Achievement | Diversity | Respect
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 March 2025 is Week B
Standing Items are located at the bottom of the mailing
Dear Parents and Carers,
Please find our weekly mailing which I hope you will find both useful and interesting!
With very best wishes for a relaxing weekend.
Kindest regards,
Ms Jo Butler, Headteacher
Email received
"I just want to start by saying how much we appreciate the weekly mailing you send out. It’s incredibly helpful in keeping us informed and connected with everything that's happening at school. The communication at Cotham is on another level compared to our previous school experiences, and we’re really grateful to you and the staff for that.
Following your recent email inviting us to share our children’s out-of-school achievements, I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you about Belle’s upcoming performance at the Bristol Hippodrome on Monday 24 March. She will be taking part in West End Alive, a showcase of fresh Broadway talent, supported by the cast from TBA Youth - the musical theatre group she attends on weekends. Last year’s event was hosted by comedian Jayde Adams, and this will be Belle’s second time performing in the show. We are incredibly proud of her!
Lastly, I'd like to express how much we enjoyed meeting all the teachers at our first Cotham parents’ evening. Every teacher we spoke to was so engaging, friendly, and supportive - we feel very lucky that Belle is in such a positive learning environment."
Best wishes,
Parent of Year 7 student
Another amazing feedback from Ms Tobias, the School Governor
"As part of world book week, and following on from three exciting author visits and writing workshops, Cotham’s English teacher and Leader of Reading Leah Bentham and Librarian Della Payne organised a wonderful assembly for Year 9 to celebrate the phenomenal power of written stories. Year 8 students, Sumaya, Amia, Amira and Cerys from Year 9, presented the assembly and were aided by Year 9's Nasser, Anas and Dirshe, in explaining to students how stories can evoke fear, sadness, fun and laughter. To add to the novelty a number of teachers were dressed in costumes to represent characters from their favourite novels. Characters from The Lord of the Rings were evident including Gandalf and some hobbits!
Leah Bentham, (disguised as the Lampost in Narnia from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe), demonstrated to the students that a story does not have to be long or complicated to have a big impact on us. She shared stories written in only six words which both surprised and intrigued students in spite of being so short. Finally, Leonard (Year 7), Dirshe and Cerys shared their own 6 word compositions.
The whole school is now invited to enter a special six word story competition - six words only, no more, no less!
Competition information here:
Many thanks
Thank you
We would like to remind parents and carers using the SIMS Parent app, that SMS text messages won't be received directly, but instead, you will receive notifications within the app itself, allowing you to view messages from the school, accessible through the "Messages" section of the app. It is important to note that you won't get text messages on your device outside of the app.
Email communications will be received directly to your email address, and can also be viewed in the app.
We advise parents and carers who have registered for SIMS Parent to review the notification settings on their device to ensure they are notified when a communication is received.
If you have any questions or require further information please email: parentapp@cotham.bristol.sch.uk.
A whopping 208 votes have been counted and the results of the WORLD BOOK WEEK COMPETITIONS are in!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO JOINED IN AND MADE WORLD BOOK WEEK ONE OF THE BEST EVER!!
FOR RESULTS SEE BELOW
WBD WINNERS 2025 WMAIL The month of March is Women's History Month. My eager Year 9 librarians have selected some inspiring and important books showcasing women's contribution to society over the years. There are lots of nonfiction books about how women have shaped our world and changed it for the better! They have also picked to display a few of their favourite female authors too. Come to the library and read some of their chosen books. We have many many more books on the shelves too.
We are very pleased to invite you to our Cotham Grand Iftar on Thursday 27 March at 5-7.30pm in the Sports Hall. All students of Cotham and their families are welcome. We will have a series of guest speakers from different faiths speaking about Charity. We will end the evening by breaking fast together and enjoying a meal. This event is completely free but you will need to book your place in order to attend. The booking form is linked here.
As Eid al-Fitr approaches, we are delighted to announce that our school will be celebrating this joyous occasion with a special menu for our students on Tuesday 1 April 2025. We believe it's a wonderful opportunity to introduce students to the rich cultural traditions of Eid and foster a sense of community and understanding.
CELBRATING_EID_A4_MENU.docx April 2025.pdfYoung Minds are a national charity that promote and support young people's mental health. They are currently asking young people to submit designs to feature on two special pieces in their 2025 Young Minds Hello Yellow kidswear collection – on a yellow sweatshirt and a yellow hoodie that will be sold in M&S stores and online.
More information can be found on this website here.
If you are reporting the absence of your child, you must notify attendance on a daily basis. Please fill out the Year 7-11 absence form which is on our website. Absence must be reported by 9.00am, otherwise it will result in an absence message still being sent home. If there is no response to the message, a follow up letter requesting reason for absence will be sent home.
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are pleased to announce that we will soon be hosting an online safety information sessions for parents, designed to address key concerns and provide practical strategies for managing your child's online activity. These sessions will cover topics such as:
Understanding the risks associated with social media, online gaming, and other digital platforms.
Identifying signs of cyberbullying and online exploitation.
Implementing effective parental controls and privacy settings.
