Last week we welcomed back all students to Roding Valley and of course gave a very special welcome to our new year 7 and 12 students. Year 7 have made a brilliant start to secondary school life over the past week and a half and have already produced some incredible work in their lessons. I know that both Miss Aston and the year 7 form tutors are delighted with the progress that they have already made! On Thursday we held our inaugural Year 7 Meet the tutors Evening which was very well attended. Thank you to all parents and carers for giving up your time to join us for this event. Thanks also, for your feedback, we will use this to help improve future similar events. Year 12 have also made a fabulous start to their Sixth Form lives and are slowly acclimatising to the added privileges and pressures that come with enrolling into post 16 education. They are being well supported by both their tutors, year 13 peers and the Sixth Form Team as they adapt to their A Level and BTEC subjects. Year 13 parents and carers were welcomed into the sixth form this week where they heard from the Sixth Form Team and then attended a carousel of sessions on Oxbridge applications, the UCAS process, the world of work and a fantastic session on ‘What does the future of employment look like?’ by our guest speaker, Stephen Isherwood.
Already the process for recruitment of next year’s students has begun, with our Open Morning due to take place on Saturday 28th September 9.00am -12.30pm. A number of additional open morning tours will also take place the week following open morning to ensure that as many parents, carers and students get to see us in action. We will also be visiting local primary schools over the next few weeks to talk about Roding Valley to both students and parents. A huge amount of preparation goes into these events and so to ensure that we are fully prepared, school will close at 1.20pm on Friday 27 September. Students on free school meals will be able to collect their lunch at the end of the day as usual, however the New Canteen, Baguette Bar and Snack Shack will be open to all other students at break time only.
Many of our students will be needed to support us during Open Day, those who are selected will bring home a letter of consent over the next few days.
As mentioned, we now have access to a brand new, fully operational kitchen and catering facility. As a result, we are able to once again offer a full menu which includes hot food. This has been very well received by all students and staff and arrives not a moment too soon.
In addition to the new canteen several other projects were commissioned during the summer break. There were repairs made to the windows on the main building, a new path to the side of the brook was installed and hoarding was erected around the perimeter of the RAAC affected building. We hope that repairs on the building will start in the next 4-6 weeks with completion expected over the next 18 months. The scale of the project is large and very complex, and will require significant planning. We expect only minimal disruption to the school during this time, mostly related to any noise that is made by the works.
Each Head of Year wrote to you earlier in the term to reintroduce themselves and welcome you back to a new academic year. If you did not receive a copy of the letter please click on the relevant link below to access it.
Y7 Welcome back letter
Y8 Welcome back letter
Y9 Welcome back letter
Y10 Welcome back letter
Y11 Welcome back letter
Finally, parents and carers were sent a letter earlier this week regarding our Parent Governor Elections, if you would like to stand please remember to complete the candidate form and return it to the email address stated in the letter by Friday 20th September, for a copy of the letter and candidate form please click here.
As always, thank you for your continued support.
King regards
Mr D Charlton Headteacher
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: Ms Hegerty
To contact Ms Hegerty, please email chegerty@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
Year 7 has got off to a fantastic start at RVHS this past week - I am so proud of them!
We have had some excellent reports from teachers already praising the effort and attainment of numerous students in our year group! It has been lovely to see students in Year 7 helping one another in different ways such as doing each other's ties, checking their equipment and showing each other rooms for their lessons. This is fantastic - keep up the great work!
I have had lots of questions regarding logins, passwords, and timetables and I want to take this opportunity to remind parents that we have a brilliant Year 7 team of Form Tutors who are your first port of call if you have any questions or concerns.
Please can I remind Year 7 students that they must carry a reading book with their Reading Passport at all times so they can participate in DEAR time which happens four times a week in lessons.
Please remember that our Chromebook day has changed to Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
Well done for getting through your first couple of weeks at secondary school Year 7 - it’s only up from here!
The start of a new year always means that we wipe the slate clean and look forward to a jam-packed year of house events. The end of last concluded with Rendell doing their absolute best to hold on to the top spot to take to the podium and win the house cup. A massive well done to Pankhurst narrowly missing out on that top spot by just 29 points - hopefully next year will be the year we see Pankhurst in that top spot! This year we will see a slight change to our house points system, where ARE points will be integrated into the House system to make it even more competitive!
