Firstly, I would like to remind our Year 9 students and their families about the upcoming options deadline. It is crucial that all completed applications are submitted by 7th March 2025. This is a significant milestone in our students' academic journeys, and we encourage thoughtful consideration of these choices. Thank you to all those who joined us for Options Evening on Thursday 6th February - I hope that this evening was productive and that you were able to have informed conversations with staff about pathways and options choices. Over the past few weeks students have also experienced Taster Sessions to help give them an idea of the type of content they will cover at KS4, please remember to access all of the Options Process resources through our microsite which can be found here.
Our school has been bustling with activity recently. We have had the pleasure of hosting visiting Chinese students, providing an enriching cultural exchange experience for all involved. Additionally, our Year 11 geography students have been engaged in fieldwork, applying their classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios. The Sixth Form's visit to Bancroft's has also been a valuable experience for our older students and we have a number of university visits lined up over the coming weeks and months to help support our year 12 students.
I would also like to draw attention to the commencement of Year 13 PPEs. These examinations are an essential part of our students' preparation for their final assessments, and we wish them the very best in their efforts. Students have been staying late in the Brook Library to ensure that they are fully prepared and we are incredibly proud of their effort, dedication and professionalism in preparing for this set of exams.
On a celebratory note, I am delighted to announce that we have successfully recruited several excellent new teachers who will be joining us later this academic year and in September. This addition to our staff reinforces our commitment to providing high-quality education to all our students and we are very excited to have added a number of outstanding practitioners to our already brilliant teaching team.
There are several important notices I need to bring to your attention. Firstly, I urge all parents and carers to stay up-to-date with our school policies, which can be found on the school website. In particular, please familiarise yourselves with our Student Behaviour and Expectations Policy. This contains very important information around our expectations and has been updated in recent weeks. If you have any questions around this then please contact your child's Head of Year in the first instance.
I would also like to highlight the upcoming Careers Fest 2025, taking place on Thursday 6th March from 3.00pm to 6:30pm at New City College. This event presents an excellent opportunity for our students to explore various career paths and gain valuable insights into their future options.
Finally, our Year 7 Parents Evening is scheduled for Thursday 27th February. Miss Aston, Head of Year 7, will be sharing more details about how to schedule appointments with class teachers. This is an important opportunity to discuss your child's progress and we encourage all Year 7 parents to attend.
As always, we appreciate your continued support and engagement in your child's education. Together, we can ensure that every student at Roding Valley High School reaches their full potential.
Stars of the Week!
Year Group W/C 27th January 2025 W/C 3rd February 2025
Year 7 Salwa Inayat - for always displaying the correct attitude and behaviour in and out of lessons
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
Year 12
Year 13
Warm regards
Mr D Charlton
Leah Evans - for her outstanding achievements both academically and around school
Ruby Fitzsimon - for her contributions in the Motivational conference led by the YES Partnership
Ismail Ramadan - for his engagement in lessons, and always completing his work to a high standard every lesson
Nicolas Muresan - for his constant enthusiasm and positivity in everything he does
Casey Rose - for her confidence and stepping out of her comfort zone at the Motivational conference led by the YES Partnership
Alaya Malik – for representing Team GB in Boxing Nathanial Sanderson – for showing maturity and developing into a dedicated learner
Isabelle Davenport - for excellent presentation in the 6th form interviews
Samuel Caffal - for his invaluable help for the year 11 sixth form interview
Rosa Marshall - for securing an offer to read English at Cambridge
Roma Desai - for her quiet, calm approach to studies and winning a passport to the prom award
Xenia Tseka - for her invaluable help for the year 11 sixth form interview
Samuel Shakespearef - for securing an offer to read Maths at Cambridge
Messages from Our Heads of Year
Our team is proud to be your child’s Head of Year and very much looking forward to supporting your child and with such a great cohort of students, we are sure it will be a great half term. To ensure that you are aware of who your child’s Head of Year is and who to contact, please refer to their details below:
Year 7: Miss Aston
To contact Miss Aston, please email caston@rodingvalley.net
Year 8: Miss Burke
To contact Miss Burke, please email tburke@rodingvalley.net
Year 9: Miss Reed
To contact Miss Reed, please email hreed@rodingvalley.net
Year 10: Mr Ryan
To contact Mr Ryan, please email fryan@rodingvalley.net
Year 11: Ms Wills
To contact Ms Wills, please email rwills@rodingvalley.net
Year 7 News
Message from Miss Aston
As Year 7's are now comfortably into their second term at Roding, it is important that we are reminded of the expectations at school. It is crucial that we focus on wearing the correct uniform, being punctual, having the correct equipment, and having a positive attitude towards learning. I know so many of you do such a great job at following these expectations - well done!
