The Bulmershe Bulletin – Issue 39
18th July 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we reach the end of another academic year, it’s a moment to pause and reflect on just how much we’ve packed into the last twelve months. It’s certainly been a busy one, and when I look back at everything we’ve achieved together, it’s no wonder we’re all ready for a well-deserved summer break!
This year has seen some significant developments during our 70th year as a school, from the successful launch of ClassCharts to the opening of our new Sixth Form Café, which has quickly become a popular hub, offering a great space for older students. Our students have shone across a huge range of activities through the year: The school production of Kinky Boots was simply incredible, showcasing immense talent and dedication. Beyond the stage, there have been countless enrichment trips, taking students from the magic of Harry Potter Studios and the beauty of Kew Gardens, to Oxford and to London. Our Duke of Edinburgh participants, at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels, have demonstrated remarkable resilience and teamwork over various sections of the English countryside.
Community spirit was high at our Festive Fun Run in December and our wonderfully inclusive Sports Day last week, bringing everyone together. The Open Mic Night and the Summer Showcase were fantastic opportunities for students to share their diverse talents, and World Book Day once again ignited a passion for reading across the school. Behind the scenes, our students have navigated their mocks and public exams with impressive determination, and it’s been rewarding to see so many embrace leadership opportunities throughout the year.
And, through all this, the whole community managed to survive months and months of local roadworks with good humour and patience!
Thank you for being with us and for your unwavering support throughout the year. I wish you all an incredible summer and look forward to welcoming many of you back in September.
Amanda Woodfin
Headteacher
Upcoming Events
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
Culture Day 2025
Today, our school came together to celebrate Culture Day, an opportunity to learn more about each other and our diverse community. This morning, the school gates were a colourful sight as students arrived wearing national dress or outfits that represented them. We saw a mix of football and rugby shirts, scouting uniforms, beautiful saris, shalwar kameez, kurtas, traditional British costumes and even a Greggs sausage roll!
Throughout the day, students participated in a variety of activities. Japanese Taiko drumming workshops provided a rhythmic backdrop to the morning and Bollywood Dancing lessons were a popular choice. At break time, students (and staff!) queued up to sample national dishes, kindly provided by our families, creating a lively atmosphere in the hall.
The PE department also had some fun, introducing students to a new sport: Pickleball, which proved to be a hit. In the library, Miss Marr created a cultural museum, displaying artefacts from around the world for students to interact with during break and lunch. She also set up a photo booth, where students could take pictures in their outfits to remember the day. During lunch in the canteen, the sounds of a steel drum added to the carnival mood, and could be heard as far as B-Block, while student performed dances to their peers.
A big thank you goes to Mrs Khanna, Miss Marr and Mr Ogada, as well as the Culture Day Student Committee for their hard work in planning the day, and to all students for getting involved. A special mention to Keerthana, who woke up at 4am this morning to get fully dressed in her finery – that’s dedication!
School Production Announcement!
The Communication and Performing Arts Team are delighted to announce that we have secured the rights for next year’s school production! In December this year we will be taking a darkly comic twist and presenting The Addams Family.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY is the spectacular musical comedy from Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice (writers of the multi award-winning hit musical Jersey Boys), with music and lyrics by Tony Award-nominated Andrew Lippa, based on the characters created by Charles Addams.
Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, is all grown up and has a shocking secret that only Gomez knows: She’s fallen in love with a sweet young man from a respectable family! With his cherished Morticia in the dark will Gomez manage to keep his daughter’s secret until the two families meet for a fateful dinner with hilarious consequences?
The show has a huge ensemble with supporting and leading cast for all ages and genders. We are hoping for a huge ghostly chorus and spooktacular team of dancing ancestors, so please encourage your child get involved so that The Addams family is the biggest show yet!
In order to give every student the best possible chance at the auditions in September we are creating an Addams Family google classroom so that students interested in being involved can see past productions and get some insight into the characters on offer. We will also use this, and this newsletter, to update you on audition dates and how to get involved behind the scenes. Students must be on the Google Classroom to know what is happening!
