RTS Parents' Newsletter 08 July 2022
Head Teacher's Message
It is hard to believe we are about to enter the final week of the school year. A year in which we have reached more milestones in the RTS journey. A year which started off still under COVID restrictions and, as we approach the end of the year, we have been able to enjoy and make up for lost time with some wonderful day trips, residential trips, visits to theatre productions, reward trips to theme parks, in school performances in French - the list is endless and the students have definitely enjoyed themselves! It really is a joy to see them when they return and are full of excitement.
This week we also welcomed our new cohort of Year 7s who will be joining us in September. Monday was an exciting day for them as they came into the school, signed in, were allocated their tutor group; and spent the day in activities getting to know their new classmates. It was wonderful to see the interactions and tentative new friendships being made. They were such a group of confident children and we are very much looking forward to September when they start properly with us.
However, we have also come to that time in the Academic Year when we begin to say farewell to members of staff across the school. Although we are sad to be saying goodbye, we are certainly wishing the below colleagues all the very best as they look to start a new and exciting chapter in their lives:
Mr Roberts, Head of Boy's PE - accepted a community development role within a local rugby club
Ms Chung, Curriculum Leader MFL - moving to be closer to family
Ms Miles, Humanities Teacher - accepted a place to read for a Master's degree
Ms Singh, English Teacher - accepted a secondary teaching post closer to home
Mr Burchett, Head of Year 7 - accepted a position with an educational resources company
Ms Fossey, MFL Teacher - accepted a secondary teaching post
Ms Turner, Maths Teacher - accepted a place to read for a Master's degree
Mr Neal, Senior LSA - moving to Thailand to teach
Mr Breed, LSA - accepted a position closer to home
Ms Sannazzari - moving back to Italy to be closer to family
I am sure you will join me in wishing them all the best in the chapter of their lives and I am sure that their RTS journey will stay with them.
Next week we will introduce you to the new staff who will be joining us in September.
This week has seen a successful RTS Sports Day - the sun shone over Osterley and Years 7-9 showed true competitive and community spirit; cheering their own and each other's Houses on. The celebrations continued back at school with a BBQ and a school ensemble of Seth, Alfie T., Dylan B. and Caleb (Year 7) entertaining us all with their crowd pleasing performances of hits such as 'Eye of the Tiger'! For a wonderful montage of the day, head over to our social media accounts - Twitter can be viewed via the newsletter and for Instagram, click here.
I am exceptionally proud of the accomplishments and achievements of our students and each week is a journey of discovery. As parents you should all be rightly proud of your children and all that they are capable of achieving.
This weekend I hope that you are able enjoy the fabulous good weather.
Ms K Dooley
Dates for the diary
Monday 11 July
Freshwater Theatre Company - Spanish Performance: Year 8
Tuesday 12 July
Year 10 Sports Day
Wednesday 13 July
Year 7 - Think Maths Day!
Year 10 Music Students - Hamilton theatre trip
Friday 15 July - Last day of Term
Early finish at 12 noon
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:
Celebration Assemblies
RTS Achievement
Lottie (Year 9) and Elsie (Year 7) are both keen sailors, and, last month took part in the RYA London & South East British Junior Sailing Championships in Datchet.
On a day with near perfect conditions, Elsie achieved a place of 1st girl and 3rd overall in the RS Tera Regatta Fleet; and Lottie achieved a place of 1st overall in the RS Tera Championship Class.
Congratulations to both of you!
Enrichment
This week saw our enrichment group trot off to Park Lane Stables at their temporary home in Ham. Students have spent the term learning the theory of horse care and this was their chance to put some of it in to practice and go for a short ride.
This is a repeat visit for us and, as before, students had a fantastic time and we hope the horses did too! Next week sees the second half of the group head off for their turn. We are incredibly lucky to have such an inclusive and welcoming stables on our doorstep.
Creative Arts Showcase
Tuesday night saw our first ever Creative Arts Showcase. A wonderful evening showcasing the best of RTS talent - artistic, musical and dramatic. FoRTS also joined us to serve refreshments and to offer sales of pre-loved uniform. It was wonderful to see so many families join us - and not just those who had children taking part. We were delighted to welcome so many new Y6-7 families and the evening was relaxed, convivial and very enjoyable. We hope to make this an annual event - thank you for your support in enabling us to put this events on and welcome you on to the school site.
