RTS Parents' Newsletter

Although some students have already begun with their early GCSEs with MFL oral exams, drama and art practical exams and also one or two option choice written papers - Monday 11 May sees our first whole cohort written paper, English Literature. We are incredibly proud of our Year 11 students and how hard they have been working and revising and wish them all the best as they head into the next few weeks of examinations.

Elsewhere around school Year 9 have their end of KS3 assessments taking place whilst also looking ahead to Duke of Edinburgh.

Wishing you a lovely weekend.

Ms Dooley | Head Teacher

With your continued support, we can achieve even greater things for our children and their school. You really do make a difference and we certainly cannot do this without you.

Please fill in this short form and we will be in touch.

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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 £1,348.91

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Your FoRTS team,

Carmelle (Chair and Acting Secretary) and Pino (Treasurer)

General: forts@rts.richmond.sch.uk

Parking: fortsparking@rts.richmond.sch.uk

Representing the London Borough of Hounslow Swim Club, Max M., Year 7, raced amongst some top level competition at the Swim England London & SE Regional Championships over five days 25-26 April and 02-0May. Gaining PBs in order to progress in each heat and Final, he came away with x4 bronze medals in the 50 Fly and hat-trick in the Backstroke 50, 100 & 200m events 12 year old category which puts him in the top 10 nationally for these events. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience of competing at the London Aquatic Centre and looks forward to the next one!

A huge congratulations to Violet, Year 7, who ran the Mini London Marathon (under-14 girls) on Saturday 25th April. She ran an impressive 2.6km in 9 minutes! She came 13th for London and 46th for the UK, out of 230 girls!

Congratulations to Isla J., Snow, Lotta,Sofia, Hano and Mila who all took part in the National Theatre Connections performance last week at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith. They had the opportunity to take part via the Twickenham Youth Theatre, of which they are members.

According to TYT, the event was a huge success and the students represented RTS beautifully. The representative from the Lyric commented on how professional they were and how well they behaved in the theatre.

What an exciting and incredible opportunity for these young students and representing the RTS Values so well.

The team played really well against the top teams in the country. On Saturday they played against the London Stars in the Semi Finals and then on Sunday they played the Milton Keynes Breakers in the 3rd/4th place final; and were so close ending with a score of 78-75 to the Breakers. Ethan had an incredible experience and came home with a 4th place medal.

Congratulations to Ethan and all in his team.

Our Year 7 scientists have been learning all about ecology in class, including lifecycles and ecosystems. As part their learning they have been looking after caterpillars, watching them grow, and transform into butterflies!

This week we released them into the RTS Reading Garden where they will hopefully pollinate and help our beautiful garden to thrive.

The Richmond upon Thames School (RTS) is holding a series of Open Mornings this term. These are a fantastic opportunity to see the school in action - visiting lessons, meeting staff and students, and exploring the facilities.

• Open Mornings: Wednesdays 03, 10 and 16 June 2026, 11:30-12:30
• The Richmond upon Thames School, Twickenham, TW2 7SL

• Please follow this link to book your place: Book Tickets

• View the RTS prospectus

Reminder that RTS is closed to students on Monday 01 June (following the May Half-Term) due to a staff INSET Day. Students should return to school on Tuesday 02 June, normal school day timings - 08:35-16:00.

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 1: Monday 13 April (09:45 start)-Friday 22 May

• Summer Term 2: Monday 01 June (INSET Day - school closed to students)-Friday 10 July (finish at noon)

Please find the Parent Calendar Summary for 2025-2026. Please check this regularly as some dates and times may be adjusted throughout the year.

Dear fellow Richmond residents and friends

Oscars of London & Be Richmond proudly sponsor The Richmond May Fair, returning on Saturday 9 May 2026 from 10am-5pm on Richmond Green. Everyone is welcome – please come & join in the fun – check out the flyer below!

Old favourites like the vintage funfair and dog show return, along with over 200 stalls, the craft marquee and a variety of food and drink. Local bands, schools and various performance groups will provide free entertainment throughout the day on the Riverside Radio stage. With charities, artisans, businesses and schools all represented, the May Fair is a showcase for all that Richmond has to offer and plays an important role in helping local charities promote their work and raise much-needed funds.

Visit the May Fair website www.richmondmayfair.co.uk to see all the fun and follow us on Instagram and X @richmondmayfair. If you would love to help volunteer, please sign-up to a slot here www.richmondmayfair.co.uk/volunteer-sign-up and local dog owners can pre-register for the popular dog show at www.richmondmayfair.co.uk/dog-show

We look forward to seeing you at the Fair!

The Richmond May Fair Committee

Mental Health Awareness Week kicks off on May 11th, and local Twickenham resident Kim Stokes will be broadcasting a 24 hour live stream to raise money for mental health charity Mind.

Kim is the founder of business Kindness for Success and lives and breathes the idea that self-kindness can and should be the foundation of sustainable success. Because if you feel good, you bring your best. She's not alone in this. In fact, she is being joined by 28 different speakers to explore this idea over the 24 hours - experts in leadership, parenting, wellbeing and mental health.

Kim has put her heart and soul into this event and we are nearly ready to go. We just need to tell as many people about it as possible! We want people to benefit from what the speakers have to say, and of course, we want to raise money for Mind.

On Sunday 17th May, we will be hosting Strings, Woodwind and Brass Day 2026.

For more information, please visit our website here: https://www.richmondmusictrust.org.uk/site/ensembles-and-courses/courses/rmt-instrumental-days-2425/

Arts Richmond will coordinate the borough’s open studios festival, Art House, for 2026.

