Dear Parents/Carers
Year 9 Virtual Parents’ Evening – Thursday 23rd February 2023
We would like to invite you to the Year 9 Parents’ Evening on Thursday 23rd February 2023 from 4pm to 7pm. Appointments will be held by video call.
Families are requested to use our automated online booking system to make appointments. This allows you the flexibility to book times directly with your child’s teachers.
Please click on the link below to book your appointments:
https://brakenhaleschool.schoolcloud.co.uk
Appointments will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, therefore it is in the interests of both yourself and your child to ensure your appointment is booked as soon as possible. Appointments will be available to book until the end of the day on Tuesday 21st February 2023.
We would request that only one set of appointments are booked per student. In order to ensure the smooth running of this event, we would strongly advise that when you receive confirmation of your appointment, you click on the ‘click here’ link to check that the browser you are using is compatible. If your browser is not compatible, please cancel your appointments and let us know so we can contact you by alternative means.
You can give one other Parent/Carer access to join your video appointments in respect of each student linked to you that is involved in the conference. You can grant this access at the time of booking, or later if required.
Please note, appointment times are strictly adhered to by the booking system and will cut off when the appointment time is over. A clock will display on screen showing how long is left until the end of the appointment.
If you do not have access to the internet, have problems using this booking system or require any further assistance, please contact the school office as soon as possible on 01344 423041.
Kind regards
Mr McKane, Head of Year 9

Dear Parents/Carers
Volunteers required to conduct Year 10 Mock Interviews
Have you worked in the Art, Construction, Hair & Beauty, Media, Motor, Protective Services or Sports industries and have experience of interviewing?………
On Friday 17th March 2023 (Drop Down Day) our usual school timetable will be replaced by a Careers & Life Skills Day. The objective is to help students improve their future opportunities. Each year group will focus on a specific subject area.
Year 10 will focus on interviewing. In the morning with their teachers, they will create a basic CV and receive interview training. In the afternoon they will have mock interviews. We want to make this an authentic experience, in a controlled, safe and encouraging environment. To support this event, we are asking for volunteer Interviewers please.
If you have experience of interviewing could you help? We are very keen that we represent the different pathways, such as Art, Construction, Hair & Beauty, Media, Motor, Protective Services and Sports (Pathways not mentioned are already represented by other volunteers.)
The afternoon (12-3pm) will be very structured and all the questions are pre-written. There will always be a member of staff present.
If you feel you have the experience and could help your community for an afternoon, then please can you email us the following:
· Your name
· Your email address
· Industry you have worked in
· A sentence detailing your experience of interviewing
Thank you for considering this.
Kind regards
Mrs H Whitaker Flower, Deputy Headteacher
Mrs K Allum, Careers Lead, kallum@brakenhale.co.uk

Dear Parents/Carers
Year 11 School Prom – Friday 30th June 2023
Year 11 are continuing to work hard as we approach the final few months before the formal exams begin in May, 2023. As they have been told regularly this isn’t much in terms of school days! With that in mind, we are delighted to be able to share with you the details regarding the Prom for Year 11! This will be a wonderful evening whereby their journey through to the GCSEs and successes will be celebrated. Event information:
Venue: Easthampstead Park Conference Centre
Address: Conference Centre, Off Peacock Lane, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 3DF
Arrival: 7pm
Carriages: 11pm
As communicated since September, the Prom is a reward we are very much looking forward to celebrating with our Year 11 students. Students are aware that they are required to have earned 20 or more Prom Points over the course of the year to attend the Prom. Prom Points are awarded by their teachers for going above and beyond academically. We trust that they are working hard towards this goal. We will, of course, refund your payment if you purchase a ticket but students have not gained enough points.
Students will not be permitted entry to the Prom without a signed parental consent form agreeing that you are responsible for the behaviour of your child at the venue. Please note that you will also be responsible for ensuring that your child reaches the venue safely and have suitable transport arrangements for getting home. School staff will be present at the Prom throughout the evening.
As I am sure you are aware, students will not be allowed to consume alcohol whilst at the Prom. You will be asked to be pick up your child if they are suspected of having consumed alcohol.
The total cost of the event will be £48 per student. This includes:
· the venue
· welcome drink (non-alcoholic)
· hot and cold finger food buffet
· photographer
· on-site security
Students attending this event will be representing our school and the community. We hope that their behaviour reflects this and that they enjoy this wonderful evening.
Payment will be on ParentPay. If your child wishes to attend the Prom, a non-refundable deposit of £10 must be paid by 31st March 2023. The remaining balance of £38 will be payable by 15th May 2023.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Kind regards
Mr L Hilton, Head of Year 11
lhilton@brakenhale.co.uk
Mrs L Theal, Curriculum & Support Manager, Prom Organiser
ltheal@brakenhale.co.uk

