T H E T I M E S ISSUE 93 19th JULY 2019 WWW.RPHS.ORG.UK @officialRPHS STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM HEAD BOY: AARON, HEAD GIRL: CHARLOTTE Deputy Head Boy: Balazs, Deputy Head Girls: Nell and Paige Senior Prefects: Anna-Marie and Daniel They have enjoyed a wide range of opportunities beyond Dear Families, the classroom and we will continue to enhance our extra-curricular offer in the coming academic year. We have also embedded our values of respect and resilience As another academic year draws at every opportunity and our students are learning the to a close, this final edition of the importance of these in their quest to secure the best results in all aspects of school life. newsletter showcases the vast number It has been a very rewarding year and I would like to of activities and events that our thank the incredible staff team at RPHS for the endless students have taken part in this term. enthusiasm they show in providing these opportunities for our students, the students themselves for being wonderful ambassadors for the school and families for your continued support and encouragement. RAYNES PARK HIGH SCHOOL TIMES | PAGE 1 HEADTEACHER’S LETTER (continued from front page) HEADTEACHER’S LETTER (continued) Following the end of the public examinations and our own Sixth Form, in addition to lower school students who are As we look forward to the year ahead, we will again be As always, there is so much to celebrate in this edition of our internal end of year exams, we have been even busier part of the Fulham Academy. We have also enjoyed our welcoming over 200 Year 7 students from over 60 feeder newsletter and all families should feel proud of all that has than usual these past couple of weeks with Enrichment continued relationship with Wimbledon Hockey Club; the schools in September; we are expecting the cohort to be even been achieved this year. Days, Year 10 and Year 12 students undertaking their new AstroTurf hockey pitch is now fully operational and larger than last year and we have enjoyed welcoming them and work experience placements, reward trips to Thorpe we look forward to the official launch next term. their families to the various transition events this term. Thank you for your support over the academic year; I have Park or Chessington World of Adventures, Academic also really appreciated your feedback on how we can improve Review Day and Sports Day to name but a few. At the There continues to be plenty in the news about the Finally, as I conclude my fourth year at RPHS, I would like to further and we will continue to build on the positives next time of writing, we are preparing for our end of term financial and recruitment challenges facing schools. pay tribute to the dedication of the teaching staff who have year. I hope that you all have a restful and enjoyable summer assembly and we are all looking forward to seeing which However, we have had a good field for all advertised posts worked tirelessly right up until the end of term. I would also holiday and I look forward to seeing you next academic year. of our four Houses will win the House Cup; well done and we are fully staffed for September, with substantive like to thank the support staff who work so hard with the to everyone who participated in a house event this year. teachers bringing a range of experience to our teaching day to day running of the school and the Governing Body for The whole school assembly is also the perfect time to body. Whilst our finances continue to be tight, we work their involvement and support. Without the support of such a celebrate achievement, progress and participation, and very hard to ensure our income always has a positive committed and enthusiastic team, RPHS would not continue our congratulations go to the numerous winners this year. impact on our students. As in previous years, I would like to thrive as it does. Mrs K Heard I would also like to personally commend the students to thank those families who have contributed financially Headteacher who were nominated for my award; I could not choose this year; this has made a huge difference to us and we between them and decided that all three nominees should are exceptionally grateful to you. win a Headteacher Award; very well done to Jamie, Aaron and Tyrese. We are continuing to work hard towards being accredited with two awards; the Well Being Award and the National We have continued to focus our energies on ensuring Careers Award, in addition to a three day inspection to teaching and learning is our key priority at the school. achieve the National Autistic Society Award and I will Teaching high quality lessons every day is the most update families on our progress next term. We will also EARTH SCIENCES important aspect of our work and the quality of teaching continue to work on improving communication as I know has been carefully monitored throughout the year. We that this continues to be a source of frustration at times; have welcomed colleagues from the Local Authority and your feedback is always most welcome and very much AT IMPERIAL COLLEGE other schools in addition to our Ofsted inspection team appreciated. that were here in January. We were delighted with the comments made by the Ofsted team who noted that As we say farewell to those staff that are either relocating Seven students from Year 9 attended an Earth teachers have ‘high expectations for pupils’ levels of around the country, travelling or moving on to promoted Sciences workshop with Imperial College London. attentiveness and the quality of their work’, ‘demonstrating posts and teaching opportunities elsewhere, my thanks go Working in groups with students from across the confident subject knowledge and enthusiasm for their to colleagues for all they have done for RPHS and we wish Borough, students were tasked with interpreting subjects’. them well in their future roles. We wish our Key Support seismic imaging and data, to predict where to drill Workers and Learning Support Assistants our best wishes for oil and fresh water. Phoebe was in the winning The GCSE subject content is now far more demanding as they start their PGCEs in September and my thanks team and ‘really enjoyed the practical elements’, and we have revisited our curriculum in the lower years go to Ms Slater and Ms Haque who were here on long with Ryan’s team a close runner up. The students to ensure we are preparing students fully for their chosen term supply this year. Good luck to Mr Muhammad, Mr also took part in workshops with researchers from courses; the review of the curriculum will continue Worrell, and Ms Holledge as they take up new posts. Our Imperial College that ranged from the geology of into next year. Our marking and feedback policy is now congratulations also go to Ms Mannan and Ms Peliza on Mars and predicting volcanic eruptions to the fully embedded and we have noticed a huge difference their promotions; we wish them well in their new roles. use of programming to monitor the impacts of in the quality of marking in addition to the improved Good luck to Mr Beck, Mr Pryce and Ms Vosper, who will climate change on river landscapes. The students presentation of work. We are also very pleased to have spend the year travelling, and we wish Ms Cesteros and had an excellent day and were able to apply their launched Show my Homework this half term and we Mr Barnes our best wishes as they prepare to take up knowledge from Science, Maths and Geography to will be providing further information for families at our posts abroad. We also send our best wishes to Mr Goffe understand and create innovative solutions to real- Information Evenings next term. who has relocated to Norfolk and will be welcoming baby world problems as well as learn more about life as Goffe any day now! I would also like to thank Mr Duus for a scientist or researcher. It has been another excellent year for partnerships and his many years of service (in addition to his years here as Ms M Bowes we are very proud of those that have continued to a student!) who has taken the decision to leave teaching Head of Biology thrive. Our students, and those from some of our feeder and train to be a celebrant; we wish him every success primaries, continue to benefit from our partnerships as he embarks on this exciting new venture. All of these with BECSLink and some students have received a Tim colleagues will be greatly missed; they have all inspired Henman Scholarship following the launch last academic and supported our students, some for many years, and we year. This has enabled students to pursue an interest wish them every success in the future. or attend an extra-curricular trip that they may not have been able to without this additional support. A number I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr of our Year 7 students will be officially recognised as Ross, our Chair of Governors, who will become Vice Chair Adidas Ambassadors following the launch of the Adidas next year. Mr Ross has been a wonderful advocate for the Academy and we look forward to their graduation in the school, providing an appropriate level of challenge and Autumn Term. We will also be entering into our third year support to myself and the Senior Leadership Team.