Dear Parent/Carer,

As we head into the summer holidays, I am writing to let you know about arrangements for teaching groups as your son moves from Year 7 into Year 8. This includes group changes that your son might experience when he returns in September.

When students started in Year 7 they were placed in one of two populations, North or South, based on data we obtained from the online cognitive ability tests (CATs) that the boys took in their first week at Richard Challoner and, where appropriate, other data from their primary schools.

As students move into Year 8, a certain amount of reorganisation takes place, both in terms of the North/South populations and also in terms of the specific teaching groups within those populations. We take data about the students’ performance across the year in different subjects and use this to reorganise populations and teaching groups, allowing us to ensure students experience the social benefits of working with a range of different students while being placed in a group where they can receive the best balance of challenge and support for them as individuals.

The particular arrangements vary across curriculum areas:

In English, History, Geography, Science and RE, the teaching groups will be linked on the timetable. We will look at a combination of attainment across these subjects in order to decide which group your son will be placed in for September.

Maths will be taught in North and South populations and the Maths department will have the autonomy to decide which students are taught in which groups within each population, based on their attainment in Maths only.

Modern Foreign Languages will be taught in their North and South populations and groupings will depend on the language that they follow within each population.

For his remaining subjects (e.g. Art, Computer Science, Music, DT and Food and Nutrition) your son will be taught in mixed ability groups on a carousel, as has been the case this year.

If your son finds himself moving between groups it generally indicates that he has either made more or less progress compared to his peers. In a very high attaining school like Challoner this can come as a surprise, especially when students have been working hard and making good progress, but find themselves overtaken by others who have moved forwards even further.

I hope you will be reassured that all group changes – whether they are a move up or down – are made with positive intent and are planned in order to ensure that each student is placed in the group where they will receive the appropriate balance of support and challenge for them as individuals.

Whichever situation your son may find himself in, moving up, moving down or remaining where he is, he should reflect on how to build next academic year: all we ever ask is that students do the best that they can do, and if they do that, they will be successful at this school.

As you can appreciate, such a review takes time, and involves not only data analysis, but also discussions with Year Leaders and Subject Leaders before groups are finally decided on. Consequently, your son will not see his new teaching groups until his new timetable is made available at the start of the next academic year.

I hope that this letter clarifies the process we go through when looking at the arrangements for groupings as your son moves into Year 8.

When he starts in September your son will have a new Year Leader, Mr Gallagher, and a new form tutor too. Typically, Year Leaders and Form Tutors will remain with their forms throughout the rest of the Key Stage. Alongside Mr Cox (the Assistant Headteacher i/c KS3 and KS4), your son’s form tutor and Mr Gallagher will continue to monitor his welfare and progress, as he continues his journey at Richard Challoner School.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a restful summer break and would also like to thank you for your continued help and support as we move into the future.

Kind regards,

Mr M Webber

Deputy Headteacher 

Dear Parent/Guardian,

As a school, our theme for this academic year has been pilgrimage. To celebrate and reflect on this theme, each year group has been invited by the Charities Commission to design and carry out a fundraising event inspired by the concept of pilgrimage. This year, Year 7 has chosen to support CAFOD.

To raise money, Year 7 students will be undertaking a physical challenge: to complete the equivalent of the flight time (in hours) from our school to the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. This has been rounded down to 11 hours of physical activity.

Students will log their activity using a form on their iPads. While 11 hours is the target, we understand that every student will participate to the best of their ability. The challenge will run from 24th June to 8th July.

If you would like to support your child’s efforts, donations can be made via MCAS under the payments or store menu depending on whether you are accessing the app via your phone or computer. We are excited to see the creative and enthusiastic ways in which the students approach this challenge!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me either through the contact form on the school website or via the main office.

Thank you for your continued support.

Mr A. Norton

Dear …

Our iPad scheme has been enhancing students’ learning experiences for over ten years and continues to evolve in many ways. However, one persistent challenge has been the provision of a suitable stylus. While some families choose to purchase Apple Pencils, this isn’t a viable option for everyone due to the high cost. Additionally, recent changes to iPad charging ports have made older Apple Pencils more difficult to use with newer devices.

Over the years, we have trialled various third-party styluses but have struggled to find a cost-effective option that meets our quality standards. Recently, however, we have tested a stylus called the Metapen, and I am pleased to report that it has performed very well in trials. Some students already using it have provided positive feedback.

To ensure all students can interact effectively and efficiently with their iPads (particularly for handwriting tasks) we have decided to roll out Metapens to all students within the scheme who would like one.

We have negotiated a discount with the manufacturer and the school will subsidise the rollout. However, we are asking for a voluntary £5 contribution from parents to support this initiative across Key Stages 3 and 4. You can make this donation through the MCAS system, under the ‘Store’ section.

