18th November
Head of School Letter
Anti-Bullying Week
On Friday last week, school uniforms looked slightly different as we celebrated Odd Socks Day as part of national Anti-Bullying Week. Odd Socks Day was a fun and inclusive way to promote individuality and kindness, and to remind everyone that it's okay to be different. Recognising individuality aligns perfectly with the core message of Anti-Bullying Week: to create safer, kinder environments for all children. Throughout this coming week, Mrs Moore will be leading assemblies to discuss the importance of anti-bullying and provide students with valuable information about recognising and addressing bullying behaviour, and where and how they can seek support for themselves or a friend.
One way any member of our community can share concerns or worries about bullying or any wellbeing issue they may have regarding a student who attends our school, is via the "Share a Concern" button on the website. The button is accessible on the top right of every page of the website and links to an online form that goes directly to our Designated Safeguarding Team who will action a response. The direct link is here: Share a Concern
Science Events
In other events last week, we welcomed Professor Cecilia Brassett from Cambridge University to speak to our KS5 Biologists, Health and Social Care students and Applied Biologists, along with KS4 Separate Science students. As a Biology teacher, I found her talk very thought-provoking; she is the Teaching Professor of Human Anatomy and University Clinical Anatomist, and is responsible for organising the university anatomy teaching programme. Her talk generated excellent questions and discussion from the students.
Sixth Form Open Evening
Monday 25th November Mr Youngs, Mrs Smith, Mrs McMonagle and the rest of our Sixth Form team are really looking forward to welcoming prospective Year 12s to the open evening on Monday 25th November. We are hoping that the building work will be complete in order that the tours can include the new and expanded Sixth Form only, study spaces and classrooms. For further information please click here: The Cottesloe School - Open Evening
Disruption to the school site
Thursday 21st November Advance notice that on Thursday 21st November, there will be no access to the front of the school due to the removal of the Morgan Sindall site office temporary buildings via crane and low loaders. There will be no visitor parking available on site that day. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. If you have a scheduled meeting at the school, please proceed on foot to the main reception and follow any instructions provided by the construction team, especially during vehicle movements.
New website
Thank you for the positive feedback on the new website. If you do spot anything that doesn’t look quite right or a broken link, please use the website feedback form available on the website so we can make it even better. The Cottesloe School - Website Feedback/Error Form. Did you know there is a companion app to the website?
How the app works
Firstly, you will need to download the app from either the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store by clicking on the relevant buttons below or by loading up the app store on your phone and searching for ‘School News’.
Once you have located and downloaded the free app, launch the app and you will then be able to either click on the ‘Find my school’ button which uses the phones GPS to locate all the schools in the surrounding 20 miles, or you can type in the school's postcode and click on ‘Get my school’ button.
Your school's postcode is: LU7 0NY
You will then see a list of schools that use the app. Click on the school you wish to view news and events for.
You will then be able to click on the ‘News’ button to view all of the latest news items that have been added to the school(s) you have selected and also all of the upcoming calendar events by clicking on the ‘Events’ button.
Clicking on ‘My Schools’ will display a list of schools that you view news and events for. Clicking on one of the schools will display the school address, telephone number and email address, which you can click on to either phone or email the school directly from the app.
Opportunity Fund
A reminder about the creation of an Opportunities Fund set up to support all students. We have already received some very generous contributions to the fund from families; thank you! Any contribution big or small is very welcome. We recognise that some families are not in a position to contribute; no-one should feel that there is an obligation to do so. I have included the link to the full letter: https://www.cottesloe.bucks.sch.uk/news-and-events/news/opportunities-fund and an excerpt is below:
As we progress through the school year, we are reminded of the many opportunities and experiences that enrich our students' lives and contribute to their overall development. Whether it's extracurricular activities, school trips, participation in special programs or interventions, these experiences play a significant role in fostering a well-rounded education.
However, we recognise that not all students have equal access to these opportunities due to financial constraints. Some families within our school community face challenges that make it difficult to cover the costs associated with these experiences. As a school, we are committed to ensuring that every child has the chance to participate fully in all aspects of school life, regardless of their financial situation.
