Welcome to the last newsletter of the academic year. I would like to thank all staff, students, parents/carers, and our wider community for your ongoing support.

Please read this newsletter carefully, as it contains important information.

School of Sanctuary Award

Further to my announcement in the June Newsletter regarding our School of Sanctuary status please do visit the page on the school website https://www.smrt.bristol.sch.uk/why-smrt/why-smrt/school-of-sanctuary.

National Recognition for our BS1 Alive Cradle to Career Hub

Our BS1 Alive Cradle to Career Hub was founded just under three years ago in partnership with the Reach Foundation. This is an area of work that I am passionate about and one that I know will have a transformative impact on our students, locality, and the city.

We are delighted to announce that BS1 Alive has now been recognised by the Reach Foundation as one of only ten Accelerator Cradle to Career Hubs nationally. This status recognises the impact we have had over the last few years and, more importantly, it recognises our potential to be a beacon for transformative change.

We are proud of this achievement and excited about what this will mean for our young people as we build capacity to embed this work.  I am grateful for the generous funding from the Mohn Westlake Foundation, which will enable us to fully integrate this mission into our core work as a school serving children from across the city and fulfil our wider civic purpose of enabling the children in our city to live lives of choice and opportunity.

A highlight for me this week has been working with a small group of leaders, supported by an external consultant, to revisit the purpose, mission, and vision of BS1 Alive.

We are in the process of reviewing our strategic plans for 2026-2027 so that all stakeholders will be able to fully engage in the work ahead.

You can read more about the Accelerator status here and here .

Student Awards Evenings

We had our Alive Awards evenings for Years 7, 8, 9, and 10 on 1 and 2 July.  My thanks go to all who supported the event, and to Mr Mansell (Assistant Headteacher) for taking on the organisation of these wonderful events for the first time this year. 

Sports Days and Activities Week

We held our sports days for Years 7,8,9 and 10 during Activities Week. The level of competition, engagement and support was exceptional. My thanks go to the PE department and all the staff who supported these and worked so hard to make this such a fantastic experience for the students, despite the very warm weather!

Sadly, we were forced to make some last-minute changes to our Activities Week schedule due to the rising temperatures, our building’s cooling system breaking down, and being sent coaches without air conditioning, which meant that conditions weren’t safe enough to go ahead as planned.  It is difficult to make these decisions, but staff and student health comes first. 

I would like to thank Miss Hale, our Activities Week Lead, and Mrs Cooper, our primary administrator for this project, who worked extremely hard to plan such a complex programme. 

Mis Hale and Ms Cottell (Assistant Headteacher) will be working with leaders and staff as we finalise and launch the 'Alive Offer' of enrichment during the next academic year.   

Culture Day

We had our Culture Day on Thursday 16 July, with students and staff wearing clothes that represented their culture, or the colours of a flag that they felt represented them.  This was a wonderful opportunity for students and staff to celebrate the cultural diversity of the school.  Thank you to all to all those taking part and to the organisers, in particular Mrs Duzniak (Assistant Headteacher), in what was a wonderful event. 

Duke of Edinburgh Award

The final expeditions of the year took place recently. Mr Hendricks is now well established as our new Lead for Duke f Edinburgh Award, supported by Mr White and Miss McLean.  Their work is much appreciated by students and their families.  Careful planning ensured that safety in the very warm weather remained our highest priority.

Uniform, Mobile Phones, Anti-Bullying, and Behaviour and Good Relationships Policies

Our updated policies are available on the School website.  We will continue to work with students and their families to ensure that our expectations are clear.

Attendance

A huge thank you to parents and carers for your ongoing support to ensure all students are in school as much as possible and for using the Studybugs app and the attendance line/email address when reporting absences. It is very much appreciated and key to ensuring that learning time is maximised.

It is notable that our ongoing belonging approach, that aims to ensure that every child feels seen and cared for at SMRT, has resulted in a continuing pattern of improving attendance at SMRT.