If your son already owns an Apple Pencil or another stylus that he is happy with, he is welcome to continue using it.

We will begin the rollout with Year 9, who have recently received new iPads. Other year groups will follow later this term or at the start of September. Students will be expected to bring their stylus into school each day and use it for writing tasks on their iPad. Any lost Metapens that have been provided by the school will need to be replaced. We will keep a small stock of them in school and are likely to cost £8.

Thank you for your continued support.

Kind regards,
Mr Henderson
Deputy Head

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Richard Challoner School is delighted to offer a Sports Camp during the summer holidays on the following dates:

Week 1: Monday 11th – Friday 15th August
Week 2: Monday 18th – Friday 22nd August

About Sports Camp

Our Sports Camp will be run by the PE staff at Richard Challoner School and will include a variety of sports such as; Football, Basketball, Cricket, Athletics, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Indoor Hockey, and Dodgeball, along with access to our gym facilities. Each day will feature three sessions that include skill-building activities, games, and tournaments.
The camp starts promptly at 9:30am and ends at 2:00pm. Students should arrive no earlier than 9:15am as supervision will not be available before this time. Please ensure your child brings a packed lunch, as no refreshments will be provided. We also recommend bringing a refillable water bottle for use throughout the day.

Eligibility

The Sports Camp is open to students who have secured a place in Year 7 at Richard Challoner for September 2025, as well as current students in Years 7 and 8. This camp is a wonderful opportunity for your son to develop his skills, make new friends, and stay active.

Cost and Registration

The cost is £28 per day. Spaces are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To book a place, please follow these steps:

In your MCAS account please select Club from the Main Menu. Under the title Enrolled you will see the Summer Sports Camps Service. Click the magnifying glass, from here please select the dates you wish your son to attend. Once you have selected your dates, the system will ask you to top-up your account to cover the cost of the sessions you have chosen.

Once payment is completed, your booking will be confirmed. You will receive an email with further details closer to the Camp dates.

For any issues with booking or for more information, please contact:

Finance queries: accounts@challoner.kingston.sch.uk
General queries: jtaylor219@challoner.kingston.sch.uk

If your child is eligible for free school meals, you may be able to receive funding to help cover the cost of the camp. Please complete this google form and we will confirm if any funding is available

 https://forms.gle/qkN8ev75Yh9Fsb637

We encourage you to book early as we expect high demand. We look forward to two fantastic weeks full of sport!

Kind regards,

Mr. Taylor

PE Department

Dear Parent/Guardian


During this academic year your son will be involved in several projects, in both Design Technology and Food and Nutrition, requiring certain materials which, when used in large quantities, are a significant drain on the limited resources available to the school. As you are no doubt aware school budgets are under severe pressure as costs continue to rise and Government funding lags behind.

It is therefore common practice to charge for finished products which are then taken home. In order to streamline the collection of such money I am proposing a one off payment of £13.50 for the year, which will allow students to take home any finished products without further charge and provide all the required ingredients for Food and Nutrition lessons.

I hope that you agree this represents tremendous value for money, as well as providing your son with a varied and stimulating curriculum.

I would stress that although this donation is entirely voluntary, in times of financial strain in education, resources are limited. Your donation will ensure the best possible range of resources being available for your son when he works in these areas. We have pushed this payment back until the spring term knowing the considerable financial demands that the start of each new academic year makes. Payments should be made through MCAS in the usual way and we would ask that your contribution is made before the end of Spring half term.

If anyone requires financial assistance please contact the school bursar using the email below stephanie.harvey@challoner.kingston.sch.uk

Thank you in anticipation of your support in this matter.

Dear Parents/Carers,

Headphones

Over the last few years, we have asked students to ensure they have a suitable pair of headphones in school to use with their iPad, so they can access media content in class as directed by the teacher.

These could be wired or wireless headphones (including in-ear), but large over-head headphones are to be avoided, as they are bulky to carry around and far more likely to get damaged in bags. Please note that students are not allowed to wear earphones other than when directed by their teacher. Please ensure your son has a suitable pair of headphones to use in school.

Stylus

Whilst all students will have exercise books for many subjects and will write with a pen in the ‘traditional’ way, there is also a need to write on the iPad to complete some work. Whilst a stylus is not a required piece of equipment, if a student prefers to use handwriting on their iPad rather than typing in text boxes, they should have a suitable stylus that will allow them to keep handwriting neat so it is legible to the teacher and for their own revision.

Apple pencils are a good choice, but at around £80, are an expensive option. There are a number of much cheaper styluses available on the market from sites such as Amazon from around £12. I would recommend one with a solid tip as they are likely to be more durable and some even have charge indicators so you can see visually when it is running low. We will not be selling Apple Pencils through the school this year, as we cannot secure them any cheaper.

