It was wonderful to see so many of you at Tuesday’s Information Evening. We appreciate that there was a lot to cover, but we hope it was helpful to you in understanding how school and home can work together to support the fantastic cohort of Year 7 students. Please see HERE for a link to the presentation, as well as the IT guide that we hope will troubleshoot many difficulties with accessing school systems from home.

During the presentation, one of the key points we spoke about was the use of mobile phones and social media. Schools and families are exploring many possible solutions as technology plays an increasingly significant role in our lives, while our awareness of the dangers of social media is also growing. As a first step, please can we ask that you talk to your child about the need to have oversight of their phone, the apps they are signed up to, and the ways in which they are using them. Can we also ask that no child is in a WhatsApp group running to hundreds of people. A group for their form group is the largest that we would advise.

Finally, many students are aware of the Hive, a space that we are lucky to have at Rosebery. You can click HERE to find information about the services they provide to students, which include wellbeing services, first aid and free, accessible period products for all. There are also links to the parent site, which is full of helpful resources for you.

Our first full week back is complete! Well done to Year 8 who have now established clear routines and expectations with their teachers and with themselves, focusing specifically on punctuality, uniform and positive learning qualities. With the launch of your parent and carer ePraise accounts, please ensure you continue to monitor their progress in school and we thank you for celebrating their achievements with them while also having conversations with your daughters if they are receiving any demerits.

During Monday’s assembly, the students heard all about our vision, values and journey for this academic year, which was surrounded by our motto - ‘Progress, not perfection’. As a collective year group our vision is for every student to become the best version of themselves - academically, personally and socially. This means striving to improve each day, taking pride in their achievements and showing determination when faced with challenges. To strengthen this, I have introduced ‘Weekly Wins’ for our year group. Every week, each form will set a collective, achievable goal - such as ‘achieving no demerits in a week’ or ‘wearing our uniform with pride’. They will motivate each other in achieving these goals for points on ePraise. Overtime, this will increase their sense of community and belonging towards each other and create an uplifting, social and empathetic environment.

It was also lovely to see our Year 8 ethos being embedded in full force in form time this week. 8MY was discussing the importance of organisational skills, whereby Miss Dawson spoke about attending homework club. 8PX and Mr Sharp shared ideas on how you can prepare yourself for school, such as packing your bag the night before.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our Information Evening on Tuesday 16 September, where I’ll be sharing more about our ethos, important milestones and how you can support your daughter with her learning. 

🏆 WEEKLY WINS 🏆

8CX: Helping our newest member of 8CX settle into life at Rosebery.

8CY: Welcomed Mrs Watson with open arms this week whilst also establishing clear routines and expectations along the way!

8MX: Bouncing back into routines brilliantly and collectively achieving 193 merits as a form group.

8MY: Having positive attitudes across the school, with multiple teachers emailing to express what great lessons they have had with our students who were focused and ready to learn. A great start to the year! 

8PX: A significant highlight this week has been how quickly and confidently 8PX has re-established their school routines.

8PY: A great start to the year with multiple teachers emailing to express how proud they were of the form. They mentioned how much they have matured over the summer and are now motivated to do well in Year 8!

8EX: Having a great start to their English Poetry unit, with some very enthusiastic annotations and thoughts with Mrs Foster!

8EY: Demonstrated a mature and welcoming approach to a new member of their form – Isla. A special shoutout goes to Pippa T, Sophie S, Olivia S and Emi T!

On Wednesday morning, Mr Hewett and I spoke to Year 9 about how proud we are of their excellent return to school. Students have been resilient in a variety of ways, including; continuing to start new lessons (including options subjects) with new teachers and peers, working hard on their homework assignments and getting into good routines with their organisation. We were particularly impressed with students’ efforts and engagement in English lessons this week, and the mature reflections that students were contributing to on the topic of feminism as speeches.

We also launched our Year 9 ethos - ‘Adventure is out there’ - and spoke to students about this being the year that we say "YES" to new opportunities and trying new skills, even when this might not feel easy. Miss Croft, Head of PE, launched the PE extra-curricular timetable, and students are now excited to log into ePraise to book onto clubs and extra-curricular activities for the week.

On Monday, it was lovely to drop into different tutor groups during form time and see Year 9s' reflecting on their learning habits of Year 8 and making positive and achievable goals for themselves for this academic year. We are excited to see these students be proud of the goals they achieve as the year progresses. On Tuesday, Year 9 got competitive with different team-building activities to get them thinking about working together. This will be an important skill as they embark on their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh journey, which will be launched in November.

We are also excited to announce a Year 9 Theatre Trip to see Wicked live at the Appollo Theatre in London on Thursday 6 November. All the information has been emailed home to parents/carers and tickets can be purchased on ParentPay. There are limited tickets available which will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have any questions, please contact Miss Godwin via the enquiry form on the Rosebery website.

And finally, commencing on Wednesday 17 September, Year 9s are invited to Study Club with Mr Hewett and Miss Godwin. This will be a quiet and productive space to complete homework, revision or catch up on any missed lessons. Running from 3.15pm to 4.15pm in M14, there will be Chromebooks, hot chocolate and biscuits available. Don't forget to bring your loyalty card and collect stamps to upgrade your hot drink.

⭐ STARS OF THE WEEK ⭐

9CX: Bea P - for being the birthday girl and for smashing her first week back, earning a certificate accolade and a donut!

9CY: Sophia M - for having an amazing start to her time at Rosebery and for getting involved in all of her lessons - including clubs.

