RTS Parents' Newsletter

Although for many January feels like the longest month ever (and we still have one week left to go) - I have to say that at RTS it has absolutely flown by! The school has been incredibly busy with events and activities taking place every week; alongside our usual curriculum and lessons.

Year 10 watched a performance of, "I love you Mum, I promise I won't die" and have also participated in the Jack Petchey 'Speak Out' challenge; Year 7 had a presentation by 'Mothers Against Muggings'; the GCSE Drama students have headed into the West End for theatre trips; there have been a large number of sporting fixtures; School Council have met; and, on the teaching side, we have had the pleasure of welcoming a number of PGCE students into our classrooms. It is a fantastic experience for them and a pleasure to play a small part in encouraging and nurturing the next generation of teachers.

It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces on Wednesday evening for the Year 11 parents' evening - thank you for coming out on what was a wet and wild evening! I hope that you found these meetings useful and that your conversations will help you and your child prepare for their GCSEs in just a couple of months time - as always they come around so quickly. I cannot believe that we are approaching our last few weeks together; and for some of you it was your last ever parents evening!

As always, wishing you all a restful weekend.

Ms Dooley | Head Teacher

We are delighted to share that Charlie L., Year 10, has been invited to an England U15 training camp at the end of January. In advance of this exciting opportunity his club, AFC Wimbledon, have arranged for him to train with the professional team on 'day release'.

We wish Charlie all the best in camp and are sure that, based on his own account of his day release so far, that he will do himself and his family proud. He is a true ambassador for the RTS values. Good luck Charlie!

Following on from their gig at the Ram Jam the other week (thanks to those who made it along to support them, the band really appreciated it), Idiocy are performing this Friday (23 January) at the Turks Head, St Margaret's. Idiocy's band members include Year 9 students Marcus (drummer) and Oliver P. (bassist/singer). If you are at a loose end Friday evening, why not head over for something different and to support our young musicians:

Friday 23 January 2026 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Location

The Winchester Room @ The Turks Head
28 Winchester Road, St Margaret's, TW1 1LF

https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/99236?embed

Last week Year 10 watched an incredibly powerful and moving performance of "I love you Mum, I promise I won't die".

The performance was by Tie it Up Theatre working with The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation and it is the true story of Daniel who tragically died from a drugs overdose on 20 January 2014 - poignantly the 12 year anniversary falling just a few days ago.

The performance was followed up by an informative workshop which focused on the risks associated with drugs, including peer pressure, decision-making, and the impact of choices on individuals and their families. Students were highly engaged and gained valuable knowledge to help them make safe and informed decisions.

Today, students in Year 7 took part in an informative talk delivered by Mothers Against Muggings, focusing on how to stay safe on the roads and when travelling in the local community. The session raised awareness of personal safety, making safe choices, and knowing what to do if they ever feel at risk.

Students were highly engaged throughout and also received a small safety gift to carry with them, which can be used if they are ever in trouble. The session was both practical and reassuring, providing students with useful strategies to help keep themselves safe.

Thank you for all of your generous donations for Christmas Jumper Day in support of Save the Children. We are delighted to share that together we raised a total of £799.

If anyone has been decluttering, or is planning to - we would be very grateful to receive any donations of board games (in good condition with all pieces!) for our enrichment sessions and lunch time clubs. Thank you in advance for thinking of us! Please drop your donations off at Reception (or ask your child to!).

RTS Careers Education Information Advice & Guidance (CEIAG) programme encompasses a range of activities and events throughout the year; some of which benefit greatly from the inclusion of adults outside of the teaching staff to provide the students with networking opportunities to build their confidence.

If you are able to help - please complete the relevant section in this Google form

• National Apprenticeship Week: 09-13 February 2026
• National Careers Week: 02-06 March 2026
• Y10 Work Experience: 27-30 April 2026
• Y10 Careers Conference: Thursday 26 June 2026
• Y7 Y8 Y9 Work Experience: 22-26 June 2026
• RTS Sixth Form Plus Work Experience: throughout the year

If you have any other suggestions for talks or mini workshops that you would be happy to run, we would be happy to meet you for a discussion. Please email Ms Carrick-Steele via info@rts.richmond.sch.uk.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to working with you in the future

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 £1,300.21

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:

• Spring Term 1: Monday 05 January 2026-Friday 13 February 2026

• Spring Term 2: Monday 23 February 2026 (INSET DAY, school closed to students)-Friday 27 March

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

Come and join a choral workshop based on Oaklahoma - Saturday 24 January 2026.

Book here

Did you know?

Up to one in four (25%) children leave primary school unable to swim the minimum 25 meters unaided, a figure that is often higher in disadvantaged areas. This creates a significant safety vulnerability because drowning is sadly one of the leading causes of accidental death in children in the UK. This failure means pupils do not meet the UK National Curriculum mandate (25m competently and confidently by Year 6) and miss out on a vital, lifelong safety skill and the associated health benefits. This tragic lack of basic swimming ability is entirely preventable.

TW2 Gym want to help combat this in the local community.

During the February half term we will be running intensive swimming courses which is open to non-members and members of the club.

Looking to join a local football club? Take a look at the flyers below for more detail!

Turtle Key Arts produces and devices original ground-breaking art to entertain and inspire. We believe that access to the arts helps to improve quality of life by bringing people together, offering creative opportunities, social interaction, confidence and self-esteem.

We have an upcoming Turtle Opera workshop project - the project will run at the V&A Museum, South Kensington from Tuesday 17th – Friday 20th February 2026, 11am – 3:30pm.

The four days of workshops will involve participants creating their own stories and music for an informal performance, with a professional composer and director. A specialist team from Turtle Key Arts and the V&A will support the group, to help enable fun and friendships.

Please find attached our flyer which we would appreciate if you could share or forward to any young people or families you think would be suitable and may be interested. Please ask anyone interested to sign-up via the application form on Turtle Key Arts' website where you can also find more information as well as a video about the project.

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.

Parents in Conflict for separated or divorced parents or carers, a 3 week course being held in Ham - afternoon (12.30pm-2.30pm) or evening group available (6pm-8pm). 2 groups are being offered on the same day so separated parents can attend different groups.

Professionals can refer a parent/carer or parents/carers can self refer by completing an online registration form, please see the link below:

https://forms.gle/WsBeMXDAZ2z8N8eUA

For more information and details please contact: karen.williams@achievingforchildren.org.uk

These groups are arranged by Achieving for Children - Providing children's services for Kingston and Richmond

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.

At Grays Lawn & Landscaping we pride ourselves on our adaptability and commitment to excellence in every aspect of our gardening service in South West London & Surrey. Explore what we have to offer and how we can contribute to your outdoor space.

If you would like to stay up to date with events as they happen, click the links to follow us on:

INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK LINKEDIN