Thank you for your anticipated support,

Mr Henderson

Deputy Head 

Dear Parents/Carers of year 7,

Richard Challoner School is committed to ensuring students have the best resources available to plan ahead for their future and as part of that students are provided with impartial Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance.

This can be in lessons, through school events, the careers library and also through the Careers Lead and CEIAG Advisor, Mrs Stansbridge.

Throughout the year Mrs Stansbridge will focus on seeing students either in small groups or individually beginning with students in year 11 to help them think about important choices for post 16 education. Students in years 7-13 will also be offered opportunities as the year progresses and at key points in their decision making.

For Year 7,

• Careers appointments will be in the summer term if a student or tutor requests one. Please join us in encouraging students to think ahead about any questions they may have, or areas to explore.

• If, as a parent, you have questions or would like to speak to me please make contact through the email address below.

• Year 7 will also complete their careers unit in the summer term. This will be about preparing them for year 8 and thinking about how the last year has developed them and what they would like to know more about as they get older. Students complete a booklet which is on their ipad with information on showbie.

• Year 7 will also discover links to careers through such activities as engineering day in conjunction with the Design and Technology department.

• National Apprenticeship Week in February and National Careers Week in March are celebrated in school with activities taking place during tutorial time and materials are placed on the website in advance.

Please also visit the careers pages on the school website https://www.richardchalloner.com/careers where there will regularly be information regarding events or opportunities as well as some useful information for parents around career planning. I will write to you again with an update later in the academic year.

This year we are continuing to use our careers platform called Xello. More information is available on the careers pages linked above and we hope to roll out a parent side later in the academic year to allow you to see your sons progress and career ideas. Students have access to this platform via their ipads and can use independently and during guided time in careers units.

Introducing the concept of careers and future planning at an early stage does allow students to explore their strengths and help to make informed choices. Each year group will also have time in their pastoral programme to explore these themes in more detail. Students are also welcome to drop into the Careers Office.

There will also be support for school activities and arranging for professionals from varying careers backgrounds to come in and work with students to inspire and bring the working world further into education.

If you are able to support in these activities through giving a talk, representing your company or industry or sharing stories with students please complete the following short google form- Click here

Please take this opportunity to talk at home about future plans and if you have any queries, questions or would like to support these activities in anyway please contact the school or email careersiag@challoner.kingston.sch.uk

Yours sincerely

Mrs LJ Stansbridge

CEIAG Lead (Careers Education and Information Advice and Guidance)

Dear Parents,

We are excited to announce the launch of a new initiative here at Richard Challoner School, our very own Martial Arts Club! We are constantly seeking ways to enrich our students' experiences both inside and outside the classroom. We firmly believe that martial arts not only instils physical fitness but also cultivates discipline, focus, and respect; values that are integral to the development of our boys.

The Martial Arts Club will provide a structured environment where students can learn the Korean martial art of Taekwondo. We will also run a series of martial arts taster sessions: Boxing, Brazilian Jiujitsu, Kickboxing. These will be on first come first served with a register circulated prior.

The sessions will be led by experienced instructors who are passionate about both martial arts and education, our aim is to create a supportive and inclusive community where every participant can thrive.

Here are some key details about the Martial Arts Club:

1. Club Times:

The club will meet once a week on Mondays from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm initially. We understand the importance of balancing academic commitments with extracurricular activities, so the schedule is designed to accommodate students' other obligations. This day may be subject to change depending on circumstances. After the initial taster sessions there will be an opportunity to join a paid club after school on Thursdays from 4.30 to 5.30pm.

2. Curriculum:

Our curriculum is designed to cater to students of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced practitioners. Through a combination of technical instruction, physical conditioning, and sparring exercises, participants will develop their martial arts proficiency while also honing important life skills such as self-discipline and self-confidence.

3. Safety Measures:

The safety and well-being of our students are paramount. We have taken all necessary precautions to ensure a safe training environment, including providing protective gear and enforcing strict adherence to safety protocols during training sessions.

4. Benefits:

In addition to the physical and mental benefits of martial arts training, participation in the club offers numerous other advantages, including opportunities for leadership development, teamwork, and personal growth.

We believe that the Martial Arts Club will be a valuable addition to the extracurricular offerings at Richard Challoner School.

Please complete this form https://forms.gle/3AcbQRMymhhxr1K87 to express your son’s interest. We encourage you to fill it in as soon as possible.

More communication regarding start dates, exact times and payment details will be sent out at the beginning of the new school year.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to

me by email at: mrsemwogerere@challoner.kingston.sch.uk

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you there.

Kind regards,

A Semwogerere