Buckinghamshire School Awards Nominations

I am incredibly proud to share that several of our wonderful staff members have been nominated for the fourth annual Buckinghamshire School Awards. Organised by Buckinghamshire Council, these awards celebrate the exceptional work of teachers, school staff, governors, and volunteers across the county. To be nominated by the school community is a profound reflection of the genuine impact these individuals make every single day, and I am thrilled to recognise the following nominees:

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Exam Support 

A significant part of our focus this term will be supporting our young people who have exams in the coming weeks. Many of our students are about to enter an important time in their education journey, with Year 11 and 13 sitting their GCSEs, A Levels, and vocational qualifications, alongside some Year 10 and 12 students taking Maths qualifications and modular exams in other subjects. We know this can be an intense time, and it is incredibly important that we work in partnership to support them not only with effective revision strategies but also with their overall mental wellbeing. Balancing hard work with proper rest and self-care is vital. Please get in touch with us if you have any concerns, queries or need to share something with us - for example regarding a challenging family circumstance. Contact your child’s tutor, Head of Year, TEAM Hub or the SEND team as appropriate. If you are looking for ways to support your child at home, I recommend exploring these excellent resources, which offer practical advice on navigating exam stress:

NHS: Help your child beat exam stress

YoungMinds: Parents' Guide to Exam Time and Exam Stress

Health for Teens: Navigating Exam Stress

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• INSPIRE Cast (War Horse): Phoebe C, Maisie C, Nancy H, Freya J, Raymon J, Celyn J, Flora K, Emily M, Fransiz N, Elianne P, Luna P, Emily S, Florence V, Ivy W, and Libby W.

• IGNITE Cast (Lyrical Dance): Grace B, Annie B, Carys B, Phoebe C, Sabrina C, Summer C, Grace C, Abi E, Immy G, Lara I, Annabelle K, Grace K, Darcy L, Carolina M, Chloe M, Daisy O, Elizabeth O, Elianne P, Lucia P, Chloe R, Elsa S, Emelie-Grace S, Florence V, Alyssa W, and Emelia W.  

• Additionally, a huge well done to Jack B (Year 10) for his skills in editing the music for the dance performance.

  

  

We are so grateful to Miss Mayhew and Mrs Pinto for giving up their holiday time (and during last term to prepare and rehearse) to support the students. Thanks also goes to Miss Hawkes, Mrs Knightley and Flora’s mum, Ms. Clamp, for their invaluable help backstage; their support allowed the students to focus entirely on their performances, all the way to 9:30pm.

Our thanks extend to the DT Department for their support with props. War Horse made use of the wonderful bird puppets made by Mr Perkins and the horse’s head created by Mrs Nicholls. Thanks for the long-standing contribution of Mr Bonser, whose prop guns were used once again, with Mr Perkins crafting several extra pieces to accommodate our large group of soldiers. The support from all the adults, before, and on the day, ensured our performers could shine on a stage that hosted over 1000 performers from across Buckinghamshire and the South East.

Bandjam

Bandjam took place just before the half-term break. The evening was a fantastic showcase of musical talent across the year groups, featuring energetic performances from bands from across the year groups: Fireflies (Year 7), Goonies (Year 8), Static Sound (Year 9), The Cannisters (Year 11), and a brilliant set from Neo and Jack (Year 13). A huge thank you must go to Mrs Pinto for her hard work in organising such a successful event, and to all the families who attended to support their young person’s performance. It was a brilliant platform for our young musicians to share their passion and skill with a live audience.

Dance at TCS

Currently, all students complete a module of dance as part of their KS3 PE curriculum, and we are delighted that we can now extend this learning further. From September, we will be reintroducing Dance as a specialised option within our curriculum. We look forward to seeing a group of Year 9 students undertaking Dance as one of their KS3 Choices subjects, alongside a class of Year 10  dancers taking the subject at GCSE.  This is a brilliant opportunity for our students to further develop their technical skills and creativity, building on the high-energy musical theatre and drama work that has become such a highlight of our school's creative life.

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Sports Report

Before we look ahead to the new term, we have some fantastic sports news to catch up on from the final weeks of the spring term.

Football

Our U13 Girls’ Football team had a thrilling journey in the ‘Sisters in Sport’ national cup quarter-final. Travelling away to Culford School in Bury St Edmunds, the girls showed incredible resilience after falling 2-0 behind. Goals from Eve N and Allegra N brought them level at full-time, and in a tense period of extra time, the girls secured two penalties to win 4-2! This fantastic teamwork means they will now travel toward the Welsh border in May for the semi-finals and finals.

