Welcome to our first monthly newsletter of the 2025-2026 academic year. I hope you find the information in our Newsletter helpful.

Open Evening/Mornings and Admissions

Our open evening and mornings for entry into Year 7 in September 2026 were, as usual, extremely well attended. Our students did an excellent job of talking about their experiences of life at SMRT. We are very proud of them all and are proud of our School. Thank you to parents and carers who have taken the time to share positive feedback. We really appreciate this.

If any of your friends who may be considering applying to SMRT have any queries about the Governors’ Admissions Policy, please suggest that they contact Mrs Botting, our Admissions Coordinator, who will be more than happy to support them.

For those of you applying for siblings, it is very important that you complete the Local Authority application form (https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/secondary-apply).

In addition, complete the School supplementary form, which is available online via our website – scroll to the ‘Year 6 Applications to Year 7’ section, and use the ‘Apply’ button. Our closing date is matched with the Local Authority, i.e., Friday 31 October 2025.  It is best to contact Mrs Botting with any queries before Friday 24 October as the School will be closed then for the holiday for a week.

We also have the first of our Sixth Form Open Evenings for entry into Year 12 in September 2026 on 16 October.  You can find information on the School website.

BS1 Alive Cradle to Career Hub

During the last academic year, I wrote to you about our Cradle to Career Hub. This has been developing at pace. It has been great to welcome Robert Short as our BS1 Alive Cradle to Career Coordinator for the 2025-2026 academic year in the first instance.

Mr Short has settled very well into our School community and his role is designed to add capacity for me as the BS1 Alive Lead as we develop this work. You can find out more out BS1 Alive via our webpage here. The Webpage is constantly evolving, and you will be hearing lots more about the work of the Hub as well as the benefits it provides for our School community. You can contact us via the email address here if you have any queries.

Attendance

Whenever a child is absent from School our attendance administration team will contact parents/carers on that day if we have not been provided with a reason for the absence. This contact will be repeated throughout the day so that we can account for the absence. This is an important aspect of our safeguarding procedures. Please do ensure that you respond to the request for information and, better still, notify the attendance team in the morning if your child is going to be absent due to an unplanned situation e.g., illness. Please follow this link for an explanation of our procedures for notifying the School of absence for unplanned reasons. Mr Pike (Assistant Headteacher) is the strategic lead for attendance.

Clubs

We have a number of clubs on offer for our students.  Many of these are run at lunchtime as well as a number after school. Through our BS1 Alive Cradle to Career Hub we will be able to offer additional opportunities such as Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, which was piloted with great success at the end of last year. The 2025-2026 Extra-Curricular Clubs and PE Clubs are available on our website here.

Alive Points

Our students have already been awarded large numbers of positive Alive points this Term.  These totals include those awarded during morning registration.  You can find a table of these points at the bottom of the home page on the school's website (correct as of 26 September).

Müller	Johnson	Franklin	Liddell	Equiano
7406	4722	4601	4123	3892

Senior Students (Year 13)

Our Senior Students this year are Amelie, Chul, Caleb, Elliot, Harry, Jennifer, Josh, Mariam, Neps, Radhika, Ra’id, Ruby, Steven, Tacari, and Yana. Some will have been at our School for KS3 and KS4, but many were not, and come from many different schools across Bristol.  I’m sure they will all be able to contribute to the sixth form in their own unique way. I thank them all for their commitment to this very important role.

Year 11 Mock Exams

Year 11 students will be having assessments between Monday 10 November and Friday 21 November.  We are planning for these assessments to take place in the Sports Hall, and some smaller rooms.  As in previous years, it is important that students revise for these assessments as they will help us to make decisions about predicted grades and, in some subjects, tiers of entry for exams.  A revision topic list will be sent out in early October. There will be a further round of Year 11 assessment at the end of February 2026.  Students will receive more detailed information about the arrangements for the November assessments in due course.  Please contact your Child’s tutor or a member of the Year 11 team if you have any queries. Please follow this link for the names of key staff in the Year 11 team.

