Head of School Letter 9th September 202410/09/2024

Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome back to The Cottesloe School for the start of the 2024-2025 academic year! I hope you and your family had a wonderful summer filled with relaxation and quality time. As we embark on this new school year together, I want to reaffirm our commitment to creating a nurturing environment where every child feels valued, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential. Whether you're new to our school community or returning for another year, thank you for entrusting us with your child's education. Your continued support is invaluable as we work together to create a vibrant and enriching learning experience for all.

I want to re-share our mission of Prepare, Aspire, Succeed. It is borne out of a simple philosophy of what we believe is the purpose of education. Prepare, Aspire, Succeed is what we do – it is what defines us as a school. It encapsulates all that is unique and strong about The Cottesloe School.

• Prepare: Build your foundation, shape your future.
• Aspire: Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
• Succeed: Achieve excellence, celebrate success.

Mr. Fox, Deputy Head of School, and I delivered the welcome back assemblies to each year group last week. The theme was "Gates of Opportunity" where we  embarked on a global journey, exploring renowned gates around the world and their historical significance. Through this exploration, we discussed the importance of seizing every opportunity that comes our way. We delved into the concept of "gates" as metaphors for opportunities leading to new experiences, challenges, and personal growth. Students were encouraged to reflect on how they could proactively prepare themselves for these "gates" by developing their skills, knowledge, and a positive mindset, aspire to reach for their goals, no matter how ambitious they might seem, and succeed personally and academically, to ultimately achieve those goals through their future careers.

It has been wonderful to welcome our new Year 7 students to the school family, our new year 12 cohort, including students joining us in sixth form from other local schools, and not forgetting students joining us for the first time in other year groups. We are delighted that they, and you as families, have all chosen to join our community. The Year 7s looked incredibly smart in their new uniforms, ready to take on every opportunity that secondary school will offer. As they transition from primary school, we are committed to providing them with a supportive and nurturing environment that fosters their academic growth and personal development.

We were thrilled to invite students into school in August to collect their exam results at both KS4 and KS5. I’d like to take this opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our students in the summer’s GCSE and A Level examinations. Their hard work and dedication have resulted in excellent results that reflect the quality of education we provide at The Cottesloe School.

Wing Family Fest It’s not long until the rescheduled family fest will take place on Saturday 21st September from 12pm to 4pm. A letter with more details has been shared - below is a summary, with details of how to book onto the Colour Run:  

• Colour Run: Open to all ages, we have a foam machine as well as obstacles!  Tickets are selling fast so don’t miss out! Booking: Friends of Cottesloe PTA
• Food and Drink stalls
• Local Seller Stalls
• Music & Entertainment - DJ Garry Mac is attending, as well as our own Performing Arts students, and Teddy’s Punch and Judy Show 
• Inflatables (weather permitting)
• Fairground Attractions
• Raffles and More!

New Staff We are delighted to welcome a number of new colleagues to the team this academic year:

• Rachel Small - Head of Year 9 and Maths 
• Susan Cooper - Maths
• Jessica Twyford - Maths
• Josh Dawson - English
• Amma Amofaah-Ofosu - English
• Leanne Wicks - English
• Caroline Allen - English
• Nicola Kinloch - PE
• Josh Loveday - PE
• Andy List - PE Technician
• Mel Schofield - Art

Trainee teachers We are also delighted to welcome trainee teachers to the team:

• Celestine Clark - PE
• Holly Noble - Performing Arts
• Kathleen Woolger - History
• Emma Makin - Design Technology and Food Technology

Building work update Our amazing Site Team has been incredibly busy this summer, working hard to make sure our school is ready for the new school year. They’ve completed a variety of maintenance tasks and worked with contractors on different projects. We’re really grateful for their dedication and commitment to creating a safe and comfortable learning environment for our students. The brand new Science lab has been handed over to the school by the contractors, Morgan Sindall and the first lessons took place on Friday. The new DT toilets are also completed and have been allocated to Year 11 to use. The toilets are floor-to-ceiling cubicles; the design has allowed an additional six cubicles to be added to the footprint of the old toilets. Work continues on the new Geography classrooms and the expanded sixth form centre. We hope to be using them by November. In the meantime, we have taken delivery of four temporary classrooms where students will be taught Geography. When everything is complete, we will share photos and videos of the work - it's going to be amazing! 

Pick up and Drop off  Over 70% of our students travel by school bus and public bus, and a large number of students walk to school. At the start of the academic year, with new families joining us, I would ask that everyone familiarise themselves with the pick up and drop off procedures. We are keen to maintain good relations with our neighbours in Church Street and the roads around school within the village. The entrance at the front of the school, off Church Street, is for students who walk to school only. Please do not drop children off by car in Church Street; it causes disruption to the traffic flow in the area and increases the risk to students who walk.

If you bring your children to school by car or collect by car in the afternoon, please follow the procedures outlined below.

Morning drop off

• Enter the coach park via the roundabout on the A418 Wing to Aylesbury road.
• Pull up on the nearside curb alongside the Sports Hub/bus shelter. 
• Students should exit vehicles on the nearside and not into the flow of traffic.
• Please do not loiter here as it prevents the smooth flow of traffic.
• On departure be mindful of other cars and buses that are arriving.
• Please do not speed into or out of the coach park.

Afternoon pick up

• Do not arrive early; cars will only be allowed on site after 3:10pm or after the last bus has departed.
• Do not park in the entrance to the school off the roundabout.
• Do not obstruct the roundabout.
• Follow the same procedures as morning drop-off regarding where to pick up 
• Please be aware of Sixth Form students; their cars will exit the site across the coach park from 3:10pm onwards, or when the last bus has departed.

These procedures are designed to ensure the safe arrival and departure of all members of our school community, taking into account local residents.

Refillable Water bottles To help your children stay hydrated and healthy throughout the day, we encourage them to bring a refillable water bottle to school. Drinking plenty of water is essential for their concentration, energy levels, and overall well-being. There are drinking water taps conveniently located around the school site, so they can easily refill their bottle before school, at break or lunch.  Bottled water is available for purchase from the canteen but we are keen to discourage single use bottles, as this can contribute to plastic waste. By choosing to use a refillable bottle, students are making a positive impact on the environment and saving money.

Year 6 into 7 Open Evening Please share with friends and family who have children in Year 6 that tickets for our Open Evening on Thursday 26th September are now available: Open Events 2024 | 25 

Camps International Our Camps International teams returned safely in August after an incredible 29-day adventure in Cambodia. Forty-seven students from The Cottesloe School, accompanied by Mr Curtis, Mr Clawson, Miss Gamage, Mrs Hankin and Mr Waite, had an experience that surpassed their expectations. Parents have shared that their children have returned with a newfound perspective on their own lives and privileges.

Extra-curricular clubs and Sport There are no fixtures to report on this week!  Clubs will begin the week commencing Monday 16th September and further information will be shared with you and students later this week. 

Year 11 Already Year 11 students have been busy with a number of them participating in a Silver D of E expedition to the South Downs over the weekend. Thanks to Mr Curtis and Mrs Hankin for supporting this.

 

Wishing you an excellent week, and thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.

Best wishes, 

Louise Baldwin

Head of School