RTS Parents' Newsletter

This week we have been looking to the future and have enjoyed meeting many prospective families during our Year 5 Open Morning on Tuesday; and then enjoying a busy evening meeting our Year 6 parents again on Wednesday. Our Year 6 families are now receiving this newsletter - so welcome; and thank you for taking the time to attend the meeting this week and engaging with staff and students.

Elsewhere around school we had incredibly informative and thought provoking sessions for both students and staff from the DSB Foundation (more on this below) and I share my thanks to staff who organise such events.

Have a lovely weekend.

~Ms K Dooley | Head Teacher

Students in KS3 and KS4 recently took part in engaging workshops delivered by the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation, focusing on drug awareness and making safe, informed choices. Sessions were age-appropriate and explored topics like peer pressure, the effects of drugs, and decision-making.

Staff then had an evening INSET session led by the Foundation.

Both students and staff found the workshops thought-provoking and informative. We’re proud to support education that helps our young people stay safe and confident in their choices.

Drowning prevention week (14 – 19 June)

14 to 19 June is Drowning Prevention Week, a national campaign led by the Royal Life Saving Society UK to raise awareness and equip families with life-saving knowledge before the school holidays. As the weather warms and families spend more time near water, it’s a crucial time to talk about how to keep children safe.

Between 2019 and 2022, 84 children in England tragically drowned, highlighting the importance of water safety. For children under five, bathtubs are the most common location, often involving a bath seat. Teens aged 15-17 are most at risk in inland waters like rivers and lakes, especially when swimming unsupervised. Even strong swimmers are at risk in open water, where cold temperatures, currents, and hidden hazards can be dangerous.

Read more about Drowning prevention week here.

New Year 7 Parents

It was truly wonderful to see so many new faces at the Transition Evening this Wednesday. A warm welcome to everyone who joined us!

At FoRTS, our mission is to support RTS in raising essential funds that enrich the educational experience of all students. As a parent-led PTA organization, we work closely with subject leaders to ensure that every request for resources provides tangible benefits to both current and future students.

Beyond fundraising, we take pride in assisting the school in various ways, including pre-loved uniform sales, event support, and car park marshalling. Our involvement extends to cherished school events such as International Food Day, the Creative Arts Showcase, and the School Production, fostering a strong sense of community.

None of this would be possible without the generous support of parents and carers. If you're looking for a meaningful way to contribute to RTS and connect with other families, we would love for you to join our small but welcoming community. Your involvement—no matter how big or small—makes a difference.

Take a moment to join us by clicking here, and let’s continue creating a supportive and enriching environment for our children together.

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Pre-loved uniform: upcoming sales for your dairy

20 June (Friday):

2.30-4pm in RTS Atrium - entrance via main school entrance only

12 July (Saturday):

11am-3pm at Chase Bridge Primary School: Kneller Rd, Twickenham TW2 7DE

Please pay by card wherever possible but we will also accept cash.

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Easyfundraising

We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed to Friends of RTS through #easyfundraising. Your support is invaluable in helping us achieve our mission.

If you haven't signed up yet, the process is simple and completely free. With over 8,100 brands participating, a percentage of your everyday online purchases will be donated to us—at no additional cost to you. Join us in making a meaningful impact today.

So far we have raised £940.12

Sign up here: Easyfundraising

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FoRTS Volunteering

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:

• Summer Term 2: Monday 02 June-Friday 11 July (noon)

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

Are you at a loose end this weekend? Do you love art?
Then, how about an art trail in and around the Borough of Richmond?.

Over 50 artists will be opening up their homes and studios this weekend for you to explore.
Arts Richmond has coordinated the borough’s open studios festival, Art House, for 2025.

The festival gives visitors a chance to explore our artistic community and engage with artists, designers & makers from all corners of the borough.

Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th June
Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd June
11 am - 5 pm daily
Lots of the venues will be holding special events and demonstrations, and it’s all free.
You can grab a brochure at your local library or download it via the link here

The Richmond Cargo Bike Fair is almost here! Come along to Old Deer Park from 11am-5pm this Sunday (15 June) to enjoy our family-friendly event packed with fun activities for all ages and a host of other offerings. There'll be food and drink, live music, a cargo bike test track, Dr Bike mechanic services, police bike marking, tennis and volleyball taster sessions, plus much more... Come and spend Father's Day in Richmond learning about one of London's fastest growing modes of sustainable transport!

One of our Neighbourhood Policing Inspectors has asked us to share the follow with our families:

One of the areas we are always keen to improve on is how we communicate to local communities and explain the work we are doing to keep them safe. With that in mind I would like to highlight a new service we are launching called Met Engage.

