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Newsletter 4 - February 2025

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Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope that 2025 is treating you well and that Half Term (when

it arrives) brings some much needed rest and weather both

warmer and a little lighter. Once again, it's been a busy few

weeks since we last wrote to you and the school year is

moving at speed - in fact, at this point in the year, we are over

half way to the Summer Break, with Year 11 time even briefer,

of course.

We returned after Christmas with the important job of passing

on the raised funds that you so generously donated through

the Christmas Fayre and Nativity Services. In all, it was

wonderful to see our Deputy Head Boy and Girl hand over

the cheque for over £900, something that will make a huge

difference to the families involved and again, another way

we can continue to live out our principles of Catholic Social

Teaching. It was greatly moving to hear about the impact of

such fundraising and the pupils were able to reflect on how,

when we work together, we can achieve great things.

It has also been a time of reflection and direction setting for

some of our older pupils. Those in Year 9 have begun to

consider their options for Key Stage 4 and some in Year 11

have been engaged in college interviews and considering life

beyond St Richard's. In both cases, the levels of maturity and

consideration has been really pleasing; the options choices

are being worked on now after the submission deadline of

January 31st and, in Year 11, the preparation for meeting

those college acceptance grades is already underway and

has done much to focus Mock Examination Round 2 which

concluded for Year 11 this Friday. The need to prepare for

the summer series of exams will be lost on no-one and I know

that many pupils have been accessing intervention sessions

both before and after school. As we approach the Easter

holidays, we'll be in touch with parents and carers of Year 11

to outline further targeted support.

Many of you will also be aware that we've been working hard

on our evaluation and planning for continual developments

within the Catholic life and mission of the school. Last week,

Fr. Kevin, members of the clergy, parishioners, along with

Mr Campbell and myself met at school to investigate further

the ways forward as a moderated parish. At St Richard's,

we're really excited to be part of these meetings and will look

forward to supporting this important work in the life of our

school and community. In fact, the work we've been doing in

school will be the subject of our Parental Partnership meeting

on February 27th between 6 and 7pm at school. Parents and

carers are invited to come and hear from me about the work

we've been involved in and to offer thoughts on areas for

development within this central aspect of our school. It will

also be an opportunity for me to hear about what you might

like future meetings to cover. So please save the date if this

is of interest to you. You can sign up to reserve your place at

the meeting here.

It was also pleasing to meet with parents and carers

regarding the consultation of becoming part of the BOSCO

Catholic Education Trust. The consultation ends on February

14th and I'll be in touch with next steps depending upon the

findings of this process. I'd like to thank all of you who have

responded already, watched the video presentation, attended

face to face meetings or the on-line chats with myself.

On Monday, 3rd February, the school was proud to host the

Youth Speaks Public Speaking competition run by the Rotary

Club of Bexhill, where our wonderful Year 8 pupils came

second. Details of the event appear within this edition and

we are immensely proud of all participants. Congratulations

to those who won prizes in the Lion's Peace Poster National

competition, and also to our choir who took part in the

Holocaust Memorial Event at The Congress Theatre in

Eastbourne. These are further examples of the talents and

dedication of our pupils and their willingness to be involved,

making the most of the opportunities St Richard's has to offer.

Term 4 begins on Monday, February 24th and we look forward

to welcoming the pupils back then. As ever, I welcome your

support in ensuring that our uniform expectations are met.

Have a wonderful half term, everyone.

Paul Barber, Principal

Page 1

Newsletter 4 - February 2025

A High Performing Specialist Science School

February 2025

St. Richard’s Catholic College

Ashdown Road, Bexhill-On-Sea

East Sussex TN40 1SE

Tel: 01424 731070

Email: admin@strichardscc.com

www.strichardscc.com

Principal: P Barber, NPQH, NPQEL, FCCT, BA (Hons)

Newsletter 4

Miss Machin is pictured here with current members

of staff who were lucky enough to be taught by her

throughout her time at St Richard's. We wish Miss

Machin a long and happy retirement.

Goodbye!

At the end of the Autumn Term, we said

goodbye to some dearly loved (and since, much

missed) members of our school community.

Mr Freeman, Miss Machin and Mrs Hardwick

all retired and therefore were treated to the St

Richard’s tradition of a retirement cake made

by our own Mrs Britt and Mr Truss – aren’t they

wonderful? We sincerely hope our colleagues

enjoyed their cakes and also the celebration of

their time at our school. We wish them all the

happiest of retirements.

