Just one more week before the October half-term break! Even with the well-deserved pause just around the corner, we continue to aspire to the highest standards across our community, and hard work this week is key to maintaining that momentum. It's been such a positive and productive half-term for the whole school community. I want to extend a huge congratulations to the families of our Year 7 students; your children have made a truly phenomenal and confident start to secondary school. It was genuinely a pleasure to meet so many of you face-to-face at the Year 7 Character Evening last Thursday. A super well done also goes out to our determined Year 11 students for completing their first major round of mock examinations this week (the very last two papers are being sat today). Finally, I want to wish our Hindu families a wonderful, joyous Diwali celebration, and I hope that everyone in our community gets to enjoy a great, restful half-term break!

National Swimming Finals!

I am absolutely thrilled to share some amazing news from the pool! We learnt this week that two of our relay teams have officially qualified for the ESSA Secondary School Team Championships National Finals! We've been eagerly waiting to hear if the times achieved by our junior swimming teams were fast enough, and the answer is yes: we have secured a place in both the Junior Mixed Freestyle Relay and the Junior Mixed Medley Relay events. The National Finals will take place on Saturday 16th November at the magnificent Sandwell Aquatics Centre, the venue that hosted the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Huge congratulations and the very best of luck to Cameron, Eleanor, Luke, Sophie, and Lottie as they prepare for the finals!

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Restart a Heart

Last Monday we were pleased to take part in the national Restart a Heart Day initiative, which raises awareness of cardiac arrest and the importance of learning how to give CPR. A big thank you goes to Mrs. Moore, our Second in Science and a volunteer with St John Ambulance, for organising this valuable event every year. We welcomed four trainers from the Ambulance Service to school to provide hands-on CPR training to an incredible 616 students! Mr. Fox shared a powerful reminder of why these skills matter, recounting how the quick response of trained staff and the use of defibrillators saved a student's life at his previous school. These are life-saving skills that will empower our students to respond in an emergency. 

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Bronze Art Award Success

I am delighted to announce a truly remarkable achievement: all 46 of our now Year 10 students who completed the Bronze Arts Award as part of their Year 9 Performing Arts Choices subjects curriculum (in Music, Drama, or both) have successfully passed! Mrs. Pinto, Miss Mayhew, Mrs. Holmes, and I will be presenting the certificates this week. This Level 1 qualification is fantastic because it develops young people’s artistic ability, creativity, research, and communication skills through the creation of a portfolio, and encourages them to take on early leadership roles by sharing their work. We're particularly pleased that many of these students have chosen to continue their passion by opting for the related GCSE subjects. Congratulations to the students and our teachers!

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Keeping Our School Safe - Fire and Lockdown Drills

This term, we have focused heavily on practicing our essential safety procedures, including our Fire Drill and Lockdown Procedure. To improve efficiency with the increased number of students on site, we adjusted the layout on the coach park. Every year group has now practiced their new assembly points with their tutors (our new Year 7 students have been quick to become experts in this process!). To assist with future drills,  specific year group/tutor group names will be painted onto the coach park over the half-term break. We have been completing a weekly practice of the Lockdown alert to ensure everyone is familiar with the necessary actions, and will conduct full practices for both the fire drill and lockdown procedures for everyone, during Autumn Term 2 to keep these vital skills sharp.

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Half-Term Uniform Check

As the half-term break approaches, please take a moment during the holiday to check your child’s uniform and ensure every item meets our school's high expectations for their return. We want to highlight three key areas:

• Footwear: All students must wear formal school shoes. Trainers are not permitted unless a medical exemption has been pre-agreed by contacting your child's form tutor. If your child requires a long-term medical exemption, please provide a doctor’s note or equivalent evidence to the school office.

• Skirts: Young people wearing skirts should do so without rolling the waistbands as this compromises the uniform's professional look.

• Blazers: The blazer is a compulsory part of the uniform and must be worn as students move around the school building and grounds (not just carried in their hands, as is the current preference particularly amongst girls). 

• Jumpers: Black V-neck jumpers are optional and should not be worn instead of a blazer but in addition to a blazer.

