Head of School Letter 8th July 202409/07/2024

Dear Parents/Carers,

What an incredible week we’ve had! So much has happened since last week’s Head of School letter. Thank you for your support across the range of events and activities that have taken place

Wing Family Fest We were so disappointed to have to make the call on Saturday morning to cancel Wing Family Fest. We were optimistic, despite the forecast, that it could have gone ahead, albeit a little bit damp and soggy. As torrential rain came down before 9am, it became clear that it wasn’t going to be possible for families to participate in the Colour Run safely. Thank you to all the staff and parents who helped to pack up the site in the pouring rain with smiles on their faces! An even bigger thank you must go to Mrs Gunn and Mrs Kay for all the energy and enthusiasm they have put into the organisation of the event over the past few months. No one was more disappointed than they were that we weren’t able to raise lots of money for The Cottesloe and Overstone schools.  It’s no consolation but ours wasn't the only local event to be postponed at the weekend because of the weather. The initial plans to reschedule are already underway and we’ll share them with everyone once the details have been confirmed. 

Year 6 Transition Days It was lovely to welcome just over 210 Year 6 students to the school on Tuesday and Wednesday last week. They are a great bunch of students and we’re really looking forward to them joining us as Year 7s in the Autumn. Thanks to all the staff across the school who supported the two days of lessons and activities either by delivering a subject lesson to the Year 6s, or covering colleagues’ lessons to allow them to be part of the transition process. We’re looking forward to seeing the Year 6s again in August for Summer Camp. 

Rampaging Chariots Mr Poote, Head of DT, writes.. On Saturday, the Cottesloe S.T.E.A.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Maths) team entered  the annual 'Rampaging Chariot' competition, hosted by Leonardo UK in Luton.  Peter Metcalfe who left The Cottesloe in 2021 works at Leonardo UK as an apprentice and encouraged the school to enter a team into the competition. The challenge? Design, build, and race a remote-controlled robot (aka Chariot) against other schools. The Cottesloe School team performed incredibly well!  We won the following categories: 

• 1st place: Sumo Wrestle
• 1st place: Tug of War
• 1st place (shared): Football
• 2nd place: Assault Course

Out of six awards up for grabs, we came home with four of them. The organisers said they were going to give us a fifth, but felt it would be too demoralising for the other schools! The students were always the first to shake hands with the opposition (even when they didn't win) and demonstrated great sportsmanship. The team, a mix of KS4 and KS5 students, were:

• Michal
• Cole 
• Becca 
• June 
• Salih
• Max 
• Dominic
• Nathan

Congratulations to everyone on such a brilliant result. A special thank you goes to Mr Perkins, Mr Clawson and Mr Poote (who interrupted a family camping trip to attend the competition) for supporting the team in the manufacturing processes prior to the day and on the day itself. 

World Challenge The World Challenge teams will be departing for Cambodia next weekend, for 29 days of adventures. 47 students from The Cottesloe School will be accompanied by Mr Curtis, Mr Waite, Mr Clawson, Miss Gamage and Mrs Hankin. We wish them all very safe but incredible travels. 

End of term reminder A reminder that school finishes at 1pm on Tuesday 23rd July, to allow staff time to celebrate the end of term, say goodbye to colleagues leaving us for pastures new, and wish well those colleagues who are retiring. Buses that come onto the school site to collect children will pick up at 1pm, and parents’ cars will be allowed on site once the buses have departed, around 1:05pm. 

Sport There are no fixtures to report on this week!  

Year 12 It’s the final parents evening of the academic year on Thursday for Year 12. 

Year 11 Prom night on Wednesday was magical! The students looked incredible in their suits and dresses. Some of the arrival transport was very impressive! The dancing was spectacular, not only by students but also by some of the staff who attended. We look forward to seeing year 11 next on Results Day in August. Wishing them all a wonderful summer! 

Year 10 This evening we look forward to welcoming families to the Year 10 into 11 information evening from 6pm, to support students to be well-prepared to hit the ground running in September and ensure success is achieved next summer. 123 families have let us know they're attending. If you're intending to come but haven't completed the Google Form yet, it’s not a problem, it’s just helpful to know how many seats we need.   https://forms.gle/jpxEFfQXGYKJgQ6v6

Work Experience starts this Wednesday and we wish all our Year 10 students the very best for their two weeks in the world of work. Should there be any issues or last minute queries, please contact Mr Matcham cmatcham@cottesloe.bucks.sch.uk or Mr Toon atoon@cottesloe.bucks.sch.uk 

Year 8 The WW1 Battlefields trip arrived back at school very late last night. We’re looking forward to hearing about their experiences this week. Thank you to Mr Powell, Mr Knightley, Ms Hibbert and Miss Lay for giving up their weekends to support students with this opportunity,  

Year 7 This week sees the start of the Wing History Walks. Led by our own History teachers, each Year 7 History class will go on a walk around the village to learn more about our local history as part of the requirements of the KS3 National Curriculum. Wing has a rich history dating back more than a thousand years. At various times it has been known as Witehunge or Weowungum, Wyenge and Guionga, and in the 19th century as Wenge. The village was first mentioned in the Charter of the Saxon Queen Aelfgifu in 966AD; students are in for an exciting couple of hours!

 

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

Best wishes, 

Louise Baldwin

Head of School