Pastoral Reports

Year 8

Year 7

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Newsletter 4 - February 2025

Mr Bligh, Pastoral Leader Year 7 - mrblighj@strichardscc.com

As always, I like to share achievements in our newsletter and I want to congratulate Joana on

Mrs Murphy, Pastoral Leader Year 8 - mrsmurphyj@strichardscc.com

Pupil updates

Bella-Rose competed in her first ever dressage competition. She

did brilliantly with comments focusing on control, speed and posture,

succeeding in being awarded with a third place rosette. I am also

so proud to have taken our first set of volunteers to Ambleside Care

Home. Orlando, Dominykas, Ksenia, Poppy, Layla and Presley

were all amazing. They joined in with the ‘Dancing Days’ activities

and supported the elderly residents in taking part, too. Our pupils

represented the school beautifully. A huge well done to Mia, who took

part in a year 8/9 mixed cross country earlier this term and placed 52nd

out of 300, which is an incredible achievement! Please do get in touch

with any exciting updates and successes - whether it’s in music, sport,

art or anything else that is worth us celebrating and sharing.

Year 8 continue to surprise me with their incredible attitude to school. Our pupils are motivated and hard working, and are

beginning to look out for one another as a community. We celebrated LGBT+ Allies Week from Monday, 27th of January

ahead of LGBT+ History Month which takes place this month. Within this, our pupils are working hard to uphold the Catholic

Teachings of Solidarity and Rights and Responsibilities, supporting one another and being allies to those who face any kind

of discrimination. This term we look forward to 8O and 8R completing their charity events. By February half term, over half

of our tutor groups will have taken part in raising money for a charity of their choice, once more highlighting the important

school values of charity and community.

Swiped: the School that Banned Smartphones

I recently watched ‘Swiped: the School that Banned Smartphones’

on Channel 4. It’s a two-part documentary with Matt and Emma Willis

as they take part in an experiment to go screen-free for three weeks.

Within the documentary, they looked at the impact of smartphones

on Year 8 pupils. I would highly recommend it to understand more

about the access our children have when using a smartphone, and the

positive benefits of limiting screen time.

As we approach the half-way mark of Year 7, I am reminded of the journey that

we have all made together. It feels such a long time ago that I started my visits to

catholic feeder schools to start to get to know your child. To say that Year 7 has

embraced the opportunities St Richard’s has to offer is an understatement. They

fully embody our school vision “I have come so that all may have life and live it to

the full”, John 10:10. During our assemblies, we continue to explore Catholic Social

Teachings and put words into action. Over the Christmas period, one pupil, Talan,

teamed up with Dom’s Food Mission and delivered toys to the Demelza Children’s

Hospice at home (see photo). A fantastic role model for us all. Talan (and family)

are now launching a new appeal that I would like Year 7 to get involved in. Talan

would like to take to our local hospital care packages for families who have been

taken into hospital at short notice. I will post on EduLink a list of products that they

feel would be appropriate and launch this in an assembly on Friday, 31st January.

The collection point will be my ofÏce. Hopefully, together we can make a difference

to people in need.

Pupils continue to celebrate their successes by collecting their House Point rewards

from me daily. They can collect them between 08:00- 08:30 . This is always a great

way to start the school day.

In PSHEe pupils will be exploring the following themes in Term 4: Relationships,

Sex Education focusing on ‘the body’, stereotypes and Female Genital Mutilation.

Pupils will also examine British Values and how it impacts on our lives.

PSHE: This term, Year 10 have been focusing on

Gaslighting, Relationships, and Careers in their PSHE

sessions. There was an excellent workshop delivered by

an ex pupil on how to write an effective CV, and this will be

followed up with time in PSHE given over to writing a CV

before the half term break. Alongside the applications for

work experience, and a visit from Sussex Coast College who

talked about Apprenticeships. Hopefully the children have

had some helpful early insights into future jobs and careers,

and how to go about applying for these.

Assemblies: Assemblies have been focused on New

Beginnings, the Catholic Social Teaching value of the

Common Good, the Importance of Praise, and we also

celebrated a Mass together, which was beautifully observed.

