Cheltenham Bournside School

🪡 Bournside's young textile designers celebrate unity through fashion and culture 🪡

This week, A-level Fashion and Textiles students joined peers from local schools as part of the Education Partnership's Young Designers programme, a creative initiative delivered in collaboration with .

Over the past six months, students have been challenged to design and create a unique piece of wearable art inspired by the fusion of an African national flower and an iconic British symbol. The project encourages young people to explore themes of cultural exchange, identity and belonging while developing their creative and technical design skills.

“Combining vibrant printed fabrics and upcycled materials, our students transformed their ideas into a striking fashion piece that celebrate the richness of our society. Our model was Sophie, who helped bring the designs to life. Well done to everyone involved!”
- Mrs Alat, Assistant Head of Design and Technology

💜 National Volunteering Week 💜

As part of National Volunteering Week, we are pleased to celebrate the contribution made by students completing their Duke of Edinburgh's Award at Bournside over the past financial year. Their commitment to volunteering has made a real difference across our school and wider community.

This year, students completing the Bronze, Silver and Gold awards have collectively completed 2,496 hours of volunteering, with an estimated social value of £18,843. These hours reflect a wide range of activities supporting local organisations, school initiatives, and community projects. We are grateful to all students involved for their time, effort, and continued contribution. Well done!
- Mrs McCormack, DofE Lead

👨🏻‍💼💡 7 weeks to go until Work Experience Week 2026! 💡👩🏻‍🏭

Over 250 students in Year 10 and 12 have already secured their work experience placements for Work Experience Week (13th - 17th July 2026). From retail, engineering and architecture, to education, cyber and veterinary care, these important work placements help students gain essential workplace skills and strengthen future university and job applications.

Often, placements are secured through personal connections, so if your child is yet to confirm their placement, asking colleagues, family and friends can often lead to fantastic opportunities.

Students can also now access our new Work Experience SharePoint site for further guidance and resources on securing a meaningful work placement.

If you have any questions, or if you would like to offer a work experience opportunity, please contact the Bournside Careers Team at [email protected].

🌿🎉 Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday celebrations continue! 🎉🌍

Thank you to all of the students who submitted such creative, colourful and thoughtful birthday cards, messages, and artwork to celebrate our House icon reaching his milestone 100th birthday last week!

Your work will soon be proudly displayed in K Block, so be sure to stop by and take a look at the fantastic tribute you’ve created.

A level adventures on the Jurassic Coast

Our Year 12 Geographers had a brilliant trip exploring the Jurassic Coast on Monday and Tuesday this week, helped along by the beautiful weather.

Day One kicked off at the sand dunes in Studland, where students got hands-on with investigating dune succession. Day Two was all about dramatic coastlines. Students explored the unique geology at Lulworth Cove, climbed the paths to the stunning arch at Durdle Door and finished the day in Lyme Regis looking at coastal management.

A great mix of learning, fresh air and spectacular views!

Well done to Arthur in Year 8 (Hawking) who took part in the Evesham Regatta over the Bank Holiday weekend. Arthur represented Gloucester Rowing Club in both individual and team events and placed 1st in both the Under-13s Single Scull and the Under-13 Double Scull.

Congratulations Arthur on delivering a fantastic performance! - Mr Winterbottom, Head of PE

Gloucester Rowing Club

🎉 Happy 100th Birthday to the legendary Sir David Attenborough! 🎉

Today marks the 100th birthday of our House Icon, Sir David Attenborough, and we are delighted to join in the nationwide celebrations. Alongside the internal house competitions and special assemblies held in his honour, we wanted to create a tribute that would stand the test of time.

Yesterday, Mr Bashford and Mrs Dunmore-Poole led Attenborough House, with a little help from Parks House, onto the school field to form a spectacular Tutor Group A100 in celebration of Sir David’s centenary. The formation was captured in this incredible aerial photograph!

A huge thank you goes to the Year 9 maths class for precisely measuring out the display, and to Andy at Greybox Geospatial Ltd for helping us to bring the idea to life.

Here’s to 100 years of wonder, wisdom, and extraordinary storytelling. Happy 100th Birthday, Sir David! 🌿

— Mr Waters, Deputy Headteacher

🎉 Congratulations to Leo in Year 7 (Attenborough)! 🎉

Congratulations to Leo who is the first student to complete all three levels of the Bournside Reading Diploma, earning a Golden Ticket from Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Fox.

Since the launch of the Reading Diploma in February, launched to mark the government’s National Literacy Trust Year of Reading, students have been challenged to step outside their comfort zones by exploring twelve varied books.

Leo rose to the challenge, reading everything from Beowulf, to a Philip Pullman biography, to the previously banned The Fault in Our Stars, securing Bronze, Silver and Gold Level! 📚✨

There’s still time for students to get started on their Reading Diploma Challenge if they haven't already. Students have until December to complete 12 reads.

– Mrs Pilkington, Librarian

🌋 Year 10 Geography Trip to the Bay of Naples🌋

At the beginning of the Easter holidays, Year 10 geographers enjoyed an unforgettable trip to the Bay of Naples, exploring some of Italy’s most iconic volcanic and historical sites.

During the first day, the lucky group climbed to the summit of Mount Vesuvius in perfect weather with excellent visibility, and they were rewarded with phenomenal views of the crater and the entire Bay of Naples, They then explored the sights of Pompeii and Herculaneum, where students gained an insight of what life was like for the Romans 2000 years ago.

Evenings and day trips took the group to the picturesque town of Sorrento and along the breathtaking Amalfi Coast, experienced by foot, coach, and boat. On the final day, students explored the vibrant city of Naples and admired views of its famous cathedral.

“This trip was a fantastic geographic and historical experience, and the students represented the school impeccably.”
- Mr Jackson, Teacher of Geography 🇮🇹