Achievement | Diversity | Respect
21 April 2023
Parent and Carer Weekly Mailing
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 24 April 2023 is Week B
Standing Items are now located at the bottom of the mailing.
Headteacher's Welcome
Dear Parents and Carers
Please find this week’s mailing with important information for parents/carers and students as well as updates on school events, activities and opportunities for your reference below. With very best wishes for the weekend and an Eid Mubarak for those of you who are celebrating!.
Kindest regards, Ms Jo Butler, Headteacher
Positive feedback of the week 👍
An email from Year 11 parent sent to Ms Telford before Easter:
"Just a quick note to say thank you for the work you have done - I heard an Year 11 student saying to one of his friends that you have made him love English Literature. Year 11 student always recognised a good teacher possibly because he needs one, more than a typical teen.
Enjoy your break though I'm sure you’ll probably be working - Either your methods are more effective or you are working double overtime! "
Thank you
Do you know our three school values?
Word of the Week
New Announcements
Iftar
Iftar is the fast-breaking meal eaten by Muslims after sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. This week we held our very own Grand Iftar at Cotham where 200+ Students, parents and Community Leaders attended Cotham School's inaugural Grand Iftar celebration which was sponsored by Bristol Sweetmart, Sainsbury's Feeding Bristol and Clifton Down Shopping Centre.
It was a wonderful and joyful evening. We had a full house of guests, a number of wonderful speakers and the most amazing food. Please do try and make it next year. This is an event that is open to all of our community and presents a wonderful opportunity for us all to come together.
PE Extra-Curricular Clubs - Term 5
Please see the PE and Extra-Curricular Timetable for Term 5
Foodies Festival
Bristol Foodies Festival 30% Discount..
How to claim your 30% discount:
1. Follow the ticket link by clicking here.
2. Select which date you would like to attend.
3. Enter the code 'Foodies30'
4. Select your preferred ticket type.
Foodies Festival, are returning to Bristol in their new location, Little Stoke Park from Friday 12 May - Sunday 14 May. Bristol Foodies Festival are offering 30% discount to local businesses to say thank you for all the work they do.
Taste outstanding local street food while watching MasterChef finalist Larkin Cen and Great British Menu finalist Olivia Barry as well as Creator of Koocha Noda Marvani cooking live in the Chefs' theatre or dance the night away with huge musical headline acts, including Blue and Scouting for Girls!
Join us on Friday 12 May for £5 Cocktails, Cake and Cabaret with live music all day including an Abba Tribute! Why not make a day of it and come along with your friends and colleagues. Book tickets here.
Monkhouse Schoolwear Specialists - Summer job opportunity for students
Monkhouse Schoolwear are recruiting for 100s of summer jobs across the country and within the Bristol area. Students can scan QR code for further details
The Bristol Bike Project
The Bristol Bike Project run a free weekly drop-in on a Friday after school for young people to bring their bikes in (no scooters) and learn how to repair.
Women’s Foil Medallists
After a season representing Great Britain in U17 and U20 competitions, Congratulations to Rachael A who achieved a bronze medal in the Individual Women's Foil at the British Senior National Championships. Well done Rachael.
Dream of being your own boss?
Join BlueprintforAll’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation course to get one step closer! 5 weeks of workshops to guide you through building your business. PLUS, the opportunity to win a £2,300 Innovation award! PRIZE DRAW! Participants that attend the first or the second workshop will be entered into a £50 prize draw. If participants attend the first AND second workshops, they will be entered into a £100 prize draw.
Young people can sign up for the first workshop here
The Dog House
Could you provide a loving home for a rescue dog?
Five Mile Films, are making a new series of the BAFTA nominated Channel 4 programme, The Dog House. They are searching for people who can offer a loving home to a rescue dog. The series is made with Woodgreen Pets Charity who specialise in matching their rescue dogs with would-be owners.
The Dog House is looking for couples, individuals, friends and families who are seriously considering bringing a rescue dog into their lives and are willing to share their reasons for doing so. Please follow this link to apply.
There are many reasons people might consider bringing a dog into their life – loneliness, extra company for a child, to encourage getting out and about, to live in the moment more, to name just a few. Five Mile Films and The Dog House are currently looking to reach out to people in the Bristol area who might be thinking about rehoming a rescue dog, and wondered if anyone might be interested in making that step. For those who take part, Woodgreen will try to match them with a dog that suits their needs, who will fit into their home and family.
Helen O’Grady Drama Academy
Helen O'Grady Drama Academy are enrolling now for their Big Summer Production at The Redgrave Theatre in Clifton, Bristol. Helen O'Grady are casting for children aged 11- 18 and no experience is needed. Weekly acting rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings at Cotham High School.
Follow the link to enrol or email bristol@helenogrady.co.uk for further information or call Sky Young on 07821855853.
Post 16
Young Enterprise support
Next year we will be running the Young Enterprise Company Programme for our Post 16 students and would like a Business Adviser to support us. This would entail using your business experience to help students set up and run a successful business over an academic year; mentoring, facilitation, instilling business acumen and encouraging them to overcome and learn from various challenges and setbacks. You work closely with a member of the teaching staff from the Social Sciences faculty. This role requires an enhanced disclosure with the DBS Update Service and online safeguarding training (which the school can facilitate).
