RTS Parents' Newsletter

This week our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) focus has been Disability History Month; and students have been learning about pioneers with links to the RTS Houses - Anderson, Berners Lee, Lovelace, Madiba, Shakespeare and Stoop. With posters around school and the screens running information to support assemblies, there have been many opportunities to stop, read, think and start conversations.

Elsewhere around school, Year 11 have sat their second round of mock GCSEs and I am impressed by their hard work and dedication in their revision; and also their mature attitude heading into the exam (sports) hall.

As we move into December next week and the last three weeks of term, there is still much to do before we finish - including putting up the Christmas trees (more on that below)!

Have a lovely weekend.

Ms Dooley | Head Teacher

On a beautiful crisp November day last week, a group of students across Years 7-11 took part in the Richmond Borough Cross Country School Championships, running in beautiful Bushy Park. Violet, Year 7, came an impressive 4th in her group and is through to the Middlesex Championships. Well done to all of the students who took part and demonstrated The RTS Way - 'I believe in the power of effort'.

At the end of October, Tokiwa, Year 7, travelled to South Korea to represent the UK in the 16th World Taekkyeon competition.

Taekkyeon is one of Korea’s oldest traditional martial arts and is recognised by UNESCO as a form of Important Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is described by UNESCO as a “traditional Korean martial art that makes use of fluid, rhythmic dance-like movements to strike or trip up an opponent.”

Tokiwa has been learning and practising the art since she was four years old and was proud to represent her club in this competition. She performed incredibly well and won two gold medals - taking first place in both take down and kick/takedown categories. Her two final fights were very tough but she used her skills to beat South Korea to take first place in both categories.

What an amazing achievement and a truly fantastic opportunity for Tokiwa to have experienced. Her club has already been invited to take part in Taekkyeon competitions in Poland and Moldova and has also been invited to take part at next year’s World Championship.

Congratulations to the Year 9 netball team on winning against Orleans Park School on Thursday! It was a close game, and on OP's home turf, but RTS edged the win at 5-8. Well done to Adrianna, Aria, Diya, Elise, Erica, Jessica, Kelsey, Milhane, Morgan; and Phoebe.

Our Year 11 GCSE Citizenship students have shown exceptional compassion and leadership this term by organising a donation drive to support people experiencing homelessness. As part of their GCSE Citizenship Action Project, Lusinda, Savannah and Izzy organised the collection of essential items such as non-perishable food from across the school community.

Their hard work, teamwork and commitment to making a positive difference have been inspiring. The donations will now be delivered to a local homeless charity, where they will directly support individuals in need this winter.

We are incredibly proud of their initiative, empathy and dedication to active citizenship.

Last week a group of Year 9 students had a wonderful opportunity to attend the Richmond Secondary Schools Mental Health Conference at St Richard Reynolds. Alongside groups of students from many other secondary schools in the borough, the students were able to take part in a range of activities to give them a greater understanding of mental health.

We look forward to enaging in more events next year and introducing some of the students' learnings into school life.

As part of our ongoing effort to improve communication and keep you fully updated with school fixtures, we will now be using SOCS as our central platform for all sports information.

To ensure you receive the latest fixture details, team sheets, timings, and any last-minute changes, we kindly ask that you create a SOCS parent account. This will allow you to access all relevant information easily and in real time.

How to get started:

1. Visit the SOCS website [available via the school website - under RTS Sports]

2. Select Parent Login and follow the instructions to create your account.

3. Once set up, you will be able to view fixtures, results, team sheets, and live updates.

If you experience any difficulties setting up your account, please do not hesitate to contact the PE Department or email directly at hrazey@rts.richmond.sch.uk.

Thank you for your cooperation and for supporting our school sport programme.

I cannot believe I am writing this - it is nearly time for the RTS Christmas Trees to go up! For all those Year 7 parents and those new to the school, way back in our first year in this building (2018), we started a tradition of inviting Year 7 (and in-year admission) students to bring in and donate a Christmas Tree bauble to adorn our tree that we put in the Assembly Hall. The collection has grown year on year and it is a great way to remember and celebrate our RTS family. This year, we are asking all year groups to join in! The baubles can be handmade, decorated, personalised, shop bought, any colour, any size, any shape, or they can represent school - be as creative as you like and (gently) drop off your baubles as soon as possible so they can be added to the tree! I've shared some inspiration from previous years for you.

We will be holding our Christmas Lunch on Wednesday 17 December - details on how to book and pay are now on ParentPay.

Wednesday 17 December will also be Christmas Jumper Day in support of Save the Children. Students are invited to wear a Christmas/Festive style jumper in place of their RTS jumper on this day and alongside their usual full school uniform. Donations can either be via ParentPay or direct via the RTS JustGiving page.

Save the Date!

The annual RTS Christmas Showcase will take place on Thursday 18 December, 18:00-19:30. FoRTS will be in attendance with a selection of refreshments and the students have auditioned and have begun rehearsing! Come and join us as we celebrate the festive season and the end of term (nearly!).

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.

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FoRTS Volunteering

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:

• Autumn Term 2: Monday 10 November-Friday 19 December (12 noon finish)

• Spring Term 1: Monday 05 January 2026 (late start, 09:45)-Friday 13 February 2026

• Spring Term 2: INSET Day - Monday 23 February 2026

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

Princess Alice Hospice is delighted to be hosting two Santa Fun Run events this year — one at Bushy Park on Sunday 30th November and another at Sandown Racecourse on Sunday 14th December.

Our local community’s support makes all the difference — helping us ensure these events are well attended and enabling us to raise the vital funds needed to care for our patients and support their families and friends through the challenges of life-limiting illness.

The Mental Elf Festive Fun Run isn’t just about getting into the Christmas spirit – it’s about helping Richmond Mind raise awareness and support for mental health during what can be a challenging time for many.

Attached is a flyer with all the key details (date, time, venue), and the image includes a clickable link for more info and ticket sales.

All participants will receive a sustainable wooden medal and a National Trust day pass.

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

Dakoda’s – a dance and performing arts academy devoted to nurturing confidence, creativity, and joy through dance.

We’re delighted to now be holding dance classes at Radnor House School, Pope’s Villa, Twickenham (TW1 4QG), and would love to share this news with local families.

Our Saturday morning programme begins with Parent & Baby Ballet at 10:30am, followed by Acro and Street Danceclasses for older children. Many of our dancers start in our early years sessions and continue to grow with us as their confidence and love for dance flourish.

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.

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.

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