RTS Parents' Newsletter 01 July 2022
Head Teacher's Message
Another exciting, emotional and busy week in school again.
We had our final glorious send-off for our Year 11 students - 5 years of being the first in all that they have done, culminated in our first Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday evening. We were blessed with the weather and were able to enjoy the company of staff, students, parents, former teachers, and special guests. Thank you to Munira Wilson, MP for Twickenham, for her inspiring speech and for taking the time out of her busy schedule to join us. Thanks also goes to all of the staff who put in hours of planning and preparation for this event - especially Ms Lang and Ms Carrick-Steele. RTS staff really do go above and beyond.
We are still processing the photos taken on the evening and will share them with families as soon as we are able to - below is just a sneak peek!
As you will see below we have been busy across every year group and there is still much more to come before the end of term! On Monday we also look forward to welcoming our new cohort of Year 6-7 students who will be joining us for their Transition Day.
Whatever you have planned for this weekend, I do hope you manage to relax at some point.
Ms K Dooley
Dates for the diary
Monday 04 July
Transition Day for our new Y6-7 students joining us in September
Tuesday 05 July
Thorpe Park Reward Trip - Year 9
Freshwater Theatre: French Performance - Year 7
Tuesday 05 July
Creative Arts Showcase, 17:00-20:00
Wednesday 06 July
RTS Sports Day, Years 7-9
Year 10 Drop Down Day in school
Thursday 07 July
Loudmouth Theatre Group - Year 9
Friday 08 July
Loudmouth Theatre Group - Year 10
Contacting the School
If you wish to contact the school, the School Office is open (term time only):
Monday-Thursday - 08:15-16:30
Friday - 08:15-15:00
Telephone: 020 8891 2985
Email: info@rts.richmond.sch.uk
Please use the Parents Communications Summary for guidance on types of query and where advice may be found/who to direct your query to.
Assembly Topics
Assemblies for next week:
Fit for Life - The PE Department
Creative Arts Showcase
We are very much looking forward to our Creative Arts Showcase on Tuesday 05 July, 17:00-20:00 and hope that as many of you as possible will be able to join us at some point during the evening. It is designed as a flexible event and you are welcome to come along, browse the art exhibitions, maybe even purchase an art work, pause for a moment to watch a short drama piece; or even sit and listen to a musical interlude. We would appreciate it if you took the time to complete the form shared by email last week so that we have an indication of your preferred time of arrival so that we can plan the evening effectively.
FoRTS will be on site offering refreshments and also pre-loved uniform for sale.
Don't forget to also encourage your children to enter the art competition! See the poster for more details!
RTS Creative Arts Showcase POSTER (2) (1).pdfStudent Activities, Trips and Events
The last few weeks in school have been exceptionally busy since the end of assessments across all year groups. As well as the excitement of our Year 11's finishing their GCSEs and having both their Leaver's Assembly and their Graduation Ceremony; the other year groups have also had much to enjoy.
So many of the projects are student led which is fantastic to see - we are extremely proud of our students and their passion for inclusion, diversity, sustainability; and helping the planet and each other.
Here are just a few snapshots of what has been going on for Years 7-10 over the last couple of weeks - as always, please do also follow our social media channels to keep updated on what goes on at RTS!
You can find us at: @RTS_Twickenham for both Instagram and Twitter.
FSC Amersham
The Field Studies Council (FSC) Amersham is located within 30 hectares of mixed woodland, meadows and ponds which surround and conceal Amersham Substation.
Year 10 GCSE Geography students investigated downstream change on the River Wye by visiting 3 sites along the river and collected data for their physical fieldwork enquiry.
The first image in the carousel is Charlie using a hydro prop to measure river velocity.
RTS Bake Sale
This week we had a bake sale for the whole school for Pride Month Celebrations. The event was held at lunchtime. The 'Taking Pride in RTS' group ran the event, with a few of the Year 10 prefects supporting.
Students were awarded golden tickets for baking and bringing in cakes and all home-baked goods had to include a list of ingredients to be displayed in front of their cakes, with their name and form on the back of the list, so that students can be aware of any allergens (all baked goods were also nut and orange peel free).
All money raised will go to the charity akt (Albert Kennedy Trust) who house homeless LGBTQ+ youth in London and across the UK. The final figure has yet to be calculated, but it is looking like we have reached £250!
Swop It Up!
Wow - an incredible update for you on our first ever Swop It Up event.
82 items of clothing were donated, almost half were swapped, some students, like Molly (in the first photo with the big bag), left with a whole new wardrobe!
Students with left over tokens will spend on a future exchange - the student team were excellent at their different roles in the 'shop'. Between them they distributed and collected tokens, displayed the clothing and even 'bought' some clothes themselves. The students really enjoyed the event and it went really smoothly! We look forward to more next year!
Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Awards
Two trips - two different year groups and two very different weather outlooks!
