This Remembrance Sunday and on Armistice Day on Monday, the nation will come together to remember all those who have given their lives in conflict over the last century. In assemblies this week, I have explained to students that the focus of this year’s remembrance commemorations by the Royal British Legion is the 80th anniversary of D Day, one of the key turning points of the Second World War, an operation which was critical to the defeat of the Nazis. These commemorations are particularly moving as they will, in all likelihood, be the last anniversary at which we will be able to hear the testimony from surviving veterans, who are now almost all over 98 years old.

However, in addition to paying tribute to these remarkable and brave soldiers, I have also highlighted to our students the vital contribution of women to the success of D Day, and particularly women who were based at Bletchley Park, working in shifts to ensure that throughout the day and the night German messages encrypted by the Enigma machine could be intercepted and decoded,  so that German military strategy could be exposed.

These often-forgotten young women were brilliant mathematicians and problem solvers and led by the pioneering Alan Turing, their work ultimately shortened the war by a number of years, therefore saving literally thousands of lives. Despite the phenomenal contribution of these women, their contribution is often forgotten as they were unable to tell even those closest to them about what they were doing because they signed the Official Secrets Act which bound their silence for 30 years. Their parents died having no idea that their daughters gave so much and made such a difference.

So, on Monday when we pause in silence as a community just before 11am, we will remember those visible and less visible people who gave up so much so that we can enjoy the freedoms we do today. At a time when women’s rights, agency and status are at risk in some many parts of the world, we must take every opportunity to remind our young women of the great achievements of the women that came before them,  and to ensure they know that it is often the quietest, the most diligent and the least unsung of women who make the greatest difference to our community.

In addition to our marking of Armistice Day next week, our Year 13 students will continue their mock exams, which they have started so admirably this week, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming parents of Year 8 students on Wednesday and of Year 9 students on Friday for our Open Mornings, when you have an opportunity to explore our school.

Have a lovely weekend.

Anti-Bullying Week, Children In Need & Donations for Epsom Hospital – Casey Ward  

In addition to it being Armistice Day on Monday, next week is also Anti-Bulling Week and Children in Need. 

Anti-Bullying Week is being marked throughout the week, with activities taking place throughout the week, in assembly (led by the Senior Prefect Team) form time and culminating in the Wellbeing Café on Friday. Students are also asked to proudly wear odd socks to school on Friday, in addition to their school uniform, as part of Anti-Bullying Week.  

To support Children in Need, Year 7 students and the Year 7 team will be fundraising throughout the week, culminating in a CIN Movie Night in the Sixth Form Common Room on Friday.  

In addition, we have been approached by Epsom Hospital, whose Play Specialists on Casey Ward are in desperate need of new craft items and toys to be used by the children who are in hospital over the winter period. Therefore, on Friday morning, Miss Canessa and the Sixth Form Prefects will also be available to collect any of the following donations, if you are able to offer them: 

The Rolling Read continues on Monday 11 November for Years 7 and 8 during period 1 and will continue weekly as follows:

• Week 1, 11 November: P1 daily

• Week 2, 18 November: P2 daily

• Week 3, 25 November: P3 daily

• Week 4, 2 December: P4 daily

• Week 5, 9 December: P5 daily

Miss Hoban - English Teacher and Literacy Lead

Many thanks to all the parents and carers who attended our first quiz night. We had a great time and takings from the night were almost £1100! Thanks again to The Personal Agent for sponsoring this event. 

We’re very excited to be launching our 2024 Christmas tree sales this week! Please keep an eye out for further communications about this. 

Upcoming events:

• 28 November - refreshments at Year 13 Parents Evening (4.30pm to 6.30pm)

• 12 December - refreshments at Year 12 Parents Evening (4.30pm to 6.30pm)

• 16 December - refreshments for the Christmas Concert (6.15pm to 7.00pm)

• 18 December - refreshments for Senior Prize Giving Evening (6.30pm to 7.00pm)

Please email roseberypsa@hotmail.com if you can help!

Congratulations to the October winners for the 50/50 club

1st - Sarah Galvin (36)

2nd - Cheryl Edward (7)

3rd - Laura Abreu (93)

If you have any questions, please email us at roseberypsa@hotmail.co.uk  

Lisa Higgins - PSA Chair

Miss Lovett - Joint Head of Design Technology

Our Year 11 Geographers had a wonderful time in Italy exploring the sites, sounds and tastes of the beautiful Sorrento coast. We arrived early on Thursday morning and explored the vibrant city of Naples before heading underground to learn more about the network of caves which have been used both as aqueducts and bomb shelters during WW2. We sampled some pizza before travelling to Sorrento, which would be our base for the next five days. 

