15th October - Parent Survey
15th October - Parent Survey
Dear Parents/Carers,
Every other year, we ask parents to take a survey to get feedback on your experience of your child's education at our school. This survey is based on the Ofsted parent survey and forms part of our strategic school development conversations.
The survey should take no longer than five minutes to complete and I would ask every parent to endeavour to participate.
Your feedback is very valuable and helps us understand where we are doing well and where we need to improve. Please find the link to the survey here: Click Here
As always, if you have concerns that you would like to discuss in more detail please do not hesitate to contact us in the normal way.
Yours sincerely,
Sean Maher
Headmaster
This Friday is our first Salsa Evening at Richard Challoner School.
Please join us for an evening of fun, laughter, dancing and great company. Led by experienced salsa instructor Simon Mascarenhas, the evening will include group, solo and partner dancing. No partner needed! All ages welcome.
Tickets are £12 per adult and £6 for children.
Doors open at 7pm.
Drinks: BYOB with soft drinks available to purchase
Click the link here Click Here to purchase your tickets.
We’d love to see you there!
Dear Parent/Guardian,
We are thrilled to announce that preparations for our highly anticipated musical production are officially underway!
To launch this exciting production, the Performing Arts Department will be hosting an open information meeting for all interested students on Thursday 15th October at 3.20pm in the Drama Studio. Mr Leach spoke to our KS3 students this morning in assembly to advertise the event and Mr L Norton will be speaking to KS4 and KS5 in next week’s assembly to provide them with more details. Students will also receive an information poster via Bromcom this afternoon.
During the meeting, we will share essential details, including:
- Audition Requirements: Guidance on preparing your material, song selections, and what the process will look like.
- Production Dates: Key rehearsal schedules, tech rehearsals, and performance dates for April.
- Showbie Code: Information on how to join the Showbie class so they can receive updates, rehearsal schedules and notices.
Whether you have performed before or you’re looking to try something new, we encourage you to attend and be part of this exciting production. There is no need to sign up in advance—simply show up to find out how you can get involved
Yours sincerely,
Mr L Norton and Mr A Leach
Dear Parents and Carers,
At Richard Challoner School, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible guidance and opportunities as they prepare for their future careers. To help us strengthen how we support your child, we are inviting all parents and carers to complete Your Child's Future (YCF)—a quick questionnaire developed by Compass.
What is Your Child's Future?
Your Child's Future has been designed to help education settings understand parents' and carers' knowledge, confidence, and awareness regarding careers education. By sharing your thoughts, you enable us to strengthen parental engagement and use your insights to develop a more informed, responsive, and effective careers programme tailored to support our young people.
What does the questionnaire cover?
The survey covers key topics, including:
• Confidence: How comfortable and confident you feel talking to your child about their future career options.
• Awareness: Your understanding of the various pathways available to your child after leaving school or college (such as apprenticeships, higher education, vocational training, and employment).
• School Insights: How much you know about our current careers programme and how we can keep you better informed.
How to participate
Your feedback is invaluable to us, regardless of how much or how little you currently feel you know about career options.
• Link to Survey: Click Here
• Deadline: Please complete the survey by 31st October 2026
• Time Required: It takes approximately [e.g., 5–10 minutes] to complete.
Your answers are completely anonymous and will directly influence how we work with you to support your child's journey.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support in helping our students achieve their full potential.
Warm regards,
Mrs Stansbridge
Careers Lead
Dear Parents/Carers,
Following our consultation with students, staff, and parents, I am pleased to say we have 6 new saints for our School and we have paired these with our existing House Saints.
The new pairings and House Mottos can be found here Click Here
A brief introduction to each saint along with signposts to further reading can be found be clicking on the name of the respective houses here:
https://www.richardchalloner.com/main/students/our-houses
We are launching a competition for students to design new artwork for each of the House Saints, both new and existing. House points will be awarded to Houses in order of the number of entries per house and there will be prizes for our 12 winning designs.