The commitment would be to attend the weekly team meetings for at least one hour during term time (perhaps 20-25 meetings over the course of an academic year). These may be during the school day, or run as extra-curricular activities after school. We intend to operate the scheme from September through to May. The experience of helping a young company develop and grow over several months, encountering and tackling a variety of real business issues, can be very rewarding indeed.
We would be especially interested to hear from BAME business leaders in the local area.
If you or any of your contacts might be able to assist us, please email: post16@cotham.bristol.sch.uk and mark your message for the attention of Hannah Radford Hines.
Attendance reviews
Attendance reviews were sent home this week. Students should make contact with their tutor in the first instance to resolve any issues, their tutor can then signpost them to the relevant solution.
Attendance reviews
Attendance reviews were sent home this week. Students should make contact with their tutor in the first instance to resolve any issues, their tutor can then signpost them to the relevant solution.
Year 12
Avon Wildlife Trust
The Cotham Climate Committee are working with Avon Wildlife Trust to raise clothing, shoe and accessory donations for their new charity shop! Clothes collection boxes can be found in Upgrade. Please see the poster for more information.
Mocks
Year 12 mocks will be held on Monday 24 April - Friday 28 April, students had an assembly this week to give them more information about what this will look like. Lessons will be suspended for the week with the exception of BTEC and visual arts lessons. Please also note that Thursday mock exams will continue even though it is a strike day.
Attention all Mathematicians
If you are applying for maths at university next year you may need to take the step assessment this June. It is highly likely you will need to do this if you are applying for mathematical studies at the University of Cambridge, the University of Warwick or Imperial College London but please check if this is a requirement at the universities you are intending on applying to. The deadline for school to apply for a student to take Step is Thursday 4 May so if you are considering this you need to let exams know as soon as possible on exams@cotham.bristol.sch.uk.
SOAS Summer School
You can find more information about the programmes and a link to the application form here. Accommodation will be provided for students allocated a place on a summer school and they will also cover the cost of travel to London. Please note that the accommodation will be supervised by either a member of APSS team staff or a Student Ambassador but they will not be providing evening activities for students. There are a limited number of places available and a mixture of academic and widening participation criteria will be used to allocate places. They are particularly keen to encourage applications from students who would be the first in their family to go to university, who are or have been eligible for Free School Meals, who have experience of care or who come from an area of low progression to higher education. The deadline for applications is Friday 28 April 2023 and we will be allocating places by Friday 12 May 2023.
Year 13
Easter Revision
Well done to the many Year 13 students who attended revision sessions during the spring break. Teachers reported that all students were extremely hard working and well engaged.
Leavers Assembly
The provisional leaving date for Year 13 is Friday 12 May. Within the school day, we have an annual leaver celebration before they embark on study leave. This event has input from staff and students alike, always proving to be a brilliantly positive way to mark the end of their Post 16 education.
Coming Up Soon...
Raising Safe Surfers: keep your child safe online BEP webinar for parents - Wednesday 26 April, 18.00 – 19.00
This webinar with cyber security expert, Lucy Uzeanu, aims to educate and empower parents, care-givers, and teachers to keep children safe while they navigate the digital world. It will address topics such as cyberbullying, online predators and internet addiction, providing practical strategies for parents to keep their kids safe online. Follow the link to book your place.
And don't forget from last time....
Work Experience Placements for Year 10 students
Work experience is an important aspect of the careers development of each student at Cotham School. All Year 10 students are expected to be out on a placement during the week Monday 3 July to Friday 7July 2023. Students can access information on how to find a placement, templates for letter writing and a step by step guide on their Google Classroom - careers pages. Once you have found a placement simply ask the business to complete their section of the "3 way" agreement form (which you can also download on google classroom - careers page) and then sign it yourself and ask your parent/carer to sign it. You can then give the paper copy to Suzanne Paice (Careers) or email it directly to careers@cotham.bristol.sch.uk.
The deadline is today - Friday 21 April.
Uniform Update and Clarification
We are having a renewed push on establishing our expectations around uniform. Mr Knight has put together a very useful video to guide you around what are our expectations are for Cotham School uniform.
Key Points for your consideration:
Hoodies \ Tracksuit Tops are not allowed (5mins 10secs in)
Jewellery - one plain ear ring stud only, no nose studs and bangles. (5mins 50secs)
Headwear - No snoods, baseball caps or do rags (6min 50secs)
Digital Literacy Corner
Latest Parent Online Safety Cheat Sheet
Building a Better World Online
10 top tips for respect online
Our latest GCSE Pod Usage
Welcome! GCSEPod is the perfect resource to help your child learn, retain and recall all the information they need to achieve their GCSE goals.
Pods watched this academic year
5,728
Number of Pods watched so far in Term 4
147
Most watched subject this week
Food Preparation and Nutrition
Our latest Seneca Learning Usage
Seneca offers high-quality free online learning courses for students to study from a computer, tablet or phone. The courses are suitable for students aged 13 and above and cover KS3, KS4 GCSE and KS5 A Level subjects.
We are Premium subscribers to this service which unlocks further features of the platform.
Seneca Learning sessions completed this academic year
224,263
Total Seneca Learning study time for Term 4
342 hours
Total Seneca Learning study time for this academic year
25,659 hours
Staff Vacancies
Cotham School are currently recruiting for the following positions:
Music Specialist Leader
Geography Teacher
Computer Science and IT Subject Leader
Teacher - Inclusion Resource Base Manager
Faculty Leader of English
For more information and to apply please click here