Thorpe Park
Both Year 9 and Year 10 had the opportunity to work hard and earn 100 merit marks or more over the last academic year. Their reward - a day out at Thorpe Park! The trips were on 2 separate days and we have heard that the teachers enjoyed it just as much as the students and that there was much screaming! Well done to all of the students for their hard work over the last year.
Loudmouth Theatre Company
Years 9 and 10 have been privileged this week to join Loudmouth Theatre who came into school to explore PSHE topics such as Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Rape Culture. Some hard hitting, but sadly important, topics; the students were incredibly focused and asked really good questions.
Summer Safety
As we move into the long summer break and children have more unstructured time on their hands; we would like to share with you some information that you may find useful for either yourself, or to share with your children.
TikTok
Here are a couple of links to information about TikTok:
Water Safety
The recent hot weather has encouraged young people to cool off in water. Unsuitable rivers and quarries hide dangers below, not taking into accounts the hazards of freezing cold water and currents. Teenagers especially are drawn in by peers and a keenness for risky behaviours. The hot spot in this area is around Teddington Lock.
School Uniform
Our two uniform suppliers - SchoolDays and Stevensons - are recommending that you book appointments for all of your uniform requirements sooner rather than later.
School Days Book Early 2022.pdf01_114_Appointments live_Flyer.pdfFORTS NEWS
FoRTS Spending
As we come to the end of the summer term we’d like to update you on how FoRTS has been spending the money we raise. Overall, we expect to spend over £4,000 this term on:
Coaches for sports day
English Department - Theatre trips for GCSE students and Battle of the Books Reading Competition entry fee
Algebra tiles and multilink tubes for the Maths Department
Battlefield trip for Y9 Humanities
Microbits for Computing Department
Lacrosse and rounders balls for the PE Department
Microwave for the Art/DT Department
Reference books for the Library – mainly sports and history, also CGP GCSE study guides
Exam reader pens for the SEN Department
Additional equipment for enrichment activities, including funds to support the delivery of the Duke of Edinburgh Award
Year 10 – funding for a Skerries rowing session
Year 7 and 8 – Fresh Water Theatre Company performance
We have also funded gazebos for sports day, basketballs, footballs, etc.
We hope you can see what a huge difference FoRTS funding makes to the school. None of this would be possible without our volunteers and we really need more help. Please consider giving your time. You can contact us at any time on forts@rts.richmond.sch.uk.
Big PTA Summer Raffle – It’s Almost Here!
It’s almost time…you only have a few days left to buy your tickets! Three draws will take place each day between 18 July and 21 July and 12 lucky supporters will have the chance of winning up to £5,000. FoRTS receives 50% from each ticket sale, so thank you for your support, and good luck!
School Uniform Sales and Donations
Please continue to donate any unwanted uniform. Items can be donated for a few days after school closes, and on nominated days in the school holidays. We will aim to have two uniform sales during the summer, one at the start and another at the end of the summer holidays. More details to follow in next week’s newsletter.
Creative Arts Showcase
It was so lovely to see so many of you on Tuesday evening. Thank you for dropping by, and buying refreshments and pre-loved uniform. As always, a huge thank you for our volunteers who made it possible.
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. Donations are completely voluntary.
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.pdfPowerStation Summer Programme
PowerStation Youth Centre is running a 7 week summer programme 7 days a week for young people aged 5-19 years old.
Activities include cooking, football, art, basketball, community gardening, HIIT, Golf Trips and much more.
To avoid disappointment book your space on Eventbrite, or if your child receives free school meals contact Danielle directly to book these reserved spots.
All links can be found on our Linktr.ee page.
Click here to view the PowerStation programme.
Bike marking in Mortlake
Get your bike security marked and registered for free by police officers to deter thieves.
Bring your Bike down to PowerStation Youth Centre on Thursday 28 July 12pm-3pm to get your bike registered.
Click here to view the bike marking poster.
Harlequins 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
Hampton & Richmond Borough Youth Football Club
A local football team are looking for new players for next season. Hampton & Richmond Borough Youth Football Club already have a strong RTS contingent in the squad across Year 10 and would love for more RTS students across the year groups to join them.
Twickenham Saints
CALLING CURRENT YEAR 9s: LOCAL FOOTBALL TEAM LOOKING FOR NEW PLAYERS - Again, supported strongly by RTS families.
Twickenham Saints are a local team who play in the Premier Division of the Epsom and Ewell League in the Surrey FA. We are looking to fill some positions for our U15 team for the 22/23 season.
We will be having trials over the summer, so if you are interested in playing or want to find out more, please contact Indy at indysaha@hotmail.com
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