As well as this, it is just as important that we remain vigilant and safe online. Please could I remind students of the assembly that I delivered last week aroundkeeping safe digitally, andbeing aware of what we put online.
Just a reminder that we have a superb Year 7 team of Form Tutors who are your first port of call if you have any questions or concerns.
I hope that you all have a wonderful and restful weekend.
In England, a Free School Meal (FSM) is a statutory benefit available to school aged children from families who receive other qualifying benefits and who have been through the relevant registration process. Recently, the process of applying for Free School Meals at Roding Valley High School has changed to an online application in order to improve speed and reduce the burden of paperwork for parents. For more information on the qualifying benefits and for more information, please visit our Free School Meals page on our school website It is important that parents register their children for free school meals if they are entitled as the school receives additional funding known as the Pupil Premium to support the children’s learning. The use of the pupil premium is personalised to meet the needs of the children who are entitled to support, such as 1-1 tuition, additional LSA support and intervention groups, access to school visits, Learning Mentor, speech and language assistants, Family Support and counselling. If you believe that your child is eligible for Free School Meals, please click here to use our Free School Meals Checker. Your Certificate of Eligibility will then need to be emailed to finance@rodingvalley.net
Year 8 News
Message from Miss Burke
As we approach the final weeks of term, I can confidently say how incredibly proud I am of the Year 8 cohort. Their positive attitude toward learning, exemplary behaviour around the school; from line-ups and assemblies to sports events, and their dedication to exams have been truly commendable. They have consistently demonstrated resilience, determination, and a strong sense of self-pride, making them a credit to our school community.
Making the right choices in everything we do is something we consistently remind students of, and it has been truly rewarding to see them putting this into practice. Whether in the classroom, during social interactions, or when representing the school, they have shown maturity and responsibility.
I hope they all enjoy a well-deserved rest during the upcoming half term break, recharge, and return ready for the challenges ahead. I want every student to know that I am in this with them, pushing them to reach their full potential and achieve what I know they are capable of. Together, we will continue striving for success!
LOST PROPERTY
To report any property lost, please email: lostproperty@rodingvalley.net
We ask if you could provide a detailed description of the item you have lost so that we can reunite you with your missing property.
Year 9 News
Message from Miss Reed
I trust that students have now received their option pathways. These were sent out on Friday 31st January. If any students have not received their pathway, please do let me know. Should you have any queries regarding option pathways, please ensure you book onto one of our options support clinics which are happening on Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th February. Bookings for this will be available on Edulink
On Thursday 6th February, we held our options evening which I hope you found useful and it gave parents and students an insight into the different subject areas on offer. A reminder that all relevant information is also on the Y9 Options Microsite. Please click on the following link: Year 9 Microsite
Motivation Conference
On Wednesday 5th February, I had the pleasure of taking 30 Year 9 students to a conference led by the Youth Employment Strategy. Students had the opportunity to take part in various workshops to build their confidence and motivation. They had the opportunity to look at the world of work and raise their career aspirations. I would like to commend the following students for their contributions: Joe Roche, Frankie Teale, Madison Betts, Enoch Adigun, Dawood Shaikh
Wishing you all a lovely weekend!
RVHS Pre Loved Uniform
Any parents/carers wishing to purchase some RVHS preloved uniform, please use this link to select & pay for any uniform you wish to purchase.
The process is quick and easy to use. You will be notified once your order is ready for your collection. All orders will be processed during term time only
Message from Mr Ryan Year 10 News
We are reaching the end of another half term and we are now technically half way through Year 10.
At this point I would expect the year group to really be thinking about their revision. I would recommend that you check to see if they have their PLCs as I mentioned in the
last bulletin and if they know what level they are currently working at. I also mentioned two of our revision techniques: cue cards and Buzan mind maps.
Today I would like to talk about 'Tell me five'
This is one of the simplest revision techniques we use. Children are given a topic and they are asked to remember five things to do with the particular topic or subject. This can also be done as a speed challenge. Where initially they are given 10 minutes and it gradually reduces in time.
