Achievement | Diversity | Respect

15 September 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 18 September 2023 is Week A

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

Headteacher's Welcome

Dear Parents and Carers

In this video, I introduce the weekly mailing that keeps parents and caregivers updated about school events and provides important information to support their child's studies. I express gratitude to parents who have shown appreciation for the staff's work and congratulate our students on their fantastic start to the year. I highlight updates from learning coordinators and share information about post-16 options, extracurricular activities and community events. I also mention a student's achievement in passing a saxophone exam and invite parents to attend our performing arts events. Finally, I discuss a sports fair and provide details on careers and activities in this week's mailing.

I wish you all a very restful weekend.

Kindest regards,

Ms Jo Butler, Headteacher

Introduction to School Mailing.mp4

Positive feedback of the week 👍

I want to thank you and your entire team for the tactful and kind attitude towards my child, she was happy to go to school and told me with interest about how the lessons were going and about the good attitude of teachers towards children. I think this is important in adolescence.

I hope this year her English will improve and she will make progress in her studies. We are safe and surrounded by caring and decent people. Thank you

From a Year 10 Parent

Thank you

We wanted to drop you a quick thank you to you and all the staff at Cotham for the amazing support you have given our children over the past 12 years.

My son is delighted that he’s done better in his A Level results than he expected, and is off to Cardiff Uni to study Politics and International Relations.

My other Son has just graduated with a First in Computer Science from Leeds Uni (please thank Terry Watts particularly for that one), and last year my other Son graduated with a First in Politics from Manchester Met…. all testament to the foundation work provided by your staff. It has been a challenging few years in Education, but we are very grateful for your role in helping our children become the adults we hoped they would be.

We hope you have managed a summer break! Good luck for the future.

Parent/Carer Thank You Message

Word of the Week

KS3

Collaborative

"Kuh-lab-uh-ruh-tiv"

KS4

Aspirational

"A-spuh-ray-shuh-nuhl"

New Announcements

Incase You Missed It

Please follow the link to the Welcome Letter of last week if you missed it.

Attendance

Is my child too ill for school? to aid in making judgements about mild illness or how to seek support with attendance challenges. The Chief Medical Officer and other health leaders have just written to schools on this and their letter can be shared with parents to reinforce the messages.

Nasal Flu Immunisations

Children in Reception to Year 11 are being offered flu vaccinations this winter to help protect them from flu and serious complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Vaccinating your child will also help protect you, your family and friends. The flu vaccine is administered using a nasal spray, this vaccine is free and painless, please follow the link to ensure you complete your consent form. If your child is unable to receive the nasal flu vaccine, community catch-up clinics will be available, please contact
sirona.sch-imms@nhs.net or 0300 1245515 for more information.

Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC)

You may have seen recent media coverage regarding Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and its use in educational settings. Please follow the link to read about RAAC and Cotham School.

Catering Changes: September 2023

From September 2023 our outsourced catering provision will be changing from Caterlink to ABM Catering. The school made the decision to switch to ABM Catering following a competitive tender process in which several companies expressed their interest to provide our catering provision. A panel of students and staff were involved in the process who all unanimously agreed to appoint ABM Catering. New menus are now available.

ABM Catering.pdf

Second Hand Uniform

If your child has outgrown their uniform, please consider donating it. Both the Main/Visitor and Student Receptionists are very happy to receive uniform items that are in good condition during the hours of 8am - 4pm, 3.30pm each Friday.

Offering a second-hand uniform service at our school helps parents and carers with the cost of uniforms, while at the same time raising money for the school and keeping perfectly usable items out of landfill. Pre-loved uniform items are available from £1.

Thank you in advance for your support.

School Uniform Suppliers

As a student at Cotham School you are expected to wear full school uniform, including your school lanyard. It is also important to wear the correct PE / Games and Dance kit. Our school uniform suppliers are Monkhouse and Harris Sports. Please visit their shops or websites to view the approved skirts, shorts and trousers.

The school rules will be enforced according to the Uniform Policy. Examples of suitable uniform can be found on the Cotham School website. May we remind you to always label your child’s uniform with their child’s name and Year/Tutor Group.

