cotham gardens primary school

weekly newsletter  10/10/2025

 

 

This week began with the launch of Black History Month during our weekly values assembly. Our year-round history curriculum teaches pupils about chronology, historical enquiry, and substantive concepts like power, migration, and empire.  It aligns with the National Curriculum for England and features resources that help teachers embed local history and develop students' understanding of key events, figures, and concepts from both national and international perspectives. Black History Month is a chance to enhance this core curriculum and the central idea for BHM is “Standing Firm in Power and Pride”.  The teaching resources are designed to be a powerful tribute to the resilience, strength, and commitment to progress that defines the Black community across the globe. Along with assemblies, every class from Y1-Y6 will have a series of four lessons based on the following themes, culminating in a written piece of work for display.  

Year 1 – Creativity, Courage, Change 

Year 2 – Truth to Power 

Year 3 – Power in Protest 

Year 4 – Pride in Our Roots 

Year 5 – Standing Firm in Parliament 

Year 6 – Their Service, Our History 

Also on Monday, I had the pleasure of accompanying KS2 children and Mrs Bush to the inter school cross country competition at St Bedes. It was a glorious evening, and all children showed great resilience, running in the hot sunshine. Congratulations to Zahina who was selected to represent North Bristol in the county championships in November. The Y6 boys football team also had a good first outing of the season making a promising start with three wins and two losses. Thanks to Mr Jarman Davis for stepping in as manager this week. Scroll down for photos.  

This week has been Dyslexia Awareness week in the UK and all classes held a class assembly on the topic. 10% of the population are believed to be dyslexic but it is still often poorly understood and can have a significant impact during education, in the workplace and in everyday life. The children learned that dyslexic people think differently, are often super smart and good at finding creative solutions to problems. At Cotham Gardens we know that reading is the gateway skill to all learning and that dyslexic children need the same high quality phonics teaching, reading practise and fluency activities as all other children, with additional targeted support where needed. 

Finally, a quick reminder to book your parent consultation appointments via the Arbor app. Meetings can be online or face to face and take place the week after next. Also, our next Community forum is on Wednesday 22nd October at 9am. At this meeting we will share all the latest news on school improvement, academic results and strategic plans.  

Have a good weekend.

Emmeline Smith

 

 

 

MONDAY 13TH OCTOBER

YR5 swimming

Please remember to bring in swimming kits and a snack for afterwards.

 

TUESDAY 14TH OCTOBER

Coffee morning 

All welcome at the Elmgrove Hall from drop off till 10.00am.

 YR5 Geography walk

 Eagles parents evening (all other classes 21st and 22nd October)

3.40pm - 6.00pm (Virtual online or face/face)

 

WEDNESDAY 14TH OCTOBER

Eagles parents evening (all other classes 21st and 22nd October)

3.40pm - 6.00pm (Virtual online or face/face)

   

THURSDAY 15TH OCTOBER

Nasal flu immunisations 

Reception open event for new starters September 2026

EG 9.30-10.30

 YR6 Camp information session

Birch class room at 5.00pm-6.00pm

 

FRIDAY 16TH OCTOBER

PTAF spooky disco (ticket only)

CG hall from 4.30pm                  

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week’s class attendance winners are: 

  Ladybirds / Kingfisher / Birch /Pine all with 98%  - Well done! 

This week’s class punctuality winners are:

 Rabbits and Maple with 100%  - Well done! 

 

 

  

  

At Cotham Gardens, we believe every child deserves the best start to their day! 

⏰ Arrive by: 8:55am

🚪 Gates open: 8:40am (Elmgrove) / 8:45am (Cotham Grove)

📖 Learning starts: 9:00am

 

Late arrivals mean:

❌ Disruption to learning

❌ Missed instructions

❌ Children feeling unsettled 

 

Let's work together to give every child the best chance to succeed! 💪

#MomentsMatter,AttendanceCounts

 

 

 

In the interests of safety please can you ensure that your child does not bring glass water bottles into school. This week two such bottles smashed and required a careful clean up.

 

 

 

Sirona will be here to do the Flu Vaccinations on Thursday 16th October, communication was sent out this week along with the link to fill out your consent form. 

Please complete the consent form as soon as possible:

https://imms.sirona-cic.org.uk/flu/2025/consent?v=4 

How is the vaccine given?

The flu vaccine is usually given using a quick and easy nasal spray, this is the best flu vaccine for children. If your child cannot have the nasal spray due to the porcine gelatine content or for medical reasons, you can consent for your child to have an injection instead. If we cannot offer the injection at your child’s school, you will be able to book a clinic appointment.

Important deadlines:

• The consent system closes 2 working days before the vaccination session at school.
• If you complete your form after the deadline we may not be able to see your child at the school session

Want to learn more?

Flu vaccination for children: leaflets and posters - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Questions?

Contact the School Immunisation Team: 0300 124 5515 or email sirona.sch-imms@nhs.net

      

  

YR6 parents all welcome on Thursday 17th October to join the YR6 teachers in Birch class room, to discuss all things camp!

If you have any questions regarding camp or any concerns, please come along for an information sessions, held by the lovely Y6 teachers to answer and give all information regarding YR6 camp.

