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Monday 10th November | Head of School Letter

This week is Anti-Bullying week and what a wonderful, colourful day it is here at The Cottesloe School!

We are kicking off Anti-Bullying Week with staff and students wearing Odd Socks today, celebrating everything that makes each of us unique and special. This year's national theme, Power for Good, encourages us all—from social spaces like the school bus to our phones—to safely speak up and raise awareness, knowing that lasting change requires all of us. Every year, bullying impacts too many young lives, and silence only helps it grow. We are empowering our young people to use their Power for Good to speak out, support others, and build a world where kindness wins. Please remind your child that if they need support for bullying happening to them, a friend, or someone they know, they can always speak to a trusted adult in school or at home, or use the confidential ‘Share a Concern’ button found on the right-hand side of  every page of our website. 

Keeping Children Safe: Stranger Danger and Reporting Concerns

At The Cottesloe School, the safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. As part of our commitment to safeguarding, we want to share important information about ‘stranger danger’ and how you can support your child in staying safe, as well as how to report any concerning behaviours to the police.

‘Stranger danger’ is likely to be a familiar term to many of us and is used to help children and young adults understand the risks posed by people they do not know. While most people are kind and trustworthy, it is important for children to be aware that some individuals may have harmful intentions. Teaching children to be cautious around strangers, especially in unfamiliar or isolated places, is a key part of keeping them safe. Talk to your young person about how to keep safe: 

  • Encourage your child to trust their instincts—if something or someone makes them feel uncomfortable, they should move away and seek help.
  • Teach them to never go anywhere with a stranger or accept gifts, rides, or invitations without your permission.
  • Remind them to stay in groups or with trusted adults when out in public.
  • Role-play scenarios so they know how to respond if approached by someone they don’t know.

If you or your child witness or experience behaviour that seems suspicious or threatening, it is important to report it promptly.

  • The police non-emergency number, 101, is the right way to report concerns that do not require an immediate emergency response (e.g., reporting suspicious activity or strangers acting oddly).
  • In an emergency, always call 999.

We encourage all parents and carers to talk openly with their children about safety. For personal safety app options, the Hollie Guard app was recommended by the Safer Schools Police Officers at our Online Safety evening. Here’s a summary of different personal safety apps: TarvinOnline | Personal Safety Apps on Smartphones

George and Scarlett

 

Remembrance Events

Remembrance is always a poignant and important time; this week will be meaningful. We are incredibly proud of the many students who participated in parades and services in their local villages and towns yesterday. Our thanks go particularly to Scarlett and George, two of our A-Level History students who represented the school with great respect, laying a wreath at the Wing Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial as part of the service, accompanied by Miss Hawkes, Head of History. Throughout this week,  the History team will be leading our assemblies to reflect on the importance of this day, and the entire school will observe the national two-minute silence tomorrow, Armistice Day, to pause and remember those who served.

Sparx Maths

Update There’s continued high engagement with the Sparx Maths platform across the school. Our students' dedication to independent practice is reflected in the latest impressive statistics:

  • 372,846 questions answered correctly.
  • 4,273 hours of mathematics practice now logged.
  • 204 students have met their targets for improving times tables skills.

This commitment to independent learning and consolidation directly supports classroom learning. We commend all students for their sustained effort. This week's highest performing classes, based on overall XP points, are:

  • 11wy/Ma 7
  • 7w/Ma4
  • 8w/Ma3
  • 9wx/Ma2
  • 10wy/Ma5
  • 11wy/Ma5

Well done to these groups for leading the way in independent maths study.

Futures Discovery Evening: Resources and Links

Thank you to all the parents and students who attended the Futures Discovery Evening! Starting this future planning now is a huge step. For those of you who couldn't make it, Mrs Gunn, Careers Coordinator, has created a really useful  resource list from the night:

Presentations

The Main Presentation and the SEND Presentation.

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Further Education (FE) Providers

SEND Specific Providers

School Careers Hub More information is available on the school website:
Questions & Feedback

Get in touch via careershub@cottesloe.bucks.sch.uk  And if you attended the evening, please let us know what you thought so we can improve future events: https://forms.gle/JKjzkEZVyd7cKkhL7

Black Friday Fundraising

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If you're planning on tackling the Black Friday sales this month, please remember to use easyfundraising first! It's the simplest way to support the Friends of The Cottesloe School  at absolutely no extra cost to you. Over 8,000 retailers—selling everything from gadgets and games to clothes and gifts—will donate a percentage of your spend to the school when you shop through the easyfundraising platform. This small, free donation makes a BIG difference to our fundraising goals. It only takes a minute to sign up and help us raise more at: Friends of The Cottesloe school Fundraising | Easyfundraising 

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Sports Report

I don’t have any results to share this week – expect a bumper sports report next week! There are a wealth of fixtures this week, with some matches now starting to take place on the 3G pitch! 

Year 12 and 13

Thank you in advance to all students supporting the Sixth Form Open Evening. A-Level Geographers will be attending a talk tomorrow afternoon. 

Year 11

After a really positive Mock Results Day on Thursday last week, all of Year 11 are participating in revision skills workshops today, delivered by the team from Learning Performance Sixth Form Open Evening takes place this evening. Looking forward to seeing lots of Year 11 families later on.  All tickets have been booked, but if you’ve missed out, please contact the main office, and we will see if we can fit you in.  

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

Best wishes, 

Louise Baldwin

Head of School

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