Achievement    |    Diversity   |    Respect


27 March 2024

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 15 April 2024 is Week A

FacebookInstagramTwitterYouTube

Standing Items are located at the bottom of the mailing

Headteacher's Welcome

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we come to the end of another busy week, please find our last weekly mailing for this term.

As ever I hope you will find this both useful and interesting.  Although there is no recorded message  from me this week I look forward to sharing some highlights from our first week back  next term.

With very best wishes for a Happy Easter and Eid Mubarak.

Kindest regards,  

Ms Jo Butler, Headteacher

Positive Feedback of the Week 👍

Email sent to Heads PA


"I hope you are doing well. Following the Year 12 Parents Evening, I would like to express my gratitude to the following staff:  Mr Tanswell, Ms Radford-Hines and Ms Boys.


They are such amazing teachers and it was such a pleasure talking to them. They are true genuine gem.  


Thank you to the above teachers for their support they have shown to my son. 



Parent of Year 12 student 

Thank you

Announcements and Reminders

Year 7-11  End of Term Arrangements

Year 7-11 Start of Term 5 Arrangements

Post 16  End of Term Arrangements for Thursday 28 March 2024

Post 16 Start of Term 5 Arrangements

Monday 15 April 2024 - INSET Day at Cotham and there will be no Cotham based lessons running.  The Cotham School and Charmwood buildings will also be closed to students on this day.  Lessons are running as normal at RGS on this day and students with lessons taught at RGS should attend them as normal.

Access Free Books Over The Easter Holiday

Please scan the QR code or download the app to access our Cotham ePlatform digital library.  There are over 2000 FREE books for you to read.  It works like a normal library and you can borrow and return books online.  The eBooks also allow you to read books in up to 150 languages.  Please look at the info attached. 

weekly mailing EBOOKS ADVERTISEMENT - Della Payne.docx

Eid Celebration Theme Menu - Tuesday 16 April 2024

ABM Catering are pleased to offer an Eid Celebration theme day on Tuesday 16 April 2024 in addition to the normal menu. The menu for this day can be viewed here. 

Gentle Reminder - Lanyards

We would like to request that all parents and carers remind their children the importance of wearing  theirlanyards. Thank you for helping us in reinforcing "Safeguarding" for your children.

School of Sanctuary - Latino  Cooking Evening

The first night of Latino Cooking led by students from Colombia and Dominican Republic, took place on Friday 15 March 2024.  They chose to prepare a traditional Colombian dish: Bandeja paisa.  They prepared the ingredients, explained to their teachers Mariann and Lara what to do and how to help, and we finished the evening by sharing the delicious meal while laughing at funny stories!  Special mention to Santiago and Daniel, the chefs, as well as Renata and Andry, expert arepa makers! 

Oracy Pioneers Year 7 Workshops

This term Cotham’s Year 9 Oracy Pioneers - Elaf, Salma, Willow and Ivy - designed and delivered an Oracy workshop in collaboration with students from Clifton College.  It was brilliant to see them share what they have learned in such a positive and engaging way, as well as developing their own leadership skills.  The Year 7 participants were fantastic.  They  stepped outside of their comfort zone and rose to the challenge of speaking in front of an audience. No shortage of opinions in this year group!

Improve your Wellbeing

An interesting opportunity for people who love walking!

Love Squared is a Bristol-based charity that offers support to children, young people and families impacted by mental health.         

These are nature walks led by trained health practitioners and will take place at local nature trails around Bristol; Snuff Mills, Ashton Court, Chew Valley and more! This is an adults only group for parents and carers to benefit from time with those “who get it”.

These 1-2 hr walks include a pit stop at a local cafe for refreshments and free transportation from Eastville Park. 

The walks aim to improve wellbeing through:

Dates:

The walks will take place on Wednesdays and Fridays across April - October 2024. The next walks are scheduled for:

Please click here to sign up.

Year Group News

Year 7

Year 7 - Table Tennis Tournament

This week on Wednesday the Year 7 Table Tennis tournament will come to an end as two students prepare to take part in the final! 

The tournament has created wonderful memories for the students.  The winner will rewarded with a £10 Sports Direct Voucher! 

Thank you to all students who took part to create such a brilliant tournament. 

Year 7 - Subject Spotlight - History - Term 5

"We are studying the Crusades because they help us understand words like "Jihad" and "Crusade" that we often hear in the news and from politicians.  By learning about the Crusades, we can better understand the meanings behind these terms.

