YEAR 10 - 11 September 2026 Welcome to Year 10
Translating this letter
If you need to translate this letter, please use the symbol in the top left hand corner
September 2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our students on an exemplary start to Year 10 and their GCSE journey. They have settled into the increased expectations and responsibilities of Key Stage 4 extremely well, and we have been very impressed by their conduct and commitment to learning.
Welcome to Year 10 Evening
Thank you to everyone who attended our Welcome to Year 10 Evening. We appreciate that families have many commitments and understand that not everyone was able to join us.
A copy of the information slides shared during the evening can be found via the ‘Parent Zone’ tab on the school website.
Key Dates
Please make a note of the following important dates:
Meet the Tutor Evening: Tuesday 15th September 2026, 3:00–4:15pm
Year 10 Mock Interviews: Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th October 2026, 8:20am–3:00pm
Year 10 Parents’ Evening: Thursday 26th November 2026, 3:30–7:00pm
Work Experience Week: Monday 8th – Friday 12th February 2027
Careers Fair – in school: Friday 5th March 2027
Year 10 Mock Exams: Monday 14th June–Friday 2nd July 2027
Looking Ahead – Post-16 Opportunities
Some Post-16 providers have already begun advertising their open evenings and other opportunities for prospective students. A table of the current opportunities is included at the end of this letter.
We will continue to update this as further opportunities are advertised, so please check back regularly.
Supporting Our Students
Year 10 is a vital stage in our students’ education as they begin their GCSE courses. We will continue to share information, guidance and opportunities with students and families to help them make informed decisions and feel confident throughout their GCSE journey.
If you have any questions, or if there is anything we can do to support your child, please do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of the Year 10 team.
We are very proud of the start our students have made, and we look forward to working closely with you over the next two years to ensure that every student is supported to make excellent progress, achieve their potential and enjoy success throughout their GCSE journey.
Yours sincerely,
The Year 10 Team
Orchard School Bristol