Young Reporters

Young Reporters are thrilled to announce that they are back for the sixteenth year and cannot wait to get started. Young Reporters welcome students in Years 10-13 to join in this exciting scheme. Sign up now and let us make this year the best one yet! Great news, registration has been extended until 31 October 2023! This means there is still plenty of time to sign up and join in on everything we have to offer. Follow the link to find out more.

Year 7

Year 7 students have made a really positive start to the year and have already impressed their teachers with their attitude to learning. Year 7 tutors look forward to meeting parents and carers on Wednesday 20 September at Year 7 Tutor Evening.

Mrs Veale - Learning Coordinator

Year 8

Welcome back to our new Year 8 students. I am really excited to be the Year Group's new Learning Coordinator and most students have come back from the summer with maturity and understanding that in Year 8 students gain some responsibility. Some students have already had the opportunity to be receptionists and this is something that all students will be allowed to do. The receptionists have said how well the students who have already been on reception have done, which is great to hear! I know that we will continue to have a great year and I look forward to seeing how they all progress.

Mrs Buckley - Learning Coordinator

Year 9

Welcome back to all Year 9 students. It has been a great first few weeks back and brilliant to hear about the students' holidays. As we move into Year 9, students will have to start thinking about their GCSE options. This year is the final opportunity for them to experience the range of classes on offer to them before they make their decisions.

Outside of class we will see the return of the very popular Year 9 5-A side football tournament. We have 72 players signed up so far and this should prove to be an exciting way to start the term!

Mr Farmer - Learning Coordinator

Year 10

It was my pleasure to welcome Year 10 back to Cotham last week, catching up with them about their summer break and seeing how much they had matured over the holiday. Year 10 is a big change for them and it has been good to see them settling back into routine and enjoying their GCSE subjects. We have lots of exciting activities planned for the coming months. We will be following the Rugby World Cup, each tutor group has two teams to support and we will have prizes along the way. We plan to continue with Bake offs, inter tutor quizzes and tutor football. I look forward to working with the students and supporting them on their journey through Year 10.

Mrs Arnold - Learning Coordinator

Year 11

It has been a pleasure to welcome Year 11 back in such a positive way. All students have made an excellent start to the year and I am really excited about how they are all applying themselves in school and understanding that they need to take responsibility for their learning and progression.

Mr Thomas - Learning Coordinator

Artwork of the week

This week, Year 9 have been looking at one point perspective, which is a drawing method that shows how things appear to get smaller as they get further away, going towards a single 'vanishing point' on the horizon line. They have started off their new books by drawing out their names so that they look three-dimensional.

WOTW Y9 3D Names.pdf

Sports Fair 2023-24 : Extra-curricular offer

The PE Faculty will be holding their first Sports Fair of the year this week. Students will have an opportunity to come down to the Sports Hall to find out what clubs are taking place over the next couple of terms.

The PE Faculty have also arranged for some specialist sports coaches to attend the Sports Fair. The coaches will be promoting their private sports clubs that take place outside of school. Cotham is really keen to encourage as many students as possible to attend an extracurricular club (or more than one if they want to). Please discuss this opportunity with your child!

Ally (11FA) passed Grade 8 Alto Saxophone

Ally_Alto Saxphone Grade 8.pdf

Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities Parenting Programme

SFSC is a popular 13-week evidence-based parenting programme for anyone raising children. Starting on Wednesday 20 September 2023, there is a creche available. Places are limited so to avoid disappointment book early.

SFSC welcome parents and carers from all backgrounds who would like to work on their parenting skills and build positive relationships with their children. They can help parents to recognise and respond to the challenges of being a parent and the risks and concerns facing our children. Whether they want to help their child do well at school, deal with bullying, avoid online grooming or getting in with the ‘wrong crowd’, or just feel more confident: SFSC can provide parents with strategies to help them feel equipped as a parent and help them to keep children safe.

The course will help parents to • Build positive family relationships • Manage anger and stress
• Implement effective discipline strategies • Gain confidence and communication skills • Understand child’s development • Recognise and value family and cultural traditions • Meet others and share ideas.