Dear Parent/Carers
Year 9 – Holocaust Memorial Day
We would like to advise that next Friday 27th January Brakenhale will be commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day. As part of this, during period 2, Year 9 students will not attend their normal lesson and will be in the hall to watch a live webcast with a survivor of the Holocaust. This year students will hear from Ruth Posner. Ruth lived in Poland when war broke out, but when Hitler invaded she was thrown out of her home and into a Jewish Ghetto. She was later taken prisoner in Germany where she managed to escape and come to the UK at age 16. Students will get to hear the details of Ruth’s experiences and how she felt about the persecution she faced.
This is a once in a life-time opportunity to hear a survivor talk and can be very powerful. Before and after the webcast, please talk to your child to check in with them about how they found the experience and if you have any concerns please contact me.
Kind regards
Miss D Bunkell, Head of History & Social Sciences
dbunkell@brakenhale.co.uk

Dear Parents/Carers
Parent Staff Association
Would you like to be a part of a team who are dedicated to helping and supporting our school community? Would you like to help raise funds for the school to further benefit your child? Does your company give you time off to volunteer?
After a long hiatus, we are looking to resurrect our Parent Staff Association (PSA). With this in mind, we are looking for volunteers to join us as we rebuild a committee and a group of dedicated volunteers. Through the PSA, we will be able to demonstrate our key values first hand; ‘Aim High’, ‘Be Kind’ and ‘Take Responsibility’.
What is the Parent Staff Association all about?
Fundraising – whether it’s paying for extras or essentials, every penny directly benefits our students
Fun – our events are enjoyed by students, parents and staff alike, and are a great way to bring the whole school community closer together
There has never been a better or more important time to support Brakenhale School.
Join us
To register your interest in becoming a volunteer, all you have to do is fill out the Google form linked below:
Brakenhale Parent Staff Association – Membership Interest
Whether you become a member of the formal committee, are able to volunteer regularly, or just a few hours, we would like to hear from you. However much time you can spare, your help will be greatly appreciated and will make a big difference to our school community.
Our first meeting will be held on Tuesday 21st February at 7pm in the conference room (access via Main Reception). Everyone is welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided and this will be a great opportunity to discuss our fundraising ideas and goals as well as introducing ourselves to one another.
Kind regards
Mr B Tailor, Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers
Year 10 Virtual Parents’ Evening – Thursday 2nd February 2023
We would like to invite you to the Year 10 Parents’ Evening on Thursday 2nd February 2023 from 4pm to 7pm. Appointments will be held by video call.
Families are requested to use our automated online booking system to make appointments. This allows you the flexibility to book times directly with your child’s teachers.
Please click on the link below to book your appointments:
https://brakenhaleschool.schoolcloud.co.uk
Appointments will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, therefore it is in the interests of both yourself and your child to ensure your appointment is booked as soon as possible. Appointments will be available to book until the end of the day on Tuesday 31st January 2023.
We would request that only one set of appointments are booked per student. In order to ensure the smooth running of this event, we would strongly advise that when you receive confirmation of your appointment, you click on the ‘click here’ link to check that the browser you are using is compatible. If your browser is not compatible, please cancel your appointments and let us know so we can contact you by alternative means.
You can give one other Parent/Carer access to join your video appointments in respect of each student linked to you that is involved in the conference. You can grant this access at the time of booking, or later if required.
Please note, appointment times are strictly adhered to by the booking system and will cut off when the appointment time is over. A clock will display on screen showing how long is left until the end of the appointment.
If you do not have access to the internet, have problems using this booking system or require any further assistance, please contact the school office as soon as possible on 01344 423041.
Kind regards
Miss Manning, Head of Year 10

Dear Parents/Carers
Tools for Learning (TFL) Checks
Over the next few weeks this term, tools for learning spot checks will take place once per week in tutor time to ensure that students are fully equipped for the day.
Why?
– This will minimise wasted learning time and disruption caused by teachers having to provide TFL to students in lessons.
– Where spare TFL is not readily available in the classroom to provide, lessons are compromised.
– It is vital that our young people are able to learn the skill of organisation and are supported to do so with an on-site TFL shop.

