Newsletter 09/01/26
cotham gardens primary school
weekly newsletter 09/1/2026
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Welcome to 2026 at Cotham Gardens – I hope you all enjoyed a relaxing break. We have started the term full of energy and enthusiasm, beginning with an inspiring neurodiversity conference on Monday in the company of 500 other teaching staff from across the NW24 network of schools. We heard from nationally acclaimed speakers, and then had the chance to break into a wide range of workshops covering all aspects of inclusive teaching in mainstream schools.
In school, children have also got straight back into routine. I’ve already been able to hand out a good number of Headteacher stickers for excellent work and/or attitudes to learning, along with our usual end of week Golden Rule certificates for:
- Showing respect
- Being kind
- Trying your best
- Being responsible
On Thursday, all year groups took part in enrichment cricket session English Cricket Board sponsored coaches. The sessions were well run and I was delighted with the feedback from the coaches who said our children listened, participated and behaved extremely well. It was a great day and perhaps some of our children will be able to help turnaround English cricket fortunes sometime in the future!
There are lots of other enrichment activities lined up for the coming weeks and months including the police van visit on Monday morning, train trips, drama workshops, cooking, languages week, an aquarium visit, author visits, sports fixtures, and choir rehearsals to name but a few. Please do look out for the consent forms and payment details for outside events, and please get in touch if you are able to help out where volunteers are needed. I'd also like to draw your attention to an online safety workshop for parents on 10th February - see below for more details.
Finally, a reminder that the deadline to apply for a reception school place is next Thursday and this includes all children who are currently at the Elmtree Nursery.
Have a lovely weekend.
Emmeline Smith
COMING UP NEXT WEEK
MONDAY 12th JANUARY
Reception Police Van Visit
TUESDAY 13th JANUARY
Coffee Morning - EG Hall
All Welcome after drop untill 10:00am
YR6 Boys Football - Shine - 15.45pm
WEDNESDAY 14th JANUARY
PTAF Meeting - Library - 19:30pm
THURSDAY 15th JANUARY
Deadline to apply for a Reception 2026 place
GOLDEN CERTIFICATE WINNERS
ATTENDANCE WINNERS AND REMINDERS
This week’s class attendance winners are:
Maple with 100% - Well done!
This week’s class punctuality winners are:
Foxes with 100% - Well done!
A huge well done to all classes for achieving 96% attendance and above – that's brilliant!
We know how much effort goes into getting children to school every day. Morning routines aren't always easy, and we really appreciate the commitment you show in making sure your child is here, ready to learn.
Thank you for prioritising attendance and punctuality – it makes a real difference to your child's learning and to our whole school community.
At Cotham Gardens Primary School, we believe that our community is stronger together, with all of our pupils in school, on time, every day. We are building life skills, life-long friendships and preparing your child for future success.
We know that sometimes our pupils cannot come to school because they are really unwell - and that's the right thing to do for them and other students. Medical advice is clear however that children with mild illness will often be well enough to attend - for example if they have a cough, or cold, without a temperature. The NHS guidance Is my child too ill for school? - NHS (www.nhs.uk) is designed to support parents in their decision making about mild illness.
Reporting Absence
Sickness can be reported via the new Arbor Parent Portal or Arbor App - as well as our usual absence line (0117 3772610 option 1)
To do this on Arbor, go to:
- Quick Actions
- Attendance
- Log Absence
- Input the absence details, ensuring you provide a detailed reason for the absence
- Submit the request by clicking Log Absence
School staff will then approve or reject the absence. Once approved, it will be visible in the Attendance tab.
Medical Appointments
Parents should try to make appointments outside of school hours wherever possible. Where appointments during school time are unavoidable, the pupil should only be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary for the appointment.
It is not acceptable for a child to miss a whole day’s schooling for an appointment, unless absolutely necessary, in which case the school will need an explanation as to why this is. If a pupil must attend a medical appointment during the school day, they must be collected from the school office by the parent or another authorised adult, and signed out. No pupil will be allowed to leave the school site without parental confirmation.
Advance notice is required for medical or dental appointments, unless it’s an emergency appointment, and must be supported by providing the school with sight of, or a copy of, the appointment card or letter – only then will the absence be authorised.