Follow the link for the Professionals Referral Form and this link for Parent Self-Referral. Parents can also use the QR code to refer in.

For further information or to discuss a referral please call 0117 955 6971 ext 161 or 07492 870 557.

SFSC flyer Sept 23 update (2).pdf

SFSC A4 Poster Sept 23.pdf

Community Healing

Community Connection is important and talking therapy is an opportunity to find connection, gain some clarity and feel supported. Please see various dates and times of therapy sessions for parents and young people.

IMG-20230911-WA0009.jpg

IMG-20230911-WA0008.jpg

IMG-20230911-WA0006.jpg

Bristol Parent Carer Forums

Please follow the link to find out more about Bristol Parent Carer Forums and to receive some helpful information and updates, including access to free courses or talks and other sources of support and information that is available for parent/carers in the school community. This is a great opportunity to stay up-to-date and get the support you need.

BPC School SEND Coffee Morning.jpg

On Line Parenting Classes

Online parenting courses are a great way to get advice and learn new skills in the comfort of your own home and at times to suit you. All of the courses are filled with helpful techniques and ideas that will help you become a confident and happy parent. Crucially, you can do courses whenever and wherever suits you and work through it at your own pace but you will need to complete the course in 60 days from enrolment. Please follow the link to find out more.

On-Line Safety Newsletter - September

Online Safety Newsletter Secondary September 2023_SECONDARY_PDF_Cotham.pdf

After School Club - ESC Kingsdown Sports Club

11-15 Years

Monday to Friday 3-4pm

£2 per session

Table Tennis

Badminton

Basketball

Gym

6ABA4AA0C81742068E18E5E7E15B8F48.jpg

Drama Kids Academy - Bristol

DK Youth Theatre, 1 hour weekly youth theatre classes are designed to build confidence in 12-18 year olds through drama techniques. Drama sessions take place on:

Wednesday - Elmlea Lower and Upper Primary 5.15 pm, 6.15pm - BS9

Thursday - Cotham High School - 6.15 pm, 7.30 pm - BS6

Friday - Downend Folk House - 4.00pm, 5.00pm, 6.00pm - BS16

Please see poster for further details.

COLOUR Youth Theatre Letter.docx

Post 16

Access to Bristol

Applications for Access to Bristol are now live. You can apply online here. Applications will close on Sunday 8 October at 23:45. The Access to Bristol scheme is for local students taking A-levels, BTECs, Access to HE courses or equivalents. Taking part shows a commitment to further study that will strengthen your application when you apply to University. On completion, you will be guaranteed a contextual offer/interview from Bristol, a top ten UK university (QS World University Rankings 2023).You will get an idea of what it is like to study at the University of Bristol, working with academics and current students who can offer advice and guidance about higher education and their subject area.

Subject Change

We will not be processing any subject changes until subject change week on Monday 25 September. Next week students will have an assembly which will outline the subject change process. This will also be shared with parents/carers.

Student Ambassadors

We are looking for a team of enthusiastic students who would like to volunteer their time to help out as Student Ambassadors at our upcoming P16 Open Evening on Thursday 12 October (6pm-8.30pm). Ambassadors will be greeting parents/students, showing them where things are and answering questions. This is a great opportunity to show off our amazing P16 centre and share real experiences. Being a Student Ambassador looks great on UCAS applications and CVs, there will also be free drinks and snacks provided! Please encourage students to email Ms Morris if they are interested in helping out.

Enrichment

This week during Core Program Ms Muszyska launched our enrichment offer to Y12 students. A full overview of what's on offer can be found here. Students have been emailed a personalised link which will enable them to sign up for activities this term.

Coming Up Soon...

Open Evening at Cotham School Wednesday 27 September 2023

Please see the attached banner print for Cotham School. We would very much appreciate it if you could share it around with your friends and family especially to those who have children in the current Year 4 and 5!

Don't forget that as well as our Open Evening we also have a significant amount of Open Mornings throughout the year too.

