It has been another busy term at Cotham Learning Community. We have book-ended the term with review of student progress and achievement, with mock exams at the start of term and our Year 13 Parents Evening in the final week. We would like to extend our thank to parents and carers who are continuing to extend their support through these critical milestones as we approach the end of Post 16 study for our Year 13s.

It has been another busy term at Cotham Learning Community. We have book-ended the term with review of student progress and achievement, with mock exams at the start of term and our Year 13 Parents Evening in the final week. We would like to extend our thank to parents and carers who are continuing to extend their support through these critical milestones as we approach the end of Post 16 study for our Year 13s.

One of the biggest of these milestones has been the UCAS offers, which have started flooding in this term. A large number of our students are now in receipt of offers from their first choice institutions. We offer special congratulations to Atchchuthan, Corin, Gabriel, Theo, Barney and Louis who overcame an especially rigorous application and interview process to be offered places to study at Cambridge and Oxford Universities.

As ever, our students have been active in the student community this term, with Health and Social Care students setting up lunchtime information sessions on sexual health and smoking. This is a key component of their BTEC course, as well as a valuable opportunity to share important messages and resources with other students.

Lots of planning also took place this term to prepare for Healthy Relationships Week (5th-9th February). The RESPECT ambassadors developed a programme of assemblies and tutor-time activities, which they delivered directly to students from Years 7-13. In support of this work, TIGER (Teaching Individuals Gender Equality and Respect) have been continuing their weekly workshops at lunchtime in Charnwood.  These have been very well attended both by Post 16 and year 11 students, and are open to all.

Through the Year 12 Core Programme, The UNIFROG team have been in to introduce their website which supports UCAS and future career planning.  This is a key resource for our Year 12 learners in building their CVs and planning for the future. There is a huge amount of resource here for all potential Post 18 pathways and we encourage you to explore it also, in your supporting role - they all have a login! The final Core session of this term will be delivered by Independent People who are coming to talk to students about homelessness and the associated risks for young people, as well as sharing ways students can get involved in volunteering and advocacy pursuits. Year 12 students also had an assembly from their Senior Tutor on local work experience opportunities and the value of boosting their CVs with these opportunities.

Upgrade workshops have been continuing this term with themes such as Cornell Note Taking and revision resource preparation. There has also been a mock clinic held to assist students in reviewing their mock papers and planning for their own progress. Upgrade is a supported study space which is accessible to all learners when they do not have timetabled lessons.  

Finally, we have also had a busy term for trips, with a group of Year 12 students taking part in an Access to Higher Education workshop as part of our Future Quest programme. In addition,  A2 Biology students have visited the Medical School and student resources of Bristol University and A Level Drama students had the chance to see the critically revered ‘Little Match Girl’ at the Bristol Old Vic. We have also launched this year’s Spanish exchange and are supporting student application’s for the Mayor’s City Leadership Programme.

We wish our students a restful half term break as they take this opportunity to re-charge. At the end of term, we issued our first Wellbeing Bulletin with lots of resources and signposting to support. This was sent to all Post 16 students via their school email, so please do direct them to this if you think they have not yet seen it.