The Bulmershe Bulletin – Issue 23
7th March 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
This week, the school was filled with the magic of storytelling as we came together to celebrate World Book Day. It was fantastic to see so many students and staff embracing the occasion, with an array of creative costumes bringing literature to life. Roald Dahl’s witches took over Design Technology, the Science department transformed into the world of How to Train Your Dragon, and the English team embodied the power of Greek mythology as gods and goddesses. Meanwhile, Peter Pan and his friends took flight in the Languages department.
Perhaps the most surreal moment of the day came when our new Corvus Director of Education, Mr Gibson, met with our Head of Technology – Mrs Trenwith – who, dressed as the Head Witch (complete with bald cap and a handbag carrying a mouse!), was mid-discussion about Technology assessment practices. It’s safe to say that World Book Day brought plenty of smiles across the school!
While the costumes and fun were wonderful, the day carries an important message. At Bulmershe, literacy is at the heart of our curriculum. Our literacy improvement plan ensures that every teacher actively supports reading, writing and language development in their subject. We celebrate students’ literacy achievements and encourage reading for pleasure at every opportunity.
You can find out more about the day’s events in our World Book Day wrap-up article below.
Amanda Woodfin
Headteacher
Upcoming Events
7-14th Mar – British Science Week
10th Mar -sQuid to IRIS PlusPay switch over day
11th Mar -STEM Careers Fair – in school
13th Mar – Year 9 Parents’ Evening (online)
19th Mar – Pastoral Coffee Morning for families 8:30am – 9:30am in the Library
20th Mar – Year 9 Options Evening from 6pm in school
26th Mar – SEND Drop in 3:15pm
3rd April – Year 8 Parents’ Evening (online)
Reminder: sQuid Switchover on Monday
Our school payment system is switching from sQuid to IRIS PlusPay on Monday 10th March.
What You Need to Do:
- Register for IRIS ParentMail – You should have received an email from IRIS ParentMail with a registration link. Please check your inbox (and spam folder) if you haven’t seen it.
- Stop using sQuid after Sunday 9th March.
- Do not use sQuid or IRIS ParentMail on Monday 10th March – We’ll be transferring all balances from sQuid to IRIS on this day.
- Start using IRIS ParentMail from Tuesday 11th March – You can begin adding money for all your children from this date.
For full details about the switchover, please visit our website: School Payment System Update.
Thank you for your support during this transition.
Year 7 Get Hands-On in the Kitchen!
This week, our Year 7 students have been putting their culinary skills to the test as they take on their first food practical – making coleslaw!
As part of their food technology lessons, students have been learning essential knife skills, including the bridge and claw cutting methods, to ensure they can chop ingredients safely and confidently. These techniques help them keep their fingers protected while preparing fresh, healthy food.
It’s been fantastic to see their enthusiasm in the kitchen, and we look forward to seeing their skills develop throughout the year!
Year 11 Prepare for their 3D Design Exam
Our Year 11 students have been working hard as they prepare for their 10-hour 3D Design exam in April. With creativity and focus, they are refining their ideas and developing their final pieces, ensuring they are ready to showcase their skills.
Supporting them in this process are our Year 12 A-Level 3D Design mentors, who have been offering valuable feedback and advice. Their guidance has helped Year 11 students refine their techniques and build confidence ahead of their exam.
It’s fantastic to see such dedication and collaboration in the department—we can’t wait to see the final creations!
World Book Day Round Up
This week, we celebrated World Book Day in style! Staff and students embraced the joy of reading, dressing up as their favourite characters and taking part in a range of fun activities across the school.
We were thrilled to welcome renowned Manga artist Sonia Leong, who ran engaging workshops in the library. She taught students how to draw Manga characters step by step and shared insights into the creative process behind her books. Many students were amazed at their artistic talents!
Tutor groups put their creativity to the test in our Tutor Room Door Decorating Competition, designing brilliant displays inspired by their favourite books. Meanwhile, the library was transformed into Hogwarts, complete with floating candles, Wizard Chess and a Harry Potter-themed photo booth (which staff loved just as much as the students!).
To round off the day, students enjoyed a World Book Day party in the library, with music, snacks and plenty of literary fun.
It was a fantastic celebration of reading, creativity and storytelling. Check out more photos from the day on our website!
The mental health benefits of reading
Reading isn’t just a great way to learn—it also has powerful benefits for mental well-being. Studies show that reading can reduce stress, improve focus and boost emotional resilience. At Bulmershe, we encourage students to read for pleasure as a way to relax, escape and develop their imagination. Whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, or poetry, reading can be a valuable tool for mindfulness and self-care.
To learn more about how reading supports mental health and well-being – click on the button below.
Join us for Coffee
At The Bulmershe School, we know that every student’s journey is different, and we want to ensure that all families feel supported. If your child is finding it difficult to attend school or access lessons, we warmly invite you to our upcoming Coffee Morning on Wednesday 19th March, 8:30 – 9:30 am in the school library.
This will be a relaxed and informal opportunity to meet staff from various teams, including Oasis, SIGNAL, Attendance, Year Teams, and Leadership, who can offer guidance and signpost support. If you have concerns about attendance or well-being, we’d love to see you.
You are welcome to drop in at any time during the hour, and younger children are more than welcome to join you.
To help us understand how many people will be joining us (and to have enough cups ready!) please sign up using the button below:
If you have any questions, please email attendance@bulmershe.wokingham.sch.uk
Bulmershe Dance Team takes top honours!
