Dear Parent/Carer

Welcome to our February Newsletter.

I do hope that everyone was able to have a refreshing half-term break, despite the wet weather we had.

Ikoba Visit

During the half-term three members of staff had the privilege of visiting our partner school in Uganda.  Mrs Billington, Ms Cox, and Chaplain Josh Newton had a memorable visit.

Lent (and Ramadan)

Please do look out for our Lent reflections that will be shared, and our thoughts are with the members of the Muslim community as they experience the period of Ramadan.  We are pleased to be able to provide a prayer space for any member of staff or student that wishes to use it.

Attendance

Thank you to all parents and carers for all you do to ensure our students attend school regularly. Thank you to our students for getting to school on time and attending all of your lessons.

Our attendance continues to exceed national and local rates.  We are mindful of the numerous factors that can affect attendance, and we are pleased with the numerous case studies we have of working together to support attendance. Please follow the link here for guidance on our attendance processes. We do have school counsellors, a broad pastoral team, and strong links with external agencies, so please do reach out if additional support is required.

Mobile Phones

The Department for Education has published guidance on the use of mobile phones in school. The guidance can be accessed here

Our approach is ‘Never used, seen, or heard’. Students keep possession of their mobile phones only on the strict condition that they are never used, seen, or heard – with consequences for breaching this.  I would like to thank parents and carers for their support and thank the majority of students who adhere to these expectations. However, we do have students who cross the line on this issue.

You can find our mobile phone policy on the website here

Sixth Form Applications

Students who are applying from our own Year 11 for places in our Sixth Form need to stay focused on achieving their target grades and make full use of the support from teachers and other staff.  As the number of applicants is so high, we will not be able to be flexible with students who just miss out on the grades they need.

Model United Nations (MUN) Speaking Competition

My thanks go to Mr Wheeler and Mrs Billington for their support of our very successful Sixth Form students who took part in the recent MUN event held at Bristol Grammar School.  Our team representing France (Paddy, Flynn, Theo, Reuben, and Stanley) won the 'Best Delegation' trophy, beating nearly 50 other teams, almost all from private schools covering Bristol, Bath, Exeter, Taunton, Cardiff and Gloucester. All our students taking part were great and in addition Flynn and Dominic were Highly Commended in their committees and Nicholas and Binta were commended.

• Year 11 Mock Examinations

  • Pray for our Year 11 students as they sit their mock exams.

  • Ask for calm minds, confidence in what they have learned, and perseverance during this demanding time.

  • Pray also for good rest and encouragement in the midst of revision.

• Thanksgiving for the Uganda Visit

  • Give thanks for a wonderful and fruitful staff visit to Ikoba School in Uganda.

  • Praise God for safe travel, meaningful partnership, and the relationships strengthened through the visit.

  • Pray that the impact of the visit continues to bear fruit in both school communities.

• MAT Consultation

  • Pray for our MAT consultation with the Lighthouse Schools Partnership.

  • Ask that all involved would be guided with wisdom, openness, and that the consultation would be productive and constructive.

• Lent and Ramadan

  • As we enter the seasons of Lent and Ramadan, pray for all in our community who are observing these important times of reflection and prayer.

  • Ask that this would be a season of spiritual growth and for each to draw near to God.

  • Pray for mutual understanding, respect, and unity within our diverse school community.

Chaplain Josh 

Contents

The Year 9 Options process is now well underway. The form to which students and their families can submit their choices will be live on the Year 9 Options page on our school website from Monday 2 March. Although, students can submit their choices using this form, following the instructions on the form itself, my suggestion is that students wait until after the Year 9 Parents and Carers Evening on March 25, to ensure that they are making a fully informed choice. There is no advantage to submitting the choices early and we would rather students take the time to talk to their teachers and discussing the options with their families before a submission is made. The deadline to submit choices is March 31, so use the coming weeks to make sure your choice is a really good one. Ms. Williams and the Learning Support Team are continuing to reach out to students, parents and carers where they may be some additional complexity. If you are not sure about any aspect of the options process please email chaibih@smrt.bristol.sch.uk and she will be able to put you in touch with the person who is best placed to help you.

Mr Taylor 

At the time of writing, Year 11 are mid-way through their mock exams.  They have just been given their Leavers’ hoodies (no other hoodies should be seen in school!) and are at that crucial time of the year when the pressure starts to mount.  We have been pleased to see their positive attitude and determination through this final mock season before the ‘real exams' start in Term 5.   Of course, success in Year 11 depends on building the right foundations from Year 7 up. Good habits, good routines, learning memory skills, good organisation, perseverance and making the most of every learning opportunity – at school and at home – will make all the difference.  Year 11 comes around quickly enough, it’s really important to have developed the skills and knowledge to be successful when it matters and these have to be built over time.  Please continue to support us by making sure equipment, uniform, attendance, punctuality, homework and most of all the motivation is as always good as it can be to help develop the skills and knowledge that will set our students up for every success.

