Weekly Mailing to Parents and CarersÂ
Friday 20 January 2023
Dear Parents and Carers Please find this week’s mailing with important information for parents/carers and students as well as updates on school events, activities and opportunities for your reference below. With very best wishes for the weekend. Kindest regards, Ms Jo Butler Headteacher |
Be Well for Winter in Education Settings |
Please find attached a letter with information provided to School by the UK Health Agency regarding Winter bugs.  Should I Keep My Child off School - Managing Cases of Infectious Diseases in School |
Good News |
Keep us postedIt would be great if parents/carers could let the school know of any student achievements outside of school. We would like to find out what students are doing in their own time. Email us: weeklymailing@cotham.bristol.sch.uk |
Important New Information |
Stomach Bugs - 48 Hour RuleDiarrhoea and/or vomiting commonly affects children and staff and can be caused by a number of different germs, including viruses, parasites and bacteria. Infections can be easily spread from person to person (by unwashed hands), especially in children. General guidance recommends that any child or staff member with diarrhoea and/or vomiting symptoms must stay away from the school until they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours and in addition feel well enough to return to school (this is known as the ‘48 hour rule’). Personal hygiene whilst unwell with these symptoms must be adhered to very strictly. If your child is sick at school, we will ask you or your emergency contact to take your child home. Your child should not return for 48 hours. We appreciate that this can cause inconvenience and you may not consider that your child remains infectious for this period of time, but it is highly likely that they are.  We have a responsibility to reduce the risk of infection for the whole school community.  As an example, if your child is sick at lunchtime on a Tuesday, they should not return to school until after lunch on Thursday, and they should only return if there have been no further episodes of vomiting and/or diarrhoea and they feel well enough to do so.  Thank you for your understanding and supporting us with this.  Further guidance on infection control may be found on the Public Health England Website. Parent and Carer Survey 2023We value the opinions and experiences of our parents and carers. Last summer (June 2022), we asked families about various aspects of our School. We were bowled over by the positivity of the responses, as input from parents and carers hugely helps us to shape and improve what we do. We are now carrying out a very brief follow-up survey, designed to gauge the impact and awareness of the changes we've made since the first survey and your contribution would be hugely appreciated. The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete and will close at 10pm on Monday 23 January. Please note that all responses are anonymous and go directly to our third-party consultants, The Stickman Consultancy, and not to the school. To complete the survey Year 7 Parents click here and Year 8-11 Parents click here.  Thank you for taking the time to respond. School Uniform - Pop Up ShopHARRIS Uniform Suppliers will be having a pop-up shop in the Visitor Reception, Cotham Lawn Road, on Thursday 23 February from 2.00pm – 3.15pm.  All uniform items available, except the Cotham Essentials PE Polo shirt. Card and Cash payments accepted. The Sleep CharityA free resource that can help parents and children to learn more about their sleep and develop better bedtime routines. Sleep is essential to brain function by helping children to sleep better and therefore helping them to succeed in school. Please follow the link to see new opening times and more information. The free helpline is run by trained sleep advisors, many of whom are specialists in working with SEND. We can talk to young people directly, or parents and can also talk to adults, including older people, about their sleep issues. The helpline is open 5 times a week, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday evenings 7-9pm, and Wednesday mornings 9-11am. The number is 03303 530 541.  Free Parenting Magazine - Family FirstFollow this link to the 2022/23 edition of Family First, a fun packed magazine filled with recipes, interviews and key advice for families. Word of the WeekÂEach week at Cotham School we promote a Word of the Week. This is to help students expand the range of vocabulary they use. |
Reminders |
