Dear Parents/Carers
Remembrance Day – Friday 11th November 2022
We are delighted to be supporting the British Legion Poppy Appeal again this year – students and staff can show their support by purchasing poppies from Main Reception or LRC.
As a mark of respect students who are members of our Combined Cadet Force (CCF) will be permitted to wear their uniform from Monday 7th November for the whole week. They will be required to wear a poppy.
Students who are members of any cadets groups outside of Brakenhale will be permitted to wear their uniform on Thursday 11th November.
We will be observing 2 minutes silence at 10.59am on Friday 11th November.
In 2022 the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal will focus on how your poppy shows you care and helps the RBL continue its vital work supporting the Armed Forces community.
Kind regards
School Office

Dear Parents/Carers
Back to School – Week B – Monday 31st October
As we prepare to return to school on Monday, please we remind your child(ren) to be organised for the term ahead. For example, ensuring that they have all the necessary books and equipment needed for each day. Please note that equipment and books should not be dropped off during the day. Staff cannot distribute these and we do not want the learning of others to be disrupted because some students have forgotten items. Please remind your child(ren) to “be prepared and take responsibility”.
Furthermore, we have an increasing amount of lost property requests. Please ensure that students do not bring valuable items into school and that everything is named. With over 1200 students you will appreciate that we cannot return items to students if it is not labelled correctly. If you do find your child(ren) has lost an item, they should check with Mrs McCrorie in the LRC or email lostproperty@brakenhale.co.uk
Also, please ensure that your child’s ParentPay accounts are topped up. The system can get extremely busy at the beginning of term and it may take longer than usual to process.
If you need to speak with a member of staff, please do not come into school without a pre-arranged appointment. This is because the member of staff may be teaching in the classroom, running extra-curricular clubs, teaching a “Study Prep” session for Year 11 etc so they are very unlikely to get back to their desk before 4.30pm. Likewise, if you request a call back this may not be able to be dealt with until the end of the day or the following day due to their schedule. In the first instance, please email mainreception@brakenhale.co.uk who will be able to redirect your message to the relevant members of staff.
As the weather deteriorates in the coming months, please be reminded that there is no parking on site unless you have a disability. Please drop off respectfully to our neighbours in a road nearby. If you do need to use the car park, please note we now have a one-way system in place in the car park and you must not exit the car park by the Rectory Lane entrance, you should follow the signs and exit via Coningsby.
With the change of weather in mind, coats for students should be black/dark grey/dark blue and have no logos. Scarves are not permitted to be worn inside the school building.
May we remind you that the clocks go back on Saturday so could you ensure that all your household clocks are changed, and students are not late for their return to school.
We look forward to seeing students back on Monday as the gates open at 8.20am.
Kind regards
School Office

Good Morning Parents/Carers
CCF Facebook Auction
Brakenhale school Combined Cadet Force unit is now running a Facebook Auction page. The aim is to raise funds for the cadet unit so that we can buy essential items for our cadets.
We have some very unique items going up on the page such as – Team Signed Welsh Rugby Shirt, Signed Saint and Greavsie’s book from Italia 90 World Cup, Signed Ant Middleton book, signed England Rugby Items and many other great things.
Items will be added all the time so keep an eye out as you might just find that unique gift for that special someone or maybe just for yourself.
Please copy and paste the link below and come join us.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087283745431
Kind regards
Capt. Bury, Contingent Commander, Brakenhale School CCF

Good Afternoon
CCF Newsletter
Brakenhale School Combined Cadet Force would like to share with you our FIRST Issue of the new CCF Newsletter.
The Newsletter has been put together by our cadets. It shows not only what they have been up to over the last term but also what Events/Training they have coming up.
We hope you will enjoy reading over this.
CCF Newsletter
Kind regards
Mr A Bury, Contingent Commander – Brakenhale School CCF, Forest School Leader
abury@brakenhale.co.uk

Dear Students/Parents and Carers,
Pre Public Exams will be running from Friday 18th November to Monday 5th December.
Assemblies will be running during the week of Monday 14th November to explain expectations and logistics.
Please can we remind all students that they are required to have their Tools for Learning for every exam, this must include calculators and Maths equipment, e.g protractor and compass.
Good luck,
The Exams Team

