As we reach the end of another busy and successful academic year at Cotham Post 16. We first want to thank all students and staff for making the year such a special one. The achievements and accomplishments among our students are uncountable and we end the year, as always, exceptionally proud of Cotham Post 16 and everything that it stands for.

What better place to see that sparkle than in the summer production of Matilda, which saw Year 12 students taking a number of lead roles, both centre stage and behind the scenes. Congratulations to all involved for bringing such joy to so many.

The other big event of the term was the Year 12 Futures Conference. The conference focused on Post 18 plans and covered a variety of options including, university, apprenticeships, employment and travel. The students were brilliant and it was fantastic to see so many of them getting excited about opportunities open to them after they leave us. We were so pleased to be able to deliver this event face to face,welcoming students from both Cotham and RGS to the event. A reminder to all of our students that resources for the conference can be found via the NBP16 student hub in links at the bottom of the Futures section here (student login required). There are a large number of resources and support materials in this section of the Hub, which can be accessed from home as well as onsite. Furthermore, the Futures Bulletin is packed with summer opportunities.

We also had a brilliant morning with Year 12 off timetable looking at a range of personal development areas linked to their futures. Students engaged very positively in a group session focused on the way we learn. As well as looking at study skills and stress management, students also explored neurodiversity and what inclusive learning looks like. They then moved on to tutor seminars where they engaged further with the Cotham School Respect Project to explore topics of gender expression and body image. 

Term six, as always, has also been a busy one for trips and visits. The majority of our Year 12s have kept themselves on a busy schedule of University Open Days as they begin the task of narrowing down their UCAS choices. We also had our fantastic Duke of Edinburgh gold crew out on expedition at the Jurassic Coast. They were extremely lucky to experience a break in the rain, which helped to keep spirits high.  Another big trip went out this term, which saw all our Year 12 biologists undertaking their field work in Slapton. The weather was also stunning for this trip and they got so much out of the experience and Mr Barber commented on how exceptionally proud he was of their focus and resilience. Then of course we sent our expeditioners off to Morocco just before the end of term, where they are getting a wider-ranging experiences, with an immersive community experience and a four day trek in amongst them. The photos are already making us very jealous!

As well as the bigger expeditions, we have also had a large number of day trips and visits. 19 Year 12 students attended an Experience Day run by Future Quest at Glenside campus UWE. As part of the NHS-E Access to Medicine, Pharmacy & the Allied Health Professions programme, students were able to experience hands-on workshops exploring different healthcare professions. The programme also includes ongoing support for students through FutureXplorer sessions, which provide patient scenarios, online NHS Values activity, personal statement guidance, and UCAS application support. Staff at Future Quest were extremely impressed with the engagement from our students and look forward to supporting them with their future choices. We also welcomed students from UWE who ran two days work of immersive workshops for our Year 12s on all things economics. 

And finally, a thank you and well done to our students leadership team who put on some fantastic events and the end of term. The table tennis tournament was hard-fought and brought a brilliant energy to Charnwood, even as some of the staff favourites were toppled one-by-one! The team also put together a team quiz for the last Core session of the year. Even with some of the most random rounds included, it was a fantastic celebration at the end of a fantastic year,  

As always, we wish our students a restful summer break. We encourage our Year 12s to view this short film on the step up to Year 13, if they haven’t already. Please also encourage them to look out for the wellbeing bulletin, being emailed to them at the end of term (you can preview a summary of this here). We are exceptionally proud of everything that has been achieved at Cotham P16 this year and look forward to continuing those successes in September, with lots of exciting plans afoot for the next academic year.