The guidelines for the competition can be found here Click Here
Entries must not be generated using AI or from the internet - Image must be uploaded via this Google Form by 4pm on Wednesday 16th December. Click Here
Thank you for your continued support, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Neil D’Aguiar
Lay Chaplain
Dear Parents/ Carers,
Please be advised that on Thursday 22nd October, all school staff will be involved in a Staff Retreat. This is an important part of our commitment to the Catholic Life of the School. School will be closed to students on this day and therefore their last day in school this half-term will be Wednesday 21st October. Apologies that this was not appearing properly on the school calendar at the start of the academic year.
Kind regards
School Office
Dear Parent/Guardian.
I hope your son is enjoying the new school year. At Richard Challoner we believe that education does not only occur within the classroom and we aim to develop well rounded young adults who can succeed in life.
Each person is recognised as a child of God and should be encouraged to develop his/her God-given talents and to reach his/her potential. In partnership with the wider community, we aim to prepare each student to make full use of the opportunities available so that all are able to contribute positively to society.
Thankfully many of the school staff give freely of their time to provide students with additional learning or recreational activities. It is our expectation that these opportunities are seized and the most successful students seem to thrive given these experiences.
The weekly Wider Curriculum timetable is now viewable on the school website.
We are continuing to develop a bespoke piece of software, in conjunction with a local company, that aims to track participation and will lead to recognition and awards for the Challoner Challenge. This year there have been a few issues with the scheduling of activities; ensuring that pupils can view and sign-up to events of the calendar within the software. We are confident that this is now resolved and should no longer be a problem.
The software can be accessed on PC’s, Tablets, Mobile devices or your son's school iPad (please ask him to show you). Pupils can sign up to activities; they should try to do this, in advance, for each session they plan to attend. Staff will then register attendance during the sessions.
We are also keen to find out about the activities in which your son participates outside of school. These should also be recorded on the software, with a brief journal of the participation. If they can demonstrate a four month commitment, we will award a full challenge point. Ten points are required for a bronze award, with a further ten for a silver award and each of the initial thresholds. When level two is reached, each tier requires fifteen challenge points.
Over the past few years pupils have been collecting points and I have been proud to present over four hundred and sixty blazer badges; several students are currently wearing 6 badges, representing the first six tiers.
As you are already aware, the House system is an integral part of the school life and fulfils a number of aims including exposing our pupils to competition in a controlled way. Please could you also encourage your son to become fully involved with a range of house events. The total number of Challoner Challenge points for each house also contributes to the overall house scores.
Yours faithfully,
Mr M Cox
Assistant Head
House Art 2026
Wednesday 14th October 3.30-5.45pm
Dear Parents/Carers,
The first Super Six House Event is happening next month, and is an opportunity for your son or daughter to get creative, support their House and earn Challoner Challenge points!
House Art will be taking place on Wednesday 14th October from 3.30-5.45pm in the Main Hall. All students are invited to the evening event to take part in the competition or the other creative activities on offer. It is an opportunity for the community to come together to work creatively and collaboratively.
Every year students from all year groups come together and the afternoon is always a lovely occasion and celebration
Art is for everyone, and we hope to see as many students as possible, so please encourage your son or daughter to sign up to the event and get involved. I’m sure everyone that come along will have a very enjoyable afternoon.
Yours sincerely,
Mr T Bailey
Art and Design Subject Leader
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see”- Edgar Degas
Dear Parents/Carers,
Join Friends of Challoner for our very first Salsa Evening at Richard Challoner School.
Led by experienced salsa instructor Simon Mascarenhas, the evening will include solo, partner and group dancing. No partner needed!
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Friday 16 October
Time: Doors open at 7pm
Venue: Richard Challoner School
Tickets: £12 per person
Drinks: BYOB
Snacks & soft drinks will also be available to purchase
Who: All ages welcome
Bring your friends and family for an evening of fun, dancing, laughter and great company!
Follow the link here to purchase your tickets...
We’d love to see you there!
Friends of Challoner
Dear Parent Guardian,
On Friday 16th October, we will be kicking off another busy year of performances with an evening of Shakespeare at the Garrick Monument in Hampton Court.
