As we embark on a new calendar year, I extend a warm welcome back to all our students. They have made an excellent start to the new term and have already produced some outstanding work.
We begin this term with a sense of accomplishment and anticipation. Our Year 11 and Year 13 students have received their PPE results, marking an important milestone in their academic journey. These results provide valuable insights and will guide our approach as we continue to support our students in their preparations for the upcoming examinations at the end of February and beginning or March. Critical to their success is their ongoing punctual attendance to school. Therefore, I'd like to remind all families that the school gates (on Alderton Hill) open at 8.00am to facilitate students' early arrival, particularly if they are using public transport. We would like all students to be in school on time every day, and whilst we recognise that absence will occur, strive to ensure that this is minimised as much as possible. Nationally, there is a significant gap between the attendance of primary school and secondary school aged children, with the primary schools having a much higher attendance. We would very much like to close that gap at Roding Valley to ensure that lost learning time is reduced to a minimum. I kindly request your support in maintaining these high standards. Please also ensure that your child arrives at school in full uniform and with the correct equipment each day.
I would like to take this opportunity to update you on the ongoing work to address the RAAC-affected building. We continue to make progress in this area. A milestone was reached this week as the first piece of affected concrete was removed from the building. We appreciate your patience and understanding as the building work continues.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome two new members of staff to our school community, Mr Taylor joins us as a teacher of computer science and Ms Barron returns to Roding Valley as a teacher of humanities. We are delighted to have recruited two exceptional teachers who will further enhance the quality of education we provide.
At Roding Valley High School, we place great emphasis on recognising and rewarding our students' achievements. We will continue this focus while also renewing our commitment to fostering an inclusive community free from discrimination.
Over the coming term, we will be working closely with our entire student body to enhance our approach to tackling bullying and discrimination. We do not tolerate such behaviour in any form and are committed to ensuring that our systems and processes are effective in addressing these issues when they arise. We will be asking our students to collaborate with us in this important endeavour and again request your support in this matter by speaking with your child about the importance of eliminating bullying and discriminatory behaviour. Our Student Leadership will play a significant role in helping us tackle this critical issue but we welcome feedback from parents and carers. If you would like to contribute to this discussion, please contact your child’s Head of Year who will collate your feedback and comments and ensure that they are included in our consultation around this.
As we move forward into this new year, I am confident that by working together - students, parents, and staffwe can create an environment where every member of our school community feels valued, respected, and empowered to achieve their full potential.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement with our school community. I look forward to the successes and growth we will achieve together in the coming months
Stars of the Week!
Year Group W/C 20th December 2024 W/C 10th January 2025
Year 7 Mason Aarons - for being a positive role model both in and out of lessons.
Year 8 Maya Jaunky – for working exceptionally well consistently
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
Year 12
Year 13
Warm regards
Mr D Charlton
Evie Johnstone - for her fantastic performance throughout the netball season and receiving Player of the Match
Vinny Scaffardi - for an excellent start to the year.
Eylul Ugur – for outstanding results in the recent PPEs and excellent attitude to learning
Samuel Caffal – for showing determination and perseverance in running a lunchtime club for Year 7.
Natalie Moffat – for leading by example in all that she does and for achieving excellent grades in the PPEs.
Freya Bygate-Phillips - for her positive behaviour in lessons and around the community
Hayden Woodman – for always being enthusiastic, willing to help others and a joy to be around.
Sam Passmore - for his fantastic attitude and effort across the board
Mia O Halloran - for her commitment to sport and for being so determined
Oscar Eaton – for excellent results in the recent PPEs
Kanika Marwaha – for showing determination and perseverance in running a lunchtime club for Year 7.
Emily Fairhead – for a relentless pursuit of excellence.
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
I hope you all had a great and restful Christmas break. I cannot believe the Year 7's are now in their second term at Roding!
As mentioned in my last bulletin, Year 7's will have their exams on Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd January 2025. You should have now received the letter that states how these work, and the importance of them. Year 7's had a very enjoyable 1 hour workshop this week around exam skills, and exam techniques. This is to help them with these upcoming exams.
We also had our first Celebration Assembly of the Year at the end of last term, it was great to see so many Year 7's with their rewards/certificates! You can find a copy of this presentation by clicking here
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.
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 festive Christmas break. Stepping into Head of Year 8, I am excited to embark on this journey with the students and look forward to a successful year ahead. Together, I am confident that we can create an environment where all students can flourish, both academically and personally.
As we start the new term, it’s important that we refocus on the basics, reinforcing our expectations for correct uniform, punctuality, equipment, and a positive attitude towards learning. Setting standards for Year 8 will be high, and every student will be supported to achieve their best. By focusing on these key areas, we will ensure that all students are prepared for success both inside and outside the classroom.
On the topic of preparing for success, please be aware that Year 8 exams will take place during the week of 20th January 2025. Students will be formally assessed across all subject areas, with exams held in the sports hall under official exam conditions.
