Achievement | Diversity | Respect

26 May 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 5 June 2023 is Week A

Standing Items are now located at the bottom of the mailing.

Headteacher's Welcome

Dear Parents and Carers

Please also 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.

I wish you all a restful bank Holiday weekend and see you all again next term.

Kindest regards,

Ms Jo Butler, Headteacher

Positive feedback of the week 👍

Lovely feedback:

"I wanted to say a huge thank you to you and all of the Year 11 staff for their endless hard work and dedication to the students. I have been so impressed with the amount of time and effort that teachers have put in, including the after school revision sessions, the Easter revision sessions, and the ongoing sessions in between exams. It is apparent that the teachers really want the students to do well and achieve the best results they can, without making them anxious and worried".

Many thanks and kind regards.

Year 11 parent

Thank you

Thank you to the parents and carers who joined Mr Knight to hear about the exciting new parent, carers, friends and supporters group that we are launching.

The meeting was very well attended and we are confident that the group will go from strength to strength if the levels of enthusiasm seen last night are anything to go by.

Thank you

Do you know our three school values?

Word of the Week

KS3

Context: ‘Kon-tekst’

KS4

Exacerbate: ‘uhg-za-suh-bayt’

New Announcements

Reading at Cotham

We have a new page on our website that outlines what we do in school to support Reading. On the page, there are some useful links to support your child at home.

Year 11 Maths Revision topic shortlists

Unsure what to revise? Students might be interested in these lists of suggested revision topics for Paper 2 Maths GCSE. These account for what has already come up in Paper 1 (AQA) as well as common topics based on past paper trends.

The Higher list is here:

...and the Foundation list is here:

You can find revision materials for these topics on websites such as CorbettMaths.com and MathsGenie.co.uk as well as Hegarty Maths and MyMaths. Hope that's helpful.

UNICORNFEST - Bristol Unicorn Trail 2023 ICORNFEST - Bristol Unicorn Trail 2023

We are delighted to be part of this project, the Unicornfest is a 9-week public art sculpture trail, which will see a giant herd of ‘life-size’ unicorn sculptures displayed across Bristol and the surrounding region from Saturday 1 July to Sunday 3 September 2023.

As a school we have the opportunity to design our own Foal which will be displayed with the school collection at Bristol M Shed. The theme for which Foals will be decorated will be based on a community's past on one side of the unicorn and its future on the other side.

As a commitment to the scheme each school agrees to fundraise for Leukaemia support. Leukaemia affects around 10,000 people per year and is the most common cancer in children - but did you know that Leukaemia is more common in adults aged 65 and above.

In support of the fundraising effort a number of fundraising activities will take place. Students will be informed of these in tutor sessions.

Parents and carers are also invited to contribute towards fundraising by adding a donation of their choice to WISEPAY- Fundraising Events / Unicorn Fest - Leukaemia Care.

Year 7 Art

This week, year 7 have been looking at Mandalas, here are some of their amazing drawings.

WOTW Y7 Madalas2.pdf

Library opening full time from Monday 5 June

Just sending a reminder that the library will be opening full time from Monday to Friday from Monday 5 June.

Also open to Year 11s for Silent Study Leave from 8.30 am until 3.30. Please sign in with Student Reception and at the Library desk before you commence study.

Library Update

The library will now be open full time Monday to Friday from Monday 5 June. It is open at break-time, lunch-time, and before and after school. This is to allow students to exchange books, complete their homework, and to read quietly.

We need our books back please - please have a really good look at home for all outstanding library books and textbooks. Students receive weekly reminder emails to their school email account. Please return books directly to the library. To check which titles are on your account, please login to AccessIt.

Leavers

All textbooks and library books on loan to Year 11 and Year 13 must be returned after the exam period. We are aware that some GCSE books may be stored in classrooms and will be returned by the subject teacher.

Deadline for returns is Friday 23 June.