The monument is a permanent tribute to Shakespeare, built by the famous Shakespearian actor David Garrick, run by a fantastic team of volunteers and open to the public on Sundays from March until October. Students and staff will take to the stage to perform a variety of sonnets, scenes and soliloquies in a revue event starting at 7pm and lasting for about one hour. Your ticket price will include a complementary drink to be enjoyed on the lawn (weather permitting) with music provided by our student string quartet. As well as being a fantastic opportunity for our students, the money raised through ticket sales will go directly towards supporting the upkeep and renovation of the monument.
Tickets can only be purchased through the Garrick Monument’s ticketing website, which can be found by clicking on the link below:
As it is an intimate venue, tickets to the event will be limited so early booking is advisable. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me via the usual channels and we hope to see you at the event.
Yours sincerely,
Mr L Norton
Director of Performing Arts
Dear Parents/Carers
The NHS is offering all pupils in years 7-11 a flu vaccination.
This vaccination is recommended to help protect your child against flu. Flu can be an
unpleasant illness and can cause serious complications. Vaccinating your child will also
help protect more vulnerable family and friends by preventing the spread of flu. If you
would like to know more about the flu vaccine, please visit the NHS website.
Please discuss the vaccine with your child, and use the link provided to access and
complete the electronic consent form:
Your child will be offered the live nasal flu spray or the injectable porcine-free flu vaccine.
The nasal spray vaccine is a quick and simple spray up each nostril. Alternatively, you can
choose for your child to have the injectable porcine-free vaccine. This is given as an
injection into the upper muscle of the arm.
It is recommended that your child have the flu vaccine every year due to changes in flu
strains circulating each year, even if they had the vaccine last year.
If you do not complete your consent form, you may be contacted by phone, text, or letter,
to offer your child future opportunities to receive a vaccination. If you return a ‘no’ consent,
we will not make any further contact this year.
We offer all children and young people the opportunity to receive their vaccinations in an
appropriate and comfortable environment. Our teams hold clinics over the school holiday
periods, some weekends, and after school sessions. Please contact your local
immunisation team to book a clinic appointment, or for more information.
In the absence of a signed consent form from parents, we invite young people to self-
consent, providing they can demonstrate:
• an understanding of the vaccinations due;
• the benefits of vaccination compared to being unvaccinated;
• the potential side effects of vaccination.
This is done on a case-by-case basis, in line with the Gillick Guideline Competence.
Your child’s flu vaccination is now due.
The Immunisation Team will visit your child’s school on 13/11/2026
We have included some frequently asked questions about the flu vaccine below. If you
have any queries about the flu vaccine, please contact your Immunisation team:
• Phone 0203 903 3641
• Email: krft.kingstonimms@nhs.net
For more information on our Service and the consent process, please see our privacy
notice.
Yours sincerely,
Kingston Immunisation Team
Dear Parents/Carers,
As part of the Catholic ethos of the school we offer a Mass for all students and their families every Friday morning at 8.05am. It last about twenty-five minutes. It is designed to provide a good start to the day surrounded by friends and colleagues. The Mass will be celebrated by Fr Sean from St Matthias Church.
Each Form Class will be given responsibility for one weekly prayer service over the academic year. I would ask that you support us in our efforts by encouraging your son/daughter to participate in the Mass.
If you and your family would like to attend the Mass, we ask that you arrive at the School Office between 7.55 and 8.00am and you will be escorted to the Chapel.
The rota for this term’s Masses:
7A & 7B – 25th Sept
7C & 7D – 2nd Oct
7F & 7M – 9th Oct
8B & 8C – 16th Oct
Half term – 24th & 31st Oct
11A, 11B & 11C – 6th Nov
11D, 11F, & 11M – 13th Nov
10A & 10B – 20th Nov
10C & 10D – 27th Nov
10F & 10M – 4th Dec
8D – 11th Dec
No Mass – 18th Nov
If there are any intentions that you would like us to pray for, at any time of the year, please ask your son/daughter to either to see me, or feel free to send me a message. I will then ensure it is added and prayed for in the intentions of our weekly Mass and included in our daily prayers.
