Our Annual Presentation Evening took place on Monday 12th January, celebrating the achievements of students from Year 7 through to Year 13 across the 2024–2025 academic year, as well as current Year 7 students who have made a fantastic start to their journey at Cowley.
The Sports Hall was beautifully decorated and filled with parents, families, governors and staff, all gathered to recognise and applaud the hard work, dedication and success of our students. The atmosphere was one of pride and celebration as awards were presented throughout the evening.
Mr Cormack opened the event by paying tribute to former teacher, Ray French, who sadly died last year. Ray’s impact and legacy will never be forgotten. He is forever a Cowleian.
The event was led by Mr Bennett, alongside Mr Watkins, who together presented awards and acknowledged the outstanding efforts of students across all year groups.
We were also honoured to welcome our guest speaker, Dr. Rose Kogie-Henshall, whose inspirational speech captivated the audience. Rose shared her remarkable journey from growing up in Kenya to becoming a doctor, encouraging students to believe in themselves, aim high and never allow obstacles to hold them back. Her powerful message and practical advice left a lasting impression on everyone present.
The evening was a wonderful celebration of achievement and aspiration, and we are extremely proud of all our students for their commitment and success.
Dear Parent/Carer,
As we approach the end of what has been an incredible term, I want to express how proud I am of our students. Their aspiration to achieve, their resilience, and their energy have been truly inspiring. Let’s finish strong this week, making it a fantastic week for attendance and a memorable one with friends and our dedicated Cowley staff.
Arrangements for Friday:
- Start Time: College begins at 8:30am.
- Christmas Jumpers: Students are welcome to wear a Christmas jumper alongside their full uniform. Staff will also be joining in and donating to Willowbrook Hospice.
- Activities: The day will include a mix of lessons and celebrations, including the return of Cowley’s famous Masked Singer! Who will be behind the mask this year?
- Dismissal: Students will finish at 12:20pm, ready for a well-deserved Christmas break after such a busy term. If there are any transport issues, please ask your child to speak to their Year Team.
I would like to thank our staff for their tireless work in providing an excellent term of learning, and to you, our parents and carers, for your continued support. Education is a team effort, and we couldn’t do it without you.
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas, and we look forward to welcoming students back on Wednesday, 7th January at 8:30am.
Happy Christmas,
Mr Cormack
Dear year 8 Parents/Carers
All Year 8 children are being offered the HPV immunisation which protects against a range of HPV related cancers. Please access the below link for further information and complete your child’s form even if you DO NOT want your child to receive this immunisation as this will avoid you receiving further correspondence from our service and assist with campaign delivery.
https://econsent.merseycare.nhs.uk/
If you would like to discuss anything further, amend your child’s form or require support, please don’t hesitate to contact the immunisation service on 0151 351 8805 or mcn-tr.schoolimmunisations@nhs.net
Please do not re-submit a further form.
Many Thanks,
School Based Immunisation Services
Dear year 9 Parents/Carers
Important action required.
All year 9 children are due routine immunisations to boost their antibodies and ensure they remain protected against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio, and Meningitis ACWY into adulthood. Also, if your child missed their HPV immunisation in year 8. It’s not too late.
Please access the below link for further information and complete your child’s form even if you DO NOT want your child to receive any immunisations, as this will avoid you receiving further correspondence from our service and assist with campaign delivery.
https://econsent.merseycare.nhs.uk/
If you would like to discuss anything further, amend your child’s consent form or require support, please don’t hesitate to contact the immunisation service on 0151 351 8805 or mcn-tr.schoolimmunisations@nhs.net
Please do not re-submit a further form.
Many Thanks,
School Based Immunisation Services
Dear year 10 and 11 Parents/Carers
Did your child miss any school immunisations? It’s never too late to get protected.
