Monday 18th May | Head of School Letter
By this point in the academic year, the school heating is usually turned off until October. However, because it has been so cold this week, our exam students were really feeling the chill in the Hall and the Old Gym. Sitting still for several hours doesn’t generate much body heat, even with a jumper and blazer on. To ensure our students were fully prepared to focus entirely on their papers without distraction, we turned the heating back on. The weather looks to be warming up to more seasonal temperatures this week, so we hope to turn it off again soon. Despite the unseasonal cold, our students have shown immense resilience. A huge well done must go to our Year 11 and Year 13 students, who are now fully immersed in the main summer exam season and showing the high aspirations we encourage across all year groups. We also extend our praise to the Year 12 students taking Core Maths, Further Maths, and modular BTEC exams, all of whom are approaching their assessments with that same commendable drive to achieve their very best and succeed.
Year 11 ‘Leavers’ Day’
On Friday afternoon, Mrs Woodburn, her brilliant Year 11 tutor team and the rest of the staff are looking forward to celebrating with our Year 11 students to mark the significance of completing Year 11 at The Cottesloe School - a five-year journey that reflects years of hard work, personal ambition, and shared success. To ensure the best possible environment for those sitting assessments, the school will remain quiet and calm on Friday morning while our GCSE PE students complete their Paper 1 exam alongside our Sixth Form students sitting their morning A Level exams. From Period 4, the celebrations will begin as Year 11 come together to share memories, sign shirts, and attend their final Year 11 Celebration Assembly. A letter outlining the structure of the day has already been sent home, and we look forward to celebrating everything Year 11 has achieved.
A Royal Invitation for Mr Curtis!
We are incredibly proud to share that on Wednesday, Mr Curtis will attend a formal presentation at Buckingham Palace in recognition of his exceptional commitment to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. Over many years, Mr Curtis has selflessly given up his evenings and weekends to support hundreds of Cottesloe students through their Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards. From managing complex logistics to supervising expeditions in all weather conditions, his unwavering support has helped our young people develop true resilience, teamwork, and lifelong skills. His passion for outdoor education extends across all year groups, having championed everything from Year 7 Character Camp and Outward Bound to life-changing international expeditions with World Challenge and Camps International. In fact, this summer he will be heading off to Peru for another incredible adventure with a cohort of our older students. This royal recognition is richly deserved. Please join us in thanking Mr Curtis for his tireless dedication and wishing him a fantastic day celebrating at the Palace!
Safeguarding Update: Online Safety and 'Omoggle'
As part of our Safeguarding responsibilities to keep our students safe online, we work closely with our digital filtering and monitoring partner, Smoothwall, who regularly update our school network security systems to flag emerging online trends, apps, and websites that could pose a risk to young people. Smoothwall has recently alerted us to a new platform gaining rapid traction on TikTok and Twitch called 'Omoggle'. This platform functions as a clone and successor to the video-chat site Omegle, which was permanently shut down in late 2023 following high-profile legal action and severe global concerns over child safety and unregulated content.
However, where the original Omegle randomly paired strangers for standard video chats, Omoggle introduces a competitive, algorithmic twist. It uses facial recognition technology to immediately scan and rate users' physical features on a scale of one to ten, forcing them into a head-to-head appearance ranking contest with a stranger. Omoggle has become the latest hub for an online trend known as ‘mogging’ or ‘looksmaxxing.’ Within this subculture, young people, predominantly teenage boys, become hyper-focused on modifying, ranking, and scoring their physical appearance using arbitrary internet metrics.
From a safeguarding perspective, unmoderated anonymous video spaces like this carry significant risks. Reducing a young person's identity and self-worth down to a score generated by an algorithm can be deeply damaging to an adolescent’s development, leading directly to body image anxiety, low self-esteem, and peer-to-peer bullying. The wider online forums surrounding these trends can lead to exposing vulnerable young people to more harmful or extreme online communities.
'Omoggle' has already been added to our school network's monitoring system. Any attempts to search for or access this content on school devices will be automatically blocked and flagged to our safeguarding team so we can support the students involved. We wanted to share this information so that you are aware of the platform's existence and can monitor device usage at home. We will be working with students to help them recognise their intrinsic value and ensure they understand that their worth is never defined by an online rating or algorithm. For parents who would like to know more about this trend and how to discuss it with their children, the online safety resource below provides excellent guidance: Have You Heard of Omoggle?
PE Kit Donations
As our Year 11 students prepare for their next chapter, we know many families will have outgrown PE kits and football boots lurking in the back of wardrobes! You might also have a younger child who has outgrown their kit from previous years. To give these items a meaningful second life, please consider donating them to the school. Your donations make a huge difference, ensuring that every student can participate fully in lessons by providing high-quality spare kit when needed. We are looking for any official TCS PE kit and football boots (in good, clean condition). Kit can be dropped off at Main Reception or directly to the PE Department. Thank you so much for your generosity.
