The Bulmershe Bulletin – Issue 75
3rd July 2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
This morning, we held our annual Year 11 Leavers’ assembly, an event that is always charged with celebration, a good dose of hilarity and a distinct tinge of sadness.
While I am sure the past five years have felt interminable at times for the students, for Mrs Edwards and I, they have absolutely flown. It is genuinely hard to believe that the tiny Year 7s who arrived in September 2021 are now towering over us, ready to make their mark on the world. As part of my parting words I left them with three simple thoughts: use the great education you have earned, travel beyond Woodley Precinct and the Oracle, and always be kind to others and yourselves.
Mrs Edwards ensured their final assembly was one to remember, unearthing their original Year 7 photos alongside some choice school photos of their tutors. (Miss Nath’s hair from her own school days was certainly something to behold!) Mrs Edwards also shared some rather tongue-in-cheek goodbye cards from the school campus itself.
The year group left the auditorium to a barrage of bubbles and a farewell line of teachers in Chappell Roan hats to start the traditional shirt-signing. The artistry of the pre-drawn shirts gets more impressive every year, though I do hope any Sharpie ink that bled through onto skin comes off before the Prom tonight!
Goodbye, Year 11. You have made Bulmershe proud.
Amanda Woodfin
Headteacher
Upcoming Events
3/7 – Y11 Prom – Sindlesham Court
7/7 – Vaccinations Catch up
7/7 – Summer Showcase Arts Festival – 5:30pm – 7:30pm
9/7 – INSET Day – School closed to students
9/7 – Rising to Year 7 Evening (6pm – 7:30pm)
10/7 – Sports Day / Year 12 Destinations Day
17/7 – Culture Day (Own clothes) – click here for more information
20/7 – Headteacher’s Awards from 17:15 (invitation only)
21/7 – Term ends at 12:20
13/8 – A-Level and L3 Btec Results Day
20/8 – GCSE and L2 Btec Results Day
3/9 – First day of the Autumn Term for Year 7 and Year 12 only
4/9 – First day of school for all year groups
Important notices for next week
With the temperatures set to rise again next week, we are introducing some flexible arrangements to ensure everyone stays safe and comfortable in the classroom.
Students will be informed today that they are welcome to wear their full Bulmershe PE kit for the entirety of next week. This will help them stay cool during the expected periods of high heat. Behind the scenes, we are also making the most of our empty Year 11 and Year 13 classrooms by relocating lessons out of the warmest parts of the school into much cooler teaching spaces.
Please note that Thursday is an INSET day, meaning the school will be closed to all students while our staff undergo training.
We then look forward to welcoming everyone back on Friday for our annual Sports Day. The event is currently scheduled to finish at 2:00pm. However, if the heat becomes too intense, we may need to adjust these timings to protect our young athletes. We will keep you updated with any changes closer to the time, and we thank you for working with us to keep the week running smoothly.
Year 11 Leavers Gallery
Year 12 Geography Fieldwork at Barton on Sea
Our Year 12 geographers travelled down to Barton on Sea yesterday to study beach characteristics across the coastline. The students worked hard measuring beach profiles, completing sediment analysis, drawing field sketches and conducting beach use surveys. We also had a brilliant time trying to track down the oranges we tossed into the sea to measure the process of longshore drift.
This advanced A-level fieldwork relies on building strong foundations early on. Highlighting this perfectly, Mr Chandler noted how our current Year 8 students on their Land and Wave trip last week were eagerly pointing out sea walls, groynes and longshore drift while jumping into the sea, having recently learned about them in class. It is wonderful to see our younger students grasping these core concepts so enthusiastically, knowing that this foundational knowledge is exactly what our Year 12s are now putting into practice at a higher level.
The day was a huge success, helped along by some beautiful weather. Our students were proactive and positive throughout the entire trip. We are very proud of how they conducted themselves and are now looking forward to our human fieldwork day in Wokingham Town Centre on Wednesday 8 July. Well done, Year 12.
The Summer Showcase is this Tuesday!
After months of planning, rehearsing and hard work behind the scenes, our annual Summer Showcase Arts Festival is finally here this Tuesday 7th July from 5.30pm to 7.30pm – we are making one final plea for as many of our families as possible to come along and support our students.
The evening is entirely free and open to the whole community. Please do bring along your friends, family and neighbours to help us give our performers and artists the packed audience they deserve. From live music and drama to dance performances and art galleries, it promises to be a fantastic evening.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you all there on Tuesday.