The expectation for the new academic year is that students are in for their start date in September. This is vitally important to further that sense of belonging and to ease any anxieties about the new term with a positive start. 

Site work

Thank you to Mr Toogood (Premises Manager) and his team for all their hard work throughout the year, keeping our buildings looking good and functioning well!   Their hard work continues over the holiday period.  Work has already started on a new fire escape for our Sixth Form building.

Friends of SMRT

Thank you to the kind group of parents/carers who keep our staff fuelled with treats at the end of term!  Their very kind donation of cakes and biscuits means a lot to the staff.

Safeguarding Information

Please be aware that, over the summer holidays, the SMRT safeguarding@smrt.bristol.sch.uk email will be monitored regularly by our Safeguarding Officer, Mr Penrose.

 

If there are any immediate safeguarding concerns or if you are concerned about the welfare of a child, please contact the Social Care Team for your area using the numbers below:  

 

Bristol - First Response Team: 01179 036444

BANES - Childrens’ Social Work Services: 01225 396111 or 01225 477929

North Somerset – Safeguarding Children Partnership: 01275 888690

South Gloucestershire - Access and Response Team: 01454 866000

 

If there is an immediate risk to a child, please contact the police using the 999 number, or use 101 if it does not require an emergency response.

Start of Academic Year and Student Induction Day 2026

On Thursday 3 and Friday 4 September the school will be closed to students for our staff INSET days.  Year 7, and Year 12 and 13 students will be in school on Monday 7 September for an induction day, and the remaining year groups return on Tuesday 8 September.

Term dates for students for the whole of the academic year are as set out in this table.

2026-2027 Academic year .docx

INSET

Term 1                   Thursday 03 September 2026

Term 1                   Friday 04 September 2026

Term 1                   Wednesday 14 October 2026

Term 2                  Thursday 26 November 2026         

Term 4                    Monday 22 February 2027  

                       

The Local Authority Term dates for 2027 – 2028 will be shown on the school website, although staff training (INSET) days will not be agreed until July 2027.

Exam Results and Sixth Form Enrolment

We look forward to receiving the A Level and GCSE results for our students, and these will be released to students in person as follows:

 

A Levels          Thursday 13 August from 8.30am to 11am

(or to 6.00pm on 17 August via the Student Portal on Bromcom)

GCSE               Thursday 20 August from 8.30am to 11am
(or to 6.00pm on 24 August via the Student Portal on Bromcom)

 

Staff will be available on site for both dates, during the times shown, for students needing further support and guidance in their next steps.

If students are unable to attend in person and wish to nominate someone else to collect their results, they have been sent an email with the link to the form that they need to complete.  This information, and other important post-results services, is already on the exams area of our website.

All Year 11 students intending to return to our Sixth Form for Year 12 must enrol online via Applicaa by 5pm on Thursday 20 August, to secure their place.  Full details can be found on our school website here.

 

Members of the Sixth Form Pastoral Team will be available on site on Thursday 27 August between 10am and 1pm, to meet with applicants if a fuller discussion regarding subjects is needed and/or to sit a Maths/Science aptitude test.

Staff News

Mrs Brooks (HLTA) who joined the school in 1996 is retiring.  She has been a key member of the Learning Support Team, and her skill as a member of St Johns’ Ambulance has been highly valued.  I know that the team and wider school will miss her very much, but we wish her a long, happy, and well-deserved retirement!  Mr Henderson, one of our Science Technicians, is also retiring, having started at SMRT in 2009, and we wish him all the very best.  He has played a big part in organising staff extra-curricular activities, e.g. badminton and hiking, which have been much appreciated.  And last but not least, Mr Wheeler, who stepped down from his Assistant Headteacher role in 2023 but stayed on to teach Philosophy and support our Post 16 Progression Coordinator, is retiring.  He has contributed enormously to the lives of many students and remains connected to our ex-students through a popular social media group.  He will be greatly missed.

