Monday 9th Feb | Head of School Letter
As we begin the last week of this half-term, I have been reflecting on just how much we have packed into the last few weeks. It has been wonderful to see that, despite the rainy February weather, the school remains full of energy, with a strong focus on fostering Healthy Relationships across our community.
We have accomplished an incredible amount over the last six weeks, not just academically in the classroom, but through the wealth of trips, visits, and extracurricular opportunities that allow our students to Prepare, Aspire, Succeed. I want to thank you for your support in ensuring students are here, ready to learn and making the most of every opportunity - right up to the final bell.
Traffic at the End of School
Following feedback from our recent Parent Survey and a visit from the Police to cars waiting on the main A418 last Friday, we need to address serious concerns regarding road safety at the end of the school day. We share the concern of our community regarding the safety of children attending both The Cottesloe School and Overstone, and we are determined to avoid an accident.
To ensure the safety of all children and road users, we must insist on the following:
- Parents/carers must not use the front of the school (Church Street) to collect students. This area is heavily congested and poses a risk to pedestrians and families from Overstone, many of whom live in the village and walk to pick up.
- The designated pick-up point for cars is the Coach Park. However, the gates cannot open until 3:06pm when the buses have safely departed. Do not queue on the main road before this time. This obstructs the highway, prevents buses from leaving, and is why the Police chose to attend on Friday
.
- In the survey, some parents suggested that staff should patrol the road to manage traffic. Please be aware that school staff have no legal jurisdiction to direct traffic on a public highway. Attempting to do so would create significant liability issues should an accident occur. Therefore, we cannot deploy staff to manage drivers outside the school gates.
- We have received reports of parents being abusive towards staff at the Coach Park gate. This is not acceptable; our staff are following strict safety protocols to protect your children, please interact with them and other drivers with respect.
We appeal for your support and understanding. We know that everyone has places to be, other children to pick up, or work to return to; however, the safety of your children must come first. Please arrive at the correct time, drive responsibly, and please treat staff and each other with kindness, patience, and consideration.
Behaviour on School Transport and in the Community
Parents have been in touch to report unacceptable behaviour on several bus routes. These reports include instances of swearing, shouting, aggression towards drivers, and the sharing of inappropriate content on mobile phones. We have also received specific complaints from the community about students not being respectful of their surroundings after disembarking. While wearing the school’s uniform, students are ambassadors for our school; their actions reflect on our community. Because students are easily identifiable, these complaints come directly to us. Parents remain responsible for their child's behaviour when travelling to and from school; however, we work with the Local Authority and the bus companies to sanction unsafe or anti-social behaviour. Please discuss these expectations with your child to ensure they represent themselves and the school with pride.
Uniform Standards: School Shoes
We have noticed a small but increasing number of students attending school in trainers, often stating that their school shoes are broken, wet, or cannot be found. As we approach the half-term break, you might use this time to replace outgrown or worn items. If you are shopping for new shoes, please do not be persuaded by your young person who may claim that trainers are now acceptable or that ‘everyone else is wearing them.’ Our uniform policy remains unchanged: students must wear plain black leather (or polishable) school shoes. Expensive branded trainers - even if they are black - are not permitted. Thank you for your support in maintaining our high standards.
Careers and Real World Experiences
Last week, Year 8 students enjoyed two fantastic experiences designed to develop their knowledge of the wider world and future careers, courtesy of global giants Coca-Cola and Red Bull.
On Tuesday, we were delighted to welcome Louise Garner from Coca-Cola EuroPacific Partners (CCEP), who joined all Year 8s virtually for an inspiring session on where a career can take you. Louise highlighted the massive advantage of having a second language on your CV, explaining how it unlocks doors within global companies. It was a fantastic, eye-opening talk, and our Year 8s were exceptional—asking lots of insightful questions and showing real interest in their future pathways. Thank you to Mr Gracey for organising this session.
he excitement continued as the brilliant Red Bull STEMx Experience arrived on site for four days. PA3 and the school hall were transformed into a Formula One paddock! Thanks to an innovative partnership between Oracle Red Bull Racing and Milton Keynes College, our students were immersed in the high-octane world of motorsport engineering. From the pressure of the Pit Stop Challenge (designed by real Red Bull engineers) to the creativity of the Livery Design station, students experienced the full spectrum of STEM careers. The highlight for many was the STEM Racing tournament, where students built and raced their own cars on a custom track, with podium finishers crowned at the end of each session. It wasn't just about speed; students also tackled media interviews and learned about the diverse career paths in F1. A huge thank you to the STEMx team for inspiring the next generation of engineers and strategists, and to Mrs Moore for organising this opportunity.
Sports Results
The Bucks Schools Cross Country Championships were held at Stowe School last week. Competing on a gruelling course against the very best runners in the county, our students showed incredible grit and determination. A huge congratulations to Year 11 student, Olive G, who produced the standout performance of the day, storming to silver in the Intermediate Girls race. Congratulations, Olive, on your fantastic podium result! The Junior Girls team also showed remarkable depth, with Poppy M securing a brilliant 5th place and Freya I, crossing the line in 15th. Freya’s brother, Josh I, came home in 20th place in the Intermediate Boys race. Achieving top-20 finishes at a county level is a significant achievement. Congratulations also to Phoebe C (43rd in the Junior Girls race) and Cameron T (67th in the Junior Boys race). Incredible performances from all our runners.