9MX: Margot L - for having such a brilliant start to the year and for leading the way with the most points in the whole school!

9MY: Izzy C - for her fantastic engagement in the extra-curricular offers at Rosebery this week!

9PX: Daisy W and Maya J-S - for showing such positivity in starting at a new school.

9PY: Zahirah S, Amber C and Olivia S - for having such a positive start to the new school year.

9EX: Poppy D - for creating excellent resources for our form tutor board.

9EY: Sophia L-R - for a great start to the school year and for showing a positive attitude.

What a phenomenal start Year 10 have made to the new academic year, and to life as fully-fledged GCSE students. I have been incredibly impressed (but not surprised) by the thoughtful and conscientious attitude shown by Year 10, and many teachers have highlighted to me both individuals and entire classes that have started the year off with aplomb.

In assembly this week, Mr Hewett and I spoke about how different this year may feel for Year 10, and acknowledged the realities that, at times, it might feel harder, more difficult, and even more stressful; but with that, it is important to keep sight of the fact that success is not instant and certainly isn’t linear. While there will be some days where things don’t go to plan, resilience and consistency are going to be two of the most powerful tools for all our students who are gearing up for their GCSEs.

To support Year 10 through this transition, we’ve planned a year that makes form time more purposeful, with Mr Hewett guiding our study skills and our work experience and careers form time sessions so that each day during form time, Year 10 are getting key knowledge throughout the year. More information about this will come during our Information Evening on 24 September.

This week also saw the launch of our sports clubs, with all activities starting as of next week. I’ve seen an incredible appetite for these already from Year 10, with a huge number of signups on ePraise. All clubs are now available on ePraise for Year 10 to sign up to, and I’m so excited to see all the things that they get involved in.

Finally, our first individual celebration of the year goes to Sophie-Anne B 10EX for being selected to perform in a pantomime over Christmas. To be one of only 30 students selected from over 200 who auditioned is truly a spectacular achievement and one that, again, comes as no surprise given your prowess and dedication to your passions. Well done, Sophie-Anne!

⭐ STARS OF THE WEEK ⭐

10CX: Hanna R - for a positive and energetic start to Year 10.

10CY: Amelia M - for a really positive start to Year 10, and for showing discipline and curiosity particularly in English and Spanish.

10MX: Bella P and Katie D - for kindly helping out before form time. Thank you!

10MY: Francesca B - for really engaging with the form time discussion about careers.

10PX: Rachel N - for her positivity, politeness and enthusiastic contributions to form time.

10PY: Katana R-E - for having such a fantastic start to Year 10 - well done!

10EX: Rose H-L and Sophia-Anne B - for being punctual and polite in form time, for presenting herself smartly in her uniform, and for contributing thoughtfully towards our activities and discussions.

10EY: Farrah Rose R - for her excellent work in Maths so far this year, keep it up!

Thank you for joining us last night at the Year 11 Information Evening. As we highlighted, Year 11 have had an amazing start to the year. They are so studious in their lessons, complete with packed pencil cases, punctuality as well as starting to become more independent. Our launch of ‘Don’t just fly, soar’ highlights our vision for the year, in that students will be guided by teachers and yourselves, but ultimately the real test is for them to be independent and fly. Of course, we want them to have fun along the way, spread joy and be proud of what they have achieved.

The launch of our enrichment activities will provide plenty of opportunities for our students to ‘soar’, have time away from learning (at times) and be themselves. It isn’t just about the learning here at Rosebery, it is about students being equipped for what life throws at them in the future and being able to tackle this head on.

Finally, thank you again for your ongoing support. It is going to be a busy year, so a gentle reminder to continue communicating with us, so we can all work together collectively. Have a lovely weekend.

We are delighted to welcome back our Sixth Form students as they begin what promises to be an exciting and important academic year. Whether your child is just beginning their journey in Year 12 or returning to complete their final year in Year 13, we are incredibly proud of the way all our students have settled into Sixth Form life with maturity, enthusiasm, and a clear sense of purpose.

Our Year 12 students have already made a strong start, quickly adapting to the expectations and independence of Sixth Form study. Likewise, our Year 13s have returned with focus and determination, ready to take on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. It is a pleasure to see the positive attitudes and commitment they are showing.

This message also marks the beginning of a regular channel of communication between the Sixth Form team and parents. We believe that strong partnerships with families are key to student success, and we’ll be using these updates to keep you informed of important notices, academic expectations and key events. We also look forward to celebrating the many successes - both big and small - that your children will undoubtedly achieve this year. If your child takes part in any activities outside of school which they may not have shared with us but is worthy of celebrating, please do let us know.

It was a pleasure to welcome lots of you to the information evening this week. Slides and information will be sent out in due course, but if you have any questions, your daughters tutor will be your first port of call.

Make sure to look out for information regarding our theatre trip on Thursday 9 October to see Moulin Rouge in London - 48 places will be available.

A message for our Year 12 Champions from Ms Newman:

"You have been fantastic this week, visiting your forms and being generally helpful in a range of ways, as tutors and form groups settle in. Next week, Miss Godsave and I will meet to make a more formal list of duties that we would like your help with. This is likely to be: helping out in form on a specific day/days; supporting your form to prepare for House events; planning a session to deliver this half term; helping out at Homework Club on a rota basis; and delivering a Peer Masterclass session. Thank you for all your help so far, and we look forward to using your valuable expertise."

And finally, congratulations to Genevieve B 12ELR who has the most house points in Year 12, and congratulations to Marta N 13OJM and Emma G 13MRC who have the most house points in Year 13.

The competition is ON!