The festival gives visitors a chance to explore our artistic community and engage with artists, designers & makers from all corners of the borough.
Saturday 23rd, Sunday 24th & Monday 25th May
Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st May

You can download a brochure via: https://artsrichmond.org.uk/art-house-open-studios

Actual copies of the brochures can now be collected from all borough Libraries.
Our Affiliate, the Landmark Art Centre, has also kindly agreed to be a collection point for our brochures, so why not pop in this weekend, pick one up and experience Twickenham Art Circles Spring Exhibition! They are showcasing work from both amateur and professional artists; the exhibition features a diverse range of art and sculpture. Over 200 works of art, including paintings, sculpture and ceramics by local artists for sale. Artists’ greeting cards will also be available.

Admission is free.

Dust off your violin, find your flute, or warm up your brass! We are thrilled to invite you to our Family Orchestra Day at St Richard Reynolds School.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro, a rusty returner, or a keen beginner, there is a seat in the orchestra waiting for you. This morning is all about the joy of making music together in a relaxed, friendly environment.

The Details

• When: Saturday 13th June

• Time: 10:00 -11:30am

• Where: St Richard Reynolds School TW1 4LT - Auditorium

• What: We’ll be playing a selection of accessible classics—no prior practice or preparation is needed! Sheet music will be emailed to you after registration.

• Tickets: £8 suggested donation payment can be made here (Concessions/Children go free)

Who Can Join?

Everyone! We truly mean "all welcome."

• All Ages: From children to grandparents.

• All Abilities: From Grade 8 to "I just learned my first scale."

• Instruments: All strings, woodwind, and brass players are welcome!

• All Non SRRCC under 18s must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event

Please ensure you register using this google form by 15th May

We can’t wait to hear the sound of the community coming together. See you there!

Any questions regarding the day, please contact Katie Batchelor (k.batchelor@srrcc.org.uk)

We run different youth club sessions for a variety of groups, including for children and adults with disabilities.

Local bereavement charity, space2grieve is on hand, during both term time and school holidays, to provide free bereavement support for families living in the borough of Richmond.

When a significant person in a child’s life has died, parents and carers can feel overwhelmed and uncertain how best to support their children as often they are grieving themselves. In a Parenting Through Grief session, our experienced specialist bereavement supporters provide parents and carers with a space to talk it through, as well as key information and resources, so that they feel better equipped to help their grieving children. For children and young people, support is in the form of one-on-one sessions either in school or at our welcoming space at the ETNA Community Centre in Twickenham. The sessions are free, and available via self-referral.

For further information:

space2grieve.org.uk

0751 937 6363

Or email cypsupport@space2grieve.org.uk

It takes courage to ask for help. But for many young people who do, the support they need just isn’t there. Hundreds of thousands of young people are struggling with their mental health, but too many are being told to wait, struggling to cope and hitting a crisis point before they get help.

But things can get better. And Young Minds are leading the movement for change.

We provide young people with the tools to look after their mental health. We empower adults to be the best support they can be to the young people in their lives. And we give young people the space and confidence to get their voices heard and change the world we live in.

Together, we can create a world where no young person feels alone with their mental health.

The Helpline is a lifeline for parents, carers and children/young people who don’t know where to turn, or don’t feel listened to when their child is, or they are, struggling.

The timetable for the Summer Term 2026 is ready, and we are now taking bookings.

I have attached the full programme and individual flyers to this email, but this is what we have coming up this term:

These courses are only for families who live in the boroughs of either Richmond or Kingston.

Longer Courses:

• The Nurturing Programme (10 weeks): Starts Wednesday, 29 April at Heathfield Children’s Centre. A fantastic, supportive course focusing on emotional health, positive discipline, and bringing the calm back to family life. This course was previously known as Family Links, and is an extended version of The Parenting Puzzle.

• Parents in Conflict (3 weeks): Starts Tuesday, 2 June at Ham Children's Centre. Helps parents and co-parents develop strategies to manage and resolve disagreements constructively.

One-Off Workshops (2 Hours):

• Making Sense of Big Feelings: Brain science and practical strategies to de-escalate meltdowns and understand your children’s changing emotions. Running at The White House (11 May) and Barnes Children's Centre (15 May).

• Digital Parenting: Managing screen time, boundaries, and online safety. Running at The White House (6 July) and Ham Children's Centre (14 July).

Please note: We will also be running online evening versions of both these workshops later in the term, with exact dates to be confirmed shortly.

Coming Soon (Dates TBC):

We are also working on dates for Triple P, Triple P Stepping Stones, The Incredible Years, Playful Parenting, Teen Life (from the National Autistic Society), and Talking Teens (from The Centre for Emotional Health). Parents and carers can be put on the waiting list for any of these courses.

A few notes on booking:

• Spaces are limited: We allocate places on a strictly first-come, first-served basis. If a course fills up, I can put people on a reserve list in case of any cancellations.

• Childcare/Creche: Creche spaces, where provided, are extremely limited. People need to let me know when they book if they absolutely cannot attend without a childcare space.

What to do next?

If any family wants to book on to any of these courses, please email Tom Maybey, Richmond Parenting Lead: tom.maybey@achievingforchildren.org.uk. Include your name, email address, contact number, child’s name and age, and postcode that would be really helpful.

Our courses are neuro-inclusive, relaxed, and pressure-free, attendees are always welcome to move, doodle, or just listen.

If anyone is specifically looking for the EarlyBird or EarlyBird Plus courses (for families of autistic children), these are run by a separate team within Achieving for Children. You can find more info and families can refer themselves here: https://kr.afcinfo.org.uk/pages/local-offer/information-and-advice/parenting-courses/earlybird-and-earlybird-plus-national-autistic-society-programme

Please find details on MHST Workshops being held over the course of the next academic year:

• "Helping Children with"
• "Helping Teens with"

For advice and resources about mental health and wellbeing, please scan the QR code.

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