Week commencing Monday 23 January 2023 is Week B Polite Reminder to Parents/CarersPlease do not come into School, unless you have a booked appointment with a member of staff. This is to protect yourselves and members of the school community in a continued effort to contain viruses such as Covid-19. Attendance at SchoolFollow the link for the information leaflet produced by Bristol City Council, it gives advice about term time absence and the consequences of unauthorised absence from school. Year 8 Family Consultation DayYear 8 Family Consultation Day will take place on Tuesday 28 February. The event will take place between 8:30am and 4:45pm and will be a live event.  Parents and carers will have the opportunity to meet your child’s tutor for a 15 minute appointment to discuss your child’s engagement and well-being, participation in the wider life of the school, and to set targets for the remainder of the year.  Please visit https://cothamschool.schoolcloud.co.uk to book your appointments. Bookings will close on Monday 20 February at 8:00am.School Governor VacanciesAre you interested in being more involved in the life and running of the school?  Why not consider becoming a school governor? We currently have two vacancies for Parent Governors and plan to hold elections this term. Please follow the link for more information and, if you are interested, please complete and return the nomination form by Thursday 26 January.  If you have any queries, contact Leanne Sowersby - sowersbyl@cotham.bristol.sch.uk World Hijab DayOn Wednesday 1 February all students at Cotham will be celebrating World Hijab Day. A series of assemblies will run in the week before. On Wednesday 1 February we would like to invite students to wear hijab of any colour / decoration. All other school uniform rules will apply, but on this day we want to bring the hijab into the spotlight and encourage all of our students who wish to take part, to wear their favourite hijab with pride.ÂFree School MealsTo apply or check if your child is eligible for Free School Meals please click on this link If you have any questions or need assistance please contact Mrs Hopkins at Student Reception.Contagious InfectionsPlease can all parents notify school if they have chickenpox, shingles or measles in the household. We have students and staff with compromised immunity and have been advised to notify them if these infections are present in the school community. Monkhouse Schoolwear - Click and CollectMonkhouse Schoolwear are having to suspend their Click and Collect service for approximately three weeks and have made sure to action this during their quietest time to minimise any disruption to parents. Monkhouse recognise that parents value the ease and convenience of their newly upgraded website, and that their Click and Collect service has provided a cost-effective delivery option for them. However, during this suspension of the Click and Collect option, Monkhouse advise that parents visit them in-store if delivery cost is a concern. Pre-loved School Uniform Donations and SalesA very big thank you to the Parent/Carers that have donated items of pre-loved uniform, your donations are most welcome. If you wish to donate uniform both the Main/Visitor and Student Receptionists are very happy to receive your donations.  If you wish to purchase a pre-loved uniform please call our Main/ Visitor Reception in advance to say you wish to come in and to see what we have in stock.  Items are £1 each - cash only please. School trousers and skirts are available and there is no charge for these items. Lost Property (Uniform)May we remind you to always label your child’s uniform with their name and Year Group as we are usually able to return any lost items if they are named. Uniform ExpectationsAs a student at Cotham School you are expected to wear full school uniform, including your school lanyard. It is also important to wear the correct PE / Games and Dance kit. Our school uniform suppliers are Monkhouse and Harris Sports. Please visit their shops or websites to view the approved skirts and trousers. The school rules will be enforced according to the Uniform Policy. Examples of suitable uniform can be found on the website. May we remind you to always label your child’s uniform with their child’s name and Year/Tutor Group. School ShoesPlease can we remind parents/ carers that only all black leather (or leather look) shoes are permitted under our uniform policy. Shoes must fasten with laces, velcro or a buckle. Fabric, colour, bubbles in the soles or rubber toes are not allowed. Please bear this in mind when purchasing footwear for your child for the new school year. Nose StudsNose studs, rings and other facial piercings are completely banned at Cotham. Thank you for your support in not sending your child into school with a nose stud, nose ring or other facial piercing in September. Should this occur students will be asked to remove them immediately.  We will expect that they comply and that parents and carers will support us with this expectation. Extra Curricular Clubs and ActivitiesThe latest list of clubs is located here. Clubs will be starting soon. Attached here is a PE extra curricular timetable for Term 3. Booking is not required, just come along. Library UpdateThe good library system is available to access from home at https://uk.accessit.online/cth05/. Please log in to the site, using your school email and password. You can then gain the full advantage of the online library resources, such as OneSearch. The library is open at break and lunch time, from Wednesday to Friday and afterschool from Monday to Thursday until 3:30pm. This is to allow students to exchange books, complete their homework, and to read quietly.  Please check the opening times on the library entrance as they vary daily.  We need our books back please Please have a really good look at home for all outstanding library books and textbooks. Students will receive weekly automated emails to their school email account. Please return books directly to the library or to the returns box outside the library. To check which titles are on your account, please login to AccessIt. Post-16 Textbooks Post 16 students must arrange their own textbook loans in person at the Charnwood Library. Year 12 will need to pay their £30 deposit on Wisepay or have a confirmed Bursary application before they are able to borrow. Please email our Post-16 Coordinator at iqbals@cotham.bristol.sch.uk  if you have any questions about the deposit scheme. Reading suggestions
