Head of School Letter 7th October 202408/10/2024

No week is ever quiet at The Cottesloe School but this week was our busiest so far this academic year based on the number of visitors we welcomed to six different events across the week. We hosted three Open Events, following the cancellation of the Open Evening a couple of weeks ago. The events were a resounding success; it was wonderful to welcome over 300 Year 6 children and their families across two mornings and an afternoon. Year 13 Head Students, Ralph and Aoife, and new Year 7 students, Elfi and Jamie, did an exceptional job  speaking to a packed hall with confidence about their positive experiences as students attending the school. 

The Year 12 Sixth Form Transition Event, led by Mr. Youngs and Mrs. Smith, was also well-received. A number of parents commented on how lovely it was to be in school, attending an in-person event, as well as learning about how best to support their child throughout sixth form. 

Our Digital Online Safety evening on Thursday evening, just after the Open Afternoon finished, was led by Mrs. West, our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead, and PC Janine Daniel, a Safer Schools Officer from Thames Valley Police. Parents and Carers who attended spoke very positively about the valuable information and resources provided.

These events showcased the positive and welcoming atmosphere at The Cottesloe School. We're grateful for the support and engagement of our students, staff, and families. The intention this year is to continue to offer more face to face in-school  events and opportunities to strengthen the connection between home and school.

Helping your child navigate wellbeing challenges via Kooth

Kooth is the longest established digital mental health provider in the UK. It is a free, safe and anonymous online space where young people can find advice and counselling. To find out more, watch this short clip:  What is Kooth all about?  Kooth is offering a range of webinars for parents and carers across October. If there is something you and your family would find useful we’d encourage you to sign up. There’s an option to request the webinars  are emailed to you if you can’t attend at the time of broadcast.

1. Helping young people stay safe on their new smartphone - Year 7 specific - with over a third of parents and carers feeling uneasy about their child having their first smartphone, Kooth has put together a session to explore supporting a child's mental wellbeing whilst using the device plus information on UK law and social media usage and online safety tips: book here

2. Meeting the needs of neurodivergent and Special Education Needs & Disabilities (SEND) young people Children and young people waiting for an assessment or navigating a diagnosis may need additional emotional support. Kooth is offering a webinar that explores how the Kooth platform can meet the needs of neurodiverse and SEND young people: book here 

3. Emotionally Based School Avoidance KoothTalks webinar for Parents and Carers about Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) will include what EBSA is, perspectives from a young person, strategies to support young people experiencing EBSA and how Kooth and Qwell can help: book here 

Sport Fixtures and Results

Following the lack of fixtures because of bad weather, we’ve been playing catch-up this week with a number of games rescheduled. Here are the results: 

• Under 18s netball vs Aylesbury High School (5-15 loss)
• Under 18s netball vs St Michaels (5-15 loss)
• Under 18s football (boys) vs Walton High (4-2 win)  
• Under 16 girls football (county cup) vs Denbigh (7-2 loss) 
• Yr 11(A) netball vs Aylesbury High School (26-8 win)
• Yr 10 boys football (county cup) vs John Colet (6-2 win)
• Yr10 boys football (national cup) vs Wheatley Park (5-4 loss) 
• Yr 8 football (boys) vs Walton High (3-0 loss) 

The PE department would like to commend Bella playing in the Year 10 match on Thursday. Mr Loveday said she was excellent defensively and played brilliantly throughout the game. 

Assembly Theme

This week’s assemblies are being taken by Miss Gray, Head of PSHCE on the topic of mental health. It’s World Mental Health Day on Thursday 10th October. World Mental Health Day, also known as World Mental Health Awareness Day, is the global celebration of mental health support, services, resources, and education. The day was first observed in 1992 and has been celebrated annually and across the globe since. The theme for 2024 is about the importance of good mental health in the workplace.  

Years 12 and 13

Students studying Art A Level are off for a day of opportunity at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. 

New Sixth Form Wellbeing Ambassadors will be undertaking training in TEAM Hub on Friday, ready to begin supporting younger year groups very soon. 

Year 11

The first round of KS4 mock exams have begun today. We wish all Year 11 students the very best of luck in these first exams. In our assembly last week I reminded the year group that these mocks are a rehearsal and sometimes rehearsals don’t go the way we want them to but we learn from them and implement that learning the next time. If your child needs any support during the mock period, please get in touch with Mr Toon, Head of Year 11 or if it’s something of a more practical nature related to exams, Miss Hall, our Exams Officer can be contacted via Exams@cottesloe.bucks.sch.uk More information about exams can be found here: Examinations 

Year 10

The first group of Year 10 Silver D of E students will be setting out this coming weekend. Fingers crossed for good weather for them!

 

Wishing you a positive week, whatever you have planned, and thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.

Best wishes, 

Louise Baldwin

Head of School