We are thrilled to celebrate the incredible success of our newly formed Bulmershe Dance Team, which has already made a huge impact in its very first competition! Competing against independent schools with long-established dance programmes, our students shone with outstanding performances and remarkable results:
🏆 1st place in the KS3 Jazz Musical Theatre category – Shadow of a Wednesday (Assem, Mae, and Grace)
🥈 2nd place in KS3 Choreography – Footloose, performed by Kya F (Year 9)
🌟 Overall Performer Award (KS4) – Esme O’B (Year 10)
Considering the team was only formed in January, these achievements are truly exceptional! The dedication, passion, and talent of our students have firmly put Bulmershe Dance on the map, both within our school and across the local area.
This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for our incredible dancers. Well done, Team Bulmershe!
Do you know any young people who are interested in politics? Or any young people who are passionate about having their voice heard? Well, this is the perfect opportunity for them!
This event was created to help young people learn more about politics in a fun, interactive young person only session. We very excitedly have both local MP’s joining us this year too.
The evening will be split into two sections.
- 5:30pm-6:15pm – Wokingham Borough and Town Councillors debate and questions
- 6:15pm-7:00pm– Yuan Yang MP for Woodley and Earley and Clive Jones MP for Wokingham to take questions
Spaces for this event are limited and anyone who would like to attend must book a place on Eventbrite. To book onto the event they can use the link below. This event is for secondary aged students aged between 11-19.
Supporting Your Teen’s Future
Parents of Year 10 and 11 students: are you looking for guidance on post-16 education and career options? The CareerPilot Parent Zone is a fantastic resource to help you navigate your child’s next steps.
Visit CareerPilot Parent Zone for:
✅ A breakdown of post-16 education choices
✅ Funding and financial support information
✅ Advice on apprenticeships and career pathways
Explore the website today to feel more confident in supporting your child’s future!
[Reminder] Rags2Riches Clothing Donations
Having a clear out? We have signed up to the Rags2Riches recycling scheme to raise money for our school and help those in need benefit from our good quality unwanted clothes and shoes. The school receives 40p for every kilo we collect of reusable items, which will go towards improving the school learning environment. Please tell family and friends that anyone can bring donations (in a black bin bag or shopping bag) to the school reception. You can drop donations off anytime before Monday 19th May!
Cucina Main Meals – w/c 10th March
HOT CHOCOLATE INVITATIONS
I like to welcome deserving students to my office to share a cup of hot chocolate with me on a Friday during registration. These students are nominated by staff who have been impressed by progress, achievement or attitude.
This week, I would like to invite Marcus F, Charlie G, Ivy H, Dexter H and Sohan K all in year 8, to join me for a celebratory cup of hot chocolate on Friday 14th March at 8:35am.
Shout Outs
On a Friday we like to shine a spotlight on those who deserve a thank you or have done well over the past week. If you would like to nominate your child, or a member of staff, please use our nomination email address: HeadsPA@bulmershe.wokingham.sch.uk.
Student Shout Outs
Mrs Bagley-Kelly and Miss Cherry would like to shout out Aadya D for her helpfulness at lunch today!
Miss Bishop would like to say a huge well done to Sanjana, Hannah TC and Imani A for entering the Young Science Writer Awards 2025. Hopefully your entries will be successful!
Mr Chandler would like to congratulate Piper L, Eliana G and Aadya D for reaching the milestone of 1,000 achievement points!
Mrs Wright and Mrs Khanna would like to give a huge shout out to Nasir A – our new year 11. Nasir has made an amazing start to his time at Bulmershe – we are so proud of him! We also want to give an equally huge shout out to Hassan A in Yr 11 – an absolute superstar for the kindness shown and support given to his peer.
Mr Hussain would like to recognise Sahil A in Year 13 for his exceptional performance on two particularly challenging questions, which he resolved independently and subsequently taught to the entire Further Maths class. Every student understood his explanation!
Miss McNamara would like to give a shout out to Luke B, Ben J and Arwa A for their exceptional writing about Animal Farm.
Mrs Senthilkumar would like to recognise Olivia H (y8) and Krishna KM in Y9 for their persistent effort and responsibility in Computing lessons.
Mr Tomala would like to shout out to William H in year 10 for formalising Geo Leaders club procedures and producing a new code of conduct, whilst also working hard to finalise the topics for the next mock parliamentary debate on 26th March 2025.
Mr McAlaney would like to give Holly C in Year 11 massive praise for an outstanding performance in her GCSE Computer Science class test. She achieved 100% on the past paper questions test with a flawless set of answers – almost unheard of. Fantastic Work Holly
Staff Shout Outs
Miss McNamara would like to give a shout out to Miss Marr for all of her help and support with getting students reading and enthusiastic about World Book Day.
What’s On
Family Activity Day
Looking for the ultimate day out for all the family?
Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd March
Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
(The stadium has plenty of FREE parking available onsite or a short walk from local rail and bus connections.)
Once inside there are multiple free activities to enjoy: climbing walls, parkour, crazy golf, surf simulators, ice hockey, football skill classes and stargazing. Rugby-loving boys and girls will have the unique chance to play inside the home of England Rugby thanks to exclusive pitch-side training sessions with Harlequins coaches. There will even be the chance to ride on an epic zipline across the stadium, as well as an abseil off the top of the stadium!!
(*extra charge for these two activities)
Tickets for this event are priced at £55 for a family ticket (2 x adults & 2 x kids) but Bulmershe families can go for just £10 per family ticket! Use code FTSCHOOLS when booking: live.familytraveller.com