Dear Students/Parents and Carers,
Pre Public Exams will be running from Friday 18th November to Monday 5th December.
Assemblies will be running during the week of Monday 14th November to explain expectations and logistics.
Please can we remind all students that they are required to have their Tools for Learning for every exam, this must include calculators and Maths equipment, e.g protractor and compass.
Good luck,
The Exams Team

Dear Parents/Carers
School Catering Survey
We are canvassing views from our school community about the lunch service provided at Brakenhale. This is to help us continue to improve our school food provision. As part of that process we are seeking views and suggestions about the present service.
Please click here to provide your feedback on our service.
Kind regards
School Office

Dear Parents/Carers
Year 7 English
Next half-term term we are studying A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.
The book follows a 13-year-old boy who is dealing with the imminent loss of his mother and all of the challenges this raises.
Dealing with grief can be difficult for anyone to process, especially for children. With grief comes many emotions and stages, and this book not only explores this theme in an uplifting manner but helps young people to come to terms with their own ‘monsters’ (emotions) and the loss they may be facing.
As a department, we understand the sensitivity of the subject but at the same time, we understand the importance of teaching young people about the effects that not dealing with loss can have on a person.
Although this can be a difficult text for the team to teach, we believe it is a text that cannot be shied away from and for this reason many departments across the country choose to include it within their KS3 curriculum: no one should suffer alone, no one should blame themselves for grief and everyone deserves the chance to build a life around the loss they may have experienced.
For any concerns or discussions please contact Mrs Lewis (Head of KS3 English) – dlewis@brakenhale.co.uk
Kind regards
The English Team

Good Morning
Are you a budding journalist? Have you ever wondered what a journalist does? If you would like to meet Marthe de Ferrer then please complete the google form. This will take place on Tuesday 1st November, during P2.
If you are successful, you will be emailed with where the event will be held.
Kind regards
Mrs D Lewis, Head of KS3 English

International Statistics Day Competition
Research and present the most unusual, most creative and most unique statistical fact you can find!
Present your findings to the VIP judge.
Poster or Powerpoint to reflect your chosen statistic.
Lunchtime, Thursday 20th October, F14
The winner will receive a £10 Amazon voucher and highlighter set.

Dear Parents/Carers
Year 7 Virtual Meet the Tutor Evening – Monday 14th November 2022
We would like to invite you to the Year 7 Virtual Meet the Tutor Evening, to discuss your child’s progress on Monday 14th November 2022 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 tutor.
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 Thursday 10th November 2022.
We would request that only appointment is 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 Wilson, Head of Year 7

Dear Parents/Carers
Sixth Form Open Evening – Thursday 10th November 2022
For courses 2023-25
6-8pm

Dear Parents/Carers
Year 11 Virtual Parents’ Evening – Thursday 3rd November 2022
We would like to invite you to the Year 11 Parents’ Evening on Thursday 3rd November 2022 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 1st November 2022.
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 Hilton, Head of Year 11

Good afternoon
Term Dates 2023/24
Please see the term dates for the next academic year 2023/24 on our website here:
https://brakenhale.co.uk/about/term-dates/
Kind regards
School Office

Dear Parents/Carers
Prop donations for our School Production
We are excited to be starting the preparations for our School Production of Matilda Jr The Musical which will go ahead early next year.
We are looking for donations of bric-a-brac for this year’s Production. These items will not be returned and will become part of our props department to be used in drama classes and future Productions. Any items and support with such items would be greatly appreciated.
If you have any of the items below that you would like to donate please bring them into Main Reception.
· Old Cameras
· Balloons
· Party Decorations
· Books
· School Bags/Backpacks
· Mens Hats
· Briefcase
· Plastic Plants
· Black – Coats or Blazers
· Old Rotary Phones
· Working Scooters
· Working Skateboards
· Metallic or Plastic Jugs
We are also looking for some larger items, please let us know if you have any of these below you would like to donate, by emailing performingarts@brakenhale.co.uk.
· Tables
· Old/Broken Electric Drill
· Office Chairs
· Desks
· Hat Stand / Coat rack
· Arm Chairs
· Sofa
· Old TV
· Book cases
· Cupboards
· Door
· Very large bowl or sink
Thank you in advance for your support.
Kind regards,
School Office

