Teddington School Newsletter

Dear Families

As we approach the end of January, I wanted to take a moment to share some updates and reminders for the coming weeks.

A massive thank you to our PTA for their generous donation which has made it possible for our Sixth Form students to have their own bike storage. The new bike sheds, featuring a sedum roof to blend into the surroundings, are already proving popular and align perfectly with our commitment to sustainability. We are incredibly grateful for the PTA’s ongoing support of our school community and are working with them to install further bike storage of a similar nature for the lower school.

I have been delighted to see so many students participating in our wide range of extra-curricular clubs. From sports to music, drama to STEM, there is truly something for everyone. For a full list of what’s on offer this term, please visit our website. Encouraging students to take part in these activities not only enhances their learning experience but also builds friendships and fosters new interests.

In sport this week:

• Our Year 10/11 Basketball team finished second in the Borough Basketball League
• Year 10 faced Orleans Park in football and narrowly lost out in a Borough Cup fixture
• A win was secured in Basketball against Twickenham School for our Year 8/9 team of 46 - 16
• Sixth Form football saw a win against Waldegrave Sixth Form of 8 - 3
• Our U13 boys Basketball team are through to the semi-final of the Surrey Cup after defeating Wilson's 93 - 25
• Year 7 boys Basketball saw a comfortable win over Twickenham School in their latest fixture

What an impressive week in sport, every single student should be incredibly proud of themselves for representing our school. Keep up the fantastic work!

As always, attendance is a top priority, particularly during the winter months. We know illnesses can sometimes be unavoidable, but we ask that families do all they can to ensure students are in school and on time every day. Missing just five sessions (equivalent to 2.5 days) drops attendance to below 95%, which can have a significant impact on learning.

Our Year 7 Parents’ Evenings are coming up over the next two weeks. For those in A Pop, appointments will take place on Wednesday 29 January, while B Pop parents will have their evening on Wednesday 5 February. The School Cloud booking system is open for A Pop parents to reserve slots with teachers. B Pop parents will be able to book starting next week, and further information on this will be shared on Monday. These evenings provide a valuable opportunity to discuss your child’s progress and address any questions you may have.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Wishing you all a restful weekend.

Kind regards

Mr P Grills

Headteacher

If you are looking to join our dedicated office team, now is the time!

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic full time (term time only) Receptionist/Administration Assistant and an Office Administrator. If you would like more information or to apply, please click the links below.

We look forward to meeting you.

Currently, we are experiencing a significant shortage of Gen Juice tokens. Cucina are ordering a minimum of 1,000 tokens each half term, but the supply is depleting rapidly. Despite our last restock being just before the Christmas break, we find ourselves in need of yet another batch already. This has led to unnecessary additional costs and logistical challenges.

To address this, we kindly request your assistance in returning any unused or misplaced Gen Juice tokens. These tokens represent drinks that your child can still redeem, and by returning them, you’ll be helping us ensure fairness and efficiency for all students.

To encourage the return of tokens, Cucina are offering a Cookie Swap initiative. For every 10 tokens returned to the canteen, your child will receive a free cookie as a small token of appreciation. This is a great way to encourage students to dig out any tokens they may have at home.

If possible, we would appreciate it if you could remind your child about the importance of returning these.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

World Book Day is Thursday 6 March 2025! ✨📚

To streamline our processes and ensure accurate attendance records, all absences must now be reported using our designated student absence form. Families need to report absence by 08:30 on each day of absence.

The form will go live on the school website from Monday 13 January and can be accessed via this link. The form can be found on our website in two places:

• ‘Parent Links’ on the top left corner
• On the ‘Parents’ section and under the subheading of ‘Attendance & Absence’

If you have any queries about our attendance procedures, please refer to our Attendance Policy.

The form has been added to all further newsletters. Please scroll down to locate.

Here are a few great reads by authors with January birthdays:

• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien: Whisked from his comfortable hobbit/hole by Gandalf the wizard and a band of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon...

• The Call of the Wild by Jack London: Life is good for Buck in Santa Clara Valley, where he spends his days eating and sleeping in the golden sunshine. But one day a treacherous act of betrayal leads to his kidnap, and he is forced into a life of toil and danger. Dragged away to be a sledge dog in the harsh and freezing cold Yukon, Buck must fight for his survival. Can he rise above his enemies and become the master of his realm once again?

• The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton: Edith Wharton's novel reworks the eternal triangle of two women and a man in a strikingly original manner. When about to marry the beautiful and conventional May Welland, Newland Archer falls in love with her very unconventional cousin, the Countess Olenska. The consequent drama, set in New York during the 1870s, reveals terrifying chasms under the polished surface of upper-class society as the increasingly fraught Archer struggles with conflicting obligations and desires.

• The White Queen by Philippa Gregory: The White Queen tells the story of a common woman who ascends to royalty by virtue of her beauty, a woman who rises to the demands of her position and fights tenaciously for the success of her family, a woman whose two sons become the central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the Princes in the Tower whose fate remains unknown to this day.

As you are aware we have recently agreed to support printing the School Newspaper Club. The printing of two editions - December and June is £2.6k. It sounds a lot but each student received a copy and there are a lot of students! Following this contribution and to ensure we spread your efforts evenly, we are thrilled to also be funding £2k to replace basketball scoreboard, and £2k towards updating football, rugby and basketball team kits.

Securing any decrease in costs of the team kits would allow more money to be put towards other requests in the pipeline (of which there are plenty!) – if anyone has any connections that could facilitate a discount, please contact pta@teddingtonschool.org.

Volunteers wanted – We would like to strengthen our structure by adapting the committee officers to co-positions that will create capacity and instil smooth transition. If you would like to join the Chair, Secretary or Treasurer, please contact Verity Royle (verity.royle@gmail.com).

6 March at 17:00: Second hand uniform sale

6 March: Year 7 & 8 Quiz night (more info to follow soon)

26 April: Plant sale

28 April at 19:00: PTA meeting

Our 'Neighbourhood News' bulletin is made up of local opportunities for students and families and is updated regularly.

28 Jan: Post Production Dinner - Piazza Firenze

28 & 29 Jan: Jack Petchy Workshops

29 Jan: Year 7 'A Pop' Parents Evening

5 Feb: Macbeth Trip

5 Feb: Year 7 'B Pop' Parents Evening

6 Feb: Drama Evening Performance to Families

13 Feb: 'Play On' at The Lyric Theatre Trip

14 Feb: Sixth Form Bake Sale at 11:00