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Issue 3, February 2019

Dear Parents and Carers,
It is with great pride and a sense of purpose that I write to say how delighted I am to have been offered and accepted the role of Headteacher at The Cottesloe School. I consider it to be a huge privilege to lead this school and I pledge that I will go the ‘extra mile’ to ensure that the students who attend the school will have a first class educational experience that helps them to achieve their dreams and aspirations.
The school is in a strong position and with the support of the staff, students, parents and Governors I intend to make it even stronger. At the heart of that is our core purpose; teaching and providing the students with a rich and deep learning experience that will prepare them for the next steps in their study, work, training or employment.
This is an exciting time for the school and the community it serves and I am honoured to be leading
it into the next part of its journey.
Mr S Jones
Headteacher

Appointment of Headteacher
I am delighted on behalf of the Board of Governors and the school to inform you that we have appointed Mr Simon Jones, your current Acting Headteacher, as our permanent Headteacher with effect from 14th February 2019. We wish him all the very best.
Mr Adrian Titley Chair, The Cottesloe School Governing Board

Careers Fair
We would like to thank everyone who attended our Careers Awareness Day on Wednesday 6th February.
It gave all year groups an opportunity to have contact with a variety of employers and education providers, allowing students to gain a valuable insight into a
variety of career, apprenticeship and further educational opportunities, and come away feeling inspired.

Visit the Careers page of our website for more information about careers, work experience and apprenticeships.

Year 11 Mock Results’ Day Friday 4th January 2019
As many students entered the hall on Friday; some with trepidation and many with nervous excitement, I had the pleasure in sharing the results’ process with Year 11. All students listened attentively as Mr Peel began the event with a motivational talk about the days, weeks and months to follow their results and the ways to use results to strive for an even better performance in the March mocks and public examinations.
Then came the opening of the results’ envelopes! For many, it was a moment of relief, celebration and pride for the period of revision that had led to the November mock examinations. It was a privilege to share in this moment and to congratulate so many students for the progress they have made.
Equally, for some, it was a moment to reflect on results that were a disappointment, but the overwhelming sentiment that bounced around the hall was that there was time, and motivation, to build on these results and work towards an even better set of results for the March mocks.
I’d like to take this opportunity to praise Year 11 for the maturity with which they conducted themselves on the day and I hope that this experience gave them a flavour of what to expect in August. They must now use their mock examination results to address errors, misconceptions and weaker areas through their revision so that they can feel ready for the March mock examinations which will commence 11th March 2019.
Miss Timoney
Raising Standards Leader KS4

The Cottesloe School Shop
We stock uniform, stationery, books and revision guides
at very reasonable prices - all under one roof.
During term-time the Shop is open:
Monday to Friday, 8am-4pm
Parents' Evenings, 4:30pm-7pm
How to order
View the online catalogue
Complete order form (print the pdf file, or request a copy from the school)
Send completed order form together with cash or make payment via ParentPay
When your order is ready it will be sent home with your child

As exam season approaches, revision becomes more important than ever. I personally recommend practise questions, as one of the most effective ways to revise, as it highlights personal strengths and weakness, in the topics.

Science Revision
Recently the school shop has released CGP science revision cards. These are great for testing your knowledge, on a range of subjects with area specific questions. Some are quite challenging, but definitely a useful revision tool!

www.duolingo.com

Language Revision
The only way to improve language skills is to practise regularly. Though daily practise can be tricky to fit in, Duolingo is an excellent, easy method to enhance vocabulary for your chosen language. It can be downloaded on phones and other devices, so you can practise anywhere!