I also want to mention a really exciting prospect. We have joined up with 'The Brilliant Club' again this year. This is an opportunity for selected students to study at degree level. Students are asked to attend a series of seminars on a topic designed by a PHD student from a Russell Group University. They are then asked to write an essay which is marked using university grades. After these are marked, the students then get to attend a graduation ceremony. Last year was at St Anne's College Oxford. Any students who are interested in taking part need to send me an email detailing why they think they are suitable to take part.
Finally, I would like to remind parents that applications for the Silver DofE have also been shared. This information was shared by Mr. Naidoo last week.
Wishing you all a restful weekend!
Year 11 News
Message from Ms Wills
We are now into the final set of PPEs and students have already completed their English Language and Literature papers. These will continue after half term and we have spoken to the year group about how we will be making these just like the final exams in May/June. Mr Cocker has given them a lot of information about how to revise, but also what to do to make the most out of these exams in order to inform preparations for the GCSE’s.
Please see the timetable for the February/March PPEs by clicking here.
A reminder that there is a lot of information and guidance available on the school microsite as well as this list of helpful revision resources by subject, which you can direct your child to here.
We have been really pleased to see that so many students are making the most of the extra intervention sessions at lunchtime and after school. A reminder that the same standards of engagement and behaviour apply as to normal lessons. The Year 11 Intervention timetable can be found here.
It was wonderful to see so many students attend the 6th form interviews this week and we hope that these proved helpful in planning your child’s next steps post 16.
The Passport to the Prom is in full swing and I have been pleased to give free Zambrero burritos and offsite lunches to the following:
A reminder that tickets for the prom and yearbook are on sale via ParentPay. We are excited to announce that Carmel Jane will be coming to the prom to take professional photos for you to purchase.
We will also be sending a link for leaver’s hoodies which will be available through Forest Casuals, ready for leaver’s day on the 19th June!
6th Form News
Message from Ms Wheaton & Mrs Curling
Tuesday 4th February – Year 12 trip to Bancroft - Competitive Futures Event
We were lucky enough to be invited to this event at Bancroft’s. We received a warm welcome to this extremely helpful day for our students. Mr Murray accompanied our student to this event and the students fed back to him that they found the day not only useful, but also a source of new ideas and inspiration.
‘The trip to Bancroft's was intense, but highly inspirational. Lots to listen to that we all took on, especially in terms of super-curriculars’ - Kaz
‘I enjoyed the Bancroft trip and thought it was an excellent opportunity to learn about both uni and apprenticeship routes from people who are very knowledgeable in those fields’ - Lukas
28th January – Sports Journalism/Author
Our alumnus, Jessica, returned to see us and gave an amazing presentation about her journey since leaving Roding Valley 12 years ago. Not only has she been a multimedia content editor, freelance rugby journalist, digital sports sub-editor, rugby commentator, presenter and broadcaster and an ITV rugby consultant, she is now an author too and gave us a copy of her new book: The Red Roses
‘I thoroughly enjoyed and was captivated yesterday as we were fortunate enough to learn about entry into 3 of the most competitive prestigious universities in the country and UBS Degree apprenticeships. Listening to the 4 experienced speakers present all these incredible opportunities was inspiring and provided us with valuable information / resources’ - Samuel
4th February – Attwaters Jameson Hill
Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors also visited us for an Employer talk this week. It was lovely to welcome back Katharina and Belinda. Katharina left Roding Valley in 2015 and told students about her journey to becoming a solicitor. She is now qualified and comes back every year to support students keen to embark on a law career. Another amazing presentation and such great advice! Thank you Katharina and Belinda we look forward to seeing you again soon at the Epping Forest Consortium Careers Fest 2025 on 6th March!
Sixth Form Applications for September 2025
We are pleased to report that this has been another bumper year for applications for our sixth form. We will have ~120 spaces in September and have received 385 applications for places. We encourage our year 11’s to continue their hard work and look forward to sharing decision letters with them in April.
Dates for your diary:
● Monday’s – Sixth Form Assembly in the Sports Hall
● Tuesday’s – Employer talks – sign up in advance!
● Friday P1 – Lower school mentoring (students who have completed safeguarding training)
● Monday 10th Feb – Friday 14th Feb – Year 13 PPE’s
● Thursday 3rd April – Year 12 whole year group trip – University of Southampton
This week is Children’s Mental Health Week, during P1 PD time students watched a presentation video from Mind West Essex regarding this. Please click on the following link to view the presentation - Mind West Essex - CMHW
You can find help and support for your child on the links below.