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Catering |
Autumn/Winter Lunch Menu - Term 3Please follow this link for the Autumn/Winter Lunch Menu for Term 3. |
Student Wellbeing and Safeguarding |
Creative Youth Network - NEWFREE creative courses for young people.  These take place every academic term in youth clubs across the city, Bedminster, Southmead, Central and Kingswood. The next term is in Spring, between Wednesday 18 January - Wednesday 29 March 2023. You can sign up to any of the courses here. ÂCreative Courses | Creative Youth NetworkFamily Lives - Support for Parents and CarersFamily Lives are a free service offering a confidential helpline, online chat, parenting videos and more to help support families. Helpline service - 0808 800 2222 Email - askus@familylives.org.uk Online chat - Live Chat service. You can also visit the online forum community to share dilemmas, experiences and issues with others who understand. SafeguardingOur safeguarding duties no longer stop at the school gates. The boundaries between in-school and out-of-school incidents are now blurred, as social media and technology give students 24/7 access to each other. Problems may be more pervasive now, but screenshots and chat logs have made them easier to evidence. Whisper is an anonymous reporting tool for any member of our school community (students, parents, staff), or members of the public to have a safe way to disclose any issues or concerns in confidence.The tool allows you to report your concerns without fearing consequences and allows the school to investigate the information that we receive. You can find out more about the tool here. The link to our Cotham School Whisper tool for reporting anonymously is here and can also be found on the school website under the 'Useful Links' section. Online Safety Newsletter - January 2023 EditionClick here to view this month’s online safety newsletter. |
Subject Area News |
Year 7 ChoirWe will be starting a Year 7 choir beginning on Monday 23 January in the recital room (E201). All Year 7s are welcome. The choir will be running from 8.20am to 8.50am.  Any questions, please ask the Performing Arts team.Steel Pans ConcertYear 7, 8, 9 and 10 Steel Pans groups are performing in their Steel Pan Concert on Wednesday 8 February at 6.30pm in the Main Hall. Doors opening at 6:15pm. Tickets £3, concessions £1. Tickets are available through wisepay.Performing Arts - Year 9 present MacbethYear 9 Performance Group presents Macbeth on Thursday 9 February at 7pm Main Hall at Cotham School. Tickets available on wisepay. Flash Fiction Competition in French and SpanishUniversity of Oxford Faculty of Modern Languages is delighted to announce that this year’s Flash Fiction Competitions in French and Spanish are now open!  Our annual Flash Fiction Competitions invite secondary school pupils to submit a complete story of no more than 100 words, in French or Spanish, for the chance to win up to £100. Entries are judged by a panel of academics who are primarily looking for creativity, imagination and narrative flair, as well as linguistic accuracy. Pupils’ language skills will be considered in the context of their age and year group: in other words, we will not expect younger pupils to compete against older pupils linguistically. The judges will award a top prize of £100, as well as prizes of £25 to a maximum of two runners up, in each category. Certificates will also be awarded to pupils who have been highly commended by our judges. Results as well as the winning, runner up, and highly commended stories will be published on our blog, Adventures on the Bookshelf, if entrants give us permission to do so. More information and links to the submission forms can be found on the faculty website. Pupils may only submit one story per language but are welcome to submit one story in French AND one story in Spanish if they would like to. For some inspiration, they can have a look at last year’s winning entries in French and Spanish. Please note that pupils must enter the competition themselves: teachers cannot enter on their behalf for reasons of GDPR compliance.  The submission deadline is 12 noon on 31 March 2023.  Bonne chance à tous! ¡Buena suerte a todos! Visual Art Work of the WeekThis week the year 9 students have been designing their campaign posters for the slogan art they are producing. Sporting Achievements Outside of SchoolAs in previous years, it would be great to hear about students' achievements outside of school. Please email info@cotham.bristol.sch.uk for the attention of the PE Faculty, also you can tweet us at @cothampe |
