We have had a wonderful two weeks with so many highlights to share. In addition to several sporting victories over some of our local secondary schools, our Student Council have had a series of meetings and will present to the Senior Leadership Team next week. Before the end of term, they will also meet with the Governors and share some of their work. We are very proud of how well they are doing and very excited about the next steps. I also want to say a huge thank you and well done to our year 7 students who volunteered for the Community Lunch in Buckhurst Hill last week with Ms Aston. On the same day our year 13 A Level Biology students completed their field work in Epping forest. Despite the low temperatures they had a fantastic day and learned a variety of new skills to help them in their studies.
This week we held two revision sessions for year 9 students in the main hall to help ensure that they are fully prepared for their upcoming exams. Class teachers are busy making sure that students know which topics to revise and how long their exams will be. We wish them all the best as they continue to prepare for the exams w/b 9th December.
We have a number of different events lined up over the next few weeks including school trips to the theatre to watch ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ (year 9), Mrs Doubtfire (year 8), the British Film Institute (year 13), the Emirates Stadium (Arsenal FC) and a visit to Capgemini for our Business Studies students. We are also hosting a production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ for our year 10 students organised by the amazing English Department. In addition to all these fabulous trips and visits, we have a number of Christmas themed events over the next 3 weeks - please see below for more information on these and also end of term and New year arrangements;
• Tuesday 3rd Dec - Celebration of Creativity and Winter Concert 5.45pm-7.00pm. Click here to book
• Thursday 12th Dec- Drama Panto - 6.00pm-7.00pm. Tickets are £2 and are available on Parentpay
• Friday 13th Dec - Christmas Jumper Day & Christmas Dinner - £1 donation- Save the Children
• Thursday 19th Dec - Year 7 & 8 Silent Christmas Disco (Roding Valley Foundation) 4.00pm-6.00pm - Tickets cost £5 and are available on Parentpay. Food, drink and glow sticks will be on sale!
• Friday 20th Dec - Last Day of Term: non-uniform day £1 donation. School closes at 12.20pm
• Tuesday 7th Jan - First Day of Term: 8.25am start (please note that school is closed on Monday 6th January for staff training)
•
Earlier this week, The Safer Essex Road Partnership (SERP) wrote to us regarding e-scooters. They have asked us to share some key information with you as we approach Christmas. Here is a flyer that they have produced about escooters. The flyer contains facts and legalities around e-scooters. A summary of the key points is below;
1. Privately owned e-scooters are illegal to ride on the highway. Ones you can buy from shops like Halfords can only be used on privately owned land, with the landowner’s permission.
2. Trial hire scooters can only be ridden by people 18 years plus, with a driver’s licence. These scooters can only be used by the person who creates the Dott account and are only available in a limited number of locations.
3. Riding an e-scooter puts the rider at much higher risk on the roads, any collision may be more serious.
Finally, A reminder that school is closed to all students this Friday 29th November and Monday 2nd December.
Thank you, as always, for your ongoing collaboration and support.
Stars of the Week! Year Group W/C 18th November
Year 7
Year 8
Eden Murphy - For always displaying the correct behaviour in and out of lessons.
Harrison Saville - For always being engaged and focused on his learning. He contributes to lessons fully, helps his peers and pushes himself to be the best he can whilst displaying impeccable behaviour.
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
Year 12
Year 13
Karen Kaw - for becoming one of the Year Group Leaders. Karen is a fantastic role model to all students.
Oscar Duffy - for using his own initiative at parents evening.
Ruby Sharman - Most achievement points this week and exemplary attitude to learning
Sabrina Touama - For being polite in all she does
Lillie Hankin - Securing a very competitive degree-level apprenticeship
Thomas Kershaw - 7 Carbon - For being a fantastic role model and always portraying the correct behaviour.
Mariam Qureshi - For her consistent effort and attainment in lessons and perfect behaviour around school.
Guneve Setia - For achieving one of the highest number of house points in the year group and displaying a fantastic attitude to learning.
Callum Fox - for being an absolute credit to the school at parents evening
Ethan Joyce - Most House Points this half term
Lukas Sarapinas - For outstanding commitment to learning
Freddie Bayless - For impressing the interviewer at his mock Cambridge interview
Kind regards Mr D Charlton
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
Just a reminder that we have a superb Year 7 team of Academic Mentors who are your first port of call if you have any questions or concerns.
