RTS Parents' Newsletter

What an extraordinary week!

Firstly - thank you for your support this week as we have navigated exceptional temperatures and made challenging decisions - often changing by the hour as external factors have changed. The students have been incredibly resilient and flexible with the changing week and timetables and we are proud of their consideration and care of each other and themselves in this heat.

Despite the challenges of the heat, we were able to celebrate our Year 11 with their graduation on Tuesday evening. It is always a special occasion, and this fifth one was no different.

Navigating around the condensed timetable during the week we also successfully ran our careers week - with dedicated days for Years 7, 8 and 9, then conferences and virtual work experience for Year 10.

We have another packed week to look forward to with Sports Day next week.

FoRTS are issuing a call out - Your School Needs You! Please do take the time to watch the video linked below to find out how important FoRTS is.

Wishing you a lovely weekend - with a slight dip in temperatures expected and a return to 'normal' June temperatures we will revert to usual summer uniform of ties and blazers, no jumpers; and bringing in PE/Games kit as timetabled.

Ms Dooley | Head Teacher

Last Saturday, 20 June, Viyaan had the fantastic honour of running out on to the hallowed pitch of the Allianz Stadium as a matchday mascot for the Gallagher Premiership Final. In an incredible atmosphere of near full capacity, the game between Northampton Saints and Exeter Chiefs was full of drama and closely fought - with Saints triumphing to win the title 26-17.

We could do a whole newsletter on just this! What a night for our Year 11 Graduation! It was certainly a hot one - thank you to our students and families for joining us for a truly wonderful celebration of these outstanding young people.

We were honoured to be joined by Laurie Dalrymple, CEO of Harlequin FC as our keynote speaker for the evening. With special guests Cllr Julia Cambridge, Councillor for East Sheen London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Chair of Education and Children's Services; alongside Chair of Trustees Jason Hughes, Co Vice-Chair Evan Demetriou and Trustee Gavin Hughes.

Year 11 Valedictorian, as voted unanimously for by staff, was Tom M. with his inspiring and moving speech, finishing off with 'The best days are still ahead of you and I wish every one of you success'.

Musical interludes were by two Year 11 ensembles: first up were Seth, Alfie and Caleb; followed by two further songs by Caleb, Leon, Jake and Deacon, with a rousing rendition of 'Hey Jude' to finish off the evening.

We will be talking about this evening for some years to come!

Please read full details here regarding the changes to free school meals from 01 September 2026.

The information includes link to the form that must be completed in order to continue to receive FSM, or to begin to receive FSM, from 01 September 2026.

Richmond Met Police have advised us to inform families that a Section 35 Dispersal has been authorised under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

The authority is in place from 1330hrs on 24/06/2026 until 0200hrs on 26/06/2026, and covers:

• Richmond Green
• Teddington Lock

This has been implemented due to ongoing anti-social behaviour, disorder, and risks to public safety in these areas. A resourcing plan is in place, with Richmond Safer Neighbourhood Team officers covering late turn periods.

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

Sign up here: Easyfundraising

Your FoRTS team,

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

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 01 June -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.

I'm writing from Richmond Canoe Club, Britain's biggest canoe club, just along the Thames.

We run junior paddle camps throughout the summer holidays, and I want to make sure your families know we’re on their doorstep.

Each week during the summer, we offer five full days on the Thames at Britain's biggest canoe club, coached by a World and European medallist. Kids will be off screens, out in the fresh air, and learning a sport for life.

All just £240 for the week (or £165 with proof of free school meals)

Additional information here:

https://www.richmondcanoeclub.com/learn/junior-paddle-camps

Lights. Camera. Action. In just 5 days… You’ll create your own film.

This summer, give your child the chance to step into the world of filmmaking - not

just watching films, but making one.

At our Dreamcatcher Film Camp, young creatives (ages 8/9–17/18) will write, act,

direct, and edit their very own short film - and take home a digital copy to share with

family and friends.

From gripping storylines to high-energy chase scenes, from heroes and villains to

powerful performances - every film is completely original, created by the students

themselves in age-appropriate groups.

What makes this special?

This isn’t a passive course. It’s hands-on, and deeply creative:

 �� Create a film from scratch in just 5 days

 �� Act, direct, and work behind the camera

 ✂️ Learn real editing and storytelling skills

 �� Be guided by experienced industry professionals

 �� Build confidence, teamwork, and creative thinking

By the end of the week, students don’t just leave with a film - they leave with the

skills and confidence to make more.

Camp Details:

�� Location: St Mary’s University, Twickenham

�� Dates: Weekly from Monday 7th July – end of August

⏰ Time: 9:00am – 2:00pm (Monday–Friday)

Limited places available each week.

Book now:

�� 07828 377939

�� contact@dreamcatcherfilmcamp.com

�� www.dreamcatcherfilmcamp.com

The Mental Health Support Team (MHST) have been offering a series of live, online webinars for parents called The Helping Teens with... series. In order to continue to make the webinars accessible and tailored to your interests as a parent, we would appreciate you sharing your views and giving feedback via this questionnaire. We would be very grateful if you could complete this by July 10th 2026.

The MHST is an early intervention and prevention service focusing on mild to moderate mental health difficulties such as anxiety, low mood and common behavioural difficulties. The Kingston and Richmond MHST is a schools-based multi-disciplinary team of psychological professionals including Clinical Leads, Creative Therapists, Mental Health Practitioners and Education Wellbeing Practitioners. We cover all schools in Kingston and Richmond.

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.

One-Off Workshops (2 Hours):

• 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

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