The session will run 5.00pm - 6.00pm.

 

 

Parent consultations will be taking place on the following dates:

• Eagles Tuesday 14th October 3:40-6:00pm (Virtual online or face/face)
• Eagles Wednesday 15th October 3:40-7:00pm (Virtual online or face/face)

 All other classes:

• Tuesday 21st October between 3:40-6:00pm (Virtual online or face/face)
• Wednesday 22nd October between 3:40-7:00pm (Virtual online or face/face)

This is an important meeting and provides you with an opportunity to talk to your child’s class teacher about school and the progress that your child is making.

You will be able to book your child’s parent consultation appointment via your child's Arbor account until Monday 20th October at 10.00pm.

• Your child’s consultation will take place in their class room if you have booked a face/face meeting.
• The appointments will last strictly 10 minutes, whether they are online or face to face.
• To ensure all families have the opportunity to attend a parent consultation appointment, we kindly ask that you book one appointment per family. If you have any questions about booking, please contact the school office.
• If you are separated parents, you are both welcome to book separate appointments so that each parent has the opportunity to discuss their child's progress, but we do encourage coming together where possible.
• When you are booking your Consultation, please state if you would like this to be a face to face appointment or a virtual appointment in the notes section. If this is left blank, we will assume you will be attending in person (face to face)

This guide will help you with booking your time slot but should you need any assistance or have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

The open mornings will take place in your child's class room, ahead of the parent consultation evenings. This will allow you to look at your child's work ahead of your appointment with their teacher. 

Tuesday 22nd October from 8.45am-9.15am

Wednesday 23rd October from 8.45am-9.15am   

Bristol City Council are providing Free School Meal vouchers up to the value of £15 per eligible child in order to provide extra support during the October half-term. Families already in receipt of Pupil Premium will receive these vouchers on the week commencing the 20th October.

 If your child is eligible for FSM, we want to encourage you to register them.

Children in reception, year 1 or year 2 get free school meals anyway through a different scheme. But if they are eligible for free school meals, we still really want you to register – see why below.

 Why register for free school meals?

Children who are registered for free school meals don’t have to eat them if you prefer them to have packed lunches.

But registering them is still important because for every child registered for free school meals in the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic years, the school gets an extra £1,480 (in 2024/25) and £1,515 (in 2025/26) through ‘pupil premium’ funding.

Every child registered for free school meals makes a big difference to the school.

You can find more information about pupil premium on our website: https://www.cothamgardens.co.uk/Pupil-Premium/

 

Is my child eligible for free school meals?

If you receive these benefits, your child may be eligible:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (as long as you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit) if you have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190
• Working Tax Credit run-on - but not if you receive Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit, if your earned income after tax is £616.67 per month (£7,400 per year) or less

 

How do I register?

If you think you may now be eligible for benefit-based Free School Meals and Pupil Premium, please follow the steps below to apply:

• To apply online – please visit https://parent.bristol.gov.uk/web/portal/pages/parents/travel-and-free-school-meals
• Or contact the school office on 0117 3772610, who can apply on your behalf.

 

Children in households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)

Children in households with NRPF may be eligible if their household income is less than:

• £22,700 for families with 1 child
• £26,300 for families with 2 or more children

 

You can find out more about the NRPF condition on GOV.UK.

 

More information

If you have any questions or specific concerns, please contact the school office.

You can also find more information at www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals.

 

 

 The community forum will be taking place on the below dates; 

• Community Forum on the 22nd October - in the Cotham Grove Hall 9.00am - 10.00am 

• Online Community Forum on the 6th November - 5.45pm - 6.30pm

The meeting link will be shared on ClassDojo the morning of the online forum.

 

 

Tulip Photography will be in school taking individual school photos on Friday 14th November.

 

Please ensure your child arrives to school on time, as Tulip will be starting promptly at 9am.

 

Make sure you have consented on Arbor that Tulip Photography can take photos of your child. 

 

 

Young, Gifted and Black by Jamia Wilson
To celebrate October’s Black History Month, Eagles (Year 4) are reading Young, Gifted and Black by Jamia Wilson — a vibrant and empowering book that introduces readers to influential Black icons from both history and today. From civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks to Serena Williams and Marcus Rashford, each profile highlights strength, talent, and resilience.

This inspiring read reminds us that all children deserve to see themselves positively represented in the stories they read. It encourages young readers of all backgrounds to dream big, celebrate diversity, and believe in their potential.

 

 

Year 3 are having a blast at the moment. In DT, we have been lucky enough to make own fruit tarts. This was based on our learning of seasonal fruits and what fruits grow in the United Kingdom. Thankfully, the tarts were as yummy as they looked! In PE, we have been improving our hockey and football skills, specifically looking at the passing and dribbling elements of the game. We have also been getting stuck into some harder Maths (adding through 100) alongside writing our first-person narratives. 

 

 

 

Massive well done to Pine class for winning the first 'Fluency Assembly' of the year. They were amazing at knowing their times tables and did a fantastic job at representing their class. Thank you to all children who participated so positively