Free School Meals (FSM)

We know that the circumstances of many parents and carers change, and if you are not already registered for free school meals and think you may be entitled, please do register. This also helps the School as some of our funding is allocated on the percentage of students on free school meals. You can apply for free school meals if you get any of these benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.  If you do not qualify for most benefits (also known as having ‘no recourse to public funds (NRPF)’) your child may still be eligible for free school meals.

Children in households with NRPF may be eligible if their household income is less than:

• £22,700 for families with 1 child
• £26,300 for families with 2 or more children

The Local Authority website, has all the information you need and you can apply Online.  Please contact our FSM Administrator, Mrs Cooper, if you need more information or support with your application.

Community News

Ms Amparbeng (Law), Ms Miles (MFL), and Ms Pirie (Interventions Teacher) have all started their maternity leave, and we wish them well.  All our new staff members are settling in well.  It is lovely to have them as part of our School community.

We advertise all of our teacher and support staff posts on the Eteach website (and they are listed on our own website too) so do please check there regularly if you are looking for work in an educational setting!

It was wonderful to see our former student Bradley Burrowes make his Premier League football debut for Aston Villa against Crystal Palace on 31 August 2025 at the age of 17!  Well done to Bradley and his family who have supported him in his career.

Parent Governor Vacancy

Would you like to be more involved in your child’s education?  If you would, why not consider becoming a School governor. There is currently a vacancy for a parent governor at this School.

What do school governors do?

• Oversee the budget
• Help recruit staff
• Monitor the performance of the School, e.g. in examinations and key stage tests
• Advise on School policies and procedures
• Provide a vital means for parents and the community to get their views heard by the governing body as a whole

Are you interested?

If you are interested in becoming a parent governor but feel a little daunted by the responsibility you may be taking on, remember that full training will be available, and you will always act as part of a team.

What skills are required?

You will need an interest in the School and in the welfare of our children and the time and willingness to get involved. Currently, the governing body particularly needs governors who have expertise in finance, premises, HR and/or legal expertise; however, we would wish to encourage those with a wide variety of other skills to support the existing Governing Body.

Governors need the ability to be able to build relationships with a range of people, to be able to work as part of a team, to be able to question, and to make connections between different types of information.

Your Commitment

If you become a governor, you will be taking on the following commitments to help make sure the School is well managed:

• Share the responsibilities of the governing body as summarised above.
• Attend and participate in governors’ meetings on a regular basis – the governors generally meet six times a year
• Undergo appropriate training
• You may also be invited to sit on appointment panels or attend committee meetings etc.

You will be required to sign the governing body’s code of practice, and to apply for a DBS enhanced disclosure.

What do you need to do next?

Read the guidance/nomination form which has been sent with this newsletter that explains the process for appointing parent governors. The closing date is 12pm/noon on Friday 10 October 2025.

If you would like to know more about the role of parent governor or the appointment process, you are welcome to contact Stephen Booke, Chair of Governors, via email, or another serving governor at School.

Mr Planter

1. Thanksgiving for a New Start

   • We thank God for being with us all at the beginning of this new term.

   • Please continue to pray for new students and for those who are still settling into our community.

2. Foodbank Appeal

   • Pray for our Student Chaplain’s Foodbank Appeal—that it would be well supported and bring hope and blessing to our local community.

3. Sixth Form Christian Union

   • Pray for our new Sixth Form Christian Union, a group of around 50 students journeying together through their time in sixth form.

   • Ask God to strengthen their fellowship, deepen their faith, and encourage one another

4. Changing Seasons

   • As the seasons shift, pray for those who may find this time difficult.

   • Ask God to bring comfort, peace, and resilience to those who need it.

Chaplain Josh 

Contents

After another very successful summer of fantastic GCSE and A Level exam results, it has been an excellent start to the term in lessons, where students are really focused and engaged with their learning. 

