RTS Parents' Newsletter

The final week of this Autumn Term is almost here and it's a busy full week!

This week Year 7 thoroughly enjoyed their Silent Disco on Thursday evening - if you have never experienced a silent disco I would highly recommend it! Whether you are dancing by yourself to a tune that no one else is listening to (you can tell by the colour of everyone's headphones), or whether it's a mass breakout to the same tune, or; even if you are a bystander listening to the squeak/stomp of people's feet and the random singing along and trying to work out exactly what everyone is listening to - it really is a great thing to do!

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our annual RTS Christmas Concert to watch and enjoy some festive Music and Drama performances. Let us celebrate the talent at RTS together and partake of some seasonal snacks and drinks from 18:00-20:00 on Thursday 19 December.

I hope you have a pleasant weekend and are able to grab a moment of downtime before the last week of school and work ahead!

~Ms K Dooley | Head Teacher

Jack attended the Welsh Winter Nationals in Swansea recently, where swimmers come together to compete for the last meet of the short course season. Jack had great success and was crowned 200m Butterfly and 800m Freestyle Welsh National Champion. As well as these events, Jack also secured silver medal status in the 400m Individual Medley and 1500m Freestyle. It was a great week of racing by everyone.

We continue to be impressed by Jack's dedication - and his success. He really is a true example of believing in the power of effort.

Last week a number of our Year 11 students head out to Westminster to attend the Education in Action Biology A Level lecture series. The lectures took place in the Emmanuel Centre and the students had the opportunity to listen to lecturers who are leaders in their fields, and learn about the neuroscience of deafness, epigenetics and biological determinism, astrobiology and the chance of life in outer space, how life in the Antarctic affects us all; and how climbing Everest helps understand how to keep people alive in the ICU! As well as a very useful mini lecture on how to pass biology exams.

The trip was generously partially funded by the Jack Petchey award from Year 11 student Elizabeth.

Our students were fantastic - asking brilliant questions, introducing themselves to the lecturers to talk about career progression and really getting involved! Staff attending were extremely proud of our Year 11 students.

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 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.

It is vital that children in Years 7 and 12 are aware that they may need to apply for a new Zip Oyster photocard. It has not been possible to apply for a new Zip Oyster photocard since September due to the recent cyber incident. During this time, children with an expired Zip Oyster photocard have been allowed to travel on TfL services.

Applications for all Oyster photocards are now open. If your child has an expired 5-10 or 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard you can now apply for a new Zip Oyster photocard.

Please apply as early as possible to ensure that you receive your new photocard before 31 December 2024. Expired photocards will not be accepted for travel on TfL or train operating company services from 1 January 2025. You can apply for a new photocard via our website.

The online application process only takes around ten minutes to complete, and you will need:

• A clear digital photo of your child
• Your child's valid machine-readable passport
• A debit or credit card to pay the £15 administration fee

If your child doesn't have a valid, machine-readable passport, start your application online and you will be prompted to download and print a letter to take to the Post Office to complete your application.

Once your child has received their new Zip Oyster photocard, they should start using it straight away.

Full details about the application process are available on our website.

The 2024 Winter FUEL programme (Kingston and Richmond’s Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) provision) delivered by Achieving for Children) is now live and clubs can be booked via Local Offer website. The programme offers free holiday clubs to pupils who are receiving benefit related free school meals.

There is a great mix of clubs on offer with some established clubs delivering sessions alongside some new ones. It's a really great programme and will help keep eligible children engaged, safe and fed over the Winter holidays. All children receive a meal whilst at a FUEL club.

The F.U.E.L 2024 Annual Report, provides more information about the programme such as who is eligible and feedback from those who have attended before.

FUEL codes were sent out to all eligible families at the beginning of December.

Hampton Youth Zone and Whitton Youth Zone are thrilled to be offering a joint Christmas holiday programme this Xmas that is absolutely jam-packed full of fun activities for young people aged 8-16. It runs from Wednesday 18th December - Saturday 4th January.

With a load of Christmas-themed activities and events across art, music, and sport we are hoping young people will join us to get into the spirit of things. There are also 3 really cool trips exclusively for those accessing FUEL/HAF support.

The full program can be found on the attached flyer.

If you would like further information, please contact justin.johnson@achievingforchildren.org.uk

A Sensational Line-Up

We are thrilled to announce that our spring term starts on w/c 6th of January with not one but two spectacular musicals!

Whether you're taking your first steps on stage or are a regular performer, every 5-18 year old is welcome to join us in 2025.

But before the curtain closes on 2024, don't miss out on the last few tickets to see our charming, heart-warming production of Disney's Beauty & The Beast JR.

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Be Our Guest!

See our talented young performers shine bright in Disney's Beauty & The Beast JR at Hampton Hill Theatre between the 14th and 22nd of December.

This enchanting production features full sound, lighting, costumes, and set making it a wonderful show experience for audiences of all ages.

Limited ticket availability!

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OMIGOD You Guys

We are delighted to offer 13-18 year olds the opportunity to further develop their performing arts skills in the sassy, sparkling musical Legally Blonde JR.

During the Spring term, our popular Youth Theatre will have two casts to choose from in
Walton-on-Thames (Weds) or Twickenham (Fri)

Bend & Snap and join a cast or book a 2-week trial below.

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Discover A Whole New World in 2025!

This January, 8-12 year olds can embark on an exciting performing arts adventure in Disney's Aladdin JR. Full of fantastic parts, songs, and routines this is a truly magical musical to be part of.

Our fabulous Musical Theatre team will start rehearsals w/c 6th January in the following locations:

Hampton Hill (Tues, Weds or Thurs)
Teddington (Sat)
Twickenham (Sat)
Walton on Thames (Weds)

Be One Jump Ahead and secure a place with a deposit or request a 2-week trial below.

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For full information on all of the above and to purchase tickets/book places - just follow this link!

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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