The Google Classroom code is: hptx7c32
It is a fantastic production and we can’t wait to start work on staging this ambitious musical with our incredible Bulmershe students!
ClassCharts round up!
We have now completed our first year using ClassCharts, and it has been a joy to watch students work hard to gain their achievement points (and watch them spend them!). We are really pleased with the implementation and have awarded a staggering 900,000 points over the year! Nearly 3,000 physical prizes have been delivered to students, with Lucky Dip fidget toys proving a firm favourite, along with queue jump passes and free slushies.
And the winners are…
For the most achievement points earned by year group, a huge well done to year 7!
- Year 7: 229,768 points
- Year 8: 202,411 points
- Year 9: 186,189 points
- Year 10: 150,713 points
- Year 11: 85,131 points
And for our top individual earners across the school, congratulations to:
- Year 7: Amelia S with 2,236 points
- Year 8: Jess C with 2,181 points
- Year 9: Ayomide with 1,894 points
- Year 10: Hrishika with 1,195 points
- Year 11: Sam W with 1,565 points
A phenomenal achievement, and a special congratulations to Amelia S for earning the most achievement points in the entire school this year! Well done to everyone for their hard work and dedication.
Why choose the Bulmershe School?
Thank you to all Year 11 parents who completed our recent survey. We are delighted that 92% of parents would recommend The Bulmershe School, with 58% strongly recommending us. Your kind words mean a lot.
We are so proud of the dedication of our staff, who go above and beyond to support every student through their secondary journey. Thank you for recognising their hard work and for continuing to recommend Bulmershe to friends and family.
If you know families currently considering secondary schools, please encourage them to come and see what makes Bulmershe so special at our Open Evening on 25th September.
Mental Health over the holidays
While summer often brings excitement, the change in routine can be challenging for some young people. Our Mental Health Team has prepared a valuable resource for parents, offering practical tips to support your child’s well-being over the holidays. The guide provides advice on connecting with others, staying active, creating a routine, getting outdoors and engaging in creative activities like art and cooking. It also includes important information on self-care and where to find support if needed.
Well done year 10!
Year 10 have had an amazing year, working hard on their GCSEs, cumulating in a successful mock examination week. On Thursday we held a mock results day in assembly where students picked up their tracking, talked to their tutors and discuss plans for the future. Mr Lord, Head of Sixth Form, Mr Grewal and Mrs Sharp were all on hand as well to advise and support. It was a really positive atmosphere and they now know what they need to do over the summer and next year. They are all destined for good things and I look forward to supporting them through Year 11 – Mrs Edwards
Geo-Leaders Club Newsletter
The Geo-Leaders have had a busy year! Their end-of-term newsletter – written by the students – is out, packed with highlights like the Twin Library Project, the Climate Change Poster Competition and their recent meeting with MP Yuan Yang. Discover their achievements, bid farewell to beloved staff and get a glimpse of their exciting plans for next year.
Timetables for next year
As a school we are really pleased that we are fully staffed and that the timetable for September is written. We know it can be useful for students to see their individual timetable prior to returning, so all timetables will be available on September 1st on the SIMs Parents App.
Students with SEN who would benefit from going through their timetable with a member of staff prior to the holidays are being invited to do that in school.
Message to all parents of year 10 geography students!
For our current Year 10 Geography students returning as Year 11 in September, please be aware that compulsory fieldwork trips are scheduled for the second week of term. Students will attend two separate days: one to Reading Town Centre (on either Thursday 11th or Friday 12th September 2025) and one to Rushall Farm in Pangbourne (on either Monday 15th, Tuesday 16th, Thursday 18th, or Friday 19th September 2025). These trips are a mandatory part of the Geography course, as required by the exam board, and cover both human and physical environments. Letters detailing your child’s specific dates and requesting a voluntary contribution towards costs will be sent via email within the next week, so please look out for this important information.
Year 8 Art
This summer term, our Year 8 Art students have been engaged in a cross-curricular project, linking their creative work with their English Gothic literature unit.
Students have designed and produced unique book covers for either Dracula or Frankenstein. They explored a range of materials, including paint, acetate and fine line pens, to bring their ideas to life. Each student created their own typographic titles and hand-drawn illustrations, successfully composing them into a final piece.