The first TFL check will be on Monday of next week (Monday 16th January), with the exception of Year 7 who will have theirs on Tuesday (due to Assembly).
The following checks over the remaining weeks will not be announced to students beforehand and thus students should ensure they have all of their TFL every day. Students that do not have the required tools for learning should expect to receive a detention that evening.
The items that students are required to have are listed below:
Filled Pencil Case – comprised of:
– Large Transparent Pencil Case
– 3 Black or Blue Pens
– HB Pencil
– Rubber
– Pencil Sharpener
– Glue Stick
– 30cm Ruler
– Highlighter
– Protractor
– Coloured Pencils (or Pens)
– Whiteboard and Pen
– Scientific Calculator
In addition to this, they must also have a Brakenhale Planner. If they do not, this is considered missing TFL and a detention will be set by their tutor.
In order to support students, we have a TFL shop on site that students can visit in their own time. This shop sells individual items of the TFL pack. A price list has been attached below for your convenience. Replacement planners can be purchased from the TFL shop for £3.00. Please support your child by ensuring they either purchase any missing TFL over the weekend at any stationary retailer or supermarket.
Should there be any issues or exception circumstances, please contact your child’s tutor in advance.
– Large Transparent Pencil Case – 80p
– 3 Black or Blue Pens – 15p each
– HB Pencil – 10p
– Rubber – 10p
– Pencil Sharpener – 15p
– Glue Stick – 35p
– 30cm Ruler – 15p
– Highlighter – 15p
– Protractor – 20p
– Coloured Pencils (or Pens) – 80p
– Whiteboard – 60p
– Whiteboard Pen – 25p
– Whiteboard Sponge – 25p
– Scientific Calculator – £8.35
[Please note prices may be subject to change due to supply]
Kind regards
Mr McKane

Dear Parents/Carers
Science Revision Booklet
The Science Department is using the data analysis from the November PPEs to evaluate which knowledge and skills are most pertinent for revision between now and the February PPEs. Starting today during Study Prep, we will be introducing our year 11 students to self-quizzing booklets as homework each evening to support them in revising efficiently.
All students will be given this booklet in their Study Prep session during period 6 today, and will be explained precisely how best to use them. This will involve using the booklet to quiz themselves for 10-20 minutes each evening and completing a small quiz in class each week to check progress.
In the GCSEs this summer, students will be examined on three years’ worth of content over six separate exam papers, meaning that it is essential that revision is completed early and often. These booklets contain all of the major content that could be in the exam, and revising little and often in this way has been shown to be the most effective way to improve on exam scores.
I have attached an information sheet which includes additional information as well as the content that we will be covering each week.
Should you have any further questions please do not hesitate to get in touch,
Kind regards
Mr Woods, Head of Science
dwoods@brakenhale.co.uk

Dear Parents/Carers
Year 11 Maths
We hope your first week back in school to start this new calendar year has been positive and productive. We also hope that you had an excellent experience getting a taste for sixth form life here at Brakenhale, on Friday.
This year we have made a few refinements to what has previously been our “norm” in the Maths Department for year 11. These refinements are all designed with our students in mind, and to support their progress across varying platforms.
a. Within Maths lessons themselves we have introduced a new scheme of learning that follows a bespoke plan, catered to each individual class. This plan is based on the Question Level Analysis (QLA) which we (teachers) have done from the PPEs in November. This ensures that each class is only working on the content that they need to revisit specifically to make further progress. This allows the lessons to be focused; they are data-driven. All classrooms will follow this plan, allowing for consistency and clarity for our students and teachers alike.
b. Homework will now be completed on Sparx. This was the program students used in year 10, and one we are going back to instead of Hegarty. This resource is more user friendly. Also, students tend to find the videos easier to understand, and questions on Sparx will support their summer exams (i.e. varying topics catered to the ability of each student based on an algorithm, that Hegarty currently doesn’t have). We ask that students complete the homework to 100%, which will go out every Wednesday and is due the following Tuesday at 11pm. If there are any areas of difficulty, please encourage students to seek help from their teachers. Sparx club is on Monday after school and Tuesday lunchtime. We would like to stress that the Maths department is here to support in any way we can, prior to the deadline, so please do come and see us when you need to! Detentions for non-completion will run on Wednesday afternoon, after Study Prep in the canteen.
c. We are also running an additional Study Prep session on Friday week B. This is not compulsory but is encouraged, and is on offer to assist our year 11s in making incremental gains ahead of the next cycle of PPEs at the end of February. The groups for this extra lesson are based on their current grade to ensure all students with the same ability receive targeted, focused support on questions that they need specifically.
We are excited to introduce these refinements designed to enable all of our year 11s to thrive over the next few weeks and months, preparing them for their GCSEs and beyond.
Best wishes
The Maths Department

Dear Parents/Carers
We are pleased to share with you some upcoming important dates for Year 9 as they make their GCSE choices:
Year 9 Progress Evening – Thursday 23rd February – virtual 4pm – 7pm
The Year 9 progress evening will be an opportunity for you to have in-depth conversations with Year 9 classroom teachers to discuss the possibilities of taking that particular subject forward at KS4.
Year 9 Choices Evening – Thursday 16th March in school from 5:30pm until 7pm
The Year 9 Choices evening will provide the necessary information you need to make informed GCSE choices as well as an opportunity to browse various departments and discuss with staff the finer details of the GCSE courses.
Further details of each evening will be provided closer to the time.
Kind regards
Mr P McKane, Head of Year 9
pmckane@brakenhale.co.uk

