Dear Parents/Carers,

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break and are ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities that 2025 will bring. At The Cottesloe School, we are committed to providing a supportive and enriching environment where every student can Prepare, Aspire, and Succeed. We look forward to working with you to support your child's academic and personal development throughout the term.

 

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Our Home-School Agreement - A Partnership for Success, Spring 2025 

The Cottesloe School values the vital role of each member of our community – staff, students, and parents. We believe that successful education thrives on strong, collaborative relationships built on mutual respect, shared ambition, and a collective desire to nurture the academic and personal growth of our students. 

Every action and decision we make is designed to support our students’ Cottesloe Journey and prepare them for their future successes. We aim to equip them with the skills, qualities, and habits necessary to thrive. We believe that a strong partnership between home and school is fundamental to a child's success. This agreement outlines mutual expectations and our shared commitment to creating a positive and productive learning environment that will enable our students to achieve their full potential and allow success to happen. 

What is the Home-School Agreement?

A strong partnership between home and school is essential for a student's academic and personal success. While specific rules and policies outline expectations, the heart of this relationship lies in collaboration and mutual respect, and ambition. The Cottesloe School is committed to fostering a positive and supportive learning environment. We believe that by working together, we can create a space where students can thrive. This agreement outlines our shared commitment to:

• Valuing Hard Work and Achievement: We will encourage students to strive for excellence in all their endeavours.
• Promoting Participation and Commitment: We will empower students to actively engage in their learning and take ownership of their education.
• Building Strong Relationships: We will maintain open and honest communication with parents and carers, addressing concerns promptly and celebrating successes together.

The greatest success comes from a partnership where everybody involved in the partnership contributes and where all learn. This agreement aims to strengthen our partnership and empower all students to succeed. 

SCHOOL Commitment

We will:

• Provide a safe, caring  and mutually respectful learning environment
• Provide a broad, balanced and high-quality education that caters for all
• Recognise success and reward hard work
• Be aware of individual needs and provide pastoral, wellbeing and SEND support wherever required
• Provide opportunities for all students to extend their learning outside the classroom and work with the local community  
• Give students feedback on their work, discuss progress with them and set targets for improvement
• Set realistic and relevant homework
• Maintain high standards in behaviour and dress, and promote mutual respect
• Communicate regularly with parents and provide opportunities to discuss academic progress, wellbeing and targets
• Work closely and supportively with parents and students when improvement is needed in behaviour

STUDENT Commitment

I will: 

• Arrive at school and my lessons every day that I can, on time and ready to learn
• Try my best to do my work and ask for help if I need it
• Take responsibility for my learning, via the 6Cs, LEARN and 3S expectations 
• Have consideration for the learning needs of other students
• Behave appropriately when representing the school and on the way to and from school, demonstrating Healthy Relationships at all times 
• Treat all members of the school community with care and respect 
• Complete and hand in my homework on time
• Raise any issues  about homework or other learning with my teachers
• Speak to an adult about issues I’m experiencing that may affect my learning 
• Speak to an adult about concerns I have about my or other students’ safety
• Wear the correct school uniform, according to the school uniform policy
• Adhere to the Behaviour Policy and other school rules
• Bring to school all the equipment I need each day
• Help to keep the school a safe and cooperative working environment and be willing to take an active role in keeping it clean and tidy
• Showing respect for the school equipment, environment and local community
• Follow the IT Acceptable Use policy and AI guidance
• Make the best of opportunities offered

PARENT/CARER Commitment (We ask you to agree to this in our admissions form)

I will:

• Work with my child and the teachers to enable my child to fulfil their potential
• Encourage my child to manage their books, technology and other equipment effectively
• Provide an area in the home where they can work in peace and quiet
• Take an interest in my child’s work and encourage them to maintain progress and achieve their targets in all subjects
• Commit to supporting the school in the delivery of the full curriculum to my child
• Attend consultation evenings and meetings
• Encourage my child to be aware of and respect others’ needs and ideas in school and support the teaching of the Healthy Relationships expectations
• Support the school’s high expectations for attendance by not taking my child out of school unnecessarily
• Alert the school as soon as I am aware of changes in circumstances which may affect my child’s progress
• Reinforce and support School Policies, such as our Behaviour Policy and Uniform Policy by encouraging accountability in my child and ensuring they attend sanctions as required
• Support the school in their commitment to providing trips by supporting behaviour expectations on trips, completing admin tasks promptly, attending trip meetings, dropping and collecting students promptly
• Encourage my child to use technology appropriately and responsibly
• Not discuss school matters outside official routes

A copy of the Home-School agreement can be found on the school website.

 

The Cottesloe School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and young people.  Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mrs C. Hankin, Assistant Headteacher for Safeguarding and Wellbeing. For more details please see our full Safeguarding Statement.

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Food Bank Donations 

A huge thank you to the students, families and friends that were able to contribute to the Food Bank donations coordinated by our Ethics and Philosophy department before the holidays. The donations were split between the Leighton Linslade Helpers and the food bank at All Saints’ Church in Wing. We received a lovely email from one of the volunteers at Leighton Linslade Helpers: Happy New Year to you and your colleagues. Thank you so much for arranging the collection of the very generous quantity of food items from your staff and pupils and kindly donating them to us just before Christmas.  Also, thanks to your year 12 pupils that helped to load the van. We are always very happy to receive such donations as it reduces the amount we need to buy each month to provide the food parcels that we distribute in Leighton Buzzard and surrounding villages.

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Year 9

This term sees Year 9 students reach an important milestone in making decisions about their options for GCSE subjects. We will be writing to Year 9 families shortly with more information about the process and key dates, including the KS4  Options Evening being held in the school hall on Tuesday 21st January at 6:30pm and the Year 9 Online Parents Evening on Thursday 6th February.  Further information about the process is on our website: KS4 Options. Updated information for 2025-2027 will be accessible in due course.

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Good luck to our GCSE Music students who are undertaking their performance exams today. 

Have a great week, and thank you as always for your support. 

Best wishes, 

Louise Baldwin

Head of School