Thank you for your continued support, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Neil D’Aguiar
Lay Chaplain
chaplain@richardchalloner.com
Dear Parents/Carers,
A number of students attending the school suffer from a range of allergies; some suffer from a nut allergy. Should they come into contact with nuts, food containing nuts or any material that has been in contact with nuts, e.g. clothing and food wrappers, this could cause a severe reaction. It is therefore very important that students and parents are aware and do not bring into school any item containing nuts, to avoid the risk of potentially harmful allergic reactions for some students.
Yours Sincerely,
Sean Maher
Headmaster
Dear Parents/ carers,
Our school community is built on a foundation of mutual respect and the shared moral purpose of providing a safe and nurturing environment for all its members: students and staff.
I am writing to you today to ask for your proactive support regarding your son's digital footprint. It has come to our attention that images and videos of staff members, accompanied by inappropriate comments, have been circulating on social media platforms, specifically TikTok and Snapchat.
In light of the recent challenges faced by schools across Kingston and London regarding social media-fueled incidents (such as the 'red blue' tensions), it is more important than ever that we work together to ensure our young men are using technology responsibly.
We ask that you:
- Regularly monitor your son’s mobile phone and social media accounts, if he has them (the minimum age for most social media platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat and Whatsapp, is currently 13, but is likely to increase in the near future)
- Discuss the impact of sharing or commenting on unauthorized images of others, including staff.
- Reinforce the boundary between private digital life and the respect required within a school community.
Please be advised that the school takes a zero-tolerance approach to the possession or distribution of images of staff members. Any student found to have such images on their devices, or to be participating in the online targeting of staff members, will face the strongest possible sanctions.
Thank you for your continued partnership in upholding the values of our school and ensuring the safety of our entire community.
Yours sincerely,
Matt Webber
Deputy Headteacher
Dear Parents,
As part of our commitment to provide an outstanding education rooted in Catholic values, we are officially launching our new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy. In a rapidly changing digital landscape, we aim to equip our students with "future-ready" skills while ensuring they remain ethical and responsible digital citizens.
Our Approach to AI in School
We believe that AI, when used intentionally, can enhance learning through personalised feedback and more effective administrative support for teachers. However, our integration of these tools is cautious and structured:
Approved Platforms Only: Use of AI for school activities is restricted to pre-approved platforms using school-provided credentials (typically a Google Account).
Age Appropriateness: Access to these tools on school devices is managed by year group to ensure content is age-appropriate.
Data Privacy: Protecting student data is a non-negotiable standard. Sensitive personal data must never be entered into AI tools without senior leadership approval.
Guidance for Students and Home Use
While we manage AI use on school devices, we are aware that many students may access AI tools on personal devices at home. We ask for your support in reinforcing the following standards:
Academic Integrity: Students are strictly prohibited from presenting AI-generated content as their own work. AI should primarily be used to support independent study, revision, and homework.
Assessment Restrictions: AI must not be used for internally assessed work or any material submitted to exam boards (such as NEA work) unless specific, explicit permission is granted by a teacher.
Critical Thinking: We encourage students to be "vigilant" regarding AI, as these tools can produce inaccurate information or exhibit bias. Students are expected to verify AI-generated content against reliable sources.
Ethical Conduct: The policy forbids the use of AI to generate harmful, offensive, or discriminatory content, including images of staff or other students.
View the Full Policy
The full Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy, which includes detailed guidance for staff, students, and organisational safety, is available for your review here: Click Here . This document will be reviewed regularly to stay aligned with the latest educational and safety standards.
Thank you for your continued support in ensuring our students navigate this new technology with resilience and integrity.
Kind regards,
Mr Henderson
Deputy Headteacher
Dear Parents/Carers,
At Richard Challoner School, our goal is to provide a positive, inclusive environment where every student can successfully balance their personal responsibilities with their education and wellbeing. We know that life outside of school can sometimes bring challenges that impact a student's ability to focus or feel their best.
