RTS Parents' Newsletter

Our Year 11 students will have been very pleased to finish this week and round off two weeks of mock GCSE exams. They have shown exceptional maturity and adaptability as they sat their exams in the brand new sports hall for the first time. Being able to sit your exams in the same space as your real exams will take place is an important part of the cycle of examination preparation. A small group will have their mock oral exams next week and we wish them all the best too.

Thank you to those parents who were able to join us on Wednesday for the Parent Forum - and were the first parents to visit our new sports facilities. We hope you found the brief session on assessments we ran alongside the tour of the sports hall informative.

Looking ahead to our last week of term, we are delighted to invite you all to our annual RTS Christmas Concert to witness some festive Music and Drama performances. Enjoy the talent at RTS and enjoy some seasonal snacks and drinks from 18:00-20:00 on Thursday 19 December.

I hope you have a pleasant weekend.

~Ms K Dooley | Head Teacher

For those of you new to the school, every year we invite our new Year 7 students and any in-year joiners to contribute to decorations for our main Christmas Tree in the Assembly Hall. These can be handmade, shop bought, something funny, something traditional, personalised or not - whatever you would like to see on the tree! We have had some wonderful contributions since our first Christmas in 2017 and the (very eclectic) collection has grown year on year and it is so lovely to see names of alumni students on some of the baubles.

Please drop off your decorations into Reception as soon as possible.

We welcome donations for this event (minimum is £1) and the RTS Just Giving Donation Page is now live. You can also text RTSXMAS to 70050 for an automatic £5 donation to be applied direct to the RTS page (You'll be billed £5, plus your standard network rate. Save the Children receive 100% of your donation. By texting, you agree to calls about fundraising appeals, campaigns, events and other ways to support. Include NO after the team text code to opt out of phone calls e.g. RTSXMASNO. Queries? 02070126400. Read the Privacy policy: www.savethechildren.org.uk/privacy). Thank you for your support.

FoRTS update

We are pleased to announce that our fundraising efforts during the first term have been highly successful, as highlighted in last week’s newsletter. The funds raised have enabled the school to purchase additional equipment for the new Sports Hall and the Design Technology room.

As the festive season approaches, we are excited to invite you to the school's Christmas Concert which will be held on Thursday 19th December, from 18:00-20:00. This event is organized in collaboration with FoRTS. Attendees can look forward to refreshments sold by FoRTS, along with entertainment provided by our students.

We warmly invite you to join us and celebrate the festive season together.

Easyfundraising

Great news, we’ve registered Friends of Richmond upon Thames School with #easyfundraising, which means over 7,500 brands will now donate to us for FREE every time you use easyfundraising to shop with them. These donations will help SO MUCH, so please sign up to support us, especially as you do your Christmas shopping – it’s completely FREE and doesn’t take long. Sign up here: Easyfundraising. Last month we raised £35 - let's see if we can raise more during December!

FoRTS Volunteering

We do have a lovely small team of volunteers and do have fun especially with the rugby parking marshalling Join the FoRTS Car Parking Team

We are seeking a Treasurer to shadow our current Treasurer this year, with a full-time start next academic year. If you are interested in learning more about this role, please contact Carmelle.

All processes are already in place, so there is no additional work involved. The responsibilities include totaling any money raised, sending it to the bank, and providing termly updates on funds raised and spent.

All the above and more cannot be done without your help so please look to donate a couple of hours of your time when requested.

Join FoRTS by clicking here. It’s as simple as that!

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:

• Autumn Term 2: Monday 11 November-Friday 20 December (12 noon)

• Spring Term 1: Monday 06 January (09:45 start for all year groups)-Friday 14 February

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

*Monday 24 February- INSET Day for staff, school closed to students

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

For many students, and especially those who experience challenges when it comes to the key executive functions required for exam preparation (planning and organising), this course will give the tools and support to succeed at what can be a very stressful time.

When is it? Three week course, once a week starting on the 29th January 2025 - 5pm-6pm for GCSE students and 6:15pm to 7:15pm for A-level students.

It will be run over three sessions of an hour each on Wednesday 29th January, Wednesday 5th February, Wednesday 12th February.

What is the objective: To support students in building self-esteem, confidence, and effective learning strategies as they prepare for GCSEs and A-Levels. It will cover:

Session 1: Discovering Your Values and Strengths
In this session, students will explore what drives them and identify their natural strengths. Developing self-awareness lays the foundation for greater confidence and resilience when facing challenging tasks.

