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Message from the Headteacher
Dear Roding Valley High School Community
As we begin another important half-term for our community, I am pleased to share with you information about a number of significant events taking place at Roding Valley High School.
Our commitment to providing students with real-world insights continues as we welcome Media 10 this week and Investment 2020 next week for employer talks. These sessions offer invaluable perspectives on potential career paths and industry expectations.
In celebration of International Women's Day, our Sixth Form students are taking the lead in running assemblies next week. This student-led initiative showcases the leadership and public speaking skills of seven to eight of our Sixth Formers, demonstrating their commitment to important social issues.
The Sixth Form team has been diligently conducting interviews for prospective students. All internal applicants have now been interviewed, and we are moving on to external candidates next week, with over 200 students invited to participate in this process.
Our students continue to engage in enriching educational experiences beyond the classroom. This week, Sixth Form politics students visited the Supreme Court, while next week will see Year 9 and Year 13 students embarking on a poignant trip to the First World War battlefields in Belgium.
I am also proud to announce that a team of Year 12 students will be competing in the European Youth Parliament debate at Churchill College, Cambridge, on 4th March. This regional round presents an opportunity for our students to showcase their debating skills on an international platform.
Looking ahead, our annual Careers Fest is scheduled for Thursday, 6th March. This event will feature new and notable employers, offering students a chance to explore various career options and win exciting prizes. Please do attend this wonderful event if you possibly can- more information can be found here
As we celebrate World Book Day, I encourage all students to embrace the joy of reading and the power of literature. World Book Day is more than just a date in the calendar it is an opportunity to inspire a love for reading amongst our students, helping to shape their academic success and future opportunities.
At Roding Valley we are committed to fostering a culture where reading is valued and celebrated. World Book Day provides us with a platform to reinforce these values. Last year our staff led by example, dressing up in a variety of fantastic costumes!
I would like to bring your attention to several important dates over the next 6 weeks:
• Wednesday, 12th March: Early closure for students at 12:20pm due to extended staff training until 5:15pm.
• Friday 21st March 7:00pm: RVHS Foundation Wine Tasting Evening - please click on this link for further information and to buy a ticket!
• Thursday 26th March: Year 12 Parents' Evening from 3:30pm to 7:00pm. (The Sixth Form team will provide further details in a letter to year 12 parents and carers)
• Friday 4th April: Last day of term, with students finishing at 12:20pm.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge our Year 11 students who have begun their Pre-Public Examinations (PPEs) this week. These assessments will continue for two weeks and are crucial in preparing for the upcoming GCSEs.
Stars of the Week!
Year Group W/C 10th February 2025 W/C 24th February 2025
Year 7 Blake Morrison - for displaying the correct attitude in lessons and around the school every day.
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
Nicolas Muresan - consistently a positive role model, always giving 100% to everything he does.
Sophie Jones - for currently having the most house points accumulated over the year. Sophie has won a free school meal paid for by a member of the senior leadership team!
Amy Beard - for pursuing her goals and for having the drive to succeed. For always having such a positive outlook on life.
Sam Mehr - an outstanding Year 11 with over 200 achievement points and no behaviour points. Consistently working hard, on time and always doing the right thing.
Year 12 Xenia Tseka - for supporting an elderly couple in our local community to make it to their destination safely, and the wonderful email of thanks we received from a member of the public.
Year 13
Ruby Simmon - for securing a degree apprenticeship at Ernst & Young.
Taylor Jordan - for being such a positive role model and always displaying the correct behaviour.
Alexia Cooke - consistently pushes herself to reach her full potential, giving 100% in every lesson.
Lacey Chapman - for her positive attitude towards her studies in all subject areas. Well done!
Noah Walters - for being so successful in his football career. I wish him all the best at Leyton Orient.
Ava Conlay - always quietly doing the right thing. Over 200 achievement points and no behaviour points. A student who displays an exemplary attitude to learning.
Evie James - for securing an additional work experience placement in the holidays with the Sutton Trust.
Imaan Sattar - for securing an offer to study Medicine at University.
As always, I am grateful for your continued support and engagement in our school community
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
Welcome back to all of the Year 7 Cohort! I hope that you all had a fantastic and enjoyable half term break. It has been great to see all of the Year 7's in their first week back, along with the exceptional learning that has taken place.
You should have now received the Year 7 Reports that were sent out prior to Half Term. This is a great way to see how much progress the Year 7's have made since the previous reports that were sent out.
It was great to see so many of you at the Year 7 Parents Evening on Thursday 27th February. If you were unable to make it to Parents Evening, or were unable to get an appointment, please let me know, and I will pass this message on to the subject teachers.
Finally, a huge well done to the Year 7's below who competed at the Indoor Athletics Competition prior to Half Term - you all did so well!
Amelia Sanderson
Jessica Beard
Eden Murphy
Jessica Dawkes
Lily Bennett
Evie Devereux
Gwen Collischon
Nancy Keen
Stevie A’Price
Peter Marinov
Mason Sayer
Raffy Kemp
Ted Bishop
James Menaha
Henry Smith
Blake Edwards
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
I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable half-term break and is feeling refreshed and ready to dive into the next exciting half of the term. I want to take a moment to express just how incredibly proud I am of each and every Year 8 student for their outstanding efforts last term.