To help us support your child effectively, we would like to invite you to share any information regarding their home life or personal circumstances that you feel we should be aware of. Having this context allows us to make necessary adaptations where necessary. whether that is additional pastoral care or simply a more informed approach from their teachers.
Suggestions where it might benefit school to know about are:
• Young Carers: A young carer is a child or young person who provides care, assistance, or support to another family member who has a physical or mental illness, a disability, or a substance misuse issue. This often involves taking on practical or emotional responsibilities that would normally be expected of an adult.
• Bereavement: If your child has experienced the loss of a member of their immediate family or someone close to them, knowing this helps us monitor their emotional needs.
• Other Home Circumstances: Any other significant changes or situations that you feel may impact your child’s mental health or engagement with school.
Please rest assured that any information you share will be treated with the utmost sensitivity and will only be shared with relevant staff members to ensure your child receives the right support.
With this in mind please will you fill in this link:
But also, if there is anything you would like to discuss further, please contact your child’s form tutor or mentor, Year Leader or any one on the pastoral team.
We are committed to working alongside you to ensure your child feels safe, heard, and supported throughout their time with us.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs A Southall
Assistant Headteacher i/c Safeguarding and Wellbeing
Richard Challoner School
Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope you are having a pleasant start to the new year.
Since returning to school following the Christmas break a number of students, across several year groups, and some staff have raised a few questions regarding smart glasses. We have made the decision that smart glasses are not allowed in school. This restriction may be modified in the future but at present the risks are deemed to outweigh the benefits.
Some of these risks are highlighted below-
1. Privacy & Surveillance: Discreet recording capabilities pose threats to student and teacher privacy.
2. Data Security: Risk of breaches of sensitive student or school data .
3. Academic Integrity: Potential for cheating by accessing notes or answers during tests.
4. Equity & Access: Cost can create a digital divide, leaving some students behind.
If a pupil has a pair of smart glasses in school they will be confiscated and parents asked to collect the glasses from the school office.
As the technology develops along with the training and understanding required by school staff we will review the policy and update our school code of conduct as required.
If you have any further questions please make contact via the school office.
Yours faithfully
Mr M Cox
Assistant Headteacher
Dear Parents/Guardians,
To help support families with the cost of buying football boots, the PE Department is running a Boot Exchange Scheme. We are initially asking students to donate any spare or outgrown boots to the PE Department. We hope to collect a wide range of sizes, and we are particularly in need of larger sizes.
Students will then be able to exchange a pair of boots that no longer fit for a pair from our stock. If a student does not have a pair to exchange but still needs boots, they will be able to purchase a pair for £5. If this is something you would like to access, please send a note to your son's PE teacher and they will ask the finance department to add a £5 payment to MCAS. Any money raised will be used within the department to help facilitate the wide range of sports on offer.
If any students are able to donate their old football boots, please bring them to the PE Department.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Kind regards,
Mr Jerwood.
Dear Parents/Carers,
We have communicated with you previously regarding our policy on being a nut-free school and this means we never intentionally serve items with nuts; we also rely on a partnership with you in keeping all packed lunches and snacks nut-free as well.
However, when dealing with commercially prepared foods, we sometimes run into required labelling. A very limited number of products we purchase carry a Precautionary Allergen Statement (PAS), meaning they are labelled "May Contain Nuts." This is a legal disclaimer indicating that while nuts aren't an ingredient, the item was made on shared machinery. It’s a tiny risk, but one we take seriously and want you to be aware of.
Specifically, we want to let you know this "May Contain Nuts" advisory applies to the cookies and croissants/pastries currently available for sale in our canteen. Because we buy in these products, this labelling is unavoidable. We strongly advise parents of children with severe allergies to keep this advisory in mind when deciding on canteen purchases.
We appreciate that the pupils in the school make the food choices themselves, so we ensure that these products are appropriately labelled, both on the Fusion app when ordering any items, on digital signage and the signage at point of sale.