To support our vulnerable students and ensure they are not disadvantaged, we are reaching out to you, our valued parents and guardians, to request your assistance in creating a fund dedicated to helping these students.
This fund will support the cost of school activities, trips, other educational experiences, equipment and uniform for those who might otherwise be unable to afford them.
Your contribution, no matter the size, will make a significant difference to the lives of these students. By coming together as a community, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to benefit from the full range of educational experiences our school has to offer.
If you are able to help in any way, no matter how big or small, the link below will take you to the fundraising section on our website, providing further details of how you can support. It also has information regarding other ways you or your company could support the school. For example, Match Funding, Easy Fundraising or via the Friends of Cottesloe : https://cottesloe.ovw6.devwebsite.co.uk/our-school/fundraising
Sport Fixtures and Results
A bumper edition of sports results this week as we catch up on the previous two week’s worth of fixtures. Let's dive into the details:
Football Year 7: Our Year 7 team put up a strong fight against Bourne End Academy, but unfortunately, the match ended in a narrow 3-2 loss.
Year 9: Our Year 9 football team faced tough opposition in both the National and County Cups. Despite valiant efforts, they narrowly lost to Parmiter's School (6-0) and Denbigh (4-1).
Year 10: The Year 10 team had a fantastic start to their National Cup campaign, securing a dominant 8-0 victory over John Hampden.
Under-16 girls: A hard fought match resulted in a 9-2 loss to The Grange in the County Cup.
Sixth Form: The team faced stiff competition from Sir Henry Floyd (5-0 loss), and Dr Challoners (3-0 loss).
Netball Year 7: The Year 7 netball teams participated in a seeding tournament. Year 7A secured a place in the Premier League, while Year 7B will compete in League 1.
Year 8: The Year 8 netball team faced a competitive match against John Colet, ultimately losing 5-3.
Year 11: The Year 11(b) team had a challenging match against John Colet, losing 32-2. However, the Year 11(A) team bounced back with a strong 18-2 victory over Buckingham.
Sixth Form: The Sixth Form netball team faced a tough challenge against Next Phase Academy, losing 18-20.
Cross Country: Our Inter Boys Cross Country team competed in the regional competition. We await the final results for our runners.
Special Mentions Amelia (who is in Year 10, playing for the Year 11 team) was recognised for her outstanding performance in the netball match against John Colet, earning the player of the match award from the opposing team. Digby's impressive performance in the regional Cross Country competition resulted in a top 20 finish. An incredible result!
Mr Curtis and Mr Loveday praised the Sixth Form football team for putting up a strong fight against the undefeated Dr Challoners. Miss Keveren spoke highly of the under 16s girls’ football team for their great perseverance, resilience, and sportsmanship throughout the match.
Well done to all our sportspeople for their hard work and dedication; we’re looking forward to more exciting fixtures in the coming weeks. A big thank you also to our brilliant PE teachers who manage the teams and fixtures, driving our minibuses across the county on a weekly basis to support students’ participation in sport.
Join our team
We have a number of vacancies and if you know of anyone who would be interested in joining the Cottesloe team, please share the information on our website: Join Our Team
- Caretaker including Lettings
- Assistant Teacher/Learning Support Assistant
INSET Day
Friday 29th November A reminder that the school is closed to all students for an INSET day on Friday 29th November.
Year 13
Mock exams begin this week for Year 13 students. We wish them luck!
Year 12
Business and Economics students will be attending a talk by Martin Onderdonck on Thursday. Martin works for What More UK and will be discussing the law of comparative advantages in international trade, currency fluctuation hedging and how world commodity markets work.
Year 11
Parents evening is this Thursday. Please contact the school office if you have difficulties with booking appointments. Sixth Form taster days continue this week as Year 11 students experience life as a Sixth Former for a day by attending lessons and learning how to manage their independent study time. The Sixth Form team has carefully planned the days to ensure students can attend lessons relevant to their post-16 aspirations. The Sixth Form Open Evening is on Monday 25th November.
I hope you have a wonderful week. Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.
Best wishes,
Louise Baldwin
Head of School