Monday 7th July | Head of School Letter
Happy Anniversary to us!
Today we celebrate The Cottesloe School's 65th Anniversary. It's a significant milestone for our community, and we are proud of our rich history and the countless achievements made over more than six decades. Here’s a wonderful reel tracing the story of our school from 1960 to 2025.
Adding to the celebrations, we also extend our congratulations to Wingrave School, who are marking their 50th anniversary of being on their current site. It's wonderful to reflect on these moments of local educational heritage.
As we head into the final two and a bit weeks of term, the warm weather continues to grace us, and with it, plenty of learning and opportunities across our brilliant school. Everyone's energy and enthusiasm this week has been outstanding. From orchestrating successful Transition activities and new staff induction, to hosting a Senior Citizen High Tea, welcoming astronauts, and an alumnus delivering a careers talk to Sixth Form – we've been busy! This has been alongside teachers and support staff consistently supporting our young people's learning. It's been another busy and productive week, filled with exciting events and achievements.
Warm Weather
A reminder that it’s still PE kits for this week. Although it’s cooler today, it’s going to get up towards 28/29 degrees later in the week.
Year 6 into Year 7 Transition
We had the most wonderful two days this week, welcoming 240 Year 6 students who will become our next Year 7s in September for two highly successful Transition Days last week, providing them with a fantastic introduction to life at The Cottesloe School. During these days, students met their new form tutors and connected with the other members of their tutor groups, beginning to build those important relationships with staff and peers. They attended their first assembly as a cohort, with myself and Mr. Fox, they toured the school to familiarise themselves with different classrooms, and experienced a wide range of lessons. Lessons included engaging sessions in English, Maths, Science, PE, French, D&T, Ethics, Geography, Art, and History, designed to give them a real taste of the secondary curriculum. We were also really pleased to meet their families when they attended the 'Meet the Tutor' session on the second afternoon. These days were crucial in preparing them for their full transition to Year 7 in September, ensuring they feel both ready and excited. Having taken these important first steps on their Cottesloe journey last week, we eagerly anticipate welcoming them after the summer break, as they embark on their new academic year.
New Staff and Tutor group update
On Wednesday, we were delighted to welcome six excellent teachers who have been appointed posts at The Cottesloe School and will be teaching here in September. I look forward to formally introducing you to our new colleagues in next week's newsletter, where I will also share information about staff members who will be leaving us at the end of term. Additionally, please keep an eye out for a letter later this week that will provide details about tutor groups for the upcoming academic year.
Senior Citizen High Tea
Last Friday, we had the pleasure of hosting our annual Senior Citizen High Tea, welcoming over 30 valued members of our local community to the school. Our guests enjoyed a delightful spread of sandwiches, freshly baked scones, and an array of delicious cakes, all expertly prepared by Dr. Jera and our Hospitality and Catering students. It was a pleasure to talk to our guests, many of whom shared fascinating insights into the school's history; it was particularly interesting to learn that some had previously worked here or attended The Cottesloe School themselves before its name change, recalling their time when it was known as Wing County Secondary School. The atmosphere was enhanced by music provided by our talented GCSE students. It was great to meet members of our community. Thanks to Dr. Jera and the students for working so hard to make it a wonderful afternoon.
Oxbridge Debate: AI and Human Creativity
Our Year 10 students had an incredible opportunity to witness a live debate between two leading university lecturers: Dr Amna Whiston, a philosopher specialising in moral philosophy and the philosophy of mind from Oxford University, and Dr Alexander Carter from Cambridge University. Alex is currently researching the (im)possibility of creative AI. Together, they explored the question: Can Artificial Intelligence ever be as truly creative as humans? Our students asked insightful questions during the Q&A session, making it a really interactive experience. This thought-provoking discussion was filmed for a podcast and will be featured on the Unbelievable? YouTube channel. Our Sixth Form scientists also attended to engage with this current subject. A huge thank you goes to our brilliant Science team for constantly raising the bar with external speakers that consistently enrich our curriculum
NASA Astronaut Visit
On Friday, our students had an absolutely incredible opportunity as we welcomed a real-life NASA astronaut, Ricky Arnold, to The Cottesloe School! During period 4, Year 7 students, Year 10 triple scientists, and Year 12 physicists were captivated by Ricky’s insights and experiences. It was a brilliant and inspiring session, offering a unique glimpse into space exploration and the world of science. For those interested in learning more about our distinguished visitor, click on this NASA link: Richard R. Arnold II. A huge thank you to the Science team for making this happen!
Dinner Money & MCAS System
A quick reminder for all families regarding dinner money: this is the last week for payments via ParentPay. Dinner money payments will need to be made via My Child At School (MCAS) system from Monday 14th July. All balances positive & negative will be migrated to MCAS this Friday.
My Child At School App (MCAS)
What is MCAS? My Child At School (MCAS) is an online portal by a company called Bromcom, for parents, that enables them to view their child’s performance at school in real-time via the MCAS app or a web browser. The facility allows the child’s attendance, grades, assessment, exams, timetable, reward and conduc…
3G Pitch Footwear
There’s an important update regarding suitable footwear for our new 3G pitch, following a recent meeting with the construction company. Last week, we indicated that regular astro boots would be acceptable. However, we have since learned that not all 3G pitches are the same, and to ensure the longevity and optimal condition of our specific pitch, astro turf trainers are NOT permitted. To ensure everyone's safety and to maintain our pitch in top condition for years to come, all users must wear the correct footwear: specifically, 3G-compliant trainers or boots with moulded studs/plastic studs/screw-in studs or blades/boots with metal-tipped studs. Flat-soled indoor or running trainers are also not permitted. All students will need a pair of the correct 3G-compliant boots for PE in September.
This information has also been updated on our website. Please accept our apologies for this clarification; we hope that no one will have purchased new boots at this point for the new academic year. On a positive note, this week has seen significant progress on the pitch, with a large amount of tarmac arriving and the fencing beginning to go up.
Summer Food Bank Collection: Last Chance to Make a Difference!
A last reminder that food bank donations to support Leighton Linslade Helpers, and the Wing Food Bank, need to be taken to E2 or Main Reception by this Thursday 10th July 2025. Thank you very much to everyone who has donated already. We appreciate your support. The piles of shopping bags in main reception have been growing!
Sports Fixtures and Results
There’s no sport to report on again this week, but we’re looking forward to the District Athletics event at Jarman Park in Hemel Hempstead on Wednesday; we’re hoping that some District Champions will be on our bus home!
Good luck to Year 6 students from Cheddington who will be performing their Year 6 show, The Lion King Jr in PA3 on Thursday. We’re delighted to have been able to support the students performing on the big stage!
Year 10
Year 10 into 11 Preparation Evening is taking place this evening. It is not too late to attend, if you can confirm your attendance using this link https://bit.ly/44Fserg so we have a record of attendance.
Good luck to all Year 10 embarking on their work experience later this week.
Year 9
English-speaking Assessments are taking place this week. Good luck to everyone giving their persuasive speeches.
Year 8
MFL students will be attending an outreach talk today, organised by Miss Goddard, to learn how learning languages can positively impact career choices. Year 8 will have another careers talk in assembly on Tuesday.
Have a great week. Thank you for your ongoing support of our school.
Best wishes,
Louise Baldwin
Head of School