On Monday, 27th January, 10H delivered a poignant and

sombre form assembly on Holocaust Memorial Day. This

was brilliantly done, and it was a powerful reminder to the

children of the dangers of discrimination and prejudice. Well

done to Mrs Fegan and Mrs Forster-Simmons, and all of 10H

for doing such an excellent job.

Mocks and Parents Consultation Evening: A reminder

that Year 10 mocks will begin on Tuesday, 22nd April

and will continue for two weeks. Whilst the children of

course have homework and other time constraints, it is still

worth discussing with them their plan for revision and the

importance of being prepared. This will help to lessen anxiety

and build good habits for future mocks and examinations.

The Year 10 Parental Consultation Evening will be on

Thursday, 8th May, and will coincide with the end of the

Year 10 Mocks. This should allow for some discussion from

teachers about how pupils have performed.

Prospective prefects and helpers: Thank you to all

those pupils who volunteered and helped at Parent/Carers’

evenings and events so far this year. Please can I ask them

to keep a record of all the events that they help at to add to

their Prefect applications and CREST Award. This seems a

long way away, but will be very soon in Term 4. Your help has

been invaluable.

Careers Fayre: Year 10 had the opportunity to visit the

Careers Fayre on Thursday, 29th January. Colleges,

apprenticeship providers and employers from the local area

were available for pupils to speak to and discuss possible

career paths.

Extra-Curricular activities: There are plenty of extra-

curricular clubs and activities for Year 10 pupils to get

involved in at lunchtime and after school. Please encourage

your child’s attendance to at least one club per term.

Homework: All pupils should be checking their EduLink

daily. All homework should be completed to the required

standard and be handed in on time. Year 10 homework

should be taking a minimum of 60 minutes per piece.

If all homework is complete, pupils should be spending

this time reviewing their work or revising for any tests or

the Year 10 mock exams. All Year 10 pupils are aware of

the consequences around homework and the additional

consequences for repeat offenders.

If your child is struggling with organisation or completing

the homework due to understanding, Prep Club and Prep

Club Plus run every week Monday to Thursday 3.15-5pm

and Friday 3.15-4.30pm to further support pupils with their

homework.

Key Dates:

Year 10 Parents Evening: Thursday, 8th May

Year 10 Mocks begin: Tuesday, 22nd April

Year 10 Work Experience: 16th - 20th June.

Many thanks in anticipation for your continued support.

Wishing you an enjoyable and restful February break.

Parents’/ Carers’ Evening: It was great that so many

parents/carers could attend the evening face to face. I would

encourage any parent with concerns to communicate either

with the relevant class teacher or directly with me so that we

can work together if you were unable to attend the evening

or have further questions.

House Points: Pupils in the year group are continuing to

thrive; this has been obvious with the number of house

points that have been attained. Please continue to monitor

EduLink to see how your child is doing. Certificates, badges

and postcards will continue to be awarded as part of our

rewards incentives.

Assemblies and Liturgy: Year 9 have had several

assemblies this term. The topics of the assemblies have

included GCSE options and wellbeing.

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Newsletter 4 - February 2025

Mrs Hills, Pastoral Leader Year 9 - (mrshillsa@strichardscc.com)

Year 9

Mr Steele, Associate Assistant Principal, Pastoral Leader Year 10, mrsteelej@strichardscc.com

Year 10

I would like to thank the pupils for a successful start to 2025.

The majority of the year group continue to impress me with

their work ethic, general kindness and positivity.

All forms with the exception of 9U and 9H have also

prepared for and taken part in their own form services. It is

always such a pleasure to start the day by attending these

pupil led services.

PSHEe: Year 9 have been focusing on economic and

financial understanding during PSHEe this term. Next

term they will focus on character education and substance

misuse. During registration time pupils are also given

opportunities to explore relaxation techniques, access

wellbeing tips and practise their numeracy and literacy skills.

Time is also set aside during the week for completion of The

Crest.

Options: Following on from the Curriculum Evening, Year 9

have now selected their option choices for Year 10. Forms

should have been submitted to form tutors by Monday,

31st January 2025; please refer to the curriculum booklet

for further information. If you have any concerns please do

contact Mr Jacobs, your child’s Form Tutor or myself.