In the District League, our Year 9 Boys played their semi-final in what proved to be an incredibly challenging environment. Despite facing unacceptable conduct from the opposition, our students remained professional, composed, and refused to retaliate. While the score was a narrow 4-3 loss, the opposing school’s staff were so impressed by the sportsmanship of our Year 9s, and so disappointed by their own team’s behaviour - that they awarded the win to The Cottesloe. We are immensely proud of how our team conducted themselves; they are now through to the final.

In other football news:

• The Year 8 Boys fought hard in their District semi-final against PRS but lost 4-1.
• The U15 Girls put in a strong effort against Kingsbrook, finishing with a 3-1 loss.
• The U13 Girls played against Kingsbrook, narrowly losing 1-0 in a very close game.

Netball

Our netballers have been giving their all in their End of Season Tournaments (EOST) at AHS. The Year 8 team put in a brilliant shift, finishing the day with three fantastic wins and three losses, showing great progress across a long set of fixtures. The Year 7 A and B teams also competed with wonderful spirit; although results didn't go their way, the B team earned a well-deserved draw, and both squads worked together brilliantly throughout the day.

Basketball

On the basketball court, our Year 8 team faced off against PRS in an absolute nail-biter. The team put on a superb display of skill and nerves of steel, battling hard from start to finish to secure a thrilling 23-22 victory. They should be incredibly proud of such an energetic and determined performance!

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Year 8 and 9 Work Experience

A reminder for parents and carers regarding our upcoming Careers Exploration Days. Every student in Year 8 and Year 9 must have an external in-person placement or a virtual plan for their assigned day. Students should shadow a trusted adult (parent, relative, or family friend) to gain insight into a real workplace. Students are covered by the host company’s Health and Safety policies and Employers' Liability Insurance. For placement advice including insurance and DBS checks,  visit our Careers Hub. These placements support us in meeting DfE recommendations for meaningful employer engagement. Please complete the relevant consent form by Friday 29th May 2026:

• Year 8 - Tuesday 7th July 2026: Click Here
• Year 9 - Wednesday 8th July 2026: Click Here

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Staffing and Vacancies

Staffing We said goodbye to two colleagues at Easter: Graham Long has taken retirement from teaching; he has been with us for five years as Teacher of Computing. We thank Graham for his service to the school and wish him a happy retirement. Maria Gardner was part of the Business Studies team from September 2025. We thank her for her work this year and wish her the best for the future.

I am pleased to welcome two new colleagues to our teaching staff this term. Both are highly experienced practitioners who join us from Insignis Multi Academy Trust. Anjali Dayton joins as our new Head of Digital Media and Computing. Anjali is a well-qualified leader in her field, and we look forward to the expertise she will bring to the department. Jo Drury joins the Business Studies and Economics department. Jo’s extensive classroom experience will be an asset to our students in these areas.

Vacancies We are currently advertising for a number of posts: 

• Lead Practitioner in Science (closing date: 15/04/2026)
• Teacher of English (closing date: 17/04/2026)
• Assistant Teacher / Learning Support Assistant (closing date: 21/04/2026)

We’d be grateful if you could share the advert within your networks: Join Our Team  

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Events happening at school this week

All Week: Welcome Back Assemblies for Years 8 to 11 and Sixth Form. Year 8 Outward Bounds Trip (Departing Monday, return on Friday).

Monday 13th April: INSET Day (No students in school).

Tuesday 14th April: Students return to school. Year 12 UCAS Fair Trip to Leicester. Year 7 Football Semi-Final vs Mandeville (Home).

Wednesday 15th April: Year 11 Geography Field Trip (11C groups) to Rushmere and Milton Keynes. Year 10 Statistics Mock Exam. U13 Girls Football vs Princes Risborough (Home). Year 11 Football Semi-Final vs AGS (Away).

Thursday 16th April: Year 11 Geography Field Trip (11A & B groups) to Rushmere and Milton Keynes. U15 Girls Football vs Hinchingbrook (Home). Careers Café Session 3 in the Team Hub.

Friday 17th April: A-Level Physics Trip to Cern departs (Friday to Sunday). Year 12 Young Voice Summit Trip (AHS).

Have a great week. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Best wishes,

Louise Baldwin

Head of School