Dear Parents/Carers,
Year 13 Parents Evening – Change of Date
We would like to notify you of a change of date on the school calendar for the Year 13 Parents Evening. This will be changed from Thursday 17th November to Tuesday 13th December, 4.30pm-6.30pm.
The reason for the date change is so that we are able to discuss your son/daughters PPE results promptly, prior to the Christmas holidays and the final UCAS Deadline in January.
Further information regarding the Parents Evening will be sent out nearer the time.
If you have any questions in the meantime please email us at sixthform@brakenhale.co.uk
Kind Regards
The Sixth Form Team

Dear Parents/Carers
Year 11 Pre-Public Exams
Prior to half term your child will be given a list from all their subject teachers of what topics will be examined in their November Pre-Public Exams (PPEs). We have purposely timed this so that students are able to spend some time over half term starting to revise content and do themselves justice in these assessments.
We understand that starting revision can be daunting, and it is hard to know where to start. As such we have asked The Life Skills Company to come in and do an hour-long workshop on revision skills and strategies, so that your child can have greater confidence in this process. On Thursday 20th students will be in the Main Hall for this session in place of their Core PE lesson.
Please engage with them on the content after the session, and encourage them to make a revision timetable for October half term. We all know from experience that starting revision early leads to better outcomes, so we trust that you will support your child with this.
Any questions as always, please get in touch.
Best wishes
Mrs R Lister, Assistant Headteacher
rlister@brakenhale.co.uk

Dear Parents/Carers
Applying for a Secondary School place – September 2023
If you will be applying for a secondary school place for your child for September 2023, please see attached information from Bracknell Forest Council – the application process closes 31st October 2022. Applications submitted after this date will be treated as a late application and will not be considered until after all those applications that were received on time.
Secondary Applications for September 2023
The Guide to Secondary Education 2023/24
Kind regards
School Office

12 September 2022
Dear Parents/Carers
Re: Applying for a Secondary School place – September 2023
Do you have a child whose date of birth falls on or between 01 September 2011 – 31 August 2012?
If yes, as your child has now reached their final year of primary education (Year 6) you will now be able to apply for a secondary school place via your home local authority.
Bracknell Forest Residents
The application process for secondary school begins on 12 September 2022 and you can make your application for your child to transfer to secondary school from this date by visiting our website; www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/applyforsecondary
The closing date for applications is 31 October 2022 and the online site for applications will close at midday on this date.
Before you make your application;
• Ensure that you have read The Guide to Secondary Education 2023/24
https://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2022-09/the-guide-to-secondary-education-2023-2024.pdf
All information can be found on the Bracknell Forest website using the link above. If you do not have access to the internet please contact School Admissions for further advice.
If you have made alternative arrangements for your child’s Secondary Education e.g., private or home education then you must inform School Admissions of these arrangements.
Non Bracknell Forest Residents
If you are not a Bracknell Forest resident, then you will need to contact your home local authority for further information to apply for a secondary school place. You must make your application to your home local authority no matter what school you wish to apply for.
Thank you,
School Admissions Team

Dear Parents/Carers,
Safe Drive Stay Alive – Wednesday 2nd November 2022
As part of our programme within Sixth Form to promote healthy lifestyles for our students, we will be taking the Sixth Form students to a presentation run by the Thames Valley Police called ‘Safe Drive Stay Alive’. The presentation takes place on the afternoon of Wednesday 2nd November at the Hexagon in Reading.
We will be leaving school at around 12 o’clock, travelling by coach and will arrive at the venue at approximately 12:45pm. We will be returning to school for the end of the day (depending on traffic). There is no cost for this trip, but we do require parental consent via ParentPay.
This presentation is designed to make our students more aware of the dangers connected with driving, as many of our students have either just started driving or will be looking to learn in the next year. This will be an informative and interesting event and we would ask that all students attend.
Should you have any further questions or enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Kind Regards
The Sixth Form Team