We are pleased to share a selection of these outcomes from 8x/Ar1. The work featured is from Daisy-Leigh T, Livia K, Ivy H, Sohan K and Aqsa K.
Pétanque!
Our Languages Department is always looking for creative ways to bring the curriculum to life, and this term, our Year 7x band classes have been enjoying a taste of French summer culture right here at school!
Students have been learning about Pétanque, also known as Boules, a popular and traditional French outdoor sport played across France. Typically played with metal balls, the game’s objective is simple yet strategic: players or teams aim to be the first to score thirteen points. Points are awarded by skillfully throwing your boules to land closer to a small target ball (the cochonnet) than your opponent’s.
This hands-on experience has provided a fantastic opportunity for our Year 7s to engage with French culture beyond the classroom, understanding not just the language, but also the leisure activities enjoyed by people in France. It’s a wonderful example of how our languages team makes learning immersive and fun, helping students connect with the wider world in a memorable way.
Exploring the future of AI
Last Tuesday, our Year 9 students took part in an exciting one-hour session titled Exploring AI, delivered in partnership with Cisco. It was designed to spark curiosity and build a foundational understanding of AI in preparation for their GCSEs, the session introduced students to the world of Artificial Intelligence: how it works, the different types of AI and its growing role in industries ranging from education to healthcare, retail and sports.
Students learned about the underlying principles of AI and its real-world applications, gaining insight into how machines can learn from data, recognise patterns, and make decisions. One highlight of the session was exploring the interactive website Quick, Draw!, where students drew everyday objects to help train Google’s AI to better understand and identify hand-drawn images. By participating, they were witnessing how they can contribute to the development of future AI systems.
For students interested in diving deeper, Cisco’s free online course, Introduction to Modern AI, offers a fantastic next step. It explores AI concepts in greater depth and is a brilliant resource for anyone curious about the technology shaping our future.
In the Computing department, we’re committed to fully equipping our students to navigate the digital world by giving them hands-on experiences with emerging technologies and this workshop was one of many we have planned ahead.
Can you support Angus?
We are delighted to announce that Angus F, one of our Head Student and a familiar face leading our school productions over the years, has been awarded a place to study Musical Theatre at Arts Ed theatre school! This is a remarkable achievement; to gain his place at this prestigious school, Angus went through a rigorous audition process where only 50 out of over 1,500 applicants secure a spot.
While many know Angus as an incredible performer, he is also a humble and dedicated mentor, often acting as choreographer and support for younger students in shows. He credits our audiences and the Bulmershe community with giving him the confidence to pursue his dream.
Angus is now working to secure the funds needed to complete his Arts Ed training, and with his permission, we are sharing his GoFundMe link for those who wish to support him: https://gofund.me/371e5da9.
Here at Bulmershe, we are immensely proud that several of our past and present students are going on to study at prestigious drama and music schools. We recognise how rare and challenging this is, and we are keen to learn from their experiences to help our next generation of aspirational performers. By building specific audition skills into our drama curriculum and improving our understanding of funding routes, Angus’s legacy is already inspiring the future. We wish him all the very best!
Cucina Main Meals – w/c 21st 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
The Attendance Team would like to give a shout out to C Lok (Y7) for greatly improving his attendance this summer term, Ethan C (Y8) for showing great resilience when coming into school and to Kyah CP (Y7) for showing resilience in improving her attendance the last couple of weeks!
The Transition Team want to say a massive thank you to all the Year 9 Peer Mentors who worked so hard at this week’s Year 5 Fishbowl days. You were all amazing: Eloise S, Pola W, Rebecca T, Isabelle S, Kya M-F, Gabrielle S, Ritaal K, Solomon H, Kyra M, Victoria A, Andre S, Krishna K, Berk C, Aseem B, Luke B, Aarudra A, Spandana P, Ayomide A-I, Martha D, Lily-May F, Audrey Y, Aikya M, Kalina B, Anastasia H, Jinisha N, Lily P, Isabella P, Bernice A, Jasmine B, Layla H, Aaira B, Grace C, Emelia B, Aaiza B, Layla H, Jasmine B, Aikya M, Arshpreet K, Matthew K
Miss Marr, Mrs Khana and Mr Ogada would like to give a shout out to Spandana, Victoria, Kyra, Ayomide, Shuluk, Glenn Keith and Rebecca Thorpe for their ideas for Culture Day and their help setting up the library last night.
