RTS Parents' Newsletter 05 May 2023
Head Teacher's Message
Whilst it is has been a disjointed week, staff and students have achieved an incredible amount of work and activities in a short space of time. Thank you to those parents/carers who were able to join us on Wednesday in school for the Year7 parent/teacher consultations - it was a very successful evening and we have received some wonderful feedback which staff appreciate. We also welcomed parents/carers to a Duke of Edinburgh trip briefing and also to a Multiply maths evening.
Elsewhere in school our Year 11 GCSE Art students have had their two day final art exams whilst our Year 11 GCSE PE students have been viewed and assessed for their practical components by an external moderator. With only four school days left until the written GCSE examinations begin I know how hard our students are working.
At the other end of the school there is much excitement amongst Year 7 students for their residential trip next week to the Isle of Wight. We hope that the weather is kind to them and that they have a wonderful time experiencing new challenges and adventures. I am sure that they will bring you home lots of wet, muddy washing!
Wishing you all a restful long weekend - whether you choose to celebrate the Coronation or not, it is a wonderful opportunity to spend time with friends, family, neighbours, or the community.
Ms K Dooley
Dates for the diary
Monday 08 May
Bank Holiday, School closed
Monday 15 May
GCSE Examinations begin
Monday 29 May-Friday 02 June
Half-Term
Monday 05 June-23 June
Year 10, AP6 examinations
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.
RTS Kitchen
As predicted last week, the RTS Kitchen team outdid themselves in creating a celebratory Coronation menu for students and staff to enjoy - including their take on the Coronation Quiche and Coronation Chicken. Laurie the Chef leads on the main course; whilst Laura the Cook is an absolute star baker! Her Victoria Sponge today was light and fluffy and the biscuit crown was just fantastic.
Menus are available on our website here; so you can plan in advance or check in with what your child/ren are being offered/eating whilst at school.
Staff were also treated to a Coronation Biscuit made by a local boutique biscuit creator - Enchanting Bakes. Griselda has created biscuits with an RTS logo on for staff before and we are privileged to support such a creative local small business.
School Street
We have been asked by the School Travel Advisor for Richmond and Wandsworth Schools to remind parents that the end of Egerton Road that runs outside of the school is a School Street. This means that certain vehicles are prohibited from entering the road at certain times of the day (school opening and closing times, Monday to Friday). However, it is important to remember, and to remind your children, that this does not mean NO traffic - there are still exempt vehicles, cyclists and other road users. Safe walking, cycling and driving should still be applied and the highway code followed.
If anyone feels they would benefit from a cycling refresher course, the borough offers these free - please do click through the link to find out more.
FORTS NEWS
Subject Leader Bids - Summer Term
FoRTS are able to once again provide £5,000 in funding for extra enrichment opportunities for RTS students as part of the subject leader bids for this Summer Term. Some of the items purchased from the similar Spring term subject leader bids included KS3 books, science lab coats, recycling boxes and HBE Carnegie books (see photos below - we shared the recycling boxes with you the other week). This is only possible through the amazing efforts of our parent volunteers to help with fundraising activities.
PTA Recruitment - we need you!
Into the final term and we are looking for more volunteers to join our small group.
There are many benefits in joining FoRTS, including making friends, learning new skills, showing your child that you are interested in their education, and helping to buy equipment that will directly benefit your child.
It’s also fun coming up with ideas for events for the children or the parents. It’s a great opportunity to be involved in creating wonderful memories for a whole cohort of school families. There are only 3 main events in the academic year so not a great amount of your time is taken up.
If we can share the workload we’ll have more time for the fun stuff!
We are looking for Dads, Mums, Carers or Grandparents that can spare a small amount of time mainly for the following roles: Secretary, Treasurer, Marketing. If you have any experience in these areas, however small, please contact Carmelle on fortssecretary@rts.richmond.sch.uk.