I have been impressed with the way Year 11 are tackling the

second round of mocks. There has been a calm and hard

working atmosphere before exams. One request; I would ask

for your support to continue to ensure your child is in school

before 8:40 am for the rest of the school year (which will

be over much sooner than you think with the Prom only six

months away.)

Intervention: Morning and after school intervention

reconvene on Monday, 10th February. These have been

very well attended and useful and will continue until the final

exams begin in May.

Charity: Year 11 have their annual Valentine’s Day charity

event where anonymous buyers can purchase songs and

roses for another pupil to be delivered on the last day of term,

Thursday, February 13th. It is always a jolly and fun event.

College Interviews: Hopefully, the following should clear up

any questions: attendance at college interviews is marked as

authorised attendance. Please send in proof of the interview

to attendance@strichardscc.com notifying the Attendance

OfÏcer of the time your child needs to leave school. It may

be possible to change the time of the interveiw if this means

missing school. This should be done if your child is likely

to miss more than two periods of the school day or a mock

examination. If your child has not received a date for their

college interview - do not worry, colleges invite pupils in

waves. It is likely that your child will be called to interview in

due course.

Attendance: Please ensure that your child is catching up on

any work missed due to absence. It is essential pupils keep

on top of their learning. There is a direct correlation between

pupils who attend school regularly and GCSE success.

Final Examinations Timetable:

Please click here or the GCSE Examinations timetable for

Summer 2025. A reminder that all JCQ documents that

pupils, parents and carers should become familiar with are

available here.

Key dates

28th February - Year 11 Mock results to parents/carers

6th May - Year 11 Drop timetable begins to support exam

preparation.

8th May - GCSE exams begin

18th June - GCSE exams end

19th June Year 11 Prom at the Cavendish Hotel, Eastbourne

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Newsletter 4 - February 2025

Safeguarding and Pupil Wellbeing

Year 11

Mr R Doherty, Assistant Principal, Pastoral Leader Year 11 - mrdohertyr@strichardscc.com

St Richard’s is an Operation Encompass School. Operation Encompass aims to reduce

the long-term impacts of domestic abuse by providing early intervention and support.

When the police attend incidents of domestic violence or abuse where children are

directly or indirectly involved, they notify the designated safeguarding lead at the child’s

school before the start of the next school day. The safeguarding lead then makes sure

the child gets the immediate support that they need. The programme operates in all

police forces in the UK. It is available for every school in every police force area. If you're

a parent or carer concerned about a child affected by domestic abuse, please speak to

Emma Dann, Designated Safeguarding Lead at School, or your child’s Pastoral Leader.

Welfare Visits:

Please ensure that all details for addresses and phone numbers are up to

date for all pupils via EduLink or by emailing admin@strichardscc.com. If a

pupil is not in school, contact should be made on the morning of absence

and each morning following. If there are concerns for a child’s welfare or

an unauthorised period of absence for an extended period of time, a staff

member will contact home and also arrange a welfare visit to meet the pupil

at home and check on their wellbeing and safety.

Lucy, Parent and Carer Practitioner from ‘me and my mind,’ Mental Health

Support Team is running an Exam Stress coffee morning session at the

school on Tuesday, 18th March at 9-10.30am for parents and carers. We

welcome you to come along to the coffee morning to learn about ways to

support your young person with issues around anxiety and worry during

their exams.

You can book your place for this event by clicking here

or talking to Emma Dann.

Pupil Leadership

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Newsletter 4 - February 2025

The St Richard’s Bake Off

The third Great St Richard’s Bake Off took place at the end of the Christmas term.

As always, there were some amazing creations and so much hard work had gone

into each and every cake. Well done to all of you. As always, we had to pick some

winners and the following pupils really impressed the judges.

•

1st prize and overall winner, gaining 20 House points, was Joey in Year 7

•

2nd prize was Leo in Year 9 gaining 15 House points

•

Joint third prize and 10 House points went to Andreas in Year 8 and Arabella

and Kimberly in Year 9

Mrs Taylor-Singfield

The Crest Award

A quick reminder for all parents and pupils that The Crest Award can be completed

throughout Years 8, 9 and 10. The aim of the Award is to encourage pupils to take

part in activities beyond the classroom and to embrace the ethos of the school by

representing the school, speaking to and learning from others, and by sharing their

experiences.