Please remember that Year 7's Chromebook Day is on a Monday and Wednesday. If students are not bringing in their Chromebooks, they will be having a sanction from their form tutors. I would like to give a massive shout out to the students that helped out at the Community Lunch last Friday and done a fantastic job socialising
A huge well done to the students that won the Awards for our 2nd House Assembly last Week, please congratulate them when you see them:
Ayaz Alici – 7Li – Highest house points in Year 7!!
Year 8 News
Message from Ms Hegerty
We celebrated House Week last week at Roding Valley and explored themes of charity and empathy in assemblies. Year 8 were made aware of our Charity Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 13th December as well as the RVHS Food Bank Appeal to donate to those less fortunate than ourselves over the festive period. We do encourage students to get involved and wear their Christmas jumpers on the day by bringing a donation of £1 and donate to our Food Bank Appeal by placing canned, tinned and other dried goods in the Food Bank Train in the main reception area of school.
A huge well done to this half terms ‘Stars of the Form’
Thank you to parents and carers who came to Year 8 Parents Evening on Thursday the 21st November - it was great to see so many families having positive and valuable in person meetings with teachers.
If you were not able to attend Parents Evening or could not see all of the teachers you wished to, please reach out to them individually to receive some feedback regarding your child's progress. Please see the following link for our staff contact page: RVHS staff contact page
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 Thursdays to complete E-WSPD and Bedrock in tutor time.
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 9 News
Message from Miss Reed
We are fast approaching the end of the Autumn term however this is still an extremely important time for Year 9. Students Assessment week begins on Tuesday 10th December. A letter with the exam timetable and link to the revision microsite has been shared with parents this week and can also be found here.. The assessments will give us a clear indication as to how students are progressing in their subjects and also aid us in the
options process which will begin after the Christmas Break.
Students have also been part of a revision workshop this week where Mr Cocker has delivered a session on revision techniques.
A reminder that we are still collecting food for our food bank which is a house competition. We have an exciting food train situated near the main reception where students can drop food items. We are working in partnership with two food banks this year who are Epping Forest Food Bank and '2food4U'.
Last week we celebrated our second house week where we introduced our new form reps. They have been busy this week having their first meetings with Mr Anandappa.
A big congratulations to the ‘Stars of the Form’ for this half term.
Lastly, I would like to wish everyone a lovely weekend and a reminder that students return to school on Tuesday 3rd December at the normal time.
Message from Mr Ryan Year 10 News
There have been many exciting events taking place over the last two weeks and I am very pleased with the year group. Last week we had the elections for house and form reps. I am so happy with the students who put themselves forward. Quite a few who would never normally do this have and there are some really exciting ideas coming from the students about how to boost house week and the competitive side of the system.
I have been approached by a number of students who are excited to showcase their artwork next week at the winter showcase. I can't wait to see what they have done. I am also looking forward to the Christmas Panto (oh no he isn't)
Last week Mrs Mason took a group of students to the Marriott Hotel for the YES conference. These students attended last year and this was the follow-on session. They all did incredibly well and were an excellent representation of the school.
Finally, I would like to thank Oscar Duffy and Callum Fox for helping out at Parents' Evening and for going the extra mile in looking after all the staff. It was much appreciated.
Please remember to contact your child's form tutor in the first instance should there be any concerns.
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 11 News
Message from Ms Wills
I am so pleased to report about how well Year 11 did in their exams. The comments from the invigilators and staff were that they were one of the best year groups that we have seen for a while and they behaved in a calm and exemplary manner.
As a result of the good behaviour we would like to reward the year group! After consultation with members of the Student Leadership Team we would like to allow each year 11 student the opportunity to leave the school site for their lunch on a designated date. This is in recognition of their hard work and mature approach to their exams, but will also give them a taste of what it is like to be a 6th form student next year. You will have been sent a letter outlining the details and the logistics. If you would like your child to be rewarded with this lunch then please fill in the permission slip by Thursday 5th December - Permission Slip
A big reminder that we have our own open evening for the 6th form and students should be booking in via the QR code. Places are going fast so please ensure you book a space asap. Students have already had a very informative assembly from Ms Wheaton, Head of 6th form, about the new and exciting pathways on offer to students for the first time this year. Please do come and hear more on this evening.
I would also like to take this opportunity to share with you our plans for support and revision in the new year.
On the 16th January there will be an intervention evening to which you and your child will be invited. This is a session which will cover revision techniques and will give you help and advice on how best to support your child as they prepare for their next set of PPEs and also their final exams in May/June. There will also be subject specific revision sessions during the Easter and May half term holidays. More information will be sent out nearer the time regarding these sessions.
