As we reach the end of another jam-packed and exciting year at Cotham Post 16, it's a real pleasure to look back on what has been a truly memorable summer. Our students continue to impress us not just with their academic commitment but with their energy, creativity and boundless community spirit; this term has been no exception. From exam halls to parade routes, palace grounds to plant pots, it has been a pretty special end to another great academic year. 

We start with a huge and heartfelt congratulations to our Year 13 and Foundation students, who finished their exams triumphantly at the start of this term. Watching them walk out of that final exam hall, buzzing with relief and pride, was a brilliant moment - the culmination of all their hard work, late nights and quiet determination. It has been a genuine privilege to support them through it, and we cannot wait to celebrate with them properly on results day in August. Whatever the next chapter holds for each of them - university, apprenticeships, work or travel - we could not be prouder of everything they have achieved with us, and we know they will take that same resilience and determination with them wherever they go next.

June saw us celebrating our Pride Day, and this year it was bigger and better than ever. Rather than keeping the celebrations to ourselves, our students joined forces with other schools across the city for a joint Pride parade and picnic. Flags were waved, playlists were blasted, and it was heart-warming to see students from different schools mixing so freely and joyfully. It was a fantastic reminder of just how much stronger and louder we are when we come together, and we look forward to this being a fixture on the calendar for years to come.

Term six, as always, has also been a busy one for trips, visits and open days. Many of our Year 12s have kept a full diary of University Open Days as they begin the task of narrowing down their UCAS choices, travelling the length and breadth of the country to get a feel for campuses, courses and city life. Our Gold Duke of Edinburgh students, meanwhile, tackled their final expedition with real resilience and good humour, navigating tricky terrain, unpredictable weather and the odd blister to boss every mile. Our Year 12 Historians swapped the classroom for the grandeur of Hampton Court Palace, wandering the Tudor kitchens and courtyards and bringing the world of Henry VIII vividly to life in a way no textbook ever could.

The other big event of the term was the Year 12 Futures Conference, focused on Post 18 plans and covering everything from  university and apprenticeships to employment, travel and budgeting. This year the conference was held at RGS, a fantastic opportunity to get all 500 students from NBP16 Year 12 into one place. They threw themselves into every session, asking sharp questions and coming away buzzing with ideas about life after Post 16. It was a great opportunity for our students to mix with peers from another school while thinking seriously about their next steps. A reminder to all of our students that resources for the conference can be found via the NBP16 student hub in links at the bottom of the Futures section here (student login required). There are a large number of resources and support materials in this section of the Hub, which can be accessed from home as well as on-site. Furthermore, the Futures Bulletin is packed with summer opportunities. The second phase of the conference moved onto important workshops on mental health and authentic masculinity, which was a powerful day of reflection and forward planning.

We were also proud to see a group of our student leaders take part in a strategy and planning meeting with students from Clifton College, as part of the Bristol Education Partnership. It was a brilliant opportunity for students from both schools to sit down together, share perspectives and start shaping some real, practical plans, with a particular focus on developing our antiracist work. We will be visiting Clifton College in the autumn to continue that planning together, and it's genuinely exciting to see our students taking the lead on work that matters so much, building relationships across the city that will carry it forward.

The highlight of the summer term for many was undoubtedly our production of Little Shop of Horrors. Post 16 students took centre stage in lead roles, bringing energy, humour and a fair amount of horticultural menace to the performance, complete with an unforgettable turn from Audrey II. From the singing to the set design, the sheer scale of talent on display was a joy to witness, and it was clear just how much work had gone on behind the scenes as well as in front of the curtain. A huge well done to everyone involved, both on and off stage – you did yourselves proud.

Our final Core sessions of the year were just as memorable. Just Like Us delivered a powerful and thoughtful session exploring LGBTQ+ identities, misconceptions and inclusion, sparking some brilliant, honest discussion across Year 12. We then wrapped up the term in traditional style with our end of year quiz, complete with fiercely competitive team names, a few contested answers and plenty of laughs - a lovely, light-hearted way to close out the academic year together.

Some exciting news for September: our study café is getting a well-deserved makeover over the break, and our students have been busy pitching and voting on a new name for the space. Variations on "Café McCafeface" took a, perhaps inevitable, early lead, with campaigning that was as passionate as it was persistent - but the winning name, taking over 50% of the vote, was The 'Wood. We love it, and it's a brilliant fit for the space - though we'll admit there will always be a little hint of sadness that Woody McCharnface never got the chance to shine. We can't wait for everyone to see the finished space in September.

Our outdoor spaces have been an absolute joy at this time of year too. There has been a relentless, good-natured string of table tennis and giant chess tournaments filling every spare moment, with reputations made and lost over a single lunchtime. Meanwhile, our veg garden has produced a genuinely bountiful crop, thanks to the hard work of the students who have tended it all year - including a small triumph for bravery, as loads of students tried radishes for the very first time last week. Judging by the faces, it's fair to say the radish did not win over every convert, but the enthusiasm to try was brilliant to see.

As always, we wish our students a restful summer break. Please also encourage them to look out for the wellbeing bulletin, being emailed to them at the end of term (you can preview a summary of this here). Thank you to all our Post 16 students, families and staff for your continued support, positivity and commitment - it genuinely does take a whole community to make a term like this one happen. Wishing you all a restful, sunny and well-deserved summer.

We'll see you in September!