All the information needed to complete the award can be found on Google

Classrooms where each year has its own Crest Classroom. There are eight letters

that can be achieved to complete the whole Award. Once a pupil has completed

four letters, they will receive their Bronze Award, six letters, their Silver Award and

all eight letters, their Gold Award. Pupils also receive five House points for every

letter they complete.

Many pupils are already taking part in the Award but it would be encouraging to see

all pupils making an effort. Pupils in Year 10 who want to be considered for prefect

status, or for Head Boy or Head Girl, need to have completed at least six of the

eight letters in the Award. This is easily achievable as they have three whole school

years to do it. Completion of the Award is also something that can be included on

pupils' college applications. Please take a look at the relevant Google Classrooms

for more information and do not hesitate to email me at mrselliss@strichardscc.com

for further information. Mrs Ellis

Surviving Christmas

Our community came together on Wednesday, 11th December to

fundraise and donate items for Surviving Christmas - a local charity

that we support annually. We were blown away by the generosity

shown by our school community, who truly showed our Catholic

Social Teaching values of Solidarity and Preferential Option for the

Poor. We raised £911.45 in total, which was presented by cheque

to Megan from Surviving Christmas in an assembly on the first day

back.

A very big thank you to everyone who donated and supported on

the day. Mrs Holder

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Newsletter 4 - February 2025

Chaplaincy

This new year, we are excited to be joining all catholics

around the world to celebrate a very special Jubilee year.

Pope Francis has selected the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope‘, and

we hope to ensure we are taking time this year to explore and

deepen our relationship with God during our school day and

beyond.

Advent Service

Our Advent Service this year focused on the concept of the

‘Chosen Family’, reflecting on the holy family and how, like us,

Mary and Joseph were chosen to receive the baby Jesus and

how this may have been daunting, but their response is one

we can also follow. Deacon Eugene and Fr Stephen joined

us for our in-school celebrations and Fr Stephen recorded a

message for the evening. My thanks, as always, to Mrs Byrne

(choir) Mrs Potter (orchestra), Miss Jefferies (drama) and

Mrs Knight (dance) for their efforts to create a very visual and

moving reflection to prepare us for Christmas. Thanks also to

Mr Lyons for the IT support.

Year 10 Mass

Year 10 celebrated their Mass with Fr Stephen to begin the

new year. Pupils contributed to the readings and the singing

was excellent. It is very true what St Aquinas said, ‘he who

sings prays twice’... certainly Year 10 created a really spiritual

atmosphere with their enthusiastic singing. Many thanks

to Year 11 pupils Michelle, Dan and Henry for serving as

Extraordinary Ministers of Communion. Fr Stephen reminded

Year 10 to put themselves out of their comfort zone and

perhaps even volunteer to do ministries such as reading in

their own parishes.

Mindful Colouring Club

The Mindful Colouring Club is held every lunch time in the

chapel, except Tuesdays. This is open to all and is a chance

to have some quiet reflective time colouring bible quotes and

other liturgical items.

Youth SVP

We recent held our first termly meeting after school and quickly began to prepare our first activity of this term. Jack opened

proceedings, welcoming new Year 8 members and explaining the new campaign being run by Bexhill SVP - comfort

packages and how they would like Youth SVP to run a competition to design a logo to represent this new campaign. See our

next newsletter to find out who wins this logo competition.

Lourdes Pilgrimage

Applications Open!

Year 10 and 11 - applications are now open. You

can apply via the Pilgrimage website here: A&B

Lourdes application. Remember this is not a trip

organised by the school so places will fill up fast.

If you know of anyone in Year 12 or 13 who would also be interested in this, please encourage them

to apply as a Young Helper (Purple Shirt) or any adults who would like to be Helpers through the

same link above. The Pilgrimage relies on volunteers to ensure they can take as many sick or frail

pilgrims as possible, so the more volunteers the better. Perhaps consider this for the whole family.

Page 7

Newsletter 4 - February 2025

Dance

Advent Service

It was so lovely to see the Year 9 Dance Company taking to the stage for the Advent service, dancing

to open the liturgy, focusing on the theme ‘Chosen Family of God’. Eliza danced a beautiful solo which

she choreographed and the Dance Company were delighted to be dancing ‘Mary’s Boy Child ', a school

tradition, with the choreography being a legacy from Dance Company members of the past.