If you could remind your child to look for these allergens listed when purchasing their food items as this is the most up to date information that can be provided. We are looking for alternative products but currently there aren’t items available that have different allergen labelling. They are encouraged to talk to the catering staff when collecting or purchasing food items if they have any severe allergies or any queries regarding the ingredients in any of the food sold.
With kind regards,
Mrs Harvey
Dear Parents/Carers,
We are excited to announce the full launch of SOCs, a new system designed to help us organise fixtures and improve communication for school sports. After a successful trial last year, we are now extending access to all parents. If you do not have an account from a previous year, please activate one by following the steps below.
To activate your parent account, please follow these steps:
Visit www.socscms.com
Click on the green Parent tab
Select Activate an Account
Enter the email address you have registered with the school to complete the activation
Once your account is activated, you will be able to view fixture details, including dates, times, and locations. While you will not need to log in each time, we recommend saving your login details.
Please note: Team sheets will still be sent directly to students via email. You will also be asked to provide consent for your son to play. Completing this at your earliest convenience helps us plan effectively and ensures students are not held back from playing.
We hope that SOCs will make it easier for parents to stay informed and engaged with the Sports Department. As we continue to familiarize ourselves with the system, we kindly ask for your patience.
At Richard Challoner, we believe sport is a powerful way to build self-determination, resilience, and independence. We hope SOCs will help with this by encouraging students to take responsibility for their sporting commitments. We also ask that if your son has a question about school sport, you encourage him to speak directly with his coach. While this can feel daunting for younger students, our staff are here to guide and support them in developing this important life skill.
Thank you for your continued support of school sport and for working with us as we introduce SOCs to enhance our provision.
Kind regards,
Mr P. Manley
Director of Sport
Richard Challoner School
Dear Parents and Carers,
I apologise for sending this just before the end of term and I truly hope you and your family enjoy a restful and safe summer. However, I have been asked by the police to share this urgent safeguarding message with you now.
We are increasingly concerned about the rising number of children and young people being cleverly groomed, coerced and exploited online, often through social media, messaging apps and gaming platforms, both across the country and closer to home. This can happen slowly and subtly, without your child even realising they are being targeted until it’s too late.
The most powerful protection we can offer our children is a trusting relationship where they feel safe talking to us about anything. As parents, carers and teachers, we can all help to create that positive space. The idea that: ‘this wouldn’t happen to my child’ is not enough anymore, as times have changed.
Given the information the police have shared with us, we urge all parents and carers to take time as soon as possible to:
• Check your child’s device for unknown contacts, hidden photo vaults, locked folders, or inappropriate images - explaining to your child why.
• Review the apps installed - some allow disappearing messages or hidden content (such as Discord).
• Talk openly about how online grooming works. It often begins with compliments, or friendly chats, before becoming manipulative and harmful. Sadly, online groomers are very skilled at building trust, and even confident, thoughtful young people can be manipulated without realising it. This is why these conversations matter so much.
• Remind them not to share personal photos or move chats to private platforms without your knowledge. There are many cases where children are asked to share photos and then blackmailed. The police told me last week that sextortion is, sadly, becoming more and more common.
• Reassure them they can talk to you or to school without fear of getting into trouble. A trusting relationship is the most effective protection we can offer, and together we can create that safe space.
If something doesn’t feel right, you can report it to the school, or directly to:
• CEOP: www.ceop.police.uk
• Childline: 0800 1111
We are continuing to educate and support students in school, but this is a shared responsibility, and your involvement at home is crucial. The actions you take this week could protect your child from real harm.
Please take this email seriously and act on it as soon as possible.
Thank you, as always, for your support.
Mrs A Southall
Assistant Headteacher i/c Safeguarding and Wellbeing
Richard Challoner School
0208 330 5947
Dear Parents,
In today’s digital age, platforms like TikTok and social media influencers can expose young minds to narrow or even harmful perspectives. As these platforms play a significant role in our children's lives, it’s crucial for us to stay informed about their social media use. Equally important is approaching this topic with curiosity, rather than judgment to encourage dialogue and openness.