Sports News
On Tuesday, the PE Department took the Under-14 athletics squad to Palmer Park to compete in the finals of the Reading Schools Athletics Competition. Facing strong opposition from schools across the area, our pupils rose to the challenge and represented the school with pride all day.
The competition was very competitive, but our athletes gave their all in every event with many pupils achieving top-three finishes and delivering outstanding performances across a range of track and field disciplines.
Beyond their sporting success, our pupils were excellent ambassadors for the school. They demonstrated fantastic sportsmanship, supporting and encouraging one another from start to finish. One of the standout moments of the day came from Ellis in Year 8, who produced a remarkable performance in the 150m sprint. Ellis recorded the fastest time of all competitors, an incredible achievement and a highlight of an already successful day for the team.
The PE Department would like to congratulate all the pupils who took part. We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Mr Noye for giving up his time to support the pupils at the event. Well done to everyone involved. We look forward to building on this year’s success and achieving even more in next year’s competition.
Library News
The Scholastic Book Fair is Here
This week as the Scholastic book fair got into full swing in the school library. It has been lovely to see students browsing the shelves, chatting about their favourite authors and picking out new books and stationery to take home.
The fair runs until Monday, so there is still time for students to pop in and find their next great read. Please note that we are only accepting card payments at the fair itself. Alternatively, students can complete a wish list during the school day and bring it home, allowing parents to easily make a payment online from comfort of the sofa.
Encouraging a love of reading is something we care deeply about at Bulmershe, and events like this make it incredibly easy for students to get excited about books. Thank you for supporting their reading journeys at home.
7YL Crown Their First Bounce Champions
Over the past few weeks, students in 7YL have been taking part in their tutor’s second “Bounce” Championship during Friday morning tutor times. The competition has brought a fantastic energy to the start of the day.
A huge congratulations goes to Veer S and Seb M, who were crowned 7YL’s very first Bounce Doubles Champions!
For those unfamiliar with Bounce: players take turns bouncing a ping pong ball to each other, following a growing sequence:
– The first player starts with one bounce to their opponent.
– The opponent must return the ball with two bounces.
– The next player returns it with three bounces, and so on.
The number of bounces increases by one each turn. If a player fails to complete the required number of bounces, they lose the point.
What originally began as a simple, fun way for the tutor group to get to know one another has quickly grown into an anticipated weekly tradition. Mr Davis would like to thank everyone in 7YL who took part and made the competition such an enjoyable experience.
Bulmershe Donations
If you are looking to reclaim some wardrobe space, our school shop would be incredibly grateful for any donations of Bulmershe blazers, ties, jumpers and PE tops. Please drop any items off at reception. Just be sure to tell the team that it is uniform intended for resale, rather than for the Rags2Riches clothing recycling pile!
THANK YOU!
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
Mr Chandler would like to give a shout out to all of the year 8s who came on the Land and Wave trip last week. He was so impressed by their attitude and resilience and wishes to thank them for making it such an enjoyable experience!
Mr Whearity would like to nominate the whole of Y10 this week for the way they have conducted themselves during their mock exams. Well done Y10!
Staff Shout Outs
Ms Gulbahar would like to give a shout out to Ms Wray – The enthusiasm and positivity you bring into every lesson is infectious. Your energy makes the classroom a brilliant place to learn, and your passion for teaching really comes through.
Cucina Main Meals – w/c 6th July
What’s On
Meadows Day at Clayfield Copse
The Friends of Clayfield Copse are hosting a Meadows Day event to celebrate traditional hay meadows. The day features guided and self-guided nature walks, including a meadow and woods walk at 10:45am and a family walk at 11:15am. Attendees can visit wildlife information stalls, view local plants, participate in children’s activities and see displays featuring bees, butterflies, slow worms and bats. The event takes place at Clayfield Copse, Caversham Park Road, Caversham, RG4 6AA.
Reading Cocktail Week
Reading Cocktail Week takes place from 3 July to 12 July 2026 across various local bars and restaurants. Participating venues include Milk Bar, Boom Battle Bar, Spill Bar, Cosy Club, The Cocktail Club and The Rising Sun. A purchased wristband provides access to discounted signature cocktails, mocktails, food deals and alternative drinks offers. Wristbands cost from £9.95.
Teen Summer Theatre Project: IMAGE
StageAbility is running a five-day theatre project called IMAGE for young people aged 12 to 18. Participants will work as an ensemble to devise and rehearse an original production. The project runs from Monday 3 August to Friday 7 August, from 12:30pm to 4:30pm each day in Lower Earley. A theatre performance will take place on Saturday 8 August. The cost is £170, which includes entry for the Trinity London Group Acting Award. Performance tickets are sold separately for £8.
