Bulmershe Community Bulletin
Spring Term 2025
We’re delighted to bring you the latest news from The Bulmershe School! From student achievements to community events, this bulletin offers a glimpse into the heart of our vibrant school community. To discover more about The Bulmershe School, and the transition programme we put together for incoming Year 7s, visit our website.
A message from Mrs Woodfin
Welcome to the latest edition of our Community Bulletin! Whether you’re already familiar with Bulmershe or just beginning to explore secondary school options, we’re delighted to share what makes our school such a special place to learn and grow.
Recently we welcomed Stuart Matthews, the new CEO of the Corvus Learning Trust, for a two-day visit to our school. He was incredibly impressed by the warm, inclusive atmosphere and the way our students feel safe, supported, and valued. He also praised our commitment to ensuring every child thrives, particularly the personalised support we offer through our specialist provisions, such as SIGNAL for wellbeing and pastoral care, and Oasis for students with additional needs.
He also highlighted the positive atmosphere at Bulmershe, commending our strong team spirit and the dedication of our staff in creating a nurturing learning environment. Our commitment to supporting all learners, including those with additional needs, was recognised as exemplary.
This recognition reflects the dedication of our staff, students and wider school community. We’re so proud of what we have built together and look forward to sharing more with you.
Bulmershe: A Popular Choice for Year 7!
National Offer Day on 3rd March was an exciting milestone for Year 6 children across the country, and once again, Bulmershe has been a clear first choice for many local families. This year, we received an incredible 689 applications for Year 7 places, and we are delighted to be welcoming 255 new students in September. With a waiting list already in place, it’s wonderful to see so many families eager to join our school community.
For those set to join us, our transition process is already underway to ensure a smooth and welcoming start. Over the coming months, students will receive welcome booklets, meet our transition team, and be invited to our popular Summer School in July. We can’t wait to help them settle in, make new friends, and begin their Bulmershe journey with confidence!
If you’re considering Bulmershe for the future, we’d love to welcome you at one of our upcoming events—come and see what makes our school so special!
World Book Day at Bulmershe:
Celebrating Literacy & Creativity
At Bulmershe, we are passionate about fostering a love for reading and ensuring that literacy remains at the heart of everything we do. This year, we celebrated World Book Day with an exciting range of activities designed to inspire students and bring books to life.
We were delighted to welcome renowned Manga artist Sonia Leong, who ran interactive workshops teaching students how to illustrate Manga characters. Across the school, tutor groups took part in a Door Decorating Competition, showcasing their favourite books in creative ways. Meanwhile, the library was magically transformed into Hogwarts, with floating candles, Wizard Chess and a Harry Potter-themed photo booth!
Reading is essential to learning, and we encourage students to read at their chronological age to develop their skills and confidence. Our whole-school literacy strategy ensures that every teacher supports literacy development, while we also celebrate student achievements in reading and writing.
It was fantastic to see students and staff enjoying the day, embracing storytelling and creativity. Discover more about our approach to literacy and see all the highlights from World Book Day on our website!
Year 5 Woodley Bake Off Competition
On Wednesday 12th February, The Bulmershe School welcomed Year 5 students from Highwood, Beechwood, St Dominic Savio and Willowbank Primary Schools for the Woodley Cluster Bake Off. This exciting event was designed to give primary school children a taste of secondary school life – literally!
After months of planning and practice, the young bakers arrived ready to impress. They took on two challenges: creating a showstopper bake and a technical skills round, where they had to craft a fondant icing rose. Their designs were wildly imaginative, expertly crafted and generally fabulous.
At Bulmershe, we know how important it is for children to feel confident about their move to secondary school. Events like these allow primary students to experience our welcoming environment, meet our staff and students, and see first-hand what makes our school special.
Congratulations to Amelie and Robyn from Willowbank Primary School, whose ‘On the Beach’ cake stole the show!
Success on the Stage and the Court!
At Bulmershe, students have plenty of opportunity to discover their talents, and recent successes in both dance and netball show just how much they can achieve here.
Our newly formed Bulmershe Dance Team has already made its mark, competing against independent schools and securing incredible results. In their very first competition, our dancers took 1st place in the KS3 Jazz Musical Theatre category, 2nd place in KS3 Choreography, and Year 10’s Esme was named Overall Performer for KS4!
Meanwhile, our Year 10 and 11 netball teams shone at the PGL Liddington Tournament. Year 11 reached the semi-finals and won the Umpires’ Award for sportsmanship, while Year 10 showed fantastic resilience against strong opposition. Off the court, they tackled zip wires, giant swings, and even axe throwing!
From performing on stage to competing in tournaments, Bulmershe students embrace every opportunity – and we’re so proud of their achievements!
Looking After Our New Year 7s
Starting secondary school is a big step, but at Bulmershe, no student has to do it alone. We’re about to select our new team of Peer Mentors, a group of friendly and supportive Year 9 students who will be specially trained to help our new Year 7s settle in.
From showing them around to offering advice on homework and making new friends, Peer Mentors are there to make the transition from primary to secondary as smooth as possible. They remember what it was like to be new and are always happy to help!
For our mentors, this is also an amazing leadership opportunity, giving them skills in teamwork, communication and empathy that will benefit them long after they leave school.
We can’t wait to welcome our new Year 7s in September, and with our fantastic Peer Mentors on hand, they’ll feel at home in no time!