Session 2: Mastering Revision Techniques
This practical session introduces strategies for effective exam preparation. Students will learn to create a versatile revision framework that applies to all subjects, offering a structured path through the study process.

Session 3: Identifying Motivation and Planning Ahead
Focused on motivation and mindset, this session encourages students to set goals and plan ahead. By deciding on key steps in advance, students will feel ready to begin their revision journey with confidence and a clear sense of direction.

How do I find out more info & book? Click here

A diagnosis of ADHD can be challenging for everyone and especially so for teenagers. Some are embarrassed, don't understand the condition, reject the 'label' and some don't know how to tell their friends. Our workshop, working directly with children & young people, is presented by our Community and School Outreach Manager Laura Ercolani and is an opportunity for young people to discuss their challenges in a small safe setting to recognise and make more of their strengths.

• Age 7 to 11 - 1st February 10am to 11am
• Age 11 to 14 - 1st February 11:30am to 12:30pm
• Age 15 to 18 - 1st February 1pm to 2pm

How do I find out more info & book? Click here

The Parent Coffee, Cake and Chat drop-in groups are a welcoming environment for parents of children from age 10 to age 18, to meet with other parents, discuss local or parenting issues, share hobbies and interests and learn about wellbeing and further professional development opportunities.

If you feel like you need information, support or guidance and you’re unable to obtain this from conventional services - pop on down, or contact us for more information!

child is either in a Richmond or Kingston school they are welcome to attend.

Kingston parents can attend Richmond cafes and vice versa.

Mondays in Mortlake, Powerstation Youth Centre, 121a Mortlake High Street, SW14 8SN. Any Monday year round except Bank holidays.

11:15am to 12:15pm Mindfulness for parents

12:30 to 1:30 Parent cake, coffee and chat

1:30-3pm General public - PCCN Foodbank, Richmond Food Bank and Monday Champions Café .

1-2-1 available by appointment, please contact Sanya. sanya.walker-batson@achievingforchildren.org.uk

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Thursdays, term time only Kingsnympton Youth and Community Centre, Kingsnympton Park, Kingston , KT2 7RW

10am Tai Chi Qigong Shibashi( sports hall)

11am Mindfulness ( computer room)

11am Tai Chi classic - Cantonese instructions

10am to 12 noon Parent coffee cake and chat

12 noon Pilates

12 noon food bank

12:30 informative guest talks

1 to 2pm community lunch

General ESOL classes available on site also, termly via Kingston Adult Education Service , termly from 10-1pm.

1-2-1 available by appointment, please contact Sanya

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The Hampton White House Family Hub, 45 The Avenue, Hampton, TW12 3RN

11am to 1pm, Parent advice drop in every 2nd Tuesday of the month, term time only, next to Richmond Food Bank in the café area or Room 5 when available.

Available by appointment in person or online at other times On Tuesdays, term time only.

As part of Kingston Council, Kingston Adult Education provides a range of courses to people aged 19 or over. A number of their courses are free, and take place in school hours.

They have a number of courses starting in January, including:

• accredited qualifications in Bookkeeping; Childcare (from introductory courses through to teaching assistant and programmes for educators working with children with special educational needs); Community Interpreting; Counselling; Information, Advice and Guidance; and Understanding Mental Health

• English, maths and digital skills, from entry level through to GCSE

• A variety of courses to develop your creative skills, including stained glass making, painting and drawing, languages, creative writing, and upcycling clothes

• A range of wellbeing courses to teach you how to take better care of your mental health, including tai chi and meditation.

See their latest prospectus for further details about these courses as well as their wider offering: bit.ly/KAE-2425prospectus

Their classes take place both online and at centres across the Royal Borough of Kingston.

For further information, please contact Kingston Adult Education directly on 020 8547 6700 or at adult.education@kingston.gov.uk

Barracudas are delighted to have launched their 2025 school holiday activity camps.

They are launching at their lowest rates with the Early Booking offer – saving up to £100! Parents can also benefit from low deposit rates.

As they are launching at such heavily discounted rates, they're unable to give any additional discounts at this time, but it’s a great time to get ahead and book considering you can save £100 off a full week booking at this point.

These lowest rates are guaranteed until 31st January. Parents can also benefit from low deposit rates up until 31st December, securing your child’s place for just £10 a day or £25 a week and pay the rest later. From 1st January this will increase to £15 a day or £50 a week.

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