RTS Parents' Newsletter

Well, Spring Term was certainly one to remember!

In no particular order this term we have enjoyed the following: Year 8 PGL residential, the School Production of Willy Russell's Blood Brothers, numerous theatre trips, Year 9 Options Evening, National Offers Day and our Year 6-7 Welcome Event, Subject Teacher Evenings for Years 11 and 9, Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge and Talk the Talk event, workshops from Royal Holloway and Hampton Court Palace Needlework, a trip to a synagogue for Holocaust Day, Year 9 trip to National Army Museum, Thames Water Debate Mate...I am sure that I have missed many other activities. Students have also had topic checks, assessment points, mock exams and their day to day lessons. And then, not forgetting, there was Ofsted!

Thank you to our families for your support, not just with the events and the big things - but the every day communications, the packed lunches, washing and organising uniform and kit, training and fixtures - we know the list at home is endless too and a school could not run without your input and support.

We look forward to seeing you back on Tuesday 22 April - with a late start for students at 09:45. I will send out my usual Head Teacher's Start of Term Letter before the Bank Holiday Weekend.

Wishing you all a relaxing and restful break over the Easter holidays.

~Ms K Dooley | Head Teacher

The traditional end of term assembly is always a wonderful celebration of the students and their achievements over the last few weeks. It is fantastic to have the whole school together to celebrate individuals and themselves. I am truly delighted and honoured to award the following students with a Head Teacher's Award for the Spring Term:

• Year 7: Minnie
• Year 8: Rocco
• Year 9: Henry W
• Year 10: Jayden
• Year 11: Bodie

This award is a recognition of a student exemplifying the RTS Way and showing excellence through endeavour.

Congratulations to Sam H., Year 7, who has recently received a distinction for his Grade 4 cello exam.

During his exam he played: Boyce: Minuet (from Concerto Grosso in B minor), arr. Black & Harris; Elgar: Chanson de matin, arr. Lanning; and L. Bernstein & Sondheim: America (from West Side Story), arr. Schofield. This was alongside assessments for sight-reading, scales, and aural tests. Comments from the examiner were that Sam 'began with purpose and the tone was warm / it was played musically and ended with commitment / fingers and bow were well coordinated / secure presentation'.

Incredibly well done to Sam for this achievement - there would have been many hours of practice to reach this level and demonstrating one of our core values: I believe in the power of effort.

Our recent PGL trip was an incredible experience that left students feeling empowered and inspired. Engaging in activities such as climbing, abseiling, and team challenges; students not only had immense fun but also developed essential life skills. One student shared, “I never thought I could conquer the abseiling wall, but with my friends cheering me on, I did it! It boosted my confidence so much.”

These experiences have significantly enhanced students’ self-esteem and resilience. Teachers also observed remarkable growth in students’ teamwork and leadership abilities. Overall, the PGL adventure has had a lasting positive impact on our school community.

Over the last three weeks a group of Year 9 students have been participating in a series of workshops by Debate Mate on the future water supplies in Richmond. Last Thursday the students participated in their final debate in front of an audience of RTS students, showcasing their skills from the last few weeks. The students were exceptional - speaking confidently and passionately.

Our students said:

Krish: "They helped me learn public speaking skills and taught me style, strategy and content"

Maya: "I can now stand and talk to people confidently about the crisis with water"

We look forward to the Summer Term where the students will have the opportunity to debate with other local schools.

From the 1st of April we will be changing the opening times of our branches, following customer buying patterns. We will be open 9.30am-5pm Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, and closed Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Please be rest assured that during the busy back to school season we will extend our opening hours to provide greater flexibility to parents, and we will be continuing with our appointment system during this period also.

We have also been making some updates to our website. We can now provide data-driven recommended sizing for parents based on real purchase trends for your school. We have improved our returns process, allowing parents to compete the entire return via our website and introducing free tracked return postage that can be collected directly for the customer’s home. We have also updated our downloadable uniform lists, which will now provide parents with a uniform list that is specific to their child’s needs (i.e. year group and selected gender if appropriate), these will also now include photography of each item.

Your FoRTS team,

Carmelle (Chair and Acting Secretary) and Jason & Somi (Treasurers)

General: forts@rts.richmond.sch.uk

Parking: fortsparking@rts.richmond.sch.uk

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)

Full-term dates and Inset day information is available on the school's website:

• Spring Term 2: Monday 24 February-Friday 04 April (12 noon finish)

• Summer Term 1: Tuesday 22 April (09:55 registration)-Friday 23 May

Please find the Parent Calendar Summary for 2024-2025. Please check this regularly as some dates and times may be adjusted throughout the year.

Following last year’s successful programme, Richmond Council is continuing to host a series of mega skip days in each area of the borough during 2025, where local residents can get rid of bulky unwanted items for free.

The mega skip next Saturday 05 April will be placed in your community at the Nelson Road Car Park, from 9am to 12pm (or until the skips are full – whichever comes first). Residents can bring along up to six items (including furniture or mattresses, electrical appliances, black bags, etc). Items are then recycled. Any furniture that’s brought and still in good condition is taken by local charity Richmond Furniture Scheme, who upcycle second-hand furniture and sell on for a discount.

Chase Bridge Primary School have kindly extended a warm welcome and invitation to their next Family and Well-being Coffee Morning to RTS families.

If you are interested in attending, please complete the Google Form; or if viewing on a separate device you can scan the QR code on the poster.

Where Big Ideas Begin!

This April, we're launching a week of pure entrepreneurial energy, and any/all 7-15 year olds are invited to take centre stage.

From brainstorming brilliant ideas to crafting compelling pitches, this hands-on experience will equip budding entrepreneurs with the skills and confidence to turn their dreams into reality.

Details:

• Launch It Neasden
• Monday, April 07 - Friday April 11
• 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM (6 hours per day)
• 7-15 years
• £40 per day/ £200 for the entire bootcamp

SIGN UP HERE

What's In Store for Attendees:

• Problem-Solving & Innovation: Learn to see challenges as opportunities and develop groundbreaking solutions.
• Creativity & Critical Thinking: Unlock creative potential and think outside the box.
• Resilience & Confidence: Build the mental fortitude to overcome obstacles and shine.
• Money Smarts: Master the fundamentals of budgeting, pricing, and making your first sale.
• Pitching & Public Speaking: Develop the art of persuasion and deliver impactful presentations.
• Teamwork & Leadership: Collaborate with peers and learn to lead with confidence.

Our workshops will delve into various exciting fields, including fashion, authorship, influencing, beauty & well-being, foodpreneurship and much more!

Flexibility to Fit Your Schedule:

We understand that everyone's schedule is different. That's why you can choose to join us for the entire week or select individual days that work best for you!

Don't miss this incredible opportunity to unleash your entrepreneurial potential. Join us and embark on a journey of discovery, creativity, and empowerment.

We wanted to remind you about your school’s exclusive discount code. Parents simply need to enter SCHOOL20 at checkout to receive £20 off when they book a minimum of 2 days.

March is a key time for families to arrange their holiday childcare, and our camps are filling up fast! To ensure your school’s parents don’t miss out on this special offer, we’d be incredibly grateful if you could share it in your newsletters or updates.

• Limited discounted places available – prices increase as spaces fill, so early booking means bigger savings!
• Flexible booking options – we accept Tax-Free Childcare, Childcare Vouchers, and offer booking protection with Flex.

High School Musical JR.

Sing 2

If you'd rather be in the audience than on stage, there’s still time to book one of the last few tickets for Aladdin JR. or Legally Blonde JR.!

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