Instead of focusing solely on the potential risks of emojis, slang, or online trends, we encourage you to have open, honest conversations with your child. Asking questions like, “What does that emoji mean?” or “What’s the latest slang you and your friends are using?” can help you better understand their online world, while also showing your interest in their digital lives.
At the same time, it's important to remain mindful of the potential risks social media can bring. While emojis and slang may seem harmless, they can sometimes be misused or misunderstood. A major concern today is sextortion—a form of online manipulation where individuals pressure children and young adults into sharing explicit content. This can have serious emotional and psychological effects. If your child is ever approached inappropriately online, it’s essential they feel safe coming to you for support. Many platforms, such as CEOPS, Take it Down, or Report Remove, can help remove explicit images if necessary, but acting quickly is key.
We all play a part in helping our children engage with social media in a positive and safe way. To support you, I’ve attached a breakdown of emojis and slang terms that may be useful in understanding their online communication. By staying informed, we can work together to spot potential issues and intervene when necessary.
Here is the link to the resource: [SmartSocial - Teen Slang, Emojis &
Hashtags]. https://smartsocial.com/teen-slang-emojis-hashtags-list#popular-slang
If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Kind regards,
Ailish Southall (Assistant Headteacher) and Jake Mundy (Inclusion Mentor)
Dear Parents/Carers,
At Richard Challoner we take the mental health and wellbeing of our students very seriously, and therefore have several forms of support available to help students navigate difficulties and develop coping skills. This includes a team of staff within the school, as well as colleagues from the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) at Achieving for Children - please see more information about the MHST attached. We believe in the importance of early intervention, and therefore a lot of the support we offer is about addressing difficulties, such as anxiety and low mood, at an early stage.
If you have concerns about your child and feel that they may benefit from support with their mental health and wellbeing, please complete the below form, which will be received by the school's Mental Health Lead.
Parent referral form: Click Here
Kind regards
Mrs A Southall
Assistant Headteacher i/c Safeguarding and Student Wellbeing
Richard Challoner School
0208 330 5947
Dear Parents/Carers,
It has been brought to our attention that some of the parking and drop offs in the area close to school is causing problems for some of our local residents. We always strive to maintain good relationships with the local community so we ask for your support and cooperation in this matter.
If you are parking, please make sure that you do so with consideration and that you are not overlapping someone's drive. If you are dropping off, you may think that you are only obstructing a driveway for a short period of time, but when this happens multiple times a day, and each and every day of the school term, it can become a problem.
If you are dropping off, please could you also refrain from dropping your son immediately outside the school, particularly across the driveway of the house adjacent to the pupil entrance.
We appreciate that not all of these problems are caused by members of our school community but anything we can do to help alleviate the issue will be a positive step in overall community relations.
Thanking you in anticipation of your cooperation in this matter.
Kind regards
Mr I O'Brien
Deputy Head
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Over the last few years, we have been working hard behind the scenes on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Richard Challoner.
Although we have always believed in these values and see them as fundamental to Catholic teaching, national and international events served as catalysts for this work to become a school priority.
This academic year, aside from marking Black History Month, South Asian Heritage Month and White Ribbon Day, we were delighted to achieve the Bronze Race Charter Mark. We have just become a White Ribbon Support school to show our commitment to combatting violence against women and girls. You can read more about this here, and you can find details about our work within our Equality Information and Objectives Policy. We have completed extensive work on policy, undergone staff training, reviewed schemes of work, adapted our teaching, analysed our data and set up the Diversity Group to encourage student voice.
We recognise our students have had and continue to have experiences both inside and outside school which may lead them to feel excluded, less valued or unsafe, and we do not accept this. All our staff have shown their commitment to improving student experience for all at Richard Challoner, supporting our students to embrace difference, cultivate curiosity and show respect to all. We recognise that combatting racism, sexism and homophobia must be an absolute priority, but also that it is an ongoing process.
