As we approach the end of our final full week of the Autumn term, it’s hard to believe how quickly the time has flown – and how brilliantly Year 7 have settled into Rosebery life. It’s almost impossible to imagine a time when they weren’t part of our school community!

This week, Year 7 have continued to shine in every aspect of school life. They are working incredibly hard in lessons and managing homework alongside a wide range of extra-curricular activities. In addition, around 120 students performed in the Christmas Concert, which was a wonderful showcase of their hard work in Music lessons this term – and a testament to their incredible talent!

Their skills aren’t limited to music, as you’ll see from this week’s ‘Weekly Wins’. The House Netball competition was a particular highlight, and it was fantastic to see the whole form come together to cheer on their teams.

Looking ahead, we have our Celebration Assembly on Monday 15 December 2025! No spoilers, but we’re excited to recognise a record number of students for their achievements this half term. It’s always a joy to reflect on how brilliant these students are, and we hope to send them into their final week of term full of festive cheer.

🏆 WEEKLY WINS 🏆

7CX: Belles T came first in a charity 5k, Diya S took part in a Christmas dance show, Isla P came first in her singing competition, Darcey S received her 7-year Stagecoach award, Emma K came third overall in her gymnastics qualifier, and Anjini N took part in her dance show.

7EX: We worked as a team and won every single match for House Netball! Also, Tilly T, Issy B, Lyra N, Sadie F and Ana SR were chosen to be buddies to our visiting Taiwanese students,  Hedy L won the courage award for her judo, Lyra N won her rugby match at the weekend, Lily K did really well in her gymnastics competition, and Nirvayah A achieved her 8-year award at Stagecoach.

7EY: We came third in House Netball with brilliant communication and teamwork. Also, Mia H won all her hockey tournaments at the weekend, Rosie K completed 4k in running for the first time, Lucy T performed a dance in Ewell, and Livvy M and Rosie K were chosen as buddies for a Taiwanese student.

7MY: Well done to the netball team and supporters for getting second place in House Netball (two podium positions for us so far!) and to Scarlett S, who was chosen to be a buddy for a Taiwanese student.

7PX: Hazel will be performing in a pantomime, which is a fantastic opportunity to showcase her talent. Additionally, ten students from 7PX had a great time attending a netball game and represented the school brilliantly.

7PY: The whole class has thrown themselves into our Christmas music. It has been so lovely to hear them singing so well. Well done girls!

This week was filled with celebrations, a buzz energy and competitive spirit during House netball. Lessons were approached with focus, dedication and commitment as some subjects started their assessment windows – students demonstrated confidence and resilience throughout!

On Tuesday we launched our Distinctive Rosebery Curriculum, introducing students to our character curriculum. This encourages them to think about how they can be best version of themselves - whether that’s showing civic responsibility through giving back to our community or building courageous confidence by signing up for public speaking at our Rosebery events. I am eager to see all students grow, develop their personalities and be proud to stand out from the crowd!

This led perfectly into our Celebration Assembly on Wednesday. I’m always in high spirits delivering these, as our students are truly amazing and deserve every moment of recognition. Every win, big or small, marks important progress in our Year 8 journey. Over 15 students were awarded a Head of Year certificate for achieving more than 200 points—an incredible milestone! A huge congratulations to 8EY for earning the highest number of points in the year group; they’ll be celebrating with a movie afternoon in the new year! We also applauded our 100% attendance champions: Amelia D (8CY), Shathurja T (8PX) and Kayla M (8EY). And standing proudly on our points podium for the whole year group were Lia R (8MX), Trishika J (8PX) and Mahlia P (8EY).

As we enter our final week of term, please encourage your daughter to wear her uniform with pride and stay warm with a winter coat, tights or trousers. The week ahead will be full of festive spirit such as secret santa, thoughtful reflections and setting goals for 2026!

🏆 WEEKLY WINS 🏆

8CX: Arlia P and Chloe O sang beautifully at the Christmas Concert - well done for being so brave! 

8CY: The form group had mature and enthusiastic debates in Religious Studies with Mrs Carnegie - she was so impressed with the passion shining through. 

8EX:  Ishini A has organised and scheduled a fundraiser event for those in India that have been affected by the flooding all on her own! Well done - so courageous! 

8EY: Mr Hewett is proud of the form’s shading of eyes and ears in Art. They have been working super hard on them! 