📅 SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY FORUM 📅
Community Forum
📍 In-Person Forum
📅 Date: Wednesday, 21st January
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
📍 Location: Cotham Grove Hall
💻Online Forum
📅 Date: Thursday, 22nd January
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM
📲 Platform: Link will be shared via ClassDojo
RECEPTION 2026 - DEADLINE TO APPLY - THURSDAY 15TH JANUARY
Application deadline: 15 January 2026
How to apply
CENSUS DAY LUNCH BOOKING FOR KS1
Our school Census day is on Thursday 15th January. AIP would like to encourage all KS1 children to try the school meal on this day. Therefore, all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will be a offered a school lunch, regardless of whether they bring in a packed lunch from home or not.
MENU
Sausage Penne Pasta Bake (Halal option also)
Or
Vegan Hearty Sausage Pasta Bake
Or
Jacket Potatoes
Don’t forget, all lunch choices must be pre-booked and paid for in advance using Arbor, even if you plan to send your child into school with a packed lunch. This is crucial to help the kitchen with food orders, reduce food waste and to ensure
Please note - you must have enough credit in your Arbor account to pay for any pre-booked lunches. If you do not have enough credit to cover any pre-booked lunches – Arbor will automatically remove the choice on the day and your child will need to bring in a packed lunch from home.
My child receives Free School Meals
If your child receives Free School Meals, you still need to pre-book their lunches for the upcoming week via Arbor but you will not be charged anything during the checkout process.
If you need instructions on how to make bookings via the Arbor app or Parent Portal, please visit: https://support.arbor-education.com/hc/en-us/articles/6956696271261-Meal-Menu-choices-on-the-Parent-Portal-or-Parent-App
For more information about school lunches and to view the new lunch menu – please visit: https://www.cothamgardens.co.uk/docs/School_Website_menu_Autum-Winter.pdf
📚YEAR 3 BOOK BAGS AND READING RECORDS 📚
Book bags and reading records
Children need to have a book bag. If you still have one from your time at Elmgrove, please ensure it is named and brought in by the end of this week. If you need to purchase a new book bag, this can be ordered via your child's Arbor account - by navigating to the School Shop, found under 'Quick Actions'. Orders will be processed by the office team, who will deliver book bags to classrooms.
Your child will be given a reading record for you to sign off their three weekly reading sessions. Please make a note of the date and what was read.
Which books will my child be reading?
Levelled Readers
If your child is currently reading levelled books (most of year 3), they will bring home up to two books per week. The first will be a levelled reader matched to your child’s reading stage 🎯. Your child should be able to read this book with confidence 💪. We recommend reading it three times during the week 🔄 to reinforce decoding skills and develop prosody.
The second book will be an optional book for pleasure, chosen by your child from the book corner or the library 🧸. This book may be beyond your child’s current reading level and is intended to be shared with an adult 👨👩👧. You might read it to your child, take turns reading sections, or simply enjoy it together in a way that suits your family. The emphasis is on enjoyment, language development, and fostering a love of reading ❤️.
The Importance of Reading at Home
Reading at home plays a vital role in your child’s progress. Regular reading helps to build fluency, strengthen vocabulary, deepen comprehension, and develop a lifelong love of books. Just a few minutes of shared reading each day can make a significant difference to your child’s confidence and enjoyment as a reader. Thank you for supporting this important part of their learning journey.
Warm regards,
The Year 3 Team
📚AUTHOR VISIT TO YEAR 4/5/6 📚
Storytelling Week: A Special Visit from John Row!
We’re excited to announce that as part of Storytelling Week in early February, our school will welcome the internationally acclaimed storyteller John Row!
On Tuesday, 3rd February, John will lead inspiring storytelling sessions for Years 4, 5, and 6, bringing this wonderful and historic art form to life.
With over 40 years of experience as a poet and storyteller, John has performed at festivals, libraries, and schools all over the world. His visit promises to spark creativity and imagination in our students—we can’t wait for them to experience the magic of his stories!
The cost for this special event is £2.69, payable in the usual way via Arbor.
Thank you for supporting this exciting opportunity.
NURSE DROP IN SESSIONS
The school nurse will be dropping in for some sessions with parents and carers on the dates below - please click on the date to book your lot:
WE STILL HAVE FOUR SLOTS FREE FOR THE 20TH JANUARY.