Netball We had a busy week of fixtures against Waddesdon, with mixed fortunes across the year groups but plenty of effort on display. Year 8 vs Waddesdon: A fantastic double victory to end the week on a high! A Team: 15-2 Win (POM: Libby) B Team: 4-3 Win (POM: Alegra) Year 7 vs Waddesdon: The Year 7s faced two tough matches - A Team: 5-10 Loss and B Team: 2-4 Loss
Basketball U14 vs STFS: A dominant performance from the U14s, who controlled the game from start to finish to secure a convincing 43-19 win. U13 vs AGS: The team faced a very strong AGS side, resulting in a 6-63 loss. Despite the scoreline, the boys kept their heads up and continued working hard until the final whistle.
Football U16 Girls vs Dr Challoners: An absolute thriller of a match with plenty of goals! The girls fought hard and found the net five times, but ultimately fell short in a high-scoring 5-9 defeat.
Cricket U13 Girls Tournament: Our Year 8 girls represented the school well in the tournament. Although they narrowly missed out on qualifying for the county finals, the afternoon was a huge success for building confidence. The squad demonstrated excellent spirit and teamwork throughout. Player of the Match: Poppy
Sparx Maths Update
We are fast approaching a massive milestone! With 949,760 questions now answered correctly, we are pushing hard toward the one-million mark. Students have now invested a staggering 10,862 hours of independent learning on the platform this year.
XP Progress: An incredible 465 students reached a new XP level this week. Special mentions this week go to:
- Highest Completion: 8w/Ma3
- Biggest Improvement: 10wy/Ma4
- Highest Average XP: 7y/Ma2
Sparx Science Update
There’s a general upward trend in engagement this week, particularly with a fantastic jump in participation from Year 9.
- Year 7: 77% (Up 3%)
- Year 8: 65% (Down 6%)
- Year 9: 70% (Up 9%)
- Year 10: 54% (Up 1%)
- Year 11: 30% (Post-Mocks Return)
The Top 5 Science Classes this week are listed below. It is wonderful to see a KS4 class breaking into the top 5. Well done, Year 10!
- 9yz/Sc1 (94%)
- 7w/Sc1 (91%)
- 7y/Sc2 (88%)
- 9wx/Sc1 (87%)
- 10WA/Bi (86%)
Events happening at school this week
Assembly Focus: National Apprenticeship Week (NAW). The theme this year is Skills for Life. Throughout the week, we have our Careers Coordinator, Mrs Gunn, delivering special assemblies to all year groups. She’ll be sharing how students can "earn while they learn" and explore over 650 different career paths – from Engineering to Law. How our 6Cs and Healthy Relationships will 'Power Up Skills' that they will need in the workplace.
Want to learn more? Read: The DfE's guide on how apprenticeships can kick-start careers: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2026/02/national-apprenticeship-week-2026-how-apprenticeships-can-kick-start-your-career/
Keep an eye on our socials and Futures Classrooms – we will be posting lots of opportunities for students throughout the week.
Cottesloe Futures Fest
As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we are excited to host the Cottesloe Futures Fest on Thursday. This careers fair is a brilliant opportunity for all year groups to connect with a wide range of employers, universities, and apprenticeship providers. All students will attend the fair during the school day.
How can you support your child? On Thursday, we are asking students to approach the day as ‘young professionals.’ We would appreciate your help in reinforcing three key expectations at home and go through the Student Preparation Booklet with them:
- Be Smart: Encourage your child to present themselves with pride. First impressions matter to the exhibitors looking for future talent.
- Be Curious: Ensure they have their Student Preparation Booklet ready on their Futures Google Classrooms. Please spend some time this week helping them identify "must-visit" stalls and asking insightful questions.
- Be Ambassadors: We expect our students to represent The Cottesloe School with the integrity and respect our community is known for.
Year 9 Options form submission deadline: Thursday
Monday: Year 8 Red Bull Race Day 4, Year 10 and 11 Drama Blood Brothers Workshop, Year 11 Hospitality and Catering Controlled Assessment Mock, Yr 7B &8B Netball vs Kingsbrook, Yr 11 Mixed Badminton vs Princes Risborough, Yr 8 Football vs AVA
Tuesday: GCSE and A Level Art trip to Tate Britain, Year 7 and Year 8 Lexia Literacy testing, Year 10 and Year 13 Physicists Biophysics talk
Wednesday: GCSE Poetry Live in Northampton, Year 10 Physicists Mathematical Physics talk, Children’s Mental Health Week Lunchtime activities, U15 Girls Cricket Tournament
Thursday: Year 9 Options form deadline, Cottesloe Future Fest Fair, Year 7 SigntoSing charity event, Yr 8 Basketball vs TBS, Yr 7A&B Netball vs AHS, Yr 11 Mixed Badminton vs TBS, Yr 7 Football vs Sir Thomas Fremantle
Friday: Last day of term, school finishes at 3pm.
Have a great week and if you get to spend some of the half-term break with your family, I hope you have a super time together. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Best wishes,
Louise Baldwin
Head of School