Time to Dance

We are preparing for our annual performance at

the ‘Time to Dance’ festival at the White Rock

Theatre which takes place on Wednesday, 7th

February. This year, the Dance Company has been

invited to perform, with brand new choreography

being created with the theme being ‘Memories.’

Good luck to all involved. Tickets available from the

White Rock booking ofÏce here.

Let’s Dance

The St Richard’s Catholic College Boys’ Dance Company show

a commitment and real passion for dance. They are delighted to

be gaining the experience of dance through live performance in a

professional theatre. They have been invited to perform at a wonderful

show which brings together young people from local schools and

colleges in a unique celebration of dance. The performance will be at

the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne on Wednesday, 2nd April 2025

and the dancers are very excited to be taking to the stage. Tickets

available from the Congress Theatre booking ofÏce here.

MOVE IT!

In December, after a successful audition, Eliza was pleased to receive the amazing

news that she had been selected to perform at MOVE IT. This means she will have

the opportunity of dancing on the main stage at the MOVE IT Dance event in London

which is one of the biggest dance events of the year. She recently began rehearsals

with 26 other talented dancers in a contemporary group piece. Elisa cannot wait until

March to perform in London’s Excel Arena. Congratulations, Eliza, and enjoy this

fantastic opportunity.

Dance Showcase

The Dance department will be presenting a Dance Showcase at St Richard's in the main

hall on Wednesday, 26th March at 6.30pm. It will last approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.

We hope that you will be able to attend this exciting event and be able to enjoy the evening

with us. You are not required to buy a ticket for this occasion but we would be very grateful

for any donations on the door. The proceeds will go towards purchasing costumes and

providing professional workshops for the dance department The PFTA will be selling

refreshments during the evening and we thank them for their support.

Drama

I would like to start by thanking all the puils

who took part in the advent celebration. It was

a wonderful expression of their passion and

creativity. This term has been rather exciting

for Drama as Year 11 attended a showing of

‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ at the

Phoenix Theatre, London in the first week of

term. The show was outstanding, with out of

this world lighting and special effects. It was

very well received. The pupils behaved in an

exemplary manner, and set a brilliant example.

It has expanded the pupils' design knowledge

and it will be a great show to revisit!

With the first round of Year 10 mocks starting soon, I would like to wish the Year 10’s

good luck, and remind all that mandatory intervention sessions take place on Fridays for

Drama, and are communicated to students as required. I would also like to encourage

parents of Year 10/11 to purchase revision guides through the Drama department, as

these can be used in intervention and have proved very useful in the past. There will also

be a range of resources available on the Google classroom. Please do send me an email

if you have any questions.

Mrs Knight, Teacher of Dance

Miss Jefferies, Drama teacher

St Richard’s Theatre Company

is currently working on a

wonderful piece for the Easter

Celebration, but Year 7 Drama

club is still running as usual on

Tuesday lunchtimes.

LAMDA sessions are running

at the moment with Lizzie Hills,

and will be continuing to the end

of the year - thank you to the

parents who showed interest so

quickly! If your child would like

to partake in LAMDA next year,

please speak to me so I can add

them to a priority list.

Music

On Monday, 27th January the St Richard’s Catholic College

Choir sang at the Congress Theatre, Shackleton Rooms

as part of the Holocaust Memorial Concert. They had been

specifically asked by Dorit Oliver Wolff, an accomplished

musician, public speaker and author. She is also a

Holocaust survivor who has dedicated her life to educating

others about the consequences of the Holocaust. The choir

was outstanding! They moved people to tears with their

beautiful performances of ‘What The World Needs Now’

and ‘From a Distance’. These will be going on the school

website for all to listen to soon.

Congress Theatre - Shakleton Rooms

Year 10 Assembly - The Choir sang for the Year 10 assembly

on Holocaust Memorial Day. It was very moving indeed.

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Newsletter 4 - February 2025

Theory Exams: Queenie and Michalina in Year 11 have both

taken their Grade 5 theory examinations this term. We wish

them well with their results.

Instrumental lessons

Trial Brass Lessons - A few of our talented musicians have

been selected for an amazing opportunity to have a trial brass

lesson with our talented teacher, Michael Pilley. Mrs Byrne and

Mrs Potter have been so impressed with the Year 8 cohort and

a selection of Year 9 pupils. This will be a great opportunity for

them to see if they would like to take this any further. Watch

this space. We may have a future Louis Armstrong amongst

us! If you would like to sign up for brass lessons with Michael

Pilley, please click here.

