The Bulmershe Bulletin – Issue 27
4th April 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we wrap up the Spring Term, I find myself wondering how we’ve managed to squeeze so much into just a few months! It’s been a whirlwind of learning and a few logistical hurdles (thanks to the unexpected sQuid-to-Iris switchover). But, as always, the Bulmershe community has taken it all in its stride – with resilience, good humour and plenty to celebrate.
We began the term with a message of aspiration from Mr Thompson and his mantra: “Keep moving forward” and now, rather fittingly, Mr Thompson himself is taking it to heart as he sets off on a new adventure – moving this Easter to Thailand! We’ll miss him dearly but wish him every success (and a good mosquito spray).
Our students have made us proud in countless ways: Year 8s demonstrated excellent behaviour exploring Harry Potter Studios, Year 10s stepped out into the world of work for their WEX placements, and Year 11s scaled the metaphorical mountain in their Bulmershe Ascent. Add to that wins at recent sports competitions, our relaunched Open Mic Night, students reaching 1,000 ClassCharts points and, my personal favourite, a new “Cake with the Headteacher” reward, and it’s clear that it’s been a good term.
Our STEM Careers Fair brought industry experts right to our doorstep, World Book Day was as brilliant as ever, and we welcomed parents in for our first Pastoral Coffee Mornings. Kindness continued to be our strength, with countless small acts making a big difference across the school.
Next term, all eyes are on our Year 11 and Year 13 students as they head into exams. We wish them the very best with revision over Easter – remember, a balance of study and rest is key!
For now, have a wonderful two-week break, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back after the Bank Holiday on Tuesday 22nd April.
Amanda Woodfin
Headteacher
Upcoming Events
5th – 21st April – Easter Holidays
22nd April – Start of the summer term
23rd and 24th April – Year 8 and 9 – Digdata careers workshops (in school)
24th April – Year 7 Parents Evening (online) – 4pm – 7pm
25th – 27th April – Silver DofE Practice expedition
29th April – Year 8 Trip to France – Parents’ information evening – 5:30pm in the auditorium
1st May – Year 10 Parents Evening (online) – 4pm – 7pm
Staying Safe Online: Understanding Digital Language
With the rise of social media, gaming and private messaging, young people often use emojis, abbreviations, and online codes to communicate. While most of these are harmless, some can be used to hide risky conversations or behaviours.
For example, “99” can mean parents aren’t home, “POS” signals a parent is watching, and “KMS” can indicate distress. Understanding this language helps us support and protect young people in their online spaces.
What can you do?
✅ Stay observant – Look for changes in behaviour like secrecy or frustration.
✅ Stay involved – Keep an open, non-judgmental dialogue about their online world.
✅ Stay informed – Digital trends change quickly; we’ll continue to share updates.
If you have concerns or need advice, please reach out to our safeguarding team. Together, we can help our young people navigate the digital world safely.
A little Language goes a long way
At Bulmershe, we know that communication is key – especially in Modern Foreign Languages (MFL). With speaking exams fast approaching, our students are putting their skills to the test, proving that a little language really does go a long way.
Our Year 11 French and Spanish students are working hard on their role plays, photo cards and general conversation. We always remind them that even if they forget a word, thinking creatively can save the day. One student in a past exam, unable to recall the French word for “stamps,” confidently asked for “a sticker to send a letter around the world” – ingenious and completely understood!
Year 10s are getting to grips with the new GCSE speaking requirements, including a read-aloud section. Their confidence is growing, thanks to a solid foundation in phonics, and they’re learning that even small mistakes can lead to funny moments – like when a colleague, looking for a vegetarian alternative to “Chilli con carne,” was offered “Beans con carne.”
Meanwhile, Year 7s are embracing phonics-based learning with enthusiasm, echoing pronunciation rules in class and building strong communication skills for the future.
Learning a language is about more than just words; it’s about making yourself understood—whether that means rephrasing on the spot or (if all else fails) clucking like a chicken when trying to buy eggs in Spain!
Got a great language-learning story? The MFL team would love to hear it! rgardiner@bulmershe.wokingham.sch.uk
Better Together
This term, our Better Together programme has been in full swing, providing vital support and mentoring for students. Our Year 11 students have been working with mentors to develop revision techniques, create study timetables and prepare for their GCSEs. Meanwhile, our sixth form peer mentoring programme is helping younger students gain valuable academic support.
Our Year 10 Reading Scholars visited Reading University and are looking forward to working with lecturers on research skills before graduating in June. In addition, guest mentors from the corporate world ran inspiring sessions with Year 10 girls, sharing stories of overcoming challenges and offering future career support.
After Easter, Year 9 mentoring sessions will begin, continuing our commitment to raising aspirations. We are so proud of our students’ hard work and resilience – we truly are Better Together!
Year 8 Sink Their Teeth into Gothic Literature! 🧛♂️
This term, our Year 8 English students have been diving into the eerie and atmospheric world of Gothic literature and as part of their studies, they’ve been learning how writers create tension, fear and mystery through language, setting and character. Ms Kotseroni students were put to the test by creating their own “Vampire Survival Guides” – just in case the supernatural should ever find its way to Woodley!
Through studying Gothic stories, students develop their skills in critical reading, writing and communication – while having a bit of creepy fun along the way!
Well done to students for their creativity and effort. You never know, their survival tips might just come in handy one day…
Communication with a Twist – Year 9 French Explore “Poisson d’avril”!
As part of this term’s curriculum theme of communication, our Year 9 French students have been learning that language doesn’t just help us express facts – it also helps us play, persuade and surprise.