By Chloe Kilday, 10JM

Cottesloe Students face their own ‘Dragons’ Den’
Year 10 Business Studies students at The Cottesloe School have had a taste of doing business ‘Dragons’ Den’ style with the new branding from the winning pitch featuring in a designated catering cabin at the school.
Alliance in Partnership (AiP), in-house caterers at the school, challenged the 80 students, as part of their GCSE Business Studies course, to come up with an inspirational new branding concept for a food cabin; an eating point in the school grounds.
The students were given a brief and budget to rebrand the cabin, and several weeks later they presented their proposals to a ‘Dragons’ Den’ panel of four; Mrs Hulland – Cottesloe Business Manager, Cherie-Anne Hart – Business Director AiP, Marje Randall – Operations Manager AiP, and Elaine Armstrong – Key Client Manager AiP. The winning team, consisting of Joe Stansfield (team leader), Paige Wilcox, James Fielding, Eloise Ward, Erica Meadows and Elliot Lack, came up with a logo that was simple but fresh, and had a good visual impact.
On Wednesday 30th January, the newly branded catering cabin featuring their logo ‘Cabin Cuisine’ was unveiled. The winning team were delighted to take part in the opening ceremony attended by Mr Simon Jones.
After cutting the ribbon, Joe told us “I feel very privileged to work with such a great team, and it has been a great experience”. Paige said “this has been a terrific opportunity because we learned so much, and got to see how the branding of a business is achieved”, and James added “I am proud of all of us for this achievement!”
Elaine Armstrong, Key Client Manager at Alliance in Partnership said: “All entries in the challenge were of a really high standard and the decision was very difficult. The winning group went one step further with their research and presentation, carrying out a survey with retailers in Milton Keynes and then implementing effective marketing by uploading a presentation onto the school’s TV to promote the new cabin design. AiP often gets involved in ‘added value’ events in our school contracts and this was great fun to do. The students showed great skill, confidence and thought – really impressive.”

Rotary Club Design and Technology Tournament
Continued success for our students in the Rotary Club of Aylesbury Hundreds Design and Technology tournament. This year students won three of the four categories with one team placed second. Fifteen teams representing local schools took part in the annual event held at Aylesbury College on Monday 4th February.
Teams were given three hours to work on a given challenge with the background scenario that a train had derailed carrying hazardous chemicals in a container. Students had to design and build a lifting device to recover the container from a safe distance.
Year 9 students won first and second place
in the Foundation category
Bella Lewington Alice Husbands
Georgia Manners-Jones Chloe Cowling
Lucy Lynch Maddie Lacey
Annabel Carillo India Mealing
Athur Searle Natasha Machimbidzofa
Toby Bennett Nicole Andrews
Year 10 students won the Intermediate category
Peter Metcalfe Eleanor Brimmell
Louis Blinkhorn Kiara Davis
Osten Doherty Millie Hawes
Scarlett Mercer Nathanial Lacey
Year 12 took home the Advanced category
Aaron Dove Aidan Morris
Olly Ryan Will List
Alex Ketteridge Toby Pollington
Will Bradburn Danny Gough
Logan Forbes-Phyall Jordan Blackmore
It is always an enjoyable experience doing something different away from the classroom, it’s great fun and a learning opportunity working as a team trying to solve a real problem. Each of the winning teams received cash prizes along with the great prestige.
Thank you to Mrs Hankin for organising our student participation, to Mr Poote for technical preparation and to Mrs Swaby and Mrs Anderson for preparing materials and equipment for the event. A huge thank you must also go to the Rotary Club of Aylesbury Hundreds and Aylesbury College. Thank you and congratulations to all involved.
Mr Bonser
Head of Design and Technology

The Poland Trip - by Kai Gregory, Year 10
In January 50 students and 5 teachers set out on a trip to Poland. After an exhausting 8 hour trip by coach and plane we finally arrived and we were greeted with the sub-zero temperatures and our tour guide, Jeff. After a brief tour we went to one of the largest shopping malls in Poland, the ‘Zlote Tarasy’. We then visited the museum of the history of Polish Jews, with the tour guide pointing out various landmarks and memorials on the way. The museum was a huge building with lots of fascinating artefacts and displays such as a recreation of a synagogue, a 1920s horror movie, a full street imitating those in the 1930s and even a dance floor. We returned to the hotel having learnt a lot and we slept well; tomorrow we would go to Treblinka.
Although the buildings and much of the evidence were hurriedly buried during the Allied invasion of Nazi Germany, some remnants of the atrocities committed here remained. We could see these artefacts in the museum nearby as well as a detailed map of the camp and even sections of buildings. Understandably it was very upsetting; just comprehending that a mass killing took place beneath our feet merely seventy years ago is enough to make anyone upset. We gained a new perspective of the sheer loss of life through the countless gravestones, each representing a town or a city with a Jewish community.
Feeling sombre we walked back along the gravestones, each a symbol of the immense loss of life.
The next day we went to the zoo and the old town; this was a chance to experience Poland by ourselves and learn about the history of Warsaw and Jews whilst doing so. The zoo and old town were a way to lighten our moods after the trip to Treblinka, which had left us rather subdued. Ignoring the subzero temperatures, we toured the zoo and town, discovering significant landmarks on the way. After sampling Polish foods and exploring the bustling and picturesque old town; we said goodbye to our tour guide and set on our return journey. During our long wait to board the airplane we had time to reflect on the trip and what we learnt. Relieved but tired we headed home.