Year 10 students are adapting well to the demands of GCSE which for many students involves starting some subjects which are completely new to them including: Media Studies, Business Studies, Child Development and Health and Social Care. There have been a small number of students who have decided to change their option subjects. While this is still a possibility until half term, we are now at a point where it difficult for students to catch up on the work they may have missed in any new subject. At the same time, several subjects are now at capacity in terms of numbers of students and so it is increasingly difficult to make the changes that students might like. If any student does wish to change courses, they need to have a conversation with their parents or carers, then discuss the matter with their tutor or Head of House. They will ask that parents or carers then email them to request the change. At that point, the timetabling team can see if the change will work in terms of group sizes and timetable clashes and then communicate the outcome via the tutor. Diversity and choice is one of our core values and so we really want students to be studying the GCSEs that are right for them but they absolutely must request any changes before the end of Term 1.

On a related note, a couple of Year 9 students have asked about the options process for next year. We do offer an extended period of guidance about GCSE options including: Values In Practice lessons; an Options Evening for Parents and Carers; sessions in the Pastoral Curriculum and one to one meetings for those students that want or need them. However, all of this process begins after Christmas, so for now, Year 9s can focus on enjoying their learning!

At the recent "Meet the Tutor" event, there were some requests from parents and carers of Key Stage 4 students for information about exam boards. In response to this, our Exams team have added a section to the Exams page of our website which outlines all of the exam boards that we use at both GCSE and A Level.

Lastly, if you need any information about assessment, our Alive Curriculum or more detailed information on each subject at each key stage, you can find loads of information in the Curriculum section of our website

Mr Taylor

Deputy Headteacher

Year 7 

Year 7 have settled in to their new school really well. We have been impressed with how well they have adapted to new routines and grateful to both the staff who played a key role in their transition from Primary school and the Year Team in supporting them in the first month.   

Mobile Phones 

We have been very impressed with how well students have respected the rules on mobile phones, smartphones and headphones.  Whilst we have had some confiscated, they have been few and far between.  We recognise that the vast majority of students seem to have really listened to, and understood, the reasons behind the rules (even if they don’t always like it).  It’s a tribute to our School community that we have seen this good character. It’s been great to see and thank you for your support in reinforcing this at home.   

Meet the Tutor 

Our recent ‘Meet the Tutor’ event was very well attended. Thank you for prioritising this event and making the time to come in. We hope you found the evening useful.  Please do maintain contact with your child’s Tutor, they are the first point of contact for you so please get in touch if you have any concerns, or anything positive you would like to share. 

Uniform 

We adopted changes to the uniform code for the start of this year, in response to stakeholder feedback around cost and practicality, but as we have said before it is important that the uniform we do insist on is worn well.  Please see our website for a reminder of all compulsory items.  The vast majority of our students look very smart, which is great to see.  However, there are always a few who do like to challenge the uniform code.  Over the next week or so, if hoodies on the School premises, white socks, soft fabric trainers or other uniform infringements continue, students will be sanctioned as there is no reason to be wearing incorrect uniform. 

House Ethos 

Our House badges have arrived!  Six-foot shields for the five Houses have been mounted in the street (the ground floor of the main block) and will be a focal point for building our House ethos. Our assemblies in the first week focused on the inspirational figures behind our House themes, the inspirational students who have just completed their exams and the challenge to our students that they have the potential to inspire others too.  We also reminded them that this starts with good habits, determination and perseverance.  Please support us by making sure that routines are established well at home, such as screen time, homework, packing bags and checking timetables.  We will be updating the website with the new House badges shortly and sharing news of House competitions that are coming up. 

Behaviour Descriptors 

You may have noticed that we have reviewed and updated our Behaviour descriptors so that they are easier to understand and, hopefully, clearer for all parties.  You will also have noticed that you can now see comments from teachers about behaviour events (Alive! Points and negative behaviour points) which should help close some of the communication gap between home and School.  We are continuing to improve other aspects of behaviour notifications. Thank you for ongoing feedback. 

Mr Morgan 

We started our School year with some worship.  All staff attended a Staff Eucharist on the INSET day to begin the year with God.  As part of this service, we heard from Joel Preston (CEO of the Muller Foundation), he was very encouraging about the importance of education on the lives of young people and how we all have a part to play to help our students achieve their potential.

Later in the first week, all students attended the start of year service at St Mary Redcliffe Church.  During this service we spent some time reflecting on the Bible story where Jesus feeds over 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish.  We considered what we have to offer and whether we are willing to share our skills and attributes with others knowing that God will bless us richly if we do.