Save the Date:
Sixth Form Open Evening
Thursday 10th November

10th October: On-site Parking

Dear Parents/Carers
On-site Parking
There has been a significant increase in the number of vehicles dropping off and picking up students from the car park which causes an increase in traffic on the road coming into school. This along with over 1,000 students who are walking into school and leaving at the end of the day causes congestion issues which we know increases as the weather deteriorates in the winter months.
Please can I remind you that only cars with a ‘blue badge’ may park in the ‘accessible (disabled) parking bays’. Please do not put us in a position of moving on cars if they are incorrectly parked.
We would like to remind you that it is our duty of care to ensure that students can enter and leave the school site safely and we would appreciate your help in working together to ensure that this happens.
If you do need to drive to pick up your child, please arrange a suitable meeting place away from the school ensuring that you are considerate to our neighbours and not blocking their driveways etc. Please do not park on double yellow lines in Chadwick Mews, they are there for a reason and this makes it extremely difficult to exit the Open Learning Centre safely which is dangerous for children walking on the path. Chadwick Mews also have a number of allocated visitor spaces and you should respect the residents and not use these spaces to wait and collect students.
Our collective responsibility will help to ensure this situation improves.
Many thanks for understanding.
Kind regards
Mr B Tailor, Headteacher

Good Afternoon,
I hope that everyone is well. I am writing to let you know of our bursary fund for 16 – 19 students.
The bursary fund is money that we are allocated by the government in order to support students with their studies. There are two types of bursary that students can apply for, our Discretionary bursary, or our Higher-Level bursary – the criteria for both is below:
Eligibility Criteria – Discretionary Bursary
To qualify for the Discretionary bursary fund, students need to meet all of the below criteria:
– Between the ages of 16 – 19
– Live or reside in the UK
– Have a combined household income of £30,000 or less
– Attend our Sixth Form on a full-time basis (Studying 3 subjects or more)
Eligibility Criteria – Higher Level Bursary
To qualify for the Higher-Level bursary fund, students need to fall into at least one of the following categories:
· A looked after young person
· A care leaver
· A young person in receipt of Income Support;
· A disabled young person in receipt of Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance
If you believe that a student in your care qualifies for bursary support, please fill in the attached application form and return it to Ms Manlay or Mrs Perryman by hand, or scan and email it to sperryman@brakenhale.co.uk.
We will need to ask for evidence of income-assessed benefits or income so please attach these to the form in the first instance so as to avoid delays in receiving any allocated funds.
Please also be aware that bursary funds can only be used on things that we can justify will have a positive impact on students’ education. This may be travel to Open Days, UCAS applications, books and equipment, or anything that students need for their courses. We are very happy to advise students if they are not sure of anything.
In order to allocate funds in a timely manner, we request that you submit your completed application form, along with the evidence required, by Friday 21st October 2022.
If you do think that you might be eligible I would urge you to apply; it can really help.
Regards
Ms A Manlay, Assistant Headteacher

Good morning
Canteen Menu Change
We would like to advise of the menu change below on Thursday 6th October:
Break – Hot Dog
Lunch – Fish & Chips
Kind regards
School Office

Dear Parents/Carers
PSHE Provision
On Wednesday 5th October we are again welcoming ‘Here At Last’ to Brakenhale, they will be presenting their important message on mental health, online safety and cyber bullying to Year 7 and 8. This is an additional session supporting the extensive PSHE provision that Brakenhale offers to all year groups. Year 8 will watch the performance Period 4 and Year 7 Period 5.
We hope the students find the session not only entertaining but also informative.
Kind regards
Mrs Whitaker Flower, Deputy Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,
Thank you to those of you who attended the Year 12 Welcome to Sixth Form Information evening last week, it was great to meet with so many of you and we hope you found the event informative.
We appreciate there was a lot of information given to you and that some of you were not able to attend this event, therefore please find attached the presentation from the evening.
If you have any further questions or queries please email us at sixthform@brakenhale.co.uk and a member of the Sixth Form team will get back to you.
Kind regards,
The Sixth Form Team