Fostering open communication with your child about their online experiences.
Resources and support available for families.
To gauge interest and plan accordingly, we kindly request that you complete the following brief form if you would like to attend this valuable session. Your feedback will help us tailor the session to best meet the needs of our parent community.
We look forward to partnering with you in safeguarding our children's digital wellbeing.
The Year 8 Assessment period was very successful and students showed great maturity as they navigated their in-class assessments. Results will be made available in due course.
The Year 8 football team continued its winning ways by beating a strong team from Oasis Brightstowe. A huge well done to all involved.
The booking system is now open. Parents and Carers can book up to seven appointments with subject teachers for a 5-minute appointment.
Please see the letter for booking details.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Full Parents Evening Details Letter Y8.pdfWe hopped into the Easter spirit with our egg-starsomething more formal special awards!🥚
🥳 Lois, Randall, Hanan, Dirshe, Ayah, Renata, Oresti, Isabella, Fares, Arwa, Ula, Khalid, Zach, and Aakifah all cracked it and went home with delicious Easter eggs.
🎟 Congrats to Bushra, Zoe, Thomas, Bogdan, Joud, Abdulbasit, Olivia, Aidan, Aaliyah & Lorenzo for their wins in our Raffle.
🏆 My LC Award went to Zoe, Jude, & Sharaz! Their hard work and positivity has truly shone through.
Well done all! 🌸🐰
This week 12 Year 10 pupils took part in a Climate Change Conference at the University of Bristol. Students had the chance to engage in an exciting mix of workshops and information talks with the University of Bristol academics and Student Ambassadors, including a chance to ask questions about student life and take part in a campus tour. The students were engaged, behaved well and asked great questions. Well done Year 10!
Mr Cook
Mr Burfield gives a shout out to the following students:
Aaron
Oscar
Martha
Maida
Luka
Dylan
For consistently high levels of effort in Geography.
Ms Ashcroft gives a shoutout to the Drama Star of the week:
Ben for focus during rehearsals.
Year 11 Parents on the Prom committee have kindly provided prizes for our Grand Prom Raffle which will take place on Thursday 3 April.
Tickets will be 50p each or 3 for £1 - all money raised will go towards Year 11 Prom.
Students sold tickets in the HUB at break times from Monday 17 March and will be popping into tutor bases and round the faculty offices.
Prizes include:
2 x £20 John Lewis vouchers
2 x £20 H&M vouchers
2x £15 Odeon vouchers
1 x £25 papadeli voucher
1 x £10 Showcase voucher
£25 Gallimaufry Drinks voucher (adult only price)
£25 FED voucher
£20 Beerd voucher
1 bottle of Champagne (adult only prize)
1 bottle of Red wine (adult only prize)
Selection of chocolates including Easter eggs, Toblerone and Celebrations
Toiletry sets
With only a few months to go now until GCSE's it is important that students attend their Period 6 sessions. It is valuable learning for students in supporting their GCSE's. Period 6 is compulsory for the students who have been selected.
If your child is unable to attend please let Mrs Arnold know.
Period 6 will be cancelled on the following dates:
Thursday 20 March - Year 12 Parents Evening
Thursday 3 April - Year 8 Parents Evening
Year 12 mocks will take place between Friday 28 March to Friday 4 April. Lessons will be suspended with the exception of BTECs, art and photography. As there is a possibility that Eid is due to fall on Monday March 31 this year we have made the decision to move the Year 12 mock exams from that date to Friday 28 March instead. Exams that are on exam timetables for Monday 31 will take place at exactly the same time on Friday 28 March in the same rooms. No exams will be taking place on Monday 31 March.
Year 12 Parents' Evening took place on Thursday this week. If you were unable to make your appointments or had any follow up questions, please contact post16@cotham.bristol.sch.uk.
A huge thank you to Ms Morris and the student leadership team for organising events this week to celebrate neurodiversity week. We have had an author visit, a fidget toy making workshop, hobby swap and much more!
Well done to Cotham Chess Team who took part in the recent ECF Junior Team Chess Challenge tournament against schools from across the South West. We were able to enter three teams of highly enthusiastic players, all from year 7 and 8. In section 1, our A team came 7th out of 16 against some very challenging opponents. In section 2, our B team came in at an amazing 2nd place out of 18 teams whilst our C team was not far behind at 7th out of 18. A fantastic effort from all!
This term, Year 7 students explored printmaking, drawing inspiration from cultural and natural patterns. They designed and created unique prints, fostering creativity and cultural awareness.
We are very proud of their work!
WOW- Printmaking .pdfCongratulations to Bayan in Year 12, who represented Cotham in the South of England Regional Final of ARTiculate at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, last week.
WOW ART- BC.pdfPlease find attached the PE highlights from this week's activities. We've had a busy and energetic week of games and fixtures.
We hope you enjoy seeing what your children have been learning and accomplishing in PE.
We are excited to offer access to Digital Theatre Plus! This subscription provides students with world-class productions, study guides, and learning resources to enhance their understanding of Drama and English Literature. It’s a great way to bring the magic of theatre into their studies.