We are saying goodbye to teaching staff who are leaving us for posts elsewhere, are relocating, are at the end of a temporary contract, or are having a change of direction.  We wish Mr Halpin (Deputy Head of Year/Science), Miss Johnston Jones (RE), Miss Lopez-Gomez (MFL), Mr Lucas (Maths), Mrs Sancto-Halpin (Deputy Head of Year/Social Sciences), Mrs Jathol (Science), Mr Reed (German), Ms Kovacs (Social Sciences), Ms Chapman (P16 Learning Support), Ms Belinger (PE), and Miss Stott (English) all the very best in the future.  Mr Jones (P16 Progression Coordinator/History/Classical Civilisation) gets the award for going the furthest, as he’s relocating to Australia!  Miss Miles (MFL) will not be returning from maternity leave, as she has a new post closer to home, and Ms Lyons (Maths/Politics) will not be returning from her sabbatical, as she has decided to progress her university studies.  We wish them all well.  We also say goodbye to some of our invaluable support staff.  We wish Mr Blaney (Lifeguard/Admin), Mr Short (BS1 Alive Hub Coordinator), and Miss Deazley (LSA) well in their next steps.

We thank all our leavers for their contribution to the life of the school and to the lives of our young people.

We have welcomed back Ms Luckett (DT), Miss Amparbeng (Subject Coordinator for Law), and Miss Pirie (Learning Support Interventions), from their maternity leave.  It is lovely to have them back with us.  We wish Mrs Atkinson (Head of History) and Miss Garrard (English) well as they start their maternity leave. Miss Foster (Head of current Year 13) will be starting her maternity leave in Term 1.

Our new staff joining us in September are as follows.  Many were able to visit us on 14 July for an induction day, and it lovely to see them again for the first time since they were appointed.

New Starters (Sept 2026)
Miss Nouas	MFL
Miss Poirier Alonso	MFL
Miss Martindale	MFL
Mrs Hughes	Maths
Ms Edgerley	Science
Miss Sayer	PE
Ms Bowkett	History
Miss Solís	History
Miss Fitzgerald	Social Sciences
Miss Hodson	English
Mr Cessford	RE
Miss Dymore-Brown	Science Technician
Mr Martin	Lifeguard/Administrator

A number of current staff are taking up new posts within the School from September.

New Roles (Sept 2026)
Mrs Apps	Head of Year 13
Mr White	Deputy Head Year 13
Ms Rigby	Acting Head of Year 12
Mrs Baggaley	Acting Deputy Head Year 12
Mr Fewell	Acting Head of Year 7
Miss Carter	Deputy Head Year 10
Mr Hendricks	Acting Deputy Head Year 8
Ms Perry-Watts	Acting Head of History (Politics and Classical Civilisation)
Mrs Staynings	Acting Second in English
Ms Salisbury	Acting KS3 English Lead
Miss Kerby	P16 Progression Lead
Miss Davis	P16 Learning Support Coordinator
Miss Bedrac	HLTA (Sixth Form)
Miss Avery	HLTA (Main School)
Miss O’Brien	Science (from Term 2)

We wish everyone the very happiest, healthiest, and restful summer break possible, and look forward to seeing all our students, back in school in September, ready to learn and make their unique contribution to the world.  We wish all our staff a restful summer and look forward to seeing staff, both new and old, in September!

We pray for the summer holidays - that they would be a time of rest, refreshment, and joy for all members of our school community. We ask for God’s protection over students, staff, and families as they travel, spend time together, and enjoy a change of pace. May these weeks bring opportunities to make happy memories, deepen relationships, and return in September renewed and ready for the year ahead.

We thank God for the year we have shared - for the many achievements, challenges overcome, moments of growth, and acts of kindness that have shaped our community. We give thanks for every student, member of staff, parent, governor, and supporter who has contributed to the life of the school this year. We are grateful for God’s faithfulness and for the ways we have learned, served, and journeyed together.