From their dedication and hard work during exams to their remarkable participation in sporting activities and their consistently positive behaviour around school, our students truly demonstrated what it means to be a committed and responsible member of our school community. Their resilience and enthusiasm have not gone unnoticed.
As we begin this next half-term, I am excited for the opportunities and challenges ahead and look forward to another term filled with positivity, growth, and success. Let’s continue working together to make this a memorable and productive time for everyone. Here's to another great half-term, Year 8!
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 hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable half term break.
The options process is now in full swing and I trust parents and students have received all relevant information regarding this. A reminder that the Year 9 microsite contains all subject information which can be found on the school website here.
A reminder that the deadline for options to be made is Friday 7th March. This is done via our online platform Applica. Students have received an email to their school email address with how to log in to this. This is a very important time for Year 9 as well as exciting and we want to ensure all students have the best possible opportunities for their futures.
If there are any issues concerning the options process, please do speak to myself or Mr Vermaak.
CAREERS FEST - A reminder that the Careers Fest is on Thursday 6th March from 3.00pm - 6.30pm which is held at New City College.
Lastly, I want to congratulate Sophie Jones who in our House Assembly this week was recognised for achieving the most House Points so far this year. Sophie has won a free school meal paid for by a member of the leadership team!
I hope everyone has 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
Welcome back after what I hope was a lovely half term and that everyone is fully rested and ready for the second half of the year.
This marks the turning point in the year where students will start to see the end goal. With the end on the not too far horizon, I would like to draw your attention to next week's Careers Fest. I have been telling the students about it this week and will keep reminding students every day until the event. It really is an incredible event, held at New City College and has different stalls ranging from the army to finance.
/ sdeleprevier@rodingvalley.net
Huxford/Mrs Bates mhuxford@rodingvalley.net cbates@rodingvalley.net
Mrs Pearson-Reid spearsonreid@rodingvalley.net
Mr John bjohn@rodingvalley.net
Year 11 News
Message from Ms Wills
The final PPEs are upon us and we are already halfway through. I have to once again congratulate the year group on how well they have behaved during the process. They arrive on time, in the correct uniform and well prepared for these exams.
Please see the timetable here.
Next week students will be back in normal lessons from Tuesday and just come out for their options exams. We are confident that this good preparation will ensure that the students are well set up for the real GCSE exams in the summer. We will also be holding a mock results day on the final day of term, which will give students a good idea as to how things will be in August. The results will also enable students to see where there are still gaps in their knowledge and help them focus their revision. The intervention sessions will be continuing as well as revision sessions in the first week of the Easter holidays and May half term. Please click on this link for the Intervention Timetable.
The February reward has been to ask a member of the extended leadership team to buy a student’s lunch. Congratulations to the following students:
James Pound Elina Doal Faustas Dabrega
Robert Cioplea Kaliyah Brown Isabelle Davenport
Sienna Powell Charlie Shakespeare
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
Wednesday 5th February – Young Professionals Business & Law Conference
This event was attended by some of our Year 12 students
‘The day was filled with many insightful workshops from top law establishments like The University of Law and Clifford Chance, broadening my understanding and therefore knowledge of the world of law, and panel discussions with BDO and one of the biggest law firms in the UK; (a magic circle law firm), Slaughter and May. It was a very interesting day as it helped me widen my knowledge on the different types of work experience as well’ - Vanizeh
Monday
10th February
‘The young professionals law conference was extremely insightful regarding hypothetical scenarios in the world of law and programmes in some of the biggest law firms to build your knowledge and stand out from the rest’ - Tomi
2025 – Sixth Form Chelsea Foundation squad at Cobham
On Monday 10th February the Roding Valley Sixth Form squad had an opportunity to train at Cobham, Chelsea FC Training Ground. The players arrived and were given a tour of the training ground, having the chance to experience what it is like to be in a high-performance environment every day. The players were also given a brief history on Cobham and why the training ground is set out in a particular way.
Once the tour had finished the players then got ready and began their training session on the Astro turf. The session was led by Chelsea FC coach Thomas Gooder, who focused on crossing and finishing. It was an extremely cold day at the training ground but the players loved being there and being able to see how a professional football club produces world class talent.
Tuesday 11th February 2025 – Emmanuel College
Cambridge University
Year 12 students were able to attend the Oxbridge outreach programme at Emmanuel College. This visit gave students a chance to experience the college first-hand and find out from current students what it is like to study at Cambridge University. This year we were particularly fortunate to be met by Atilla Parlar, a former student at RVHS who is now studying Natural Sciences at Emmanuel College. During the visit, students also had a guided session on personal statement writing and the importance of super-curricular reading in their applications. A huge thanks to Ms Stringer for organising the visit and ensuring that our students are able to access the best university application advice whether they choose to apply to Cambridge or any other competitive university.