We cannot achieve our goals without the support of those at home. Therefore, as we continue to strive for equity and inclusivity at school, we ask parents and guardians to support us. We ask you to have conversations at home about the need to challenge discriminatory language or stereotypes. We are acutely aware that our students will be accessing content that may expose them to language and points of view that do not align with the values of our school, or those of wider society. We ask you to be alert to the content students are accessing, and to contact us if you are unsure or concerned.
As ever, we would like to thank you for your ongoing support of the school, and we hope that, like us, you will see this work as a priority. If you would like to know more about what we have achieved as a school and what we are working on now, please contact the office and you will be passed on to our Inclusion and Diversity Lead, Lucy Parkinson, or the relevant staff member.
Kind Regards,
Sean Maher and Lucy Parkinson
Dear Parents
All schools in England have received a communication from the National Crime Agency asking us to alert parents to the increasing number of cases of financially motivated sexual extortion, often referred to as ‘sextortion’.
This is particularly pertinent to a boys secondary school. Though victims can be of any age and gender, the majority of cases involve male victims aged between 14 and 18.
Unfortunately, at Challoner we know of three of our young people who have been exploited in this way in the last few years. It is important that we make clear to our sons and daughters that if they are exploited in this way then they are victims of abuse, they should not be ashamed and that we will do all that we can to help and support them.
I have attached an article from the BBC Click Here
which summarises the problem as well as a letter from the NCA with lots of useful advice for parents to help support their children.
We will also be spending some time in tutor groups educating students about this issue but I would also strongly encourage you to discuss this with your sons and daughters at home.
If you ever need any support, help or guidance in dealing with financially motivated sexual extortion please do not hesitate to contact the safeguarding team at school.
Yours sincerely,
Sean Maher
Headmaster
Dear Parent,
I have written to you previously to make you aware that the school has changed its Games and Sports uniform supplier. We have moved from Trutex, which has closed down to Village Sports in Raynes Park.
The old school sports kit is still acceptable and should be used until it cannot be used further or is lost. To replace the kit please go online or in store to Village Sports to purchase the new style kit.
Village Sports do not currently have stock of Rugby shirts, shorts and socks and these will become available in June/July. Until then should you need to replace the kit please use plain black items.
At this point I would also like to remind you of the importance of naming kit, we find lots of lost kit and having a name makes it very easy to return items to their owner.
A list of the kit and contact details for Village sports are listed below.
Should you have any further questions please contact myself via the school office.
Many thanks
Mr Manley
Indoor Kit
Black polo shirt with emblem Black gym shorts with emblem White ankle socks Trainers (non-marking sole) Outdoor Kit School reversible shirt Black and Green socks Boots with studs Gum shield Shin pads
Optional Kit
Base layer
Challoner Contact Top
Tracksuit Trousers - black
Dear Parents,
Following a health and safety review, I am writing to all parents to remind them that it is their responsibility to ensure that their son or daughter attends school with an asthma inhaler or EpiPen should they need one. They must carry it with them at all times. We do also have spares on site for emergency use.
The office can also store any medication for your child that they might need during a school day e.g. antihistamine. This should be passed to the school office with clear instructions.
I would also ask students to make sure they take any medication with them when they attend sports fixtures or when playing sport on the back fields.
Finally, please do make sure that your child’s medical details are up to date on Bromcom as this is where we would draw information from for trips or in an emergency.
If you have any questions or are unsure how to update your details, please contact either the school office or our systems manager in the first instance.
Yours sincerely,
Sean Maher
Headmaster
Dear Parents,
Our school is a very busy place at the weekends, hosting a large Polish School, Willson’s Dance School and many sports fixtures.
We employ 2 members of staff to manage the lettings and look after the car parking on site, utilising both the car park and the playground in order to accommodate all the vehicles.
We would therefore ask you to remind your child, if they are at school at any point over a Saturday or Sunday, that the playground is used as a car park and they must be mindful of moving vehicles at all times.
Thank you for your help with this.
Richard Challoner School