Post 16Â News |
Attendance ReviewsAttendance reviews were sent home recently. We would like to encourage students to talk to their form tutor in the first instance to identify and remedy any unauthorised absences.  Meditation Course An exciting opportunity has arisen to run a 6 week long course on meditation in March by George Thompson. In order for the course to run we need a minimum of 25 students interested. Students should complete this form to register their interest. Young Carers A young carer is someone who is under 18 and helps to look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem. Is your child a young carer? Please encourage them to complete this form so that we can be aware of their situation and put support in place. Year 12Early Applicants We will shortly be starting our Early Applicant Support Programme for students considering applying for one of the following university or course choices
We will be holding regular support and information sessions and the students will be allocated a mentor to help with their personal statement and application.  We will also keep them up to date with other support that is available.  Students should complete this form if they are intending to apply to any of the options listed above so we can include you in the support programme. Enrichment This week, Y12 assembly focussed on the new and existing enrichment opportunities at NBP16. For more detail, please see the assembly slides. Year 13Mocks Year 13 mocks will take place 23-27 January. Students will be off timetable with the exception of BTEC, Art and Photography lessons which will continue. Individual timetables with rooming and seat numbers will be sent out by the end of this week. Any questions regarding EAA should be directed to Marie Beaver. Exams will either be AM or PM and students will need to arrive 15 minutes before they start. AM exam arrival 8:30, PM exam arrival 13:30. Students will need the following:
Futures Morning Year 13 will take part in futures morning during P1 & 2 on Tuesday 7 February. Topics covered are based on student feedback and will include student finance and gender based violence. More details to follow next week. |
Cotham Futures |
Insight Into BristolInsight into Bristol is a free, residential summer school for students who identify as Black, Asian, or Mixed (featuring one or more of these groups). The summer school offers Year 12 students the opportunity to experience student life in the vibrant city of Bristol. Participants will stay in university accommodation and take part in academic seminars and social activities, supported by current undergraduate students. They will meet student societies and learn more about what university life is really like. The summer school will take place from Tuesday 25 July to Friday 28 July.ÂParticipants who complete the summer school will be eligible for a guaranteed contextual offer or interview from the University of Bristol. Contextual offers are set two grades below the standard offer level, meaning this programme is a great opportunity for students to access a highly selective Russell Group university.ÂApplications are open now: find out more and apply. The deadline for applications is Friday 17 March 2023.ÂIf you have any questions about the programme, please contact us at insight-into-bristol@bristol.ac.uk.Are you considering a career in law?Osborne Clarke are looking for Solicitor Apprentices to join in Bristol in September 2023. Solicitor Apprenticeships offer the opportunity to study an undergraduate law degree and train as a Solicitor whilst earning a salary, without the cost associated with going to university.  Find out more at our open evening for students and parents/carers:  On – Thursday 9 February 2023 from – 5.30pm At – Osborne Clarke, 2 Temple Back East, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6EG  To secure your place sign up here - https://forms.office.com/e/Fd27cyrQ7H Additional information can be found online at https://www.osborneclarke.com/solicitor-apprenticeship/ National Apprenticeship Week 2023Follow the link for details on National Apprenticeship Week Monday 6 February to Sunday 12 February 2023. Circomedia Bristol - Open Day for post 16 studiesCircomedia are hosting a BTEC Open Day this Saturday 21 January at 10am. Their BTEC in Performing Arts (Circus) is designed specifically for 16–18-year-olds with an interest in studying theatre or circus. You can find out more about the Open Day, what to expect and how to book here: BTEC Open Day - Circomedia Last Open Event of the year at St Brendan'sSt.Brendans have their last open event of the year on Tuesday 31 January at St Brendan’s Sixth Form College.  The whole college will be open between 5pm and 8pm for people to come along and explore the campus and speak to subject teachers and support services.  To book please follow the link    www.stbrn.ac.uk Outreach Update from the University of CambridgeJust a reminder to sign up for the post-16 choices webinar!  