The sessions will be about offering support and information around topics such as emotional support and relationships, sleep, healthy eating, exercise, being healthy, smoking/vaping.
The sessions will be running between 9am-10am and are held in the hall at Elmgrove. There are four 15 minute slots available per session and are offered on a first come, first serve basis. You will be able to join in with coffee morning whilst you wait to be seen.
If you do book a slot with the Sirona Nurse and are then unable to attend, please let us know in advance so we can offer out that sessions to another family.
ONLINE SAFETY WORKSHOP
BOOK CORNER WITH EAGLES CLASS
This term, Eagles (Year 4) have been swept away by The Girl Who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook — an exciting adventure set in the lush landscapes of Sri Lanka. The story follows Chaya, a bold and fearless heroine who dares to challenge injustice and protect those she loves. With daring escapes, hidden treasures, and an elephant at the heart of the tale, this book has sparked brilliant discussions about courage, fairness, and friendship.
This gripping read has not only kept us turning pages but also encouraged us to think deeply about bravery and justice in our own lives.
PTAF NEWS
Everyone on the PTAF team would like to wish you a Happy New Year. We hope you all had a restful holiday.
Coming up this term:
📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝
PTAF MEETING
Wednesday 14th January 7.30pm
Cotham Grove Library.
Everyone is welcome. Please come along and share your fundraising ideas with us.
🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵
ELMGROVE PLAY STREET AND BAKE SALE
Friday 23rd January 3.15pm
Everyone from both school sites is welcome.
🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴
COTHAM GROVE PLAY STREET AND BAKE SALE
Friday 6th February 3.15pm
Everyone from both sites is welcome.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
LAUNCH OF THE SPONSORED READ
Monday 9th February.
More details to follow.
🏃🏿🏃🏿♀️🏃♂️🏃🏿🏃🏿♀️🏃♂️🏃🏿🏃🏿♀️🏃♂️🏃🏿🏃🏿♀️🏃♂️
ELMGROVE PLAYGROUND MARKINGS
We are excited about relaunching our crowdfunder for new markings in the Elmgrove playground. The Cotham Grove site ones have been a huge hit so now it’s time for our Key Stage One children to be in on the extra fun!
To donate please click on the link below.
Or if you know anyone who might like to sponsor or donate then please get in touch.
https://wonderful.org/fundraisers/79PgL
💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰
YOUR SCHOOL LOTTERY
One very easy way you can help raise money is to buy a lottery ticket through our new school lottery system.
One winner from our school is guaranteed every week!
Click on the link below to buy tickets!
CREATIVITY CLUB - TUESDAYS @ COTHAM GROVE
The OG Creativity Club is bookable!
Tuesdays @ Cotham Grove for yrs 3-6. Devised by Emma from Chandos Atelier and delivered by a professional maker with years of experience, these are an hour of creative exploration using art materials. Enriching and imaginative, they develop skills and resilience, teaching techniques and methods rather than giving follow-along instructions - perfect for creative kids and art adventurers!
https://www.chandosatelier.co.uk/bookings
“His creativity at home and his attitude to materials and projects has exploded, which includes scientific endeavours, inspired by your materials and attitude to creativity.”
COMMUNITY NEWS
Flu Immunisations Still Available
Children’s Flu vaccination (nasal and injection) catch-up clinics are still available for Reception to Year 11 students who did not receive their vaccinations at school. Please book an appointment at https://imms.sirona-cic.org.uk/flu/2025/book?v=4
If you have any queries please contact the Immunisation Team directly on 0300 124 5515 or email sirona.sch-imms@nhs.net
Sunday Year 1 Footballers wanted!
Shine would like to invite footballers in Year 1, to a FREE TRIAL for the Shine Saints Under 6s Football Squad. Get ready to play Sunday league football.
They will:
- Play friendly fixtures on Sundays, until September when we will play competitive fixtures in the Hanham Minor League.
- Training takes place on Wednesday evenings from 17:15-18:15pm at the Shine Sports Ground, BS6
- Official Shine Saints kit for all players
Come and try for the rest of the month and see how you get on...just email us and we will let you know the next session to come to.
To confirm your FREE TRIAL, simply email info@myshine.co.uk. Just email us your child's full name, date of birth and two emergency contact names & telephone numbers.
STRENGTHENING FAMILIES
BRISTOL FAMILY HUBS
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