Whatever the experience, our Duke of Edinburgh groups have been working hard. The Year 10 group headed to Box Hill for their qualifying excursion whilst our Year 11 group headed to Braid Woods for their final assessment.
These trips were in addition to the volunteering that they have been doing outside of school.
A huge thank you to all of the staff who have given up their time and weekends to run these excursions.
Esher College Masterclasses
A group of Year 9 students visited Esher College for a Media Masterclass. Sienna, Sophie and Veronica decided to shoot and edit a music video. Josh learnt how to film in a studio and also joined Jack in editing.
Our Year 10 GCSE Music Class also had the great opportunity to head over to Esher College to attend a Recording Masterclass. They gained some valuable experience in using music technology and also recorded some fantastic performances using the College's professional facilities.
FORTS NEWS
Creative Arts Showcase – Tuesday 05 July 18:00-20:00
We look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday at the Creative Arts Showcase. Please come and say hello, grab some refreshments, browse the pre-loved uniform, buy some art to support the school and see if we can tempt you to sign up to help FoRTS! If you can help us on the night, please email forts@rts.richmond.sch.uk.
School Uniform Sales and Donations
Thank you so much to everyone who has donated uniform. There is still time to do so, it can be dropped off at the school office at any time by students or if it’s easier, adults can drop it off. All donations should be in usable condition and washed. We will be holding our next sale at the Creative Arts Showcase on Tuesday, so do drop by if you need anything!
Big PTA Summer Raffle - your chance to win £5.000!
There’s less than three weeks to go until the first draw, so please support us by buying a £3 ticket for the Big PTA Raffle. Every ticket purchased guarantees FoRTS receives 50%, and you have the chance of being up to £5,000 richer! Good luck.
Staff Thank You Collection
A reminder that if you would like to make a donation and leave a message for a staff end of year gift, you can do so at our Peoples Fundraising page. There is a separate page for Y11 families, proceeds from this will be used to buy something that the school and future RTS pupils will treasure for many years to come. Donations are completely voluntary.
Classlist
Please let us know if you would like to keep Classlist running. As so few people use it we will discontinue its use at the end of the academic year unless we hear from you, so please let us know. Note: If you would like it to continue, we will need volunteers to run the administration of the site.
Your FoRTS Team,
Vanessa (Chair), Mark (Treasurer) and Carey (Secretary)
Safeguarding
If you have concerns in relation to a student at RTS or indeed with regards to your own child, you may want to contact Single Point of Access (SPA) which acts as a central information hub for all professional agencies in Kingston and Richmond.
Richmond and Kingston SPA
The SPA phone lines are now open as follows:
Monday-Thursday 08.00-17.15 and Friday 08.00-17.00 - the phone number during these times is 020 8547 5008
Out of hours: 020 8770 5000
Hounslow Early Help Assessment
Telephone number: 020 8583 6600
Out of hours: 020 8583 2222
Email: earlyhelp@hounslow.gov.uk
NSPCC:
Speak to a counsellor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Telephone number: 0808 800 5000, or text 88858
Email: help@nspcc.org.uk
Signvideo using British Sign Language (Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm)
Local News - Please note RTS does not endorse items included as Local News
Webcast for parents about unsupervised parties: alcohol, drugs and Harmful Sexual Behaviour
Message from the Kingston & Richmond Safeguarding Children Partnership: We have made a webcast for parents and carers around the issue of unsupervised parties/gatherings alcohol, drugs, and harmful sexual behaviour.
We want to capture parents and carers early before the children start drinking alcohol (which is usually in Year 8 but sometimes younger).
We want to create a sea change in the behaviours of young people and this webcast is part of the effort to engage parents and carers on this journey.
The information poster contains an embedded link to the webcast. For your convenience this is the standalone link to the webcast.
KRSCP resources for parents and carers to accompany webcast.pdfHarlequins Foundation's FUEL Programme
The Harlequins Foundation’s Healthy Holiday Programme, part of Achieving for Children’s FUEL Programme and funded by The Department of Education, offers young people, aged 8-11 and in receipt of benefit related free school meals access to a range of FREE activities delivered by our experienced team of staff.
Our programme is delivered for four hours each day for a total of four days (Monday – Thursday) this Summer. Activities will include:
Tag Rugby
Rugby Robots – Our world first coding experience
Kwik Cricket
Invasion Games
Team Building Activities
…and much more
The Harlequins Programme will be held at RTS - if you would like to book, please follow this link: https://eequ.org/experience/1560
Out 'N' About - Pride
The Achieving for Children Youth Service will be running Richmond's first-ever cross-school LGBTQI+ Pride Celebration event for young people in KS3,4 & 5 aged 11-19.
This free event is geared up to be a celebration of all things LGBTQI+ and this year it will take the form of a carnival/fair with rides, arts, music, and food.