The Met Engage platform will allow members of the public to subscribe to receive updates about what my officers are doing in their streets. These emails will be a mixture of updates on how we are tackling issues in the area, crime prevention advice and invitations to engagement events. People who sign up to the platform will be encouraged to let us know what matters most to them. Not only will this help us identify and address the crimes that matter most to residents, it will also influence the messages that users receive, so that they receive the most relevant information possible.

The Met Engage platform has just launched in Richmond as part of a trial period, before going live across London at the end of June and can be accessed by visiting the website: www.metengage.co.uk

My officers will be promoting Met Engage and encouraging people to sign up over the coming weeks and months. I hope you will see the benefit of what we are attempting to achieve with this tool. One of the great privileges of being a police officer in the UK is the Peelian principles of policing by consent. Unlike in other places, we are part of the public and the public are part of us, and I hope that Met Engage will allow us to connect more fully with our communities to explain what we are doing and why.

The platform will continue to evolve as we investigate more features we can add to the system, but one of the main factors to ensure its success is to ensure as many people participate with it as possible.

Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability is holding a Charity Summer Fete - taking place on Sunday, 22nd June 2025 12-4pm.

This free public event is being held to raise vital funds for the hospital’s services and promises a fun-filled day with a variety of exciting activities and entertainment for all ages. We’ve attached a poster and the full entertainment line-up for your reference.

Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, West Hill, Putney, London SW15 3SW

Marzamemi Festival is back for its 2nd instalment on 5th and 6th July 2025 on Old Deer Park, Richmond.

2025 will be bigger and better, here is the line up:

• Epic line up of Italian food & drink
• Packed line up of chef live demos
• Lots of fun live music & DJ's all day
• Curated shopping tents with homeware, fashion, artisan brands
• Creative workshops for kids & adults (pasta making, embroidery, ceramic painting)
• Access to FREE kids entertainment (Giggle Company shows, inflatable fun, little beach, cinema, disco, football drills, lawn games, art & craft table, gelato, granita, popcorn & vintage sweet stall)
• Our GIOIA beauty tent (blow drys by Blo Bar, chair massages & festival glam)
• Super! Space with x3 free drinks & nibbles more live music & premium seating

Benefits of this card include:

• Save on swimming and gym sessions
• Free general swim sessions for children
• 40% discount on junior coached activities

T&C's apply

I'm Nathan from Sparks Film School, where we teach young people the art of filmmaking and animation! We're now enrolling for our Summer Holiday Camps in Ealing, Richmond, Teddington and Wimbledon. These are hands-on, creative workshops where students direct, film and edit their own movies with guidance from professional filmmakers.

You can find more at www.sparksarts.co.uk, and I’m happy to answer any questions via email at nathan@sparksarts.co.uk or phone 07857 254036.

1. Summer Competition – Design an Activity & Win Big!

We’re inviting children to get creative and design a brand-new summer camp activity for Barracudas!

The winning entry will receive:

• £250 donation to your school
• A FREE WEEK at Barracudas summer camp
• An exclusive Mini Billy toy

Their activity could be a twist on a summer classic, inspired by sunshine and outdoor fun, or an entirely original idea we can bring to life at camp! Entries should be emailed to fun@barracudas.co.uk by 16th June and we’ll announce the winner on 19th June.

A digital flyer and social media graphic are attached—perfect for newsletters or classroom noticeboards! Here are the full details: https://www.barracudas.co.uk/blog/design-your-barracudas-summer-camp-activity-to-win-big/

2. Summer Camp Discounts – Just for Your School Community

With places filling quickly, now’s the perfect time to remind you about our exclusive school discounts. We’ve attached a handy flyer for you to read —spaces won’t last long!

The Pre and Post Diagnosis SEND Support Team would like to share their current timetable and an invitation to a coffee morning to those parents with children that have a SEND diagnosis or are waiting for an assessment. Full details on the Support Service can be found here.

The CLCH school nursing service in Richmond is offering young people aged 5-19 and their parents and carers a new way to contact and get support from school nurse via a text messaging app ChatHealth.

ChatHealth offers confidential help and advice about a range of health concerns, including emotional health, sexual health, relationships, alcohol and drugs and bullying.

When a message is sent to the ChatHealth number, an automated reply confirms the message has been received. A trained healthcare professional will reply to the message during office hours within 24 working hours of receiving the message.

Winfilda Oyo-Ita, the Clinical Lead for the 0-19 service in Richmond said; “We’re delighted that we’re able to offer ChatHealth to young people, parents and carers in our local community as it provides more flexibility for them to access information and advice directly from our school nursing team that doesn’t rely on an appointment in-person.”

The service is already provided by CLCH in Hertfordshire and has been widely implemented at several NHS Trusts and healthcare organisations across the UK.

Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtSV7g1_fKA for more information.

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