Mrs Duzniak

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.

Parents and Carers – do you know someone who works at a University, or has experience of Oxford or Cambridge University or works in a profession such as Law, Engineering, Veterinary or Medicine which are taught at University and who might be suitable and willing to help us out? Every year we have a large number of students who apply to Oxford and Cambridge and we give them all a mock interview with someone outside the School who can stretch them academically in their chosen subject area. We are always in need of new volunteers for our pool of interviewers. They do not need to be local as interviews are done online in early December. If so, then check with them they would be willing to consider it and then contact Mr Wheeler at the 6^th Form with their details at wheelerr@smrt.bristol.sch.uk . Feel free to volunteer yourself if you feel you think you are a good fit for this.

Mr Wheeler 

We were very fortunate to have a visit from Carla Denyer.  She spent some time with our Sixth Form students and also Main School students in Year 7 and Year 8.  She explained what she does and answered lots of questions from our students.  She was also keen to ask our young people about the issues that are affecting them in Bristol at the moment.  Transport and in particular the cost of buses was a key theme!  The students were so articulate and great ambassadors for the School.

Mrs Duzniak

At the end of the last academic year, some of our Student Chaplains creatively launched and led the SMRT Backpack Appeal. This was a wonderful project aimed at supporting young people seeking sanctuary, currently living at the Mercure Hotel in Redcliffe. 

Thanks to the kindness and generosity of our School community, we were able to fill 50 rucksacks with fun, practical, and uplifting items, helping to bring joy and compassion during the summer holidays.

This initiative made a meaningful difference, and the donations were warmly welcomed by those supporting families at the hotel. We are especially proud of our Student Chaplains, whose leadership, compassion, and commitment made this project possible. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our staff for their support and encouragement, and to our parents/carers for their generous contributions.

The Backpack Appeal has reminded us of the power of community, kindness, and shared responsibility. Together, we have lived out our values in a way that has brought hope and joy to others.

Joshua Newton

School Chaplain

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been great to see so many of you at the 'Meet the SENDCo' events in the last week.

We have one more left on the 2 October at 2pm. Do come along!

Don't forget we also run termly group meetings for our parents and carers of students who have special educational needs. This is a chance to meet with others over a cup of tea and a biscuit, to share ideas and strategies, and to ask any questions you may have about support and School. We often have visiting speakers to talk on various topics relating to School and SEND support. 

The dates this year are:

Tuesday 9 December 9-10am

Monday 23 February 11-12

Thursday 4 May 2-3pm

All are welcome – please let us know on learningsupport@smrt.bristol.sch.uk if you plan to attend any of the events.

I am really looking forward to meeting everyone over the course of the next few terms.

Mrs Williams

SENDCO

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.

Link

Our first meeting will take place on Tuesday 30th September at 7pm.  We meet in the LRC (Library).  Please come along if you are parent/carer of a child in the School.  Mr Simms (Head of Maths) will be coming to the meeting to talk about Maths homework and expectations.  If you have any questions, please email: friendsofsmrt@gmail.com

Mrs Duzniak 

Bristol Parent Carers  are running an interactive 'Let's Talk About Moving Through School: Transitions' session on Thursday 9 October at 7pm, online, with Clare Greene, Lead for School Improvement, from Bristol City Council.

You can book your place here: https://bit.ly/4mqVSpR

We are looking for parents and carers to share their experiences of their children's transitions, whether that be a 'big' transition, such as starting Reception, moving to secondary school or starting a new school mid-year, or a more 'regular' transition, such as the start and end of school terms and starting a new academic year. 

Did it go well? What might have helped you and your child navigate the change? 
Your voice matters and your feedback will help shape Bristol’s guidance on making transitions safe, effective and smoother for families. A thank you for active attendees is also included (check our booking page for details). 

Can’t join? Share your thoughts here: https://forms.office.com/e/stQybSMUUB

E5 Church are hosting the 'Precious Girls Conference' on Saturday 1st November. This is advertised as a day to inspire, empower and encourage young woman of faith across the UK. They have offered SMRT students 50 free tickets - contact office@elim.org for more information