8MX: Well done to Lia R for achieving the most points in the whole year group! 

8MY: The form consistently demonstrated intellectual curiosity in Spanish with Ms Vieira. The thoughtful discussions are a highlight of her week!

8PX: Maya G has been a remarkable role model to all her peers in the form. She is always supportive and kind towards others - something we value so highly in our form. 

8PY: Miss Millar Mills is shouting out the whole form group for their impressive reading during form time every Thursday! 

Thank you to all of the Year 9 students who performed in Thursday’s Christmas Concert! It was wonderful to see so many Year 9s involved in the Rosebery Singers, various bands, and the two Year 9 GCSE Music classes. Their musical talent and festive spirit shone through in every performance – a perfect way to end our penultimate week of term.

On Wednesday, Mrs Mariner introduced the ‘Distinctive Rosebery Education’ in assembly. This is our new Character Curriculum – designed to help students develop as confident, courageous, kind individuals who are proud of themselves. It focuses on what is Caught through our culture at Rosebery, what is Taught in lessons, and what is Sought through the opportunities students can say ‘YES’ to. While it’s easy to say yes to things we enjoy or feel confident in, from January Year 9 will be encouraged to say yes to challenges that help them close their skill gap.

Looking ahead to next week, we are excited to celebrate and shine a spotlight on some Year 9 students who have worked hard, contributed to their community, and lived by our Year 9 motto: ‘Adventure is Out There’. These students will receive festive prizes and accolades on ePraise – stay tuned!

Although next week is a shorter one and we are all ready for the Christmas break, please support your daughter in having a successful final few days by ensuring she is equipped for the day, on time, homework complete, and wearing her Rosebery uniform with pride. Let’s finish the term as strongly as we started it!

 
⭐ STARS OF THE WEEK ⭐

9CX: Brooke G - for being a lovely member of the form group and for always being willing to help out or be a friend to anyone that needs it.

9CY: Jude Y - for her lovely reading during form time and for always being a great friend.

9EX: Eva P - for her excellent reading during form time and for being kind toward others.

9EY: Iona H - for being a lovely member of the form - always positive and willing to help.

9MX: Holly W - for helping her team reach the Dance World Cup Finals in July.

9MY: Grace S - for being resilient and determined during the Year 9 football fixture this week.

9PX: Skiy M - for the effort she has shown in lessons and for her excellent attitude towards her learning.

9PY: Annabelle E - for excellent and positive attitude towards learning and for always being polite.

What a whirlwind last week for myself, and much of Year 10 who will be away on the ski trip next week.

As we approach the holiday, Year 10 have had much to celebrate. On Tuesday this week, we had our termly celebration assembly, and it is genuinely one of the best parts of my job to award students who are doing the right thing at every juncture. As ever, there were many students awarded for their resilience, effort, merit earning, wonderful attendance, and being all-around wonderful human beings. A special shout-out to NB and LG (both 10CX) who were awarded with my award and Mr Hewett’s award respectively. As ever, these awards are given to students who are going above and beyond at Rosebery and set huge standards for effort, integrity, and kindness towards others.

My crowning joy though, this week, was being able to invite 31 Year 10s to a film afternoon to reward them for their exploits. The 31 students chosen were nominated through a combination of myself, Mr Hewett, their form tutors, and even their class teachers. On Wednesday afternoon, it was lovely to congregate together, fuelled by a plethora of treats, and share a joyous afternoon focused on celebration. Though there are too many to name individually, I am proud of each and every individual that has been awarded in the past week!

On Thursday, Mrs Mariner spoke to Year 10 about the distinctive Rosebery curriculum, and how our character traits that we build throughout our lives can be ‘taught’ in lessons, ‘caught’ through our school culture, or sought through extracurricular and additional activities on offer.

I was also delighted to witness the Rosebery Christmas concert on Thursday evening. A few weeks ago, I noted how wonderful it was to hear the Year 10 musicians play for their families, and this was still the case; but I am forever blown away by the talent and the confidence of these students to play in such a public way and share their talents more broadly. It feels like a truly fitting way to cap off the term, and well done to all those involved!

Next week is a slightly shorter, final week of term. We are excited to be accompanying 40 of our Year 10 students to France for our annual ski trip! As ever, this will be a week full of wonderful experiences and joy, and I’m grateful that I get to join my year group for this. I leave the rest of Year 10 in the capable hands of Mr Hewett and Mr Styles, and I’m sure they will have a wonderful week to finish their term in earnest.

