RTS Parents' Newsletter

We have had the pleasure of welcoming 20 Spanish students this week on a cultural visit. They have been buddied up with Year 10 and Year 11 GCSE Spanish students and have accompanied them to their lessons, as well as experiencing assembly and general school life. They will also be with us as we enter the last week of this half-term.

This is a bumper edition of the newsletter today - and the last one for this half-term. We hope you are enjoying the bi-weekly drop in your inbox.

Wishing you all a restful weekend and a wonderful half-term break when it comes.

~Ms Dooley

Head Teacher

Year 9 students took part in the Loudmouth Theatre “Working for Marcus” workshops, exploring important issues around county lines, drugs, and peer pressure. The interactive play helped students understand how young people can be groomed or exploited, while the follow-up workshops allowed them to discuss real-life scenarios and ways to stay safe. The sessions were highly engaging and informative, encouraging students to think critically about making positive choices and seeking help when needed.

All year groups took part in assemblies held by Talk Consent focused on understanding consent at different levels, helping students make safe and respectful choices. Year 9 explored the importance of being active bystanders, while Year 8 focused on personal boundaries and consent in friendships. Years 10 and 11 learned about sexting, online behaviour, and digital consent, and Year 7 discussed healthy relationships and respect for others. Across the day, students gained a clear understanding of what consent means in different contexts and how to apply it responsibly both online and offline.

Another win for our Year 9 Netball Team - away at Turing House School, they played exceptionally well in a close game, just sneaking the win at 10-12! Well done girls!

What will it be...teaser and clues in the video - can you guess?!

Year 7 have settled brilliantly into life at RTS showing great energy, enthusiasm, and teamwork right from the start. It can be a daunting task starting at a brand new big school and they have all navigated it with grace and maturity. One of my highlights so far has been their renditions of the RTS Haka, where they demonstrate confidence, unity, and school spirit - they even knew it off my heart by their second assembly! Their trip with Thames Young Mariners was equally memorable, filled with fun, laughter, and new friendships forged. We have more to look forward to with some excellent trips in the pipeline and their first whole school achievement assembly coming up. We look forward to continuing to celebrate their excellent transition!

Ms Lang, Head of Y7

Year 8 have made an excellent start to the year, demonstrating enthusiasm, focus, and a real commitment to their learning. While Year 7 was about creating strong foundations - settling into secondary school routines, building positive relationships, and establishing high expectations - Year 8 is about building on that foundation and pushing themselves even further. Already, the year group has collected an impressive number of positive merits, showcasing their hard work and positive attitude. To celebrate their achievements and continue strengthening teamwork, Year 8 are looking forward to their exciting trip to Gripped before half term, which promises to be a memorable experience.

Ms Charles, Head of Y8

Year 9 have made a positive start to the term and it’s been fantastic to see so many students stepping up as RTS Ambassadors and supporting new Y7s around the school. We look forward to a term of Y9 students trying out new Enrichments, a team building event, the launch of The Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award and the opportunity for Y9s to take on student leadership roles. It was lovely to see so many of you at the Y9 Parent Information Evening and the Y9 team enjoyed talking to you at the Parent & Tutor Consultation Evening in October. Please support your child with our RTS standards by ensuring they have their lanyards, blazers and the correct RTS school bag each morning.

Ms Carrick-Steele, Assistant Headteacher and SLT link Y9

Year 10 have made a fantastic start to Key Stage 4 - a more focused timetable with options can be daunting, but every member of Year 10 has demonstrated such a positive attitude. I have been so impressed with their resilience and kindness over the beginning of the year, they are a true community.

Some key milestones have already been achieved - with the benchmarking assessments in English and Maths, they have experienced what it is to sit a full GCSE paper. To those that are sitting Statistics GCSE, this will be a reality in just 8 months time. I have also been impressed with the sporting endeavours of many students, as well as contributions to key events such as our Open Evening, which truly was made by the student and subject ambassadors.

Mr Reynolds, Assistant Headteacher and SLT link Y10

Year 11 are off to a strong start already this year. With a fantastic set of GCSE Statistics results and end of Year 10 mock results to back them, Year 11 are displaying an increased level of confidence in their lessons, getting really engrossed and fully engaged in their learning. A large number of our Year 11 students are already enthusiastically attending numerous lunchtime and after school revision sessions delivered by our dedicated staff - the numbers of which have really made me proud! I have every faith that Year 11 will be ready for their first set of mocks starting on Monday 20 October. We will celebrate all their hard work with a seasonal Year 11 Ice Skating trip in December - please keep your eyes peeled for details coming to you soon.

Ms Saxby, Head of Y11

Cassim Kaweesa from Kooth will be running a free 50-minute online workshop for students who are preparing for their mock exams.

• Date: Friday 24 October
• Time: 18:00–18:50pm
• Location: Online -

  Join Zoom Meeting

  ID: 87878477753
  Passcode: #&w3N9mi

During the session, they will be covering:

• How to manage stress and anxiety during exam season

• The importance of asking for help from tutors, head of year and staying connected

• Practical ways to use the October half-term effectively

• How to return to school motivated, focused, and ready for mocks

The workshop is completely free and held in the evening to make it as accessible as possible for students to join from home.

Save the Date for our RTS Sixth Form Plus Talk and Tour! Tuesday 18 November, 18:00-19:00 starting at RTS then moving across to Richmond upon Thames College. An invitation and form will be shared after half-term.

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 1: Wednesday 03 September-Friday 24 October

• Autumn Half-Term: Monday 27 October-Friday 07 November

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

It’s a fun, creative, hands-on activity designed for children and families to enjoy together, each child will have the chance to decorate their own shortbread biscuits to take home (and enjoy, of course!).

It’s a lovely local, low cost option for families looking for something to enjoy together during the holidays.

Event details:
Cavan Bakery, 91 High St, Whitton, TW2 7LD
Wednesday 29th October, 10am - 12 noon
No Booking Necessary - just pop in.

October Half-Term Kids Camp for children aged 7-13.

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

Teen Life for parents and carers of children aged 10-16 years with a diagnosis of ASD, is being held at the Moor Lane Centre in Chessington on Mondays from 4.30pm-7pm for 6 weeks term time only starting on Monday 6th October.

Triple P Teen for parents and carers of adolescents, 11+ with mild to moderate challenging behaviour, will be held on 2 consecutive Saturdays from 10am-2pm at the Star Centre in Surbiton on 8th and 15th November.

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.

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

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