RTS Parents' Newsletter

I hope that families had a relaxing and restful half-term break despite the weather.

We have returned for a very short Spring Term 2 - with much to achieve in this time. Year 10 and Year 11 will be sitting mock exams and I have seen their hard work and diligence in attending revision sessions. Year 9 have been meeting with members of the Senior Leadership Team to talk through their GCSE option choices and there have been some enlightening and enthusiastic conversations about next steps and aspirations for the future.

Meanwhile we begin to look to the future - with National Secondary School Offers day on Monday 02 March - and our next intake of students for September 2026. It is an exciting time when we start to build contact and relationships with new families; and also joyful when we recognise surnames and appreciate that we have a sibling joining us - with some families this could be our 3rd or even 4th member of the family!

Wishing you all a good weekend.

Ms Dooley | Head Teacher

On the last day of term, Friday 13 February, the Sports Department headed off to Hampton School for an Indoor Rowing Competition.

Well done to everyone who took part and congratulations to Sophie, Year 7, on winning a gold medal!

The week before halfterm, the PE Department took a squad of RTS swimmers to compete in the Richmond Schools Sports Partnership Swimming Gala at Lady Eleanor Holles School. Competing against schools from across the borough, our team delivered an outstanding performance and returned with an incredible 15 medals.

We celebrated three gold medals from Tokiwa in Year 7, who secured gold in backstroke and freestyle, and Max M. in Year 7, who claimed gold in freestyle. There were fantastic silver medal performances from Ibrahim in Year 8, Isla P. in Year 7, Jack K. in Year 8, Koko in Year 9 and our Year 7 girls relay team. Our bronze medallists included Nina R. in Year 7, William O. in Year 8, Harry G. in Year 7, Koko in Year 9, Lyndsay in Year 9, the Year 9 boys relay team and the Year 10 girls relay team.

We are incredibly proud of all our swimmers for their dedication, teamwork and determination in the pool!

This term, Year 7 students took part in our Kindness Drive, a celebration of the small but powerful actions that make our school a positive, welcoming community. Pupils earned kindness merits for helping others, showing empathy, including those who might feel left out and demonstrating respectful behaviour across the school. The initiative encouraged students to reflect on what it means to be a positive member of the community and highlighted how kindness supports confidence, wellbeing and readiness to learn during the important transition into secondary school.

We are delighted to announce 7 Shakespeare as the overall winners of the Kindness Drive. Their consistent commitment to supporting others and modelling respectful behaviour truly embodied the spirit of the competition. While individual achievements were recognised, the real success of the drive was the sense of community it created across Year 7 reinforcing our shared belief in excellence through endeavour and the power of kindness to make a lasting difference.

Year 11 students worked incredibly hard at Maths Core Camp this half term break, focusing on quadratic graphs, simultaneous equations, and vectors. We have been very impressed with their commitment and effort throughout.

Well done to all students who attended Core Camp, and a big thank you to all staff who supported and made the camp a success.

Please ensure you have completed the consent form as soon as possible (last sent on Tuesday 24 February). Please remind your child to wear a short sleeved top and eat breakfast before coming to school.

As Spring finally seems to be breaking through, please can you ensure that if your child requires hayfever medication that this is handed into Reception. We cannot treat hayfever symptoms unless you have provided us with appropriate medication for your child.

'Consider Yourself' formally invited to this years annual school production of Oliver! Running on Tuesday 24, Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 March.

Don't miss the chance to watch the hard work that has been put in by our students - your children! We are sure that you will know all of the songs and will be tapping along (leave the singing to the cast!).

Grab your tickets on ParentPay now. Sale ends Friday 20 March.

An update from the Garden Gang:

We are planning to start a small seed library for students and staff. As part of this project, we are hoping to have a small cupboard made (similar to the one shown in the attached pictures), ideally using wooden pallets or other recycled materials to help reduce costs.

Are there any parents who may be able to volunteer their skills to help build the cupboard or who may already have a suitable cupboard they would be happy to donate. If so, please contact the School Office.

Thank you very much for your support.

As part of InvestIN’s new online workshop series, Careers Unlocked, parents are invited to a special session on Tuesday 17th March designed to provide parents and guardians with advice about the options available to students after school and how students can start preparing now.

A Parent’s Guide to Life After School - 17th March | 6PM (UK time)

• The realities of today’s graduate job market trends and in-demand careers

• Options after school: University applications, apprenticeships and beyond

• How students can gain meaningful work experience outside of school

• Practical skills students can start building now

Explore the Careers Unlocked sessions here and register for the free workshop today!

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 £1,300.47

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 2: Monday 23 February 2026-Friday 27 March

• Summer Term 1: Monday 13 April (late start)-Friday 22 May

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

Event Details

The Mayor’s Silent Disco

Orleans Park School, Richmond Road, Twickenham TW1 3BA

Saturday 28 February 2026

Welcoming and Relaxed Afternoon Session – 4:30pm to 6:00pm

Designed for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

Tickets £10 – accompanying adults attend for free.

Evening Session – 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Open to everyone – come and dance the night away!

Tickets £20 – 25% discount for groups of four or more.

A chill‑out zone/quiet room will be available.

Free headset when booking in advance.

Booking

Tickets can be purchased via: www.richmond.gov.uk/mayors_charities

Box Office: 020 8891 7123

All proceeds go to the Mayor’s charities:

Crossroads Care – Supporting Carers

Small Steps – Helping Children with Disabilities

Richmond Baseball Club, a local community sports club, are launching a youth baseball camp running on Saturdays in March, as part of our youth programme this year. Our goal is to get young people active and introduce them to the sport in a fun, safe and inclusive environment guided by experienced, licensed coaches.

Sign up for Dramacube's production of Matilda JR and see your child shine on stage at Hampton Hill Theatre.

Whether they are new to musical theatre or have taken part in drama, dance or performing arts before - everyone is welcome and will be part of the final production.

Summer Term starts w/c 20th April in the following locations:
8–12 Year Olds – Hampton Hill, Teddington or Walton-on-Thames
13–18 Year Olds – Hampton Hill or Twickenham

Enrol in the cast or book a 2-week-taster at www.dramacube.co.uk

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

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.

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