Landscape Banner Print.pdf

Bristol’s Brilliant Archaeology - Saturday 16 September 11am to 4pm at Blaise Museum

Throughout the day, there will be tours, demonstrations, displays and stalls from a whole host of local societies, re-enactors, field archaeologists and heritage organisations.

There will be plenty for mini archaeologists to do with mini excavations, Iron Age coin hammering, pot-making, face painting and more. Michael Loader, who is a fantastic storyteller will also be retelling Roman and Greek myths at 11.30 am, 12.30pm, 2.00pm and 3.00pm at Blaise Community Gardens and St Mary’s Church in the parish of Henbury will also be open for the occasion. This event is part of the national Heritage Open Days.

Aim High! Careers Fair

Welcome to the 'Aim High Careers Fair' presented by Babbasa! This dynamic event is dedicated to empowering diverse young minds in Bristol, fostering exploration, engagement, and excellence in their aspiring careers. Curated by Babbasa's dedicated Youth Ambassadors, this event is a unique experience tailored for the youth of our city.

Wednesday 27 September 2023 at 4pm - 8pm at -The Station, Silver Street, Bristol BS1 2AG.

Are you Interested in the future of Technology?

Tech-the-future September 2023 are thrilled to invite you to a multi-employer TechTheFuture virtual event on Wednesday 20 September 2023 from 5:00pm - 6:30pm. The world’s biggest technology organisations will talk about the future of their industry, (PwC, Capgemini, Experian, Bloomberg and The Royal Air Force) diving into topics such as AI, Data and Business Analytics, the Cloud and the future of Blockchain? How do you think these technologies will impact the world and business as a whole?

Technology is without a doubt one of the fastest growing and most lucrative sectors with new advancements and innovation constantly occurring. Each company involved offers a range of school-leaver internships/placements, graduate scheme opportunities, as well as many work experience opportunities! Following the event, you will receive a certificate of completion within 7 working days. This can be used on your CVs or LinkedIn profile and will undoubtedly enhance your applications for upcoming opportunities and help your CV to really stand out! The events are very popular so make sure you ask a parent to confirm you are permitted to sign up. You will be sent a zoom link prior to the event.

Duppy Hunter: A locals guide to St Pauls, Bristol

From Tuesday 3 October - Friday 29 October 2023, Trinity Community Arts are delivering Duppy Hunter: A locals guide to St Pauls, Bristol, a walking digital audio drama, taking place around Easton and St Pauls. Suitable for everyone aged 14+, devised in partnership with Tamasha Theatre and Coney, it's a digital listening drama, experienced via smartphone and developed from interviews with local residents. A fantasy/fiction story 'bubbling with magical realism', paying tribute to the African Caribbean communities who built up St Pauls.

This adventure is best experienced with a friend, a fully charged phone, at least 1GB of data and a pair of headphones. You will be outdoors – so be sure to check the weather before you start, as we all know what the British weather is like!

Cost & Timings

Suggested cost is £3 per person, but offers are available if this makes the experience prohibitive. Performances run 3.30pm & 5.50pm every day and last up to 90 minutes. More information and booking can be found here

DH_Flyer Front_v1.png

Creative Courses | Creative Youth Network

Sign up for the Creative Courses Autumn term are now open. This ten week long course is free and includes the opportunity to gain a Level 1 Bronze Arts Award qualification and to show the work created at an end of term showcase.

Song Writing for 11-16 year olds

on Wednesday 20 September - Wednesday 29 November,

every Wednesday, 5.00pm-7.00pm at the Kingswood Estate, BS15 8DB

Whether you are into rap, singing, spoken word, playing an instrument or just want to try a hand at writing, learn something new to make you feel inspired.

image002.png

Song Writing 2023.png

Digital Literacy Corner

Latest Parent Online Safety Cheat Sheet

What Parents and Carers Need to Know About:

Group Chats

Bullying

Sharing Group Content

Exclusion and Isolation

Unknown Members

Inappropriate Content

Notifications and Fomo

Parents - Group Chat.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

6,692

Number of Pods watched so far in Term 6

243

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