All secondary school children are offered immunisations to protect them against HPV related cancers and boost their antibodies against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio and Meningitis ACWY ensuring they are protected into adulthood. Please access the below link if your child has missed any routine immunisations and complete the relevant forms. If you are not sure, please don’t hesitate to contact the immunisation service on 0151 351 8805 or email
mcn-tr.schoolimmunisations@nhs.net who will be happy to check your child’s immunisation records.
Click here to complete forms https://econsent.merseycare.nhs.uk/
Many Thanks,
School Based Immunisation Services
As we approach the end of a fantastic first term, we have an action-packed final day planned for all students. Attendance is especially important as we continue high-quality learning right up to the end—and there’s plenty to look forward to!
🎭 The Masked Singer Returns!
Back by popular demand and bigger and better than last year, our very own Masked Singer will take place on the last day of term. Staff will once again be performing in disguise…
Can you work out who’s behind the mask?
🎟️ Attendance Prize Draw
We are holding a special Attendance Prize Draw on the last day.
Students earn one ticket for every full week they are in school, and each ticket equals one entry into the draw. The more you’re in, the more chance you have of winning! There are some excellent prizes up for grabs.
📚 High-Quality Learning Until We Break Up
Learning continues right to the end of term.
We will be teaching the full curriculum up to and including the final day, and attendance remains a top priority. Every day matters.
🏆 Achievement Assemblies
We will finish the term with our Achievement Assemblies, where we celebrate:
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Outstanding effort
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Personal accomplishments
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Successes across the curriculum
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The incredible progress made this term
These assemblies give students a chance to reflect, recognise their achievements, and celebrate together as a community.
Cowley International College is delighted to share that we have been appointed as a Lead School for Sound! Music Hub, the newly established music hub for the Liverpool City Region and Warrington.
This appointment recognises our school’s strong commitment to high-quality music provision and our dedication to supporting the musical development of children and young people across our wider community.
What is a Lead School?
Sound! Music Hub’s Lead Schools Network is made up of 15 schools from across the Liverpool city region and Warrington— including primary, secondary and special schools. These schools will work closely with Sound! Music Hub to help shape music education across Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Warrington.
Lead Schools act on behalf of their local school networks and communities, representing a broad range of voices, sharing best practice, and helping to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to engage with music in meaningful ways.
Our Role
As a Lead School, Cowley International College will:
- Actively support and promote music education and the work of Sound! Music Hub across the region.
- Collaborate with local music services, fellow Lead Schools, and other schools to develop opportunities and resources.
- Develop and deliver CPD, mentoring, peer support, and learning networks.
- Co-create and participate in collaborative projects, events, and the sharing of practice and resources.
- Provide in-school support where relevant to areas of expertise.
- Support career pathways into music for young people.
- Advocate for inclusive, diverse, and high-quality music education across the region.
- Share examples of great practice and innovation in music education.
- Represent the voices and needs of local schools and communities.
- Help shape the direction of music education across the region
What is Sound! Music Hub?
Sound! Music Hub covers the areas of Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Warrington. It is part of a national network of 43 music hubs which are dedicated to providing music education and opportunities to young people across the UK.
Serving the areas of Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Warrington, Sound! Music Hub brings together a variety of organisations to deliver music education and career pathways to children and young people.
In collaboration with local music services and both regional and national music organisations, Sound! works with 555 schools, reaching over 210,000 pupils, including those who are home schooled or educated through alternative methods. The hub aims to increase access to music activities both in and out of school, fostering a stronger connection between the two and ensuring every child and young person has the opportunity enjoy, experience and champion music.
Sound! Music Hub is funded by the Department for Education through Arts Council England and is led by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority – the Hub Lead Organisation (HLO).
To find out more about Sound! Music Hub and its work across the region, visit www.soundmusichub.com
We are delighted to announce the return of the St Helens Secondary Schools’ All Stars Awards for 2025, proudly founded by the St Helens Association of Secondary Headteachers (ASH).
Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, the awards are back to once again celebrate the outstanding achievements of students from across all ten local secondary schools.
Each school has nominated pupils across 11 categories, with the winners set to be announced at a special ceremony on Thursday 23rd October at the St Helens Rugby League Stadium.
We have four students up for awards in the following categories:
- Kind and caring student of the year
- Outstanding contribution to the school community
- Creative and Performing Arts student of the year
- Sportsperson of the year
This promises to be another inspiring and uplifting evening, shining a spotlight on the remarkable dedication, talent, and resilience of our young people.
Awards will be presented by Councillor Burns in the following categories:
- Academic grit and determination award
- Student leader of the year
- Sportsperson of the year
- Outstanding perseverance and resilience
- Outstanding contribution to the school community
- Outstanding contribution to the St Helens community
- Creative and Performing Arts student of the year
- Kind and caring student of the year
- Environmental student of the year
- Young carer of the year
- New for 2025 – Team of the Year
Missed Our Open Evening? We’ve got you covered!
We were delighted to welcome so many Y6 students and their families to our recent Open Evening and showcase everything our school has to offer. From meeting our passionate staff and students to exploring our fantastic facilities, it was a wonderful opportunity to experience life at Cowley.
However, we understand that not everyone was able to attend – and some families may wish to take a second look before making this important decision. That’s why we’re offering an additional date where Y6 and their family can take a look around our school and hear a presentation about everything we have to offer. SENCo will also be on hand to answer any questions you have
Monday 13th October
4:30 – 6:00pm
Cowley International College
Booking is required. Please use the link below to reserve your spot:
Whole School Musical Announced: The Addams Family!
We are delighted to announce that this year’s whole school musical will be The Addams Family!
With a cast of over 70 students from across all year groups, this production promises to be a spectacular showcase of our school’s talent, teamwork, and creativity.
Performance Dates:
The show will run for four nights at the end of October:
21st – 25th October, 7:30pm, plus a Saturday matinee at 2:30pm
Following the huge success of our past musicals – which have sold out performances and even received NODA award wins and recognition – we are expecting another fantastic response from our school community and beyond.
Over the summer, a group of our students embarked on an extraordinary journey to Cambodia with Camps International, taking part in life-changing community development projects.
This once-in-a-lifetime experience saw students fully immerse themselves in local culture while making a real impact. From supporting essential community initiatives to contributing to vital environmental work, they demonstrated resilience, teamwork, and compassion every step of the way.
We are incredibly proud of all the students involved — your commitment, courage, and community spirit have made a lasting difference. Well done!
Here is Cameron’s write-up of the expedition and his thoughts for students thinking of taking part in a Camps International expedition in the future:
The Cambodia trip was an absolute dream that will change your life. You’ll learn about the history of Cambodia and how it got to peace from decades of recent turmoil, widening your historical and cultural knowledge. You’ll visit the bustling cities of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, highlighting the real progress of Cambodia. Not to mention, you’ll get to meet new people and now, some of my best friends are people I met on this trip! From visiting the world famous Angkor Wat (the largest religious building in the world) to sleeping in a monastery after meditating with monks, this is such a unique opportunity that I strongly urge you to take. The only bad part will be missing Cambodia and reflecting on your memories once you arrive back home!
You’re Invited: High School Open Evening – Thursday 11th September 2025
We are excited to welcome prospective students and their families to our Open Evening on Thursday 11th September 2025, from 4:00pm to 6:30pm.
This is a fantastic opportunity to:
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Explore our school’s facilities and classrooms
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Meet our dedicated teaching staff and current students
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Learn more about our curriculum, enrichment support services
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Experience the vibrant atmosphere that makes our school community so special
Whether you’re considering joining us in Year 7 or looking for a fresh start in another year group, our Open Evening offers the perfect chance to see what we’re all aboutWe look forward to seeing you there and sharing what makes our school a place where every student can thrive.
No booking required – just come along!