Access to Digital Theatre+ is included for all students. Please log in using your Cotham email address and password.
Ruby and Roland (7AB) who demonstrated excellent Shakespeare performances. Jem (8RBI) for performing with fantastic energy, and Cristiano (8LH) gave a remarkable portrayal of Gloucester. Merina (9SS) showed great confidence in her performance, and Souber (9MH) was always ready to volunteer and demonstrate to the class. Iyad (7KMA) exhibited enthusiasm and engagement in music lessons, and Shiloh (7NJ) who has been excellent at helping others in lessons and has already joined a number of clubs.
Next week, we’re coming together to celebrate our focused value of the term - diversity. We are also going to be recognizing outstanding students with some chocolate-y prizes as well as sharing exciting updates on upcoming House events! 🎉 Expect inspiring stories, well-deserved awards, and a sneak peek at thrilling competitions and activities ahead.
💙💚❤️🤍
Please see below for our exciting inter-house design competition!
We would like your help designing our new staff and student planner, your design must contain our school logo.
Winners will be given a planner with the winning design on in September!
1st Prize: £20 Amazon voucher
Runners Up: 2 x £10 vouchers
Entries to be submitted on google classroom or given to Miss Madge
Ms Butler will choose the winning design
Deadline: Friday 4 April (This competition is open to Year 7 and 8 only)
Well done to Gamma House for securing the highest attendance!!!
Mr King continues his great work with our students in chess, this time with our Year 7 and Year 8 students. This month, Cotham A finished an impressive 7/16, Cotham B 2/18( a stunning result) and Cotham C a highly respectable 7/18. Students continue to absolutely love their opportunity to play against other BEP schools in Chess and appreciate Mr King’s hard work!
Following on from our very successful event on Free Will as hosts of the BEP Philosophy Society, some of our Year 13 Philosophers attended Badminton school recently for a highly academic debate on Sexual Ethics. Marriage, adultery and consent were all discussed with relevance to scholars views as well as particular case studied. Well done to the Badminton students who presented so well and our own Cotham students for articulating themselves well, as always.
As part of our work within the Bristol Education Partnership (BEP), Bristol Grammar School are inviting parents/carers/staff to a Dyscalculia Awareness event. Please see the attached flyer to sign up. It is free to attend and some of our staff will be there for their own training too! There is also an opportunity to meet with other specialists in other areas of Neurodiversity before the event, mentioned at the bottom of the flyer. Please sign up if interested.
Dyscalculia Awareness Event Last week, our 4 student leadership trainees graduated from their programme. Serena (Year 11), Dawud (Year 10), Maysa (Year 10) + Deeqa (Year 10) have been committed to each training session over the last 6 months and presented on their social action project at Clifton College. They have planned a Get Moving Day, highlighting the importance of physical movement in many forms, to maintain good wellbeing, on Friday 4 April, with a range of activities including non school uniform. More info to follow!
'bih-DAZ-uhld'
Meaning:
to be so impressed or amazed by something (or someone) that you’re almost overwhelmed or confused. (verb)
To decorate with shiny or sparkly things. (verb)
Example:
Prince Charming was bedazzled by her beauty but Cinderella could care less!
Synonyms:
enchant, captivate, overwhelm, astound, confuse, bewilder
'Uh-SAS-uh-NEY-shuhn'
Meaning:
The murder of a prominent or important person, often for political reasons by sudden or secret attack
Example:
The use of the word ‘assassination’ is another example of Shakespeare’s use of euphemisms in Macbeth’s dialogue.
Macbeth’s assassination of King Duncan leads to his tyrannical rule of Scotland.
Synonyms:
murder, killing, execution
You must be over 13 years of age to use TikTok. TikTok is a social media platform for sharing and watching short video clips. Some of the videos may not be appropriate for your child to view and there is also the risk of strangers contacting your child. If your child is using TikTok then make sure appropriate security/privacy settings are applied.
It is important that when setting up an account, your child enters their real date of birth as accounts are tailored by age e.g., Direct Messaging is disabled for accounts aged 13-15. In addition, advertisements are tailored by age. By default, accounts for people under 16 are set to private and we would recommend keeping it as this. This means your child must approve follower requests. You can read more about the other settings available, such as switching off comments and restricted mode here:
This allows you to link your own account to your child’s account. You can then set controls such as restricted mode. You can find out more here:
https://support.tiktok.com/en/safety-hc/account-and-user-safety/family-pairing
Whilst against TikTok’s guidelines, explicit and inappropriate content can be found on this platform, for example nudity/sexual content and hate speech. Some of the songs available to lip sync to may contain inappropriate lyrics or adult themes. We often see viral challenges on social media, some of which can be dangerous. If your child is using TikTok, chat to them regularly about what they are viewing.
Talk to your child about who is following them online and ensure that they understand that people may not be who they say they are when online. It is important that children understand not to share personal information.
You can refresh your “For You” feed to update the content recommended:
https://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/account-privacy-settings/refresh-your-for-you-feed
Ensure your child knows how to use the safety features available to them, including how to report comments, direct messages and another user.