When the library is closed they can also be returned to:

The returns box outside the Main Library

The returns box at Student Reception

Post 16

The return box at Student Reception

The porch at Charnwood House (Post-16 Centre)

Please contact library@cotham.bristol.sch.uk if you have any questions about this. Please do not return items to teaching staff, but return them directly to the library.

Homework club

All students are welcome to come to the homework club in the library every day after school until 15:45. They have access to all of the resources in the library and there are staff on hand to help anyone who may need it.

Y11 Prom/Leavers Party

You can still buy tickets up to Thursday 15 June, don't miss out!

Leavers Party/Prom is taking place at:

The Bristol Hotel,
Prince Street,
Bristol,
BS1 4QF

on Wednesday 28 June from 7:30pm – 11:30pm

Tickets £35 -This price covers the hire of the venue, food, DJ and unlimited visits to the photo booth. The organising committee have worked hard to keep the price reasonable. If anyone thinks they will struggle to pay the ticket price please contact buckleyb@cotham.bristol.sch.uk at the school for help.

This date has been chosen as it is the same day as the North Bristol Post 16 transition day. There are 170 tickets which will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Please follow the link regarding communication forwarded to Parents/Carers in April.

Bristol Education Partnership Update

Please follow the link - BEP update letter which parents and carers received during the week.

Off The Record- Support for Young People

A reminder of how Off the Record can support young people:

Here you can see all the projects Off the Record currently offer and their age ranges!

Hubs

Drop-in Hubs are spaces where young people can come to find out about Off The Record's projects:

Mondays 4pm-7pm @ 8-10 West Street, Old Market, Bristol, BS2 0BH

Wednesdays 3:30pm-5:30pm @ Armadillo, Station Road, Yate, BS37 4FW

Saturdays 10am-1pm @ 8-10 West Street, Old Market, Bristol, BS2 0BH

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Charlie Waller Foundation

In Our Own Words - Charllie Waller Foundation is a package of support and resources for parents, carers and anyone who wants to support the mental health of children and young people.

Insightful short videos of secondary school children talking about....

Jaguar Land Rover Retailer Apprenticeship

The Jaguar Land Rover retailer apprenticeship programme are recruiting for over 150 apprenticeship vacancies this year. Jaguar Land Rover are looking for Service Technicians, Customer Service Advisors, Parts Advisors and Sales Executive apprentices to become part of their team across the UK.

Below are some of the top benefits of a Jaguar Land Rover Retailer Apprenticeship:

Earn while you learn without racking up debt
Gain work experience from day 1 of your apprenticeship
Receive nationally recognised qualifications
Brand certification from one of the UK’s prestigious car brands
Develop life skills and technical knowledge to succeed
On the job training with support provided throughout the learner journey
Meet new people and take part in new experiences
The first step towards a rewarding career in the automotive industry

Jaguar Land Rover have ambitious growth plans and recognise the importance in identifying talented individuals to become the next generation of professional retailer employees. Follow the link to apply.

Post 16 Futures Bulletin

Post 16 Futures Bulletin - There are still lots of wonderful opportunities to apply for but time is running out now so be quick to make sure you have something in the pipeline for results day this summer.

Apprenticeships, Workshops and Webinars

Follow the link to discover amazing apprenticeship opportunities, workshops and webinars.

May Edition of Parents' & Carers' pack

The May edition of the Parents' & Carers' pack includes information about apprenticeship opportunities at the Royal Opera House, and giving an insight into apprenticeships in nursing. Please click here to download this month's edition.

Year 9 Bake Off

One student from each tutor group represented their tutor group in the Bake Off. Anais, Naz, Julia, Hamda, Maya, Ella, Grey, Zoya and Greta

They were given a technical challenge to make a Victoria Sponge Cake, this had to be completed in 90 minutes.

The 9 bakers worked hard and produced outstanding results.

Our judging panel, Mr book, Ms George, Miss Smith and Mr Barnes looked for appearance, taste and following the brief.

Congratulations to all 9 bakers for taking part.