Our uniform policy promotes equality, and fosters a sense of belonging and pride across our school community. If a student arrives without the correct uniform, we will always aim to provide a loaned item. Thank you for your continued support in helping us maintain these standards. You can find the full details of our uniform expectations on the school website here: TCS Uniform and Equipment 

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ADHD Awareness Month Understanding and Supporting Our Young People

October is ADHD Awareness Month, a valuable opportunity to increase our knowledge and understanding of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a condition where the brain works differently. Symptoms typically start before age 12 and impact approximately 5% of children and young people, affecting their ability to pay attention (inattentive), control impulses (impulsive), and manage energy levels (hyperactive). ADHD is thought to be recognised less often in girls than boys, as girls more commonly present with the harder-to-spot inattentive symptoms. ADHD presents differently in each child, but the signs usually fall into two categories:

Inattentive Symptoms (Difficulty Managing Attention) These signs relate to a young person's ability to focus, organise, and complete tasks.

• Being easily distracted by background activity or unrelated thoughts.
• Finding it difficult to start or finish tasks (e.g., homework or chores).
• Finding it hard to process or remember what someone is saying or following complex instructions.
• Forgetting things or everyday tasks (like brushing teeth, putting on socks, or having the right equipment).
• Finding it hard to listen or follow instructions.
• Feeling unable to concentrate sometimes.
• Being late or having poor time management.

Hyperactive and Impulsive Symptoms (Differences in Energy and Self-Control) These signs relate to high energy levels, restlessness, and acting without thinking.

• Often fidgeting, squirming, or moving around (e.g. tapping hands and feet).
• Finding it hard to stay still when asked to (e.g. in lessons or at the dinner table).
• Being very talkative or noisy, or frequently interrupting conversations.
• Often being 'on the go' or seeming full of energy.
• Finding it hard to wait their turn (in games or conversations).
• Seeming impulsive or risk-taking—for example, a younger child might find it hard not to climb on things that aren’t safe.

While most young people show signs of both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive types, some may only show one. This means that not every child or young person with a diagnosis will present in the same way; it's about finding the specific strategies that work best for your child. Parenting a child with ADHD can be challenging, but there are highly effective strategies you can use at home to help them thrive. Many of these approaches, such as creating consistency and clarity, will be highly beneficial to all young people, whether neurodivergent or not. As a school, we encourage parents and carers to:

• Implement consistent routines and help develop positive organisational skills by designating specific places for important items like school bags and PE kit.

• Give clear instructions: Get your child's attention and use clear, one-step directions, ask them to repeat the instruction back to check understanding.

• Focus on positive reinforcement: It’s so important to praise effort and success, as children with ADHD often receive more criticism than praise.

• Prioritise healthy habits like regular exercise and sleep—areas where all teenagers and young people need guidance and balance.

We are here to support - if you have any questions/concerns about ADHD, or other aspects of SEND, get in touch with our SEND team via SEND@cottesloe.bucks.sch.uk 

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Face-to-face Events 2025/2026

A reminder of the in-school events that are coming up in the next few weeks - we would love to see you at one of them. 

• Wednesday 22nd October - Year 12 Transition Parent Information Evening 6pm-7pm. To book a place please click here to book a space via Eventbrite.

• Wednesday 5th November -  All year groups Careers: Futures Discovery Evening 6pm-7:30pm To book a place click here: Futures Discovery Evening

• Thursday 6th November - All year groups Safeguarding: Online Safety Evening 6pm-7pm  To book, click here: Online Safety evening with TVP

• Monday 10th November - Year 11 Sixth Form Open Evening  To book a place, please click on the relevant link: 5pm Book Now (6pm session is fully booked)

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Sports Report

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Year 13 Sixth Form assembly on Friday about the Sixth Form Prom plans

Year 12 Wellbeing Ambassadors Training on Tuesday in TEAM Hub with Miss Coyne. Transition Parents evening on Wednesday at 6pm in the main school hall. 

Year 11 Post-16 Pathways by the Careers Team during PSHCE on Thursday morning. 

Year 10 The Silver DofE practice expedition is out until Wednesday this week.  

Year 7 Online Safety Assembly today with Mrs West. Wicked trip on Wednesday! 

Have a good week, and enjoy a safe and happy half-term next week. Thanks for your ongoing support.

Best wishes, 

Louise Baldwin

Head of School