Dear Parents/Carers
We are pleased to share with you some upcoming important dates for Year 9 as they make their GCSE choices:
Year 9 Progress Evening – Thursday 23rd February – virtual 4pm – 7pm
The Year 9 progress evening will be an opportunity for you to have in-depth conversations with Year 9 classroom teachers to discuss the possibilities of taking that particular subject forward at KS4.
Year 9 Choices Evening – Thursday 16th March in school from 5:30pm until 7pm
The Year 9 Choices evening will provide the necessary information you need to make informed GCSE choices as well as an opportunity to browse various departments and discuss with staff the finer details of the GCSE courses.
Further details of each evening will be provided closer to the time.
Kind regards
Mr P McKane, Head of Year 9
pmckane@brakenhale.co.uk

Dear Parents/Carers
Bracknell School Nursing Team Newsletter
Please find attached the latest Newsletter from the Bracknell School Nursing Team.
Kind regards
School Office

Dear Students,

Year 12 – Study Day Friday 6th January
Please be reminded that this Friday 6th January, is a Study Day.
Timetabled lessons for this day will post work on their respective Google classrooms and this work should be completed at home. Students should also use this time to catch up on respective work and revise their Term One content before moving on to the next, more challenging phase in their learning.
Should you wish to come into school on Friday then please let us know and we will be happy to accommodate you in Study – Year 12 lessons however will not be running.
All Year 12 students will be required to be back in school as normal on Monday 9th January dependent on their privilege pass.

Year 13 – Arrangements for Friday 6th January
On Friday 6th January we will be holding a Sixth Form Taster day for Year 11 students, therefore you will only be required to come in for any timetabled lessons during this day.
There will be no tutor or registered study, although you are welcome to be in school and we will accommodate you in the study area should you wish to be in school around any lessons.

Kind Regards
The Sixth Form Team

Dear Parents/Carers
PE Update/Information
First of all, happy new year, I hope your holidays have been warm, safe and active.
Secondly, as we come back to the new term I wish to clarify some things with regards to PE lessons, PE kit and notes.
a. If your child cannot do PE, we (the PE staff) must receive an email before the lesson to alert us of this. That way we can sign them off with a medical exemption. This will last for one week only. Any more than this and we will require a doctor’s note. The email must come from a parent/carer. It must be received prior to the lesson. We do not accept hand written notes; it must be from a parent email. PE staff email addresses can be found at the bottom of this email. If this does not happen a sanction will be issued to the student.
b. Pupils must also bring a full PE kit and change into it, unless they are physically unable to. For example, they have a broken or dislocated bone which prevents them from fully changing. A pupil that is not taking part in a physical way can still engage in the lesson. They will be given a role as a ‘non doer’ and having kit enables them to do so effectively. If no PE kit is brought, a sanction will apply.
c. The PE kit that is allowed in lessons must be the Brakenhale PE kit. Before Christmas there were a number of pupils who brought their own clothes in for PE. This is not acceptable. No other kit is permitted. If the Brakenhale kit is not worn, and we do not have a parental email in exceptional circumstances to state otherwise, a sanction will be issued. If pupils fail to bring a PE kit, a sanction will be issued. If this is repeated your child’s PE teacher will contact home.
d. PE lessons will always continue despite the weather which can sometimes be inclement. In the event of poor weather, classes and lessons have a timetabled space, indoors. Pupils must still bring a full PE kit as lessons will always take place.
If you have any issues at all regarding PE, lessons, kit or notes, please contact your child’s PE teacher in the first instance.
Many thanks for your continued support.
Kind regards
Mr M Potter, Head of PE
mpotter@brakenhale.co.uk

PE staff email addresses are as follows:
Mr Maye – cmaye@brakenhale.co.uk
Mr Boucher – jboucher@brakenhale.co.uk
Miss Wilson – kwilson@brakenhale.co.uk
Ms Montgomery (maternity cover for Mrs Lazarczuk) – jmontgomery@brakenhale.co.uk

Dear Students,
We hope you’ve had a good Christmas break and wish you all a happy and healthy new year!
A reminder that we return to school tomorrow, Wednesday 4th January.
Please arrive by 8:35 for an 8:40 start in your tutor groups; we will have a slightly extended tutor time followed by an assembly during period 1. All levels of privilege passes are required to attend.
Enrichment will start again from next Wednesday, 11th January, therefore students may leave from lunchtime tomorrow if they wish to do so.
We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.
Kind Regards
The Sixth Form Team