Headteacher's Bulletin

Mr Lisseman - Headteacher

Dear Parents & Carers,

What a lovely start to the term we have had. It really has been calm, purposeful and focused, and it has been lovely to see the school so quickly return to its usual rhythm. The sunshine and blue skies have certainly helped, but more importantly the atmosphere around the site has been positive and industrious. Our Year 11 students have completed their second week of mock examinations alongside an impressive range of practical assessments, including GCSE Food and Nutrition practicals, GCSE PE moderation and Drama mock exams. A significant amount of work has been undertaken, and early results from the first round of mocks are encouraging. These outcomes will provide clear direction and momentum as students move into the final seven and a half school weeks before GCSE examinations begin.

We are also looking forward to hosting the Richmond Rhythm Dance Competition this evening, welcoming primary schools from across the borough for what promises to be an excellent celebration of talent and community.

I am also extremely proud to share with you our latest Ofsted report from our December inspection. This inspection confirms just how far Twickenham School has come. This success belongs to our staff, who have worked relentlessly and with great professionalism, and to our pupils, who rise to the expectations set for them each day. It also belongs to you. Your support, trust and partnership have been central to this journey, and I am sincerely grateful for the confidence you place in the school.

Click here to read our Ofsted report

Finally, I would like to reassure families regarding the recent “red versus blue” social media trend. While this has generated some anxiety locally, it is a social media phenomenon rather than anything organised or coordinated between schools. Our students, along with all the students from local schools have behaved totally responsibly and sensibly throughout, with no incidents. This is social media hype and amplification not coming from within our own community.

Looking forward to seeing everyone next week.

Each Monday morning in tutor time, students and their form tutors review the weekly student bulletin. This is a round up of all the important information, notices and reminders that they need to know. The bulletin is also posted on the screens around school so they can refer back to it at any time.

Click here to read this week's Student Bulletin

It was wonderful that so many parents were able to volunteer to help with the rugby car parking on Saturday. All spaces were filled in the end and it really is a case of the more the merrier when it comes to the day. We were particularly pleased to have the help of 4 school pupils who came with their parents and assisted us so brilliantly - the customers were really impressed! The have all been given 5 praise points for their demonstration of the school's values.

Particular mention also to Mark (another year 8 parent) who won the prize draw this week.

Our next event is the 11th April (the last weekend of the Easter holidays) so please check if you are available to help

Sign up for Saturday 11 April

Ms Riordan - Head of Year 11

Year 11 achieved 94% attendance during the mock exams – a fantastic effort.

Thank you to parents for supporting students’ consistent attendance.

A reminder that every lesson matters: GCSE revision with specialist support continues right up to the exams. There are only 7.5 school weeks left until the exams begin.

Your commitment and responsibility set an excellent example for the whole school community.

We are also pleased to invite you to the Year 11 Parents' Evening at Twickenham School, a crucial opportunity to support your child’s preparation for their GCSEs. This evening will provide essential insights into their progress and performance during their mock exam and personalised guidance on how to help them succeed in their final GCSE exams.

• Date: Thursday, 26 March

• Time: 4:00 – 7:00pm

• Location: Twickenham School Auditorium

You will have the chance to meet with subject teachers to discuss current achievements, areas for improvement, and strategies to boost your child’s GCSE performance.

Please confirm that you have received this message and will attend the Parents Evening via the Activities/Trips section of Arbor - “Year 11 Parents Evening – 26 March”.

We are excited to be celebrating World Book Day at Twickenham School on Thursday 5th March with a House Competition!

Years 7 and 8 are invited to dress up as their favourite book character for the day. Please note:

Students must be in full recognisable costume (no jeans or jumpers or regular clothes).
Students not wishing to dress up should attend in full school uniform.
The three best-dressed students in each year group will receive 50 house points each.

In addition, we will be running a Book Donation Drive to support our school library. Students can earn house points by donating a book.

Donations can be dropped off in the library from Monday 2nd March to Friday 6th March.
All donated books must be age-appropriate for secondary school students and in good condition.

We are looking forward to a fantastic celebration of reading and creativity across the school community!

PC Clare Richmond - Project Adder

PC Clair Richmond works within the Metropolitan Police in a unit called Project Adder (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement, Recovery) and has been delivering talks around drugs and the associated harms.

She will be delivering a County Lines parental webinar. The webinar will be held on MS Teams on 4 March from 1:30-3pm. Participants can sign up on Eventbrite below.

Click here to reserve a place on the webinar

Mr Hayes - Head of PE

It has been a fantastic start to the new term, and it’s wonderful to see our students returning with such energy and focus. The PE department, in particular, has been a hive of activity as we dive straight back into our sporting calendar.

Sporting Highlights

Our students have truly hit the ground running this week, showing remarkable progress and sportsmanship across a variety of disciplines:

Rugby & Orienteering: Key Stage 3 have fully embraced their first week of Touch Rugby. A special mention goes to Year 9, who have been tackling Orienteering this week—it was great to hear students describing it as the "best lesson of the year!"
Boys’ Football: The Year 9 Boys delivered a commanding performance against RPA, securing a solid 3rd place finish in their league.

The Year 8 Boys showed incredible resilience in their 3-3 draw against Turing House. This represents a massive improvement from their 4-1 defeat in Year 7—a testament to their hard work and evolving teamwork.

Girls’ Sports: Well done to the Year 9/10 Girls’ Football team for a spirited first performance of the year against Turing House.

Congratulations to the Year 8 Netball team for their competitive display at the Borough Tournament hosted at LEH.

New & Continuing Clubs

Extra-curricular activities are a vital part of personal development, and we encourage every student to attend at least one club per week. Flag football is new to the timetable on a Monday after school.

Important Deadlines:

Gymnastics: We need at least 10 students signed up for this club to run. Please register by Monday 2 March for the club to start that week.
Badminton: To secure a spot for the start date of Friday 6 March, please complete the payment and sign-up via the link below by Tuesday 3 March.

Click here for Gymastics sign up form

Click here for Badminton sign up form

Support with Physical Activity

If your child is looking for more ways to stay active or if you need assistance finding a specific sports club outside of school hours, please reach out to Mr Hayes at info@twickenhamschool.org.uk. We are here to help every student find a passion that keeps them moving!

Upcoming Fixtures

Tuesday 3 March: Year 8 Boys Football vs Hampton High (Home)
Friday 6 March: Year 7 Girls Basketball Tournament at Waldegrave School. Students will be leaving school at 1:30pm.