In Miss Patey’s lesson, students explored the French tradition of “Poisson d’avril”—France’s version of April Fools’ Day – where French children famously celebrate by sticking paper fish to unsuspecting adults’ backs and sharing cheeky pranks.
To build their translation skills, students worked in small groups to decipher real April Fools’ Day media pranks from French newspapers and broadcasters, including a 2009 hoax by the French railway service, which swapped station announcements for the voice of Homer Simpson! Commuters across France were greeted with lines like: “The train from Alaska is expected to arrive on the Milky Way. Beware of bears and the platform’s edge.”
Using dictionaries and teamwork, students showed great resilience and creativity in translating these tongue-in-cheek texts – proving that communication can be clever, cultural and a lot of fun!
New for next term! Poetry Club
Year 13 History Trip
Year 13 History students recently took part in the annual Russian Rulers 1855–1964 Revision Conference, held at Kendrick School. The event brought together A Level students from The Bulmershe School, Little Heath School and Kendrick School for a day of focused revision and cross-school collaboration.
Teachers from all three schools delivered sessions throughout the day, covering key themes from the course and sharing useful exam techniques. These included tips on how to structure essays and approach interpretation questions – vital skills as students prepare for their upcoming exams.
The day was interactive, with students contributing to discussions and asking insightful questions. Many said they left the conference feeling much more confident, having gained new perspectives from both teachers and peers.
Mrs Coombes and Miss James were incredibly proud of the Bulmershe students, whose thoughtful contributions and strong subject knowledge drew praise from staff and students at the other schools. A brilliant effort all round!
Mental Health Matters
April is Stress Awareness Month so a good time to acknowledge the many stresses our young people face in today’s modern society.
Many of our students will be gearing up for exams after Easter and considering onward plans, and some may find the long Easter holidays and the break from routine stressful.
The Children’s Society have produced the below guide to stressful situations, which gives useful hints and tips and was based on a survey of 39,000 young people during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Open Mic Night
On Wednesday 2nd April, The Bulmershe School hosted its re-vamped Open Mic Night! Students from all year groups took to the stage, performing in an impressive mix of solo acts, duets, groups and bands. The range of music was just as varied, with performances spanning musical theatre, pop and rock – something for everyone to enjoy!
It was wonderful to see so many young people stepping into the spotlight and giving it their all. The audience were full of praise, with one parent commenting they were “genuinely sad to leave at the interval” as they didn’t want to miss a moment.
The evening wasn’t just a celebration of musical ability – it also raised funds to support our music department, helping to buy new equipment and instruments for lessons and extracurricular clubs. A huge thank you goes to the staff, tech crew and student helpers who made the event possible – and of course, to every performer who had the courage to get up and sing, play or perform.
Watch this space for details of our Summer Showcase coming next term – it’s shaping up to be another brilliant evening of Bulmershe talent!
Easter Book Hunt
A huge well done to all the students who took part in our Library Easter Book Hunt! In just three days, an incredible 114 students entered the challenge, showing great enthusiasm and a love for reading.
All participants have been awarded three achievement points, with those who answered every question correctly earning an extra ten achievement points. As an extra treat, one lucky winner from each year group was randomly selected to receive an Easter Egg. Congratulations to our winners:
🥚 Year 7 – Taimoor S
🥚 Year 8 – Jess C
🥚 Year 9 – Rebecca T
🥚 Year 10 – Lyra S
🥚 Year 11 – Mya E
🥚 Sixth Form – Livieniia T
Miss Marr was delighted with the fantastic response and would like to thank everyone who took the time to take part. Well done, everyone!
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 Logan F, Kasey A, Aadya D, Seb VDM and Leo M all in year 7, to join me for a celebratory cup of hot chocolate on Friday 25th April 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
Miss Cronin would like to give a shout out to the Year 11 GCSE PE Students who were fantastic on Wednesday during their exam moderation day. It is a scary process and they dealt with it incredibly well – She was very proud of them all!
She’d also like to give a big thank you to all the other students who helped out on the moderation day. There are too many to name specifically but thank you to everyone who came out to help with the drills and games for football and badminton, she could not have done it without you!
Miss James would like to give shout outs to: Jakub, Namie and Imogen from Year 12 – she was lucky enough to sit in on their EPQ presentations and was blown away by the amount of knowledge they had and how brilliantly they were able to communicate their research! Mya and Amara from Year 11 who have been working really hard in extra revision sessions. 10A/Hi1 who have all been working really hard in their History lessons. Year 7 netballers who played fixtures at the Holt on Tuesday – They continued to work hard and put effort in until the final whistle in every game they played, even though they faced some very tough competition!
Miss Moores would like to say a huge well done to the following students for their amazing EPQ presentations: Tom H, Eve W, Ziming W, Caitlin B, Jake P, Skyie L, Amy G, Reeshan P, How Yee L, Nora D, Aditya K, Aniya B and Amelia C
Staff Shout Outs
Mrs Sharp would like to thank Mr Whearity for his amazing organisation and brilliance with the Year 9 Options evening and interviews. It’s been a smooth process and Year 9 have done so well.
Parent Shout Outs
Please can I give a shout out to the superstar Music Teachers – Mr Wicks and Mr Andrew – and all the supporting staff for the running of Wednesday’s Open Mic night. It was brilliant to see and cheer on the array of talent developing at school, and to encourage our children to be brave under the spotlights. Some great memories were made too! Thank you.
Please can I give a shout out to Year 11 students Charlie K and Fran H, as well as Miss Durnin for helping run the refreshments at the Open Mic night. Thank you so much! – Ms Grist (School Governor)
What’s On