We pray for all staff who are moving on from SMRT - We thank God for their dedication, care, and the difference they have made in the lives of young people. As they begin new chapters, may they know God’s guidance, peace, and blessing in all that lies ahead. We pray that they would carry with them happy memories of their time at SMRT and know that they leave with our heartfelt thanks, appreciation, and best wishes for the future.

Contents

As the school year comes to end, to was great to finish on a high with Activities Week. This year we introduced a curriculum element to week which gave departments an opportunity to let students experience a different side of their subjects. From murder mysteries, experiments and games to an opportunity to devote more time to creative pursuits it was great to see students really engaging with their learning in a new and exciting way.

For most students the summer break is a chance to get some well earned rest but for those students in Year 12 and Year 10 it is a great opportunity to spend at least some time reviewing this year's work and making sure any misconceptions are addressed and gaps in knowledge filled. Year 12 teachers have shared a range of subject specific resources with students, while in Year 10 Miss Ainsworth and Mrs Jakubowska have shared a helpful PowerPoint which gives students some ideas for "keeping their hand in" over the summer and some useful links to resources provided by subjects.

Over the summer we will, of course, welcome back our Year 11 and 13 students as they come to pick up their results. Both year groups have impressed staff with their attitude to revision and the exam period and we all hope that they will be rewarded with excellent grades in August.

Mr Taylor

Students found out who has won the overall House Competition today in our Church Service and the winners were presented with trophies.    We have been really pleased to see the progress achieved in building our House culture this year.  More to come next year.  Here are the scores: 

 Highest Alive Points: Johnson House.   

Highest points from Competitions: Liddell House.    

Highest Attendance: Liddell House.   

Best Punctuality:  Liddell House.   

And the overall winner is...............Liddell House!  Congratulations! 

We have had a long spell of hot weather and had to make adjustments to our uniform code for this term.  In September, we expect the weather to be back to normal, and so should uniform.   Monkhouse (uniform supplier) have discounted many items for a summer re-stock, please visit their website for details.  Please do check our website to be clear on our uniform policy.  Common misunderstandings are:  Dark grey trousers are the uniform, black trousers are not.  Black socks are the uniform, white socks are not.  Hoodies should never be worn in the school grounds and will be confiscated.   Footwear must be plain, black and polishable.   

You will be aware that House Ties must be worn from September, they cost £10 and are pre-orderable now.  Monkhouse have updated us that they will be in stock from the 27th July (not the 20th as previously advertised). 

We are currently working with Monkhouse to reduce the cost of other items of uniform, we will update in due course.  We are committed to making our uniform as affordable as possible, we need our students to be committed to wearing it well. 

We have our annual Meet the Tutor event on September 17th.  This is one of the few evenings when we are able to meet face-to-face and we really appreciate parents and carers making the time to prioritise it.  The school day finishes earlier, bookings start in the early afternoon and finish at 6pm.  Please put the date in your diary, bookings will be released on Wednesday 10th September

Sports Day was a great success for all year groups in Activities week, and the points won on the day may just make the difference about the winning House.  Mr Mansell will be sharing the news on the last day of term.... 

If you are planning family days out over the summer, you might be interested to see some offers that are available through discounted activities funded by the Government.  Click here for more information. 

At the very start of this month our student chaplains (community) visited the Julian Trust night shelter for the homeless.  They were given a tour of all of the facilities and were able to ask questions about homelessness in Bristol.  It was a great opportunity to learn more about what we can do to help the most vulnerable in our city.  The Julian Trust feeds between 60 and 80 people most nights of the week and has a number of guests who stay overnight.  They are an organisation that is totally run by volunteers with no paid staff.  Our student chaplains plan to use the money they raised from the Easter Egg Raffle and another fundraiser in October to buy useful items for the homeless which the Julian Trust will be able to give away.

