Teddington School Newsletter
Friday 27 March 2026
Dear Families
As we reach the end of a busy and highly successful half term, I would like to take a moment to celebrate the many achievements and opportunities our students have embraced over recent weeks.
February saw 25 of our students travel to Iceland, where they enjoyed a truly memorable and enriching educational experience. From exploring unique landscapes to deepening their understanding of geography and science, the trip was a fantastic success.
Sport continues to thrive across the school, with over 100 fixtures taking place this half term. Students have represented the school with pride in football, netball, cricket, NFL, swimming, basketball, rugby and more. Their commitment, teamwork and resilience have been wonderful to see.
The performing arts have also flourished, with a range of drama workshops and theatre visits providing students with exciting creative opportunities. Alongside this, celebratory dinners have recognised student achievements, bringing our community together in a positive and uplifting way.
Academically, students have engaged well with our “exam buster” sessions, building confidence and strengthening their preparation strategies. We have also enjoyed five inspiring TEDdington Talks, showcasing curiosity and ambition.
It has truly been a term full of energy, achievement and opportunity and there is much to be proud of.
I wish you all a restful and enjoyable two-week break. We look forward to welcoming students back on Monday 13th April at 08:30.
Kind regards
Mr P Grills
Headteacher
⚽️ A fantastic experience for our Year 8 boys!
Students from the Football Beyond Borders programme enjoyed a brilliant trip to Fulham Football Club, including a stadium tour and a scenic river walk.
The organisers were full of praise for the boys’ enthusiasm and excellent behaviour throughout! 👏
⛳️ Our Golf Team had an amazing day at The Kingfisher Open!
They competed at Strawberry Hill Golf Club and showed great skill and determination on the course. Well done, team! 🏌️♂️🏌️♀️👏
🏆 What a day for our Sixth Form Boys Rugby 7s team!
They became Borough Champions with outstanding wins:
SRR 31–15
Christ 45–24
RPA 45–26
A huge well done to the boys for their skill, teamwork, and determination on the pitch! 💪🔥
Last Friday, our Year 11 Bake Sale was a huge hit! A massive thank you to the Prom Committee for organising and running the event, and to everyone who baked something delicious.
We sold out in just 10 minutes and raised over £150 to go towards Year 11 prom extras! 🎉
🧬 Our Science Club has spent the past 3 weeks recreating a giant DNA model for Science Week! Although it was a little delayed, we’re excited to share that it finally went up this week 🙌
Each section has been individually crafted by our students, featuring scientific drawings, images, and even descriptions of their favourite scientists and experiments, a fantastic showcase of creativity and curiosity 🔬✨
📢 A reminder to all Year 7 students: Science Club runs every Thursday in Lab 1 from 3:00–4:00pm. We’d love to see you there!
🌍 Our students proudly took part in the Great British Spring Clean which is one of the UK’s biggest environmental campaigns!
Working together, they helped clear litter from around the school site, showing fantastic teamwork and a real commitment to protecting our environment 💚
We’re so proud of their efforts in making a positive difference in our community!
✨ Year 13 Mentors Inspire Year 11 High Flyers! ✨
On Monday, Year 13 students Ollie, Alex, Harmony, Isobel, and Stanley shared their insights with our Year 11 High Flyer students. They offered valuable guidance on:
- Maximising performance in GCSEs
- Transitioning smoothly to sixth form
- Exploring super-curricular enrichment
- Developing strong study habits for A levels
We’re so proud of our Year 13 students for supporting the next generation to thrive! 💡📚
🏊♀️ Incredible achievement alert! 🏆
Scarlett in Year 8 recently took part in the Swimathon and delivered an outstanding performance, finishing 1st place across all age groups nationwide in the 500-metre race! 🌟
Out of 247 participants, Scarlett is proudly sitting at the very top of the leaderboard. What an amazing accomplishment! 👏
Well done, Scarlett!!
As we have come to the end of term, we would like to wish all our families a very happy and restful Easter break. We hope this time brings you the opportunity to relax, recharge, and enjoy special moments together.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Monday 13th April at 8:30am.
Have a wonderful holiday!
Welcome to this week’s digital parenting update, part of our series designed to help you support your child’s online world. Each week, we share advice from Internet Matters with practical tips and resources. This week’s resource is titled 'Parental Control - TikTok'. You can see a snippet of the resource pictured, please click on the image to view the whole document.
As your child develops digital independence, smartphones and social media can support connection but also bring risks to wellbeing, sleep, and self-esteem. Open conversations, clear expectations, and family agreements are powerful tools to create balance. Download templates here.
Key points for parents/carers:
- Mobile phones are banned at Teddington School.
- Smartphones can affect sleep, wellbeing, and expose children to bullying, harmful content, and peer pressure.
- Most social media platforms are not age-appropriate: WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok (all 13+). These limits help protect against unsuitable content and privacy risks.
At Teddington School, Year 7 and 12 students receive school-managed iPads to support learning. Devices include safety settings and educational apps, with clear guidance for use. Please see our iPad Parent Guide for more information.
We have also produced a Parent EdTech Guide, which provides a simple overview of the online platforms we use, with links and login support.
Thank you for your continued partnership in promoting safe and healthy digital habits.
Sparks! Book Awards 2026
A slightly different Reader’s Corner this week. This summer we are taking part in the Sparks! Book Awards - a literature award where the children decide the winners!
This year the four finalists up for the win are:
- I Dare You, by Tamsin Winter
- Nettle, by Bex Hogan
- The Uninvited, by Ross Mackenzie
- Thirst, by Darren Simpson
All of these great books are available in the library for you.
Got a burning question you’d like ask a published author?
As part of the awards process, Sparks! are hosting online author visits, where the authors answer questions submitted by students across the country. We have the opportunity to put forward a question to Bex Hogan, the author of Nettle and Tamsin Winter, author of I Dare You. Bex is a young adult and middle grade fantasy author, who draws on rich folklore and dark fantasy elements in her writing. Tamsin is an award winning writer, most recently winning the Peters Books Teen Book of the Year Award 2026, and is known for tackling serious themes with humour.
If your question is selected, you would get the chance to personally ask Bex or Tamsin your question during their live online author visit sessions on the 20th and 27th of April.
If you would like to take this chance to put forward a question to either of these great authors, please fill in the form below by Wednesday 15th April.