Rewards Day
To celebrate our students' incredible hard work this year, we are hosting our annual Rewards Day on Tuesday 21st July, and we need your input to help us plan so we can finalise costs. Every student has a choice between an exciting day trip or an action-packed in-school challenge hosted by external specialists. Both options are designed to be fully accessible and inclusive. If you have questions regarding either option, and your child's ability to participate, please email Mrs. Hooley: chooley@cottesloe.bucks.sch.uk Please complete the appropriate form:
Year 7 Rewards Day Form: Year 7 Rewards Day
Year 8 Rewards Day Form: Year 8 Rewards Day
Year 9 Rewards Day Form: Year 9 Rewards Day
National Book Token School Library Book Competition
Research by the literacy charity Read for Good demonstrates that reading for pleasure leads to significantly better long-term outcomes for young people by not only boosting academic performance but also enhancing overall wellbeing and fostering vital life skills like empathy. However, nationwide studies show that reading for pleasure is currently in decline, with just one in three young people aged 8 to 18 reporting that they enjoy reading in their free time. One of the main barriers identified is that many school libraries are underfunded or stocked with older titles that struggle to engage today's readers. To mark the National Year of Reading, we are looking to update our school library with a wider range of contemporary and engaging books. To help fund this, we are entering the National Book Tokens prize draw, which awards five winning schools £1,000 each in book tokens. As the winners are selected via a community draw, our chances increase with the number of nominations we receive. The process is completely free and takes less than a minute to complete. If you can support us, please vote for The Cottesloe School via this link: National Book Tokens Prize Draw
Bucks Skills Hub: Classroom to Careers
The latest publication from our partners at the Bucks Skills Hub is now available, offering valuable insights and practical guidance to support students as they plan their next steps and future career paths. This month’s edition includes key updates from the recent Bucks Skills Show and the Menu Masters competition, alongside a special industry focus on high-performance engineering opportunities across Buckinghamshire. It also features essential advice on how students can successfully prepare for apprenticeship assessment centres, alongside a wide range of general hints and tips designed to guide them toward their future goals. Whether your child is actively exploring their next steps, or just starting to think about their future, we recommend reading through these resources together. You can access the full publication here: Classroom to Careers May 2026
Sparx Maths
Our students continue to show great dedication to their independent learning. To date, the school community has achieved 1,461,640 questions answered correctly, with 16,383 hours spent learning on the platform and 293 students who have actively improved their times tables.
- Highest Completion: 9wx/Ma1 (holding the top spot again!)
- Biggest Improvement: 11wy/Ma7 (as they prepare for their Paper 1 exam)
- Levelling Up: 387 students reached their next milestone level this week.
Weekly Year Group Completion Rates:
- Year 7: 86%
- Year 8: 78%
- Year 9: 77%
- Year 10: 69%
Congratulations to Year 7 for leading the school with an excellent 86% completion rate. Thank you to all parents and carers for your continued support in checking deadlines and encouraging regular home learning routines.
Sports Report
Here are the latest results and standout performances:
U15 Boys Cricket vs. AGS: A tough fixture this week, resulting in a loss by 9 wickets. Despite the result, Harry D and Alfie S were our standout batsmen.
U15 Girls Cricket vs. Buckingham: A fantastic win by 9 wickets!
Year 7 & 8 Athletics at AHS: Our younger athletes travelled to AHS and put in an exceptional effort. Particular mentions go to our standout performers: Poppy M (800m), Teddy T (200m), Alex T and Alyssia B (High Jump), and Matilda G (Discus).
Well done to everyone who represented the school so brilliantly this week!
Bucks County Show: Ticket Discount for Families
The Bucks County Show, which is one of the biggest one-day agricultural shows in the country, returns to Weedon Park near Aylesbury on Thursday 27th August. To help make it an affordable family day out over the summer holidays, they are offering families up to three FREE child tickets (up to the age of 16) with every full-paying adult or senior ticket purchased online. To take advantage of the offer, please use the promotional code SCHOOL2026 when purchasing tickets: Bucks County Show Bookings.
Vacancies
We are currently advertising for a Teacher of Geography (closing date: 20th May 2026). Please share this advert within your networks: Join Our Team
Events This Week
Assemblies: World Day for Cultural Diversity Our assemblies this week are being delivered by Heads of Year and will celebrate the UNESCO World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. Students will be exploring the incredible richness of the world's diverse cultures, while reflecting on how open, intercultural dialogue helps us build mutual respect, harmony, and a more peaceful community.
Monday 18th May - Year 7 Assembly
- After School Detention (3.00pm – 4.00pm)
- Yr 7 & 8 Rounders vs Waddesdon (Away, 3.30pm – 5.30pm)
- U12 B Cricket vs AGS (Away, 3.30pm – 6.30pm)
Tuesday 19th May - Year 8 Assembly
-
Year 10 Devised Drama Controlled Assessment (All Day)
-
Year 9 Drama Showcase (4.00pm – 6.00pm)
Wednesday 20th May - Year 9 Assembly
- After School Detention (3.00pm – 4.00pm)
- U13 Girls Cricket vs Royal Latin (Home, 3.15pm – 5.00pm)
- Peru Trip Parent Meeting (6.00pm – 7.30pm)
Thursday 21st May - Year 10 Assembly
- Year 9 Bronze DofE Wave 2 Practice Expedition (All Day)
- Triathlon Competition (Period 3 – 5)
- U13 & U15 Girls Cricket vs Denbigh (Home/TCS, 3.15pm – 5.30pm)
Friday 22nd May
- Year 12 assembly to launch the Year 12 Head Student application process
- Year 9 Bronze DofE Wave 2 Practice Expedition (All Day)
- Culture et mémoires Trip departs (France, 22nd–25th May)
- Year 11 Leavers Assembly/Event (1.00pm – 3.00pm)
Have a super week and great half-term. We finish for half-term at 3pm this Friday and will welcome students back to school on Monday 1st June at 8:30am.
Best wishes,
Louise Baldwin
Head of School