Not sure which instrument to pick?

Click here for some ideas.

Coming up.....

London Mozart Players - GCSE Music Performance

Now That’s What I Call (Classical) Music: Baroque to Rock

Thursday, 6th March 2025, 7.30pm - De La Warr Pavilion

Calling GCSE Music students! Hear the 2025 syllabus set

works performed by a professional orchestra.

Please click here for further information.

KS3 Trip to see the world

premier at Glyndebourne

On Wednesday, 26th February

40 pupils will be going to see

the world premier of ‘Uprising’,

a new opera at Glyndebourne

Opera House.

Year 10 Workshop

Our Year 10 GCSE musicians

will have an informative and

exciting workshop led by

professional musicians from

the London Mozart Players.

Annual Music Concert *Please note the change of date*

Tuesday, 11th March at 6pm

Please come along to support the music department and our talented pupils.

We will have many ensembles and soloists during the evening: Orchestra,

Band Night, St Richard’s Choir, String Group and much more.

We wish all our Year 11 pupils the best of

luck with their GCSE solo and ensemble

performance recordings. I am sure they

will all do really well as they have been

working extremely hard.

Mrs Byrne, Subject Leader Music

Careers Fayre:

Pupils in Years 8, 9 and 10 had the opportunity to visit the Careers Fayre on Thursday,

30th January. Colleges, apprenticeship providers and employers from the local area

were available for pupils to speak to and discuss possible career paths.

Mrs Adams, Careers Lead

Careers

SEND

(Special Educational Needs

and Disabilities)

Page 9

Newsletter 4 - February 2025

Three common mistakes pupils make with revision – and

how to fix them!

Whether preparing for an end of unit test or putting together a

study timetable in the run-up to summer GCSEs, all pupils need

to know how to revise. Many will spend time revising, but not find

it as useful as they could because of some common mistakes

made in revision methods. Here are three of those common

mistakes, and some more productive alternatives!

1. Passive Revision

Mistake: Many pupils believe reading their notes or highlighting

text is sufÏcient for exam preparation. While it feels productive,

these method don’t actively engage the brain.

Fix: Encourage active revision techniques such as using

flashcards, mind maps, or cheat sheets. Pupils can use these

methods to test their memory and create visual representations

of their learning, improving their recall ability.

2. Remembering Without Understanding

Mistake: The whole purpose of exams is to demonstrate that

information has not only been remembered, but has been

understood. Unfortunately, students often focus purely on rote

memorisation.

Fix: Encourage deeper understanding by using techniques such

as explaining topics to others (the “Feynman Technique”), using

diagrams, and connecting new information to what they already

know.

3. Forgetting Wellbeing

Mistake: Many pupils experience burnout when preparing for their

exams by overworking themselves and neglecting their wellbeing.

Not only does this have a negative effect on exam performance,

it affects all areas of their lives.

Fix: Reinforce the importance of self-care and stress

management. Make it clear that it's perfectly okay to take breaks,

see their friends, or give themselves a reward when a goal is

achieved or a target is met.

What’s coming up this term?

•

Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th February: All pupils

in Year 8 will be assessed using the screening tool

Lucid Exact over two days: 8FLOU pupils on Mon

10th February, and 8RISH pupils on Tues 11th

February. This assessment gives information about

a range of skills and abilities, and helps inform us

on where pupils would benefit from intervention,

exam access arrangements or further individual

support. Please contact Mr Smith or Mrs Tadros if

you have any queries about this.

•

Friday, 14th February: Our staff INSET has a

whole-school SEND focus – while pupils enjoy

a well-earned day off at the end of term, we look

forward to spending the day planning ahead to

meet all our pupils’ needs at school. There will be

an update in the next newsletter!

•

Wednesday, 5th March: SENCo Drop-in for

parents/carers, 3:30pm – 4:30pm in the school

library – Mr Smith will send an invitation to parents/

carers; please advise him if you would like to

attend.

•

Thursday, 13th March: Year 8 Parent/Carer

Consultation Evening, 4pm – 7pm. Mr Smith will

again send an invitation to parents/carers for them

to make appointments for this evening.