The Bulmershe Bulletin – Issue 38
11th July 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
I can’t believe it’s already been a week since we were waving off our Year 11s to their prom at Sindlesham Court. Time really does fly at this point in the school year, especially in weeks as full as this one – most of which was undertaken in very hot conditions.
Firstly I want to say a big well done to our students who have been so good-tempered and resilient, despite the heat. They threw themselves into Sports Day today with such enthusiasm, just as they did at the Summer Showcase on Tuesday. Both have been some of my favourite days as Head this year.
These events don’t happen by themselves. They take a lot of planning and hard work behind the scenes, which leads me to say thank you to Mrs Cousins for organising our first off-site prom, to Mrs Whitmarsh and the CAP Arts and Creative Arts teams for the beautiful displays and performances at the showcase, and to Miss Harris and the transition team for a successful Rising to Year 7 evening for our new families. Thank you also to Miss James and Miss Harris for running another enrichment day for local primary pupils, welcoming Year 4s into school for a coding event and celebration with parents. At the same time Miss Williams successfully planned and oversaw 200 Year 8s receiving their HPV vaccinations on Tuesday, ensuring they arrived on time and were kept calm and reassured.
The additional INSET day was a great success. Staff, as a team, worked on ensuring we are consistent in our homework, assessment and feedback practices. This will help us continue to raise standards for all students. Thank you for your support with this and I am sure the students all appreciated a mid-week day off!
Finally, a huge thank you to Mr Hird, the PE team and all of Bulmershe’s amazing staff for delivering a fun, inclusive but condensed Sports Day at short notice. I am lucky to work with such a dedicated team who work so hard for our students every day.
Amanda Woodfin
Headteacher
Upcoming Events
Fri 18th July – Culture Day – students can wear what represents them – £1 via IRIS
18th – 21st July – Duke of Edinburgh Gold Expedition
Mon 21st July – Headteacher’s Awards from 5:30pm in the Auditorium
Tues 22nd July – Last day of term – school closes at 12:20pm
24th and 25th July – Summer School for new year 7s
Weds 3rd Sept – First day of school for Year 7 and Year 12
Thurs 4th Sept – First day of term for all other years
No sports clubs next week
Thank you to the PE department for running all this year’s after school sports clubs. Please let your children know that these are finished for this year and they look forward to releasing the next extra curricular sports timetable in September.
Year 11 Prom – A Night to Remember
What a night! Our Year 11 Prom at Sindlesham Court was a brilliant send-off for a wonderful year group. It was a real celebration of style, friendship and confidence.
From the moment students arrived, it was clear they had gone all out. There was a stunning mix of suits and gowns, showing individuality and pride in who they are. It was lovely to see everyone embracing the evening and each other.
The dance floor was busy from start to finish with impressive routines and even a return of the worm! Seeing nearly 180 students and staff in sync for the Cha-Cha Slide was a moment to remember. Alongside the dancing, students enjoyed the sweet cart, photo booth mirror and a magician who kept everyone entertained.
We ran a raffle with prizes up to £100. Congratulations to Emily C for winning the top prize. A big well done to our Prom Award winners too: Kingsley O and Hannah H (Prom Royalty), Aaron and Evelyn (Cutest Couple), Isaac P (Life of the Party), Tilly B and Godfrey B (Best Dressed) and Miss Brown (Best Dressed Teacher).
Most importantly, our students were a credit to the school throughout the evening, showing maturity, kindness and joy.
A professional photographer was also on hand throughout the night – digital photos are available to purchase via the button below.
Summer Showcase 2025
On Tuesday evening we welcomed families and our community into school for one of the highlights of the Bulmershe calendar: our Summer Showcase. The event was a wonderful celebration of the arts, with students taking the lead to share their creativity and talent.
B-Block became an art gallery for the night, showcasing beautiful GCSE and A-level work in 3D design, art and photography, while our Media department displayed students’ magazine and DVD cover designs, giving younger students a taste of what’s possible if they choose these subjects for GCSE.
In the canteen, our Dance students wowed us with solos, duets and group pieces in styles from K-pop to Bollywood. The Drama studio put on students’ devised pieces, and our musicians filled the auditorium with songs and instrumentals, closing with the sounds of the Bulmershe Samba Band.
Thank you to everyone who came along to support, to the CAP-Arts and Creative Arts teams for organising, and to our talented students for putting themselves forward to perform. You made it a brilliant evening, and we can’t wait for next year!
Sports Day 2025
Of course, the hottest day of the year would land on Sports Day. But if there’s one thing Bulmershe does well, it’s resilience – and today, our students and staff showed plenty of it.
Even with the sun blazing from 8:30am, Year 9 and 10 were out on the back field with a brilliant atmosphere, loud cheering, and some impressively competitive (but friendly) races. Meanwhile, Years 7 and 8 threw themselves into netball, football and tried their hand at shot put, javelin and long jump.
Everyone was grateful for a break at 10 to refill bottles and cool off under the sails, before heading back out for round two.
The aim of Sports Day is always to have fun, as well as to represent your tutor group, and it was fantastic to see students stepping in to help others when teams were low (even if it meant playing for the opposition!) and cheering on those who needed encouragement. It truly was a whole school effort, with every staff member taking on a role, from time-keeping to sticker giving.
A huge well done to all students for sticking with it and doing your best, and a massive round of applause (and some iced water) for the amazing PE department for incredible organisation and staying so upbeat throughout the day.
Goodbye Bedrock, Hello Sparx Reader!
We are excited to share that from this month, we are launching Sparx Reader as our new reading homework programme, replacing Bedrock. Sparx Reader works just like Sparx Maths, so students will already be familiar with how it operates.