The Crusades are controversial because they left a lasting impact on the Middle East and influenced how Muslims view Europe.  Many Muslims see the Crusades as a symbol of European aggression.  Many Europeans overlook this bitterness when they think about the Crusades.

Most of the literature about the Crusades comes from a Christian perspective.  It's only recently that Arab historians have written about the Crusades and looked at the Muslim side of the story.  When we study the Crusades, we are careful not to stereotype both Crusaders and Muslims.

It's important for students to know that the idea of Crusaders being good and their opponents being evil is a stereotype created by the nations that went on the Crusades.  The Crusades weren't just about conflict between Christians and Muslims; there's more to it, and by studying this topic, we can gain a better understanding."

Mr Lloyd - Faculty Leader, Humanities

Student Shout Outs! - Year 7 

Miss Forbes - Food Technology : "Ayham is an incredible student in the food room!  I wanted to give him a shoutout today for always being willing to help and following instructions beautifully!"

Year 7 Oracy - Poetry By Heart

This term eight of our Year 7s have been preparing poetry recitations to submit to the Poetry By Heart competition.  They have all worked really hard on their confidence and recitation skills, and they should be incredibly proud of the results.  The videos of their performances will be sent off to the competition next week. Finalists will be invited to recite their poems on stage at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London.

Year 8

Easter Holiday Message

Wishing you all a joyful Easter filled with happiness and blessings!  As we celebrate the renewal of life and hope, let's also extend our warmest Eid greetings to those observing.  May this season be a time of unity, peace, and love for all. Happy Easter and Eid to each and every one of you! 🐣🌸✨

Mr Lawrence and Ms Bunka

Year 10

Well done Year 10 !

Year 10 have been incredible this term. They have shown that they are taking Year 10 seriously and are working hard with their studies. When we return after the Easter break we will be getting ready for the mock exams. I would like to wish all the students a good break and look forward to seeing them when we return. 

Year 10 Exams - Monday 29 April 2024 to Friday 10 May 2024

Please find attached a Year 10 Examination Timetable which will provide you with full details of which exams are taking place and when.  All exams will be taking place in classrooms during lesson time.  Please also find attached an Exam Preparation Booklet which provides details about each examination as well links to resources. 

Please click here to find the Year 10 exam timetable.

Please click here to find the Year 10 Exams Preparation Booklet.

Year 10 Drama Stars

Congratulations to our Year 10 Drama Stars this week.

Year 10 Shout Outs

A huge shout out to the Year 10 SELT team who have worked incredibly hard this term, putting on sponsored events, raising money for their Charity St Peters Hospice.  I have been so impressed by the commitment and dedication they have shown. 

Miss Bird gives a shout out to: Yahya, Louisha, Mike, Warren, Julia and Selena.

They all regularly offer to read parts in Macbeth.  Thanks for their contributions!

Mr Worster gives a shout out to: Shuaib, Ahmad, Isobel, Olea, Serenity, Ridwan, Ava and Grey who give up a day to attend a University conference on Climate Change.  They were all exceptional and represented Cotham really well.

Year 10 SELT Easter Raffle

The raffle took place on Tuesday at break time. With over 60 prizes to be won, the crowds gathered as they waited for their number to be called out.  Lots of excited winners took away their chocolate prizes.  Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket for the Year10 SELT Easter Raffle.  We raised over £100 for our charity St Peters Hospice.  A huge well done to Gen, Lila, Rosie, Vismaya, Zoya and Karina for all their hard work in organising and running the event.

Year 11

Year 11 April Break : Walking Talking Mocks

Please find attached here  the document which contains links to walking talking mocks for all subjects that will be examined in the summer.  These are videos that show you how to complete examination questions with a particular focus in exam technique.  Please use these as part of your revision over the April holiday.

Year 11 Period 6

Period 6 will continue as normal next term (Term 5) for students who had already been selected to attend this term.  Your child must continue to attend unless advised by their teacher that they no longer need to attend.  Teachers may also select more students to attend some sessions and these will be communicated to students directly via their teachers.  Therefore, we will no longer be monitoring attendance centrally and sending absence messages.  Teachers will be keeping their own registers and communicating with home.  It is compulsory for your child to attend if selected to do so.  Thank for your continued support with this.

