such an impressive performance!
Year 7 FIFA World Cup
Football fever is still going strong in Year 7! We celebrated another FIFA World Cup winner this week, with 7LN claiming victory after their team, Paraguay, defeated Germany 4–3 on penalties.
The excitement in our Year 7 assemblies continues to grow as each winning tutor group is presented with a trophy and chocolates to share. The celebrations, cheering and team spirit have made this competition a real highlight, and we can't wait to see who will be crowned our next winners!
Mrs Arnold
Year 7 Learning Coordinator
Year 8
Year 8
It is wonderful that we have so many students signed up to come along to the Year 8 trip to Thorpe Park. Final payment was due 1 July. I have requested the payments are left open for a couple more days to ensure everyone has had chance to make the payment.
Congratulations to Jake in 8DW who took part in the National League Trampoline, Double Mini Trampoline (DMT) and Tumbling competition for age 13-16 boys. He was placed Silver in the double mini trampoline, completing his most difficult set of passes to date. He has worked incredibly hard to achieve this. Well done Jake! Here is a link to DMT for anyone who doesn't know what the discipline looks like Double Mini Trampoline
Mrs Dickerson
Year 8 Learning Coordinator
Year 11
Year 11
Refunds for Catering Accounts from ABM - Outstanding Balances on WisePay
If you require a refund for your child's school meal account, please email our catering provider directly at accounts@abmcatering.co.uk.
To process your request, your email must include:
Subject Line: RE: REFUND REQUIRED
School's name
Child's full name
Child's class / year group
The exact refund amount required
Please note: balances cannot be transferred between siblings or different accounts.
Thank you for your cooperation.
North Bristol Post 16 🚀
North Bristol Post 16 🚀
Futures Conference
This week our Year 12 students had their 2-day Futures Conference, with a parent information evening happening in between.
On day 1, students were all based at Redland Green and were treated to a variety of workshops to select from including UCAS, budgeting, personal statements and much more.
On day 2, students had a bespoke tutor session to help students start making their Futures applications. Parents will be able to access the parental presentation slides soon also.
Subject Announcements 📖 ✏️ 🔢 🧪 🌍 🏛️ 🖥️🧮 🎨 🎭 🎵 🔨 🧑🍳 🏃♂️
Subject Announcements 📖 ✏️ 🔢 🧪 🌍 🏛️ 🖥️🧮 🎨 🎭 🎵 🔨 🧑🍳 🏃♂️
MFL
MFL
Cotham students take to the stage in Latin!
Our KS3 Latin Club students achieved an excellent 2nd place at the Bristol Schools' Latin Play Competition at BGS with their performance of Fabula Ovidii.
We were proud to see our Cotham students perform with such confidence and enthusiasm. The judges praised the commanding performances of Calliope and Ovid, recognising the group's outstanding stage presence.
Congratulations to everyone involved!
2026 Year 9 Trip to Germany
Last week, 47 students enjoyed an unforgettable residential trip to Germany's Black Forest. Despite the heatwave, they embraced every opportunity, including tobogganing, a visit to Europa-Park, a day at a water park and exploring Freiburg. It was especially rewarding to see students support one another, appreciate the area's natural beauty and show resilience in the high temperatures while making the most of this memorable experience.
PERFORMING ARTS
PERFORMING ARTS
Little Shop of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors tickets are now available on WisePay! Choose your price:
£6 Concession – Pay what you can.
£8 Standard – Helps fund future productions.
£15 Pay It Forward – Each ticket subsidizes two concession tickets.
All are welcome. Come and enjoy live theatre!
Little Shop Poster STEAM
STEAM
Work of the Week
During last week's heatwave, students were set the challenge of creating a sculptural response to the artist Andy Goldsworthy either inside or outside their homes. Here are a few of the fantastic pieces they produced!
Careers 💼
Careers 💼
Career of the Week is ...... Writer!
Could this be a career for you?