On our second day, we trekked through The Valley of Hell (a wonderful tour through the historic lava flows between Mount Vesuvius and Mount Somma) before climbing to the summit of Mount Vesuvius, where we marvelled at the crater of this iconic volcano. That evening, we made our own pizzas and then enjoyed a feast of delicious Italian cuisine.

Our third day saw us exploring the beautiful Amalfi Coast, stopping at the villages of Positano and Amalfi for plenty of photos, before taking our own boat along the coast to Salerno so that we could enjoy the coastline from a different perspective. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening meal at the end of the day while enjoying some live entertainment whilst overlooking the Bay of Naples.

Our penultimate day took us to the ancient city of Pompeii, where our tour guides walked us through the streets of this UNESCO site to see Roman houses, the forum, amphitheatre and shops destroyed by Vesuvius in 79 AD. We even got to see some of the current excavations which were unbelievable! To conclude our stay, we enjoyed a final few hours of souvenir shopping and tasted the local gelato before the long-awaited results of the scavenger hunt.

Our Geographers were superb throughout and made memories to last a lifetime! Thank you for being such wonderful Rosebery students!

Mrs Burge - Head of Geography

It was a delight to take 16 of our Sixth Form students out to New York and Washington over half term in our first (and not last) History and Politics curriculum trip. We managed to cram an awful lot in to the trip, including seeing the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Wall Street, Central Park, the Empire State Building and, in Washington, we were fortunate enough to have an expert guide to take us to the famous memorials, visit Congress (including getting into the House of Representatives) and to also visit 3 wonderful Smithsonian Museums. We also met a renowned Civil Rights author at a book reading and we even managed to attend Kamala Harris's final pre-election rally in central Washington. 

I would like to extend my thanks to teachers, support staff, parents and of course our wonderfully enthusiastic students for making this trip such a success. We are looking to repeat this trip in October 2026. So, to all our Year 10 and Year 11 would-be A Level students, come and have a chat with us if you want to know more or take a look at our X account for more information @Roseberyhistory.

Mrs Rathore - Maths Teacher

Congratulations to our performers from the Friday Live before the Half term break: Amaaya A 10PY, Molly M 10EY, Anna M 10CY, Poppy M 10EY, Zitta O 10CY & Mia P 10EY (one of our Year 10 bands) and also Chiara D 7MY. If your daughter would like to perform in a Friday Live, please email Mr Holloway at dholloway1@glfschools.org .

I am delighted to announce that the first rehearsal of Rosebery’s new String Ensemble took place yesterday, under the leadership of Miss Walshaw, our cello teacher. This is an exciting development for the department, and we look forward to hearing this new group perform soon. If your daughter plays violin, viola or cello, they are very welcome to attend. The rehearsals take place every Thursday lunchtime in D5.

Year 10 GCSE Concert - Thursday 21 November, 5.00pm, D3 & D4

All are welcome to come and hear our first concert of the year featuring our fantastic Year 10 GCSE Music students

Rosebery Christmas Carol Concert – Monday 16 December, 7.00pm, Main Hall

Featuring a variety of our musical ensembles and choirs, GCSE Music students, Christmas readings and congregational carols, with refreshments served by the PSA from 6.15pm. A letter with details about getting tickets will be sent out soon.

We are very fortunate at Rosebery to have a fabulous team of peripatetic music teachers. Please click HERE to find out more information if you are interested in getting lessons for your daughter. Each week I am featuring one of the team, this week it is Ms Geldard’s turn – she currently has lots of piano students but is keen to encourage more flautists:

Mr Holloway - Head of Music

In a closely contested Year 9 netball match, our team fought hard but ultimately lost 19-16. Despite strong defensive efforts from both our defenders and centre court players, we struggled to convert possession into goals. There were some great moments of teamwork and skill, with standout performances from Fearne L 9EX, Emma B 9EY and Abi L 9EY, who worked tirelessly to create opportunities for their fellow players. However, a few missed shots and turnovers at crucial moments allowed the opposition to pull ahead. While they were disappointed with the result, the team showed great determination and resilience, and we’ll be looking to build on the positives for the next game.

Cobham Free School voted Abi L as their Attacking Player of the Match and Erica F 9CX as their Defensive Player of the Match. The Coach's Player of the Match went to Bea T 9MY for her consistent defensive marking and interceptions within the game. Well done girls, what a brilliant match. 

Miss Elms - PE Teacher