• We have a bank holiday this weekend so the school will be closed on Monday, returning to lessons on Tuesday 5 May. 

• Good luck to Y13 Photography students who have their exam this week and MFL students with the upcoming oral exams. Well done to Y13 Art students for this week.

• Well done to Adil and Kacper for their amazing achievement at not just getting to the VEX Robotics World Championships but performing so strongly. Their overall ranking was 6th and they were the best UK team this year. In fact it was the second best UK performance ever in the VEX World Championships and the first time a UK team has been awarded with the ‘Build Award’ for the ‘most durable, robust and well-crafted robot with high attention to detail and safety’.

• And well done to Josephine in Y12 who competed in the National Artistic Swimming Championships in Nottingham last week, winning Gold medals in all 3 team events.

• On Wednesday May 13 from 3:30pm-4:30pm in G10, Professor Stuart Mundell from the Pharmacology dept of Bristol Uni is coming in to school to deliver a talk entitled “Sticky blood and heart attacks- let’s talk about the drugs!”.

  This talk will link really well to the Biology topic 1 studies and would look great on your UCAS application when talking about how you’ve taken learning outside the classroom, and all are welcome.

• SMRT Spring Concert- Thursday 7 May at 7pm in the Main Hall. Tickets are £10 adult/£5 student and will be on Scopay closer to the time. All the year 12 A Level and 10 GCSE Music students are playing in this as their performance mocks.

• Shape My City is a year-long Talent Accelerator Programme running from October 2026 to July 2027, bringing together 15–18 year olds from diverse backgrounds across the South West to explore cities, design, and placemaking. 

  The programme is completely FREE, supported by businesses across the South West region, and is specifically designed to be accessible to young people who might not otherwise have access to this kind of experience. Participants receive £5 towards travel and their evening meal at each session. 

  The programme offers students: 

  • 10 monthly modules on the first Wednesday of each month, 5–7pm 

  • The chance to meet peers from diverse backgrounds across the city 

  • An insight into the wide range of career options in the city design sector 

  • Development of teamwork, confidence, and communication skills 

  • A genuine voice in shaping the built environment of their city 

  Applications are now open and places are competitive, so interested students should apply early and take their time with the application form. 

  Apply here: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=YM7-Q4qDG0-TA057HNfaz0X4voURN2JAivP67QoI8stURUtSVUIzUEpUQlJFSDVWNEhENUQ4V1owVyQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl 

• Counsellor Drop In- Toria from Transforming lives for good, will be offering a counselling drop-off session for anyone who wants to speak to someone confidentially about anything worrying them, on a Wednesday between 12.45pm and 1.45pm in the meeting room opposite G10. Drop in when convenient, no booking required. Any questions see Mrs Apps or Miss Foster.

• An updated enrichment timetable: Final Enrichment Timetable 2025.pdf

• Please remember that if students are ill or absent we do expect parents/carers to phone or email and tell us or leave a message BEFORE the start of the school day where possible. Have the 6th form number (0117 3532073) and the attendance officer direct line (0117 3773465) on your phone. Also call if you are significantly delayed in traffic. If it is easier then email 6thform@smrt.bristol.sch.uk . Absences known in advance require a form to be completed which is available from reception.

• Y13 have assembly on Wednesday this week and not Tuesday.

• Then for those that have tutor on Thursday, this will be optional this week. Tutors will be in the room as normal for those that would like to check-in.

• Here is a copy of the letter that was sent to all students and parents/carers this week about exams, following the assembly on Tuesday: Year 13 Exams 2026.pdf

• All parents/carers should have received a copy of student exam timetables a few weeks ago. If you did not receive this please let us know.

Work/Rest Balance:    

Maybe it’s time to do a bit of research for yourself about creating the right work/life balance. Does that mean a neat 50/50 split? Not always! That’s not the answer for everyone. At a time like this, with exam pressures just behind you or still looming, now might be the time to learn and understand what balance feels right for you. Here’s a few tips and ideas to get your started:  

• Work smart, not long – prioritise tightly, don’t procrastinate  

• Take proper breaks and make a real distinction between work and rest  

• Recognise protective factors like friendships, exercise and hobbies  

• Take responsibility for your own balance; nobody can do this for you!  

Having a work/rest balance promotes good mental health. 