Year 8 News
Message from Ms Hegerty
I am delighted to welcome students back into year 8 after what I hope was a restful and enjoyable summer. I have already had some lovely conversations with students regarding their summer holidays and activities and it is great to see so many students ready for the new academic year ahead.
In Year 8 assemblies since the start of term students were reminded of our behaviour expectations at RVHS to ensure their academic success as well as a message from myself of ‘wiping the slate clean’ and seeing Year 8 as a fresh start for all students to achieve their potential.
I would like to remind you of our Year 8 Tutor Team who are your first point of contact if you have any questions or concerns:
8 Argon Mr Martin cmartin@rodingvalley.net
8 Beryllium Ms Harbutt / Ms Burgess eharbutt@rodingvalley.net lburgess@rodingvalley.net
8 Carbon Mr Ugbomah cugbomah@rodingvalley.net
8 Fluorine Mr Joiner roiner@rodingvalley.net
8 Hydrogen Ms Ali sali2@rodingvalley.net
8 Lithium Ms Harrison-Nembhard mharrison-nembhard@rodingvalley.net
8 Magnesium Ms Stevens-Wood bstevenswood@rodingvalley.net
8 Neon Ms Ahmad sahmad@rodingvalley.net
8 Oxygen Ms Vuika ivuika@rodingvalley.net
8 Platinum Mrs Walker / Ms Andrade lwalker@rodingvalley.net randrade@rodingvalley.net
Please can Year 8 ensure that they are fully prepared for learning with the equipment they need for lessons and that they always have a reading book with them for DEAR time. We ask that Year 8 students bring their Chromebooks on Mondays and Wednesdays to complete E-WSPD and EBedrock in tutor time.
Can I take this opportunity to remind students, parents and carers that RVHS uniform expectations must be adhered to and students will only be given uniform cards for missing items (i.e. shoes) in exceptional circumstances. In addition to this, can I remind parents and careers that toilet cards will only be given when medical evidence is provided to your son or daughter's Head of Year.
Finally, our Open Morning is fast approaching on the 28th September! As our most important event of the year, we would like some Year 8 students to be tour guides on the day to show prospective students our fantastic school. If your son or daughter would like to help us - please ask them to speak to their Form Tutor as soon as possible.
Year 9 News Message from Miss Reed
A warm welcome back to all Y9 parents and students. I trust you have now received the welcome letter which contains lots of important information for the year ahead. I am really excited for this year which is extremely important for students as after the Christmas break we will begin the options process. Students will choose their option subjects towards the end of the year and begin their GCSE's after the May half term. Parents will be informed along the way.
Please see below some key dates for Year 9 this year:
• w/c 9th December 2024 – Year 9 Assessment week
• Thursday 16th January 2025 – Year 9 Parents Evening
• Thursday 6th February 2025 – Year 9 Options Evening
A reminder to every one of our uniform and equipment expectations. Students should be wearing the correct uniform every day and be bringing the sufficient equipment which includes a reading book. Students complete DEAR time once every day and contributes towards our Literacy curriculum.
Below is a list of the Year 9 form groups and the form tutor. They should be parents/carers first point of call for any queries you may have.
9 Argon Mr Stewart mstewart@rodingvalley.net
9 Beryllium Mrs Barclay mbarclay@rodingvalley.net
9 Carbon Mr Iacono/Mr Savage liacono@rodingvalley.net / jsavage@rodingvalley.net
9 Fluorine Miss Joseph ajoseph@rodingvalley.net
9 Hydrogen Mr Brittain nbrittain@rodingvalley.net
9 Lithium Ms Gregori egregori@rodingvalley.net
9 Magnesium Mr Allen callen@rodingvalley.net
9 Neon Ms Furtado efurtado@rodingvalley.net
9 Oxygen Mrs Mian qmilan@rodingvalley.net
I would like to wish everyone a good weekend and place do get in contact should you have any questions.
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.
Message from Mr Ryan Year 10 News
It is lovely to see the year group back and ready to learn. I can't get over how tall they are getting and how grown up they now appear. I have frequently talked about uniform and our expectations regarding this and would like to say that the year group looks so incredibly smart. As always, we need to make sure that the whole year group maintain these high standards and continue to be fully prepared for their lessons.