Your FoRTS team,
Carmelle (Chair & Secretary), Mark (Treasurer)
General: forts@rts.richmond.sch.uk
Uniform: fortsuniform@rts.richmond.sch.uk
Parking: fortsparking@rts.richmond.sch.uk
Voluntary donations: Peoples Fundraising
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
Dramacube - West End Showcase
Love musicals? Don’t miss out on a place in this special West End Showcase!
Dramacube’s GREATEST SHOWMEN (professional Artistic Director & Choreographer) will be working with SIX young casts to produce a show where they WILL ROCK YOU with performances inspired from popular West End shows.
This WICKED, musical theatre project is for GUYS & DOLLS aged 8-18 years who enjoy singing, dancing and performing.
Weekly rehearsals start from the 13th May in Hampton Hill, Twickenham and Esher.
MAMMA MIA! The final performances will be in the West End of London at Wonderville Theatre!
Every child who signs up will get to perform - but places are limited!
SIGN UP AT https://www.dramacube.co.uk/
May Half-Term Camp
Looking for a May Half-Term for younger children with an older sibling at RTS? Then Mr Bowie's camp is for you! A local primary school teacher himself, Mr Bowie has been running sports camps at RTS now for a while and the camps are a huge hit with the children who attend.
Contact Mr Bowie for full details.
Richmond Volunteer Fair
On Thursday 25 May 2023 it's the annual Volunteer Fair at Richmond and Hillcroft Adult and Community College (RHACC). This is a free community event which invites local people to meet a wide range of good causes and find out about a variety of roles they could get involved with, in whatever time they can spare.
School Uniform Suppliers - Summer Appointments and Limited Discount Offer
From 05-12 May, Stevensons are running a limited time promotion - please see flyer and code below.
Stevensons are looking ahead to September and have released this year's appointment booking information.
They are also looking for young people to work in their Twickenham branch over the summer months.
SchoolDays - Whitton High St
From 1st June, we will again be operating an appointment system during the summer months.
Book your slot early to avoid disappointment at : https://schooldaysllp.co.uk/index.php/booking-form/
Workshop on Puberty and Autism
Please see below details of a free workshop on Puberty and Autism being run by Ruils Family Matters service, on 11th May at the Peter and Paul Centre, Teddington. This workshop is free for parents in the borough of Richmond who have a young person with additional needs.
When: Thursday 11 May, 10.30am
Where: Peter and Paul Centre, Teddington
What: This Family Matters talk is on the subject of Puberty. Going into puberty can be scary for parents and children alike. This session offers information about puberty and how it might be different for autistic young people.
The session will be delivered by Robyn Steward. Robyn is autistic and has been delivering fun, informative and practical training to professionals and parent / support groups for over 15 years. She has written 3 books 'The Independent Woman’s Handbook for Super Safe Living on the Autistic Spectrum', 'The Autism Friendly Guide to Periods' and 'The Autism Friendly Guide to self employment'. Robyn is also co-host of BBC Sound’s 1800 seconds on Autism.
To book a free place, please visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/family-matters-workshop-managing-puberty-tickets-530311946307
We provide Family Matters, our parents support service, in Richmond and Hounslow. Our Family Matters Advisors provide practical support, advice and information to families with children with disabilities and/or additional needs who are feeling under pressure or who are experiencing difficulties.
We will
Listen to your worries and experiences in a non-judgmental way
Work with you to identify what is working and what is not working
Support you to focus on areas of family life that you find challenging and will work with you to identify steps to address some of these difficulties
Provide you with information on activities and services and will support you to access them.
To find out more about our Richmond service contact Surabhi Dhondiyal on 07376277779 or contact Martha Fong on 07944 902 794 or email familymatters@ruils.co.uk
To find out more about our Hounslow service contact Alka Tripathi on 07376 354 638 alkatripathi@ruils.co.uk.
Term Dates 2022-2023
Full term dates and Inset day information is available on the website:
Summer Term 1: Monday 17 April-Friday 26 May
Bank Holidays: Monday 01 May and Monday 08 May