Thursday 19th June
6th Form News
Message from Ms Wheaton & Mrs Curling
Tuesday 19th November 2024 - Investment 20/20
Investment2020 returned to Roding Valley last week, this time it was a talk from current apprentices. They gave a detailed account of the programme, how they applied and the recruitment process. They gave students the opportunity to ask lots of questions and offered support for applications
Tuesday 25th November 2024 - Hill Construction
Captains
Hill Construction has been supporting the students at Roding Valley for eight years now. In the past they have offered work experience placements and to date there are over 14 Roding Valley students employed at Hill. They all started via a Sponsored Degree on the Management Trainee Programme and this week Lewis and Ellie, RVHS alumni, came back to give sixth form students a valuable insight in the programme. They shared their top tips on how to apply and what their specific roles look like in the construction industry. Applications are now open to apply for the programme. Hill is a family run company and all the students I speak to who are currently on the programme speak very highly of it. For anyone that needs help to apply for apprenticeships, Mrs Mason will be in the study centre every Wednesday lunchtime.
6th Form News
Work Experience Launch
This week we have launched work experience for our year 12 students. This will take place 14th – 18th July, in the final week of the academic year. Students will need to find an in-person work placement which is linked to a career pathway they are interested in. This has been explained to all year 12 students in our assembly.
If you are able offer any work placements for our students, please do get in contact with sixthformoffice@rodingvalley.net The success of this week is dependent on the goodwill of employers to support our students and we are really grateful to all local parents and businesses that support us with this.
Foodbank Donations
We delivered our first foodbank donations to Epping Forest foodbank on Friday 22nd November 2024. They were very pleased with Roding Valley’s kind donations. We are still collecting for 3food4U which will collect on 10th December 2024, please keep your donations coming in!
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
Last week’s 6th form bulletins: Bulletin No.10
No.11
Dates for your diary:
• Every Monday – Sixth Form assembly in the Sports Hall
• Thursday 5th December 2024 - Sixth Form Open Evening
• Thursday 12th December 2024 - Internal UCAS deadline for all students applying to university
• Thursday 9th January 2025 – Year 13 Parents Evening
Please save the date for our annual Careers Fest. We have so many amazing employers already lined up to attend.
Does your company offer early careers opportunities to apprentices or graduates? Would they like a stand at the Careers Fest? Please get in touch with me if you would like to find out more. Donna Mason, Careers Leader dmason@rodingvalley.net
Foodbank Donations
We delivered our first foodbank donations to Epping Forest foodbank on Friday 22nd November 2024. They were very pleased with Roding Valley’s kind donations. We are still collecting for 3food4U which will collect on 10th December 2024, please keep your donations coming in!
Christmas jumper day is coming up!!This is a House Event where we will be asking for a minimum donation of £1. Money raised will be donated to Save The Children for their national Christmas jumper day.
Yusuf Hussain – 8Pl
STEM Club 2024-2025
On the 14th November in one of the Science labs, a new and innovative device was introduced to the STEM Club. Unlike conventional 2D printers such as inkjet and laserjet printers, STEM ers saw the birth of a 3D printer. Below is a simple summary of the type of 3D printer STEM:
“3D filament printers, also known as FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) or FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) printers, are a type of 3D printer that uses a heated nozzle to melt and extrude thermoplastic filament, layer by layer, to create three-dimensional objects.”
It was constructed diligently by our Sixth Form STEM Club representatives and there was an inaugural printing (see the first object printed with PLA filament)
STEM Club and STEM as a whole seek the potential the device will bring for the future at the Roding Valley High School
(from Left to Right: Mr Ugbomah; Samuel - Year 12; Andrew - Year 12; Xixuan - Year 13; Natalia - Year 13; Mr Sagir)
Congratulations to the following students for their fantastic work in Literacy and during Drop Everything and Write (DEAW)
Lilly-Ann Kiff – 9Hy
Dogukan Ozdemir – 9Ma
Evie Shorter – 7Fl
Ansh Lathigra – 7Ar
Lucas Dellar – 7Ne
Raffy Kemp – 8Fl
Congratulations to the following students for their fantastic work in Literacy and during Drop Everything and Write (DEAW)
Libnah Renju – 8Ca
Dominic Hulka – 8Ne
Maria Ghounbaz – 8Hy
Colette Lawlor – 8Li
Keya Vyas – 8Li
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.
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