A writer expresses thoughts, ideas, or stories through written language. Writers may work in various genres, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, journalism, screenwriting, and technical writing. They use their creativity, imagination, and language skills to craft engaging and meaningful pieces of writing.
STEM Careers Talk - South Asian Heritage Month
On Wednesday 9 July at 5pm at the Bristol Commonwealth Society, there is a STEM Careers Talk for young people interested in going into Science, Technology or Engineering careers. It will be delivered by professionals in these industries who are of South Asian heritage.
The event is free, but places are limited, so please book here.
BEP
BEP
Pride Picnic
Last Friday Cotham students, staff, and parents celebrated Pride with friends from across the BEP Pride network. We welcomed students and staff from a range of schools, including Clifton High and Orchard. There was food, music, dancing, and a great time was had by all. Huge thanks to everyone that helped to make this possible, in particular Ms Ingham.
BEP End of year celebration
Unprecedented hot weather saw this event move online, but that didn't stop Sunaya from shining as she presented to headteachers, BEP link staff, and students in the end of year celebration. It was fantastic to have a run down of the successes we have seen this year, and set goals for the next academic year as we continue to shape the future of the BEP.
Personal thanks from Mrs Griffin to all the Cotham students and staff that have been involved in BEP projects this year.
Literacy 📖
Literacy 📖
KS3
KS3
Word of the Week
Word of the Week
Evaluate
Evaluate
'i- val -yoo - ayt'
Meaning:
To judge or work out the value, quality, importance, or amount of something (verb)
Example:
Evaluate how well you think you performed in the match.
Evaluate which idea was the most persuasive.
Synonyms:
Assess, judge, weigh up…
KS4
KS4
Word of the Week
Word of the Week
Extent
Extent
'ik- stent'
Meaning:
The amount to which something is true, applies, or has an effect (phrase).
Example:
To what extent do you agree with their idea?
To what extent is it true that climate change is man-made?
Synonyms:
How far, how much…
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 Learning Lead
Email: AhmedF@cotham.bristol.sch.uk
Online_Saftey_Newsletter_19.pdfCommunity 🏘️
Community 🏘️
Attend a "Be a Councillor" sessions
Attend a "Be a Councillor" sessions
Have you thought about becoming a councillor, but not sure if it’s for you? You’re not alone.
Bristol City Council are running free 'Be a Councillor' sessions to help you understand what the role is really like. Hear from councillors, find out what support is available, and ask questions in a welcoming, inclusive space.
These sessions are for Bristol residents, and we especially welcome people who are currently underrepresented in local politics.
When?
In person: Saturday 17 October 2026, 10am to 12 noon, City Hall
More information is available here: Become a councillor
Book your place through Eventbrite: Saturday 17 October
Free SEND Support and July Events for Families
Free SEND Support and July Events for Families
We are pleased to share this month’s updates from Bristol Parent Carers, a local charity run by volunteers supporting families of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). They support all families, regardless of whether your child has an official diagnosis.
Here is what’s available this month:
July "What's On" Guide: Free support sessions and services. Posters are available on our notice board in English, Somali, and Polish.
Early Years Transition Webinar: Information is now live on our notice board for families preparing for early years transitions.
SEND Coffee Mornings: We are looking into hosting a coffee morning here for our families to share experiences, get advice, and help shape local services. 98% of parents who attend say they feel better supported.
Find out more:
View the Bristol Parent Carers booklet online: https://midd.me/KJZm
Check out the posters on our main notice board, or reply to this email if you would be interested in attending a coffee morning here.
Sensory-Friendly Shoe Fitting at SoleLution
Sensory-Friendly Shoe Fitting at SoleLution
Shoe shopping can be a challenge for children with sensory sensitivities or additional needs.
SoleLution (62 High Street, Portishead) offers a calm, stress-free alternative. Tanya and her experienced team provide:
Quieter appointment times to avoid the rush.
A calm, relaxed environment.
Patient, unhurried fittings tailored to your child's pace.
