Colton Hills School Bulletin

Website: https://www.coltonhills.co.uk/highperformancelearning

Welcome to the February 2025 newsletter! What a busy few weeks we’ve had at the school – there has been genetic monsters in Science, Maths Challenges and students winning prestigious awards. Year 9 students are at a critical moment in their schooling as they pick their GCSE options to begin next year.

Our Options Evening was well-attended and with so many great options on offer, our students are spoilt for choice! It was great to welcome back ex-student and now Express and Star Senior reporter, James V, to give an assembly to our Year 11 students. As we reach the halfway point in the school year, there is still plenty to look forward to such World Book Day on 6th March and our first Academic Oracy Day on 14th March where students win awards for quality spoken answers. It’s also an important time for our Year 11 and Year 13 students as they gear up for their mock exams in March.

Enjoy the rest of the newsletter and always remember to contact the school if you have any queries. Wishing everyone a restful half-term break.

February is LGBTQ+ History Month and we have some activities lined up, including assemblies to all year groups, to spotlight and raise awareness on inclusion and diversity. Our library also has a featured shelf of recommended reading materials to celebrate our LGBTQ+ community. On Wednesday and Thursday, students are encouraged to pen an affirmative message, during their lunch break to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Well done to our students who have all been nominated for Star of the Week Award in this half term. KS 3 students had a little treat with the Headteacher on Tuesday and today, we had the KS4 students. Some lucky ones even managed to walk away with shopping vouchers. Well done to all our nominees, including the ones who could not make the afternoon teas.

To celebrate the end of this half-term, students who have met the attendance criteria are treated to a special music performance by upcoming musician, Joel Foster.

Students were treated to great music including popular covers like Murder on the Dancefloor. There was a fantastic atmosphere in the theatre and Joel enjoyed a short Q&A session with the audience and also made time for photos and autographs. What a wonderful way to celebrate positive behaviour before we break up for the holidays!

The iDEA Award (Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award) is a free, internationally recognized program that helps people develop digital, enterprise, and employability skills. It’s designed to support learners of all ages in gaining industry-relevant knowledge through interactive challenges and online learning.

Participants earn badges in areas like coding, cybersecurity, business, and creativity. These badges contribute towards Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards, which demonstrate valuable digital and problem-solving skills to employers and educational institutions. It’s a fantastic way to boost career prospects and build confidence in the digital world!

Thanks to our Colton Hills alumni, Express and Star Senior Reporter, James Vukmirovic, who took time off his busy schedule and popped in on Monday, 3 February, to speak to our Year 11s during their assembly.

James kindly shared his career path, his memories of Colton Hills, his GCSE grades & encouragement for the students who will be sitting for their GCSE exams this year.

Congratulations to all participants of the UK Maths Challenge Competition! Their hard work and knowledge has paid off and we are delighted with their achievements. Photographed here are some of our Bronze and Silver Award recipients, who excelled in the competition. Well done to all the students who took part.

YEAR 9 AWARD RECIPIENTS:

Fatima, Year 9

Eric, Year 9

Herwin, Year 9

Donny, Year 9

Ekamjeet, Year 9

YEAR 10 AWARD RECIPIENTS:

Raphael, Year 10

Rikardo, Year 10

Ryan, Year 10

Mannat, Year 10

Mya, Year 10

Teo, Year 10

Aaravjiv. Year 10

Ellie. Year 10

Catch22 are offering 3 free online awareness sessions for parents and carers to learn more about county lines and criminal exploitation. Scan the QR codes to book.

Our new Spring 1 Homework Topics have now been uploaded to the school website. Parents and carers will be able to view the topics and home work allocated to their child. Please click on the respective year groups for your child.

An exciting event organised by our 6th form Business Studies students is coming soon to Colton Hills! Exclusively for Year 7s and Year 8s, this ticketed event will be revealed in the coming weeks. Keep a lookout for more details.

If you suspect or believe a child is suffering or is likely to suffer Significant Harm, including any form of mistreatment or abuse, you should report your concerns on the following numbers:

Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5pm,

Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm on 01902 555392

Outside of the above hours for emergencies on 01902 552999

If the child or young person is at immediate risk of serious harm dial 999