The session on Friday 17 February will be during half term, so would be suited to sign up from individual students or parents. Sign up here:  https://cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6lBX42NUt4Zd3NA Opportunities for Year 12sSutton Trust Summer Schools – Applications Now Open! The Sutton Trust Summer schools offer state-schooled Year 12 students the opportunity to spend a week experiencing a subject of their choice, at a number of universities nationwide. For more information about the opportunity and how to apply click here: Sutton Trust Summer Schools Applications will close on Friday 10 March. Secret Subjects Taster Day – Saturday 18 February This virtual event offers an exciting opportunity for Year 12 students to explore some of Cambridge’s more niche students, in which state and maintained sector students tend to be under-represented. There will be a taster lecture from an academic, a talk from an alumni of the subject, and a Q&A with a current student. The subjects included are: Archaeology, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Anglo-Saxon Norse and Celtic, Classics, History of Art, Music, Linguistics, and Theology.  Sign-up here by Friday 17 February: Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management  Oxford and Cambridge Information Days (OCID) Webinars – March The OCID Webinars are open to anyone associated with a school in the wider South West region. They are a collaborative programme between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, designed to provide Year 12 students and their supporters with an insight into the two institutions. There are webinars aimed at students, parents/supporters, and teachers. For more information and links to sign up, see the webpage below. Note: students cannot sign up individually - teachers must sign up and show the webinar to their students. Oxford and Cambridge Information Days for the South West (OCID) | Undergraduate Study  Residential: Cambridge Future Museum Voices – Tuesday 11 April - Saturday 15 April 2023 This residential is an innovative and interdisciplinary outreach initiative from Clare College, Cambridge, and the University Museum of Zoology. Aimed at Year 12 students at state schools/colleges across the UK. Students will take part in a residential at Clare College, Cambridge and co-curate an exhibition on climate and environmental change at the University Museum of Zoology. Applications open until Tuesday 31 January 2023, for more details: Outreach Residential: Cambridge Future Museum Voices | Clare College - Cambridge University Futures BulletinTake a look at this week’s Futures Bulletin, a wonderful array of opportunities for you to consider and take part in.  If you have questions or need support to apply please email careers@cotham.bristol.sch.uk and we will be delighted to help.  Are you a Parent or Carer who is Clueless about Careers?Please follow the link for a guidance sheet to find out more. |
Staff Vacancies |
Cotham School are currently recruiting for the following positions:
For more information and to apply please click here. |
Useful Links and Information | ||||||||||||
Previous weekly mailingsPlease visit our website to find information previously circulated within our latest weekly mailings. Term Dates
INSET Days
Early Finish Times
Diagnostic questionsClick here to access. This site contains self marking quizzes with lots of templates including some from a range of exam boards. It’s easy to make your own questions in Microsoft PowerPoint too. Students sign up with their school Google account using the G+ button to automatically create a school account. SenecaAll students and teachers now have free access to Seneca - a revision and homework platform making studying more fun. Seneca is an interactive way to learn official course content. Their web app covers 150+ exam board specific courses condensing what students need to know for their exams. The software is able to identify gaps in learning. For instance, when you get a question wrong, the platform will repeat the topic in different formats and their smart algorithm has proven to make students remember topics 2x faster. Seneca is totally free for students, teachers and parents. You can sign up via senecalearning.com. Free GCSE Pod Parent WebinarWe have invested in the award winning GCSEPod, a resource that helps your child achieve their goals and supports you on their GCSE journey.
Visit our GCSE parent page on our Digital Learning portal to find out how to use GCSEPod with your child. Google Classroom email summaries for parents and carersSummaries will be sent to parents and carers on either a daily or weekly basis depending on the option that you selected when you signed up. You can check and amend the frequency of your emails by visiting https://classroom.google.com/gs. If no work has been set for your child since your last email, you will not receive an email until the next piece of homework is set.  Google has written a comprehensive user guide which can be found here. If you have misplaced the invitation link, please email us at GCSupport@cotham.bristol.sch.uk with the name of your child and their tutor group and we will resend the invitation to you. Contact detailsPlease note the following telephone numbers and email addresses if you need to contact the school:
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