Excellent attendance over the next two years is essential. Students must ensure that they are in school on time and that their attendance is as close to 100% as possible.
I have shared this information in my welcome letter but feel that I should share this here as well. If there are any concerns surrounding your child please contact their form tutor in the first instance. Their emails are below.
I have been asking students to represent the year group at Open Morning on the 28th September, I am so impressed with the amount of students who are prepared to give up their Saturday to represent the school.
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 11 News
Message from Ms Wills
I hope that you all had a very restful summer and were able to spend quality time with family and friends. I have been really impressed with the strong start that the year group have made and their focus in regards to their studies.
As you are well aware, this is a significant year for your child as they take their GCSE exams, however we are here to support in every way possible and have many interventions and opportunities available to them to ensure they are successful in the summer. Revision materials are available for students to be accessing as they prepare for their next set of PPEs in November and can be found here: Revision resources
Here is a reminder of the key dates for this year Please note that the Parents Evening has been moved to October 10th and more information will be sent out about making appointments nearer the time.
We are also holding a virtual information evening, as per last year. This will be available to view on the week beginning 16th September and again, the link will be sent nearer the time.
As part of this evening we will be explaining about the interventions which are in place for Year 11. Each student has been assigned an intervention session of either English, Maths or Science based on their Year 10 data. They will attend these sessions Tuesday to Thursday each week. Monday will continue as Whole School PD and Friday will be assembly day. In order to facilitate these interventions, we have assigned new tutors to Year 11. If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact the following teachers.
11 Magnesium Mr SH Rahman/Ms Gouveia shrahman@rodingvalley.net mgouveia@rodingvalley.net
11 Neon Ms Stringer cstringer@rodingvalley.net
11 Oxygen Mr Dennis mdennis@rodingvalley.net
6th Form News
Message from Ms Wheaton & Mrs Curling
Exceptional A Level Results
This summer’s results day was a truly moving day. We saw some of our best ever results and as teachers, it reminds us why we are all here. The percentage of grades at A*- B was over 62%, a figure most comprehensive schools can only dream of. Four of our students successfully took their places at Cambridge University and our vocational outcomes were exceptional. Many of our students took up places on competitive apprenticeships, including Amazon and BT.
Welcome to our new Year 12 students
We are delighted to welcome our new cohort of Year 12 students. There will be a recorded information evening shared with you in the coming week, so please do look out for that. We have been very impressed with the positive start the year group has made.
6th Form News
Work Experience 2023/24
The last week of the last academic year saw our Year 12’s engage with Work Experience week - Monday 15th to Friday 19th July 2024.
Here is some of the feedback from employers: -
● She has an excellent positive attitude towards work and a strong interest in medicine. I think she will have a bright future.
● We very much enjoyed having one of your students with us last week. He came prepared every day with a positive attitude, eager to learn and observe. He was very respectful of our colleagues and the work we do. He’s a very bright individual and I’m sure he will go on to do great things! Wishing him all the best for his future.
Mustafa A & Ashaz B at the local pharmacy Oakwood Pharmacy with chemist Paul Mellish –‘they were a credit to Roding Valley’
The following students joined our alumni student Ella Margetts at Salesforce: Rafay A, Alex A, Ewa A, Klaudia F, Jack M, Jensen M, Sophia S & Aleyna T.
6th Form News
● She is clearly a very bright, motivated and affable young lady. We enjoyed her company for 2 weeks and tried to give her a flavour of what we actually do from day to day in running injury compensation claims. I was particularly impressed with her willingness and ability to take on the guidance we gave such that she was able to make an effective and valuable contribution to some real live cases. She is a credit to you. We would be happy to have her back at any stage in her future. I think she has also added a few useful contacts to her own little black book, she certainly has my details.
● Excellent attitude to work experience. Very helpful, excellent self-initiative and a real asset to our school.
● She was a great member of the work experience week. Her confidence grew noticeably throughout the week and she was consistently engaged and enthusiastic. She made great bonds with fellow students and was thorough in the daily feedback we asked of students which will help us plan future work experience. We loved having her!
• It was an absolute pleasure to have him with us for the week and hope he enjoyed it.