Please note Period 6 will end for all Year 11 students on Thursday 9 May 2024.

North Bristol Post 16

Career Pilot Webinar for Year 12 / 13 Parents

Free "Careerpilot" webinar for Year 12/13 Parents and Carers:  What are the choices for students after 6th form/college?  Wednesday 24 April - 6.00pm to 7.00pm.  This webinar will take parents and carers through the choices available to students when they leave 6th Form or college, so that you can effectively support your young person in making a positive progression decision.  Please click here to register and attend.

Visit from MP

On Thursday, Thangam Debbonaire visited our Centre and delivered a talk to the whole of Year 12.  Students were very engaged especially during the question and answer session.  We were so impressed with their insightful and important questions and are proud of how politically aware so many of our young people are. 

Subject Announcements

Please select the faculty area you are interested in viewing.

English

Sparx Reading Homework 

We have launched Sparx Reader for KS3.  Students are set a weekly homework to gain 300 Sparx Reader Points (roughly 30 mins of careful reading).  The platform tailors reading to each student to build crucial academic reading skills.  A range of interesting texts are available for students to select.  Reading can be completed on devices with internet access.  All are expected to complete this homework in line with the school's homework policy and to support their progress in reading.

Science

Year 11 Science Revision Day 

On Thursday 18 April some Year 11 students will be taking part in science revision sessions during 1-2 hour slots over the day.  These will be run in the main hall to support students in the lead up to their science exams. 

STEAM

Work of the Week

The Year 7 art students have been painting their clay mandala hands after being fired in the kiln. Taking inspiration from the mandala designs they'd been practicing, they've used acrylic paints to add colour and detail.

Humanities

Last Wednesday 20 March 2024, eight Year 10s and Mr Cook went to a climate conference at the University Of Bristol.  They took part in lectures and workshops on earth sciences, critical thinking and CO2 measurements.  Staff at the University commented on our pupils' engagement and behaviour.  Well done Year 10s!

PE

Year 10 Spotlight on AQA GCSE PE

Mr Moody PE faculty leader:

The AQA GCSE Physical Education (PE) specification covers various aspects of PE, including theoretical knowledge and practical skills.  It typically includes topics such as anatomy and physiology, movement analysis, physical training, sports psychology, socio-cultural influences and health, fitness & well-being.  The specification also emphasises practical performance in different activities and the ability to analyse and evaluate performance. 

Saboor: "I chose GCSE PE because I have a passion for sports and physical activity.  I enjoy the practical aspect of the subject, as it allows me to stay active and healthy while learning about different sporting techniques and strategies.  I also appreciate the non practical side of PE, as it helps me understand the science behind exercise and how to improve my own performance.  Overall, GCSE PE is a fun and engaging subject that allows me to combine my love for sports with my academic studies."

Literacy

KS3

Word of the Week

Identify

'Eye-den-tuh-fy'

Meaning:

To recognise someone or something and say or prove what that person or thing is (verb).

Example:

Can you identify which of these animals is a herbivore?

Identify the writer's 3 main ideas.

He identified them from the CCTV.

Synonyms:

Pick out, recognise, spot.....

KS4

Word of the Week

Status quo

'Stay-tuhs-kwoh'

Meaning:

The current state of things, especially in relation to social or political issues (noun).

Example:

He's happy with the status quo and doesn't want things to change.

Let's change the status quo!

Synonyms:

State of affairs, status, normality....

Digital Literacy Corner

Topic: Online Challenges

Our children may not have developed the skills and ability to critically analyse all situations yet so it is important to talk to your child about hoaxes and challenges that may appear on the internet.  Some challenges are fun and provide no risk, however there will be challenges that are risky/dangerous.  Just recently, a child sadly died after participating in a challenge - more information here: Link

Your child may see others complete certain challenges online without being harmed and therefore may want to repeat them and not consider the potential risks to themselves.  Make sure they know that they should talk to you (or another trusted adult) about what they see online, particularly if they plan to try a challenge.

We would always advise that if your child has not heard about an online challenge, then do not draw attention to it as this may lead to them searching for it out of curiosity, so just talk about challenges in a general sense.  Furthermore, reassure your child that challenges that suggest that terrible things will happen if they do not complete the tasks are not real.  The following link will provide you with further information as well as content to help you talk to your child: Link

TikTok have also produced this resource to help you talk to your child about challenges and the potential risks: Link

Standing Items