Partnership for Children - free wellbeing activities
Essex Child & Family Wellbeing Service
w/e 7th February 2025
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
Dear Parent/Carers
Boys
Ralph Poett
Enkel Osmanaj
Harrison Guerrier
Ethan Ates
Deyan Georgiev
Oliver Passmore
Oliver Wu
Harry Elliot
Brandon Bale
Micah Akplah
Girls
Noella Schroder
Helena Camley
Maya Jaunky
Leah Clark
Hetti Collischon
Phoebe Glen
Fearne Johnson
Betsy Kuyper
Chloe Jones
Marmalade Husted-Smith
Punctuality to school
If your child is late, you must ensure you call the school before 8.30am.
We understand there may be heavy traffic on the road from time to time, please allow enough time to navigate the traffic.
When a child is absent or late for school, this causes disruption to the rest of the class and causes your child to fall behind.
Many thanks - Attendance team
RVHS Foundation
Since launching the RVHS Foundation in September we have hosted some wonderful events recently and raised over £1500 for the school!
Before Christmas we held a silent disco for Year 7 and 8, which was a great success, although not so silent once their favourite songs were playing and they were all singing along!
Last Friday we held a bingo night, which was a full house! Our resident bingo caller Mr Ryan did a sterling job and many wonderful prizes were won from local businesses such as Zizzi, Morrisons, Benefit, Top Golf, Mayhem Paintball, The Loughton Bookshop, 8 Rocks and more.
All funds raised will go directly back to support the different departments and students in the school and we will update on how the money has been spent later in the year.
We are now looking ahead to our AGM on the 4th March at 6.00pm. We are a wonderful team of staff and parents who are keen to organise more events. If you would like to join then please email pta@rodingvalley.net or attend our meeting to find out more.
Finally, we are pleased to announce the return of the highly successful Wine Tasting evening at 8 Rocks on Friday 21st March. Spaces are limited so please book early to secure your place. Please see the flyer on the next page which includes a QR code to purchase tickets alternatively you can click here.
Congratulations to the following students for their fantastic work in Literacy and during Drop Everything and Write (DEAW)
Azaan Ghaury – 9Be
Kathrin Zashchirinskaya – 9Li
Leah Mulder – 7Ar
Student Absence
If your child is unable to attend School for any reason, please report their absence by phoning the school number by 8.30am at the latest, you must also ring in each day of your child’s absence.
0208-508-1173
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
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
The school does not authorise any holidays during term time except if the Headteacher deems it an exceptional circumstances. A ‘Leave of Absence’ form must be completed (these are available at Student Reception) detailing your exceptional circumstances.
Please be aware if the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken, the case will be referred to the Local Authority who may issue a Penalty Notice for £160 (or £80 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 here.
Who to contact
Should you have any concerns about your child’s attendance or punctuality please contact your child’s Head of Year or our Attendance Officer Ms A Parsley (aparsley@rodingvalley.net)
Explore together: Ask your child to show you their favourite websites and apps and what they do on them. Listen, show interest and encourage them to teach you the basics of the site or app. 1
Chat about online safety little and often: Young people are likely to want to explore new apps and websites this month, whether that is for learning or for fun. Take this opportunity to talk to them about how to stay safe on these new services, and in general. Ask if anything ever worries them while they are online. Make sure they know that if they ever feel worried, they can get help by talking to you or another adult they trust.
Help your child identify trusted adults who can help them if they are worried: This includes you and other adults at home, as well as adults from wider family, school or other support services who they are able to contact at this time. Encourage them to draw a picture or write a list of their trusted adults.
Be non-judgemental: Explain that you would never blame them for anything that might happen online, and you will always give them calm, loving support.
Talk about how their online actions can affect others: If your child is engaging with others online, remind them to consider how someone else might feel before they post or share something. If they are considering sharing a photo/video of somebody else, they should always ask permission first.
Parental controls: Make use of the parental controls available on your home broadband and any internet enabled device in your home. You can find out more about how to use parental controls by visiting your broadband provider’s website.
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Direct your child to age appropriate information about relationships and sex: It’s natural for young people to start exploring their sexual feelings online and adolescents are more inclined to take risks. It’s important to understand this and to talk to your child in a positive way. Thinkuknow, Brook, The Mix and Childline all provide age appropriate information about relationships and sex that you can signpost your child to.