‘Participating in the trip to Emmanuel College was a valuable experience for students aspiring to apply to competitive universities. It helped challenge the prejudices and stigmas surrounding Oxbridge, turning what might have seemed like an "impossible fantasy" into a realistic goal. The insights into personal statements and the interview process were invaluable, providing students with a clearer, more focused approach rather than having to navigate the process on their own in a time-consuming manner. Now I can confidently start my application without the anxiety that comes with planning out the very real and near future’ -
Xenia
Tuesday 11th February 2025 – BGC Financial Service Company
On Tuesday 11th February we celebrated the return of two students currently on the BGC School Leaver Programme. It was amazing to hear from Bronya and Alfrid and how much they are enjoying the programme.
To date there are 5 students from Roding Valley who have been successfully recruited via this programme. Our sixth form students attend the weekly employer talks in the study centre, they find out about the opportunities of Work Experience and the School Leaver Programme at BGC and they are inspired to apply
Dates for your diary:
● Monday– Sixth Form Assembly in the Sports Hall
● Tuesday – Employer talks – sign up in advance!
● Friday – Lower school mentoring (students who have completed safeguarding training)
● 6th March – Careers Fest @ New City College
● 26th March (pm) – Year 12 whole year group trip to Bancroft University/Careers Fair
● 27th March – Year 12 Parents Evening
● Thursday 3rd April – Year 12 whole year group trip – University of Southampton
Latest 6th Form Bulletins: Bulletin 20 Bulletin 21
This year's whole school production was a roaring success. The Wizard of Oz was directed and coordinated by our amazing sixth form production team, so special thanks goes to Natalie, Laura and Jasmine, and the rest of the team. Phoebe, Ellie, Ruby and Christopher, as Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion respectively, grew to be an outstanding central team of performers, having more and more fun as the week went on, building their characters. The rest of the ensemble, featuring students from Years 7 to 11, sang and danced their hearts out, and everyone was a star, including our backstage and tech teams. We had good audiences on Wednesday and Thursday, with a sell-out show on Friday! Thank you to everyone who attended and supported our students in #TeamDrama, and thank you to all the staff across the school, including the site team, Mr Day and Mr Shorter in art and Mrs Thompson in reprographics, for their incredible support and hard work.
Discussions are already underway about next year's show. What will it be...? - Mr Wilson, Mrs Walker and Miss Joseph – Team Drama
In the first week of February, our school was pleased to take part in what has become a regular event in recent years; a cultural exchange in which students from schools in China spend a week in our school partnered with our students.
This is such a popular event with our students that we had over 200 applications to take part and we had to promise those who were not chosen that they will have an opportunity in summer events. The chosen students looked after the visiting students extremely well, taking them to their lessons, making them part of their friend group, and in the majority of cases, staying behind after lessons to take part in the sporting activities that took place.
These visits are extremely valuable in an educational and social way; raising empathy and awareness of other cultures and as a school it is something we will try to continue and develop.
Here are some of the fabulous dishes made by some of our Hospitality and Catering students for their Practical Assessment, which took place on Friday 14th February.
Well done all of you!
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 – The Attendance Team
I am really looking forward to welcoming you all to the annual Careers Fest next Thursday. We have a huge variety of employers joining us. In the past students have secured work experience and found out about apprenticeship opportunities. They can talk to all the local colleges, universities and employers about future pathways and at the same time develop their networking and communication skills. Come along and be inspired! – Mrs Mason, Careers Lead
Congratulations to the following students for their fantastic work in Literacy and during Drop Everything and Write (DEAW)
Venice Babbar – 9Be
George Sparrow – 7Ar
Owen Langford – 8 Hy
Bella Hayzelden – 7Fl
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.
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. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Support your child with Thinkuknow websites
The age appropriate Thinkuknow websites are a great way to start and continue chats about online safety.
11-13yrs Thinkuknow website: https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_13/ 14yrs + Thinkuknow website – https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/14_plus/
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
USEFUL CONTA CTS
Sixth Form: Ms Wheaton & Ms Curling – lcurling@rodingvalley.net / awheaton@rodingvalley.net
Heads of Faculty
English: Mrs Routledge – lroutledge@rodingvalley.net
Humanities: Mr Cocker – mcocker@rodingvalley.net
IT/Business: Mr Hussain – ohussain@rodingvalley.net
Maths: Mr Edeko – oedeko@rodingvalley.net
MFL: Mr P Melvin – pmelvin@rodingvalley.net
Personal Development: Ms Preston – tpreston@rodingvalley.net
Science: Mr Poovillingham - npoovillingham@rodingvalley.net
SENDco: Mr T Taylor– ttaylor@rodingvalley.net
General Enquiries
office@rodingvalley.net
Sixth Form Enquiries
sixthformoffice@rodingvalley.net
Finance
finance@rodingvalley.net
Safeguarding:
safeguarding@rodingvalley.net
How to contact any member of staff at Roding Valley High School: Initial + surname+@rodingvalley.net