Student Reception and Reception would like to give a big shout out to all the Year 7 students who have helped us this term as student runners. They have all been amazing.
Miss Stringer would like to congratulate Layla L, Lilly F, Ysabel W and Becca P who competed with their dance school ‘Advance School of Dance’ in the Dance World Cup last week. Out of many entrants from 72 countries, they came 7th in the ballet category – well done! She would also like to give a big shout out to all students who have come along to science club this year. You have taken on every challenge set with enthusiasm and ingenuity. Great work!
Mr Clayton – I would like to send my student shout outs to both William D and Zach H. I mentor both of these students, and I believe they have been brilliant characters and have had a successful year at the Bulmershe school. William has been a pleasure to work with, he has a great sense of humour when I speak to him during our mentoring sessions, as well as being thoughtful about his progress at school. Zach has been an excellent student and a role model for those in his year group. He has accumulated a ginormous amount of achievement points, as well as being a brilliant asset to the school’s community. I have no doubt these students will go on next year building on from where they left off!
Staff Shout Outs
The Transition team would like to give a big shout out to the many members of staff who have been involved with the Year 5 Fishbowl from the following departments: English, Science, PE, Maths, Technology, Art, Drama. The feedback from students and teachers was really positive!
Discounted bus travel for young people
Wokingham Borough Council is funding a new discount scheme to make bus travel more affordable for children and young people during the summer holidays. Throughout August, anyone aged between five and 18 will be able to purchase a £1 single ticket or a £2 return ticket at any stop in Wokingham Borough, regardless of journey length. This special fare applies to all local bus services provided by Reading Buses, Thames Valley Buses, and Carousel Buses.
What’s On
Summer Programme for Young People
Yuan Yang MP is offering a unique five-day Summer Programme designed to give young people an invaluable insight into the day-to-day work of an MP and her dedicated team. This initiative is a core part of Ms. Yang’s commitment to increasing democratic engagement and is particularly keen to welcome applications from pupil premium students, encouraging a wide variety of young people to get involved in politics.
The comprehensive programme will run from Monday 11th to Friday 15th August, from 10am to 4pm daily. Sessions will be based at the constituency office in Earley and Woodley. Participants will gain practical, hands-on experience in various aspects of an MP’s office, including:
- Opportunities to practice writing policy briefs and parliamentary speeches.
- Learning to reply to example constituent questions and creating engaging social media content.
- Public speaking and writing workshops led by Yuan Yang.
- Developing a community initiative that participants will be supported to deliver locally after the programme concludes.
- A special trip to Parliament in the autumn, providing an exciting opportunity to experience it in action and update the group on the progress of their community projects.
The programme is open to anyone aged 16 to 21 who either lives in the Earley and Woodley constituency or attends a school or college there. Ms. Yang emphasizes that the programme is suitable for anyone curious about leadership, even if they don’t currently see themselves as a leader, and encourages applications from all backgrounds.
To apply, interested students need to complete an application by answering these questions:
- Please share why you would like to take part in the summer programme with Yuan Yang MP’s office? (100 words or 1 minute max)
- What would you like to get out of the programme? (100 words or 1 minute max)
- Please explain a little bit about the community initiative that you’d like to develop as part of the scheme and then try and work on afterwards (250 words or 2 minutes max). Try to cover:
a. What issue does your initiative address?
b. Why is this an important issue for the local community?
c. How does your initiative help resolve this issue?
Responses can be submitted either in written form or as a video recording. A key part of the application involves sharing an idea for an initiative that would benefit their local community.
The deadline for applications is Friday 25th July. All applications should be sent directly to Harry Hurst at harry.hurst@parliament.uk. For any questions regarding the programme or the application process, please contact Harry Hurst.