The day will be supported by Metro Charity, Spectra, Wild Minds, Free2Be, and The Metropolitan Police who will run stalls providing education, guidance, and links to community support structures available to young people. These include important pathways such as links to established youth support groups, LGBTQI+ specific sexual health services, mental health, trans support, and gender counseling. This is, in addition, to support from the No Straight Answer team. All of this should amount to a wealth of support and socialisation opportunities for young people to access that will allow a traditionally much-maligned community to utilise going forward to great reward.
Details
Heatham House Youth Centre, Whitton Road, Twickenham, TW1 1BH
Date: Friday 8th July, Time: 2:30 - 6:30pm
How to Take Part
Any further questions please contact justin.johnson@achievingforchildren.org.uk or alex.quenell@achievingforchildren.org.uk
Holiday Activity and Food - FUEL - Free programmes for children on FSM
The FUEL (Feed Ur Everyday Lives) programme, returns this summer to help support children on benefits-related Free School Meals, and will be on offer throughout the holidays.
After a successful Easter, There are over 18000 spaces available across Kingston and Richmond with holiday activity and food providers, and the programme continues to grow with new locations, providers, and activities available for children across the two boroughs.
As a reminder, the programme offers completely free access for children receiving benefits-related Free School Meals to attend holiday clubs, sports groups, play sessions and more. Children who are entitled to the programme have the opportunity to attend up to 16 sessions throughout the summer.
For further information on the programme and the providers that we will be working with, please visit our website or contact FUEL@Achievingforchildren.org.uk.
FUEL Leaflet 22.pdfGirl's Football
In line with the FA, Brentford Football Club have launched the Wildcats and Squads sessions. The Wildcats target 5-11 year old girls and Squads target 12-14 year olds. Please see below for the details:
Wildcats
Gunnersbury Park, Popes Lane, W3 8LQ
5-6pm
Astro Turf
Ages 5-11 years old
£3 per week, £48 for 16 week block. First Session FREE
No prior football experience needed, All abilities welcome.
To Register: https://www.brentfordfccst.com/event/wildcats/
Squads
Gunnersbury Park, Popes Lane, W3 8LQ
6-7pm
Astro Turf
Ages 12-16 years old
£3 per week, £48 for 16 week block. First Session FREE
No prior football experience needed, All abilities welcome.
To Register: https://www.brentfordfccst.com/event/squads/
Wandsworth.pdfNetball Coach UK
My name is Hazel and I work for Netball Coach UK. An organisation run by netballers for netballers, aiming to develop and enhance netball provision across London. Netball Coach UK believes in the power of sport to elevate and inspire young people.
Our camps are open to children in School Years 3-10 and are suitable for experienced and aspiring ballers, as well as those new to the game.
What to expect: Expert coaching by qualified coaches, skills development, Vitality Superleague athlete appearance by Kira Rothwell of London Pulse, the chance to make new friends and tons of match play!
When: 25th, 26th and 27th of July or 30th and 31st August
Where: Burntwood School, SW17 0AQ
Cost: £39.50 per session
Book at: https://netballcoachuk.com/camps
Enquiries: Email us with any questions – info@netballcoachuk.com
flyer June 22.pdfHoliday Club
I am a local mum and run a boutique holiday club for tweens (age 10-13 years) offering very unusual and fun adventure days out in the school holidays. Not your average trip but exciting activities such as trampolining at the O2, graffiti painting in Shoreditch, chocolate making in Covent Garden and cable cars in Greenwich (to name a few!). Our mission is to get the post-pandemic tweens off their screens and out having fun safely in the real world. We have countless safe, fun and unusual boutique adventures for every taste. We are fully insured, checked, DBS compliant and trained in safeguarding, diversity, inclusion and belonging.
LTA Youth Summer Tennis Camps
We are a local tennis provider and run the tennis programme at both York House Gardens & Moor Mead Recreation Ground, we are passionate about running courses for children aged 4-18, packed full of fun games and dynamic training. We want kids to bring all their energy and our LTA accredited coaches will make sure every child has the best start to their tennis journey in a safe and inclusive environment. Sessions cater to all abilities, so no one gets left behind.
Tennis can benefit kids in so many ways, by providing physical, mental and social skills for life. As well as the obvious fitness training, tennis will also help kids:
Find their passion and motivation
Learn resilience through friendly competition
Understand and practise emotional control
Develop respect, communication and teamwork
Focus on personal best, not just winning
Improve balance, agility and co-ordination
Release endorphins and destress
Improve focus and reaction times
Meet new people and make friends
Summer Camp 2022.pdfSummer Hockey Camps
Summer Hockey Camps are a wonderful way of keeping children fully entertained! With first class coaching and fun activities, open to all abilities, whether members or non-members.
Sparks Movie Making Summer Camps
summer_shoots_flyer_s1_s2_s3_-_richmond.pdfTerm Dates 2021-2022
Full term dates and Inset day information is available on the website:
Last day of Summer Term: Friday 15 July