In class revision has begun, but we strongly encourage all students to engage in independent revision at home. Resources are available on Google Classroom and the Year 8 Microsite which you can find here on our website to support their preparation.
I would also like to remind everyone of our school values – Respect, Aspire, Endeavour. These values will guide our actions and decisions, helping us build a positive and supportive environment for all students. I am confident that with these values at the forefront of everything we do, Year 8 will thrive this year.
As a Year Group, we will be guided by the following quote:
I am looking forward to working with all of you to make this year a memorable and successful one for Year 8.
Year 9 News
Message from Miss Reed
Happy New Year and I trust that everyone had a lovely Christmas break.
During the last week of the Autumn term, we held our Celebration Assembly where a large amount of certificates were given out for various different awards. Please see the following link to our assembly Year 9 Celebration Assembly
This is a very important term for Year 9 as we have parents evening on Thursday 23rd January which will give parents an update on how your son/daughter are progressing within their subject areas. During the end of this half term, we will hold our options evening. More information about both of these events will be sent out in due course.
A reminder that we have a superb Year 9 team form tutor team who are your first port of call if you have any questions or concerns.
9 Argon Mr Stewart mstewart@rodingvalley.net
9 Beryllium Ms Johnson mjohnson@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 Ms Burgess lburgess@rodingvalley.net
Wishing everyone a lovely weekend.
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
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday and that people are feeling rested and ready for 2025.
We have an exciting time in front of us as we prepare for the Week of Work, more information regarding this and the first round of PPEs to follow later this month.
At the end of last term we had our first Celebration Assembly of the academic year. I wanted to share the presentation with you all so that you can see what a successful first term Year 10 had. You can see the presentation here.
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
Year 11 News
Message from Ms Wills
I hope that you have had a wonderful break over Christmas and it was a good chance to spend time with family and friends, as well as relax.
We had a wonderful end to the first term, with a fantastic achievement assembly, where we celebrated the success of so many students in the year group. In particular I would like to acknowledge Ethan Joyce, who won the Headteacher’s award as well as Carlos Soares who won the Head of Year award. The other names can be found in the presentation here: Year 11 Celebration Assembly
The next term is an important one for our Year 11 students, as it will be their last full term before the GCSE exams begin. Teachers will work closely with students to consolidate the knowledge they have developed so far and identify the gaps they now need to close in order to be successful in the next round of PPEs. These exams will take place for 2 weeks, beginning 24th February.
As part of this we are holding an intervention evening next Thursday, 16th January. 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. This will begin at 6.00pm (entry via Brook Road car park from 5:45pm). Please can you complete sign up form here to indicate your attendance
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.
A reminder that the deadline for 6th Form Applications is the 13th January. This is done via Applica which students have been emailed a login to
The Passport to the Prom has now been launched and each week we will be rewarding students who are displaying excellent behaviour and attitude to learning. This month the reward is an offsite lunch with a friend and a free Burrito at Zambrero.
Thursday 19th June
Tickets for this and the Leavers Book have now gone live on Parentpay
6th Form News
Message from Ms Wheaton & Mrs Curling
New Year from the Sixth Form Team!
13th December 2024 - Christmas Jumper day for Save the Children
We raised £378.22 for Save the Children, well done students and staff!
Brainstorming, pitching, presenting, problem solving, collaboration… just a few of the skills students at Roding Valley High School learnt at Capgemini head office in London during their business enterprise day in December! Each year, Capgemini invites Roding Valley students to their head office to discover what it could be like to be a part of their organisation. It was a fantastic day and students took away lots of skills and tips on how to apply for work experience and apprenticeships.
Happy
16th December 2024 - Capgemini Trip
6th Form News
20th December 2024 - Sixth Form and Lower School - mentoring fun!
Our Sixth Form mentors are supporting our lower school students to settle into life at Roding, this session is so much fun for all. And what better than on the last day of term with a Christmas treat thrown in.
17th December 2024 - Higgins Construction
We invited local firm Higgins in for an employer talk in December. Construction is one of the fastest growing industries in Essex and today. George, one of our alumni students currently on the Management Trainee Program with Higgins, came and spoke to sixth formers about his role. It was a fantastic insight into the construction profession at award-winning Higgins Construction in Loughton. Please do encourage year 13 students to apply for the degree apprenticeship, links are on the sixth form bulletin this week.
Dates for your diary:
● Monday 13th January - Assembly day in the Sports Hall
● Thursday 16th January - Year 11 and 13 revision sessions
● Thursday, January 2025 start - Yr13 Biology and Physics Intervention classes from 3.00pm
● Friday - Lower school mentoring - Students who have completed safeguarding training
Latest 6th Form Bulletins
Bulletin 14 Bulletin 15
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
Congratulations to the following students for their fantastic work in Literacy and during Drop Everything and Write (DEAW)
Millie Mumford – 8Ma
Mia Patel-Webb – 8Ma
Libnah Renju – 8Ca
Owen Langford – 8Hy
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.
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
