With it being our first full week back at Rosebery, it has been lovely to see our Year 7 students fill the corridors with laughter, enthusiasm and joy. They have met the Summer Term with positivity and readiness for the excitement that is yet to come.

This week, we launched our 'Stemettes' programme during form time. Through engaging resources, inspirational stories and thought-provoking discussions, this programme aims to raise awareness of gender-imbalances in STEM fields and to encourage all students to see these subjects as exciting, accessible and full of future opportunities. Alongside this, Year 7 also discussed in PDC the important topic of diversity and inclusion, of which 7EY deserve a special shoutout for their mature discussions, as well as for challenging themselves in creating their own society which was inclusive of all – keep up the hard work!

As the weather becomes warmer in the summer term, please ensure your daughter has a refillable water bottle with them so they are keeping hydrated. I would be grateful if you could also encourage your daughter to wear their uniform with pride ensuring they have one set of small stud earrings, wearing their skirt on the knee and not wearing eyelashes.

Looking ahead, next week we are celebrating Rosebery Day, which marks our 100th Anniversary! Celebrations include a whole school picnic out on the quad at lunchtime (let’s keep our fingers crossed for the sunshine!) so please feel free to send in a picnic blanket and picnic food to encourage participation in this remarkable milestone.

⭐ STARS OF THE WEEK ⭐

7CX: Damaris M-K – for the dedication and leadership skills she demonstrated during House Cheer, including making valuable resources for the form group.

7CY: Sophia G - for wearing her uniform with pride and for being a positive role model to her peers.

7EX: Myah E – for demonstrating an improvement in her behaviour, becoming a remarkable Rosebery student!

7EY: Sylvie E - for making a remarkable start to the Summer Term and for always having a smile during form time.

7MX: Diola H – for representing herself with pride and joy. Diola always has a positive attitude which reflects so nicely on her peers.

7MY: Sophie C - for embedding our motto of 'Have Courage, Be Kind' in her personality at Rosebery by always being helpful and polite towards others.

7PX: Anneliese L - for consistently being a positive presence in the classroom, for always smiling and being polite and kind toward both her peers and her teachers.

7PY: Marie G - for her great start to the Summer Term and for being supportive of others in the form room. 

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all Year 8 families for your support throughout the Curriculum Refinement process. We appreciate the time and thought you have given to help your daughters make informed decisions about their next steps. We understand that these can be challenging choices and we are grateful for your commitment in meeting deadlines and engaging in the process so positively.

This week, we were delighted to welcome our Year 12 coaches into Wednesday's form time sessions. They worked closely with our Year 8 students on the topic of communication within friendships, focusing on how open and honest conversations can help reduce conflict and build stronger relationships. Navigating these discussions isn’t always easy (especially as a teenage girl!) so we’re incredibly grateful to our coaches for delivering thoughtful and engaging activities that helped students explore how to express their feelings in a healthy and constructive way. Both students and coaches gave fantastic feedback about the sessions, and we are so pleased to see our Year 8s reflecting positively on what they learned.

⭐ STARS OF THE WEEK ⭐

8CX: Naomi F - for always being so kind and caring to those around her.

8CY: Erica-Jean S - for her great improvement in attendance and punctuality so far this term.

8EX: Ella H - for being a supportive friend during a difficult start to the term.

8MY: Izzy C - for her fantastic efforts at the athletics trials this week!

8PX: Emily K - for always doing the right thing.

8PY: Annabelle E and Paulina M - for always smilling and for being polite and kind towards others.

Our first full week back (and the shorter week last week) have brought about the Curriculum Refinement meetings for Year 9. I have been very lucky to have conducted many of these myself and to see Year 9 so eloquently articulate not only their choices for next year and why they wish to continue certain subjects, but also hear their maturity and reflections on the year that they have had so far. I have had many of the Senior Leadership Team highlight to me that their meetings have been a highlight of their days, and they have been so impressed with the way in which Year 9 have conducted themselves. It truly is a delight to hear so many wonderful things about this year group.

Our meetings will finish on 7 May, with our final deadline for these options being on 9 May.

Next week, we look forward to Rosebery Day on Wednesday, as well as the culmination of our Curriculum Refinement process. I am also very excited to go and see the Year 9 Music classes in action in their respective concerts on Wednesday and Thursday, and I am eager to see the culmination of all of the hard work of these talented performers!

The sunshine has certainly cheered everyone up whilst we've been faced with many challenges since our return to this new term after the Easter break. As always, it has been a joy walking into lessons and seeing students working hard, asking challenging questions and writing everything down (as it might be needed for upcoming revision at home!). There is a strange feeling in the air as Year 11 lessons will soon come to an end and Year 10 realise they have become the top of the school. I am forever proud of them, their smart uniform, kindness, care and their compassion they show each other and, certainly, they are role models to the lower school.

Our assembly this was week was on the subject of Rosebery Day, which is next week, where the students learnt a bit more about the history behind Lord Rosebery and what is now Rosebery School. A huge well done to the Year 10 students who were part of the Junior Leadership Team and who delivered the assemblies.

We have focussed on the importance of updating Unifrog with our work experience placements. There is a guide on Google Classroom if students cannot remember how to do this.

Finally, we look forward to our 'Year 10: Ready for Mock Exams’ Immersion Day on Thursday 8 May, which will be a fantastic opportunity for students to understand which topics to specifically focus upon for English, Maths and Science and how to revise most meaningfully across all subject areas. Students will receive a bespoke timetable on the day and will benefit from a range of different sessions designed to help them feel more confident when preparing for their first formal mock exam season. A more detailed letter has been sent out to Year 10 families today.

🏅 BRAVE AWARD 🏅

Year 10 as a whole have shown much resilience over the last week or so both in and outside of lessons. They have made me so proud and kept each other smiling. Thank you for being you, Year 10, and never change!

Today marks the final day of formal timetabled lessons for Year 11 – what a milestone! It seems just yesterday that these students were getting their first taste of Rosebery life in the classroom (both virtual and in person, such was the era of COVID) and now here they are.

In assembly today, we celebrated all the hard work that has gone into this year, notably with the Headteacher’s Awards, which were given by Mr Lach to those students who have achieved 250 merits or more. In a truncated year, this is a phenomenal achievement and testament to their hard work across the board.

Nevertheless, while today marks a significant moment, we know that there is much still to be done, and therefore, we will hold off on the celebrations for just a short while longer until exams are done and we can all enjoy ourselves at Leavers Day and prom, both on Thursday 19 June.

Looking ahead to next week, students will have their English and Maths immersion days on Tuesday and Wednesday, from 8.30am to 2.30pm for which they will wear full school uniform. As mentioned in the email sent to parents this week, students are then on exam leave, for which they may wear their own (appropriate) clothing. Students this week also received details of how to sign in and out of the school site, which they will need to do if they come on site for revision, a teacher meeting, or the exams themselves.

Throughout the exam period, we will be on hand to help and support students however we can, and we look forward to seeing them recognised for all the hard work they have put in.