Dear Prospective Colleague,

Thank you for your interest in joining us at Cotham. It is a privilege to be the Headteacher

of such a wonderfully comprehensive and inclusive 11-19 school. We are a school with a very long and rich history situated in the north west of Bristol, with a student body that fully reflects the diversity of our City. Our students are quite simply fantastic and we are always looking for enthusiastic and talented professionals to help them on their educational journey and to become part of our close knit and supportive school community.

All of us at Cotham want the best possible outcomes for every child in our care, and we work tirelessly towards this every day. Cotham staff are second to none and our students are exceptional young people. Amongst many other attributes, our students are highly aspirational with exceptionally positive attitudes towards their education. In tune with the school’s long-held emphasis on academic achievement and attainment, this has led to them achieving impressive examination outcomes over many, many years.

Our Core Values at Cotham

Achievement:

• We are ambitious for every student, seeking out potential and hidden talents.
• We develop academic, creative and sporting excellence.
• We are a top school in Bristol for examination outcomes at KS4 and Post 16.

Diversity:

• We are a proudly diverse and cohesive school community, celebrating our differences.
• Our school environment is warm and welcoming to all.
• We develop curiosity and knowledge about the world and each other through our broad and inclusive curriculum.

Respect:

• We care for each other and are empathetic, honest and courteous.
• We strive to become better listeners.We are socially responsible and we maximise our positive impact on the people in our communities
• while minimising our footprint on the world. 

I am very proud of the fantastically well-rounded education that we provide at Cotham, particularly as it has contributed so effectively to our students’ achievements and successes. We are highly ambitious for all of our students, helping them to build strong foundations for their future as well as excelling in school. Nurturing the development of the ‘whole child’ and future citizen has always been of key importance to us and advancing equity regardless of our students’ starting points will continue to be of key importance to us into the future.

Cotham is a place where children and young people can learn, work, play and grow up together within a setting that is inclusive and welcoming to all. I would encourage you to visit us to explore further if Cotham provides the right school and the right opportunity for you and if you are on board with our values then I would be delighted to receive your application.

Yours faithfully

Ms Jo Butler

(Headteacher)

Cotham has an excellent reputation in Bristol built on our specialisms in Performing Arts, Maths and Computing and an outstanding GCSE and A Level examination record that is amongst the very best in the city.  Our Sixth Form, the North Bristol Post 16 Centre, is thriving with over eight hundred students studying academic programmes shared between Cotham and Redland Green School.  At Cotham we take pride in the academic success of our students  achieved over many years.  However, whilst we are proud of this success we are never complacent.  We strive to secure the best possible achievement and outcomes for every student and work tirelessly towards achieving these goals every day.

At Cotham we wish to instil an enjoyment of learning and you will find an unwavering commitment from all staff to the highest ambitions for every child.   Our school culture is one where the full range of success – creative, sporting, academic, practical support for others and triumph over adversity is celebrated.  All students benefit from the best trained and qualified staff and major investment in new facilities and resources.  We offer a broad and balanced curriculum and a stimulating range of extra-curricular activities, trips and visits to support wider learning.

Underpinning our educational philosophy are the values of the Co-operative movement. Nurturing the development of the ‘whole child’ and future citizen is of key importance to us. We believe the character, life skills and confidence to be gained from this approach are beyond measure in terms of their real-­life application.  We believe that excellence will be achieved by constantly challenging students, raising aspirations, and by insisting that good behaviour enables great learning.  Our school community is a harmonious and respectful one where students agree that with rights come responsibilities. 

At Cotham we value the partnerships we have with families and the wider community and take pride in the fact that our school community reflects the diversity of Bristol. We value the quality of relationships that we build and we value the rich variety of backgrounds and experiences that our students bring to the school.  At Cotham we seek to provide an education that both enables our students to gain university places of their choice and the skills needed to succeed in the workplace.  Our ambition is for students to leave us well prepared for a globally changing future and ready to take their place in society.

If you're searching for your next teaching post, why not contact us now? You'll be working at a great school and be part of a friendly, helpful team. We're always interested to hear from enthusiastic, committed teachers!

Our Prospectus