• It was a pleasure to have him for the week and he made a great contribution to our team. I hope that this time with us was also useful for his next steps
• She was a real asset to the team. She integrated well, took initiative when required, was extremely hardworking and had a very positive attitude towards the role. She worked hard and gave 100% in all she did
• She was confident, articulate and personable. She undertook tasks with enthusiasm and diligence. She asked lots of pertinent questions. She is a credit to your school and will no doubt go on to achieve great things
Working hard is important, but so is a sense of balance. If you are concerned about your child feeling overwhelmed, or not coping well with the pressure of exams, please do get in touch with one of us. There are also some excellent resources for parents on how best to support your child on the NHS website, and from Young Minds.
Dates for your diary:
● Every Monday - Sixth Form assembly
● Wednesday 18th September - Cambridge visit
● Monday 30th September - Year 12 Team Building Day, all students should attend.
Last week’s 6th Form Bulletin: Bulletin No.1
On a hot yet lovely July summer day a number of Year 7 students had the opportunity to launch their rocket cars they built over two weeks after they completed their science lessons. The students took part in the Race to the Line Bio 2.0 challenge sponsored by VM Elevators. See some of VM Elevators key qualities below:
“VM Elevators is a premium and independent Lift and Escalator Services provider, established in London in 2008, our business has since expanded. We cater to all Lift & Escalator requirements and predominantly work within London and the Home Counties…”
Through their sponsorship the students were able to build their cars during their lessons. The students used materials that were biodegradable or formed from recycled sources. The students use their scientific knowledge on Forces to consider how they build their cars.
“…our purpose is to elevate; we are committed to raising the standards for everyone we engage with. We elevate our people, by providing opportunities for growth and development. We elevate the businesses we work with by offering highquality, innovative products and services. We have a 5-year dedicated strategy in place to reduce our carbon footprint and are committed to using local resources, preserving the environment and to fair trade ethics from our suppliers. As progressive and fair employers, it’s important to us that everyone feels safe, respected and represented in the workplace. We consider these fundamental rights and as a major service provider in the UK, we have a duty to lead on this throughout our businesses, the partners we work with and across our industry. Through our outreach and sponsorship work, we pledge to empower those around us and leave the world we operate in, in a better place.”
Though there were some challenges, everyone who participated enjoyed the activity. There are also some students currently in Year 8 who will volunteer in being Race to the Line ambassadors this academic year. RVHS STEM would like to thank the sponsorship of VM Elevators, supporting members of the Science faculty and other members of RVHS in enabling this event going forwards. This academic year, RVHS STEM hopes our new Year 7 cohort will participate in the Race to the Line Challenge under the sponsorship of a future local company. We cannot wait to start this soon!
The PE Department has a ‘no note policy’ when it comes to not taking part in PE, if your son or daughter needs to be excused from their PE lesson then an email stating why they cannot take part in the physical side of the lesson from the parent/career/guardian needs to be sent to their PE teacher or pe@rodingvalley.net
Students are still expected to change into their PE kits even if they cannot take part in a physical activity capacity as other roles can be performed to allow them to access the lesson.
Thank you in advance for your support with this.
Congratulations to the following students for their fantastic work in Literacy and during Drop Everything and Write (DEAW)
Cairo J – Y9
Nicole B – Y9
Evie S – Y7
Tegan D – Y9
Student Absence
If your child is unable to attend School for any reason, please report their absence by phoning the school number by 9.30am 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 £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 here.
Who to contact
Should you have any concerns about your child’s attendance or punctuality please contact your child’s Year Progress Leader 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.
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.
What is Seneca?
Seneca is a free home learning & revision platform that is very popular with our students. It is based on cognitive science, has adaptive learning and can be accessed by our students via their phones!
What Content is available to our Students through Seneca?
Seneca has resources available for KS3, KS4 and KS5 students that has been supplied to them from AQA, OCR, EdExcel Pearson and IGCSE.
Our students will be able to access content designed for each of their subjects and also for their specific courses. There is so much to choose from.
Some areas are even linked to the Exam Boards Course Specifications.
Heads of Year
Year 7: Miss Aston – caston@rodingvalley.net
Year 8: Ms Hegerty – chegerty@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