Friends of Cottesloe School
December fundraising
December was an incredibly busy month for the Friends of Cottesloe.
In the previous newsletter I gave details of the events we ran or supported.
In addition, we also had a very successful Year 7 Christmas Disco and Games Room on 17th December. At this event, students had the option to take part in a competition for the best ‘Christmas Spirit’ as shown through something like their clothes/costume or hair. First prize went to Toby Purbrick, the runner up prizes went to Jack Brigden and Issy Hegarty. Our glitter tattoo fundraising stall was once again successfully run by Year 10 students Chloe Kilday and Erica Meadows.
Amazing fundraising total
The hard work of parents and staff during December resulted our highest total for some time. We made £1,340 profit which is incredible. Well done and thank you to everyone who supported our events.
Annual General Meeting
In January the Friends of Cottesloe had their AGM. During the meeting we adopted the PTA UK (Parentkind) constitution.
We remain a ‘Friends’ association, rather than a Parent Teacher association. All parents and staff of the school are automatically members of the Friends of Cottesloe and can volunteer to support events or become committee members. As a ‘friends’ organisation it means that anyone who considers themselves a friend of the school and are over age 18 can also offer to support events or become a member.
A new committee was also established and people were elected to key roles. This is shown below.
We agreed the need to formulate a vision statement so that our aims and purpose are more clearly defined and this is something we are currently working on.
Forthcoming Events
We have the Year 7 Easter Disco on Thursday 14th March, 6:30pm - 8:30pm, with a professional DJ booked for the evening. We’ll be organising an Easter egg themed challenge, Games Room and Tuck Shop (bring cash!) Tickets are £4 and will be available via ParentPay after the half term.
We are currently planning our events calendar for later in 2019. If you have any suggestions for a fundraiser, would like to support an event, or become a committee member, then please get in touch.
Miss Hawkes
Chair of Friends of Cottesloe
ahawkes@cottesloe.bucks.sch.uk

Committee
Angela Hawkes (staff) Chair
Miriam Lay (staff) Deputy Chair
Liz Sands (parent) Secretary
Nicola Hulland (staff) Treasurer
Stella Goddard (staff)
Donna Geoghegan (parent)

Success Beyond the Classroom
Football News - Arsenal Signing
I've been playing football since I was three. I joined an Under 6s club for a local team where I was the only girl. I played with Pitstone and Ivinghoe Junior Football Club (for under 12s), then joined a new football team, Wing Raiders (girls).
I recently succeeded in getting through try-outs and was selected to join the Arsenal Girls Development Squad. This is a huge achievement for me after having multiple surgeries on both legs. My coaches are excited to see how far I will moved upwards in our teams.
Emma List, Year 9

This is my Story - written by Deborah Hodgetts
In 2018, myself and 27 other screenwriters from across the globe were selected from thousands of hopeful screenwriters to attend 'Talent Campus' in November 2018 - February 2019 at Regents University, London and the famous Ealing Studios.
'Talent Campus' initiative is hosted by 'London Screenwriters Festival' and supported by Screen-Skills, and is now in its fifth cycle. The aim of Talent Campus is to advance professional development and prepare screenwriters for entrance into the industry.
During the last month I have written the treatment and scripts for a Teen Drama Series titles 'The Lost Girls', and the following three Feature films; ‘The Adventures of Justin and the Grinillo’, ‘The Watchers of Bridge Hollow’ and ‘The Curtain Twitchers of Oakley Place’.
On 21st of February, I will be returning to London to pitch the Teen Drama and Feature films to the following companies in the film and TV industry: ITV, CH4, Bankside Films, Sprout Pictures, Hartswood, Mammoth Screen, David Higham Associates, Carnaby International, and West End Films to name but a few.
Alongside my work at The Cottesloe school where I am a Teaching Assistant, I am also a published Young Adult author, Poet and Blogger with a following predominantly in the USA, and globally. Here are some of the titles: Stray Branch Autumn /Fall - Poetry Anthology
Published by Stray Branch Publications, three poetry anthologies; Cover to Cover, A Day in Time, The One Week Poetry Challenge - Published by Forward Poetry, Applause Now Please - E-book published by Cut-a-long Story, A Universe of Love - Debut Poetry Collection, Published by Blurb Publications, The Curtain Twitchers of Oakley Place, Young Adult Novel Published by Lightening Source and The Beautiful Music of Words Ltd.
I appear on the radio in the USA every two months publicising my work and raising awareness for homelessness. My YA novel titled 'The Curtain Twitchers of Oakley Place' tells the story of Homeless teen Barney Lumsden, who discovers that he's part of a government conspiracy going back centuries. This novel has been picked up by a producer in LA, and is going to be made into a feature film. The sales and royalties from the book title are being donated to help homeless people in the UK, USA and globally. I also regularly support homeless the following homeless charities in the UK; Crisis and Shelter. I look forward to returning soon to share further updates on my writing.