This week, all of Year 10 are the stars of the week. Though it may sound cliché, I’m very proud of them all and the way they have completed their first term of their GCSE studies.

Have a lovely break!

It was an absolute joy at the Christmas Concert at St Paul’s last night. Well done and thank you to everyone who took part and contributed, but well done to Year 11 students who delivered a reading, sang or played an instrument. It certainly made me feel very Christmassy and was a lovely way to end the week.

This morning, Mrs Mariner delivered our assembly and introduced the ‘Distinctive Rosebery Education’. This is our new Character Curriculum – how we help students develop as individuals who are confident, courageous, kind and proud of themselves, by what’s ‘Caught’ through our culture at Rosebery, what’s ‘Taught’ in lessons on their curriculum, and what is ‘Sought’ through everything on offer here, which gives students skills for life to leave Rosebery as well-rounded individuals. This segues nicely into our motto of ‘Don’t just fly... SOAR’, where we are encouraging students to have fun along the way and develop independence as we approach the end of their time in the pillar school with us. There will be lots of opportunities for students to broaden their record of achievement and have topics to talk about in interviews next term.

Finally, we will be delivering all the wonderful gifts that have been donated for Epsom Hospital’s Casey Ward next week. Thank you once again for all the generous donations. We hope it brings a smile to the children who will be spending the Christmas period in hospital.

Year 13

As our Year 13 students receive their mock exam feedback, we know this can be a challenging moment—both for them and for you. Some young people will be pleased with their results, while others may feel disappointed or worried. We want to reassure you that mock exams are, above all, a practice opportunity designed to highlight strengths and reveal any gaps that need attention before the final exams.

In the coming weeks, the most important step is not to dwell on what the mock results were, but to focus on what happens next. Encourage your child to:

• Reflect, not panic: Help them see feedback as information, not judgement.

• Identify specific areas for improvement: Small, targeted changes can have a big impact.

• Work smarter, not harder: This may involve refining revision strategies, using teacher guidance more effectively, breaking tasks into smaller goals, or creating a more structured study timetable.

• Stay positive and proactive: Progress often comes from adjusting approach, not increasing hours.

• Look after their health and wellbeing: Parents can support Year 13 students’ wellbeing by encouraging a healthy routine that includes good sleep, balanced meals, regular exercise, and breaks from study. Open, calm communication is key—listen to their worries and celebrate effort as well as achievement. Help them manage stress by breaking tasks into smaller steps and promoting effective, “smarter” study habits rather than long hours. Encourage balance, maintain perspective during exam periods, and seek additional support if you notice significant changes in their mood or behaviour.

Your support, encouragement, and calm reassurance will make a significant difference. Please remind students that these results do not define them, and that with the right adjustments now, they can move forward confidently toward the summer exams. If you have any concerns ahead of the parents’ evening in January, please do not hesitate to contact your daughter’s personal tutor or myself.

Year 12

Year 12 – January Assessments
Assessments will take place during lessons from Monday 6 January to Monday 13 January 2026. These assessments will cover all work completed so far. In vocational subjects, public exams may carry greater weighting. Some subjects may set a combined assessment for both teachers, while others may require separate tasks.

Please speak with your subject teacher to clarify expectations, and ensure you check in with your teachers so you are fully aware of all assessment requirements.

Charles Dickens said, “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.”
Even a small act of kindness can make a big difference.

1. Christmas Kindness Slips

Please complete a kindness slip for any Sixth Form student or member of staff. Once collected, these will be sorted and distributed. It only takes a moment to write, but it will mean a great deal to the person who receives it.

2. Christmas Donations

We are collecting donations for Epsom Pantry – Your Local Pantry. Suggested items include:

• Tinned soups, fruit, vegetables, beans and pulses

• Pasta, rice and pasta sauces

• Long-life milk, cereal, cooking oil

• Tea, coffee, biscuits

• Tinned meat or fish, long-life juice

• Toiletries (shampoo, soap, toothpaste)

• Period products

Donation boxes are located outside Mr Phillips’ office and the HOYs office upstairs.

Congratulations to Genevieve B in 12ELR and Marta N in 13OJM for being in the top spots for ePraise points this week.