Dear Parents/Carers,

I am would like to invite students from Year 9 students to become members of our School Partnership Team. Our school has been in partnership with St Mary’s College, Kisubi, in Uganda since 2020. We are looking for a dedicated group of student volunteers to help grow this initiative and represent our school community on the global stage. About the Partnership This partnership is more than just a school link; it is an active, working relationship.

The Partnership Team will be responsible for:

• Collaborative Projects: Designing and working on shared curriculum tasks with Ugandan peers.

• Video Conferencing: Hosting live digital link-ups to discuss global issues and share cultural experiences. 

• Promoting the partnership: Writing articles and leading assemblies on the ongoing work of the partnership.

• Possibly Facilitating Visits: Playing a key role in the planning and hosting of future reciprocal visits between the two schools.

How to Get Involved We are looking for students who are empathetic, organized, and curious about the world. If your son is interested in joining, they should complete the Google Form by 4pm on Thursday 18th December.

The Google Form has been emailed to them.

We look forward to embarking on this journey with our Year 9 students and deepening our connection with our friends at St Mary’s Uganda.

Yours faithfully,

Neil D’Aguiar Lay Chaplain 

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The History Department is now preparing for our annual trip to the battlefields of the First World War. This will be the twenty-fifth time we have organised this trip and each year it has been a great success, providing one of the highlights of the students’ time at Richard Challoner. 

During the trip we will visit some of the major battle sites of the Western Front on the Ypres Salient (Belgium) and the Somme (France), and visit cemeteries and memorials that commemorate the sacrifice of countless lives on both sides and across all nationalities and backgrounds. In History lessons pupils will prepare for the trip by studying the causes and key features of the war, and will be encouraged to research local and family history. Preparatory work will also be done in Geography, Religious Education and Science.

The dates are Wednesday 25th - Friday 27th February 2026 and I am pleased to say that there are places for all Year Nine pupils. The cost of the trip is £270 which is all-inclusive of travel, hotel accommodation, meals, tours of the sites/museums and insurance.  

If you require financial assistance or need to extend the payment deadlines this may be available on request. In this instance please follow the link below.

https://forms.gle/FgxEekRfFUcLqpsc8

In order to complete the booking, I am requesting a non-returnable deposit of £70 to reach us by Friday 13th December 2024. I will ask for the remainder of the cost to be paid in two £100 instalments, or in a lump sum, by Friday 14th February 2025. You may pay the whole amount right away if you wish. The details of the payment for the trip will be on MCAS and this is the required form of payment. 

As we are travelling to Europe, all students will require a valid passport – please note that UK passports will need to be valid for 3 months after the date we leave to come home (7th March 2025) so please check that your son’s passport fits this criteria. Although the trip is covered by the school insurance, it would also be helpful if students have a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) with them. Having these cards would make things easier if any student needed medical care while we are abroad so if your son does not have one, we would appreciate it if you could apply for one using the following link 

https://services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/cra/start

If you do have any questions about the trip please do not hesitate to contact me below. I will be in touch in due course with further details.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. M. Coll

Subject Leader of History

mcoll1@challoner.kingston.sch.uk

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope your son has enjoyed the first half term of this academic year. I am writing to reinforce the critical role that a positive Attitude to Learning (ATL) plays in determining a pupil’s academic progress and overall development at our school. This term’s judgements are now available via Bromcom (MCAS).

ATL is not simply about grades; it is about the effort, the commitment, and the maturity that your child brings to every lesson and interaction. I firmly believe that behaviours demonstrated daily are the strongest predictors of long-term success, both in school and beyond.

This year we have adapted the judgement descriptors to hopefully be more informative to parents, easier for teachers to use and more impactful for students.

Teachers have been asked to make a ‘best fit’ judgement regarding each pupil’s attitude for every subject, not every example needs to be met for a specific judgement to be made.

Examples of the types of behaviour/attitudes could include -

Above and Beyond (ABO)

• Anyone going above and beyond the criteria for Expected.

• Someone who completes extension work or independent activities over and above what their teacher has asked them to do.

• Contribution in class is exceptional

Expected (EXP)

• Arrive at lessons fully equipped and prepared to learn.

• Complete all CW to the best of their ability.

• Respond to advice on how to improve their work.

• Participate in lessons and work well with their peers.

• To be polite and punctual, participative and cooperative, learning from mistakes, taking pride in what they do.

Just Below Expected (JB)

• Does not always have the correct equipment to complete their work.

• Could participate more fully.

• Does not always respond to advice and feedback.

• Punctuality may be a problem.

Some Concern (SC)

• There could be issues with equipment on a regular basis.

• They could have failed to complete classwork on a number of occasions.

• There could be persistent behavioural issues that affect their or other students’ learning.

• Picking and choosing when they are prepared to work and when they aren’t.

Teachers have also been asked to make judgements regarding homework. Judgements regarding completion and/or quality have been recorded. We have also highlighted where some student’s homework has exceeded the expected standard.

Homework Key:

Exceed Homework often exceeds the expected standard

None No Concerns about Homework

Comp There are concerns about completing work on time

Qual There are concerns about the quality of homework

Comp Qual There are concerns about both quality and completing work on time

When a pupil receives an ‘Above and Beyond’ judgement, it signifies that their daily habits are setting them up for success, and we celebrate that commitment.

However, if your child receives a judgement of ‘Just Below’ or ‘Some Concern’ in a subject, it is a crucial signal that their learning habits are hindering their potential. We urge you to take these judgements seriously and use the reports as a basis for conversation at home. Teachers will be making a second ATL judgement at the end of the Autumn term.

The report also includes attendance and punctuality statistics and a numerical count of positive and negatives recorded on Bromcom (MCAS). Please do have a conversation regarding these measures, the report itself has some graphics and information regarding attendance.

We ask that you focus on the following with your child:

• Review the Report: Discuss their ATL grades with them, the judgements shouldn't be surprising

• Create a Plan: Help them establish a routine for packing their bag the night before, setting aside dedicated time for homework, and encouraging them to use teacher feedback constructively.

• Reinforce Resilience: Remind them that true learning involves struggle and that effort, not just innate ability, is key.

By reinforcing these expectations at home, we can create a powerful and consistent message that effort and attitude are non-negotiable foundations for achievement.

If you have any questions about your child's recent ATL judgements or would like to discuss strategies for supporting them at home, please do not hesitate to contact their Year Leader.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support in ensuring our pupils thrive.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. M A Cox.

Assistant Headteacher 

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 Bromcom 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 of Year 9,

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 9,

• Careers support will be in the spring term and will be in small groups or as class sessions. Timings will be given by their tutors. 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 9 will also complete their careers unit in the spring term. This will be about preparing them for making their GCSE choices. Students complete a booklet which is on their ipad with information on showbie and Show my homework.

• This is in addition to the options evening and assemblies that students in year 9 will receive to help them in making these decisions.

• 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.

I am also excited to introduce a weekly newsletter in association with The Careers People, which will be published on the careers pages of the school website and circulated to students which will give information on national and local events as well as spotlights on varying careers.

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- https://forms.gle/5NQCtPLRzyEhPUiu5

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)