This month we also had another ‘Gathered’ worship event that was totally student led.  James (Year 10) spoke about the importance of living out your faith and there was an opportunity for students to pray for each other.  We finished the evening with some sweets and glow lights as we worshipped together. 

Every week we run a worship session in our tutor groups, and make these available on our website for parents and carers to view.

Each newsletter will feature a Weekly Worship we would like to highlight from the previous month.

The week began with some Indian snacks for all the staff and a language survey.  Students were given badges highlighting the different languages they can speak, and flags began to appear across the school site.  On Thursday we had ‘Culture Day’ where students came to school dressed in clothes that represent their culture.  It was a wonderfully colourful day with lots of pride and enjoyment of different cultures.  As part of the day, every year group came to the hall to participate in the Culture Day performance event.  This involved watching other students perform, representing many cultures from Brazil through to Ghana and Hong Kong as well as British culture.  There was singing, musical pieces and storytelling.  This was followed by the ‘catwalk’ where a variety of different countries were called, and students were able to catwalk representing their country on our red carpet.  The list of countries was incredibly long which demonstrates just how diverse our school is.  It was a happy day and one that will live in student memories for many years to come.

The final house point totals as we reach the end of this year are as follows:

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we come to the end of another busy and rewarding term, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and partnership. Working together helps us provide the best possible outcomes for our children, and we truly appreciate your encouragement throughout the term.

Celebrating Our Successes

This term has been full of wonderful achievements. We have been delighted to see so many pupils making progress academically, socially, and emotionally. It has been fantastic to watch children grow in confidence, develop their independence, and celebrate their own successes, no matter how big or small.

We are incredibly proud of every child and the determination they show each day.

Highlights from This Term

• Excellent engagement in classroom learning and intervention sessions.
• Improved confidence in communication and social interaction for many pupils.

• Wonderful participation in school trips and activities week.

• Positive progress towards individual SEND targets.
• Fantastic teamwork between staff, families, and outside agencies to support our children.

Thank You

A heartfelt thank you to all our parents and carers for your ongoing communication, patience, and support. Your involvement makes a real difference, and we value the positive relationships we have built together.

Thank you also to our dedicated teaching staff, teaching assistants, therapists, and external professionals who work tirelessly to ensure every child feels supported, valued, and included.

We say goodbye to Lolly Deazley, LSA, a much-valued member of the team, we wish her luck in her next endeavours.

We say happy retirement to Karen Brooks, HLTA, she has been with the school for 30 years in many different roles in the school, what a service to the school! She will be hugely missed; we thank her for all her hard work over the years. We wish her a joyful retirement.

Looking Ahead

Next term we are looking forward to:

• Continuing to develop pupils' independence and confidence.
• Providing further opportunities for enrichment and inclusive activities.
• Working closely with families to review progress and celebrate achievements.

We will continue to ensure that every child receives the support they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom.

Summer Holiday Wellbeing

We hope everyone enjoys a happy, restful, and safe summer break. The holidays are a wonderful opportunity for children to relax, spend time with family, enjoy outdoor activities, read together, and continue developing life skills through everyday experiences.

Remember that learning happens in many different ways—playing games, cooking together, visiting parks, exploring nature, and simply spending quality time together all help children continue to grow.

Final Message

Thank you once again for being such an important part of our school community. We wish all of our families a safe, enjoyable, and relaxing summer holiday and look forward to welcoming everyone back next term.

Best wishes,

The SEN Team

 

Each fortnight we send a 'Wake Up Wednesday' (WuW) safeguarding update to parents and carers. These cover a range of topics and themes that empower and equip parents and carers with the confidence and practical skills to engage in conversations with young people. We also make WuWs available on our website.

Here's the WuW update we are highlighting this month.

Wake up Wednesday

A big thank you to the Friends of SMRT for organising the second-hand uniform sale that had to be rearranged due to the heatwave.  It was very well attended, and many parents were able to buy uniform for their children.  We will publish all the dates for the meetings next year in September.