Please see the attached flyer for details. To ask questions or book a quiet session, contact SoleLution at 01275 843399 or enquiries@solelution.co.uk.
SoleLution Shoe Fitting Flyer.pdfSummer Holiday Clubs 2026 are Open!
Young Bristol's open-access clubs offer sports, cooking, and crafts for ages 8–19 (with a focus on free school meals).
Ashton Vale: Mondays (Ages 12–19) & Tuesdays (Ages 8–11) from 5:30pm.
BS14 Stockwood: Mondays (Ages 11–19) & Thursdays (Ages 8–11) from 5:30pm/6:30pm.
The Grove (Bedminster Down): Mondays (Y3–4), Tuesdays (Y5–6) & Wednesdays (Y7+).
Note: Closed for Bank Holiday on Monday 31 August
Please click here for more information.
🚣 Outdoor Activity Programme (Pooles Wharf)
Who: Young people aged 8–16.
Options: Half-day, full-day, and multi-day clubs.
Activities: Bristol Harbourside paddling, underground climbing adventures and more.
Please click here for further information.
Get ready for new adventures this summer with Your Holiday Hub
Children and young people in Bristol who receive benefits-related free school meals, can book lots of fun activity sessions taking place during the school holidays from 23 July to 2 September. Your Holiday Hub sessions are fully funded and include a healthy meal as part of the day. There's lots to choose from with activities ranging from sports to crafts and drama to baking and cooking, plus so much more. Join in and stay active with fun new things to see and do.
Go to www.yourholidayhubbristol.co.uk to find out more and book your place today.
BD18382 - Holiday Hub A4 Poster.pdfYHH Summer Booklet 2026.pdfShine Netball Training Camp – Summer Holidays
Is your child keen to keep up their netball skills over the summer break? Shine Netball is hosting a half-day training camp designed for players from any club who want to continue playing through the summer holidays.
Here are the key details:
Who is it for: Netballers aged 11 to 14
When: Friday 14 August | 10:00 – 13:00
Where: Bradley Stoke Community School
It is a fantastic opportunity for students to stay active, refine their skills and socialise with players from other clubs.
Please click here for further informaion.
The Royals - Musical Theatre - 5 day Summer School.
The Royals - Musical Theatre - 5 day Summer School.
Monday 10 to Friday 14 August | Cotham School | 10am - 4pm
£250 | | Sibling discount - £25 off second child booking. SAVE £10 discount code by quoting COTHAM on the booking form.
A musical theatre and drama experience.
Step into a world of crowns, castles, and show-stopping songs at The Royals – our 2026 summer school celebrating all things ROYAL on stage!
Across five fun-packed days, students will sing, dance, act, and create while exploring legendary royal-themed musicals and plays like Six, Hamilton, Frozen, Aladdin, Cinderella and many more regal sensations.
From powerful pop anthems to epic ensemble numbers, dramatic scenes to magical movement, performers will build skills in musical theatre, drama, and performance technique while learning exciting routines, songs, and scenes inspired by kings, queens, princes, princesses, and revolutionaries.
This summer, claim your crown and join us at THE ROYALS.
Please click here to book.
Sparks Film School Bristol Central presents…
Sparks Film School Bristol Central presents…
Summer Shoots - Filmmaking and Animation Camps🎬
This summer, children aged 7–14 in Bristol can create their own exciting short films and animations in a fun-filled week of creativity, action and imagination!
Across five exciting days, they’ll learn filmmaking, acting, directing, special effects or animation while building confidence, making new friends and bringing their ideas to life on screen.
Available dates:
🗓 20–24 July 2026 – Filmmaking Camp
🗓 27–31 July 2026 – Filmmaking & Animation Camps
🗓 3–7 August 2026 – Filmmaking & Animation Camps
📍 Cotham School, Bristol
👧 Ages 7–14 (animation age 7-11)
💳 Childcare Vouchers & Tax-Free Childcare Accepted
To book please visit here.
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.pdfKey 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
Page updated
Report abuse