The overall winner Anais 9SME

Runner up Zoya 9CG

Star Baker Ella 9SME

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Post 16

P16

We would like to wish all of our P16 students a well deserved break. For a more detailed breakdown of the events and celebrations at NBP16 this term please see our Director’s round up. We would like to remind students that they can still access The Hub from home. The Hub contains a huge range of resources which support a wide range of topics including revision and wellbeing.

Lanyards

We would like to ask for your support to encourage all P16 students to wear their lanyards at all times for the safety of all of our students. If students need a new lanyard, you can order one on Wisepay, If students get the bursary, they should see Ms Lugg Williams who will order them one at no cost. If they need a new string or plastic casing, they can drop into Charnwood reception and we will provide one. This is an especially timely reminder for Year 13 as they will not be able to get into their summer exams on time without one.

Exams

Please see our NBP16 Summer exams FAQ page which should answer any questions you may have.

Coming Up Soon...

Matilda

Wednesday 12 July - Friday 14 July 2023

Tickets for Cotham’s Production of Matilda are now on sale via wisepay. We’d like everyone who wants to see Matilda to be able to. To help with this, we are pricing the school show slightly differently this year by introducing a flexible Pay What You Choose pricing for the event.

How does it work?

On Pay What You Choose events, when you checkout, you’ll be given a choice of 3 different prices:

£5 - Open Concession – If this is what you can afford; book this rate and let us welcome you with open arms.

£8 - Standard – If you can afford to, please book this rate; the extra money you give will support the continued existence of the variety of extra-curricular performances put on at Cotham School.

£15 - Pay It Forward – If you’re feeling generous and you have the means, please consider choosing this rate. Each Pay It Forward ticket subsidises two concession tickets, and helps more people experience the delight of watching live theatre.

All you have to do is select the price bracket that best suits your budget and continue to checkout.

Aid Box Community's Summer Party - Sunday 11 June

Aid Box Community are so excited to announce that they will be having a Summer Party on Sunday 11 June between 2pm-5pm at The Trinity Centre (Trinity Rd, St Jude's, Bristol, BS2 0NW)

This is an opportunity for volunteers, staff, and all kinds of supporters to come together and celebrate each other. Food, music, and activities will be available (including Arabic Dancing, children's face painting, and a crafts session)!

If you will be having some food, all we ask is that you bring a plate of food to share (labelled with name & ingredients). We will have a BBQ; however, as we are expecting a good turn-up this is to ensure there is enough food for everyone.

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And don't forget from last time....

Year 11 Maths Equipment

A reminder that it is essential that Year 11 students bring the correct equipment to their Maths GCSE exams. As well as pen, pencil, and ruler they must make sure they have their own compass and protractor, and a scientific calculator. These can be purchased from most big supermarkets as well as stationery shops. The school does not have the capacity to provide these so students must ensure they bring their own and know how to use them. The next two Maths exam dates are Wednesday 7 June (calculator exam), and Wednesday 14 June (calculator exam). Thank you for your support with this.

Oracy Project - Bristol Education Partnership

On Tuesday 27 June, Cotham will be hosting an event on behalf of Bristol Educational Partnership and their collaborative project, Oracy Pioneers. The project has involved Year 9 students from all the participating schools attending oracy workshops run by Unique Voice, and then designing and delivering their own oracy workshops to younger students. The aim of the project is to raise the profile of oracy in schools, and provide our students with more opportunities to develop their oracy skills. On the day we will be taking feedback and ideas from all the brilliant Year 9 students who participated, so that they can have their say in how we move forward with teaching high quality oracy skills across all our schools.

Digital Literacy Corner

Latest Parent Online Safety Cheat Sheet

How to set up

Parental Controls for Apps

How to Restrict Built-in Apps/Features

How to Restrict Game Centre

How to Restrict iTunes & App Store Purchases

Parents - App Controls.pdf

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.

Learn more about GCSEPod Here

Pods watched this academic year

6,405

Number of Pods watched so far in Term 4

824

Most watched subject this week

Geography

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.

Learn more about Seneca Learning Here