Book Fair
A big thankyou to everyone who supported the book fair, including the wonderful helpers:- Amy Miles, Izzy Parker, Kiara Chapel, Emma Eady and Rhylee Goosey.
We ran a free raffle for all the students who attended the fair, and we had three winners who were able to select a free book. Congratulations to the winners; Eloise, Jack and Cydney.
Mrs Farmer
Librarian

Attendance Matters
Attendance continues to be strong at The Cottesloe School. Please continue to support the school by minimising unnecessary absence, and encourage the highest possible level of attendance - it really does make an impact on a students’ education.
Mrs Hardings
Attendance Officer

Dates for the Diary
Year 11 Mocks:
Monday 4th March - Friday 15th March
Art exam: Monday 25th March
Year 13 Parents’ Evening
Tuesday 5th March
4.30-7pm
Year 8 Options Evening
Wednesday 13th March
4.30-7pm
FoC Year 7 Easter Disco
Thursday 14th March
6.30-8.30pm
Year 12 Parents’ Evening
Thursday 21st March
4.30-7pm
Year 11 Parents’ Evening
Wednesday 27th March
4.30-7pm
Easter Break
Monday 8th April - Tuesday 23 April
Year 10 Parents’ Evening
Thursday 25th April
4.30-7pm
Year 8 Parents’ Evening
Thursday 2nd May
4.30-7pm
Summer Exams
Begin Tuesday 7th May
See timetable
Half Term
Monday 27th May - Friday 31st May
Year 9 Parents’ Evening
Wednesday 12th June
4.30-7pm

Lettings@Cottesloe
Did you know that you could hire our facilities? How about getting some friends together for some 5-a-side or a game of badminton in the Sports hub, or maybe you need a classroom for a meeting or regular club get together? Open 7 days a week 52 weeks of the year. For enquiries, please email: lettings@cottesloe.bucks.sch.uk
Slimming World
We are pleased to announce that Slimming World have just signed on the dotted line and will be holding their meetings here every Tuesday 7.30pm in the canteen starting on 12th February. Hannah has been running the local group very successfully for a number of years so if you would like to come along give, her a call on 07732 298168.
Active Bucks
Active Bucks have partnered up with our Local Futsal club to provide coaching and game time @theHub for only £2 a session. Mavericks Futsal have been providing coaching for local boys and girls at Cottesloe for the past 4 years. This new initiative is aimed at ages 16+ with social play and coaching from Flavio. So, release your inner Neymar dust, off the trainers and come along 8-9pm Fridays (term time only). Pick up a leaflet from the school reception or email: info@mavericksfutsal.club or call Steve on 07526 249667.
Contemporary Dance Classes
Running every Monday from 25th February 2019, classes are available to students in Years 7-11, in the Cottesloe School Dance Studio, 5.30-6.30pm. The cost is £5 per lesson.
For more information and to reserve your place, please contact Anya: tel: 07447919862,
email: pulseperformingarts@aol.co.uk.

Term Dates	Term starts on:	Last day of term:
Spring 2019		Friday 15 February
	Monday 25 February	Friday 5 April
Summer 2019	Wednesday 24 April	Friday 24 May
	Monday 3 June	Wednesday 24 July (1.20pm finish)

Staff Inset 2019 (non-student day): Tuesday 23 April

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