Next Gen Nature - Arnos Vale

Looking for an engaging and creative activity this summer? Join Sparks Film School Bristol Central for a week-long filmmaking experience at Cotham School, Bristol.

Students work as part of a professional-style production crew to develop stories, write scripts, act, film scenes and edit their own short films. Along the way they gain practical filmmaking experience while developing creativity, confidence, communication and teamwork skills. No previous filmmaking experience is required.

📅 Dates from 20th July to 7th August

⏰ 9am–3pm daily, with optional extended hours until 5pm

📍 Cotham School, Bristol

🎬 Ages 11–14

Ofsted registered so Childcare Vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare accepted.

To find out more or book a place, visit:

https://sparksarts.co.uk/about-us/film-school-locations/sparks-film-school-bristol-central/

Provision - EEQU - Booking QR Codes and link to website

Summer HAF 2006 - QR Code and booking details.pptx

Help give children a better start in life

If you have a listening ear and parenting skills to share, Home-Start Bristol & South Gloucestershire would love to hear from you! We’re looking for volunteers to support families with under 5s who are struggling. Our volunteers do home visits or help at parent groups, giving 2 hours a week to make a real difference to families. Volunteers receive training and are supported by an expert staff team. Why not join our free volunteer training course starting on 2nd October? Find out more at homestartbsg.org.uk or call 0117 950 1170 and make a real difference to families in need in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Thank you. 

Fully funded activities for children on benefits related free school meals:

Future Stars Coaching
Windmill Hill
à Hillcrest - HAF Summer 2026 Holiday Club with Future Stars Coaching · Eequ

Bristol Horn Youth Concern
Ashley/Central/Lawrence Hill
à Bristol Horn Youth Concern · HAF 2026 · Eequ

ACE
Eastville
à ACE HAF Holiday Club with ACE Programme · Eequ

Bizzy Kidz Club Ltd
Frome Vale
à Bizzy Kidz Club @ Frome Vale Academy HAF with Bizzy Kidz Club · Eequ

Back2Basics Forest School
Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston
à HAF Holiday Club in the Woodland with Back2Basics Forest School · Eequ

Imayla
Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston
à Imayla · HAF 2026 · Eequ

Fun4Families
Brislington
à HAF Summer Fun with Fun 4 Families · Eequ

Progressive Kids
Brislington East
à PROG KIDS Holiday Club @ Broomhill with Progressive Kids Bristol · Eequ

Oasis Hub North
Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston
à Farmers’ Day Out! with Oasis North Bristol · Eequ

Unique Voice
Hengrove
à Creative Holiday Club Hengrove (HAF) BS14 with Unique Voice CIC · Eequ

Natural Networks
Knowle West/Hartcliffe and Withywood/Central/Bishopsworth
à Natural Networks · HAF 2026 · Eequ                 

Hartcliffe and Withywood Community Partnership
Hengrove/Hartcliffe
à Public Swim at Hengrove Leisure Centre with Hartcliffe and Withywood Community Partnership (HWCP) · Eequ

à Bowls Taster Session (with lunch) with Hartcliffe and Withywood Community Partnership (HWCP) · Eequ

Bristol City Robins Foundation
Hartcliffe
à HAF Holiday Camps - Merchants Secondary School with Bristol City Robins Foundation · Eequ

 

For children who are non-FSM:

Oasis Hub North
Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston
à Youth HAF Activity Session with Oasis North Bristol · Eequ

Hartcliffe Club for Young People
Hartcliffe
à HAF Holiday Projects with HCYP with Hartcliffe club for young people · Eequ

 

For children with SEND (these children can be FSM or non-FSM):

Back2Basics Forest School
Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston
--> SEND Family Stay and Play HAF Forest School with Back2Basics Forest School · Eequ

Website: www.yourholidayhubbristol.co.uk

 

 

Great British Summer Savings