Here’s how it works: students choose an ebook on Sparx Reader and read carefully, answering questions as they go to check their understanding. Correct answers earn points, with a target of 300 points each week, which is around 30–40 minutes of reading in total. For those who complete their reading every week, there’s the chance to become a Gold Reader, which means you can log your own choice of book into Sparx using the barcode.
We’re already seeing fantastic enthusiasm for this change. In just two weeks, our Years 7, 8 and 9 students have read an incredible 191 books between them! Miss McNamara is absolutely chuffed to bits with how well students have embraced the change, and it’s a brilliant step in building confident readers across our school.
Well done to all, and happy reading!
Message for Year 9 students
Please pass this on to any students in year 9 who will be taking 3D design GCSE from September:
This is a reminder accept the Google Classroom invite ASAP to join and access your summer holiday homework tasks.
Heat-Health Alert: Public Health Wokingham Update
Public Health Wokingham has shared a yellow heat-health alert from the UK Health Security Agency for the South East, including Wokingham, in place until 15 July.
High temperatures can put pressure on health services and affect people’s health, especially those over 65, those with medical conditions or those in unstable housing or work situations. Younger people may also be affected.
Public Health Wokingham asks everyone to take simple steps to keep cool and hydrated, look out for others who may struggle in the heat and know the signs of heat-related illness. Keeping homes cool and drinking plenty of water can help reduce the risks.
Families are encouraged to read the Beat the Heat public health guidance for advice on how to stay safe in hot weather.
Thank you for helping to keep our community safe during the heat.
[Reminder] Culture Day – 18th July
A quick reminder that Friday 18th July is our Culture Day, celebrating the rich diversity of our Bulmershe community.
Food: Students are invited to bring in their favourite dish to share with others. Food should be dropped off at the canteen, along with a list of ingredients. Please note there is a risk of cross-contamination, so students with allergies should avoid tasting.
Clothing: Students can wear clothes that represent their culture, such as traditional outfits, sports kits, cadet uniforms, or flag colours. Outfits must be appropriate for school. A £1 contribution for wearing own clothes can be paid via IRIS Parentmail.
Workshops: We are excited to welcome back Sumeet for a Bollywood dance workshop, alongside a Japanese Taiko drumming session. Both workshops cost £3, payable on Parentmail, with sign-ups available via links on your child’s Google Classroom.
Students will also enjoy a steel pan performance at lunch, a cultural artefacts display in the library, and a photobooth to capture the day.
Thank you for supporting this celebration of our community’s diversity. We look forward to a joyful Culture Day together!
Cucina Main Meals – w/c 14th July
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 Harris would like to thank our Peer 9 Mentors and 6th form Students for giving up their Thursday evening to support our Rising Year 7 evening. Thank you so much for running the student sessions and being so friendly and helpful.
Staff Shout Outs
Mrs Whitmarsh would like to offer a huge thanks to everyone who supported attended and created work for the summer showcase. Around 400 people came and it was an incredible night! It takes a special team of people to create events like this from staff, the amazing site, operational and admin team. The students were incredible from the amazing work on display and peer mentors to performers.
What’s On
Free Piano Taster Lessons Available
Berkshire Music Trust has spaces available for piano taster lessons at Bulmershe on Thursdays. These free sessions give students the chance to try out piano lessons before signing up.
Learning an instrument can help children develop creative thinking, listening skills and confidence, supporting their learning across many subjects. Small group lessons start from £10.50 per session, with options for individual lessons and payment plans available.
No piano at home? Berkshire Music Trust offers a subsidised instrument hire scheme from £27.30 per term, making it easier for students to get started.
Parents interested in booking a free taster lesson can email our visiting piano teacher, Chris Sansum, at chrissansum@berksmusictrust.org.uk. Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more details, visit www.berksmusictrust.org.uk or contact the finance team at finance@berksmusictrust.org.uk.
Celebrate Autism at the ASSIST Summer fete
ASSIST is our council’s specialist service that works with families and providers to help autistic children and young people.
Young people from ASSIST clubs would like to invite you to afternoon tea and a summer fete.
There will be games, crafts, activities and an opportunity to meet other families and young people.
- Saturday 12 July
- 1pm to 4pm
- Woodley Airfield Centre, RG5 4UX
California Country Park – Summer Fair
A summer fair is coming to California Country Park in Finchampstead this Sunday (13 July) from 10.30am to 4pm.
It is hosted by JL Events and there is plenty of fun things to do for the whole family. It includes:
- Live singing
- Family fun
- Barbecue
- Treats from Jackson’s Café
- Bouncy castle and rides
The event is free to attend. Car parking charges apply
Sunset Events at Dinton Pastures
Lakeside Sundown Friday events: where you can enjoy this stunning sunset view of Black Swan Lake at Dinton Pastures Country Park in Hurst.
The event takes place every Friday throughout July, from 4.30pm to 8pm, at The Coffee Deck, including live music and sunset views. The bar will also be open, where you can buy a beverage or bite to eat. There’s Pimms, beers, prosecco, loaded nachos, hot dogs and ice creams available.
Upcoming dates:
- Friday 11 July
- Friday 18 July
- Friday 25 July
Then on Wednesday 16th July, from the balcony of The Coffee Deck, you can join a special paint night to capture the views of the lake and create your own masterpiece.
- Paint classes offers a one of a kind experience which are fun and relaxing
- Recreate classic Bob Ross style paintings
- Mingle with colleagues or friends and get to know each other in a creative environment
- Create your own masterpiece
- Great fun regardless of your skill level
The evening will include a glass of wine, nibbles, car parking for the evening and full instructions for your painting. Tickets cost £40. To book, email the Dinton Events Team.