Make sure they know about CEOP: Young people can report a concern about grooming or sexual abuse to CEOP at www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/ and get support from a specialist Child Protection Advisor.
Support your child with Thinkuknow websites
The age appropriate Thinkuknow websites are a great way to start and continue chats about online safety.
Our websites provide open and honest guidance for young people on friends, relationships and the internet, covering topics like dealing with pressure; consent; and getting support when you are worried.
You will find lots more advice on keeping your child safe online at www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents.
If you are worried that a child or young person is at risk of harm online, you should call the police. Young people can make a report to CEOP at https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
Other Recommended Resources
Parent Info: Expert information for parents about building their child’s resilience both online and off. Produced by NCA-CEOP and Parent Zone. This free service can be embedded on to your child’s school website. www.parentinfo.org
Brook: Information and advice for young people on sexual health and wellbeing, including staying safe online. https://www.brook.org.uk
The Mix: Support service for young people with information and advice on sex and relationships. https://www.themix.org.uk
Internet Matters: A useful tool showing how to set parental controls across a range of devices and websites. http://www.internetmatters.org/parentalcontrols/interactive-guide/
NSPCC Net Aware: Provides reviews and guidance on the most popular social networks, apps and games that children use. https://www.net-aware.org.uk/
Childnet – Information and advice for parents and carers on supporting people online. https://www.childnet.com/reso urces/supporting-youngpeople-online
How Can I Access Edulink?
EduLink can be accessed on any device – PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device – via the web browser or via the EduLink app. The link to access the EduLink login page on a web browser is www.edulinkone.com
Alternatively, you can download the EduLink App which is available to download for free on Apple or on Android.
Both the App and the web browser will display this log-in screen.
The School ID is ‘Roding’.
Parents/Carers will need to enter the Username and Password they have been provided with and click ‘Log in’.
The displayed is dependant of the platform you are logged in to:
• Via Web Browser
• Via the EduLink App
Navigating Edulink
You are able to navigate each of the following areas in EduLink:
• Achievement: You van view all positive achievements that have been awarded to your child
• Account Information: In this section you can view the current address we have for your child on file, your child’s Year group and the name of their Form tutor
• Timetable: In this section you can view your child’s daily timetable
• Absence Reporting: This feature will allow you to send a direct message to our Attendance Officer, to notify us of any absence for your child
• Linked Resources: This section contains links to all the schools learning resources available to your child both at school and at home
• Update Information: This section shows all of the contact information we hold for yourself and your child. You can review and update this information with any changes that may occur
• Exams: You can see all of your child upcoming exams; your child can also access this information so they can manage their own exam schedule
• Documents: In this section you can view your child’s reports
Parents can access information on all their children currently admitted to Roding Valley High School. If you require any assistance, please contact Mr Vermaak or Miss Stewart (mvermaak@rodingvalley.net or lstewart@rodingvalley.net )
How to Log on to Google Classroom?
Classroom
Students can log into their Gmail using their school email address and their password. Their school email will be the year they started at RVHS started plus their first initial and surname @rodingvalley.net (example- 19plarkin@rodingvalley.net).
Once your child has have logged in, they will need to click on the google apps button and then select ‘Google Classroom’
Your child will then be able to see all of the classes they belong to. They will then need to click on the class they want to use resources for and take a look at everything that their class teacher has posted for them to work on. They will be able to download items and make comments on them. Teachers will be regularly posting new work on their Google Classrooms.
What to Do if your child is a Missing a Subject their Google Classroom?
If your child is missing a Google Classroom for one of their subjects, they will need to click on the addition symbol, followed by ‘Join Class’ and then enter the Class Code for their missing subject. Class Codes are available from their subject teacher.
Top Tips for Our Students
Students must keep up to date with their lessons by using Google Classroom every day
Use their workbooks to complete the work shown on their Google Classroom.
Don’t slack on presentation! Keep their notes in order of the lessons on the Google Classroom.
Year 11 and 13 Students: There will be revision materials available on Google Classroom. Please use them.
Heads of Year
Year 7: Miss Aston – caston@rodingvalley.net
Year 8: Miss Burke – tburke@rodingvalley.net
Year 9: Miss Reed – hreed@rodingvalley.net
Year 10: Mr Ryan – fryan@rodingvalley.net
Year 11: Ms Wills – rwills@rodingvalley.net
Sixth Form: Ms Wheaton & Ms Curling – lcurling@rodingvalley.net / awheaton@rodingvalley.net