Mr Morgan   

February has seen the start of Lent and Ramadan.  Both important seasons for so many of our students.  This year our lent theme is 'life-giving habits as we draw near to God'  During Lent we can sometimes focus on things that we want to stop doing but we are encouraging our students to think about habits that they can start doing which will bring life to themselves and also the wider community.  Many of our Muslim students are fasting through Ramadan.  We have a separate prayer space for students to pray during this time and it has been wonderful to see so many Muslim students gathering together to pray in IK16 and IK17 at lunchtime.  Another habit that helps us draw near to God and brings life.

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.

Many sixth form mathematicians represented the school at the Bristol Schools Maths Competition in the Great Hall of Bristol Grammar School. All problems were unfamiliar with the following the best-answered question: find the perimeter of the rectangle whose area is 48 and whose diagonals have length 10. Competing with around 200 students, our teams collaborated well and found some novel solutions; one of the further maths teams came top, even attaining full marks in both the pair and group rounds! And a Year 12 single maths team came joint-second despite competing against Year 13 teams! The sense of excitement and mathematical perseverance was a delight to experience and they were all a credit to the school.

The photo is a small selection of the 40 SMRT competitors.

Mr Cross 

During February Half-Term Chaplain Josh, Mrs Billington, and Miss Cox went to visit our partner school in Uganda.  They had a wonderful time and were able to witness the benefits of the partnership.  It was a thoroughly enriching experience.  Some of our students in year 8 and year 7 made keychains and bookmarks for every student at the school.  They also wrote letters.  The Ikoba students were very appreciative and have written letters in response.  Such a great way to keep the partnership going.  

Mrs Duzniak

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

Dear Parents and Carers,

We hope you are all well and enjoying the start of the spring term. It has been a busy and uplifting few weeks in our SEND community, with students taking part in enriching experiences, developing confidence, and showing impressive resilience. Here are some highlights and updates from across the provision.

Crunchtime Cookery Course – A Recipe for Success!

A group of our students recently took part in the Crunchtime Cookery Course, and it has been a huge success. Students enjoyed learning practical cooking skills, building confidence in the kitchen, and creating healthy, delicious meals to share.

We were also delighted to welcome parents and carers who joined these sessions. Your engagement made the experience even more meaningful, and students were proud to showcase their newly learned skills.

Exam Access Arrangements for Year 11 and Year 13

As we move further into the academic year, our focus on supporting students in Year 11 and Year 13 remains a priority. Exam Access Arrangements (EAAs) are now being finalised, and assessments are well underway.

We continue to work closely with students to ensure they understand the support available to them—whether this includes additional time, the use of a reader or scribe, or access to a quiet room.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s exam arrangements, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Jamie’s Farm – Growth, Reflection, and Resilience

Students in Year 8 and Year 9 who attended Jamie’s Farm returned full of enthusiasm and stories. Their time on the farm provided rich opportunities to develop teamwork, independence, and emotional resilience.

From animal care and gardening to group reflection sessions, students challenged themselves, built friendships, and gained new confidence. We are incredibly proud of the maturity and positivity they showed throughout the programme.

Top Tip for Supporting Reluctant Readers

This month’s literacy focus is on helping reluctant readers build confidence and enjoyment.
Top Tip: Try short “paired reading” sessions at home.

Sit together and read the same text at the same time—your child can join in, listen, or take over when they feel ready. The shared experience removes pressure and builds fluency in a supportive, low-stress way. Even 10 minutes a day can make a noticeable difference.

If you need recommendations for accessible or high‑interest books, feel free to reach out.

SEND System Reform – Developments to Watch

There are several national developments in SEND policy underway, with government plans for reform focused on improving consistency, early identification, and access to support.

Key themes emerging from the ongoing reform discussions include:

• Standardised national systems for Education, Health and Care Plans
• Improved early intervention pathways
• Clearer roles and responsibilities for local authorities and schools
• A place-based approach to ensuring specialist provision meets local need

We will continue to monitor updates closely and share information with families as changes progress.

SEN Parent/Carer  Coffee Morning

Our next session for parents is on the 9^th March at 11am.

We would love to see you there...

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. Working together enables us to provide the best opportunities for our students to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

If you have any questions or would like further support, please contact the Learning Support team.

Warm regards,
Joanne Williams
SENDCo
St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School

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 next Friends of SMRT meeting will take place on Thursday 12 March at 7pm.  This will be a hybrid meeting so you can either come into school and meet in the library or alternatively click on the Teams link and join online.  Look out for more information about this early next week.

Mrs Duzniak

Free website helps neurodivergent young people get job ready.

Designed for young people who are neurodivergent or with SEN, Propel Pathways offers practical tools like an easy-to-use CV builder, cover letter support, and confidence-building workshops, including how to ask for workplace adjustments and advocate for their needs. It’s a supportive way into employment, apprenticeships or further learning.

Find out how Propel Pathways can support your young person’s next steps at propelpathways.co.uk.