All of our live progression opportunities from the Newsletter are accessible in our Progression Site at www.6thformprog.blogspot.com, including more detail on the items below, and if you would like an appointment with Steve James, our careers advisor, then please contact reception or speak to your tutor to book a slot.

Year 13 - Most of you that have applied to university need to respond to your offers by the 6^th May. Here is a guide on what to do: https://www.ucas.com/applying/after-you-apply/types-of-undergraduate-offers/replying-to-your-offers. If you're not sure about which to pick have a chat to your tutor or Mr. Jones. Student Finance is open so make sure you apply soon so we can help with any issues that come up. As mentioned in assembly, Clearing opens on the 2^nd July and may be a useful way to plan around results day anxiety. If you have any questions or issues with any of the above see Mr. Jones!

Year 12 - Remember to Work Experience to Unifrog for approval: Here is a how to guide. There are also lots of summer school and supercurrlcular opportunities on the blog for you, see some highlights below!

Opportunities:

Apprenticeships

Key Information for parents and students on apprenticeships, including first-hand experiences

NEW Higher and Degree Level Apprenticeships have been added: https://www.amazingapprenticeships.com/resources/higher-and-degree-listing/

Latest Apprenticeships on the blog (a full list can be found here):

• Construction

• Audit

University Taster Sessions & Support (more on the blog!)

• Summer Residentials at Bath University

• Medical Research Summer School - Cambridge University

• English Essay Competition - Cambridge University

• Computer Science Residential - Cambridge University

• Arts & Humanities Residential - Cambridge University (During Activities Week!)

• Languages Summer School

• Cyber Summer School - UWE

Work Experience & Insight Events (more on the blog inc. paid!)

• Psychiatry Summer School

• FutureForAll - Useful tool to find work experience

• Watershed Work Experience

• Warner Bros.

• Super-curricular is different from extra-curricular (hobbies and activities) in that it is about stretching yourself academically beyond the narrow A Level syllabus, and it is something all the best A Level students will be doing. You can find our recommended reading list on our website at: St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School - Study Links (smrt.bristol.sch.uk) 

• If you are a science A Level student you should absolutely be flipping through the New Scientist magazine every week to keep up with research. We have a hard copy in the library and a login you can access with the email address 6thformlibrary@smrt.bristol.sch.uk and the password Redcliffe.  

• Bristol University have produced lots of resources, including online lectures, to support students in exploring HE options or super-curricular research, You can sign up for access to these at Virtual resources for students | Study at Bristol | University of Bristol 

• Bristol Festival of Ideas rumbles on, which the full index of talks at https://www.bristolideas.co.uk/attend/?pageNumber=1  

• Another fantastic reservoir of free on-line lectures to add power to your University personal statement can be found through Gresham College at https://www.gresham.ac.uk/  

• Swansea University has a great range of webinars related to the full range of Uni course they offer and wider issues at https://www.swansea.ac.uk/study/webinar-series/  

• Speakers for Schools run an excellent series of online talks relating to particular areas of work through the year. The full list is at Upcoming Broadcasts - Speakers for Schools.  

Key support information 

• Mental Health support page on our website - Health-and-Wellbeing-Sources-of-Support.pdf (smrt.bristol.sch.uk) 

• For really well pitched advice on mental health for young people check out this podcast, recommended by the Senior Students - https://linktr.ee/unboxedpodcast  

• Another great resource on Self-Care with loads of suggestions and ideas to try out to help build new habits which can support our wellbeing is here: https://www.annafreud.org/on-my-mind/self-care/  

• The Centre has sanitary products available if you ever need them. We try and keep a stock in toilets, with mentors and Millie and at reception if you need anything. 

• Condom Cards: Redcliffe Sixth Form have now been linked onto the C-Card scheme because practising SAFE sex is important. C-Card is a free and confidential condom distribution scheme for young people aged 13-25 living in Bristol. Once signed up you can collect condoms and lube for free from several outlets. Millie will be your C-Card representative in the Sixth Form, and you can collect them from her at any time during the day. Collecting condoms will be private, free, and completely confidential. Please drop her an email at feldmanm@smrt.bristol.sch.uk  or just pop by the office opposite G10 to have a private chat.  

• Remember you can always speak to our learning mentors, and Millie, for help or visit the Brook website for more information about sexual health, contraception, pregnancies, counselling, PREP (help with HIV) and more. https://www.brook.org.uk/