Message from the Governors You will be aware of the serious illness affecting Mr Luck’s son. Sadly this is ongoing and his treatment continues. We wish him a speedy recovery. To assist Mr Luck and his family, the Governing Body has agreed to a period of compassionate leave for him and we will review matters at Half Term. In the meantime Mrs Jenner will continue as Acting Headteacher. We have every confidence in her ability to lead the school forward with the support of Essex County Council, the Senior Leadership Team and the entire staff. Our students have been made aware of the situation and we are grateful for their support. We also thank you for your support for the Headteacher and his family at this difficult time. Please do not hesitate to contact me if needs be. Paul Wershof Chair of Governors Let me start by wishing everyone in the Roding Valley Community a very Happy New Year. There has been a very purposeful start to the new term, with clear and high expectations; business as usual following the Christmas festivities. This first week back was exam week for our Year 13 students. 96% of our Year 13 students have applied for University, they are now in the process of receiving their offers. Many are receiving offers to study at Russell Group Universities and other high ranking Universities. Due to their hard work and commitment, many have gained offers of higher level apprenticeships and employment. I have just heard the excellent news that our Head Girl, Olivia Tinker, has been made an offer to read History at Cambridge. Other students are waiting to hear, we wish them all the best of luck with their exams and future success. Please note that the Pre Public Examinations (PPEs) for Year 11 students start on Monday 23rd January. Students should be preparing and revising for these exams at home. Please support the school by asking them about the revision skills they were taught on their Study Skills Day just before the holiday. Our Careers Fest is taking place on Thursday 26th January at Epping Forest College. This is part of our careers programme to ensure students are given a full range of post 16 information that includes Apprenticeships, Further Education Colleges and Universities. We have a huge variety of employers and exhibitors attending the event. For Year 9 it is an opportunity to look at future career pathways to help with option choices. For Years 10 - 13 they can investigate their next steps, there will even be apprenticeship providers there offering support to apply for jobs. Students can network and get contacts for future work experience. Please encourage all students to attend, this is always a really successful and well attended event organised by our careers advisor, Mrs Mason, in conjunction with other schools. It is Year 9 Parents’ Evening on Thursday 19th January. If you have a child in Year 9 then please ensure that they have made appointments to meet with their teachers to discuss their progress and potential for study at GCSE. This will be followed up with the Options Evening on the 9th February. This will provide you with an opportunity to hear from staff about the options process, pathways and rationale. We hope to address all of the possible questions you may have and will be available on the night, should you require additional information. Given this current cold and icy weather the school has reissued our Severe Weather Procedures to all parents this week. A further copy can be found later on in the bulletin. We will always endeavour to keep the school operational but in extreme circumstances will invoke this procedure which includes a late start and early finish. You would be notified early in the morning if this were to happen. Please can I ask parents who drop off and/ or collect their children from Brook Road to be mindful of the residents’ access and ensuring that the area around the school gates is kept clear at all times for the safety of the students. With kind regards Sharon Jenner Acting Headteacher
You can follow us at www.rodingvalley.net , on Facebook at the ‘Roding Valley High School Official’ page or on Twitter (@RodingValleyHS). You can also sign up to our free electronic media release service at rodingvalleymedia@gmail.com
Access to Water in School Parents, please be aware that the canteen has jugs of water available both during lunchtime and break time for all students to access. Bottled water is sold at all outlets Large bottle 50p Small bottle 25p If a student is overdrawn or has no money on their lunch account, they will always be sold water.
YEAR 11 PRE-PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS (PPEs) Please find below a copy of the forthcoming Year 11 PPE examination Timetable. All students will receive their individual timetables from their Form Tutor next week. Timetables will be printed on BRIGHT PINK paper and contain all information regarding examinations including conduct, expectations and equipment requirements. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Jenny Draper, Examinations Officer
Reminder that ALL Sixth Form Applications should be completed and handed into the Careers office by Monday 16th January.
Parents of Year 9 – Year 13 Final Details With only two weeks to go we are very excited for our forthcoming Careers Fest. We have even more exhibitors this year both new and old attending our consortium event on Thursday 26th January 2017 from 3.00-6.30pm at Epping Forest College. The careers fest is for parents and students in year 9 through to Year 13. The Careers Fest gives students in year 9 the opportunity to find out about future career pathways and to consider their option choices and subjects they wish to take in year 10. The information and advice available on the evening is very important for students in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 who are making decisions about careers and further education. It is an opportunity to talk to future sixth forms, colleges, universities and employers. Apprenticeship providers will also be present. This will be our seventh consortium careers fair held at Epping Forest College, every year it has been a very professional and successful event and this year there are already over 65 exhibitors attending including lots of new national and local employers as well as local sixth forms, colleges and universities. Further details will be coming home via students this week. Please make sure you attend it is such a great opportunity to network, get details for future careers and even organise possible work experience placements. I will be present throughout the event and I look forward to welcoming you there. Please sign in on entry to the college, collect a detailed information booklet of where all the stands will be and find out as much as you can.
Application Deadlines Roding Valley Sixth Form – Monday 16th January ALL APPLICATIONS TO OTHER SIXTH FORMS AND COLLEGES NEED TO BE SENT DIRECT TO THEM BY THEIR DEADLINE DATES. If you require any further information or advice please contact me. Kind regards Mrs Mason Careers Development Manager dmason@rodingvalley.net Twitter: Follow @RVHS_Careers to keep up to date with our department.
Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11
Highest Attendance
7R
Form with the highest Honours
7S
Student with the highest Honours
Teddy Corssman-Cox 7U
Highest Attendance
8W
Form with the highest Honours
8V
Student with the highest Honours
Terence Adams 8W
Highest Attendance
9U
Form with the highest Honours
9X
Student with the highest Honours
Olivia Bell 9X
Student of the week
Penelope Spence 9X nominated by Miss Kaur for continuous excellent work ethic and effort demonstrated in Maths.
Highest Attendance
10W
Form with the highest Honours
10W
Student with the highest Honours
Euan Lazell 10Q nominated by Miss Preston for his enormous efforts to improve his handwriting & develop his work.
Highest Attendance
11Hu
Form with the highest Honours
11S
Student with the highest Honours
Abbie Juniper 11S
Come up to Homework Club Monday after school to become a times tables expert. Time: 3.05pm - 3.40pm Place: Learning Zone ACHIEVEMENT CERTIFICATE GIVEN EVERY TIME!
KS4 Computer Science revision/ intervention sessions are running in IT4 on Thursday lunchtimes.
After school sessions mainly targeted at Year 11s (but any student from all key stages KS3, KS4 and KS5 are welcome) in order to help support students to close the gap in either coursework or homework/classwork. Friday after school 3:05 - 4:05pm
PE Twitter Account The PE department have activated a Twitter account where regular PE updates, extra-curricular news and curriculum information will be regularly published. Follow @RodingValleyPE to keep up to date with our department. Mr Hudgell The Humanities Faculty has a Twitter account designed to promote sites of interest, pre-reading, revision, humanities information, news and general humanities support. It is aimed at all KS3, KS4 and A-level Humanities Students and can be followed @humsrvhs
You can follow us at www.rodingvalley.net and on Facebook at the ‘Roding Valley High School Official’ page. Our Twitter (@RodingValleyHS) account is a great place to keep up to date with some of the latest news and activities in school. You can also sign up to our free electronic media release service at rodingvalleymedia@gmail.com
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CHANGES TO LOCAL BUS ROUTES Debden and Loughton in Essex are currently linked to North East London by TfL bus routes 20, 167, 397 and 549. Essex County Council provided funding towards the operation of routes 20 and 167, however this stopped in April 2016. During June and July 2016 we consulted on proposed changes to bus route 167 in response to this loss of funding. We have now analysed these responses. We received 743 responses from members of the public and 15 responses from stakeholders. We also received a petition opposing the proposals which was signed by 2,547 people. From 11 March 2017, we will introduce the following changes:
Route 167 will no longer run between Loughton station and Debden station
A new route 677 will be introduced providing a limited stop service between Ilford and schools in Debden using double deck buses. On school day mornings this will stop at all existing bus stops from Ilford to Buckhurst Hill station. After Buckhurst Hill station it will operate on an express basis, stopping only at Loughton station (for Roding Valley High School), Davenant Foundation School, Debden Park High School and Debden station. There will be one journey from Ilford to Debden on schoolday mornings and a return journey in the afternoon to Ilford making the same stops.
No changes are proposed to route 20, which will continue to serve the section of route between Loughton station and Debden station. Further information For further details of the above changes, a summary of the consultation responses, and our responses to issues raised, please go to https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/167/ Liaison with schools We do appreciate your concerns about the changes which were included in the consultation summary. We considered these in our response to issues raised report. We will liaise with the three main schools affected on the most appropriate timings for the new 677 service which works best for all. We will also liaise with them to provide advance notice and publicity of the changes. Yours sincerely
Darek Podwiazka, Senior Consultation Manager, Transport for London
ATTENDANCE MATTERS….. Student Absence If your child is unable to attend School for any reason then please report their absence by phoning the school number by 9.30am, you must also ring in each day of your child’s absence.
020 8508 1173 On their return to School please ensure your child brings with them a letter or medical evidence if requested explaining the reason for the absence for our records. Medical Appointments When possible please make sure you make any medical or dental appointments outside of school time. If this is not possible then please try to ensure that your child attends before and/or after their appointment Holidays in Term Time It is not school policy to authorise any holidays during term time except in exceptional circumstances. If you put in a holiday request a ‘Leave of Absence’ form must be completed (these are available at Student Reception). Please be aware if the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken, the case may be referred to the Education Welfare Service who may issue a Penalty Notice for £120 (or £60 if paid within 21 days) to each parent for each child taken out of school. For full details regarding attendance please see our Attendance Policy which can be found in the ‘Parents’ section on our website or contact Mrs Jeanette Low our Attendance Officer on the school number. Guidance for Common Ailments Please see, on the following page, guidance from the NHS of common childhood illnesses; this advises what type of illness requires time off from school and what does not. Should you require further guidance please contact the school.
Piano Lessons: To book piano lessons please contact rosswall@gmail.com Singing Lessons: Private singing lessons are now available. Please contact Alex Larke for more details and to book your slot. email: alex@thevocaltutor.com Drum Lessons: One to One, Two to One and Small Group lessons available. Learn with your friends! Contact: marksevel@hotmail.com Guitar Lessons: Lessons slots are available on Mondays with lessons priced at ÂŁ12 per half hour. Please contact Rachel Espeute on racheleds@hotmail.co.uk if you are interested.