Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter which you’ll
find is in our new ‘slimmer’ format following the really positive
response to the last edition. As you might expect, it has been
a very busy and productive term. Year 11 have undertaken
their ‘mocks’ in preparation for their final exams which will
come over the horizon extremely quickly. Now is the time for
calm focus, preparation and making the most of their last full
term at school.
Since I wrote to you last, we have also undergone a
Diocesean review of our RE and Catholic Life provision. Our
advisor was effusive in his praise for our pupils, their conduct
both within lessons and around the school and enjoyed his
visit tremendously. He was also very impressed with how
‘industrious’ and informed the classes he observed were
in terms of their progress and next steps. I look forward to
sharing the full report with you as soon as I can.
It has also been wonderful to welcome so many of you
into school over the past term. SEND drop-in events have
been well attended as was the Year 10 Parents’ Evening. It
was also wonderful to see so many of you at our Musical
Showcase last week. Huge thanks again to all involved and
to the large number of parents who got in touch to
congratulate those participating. All of these kind words have
been forwarded to the staff and children concerned and we
look forward to the next time! I’m pleased to say our public
performances didn’t end there, with the SAD Club production
earlier in the term which was also well supported and
showcased more St Richard’s talent!
In the concluding weeks of term, I’m happy to say we didn’t
show any signs of slowing down with the Dance Showcase,
CAFOD Walk and Easter Services for pupils all keeping
us focussed, reflective and engaged. We’ve also begun to
welcome our new Year 7 pupils, starting in September, into
school for tours with families. It has been really exciting to
meet everyone and start to think about what September will
bring. There will be further opportunities for this transition
work across the summer in order to ensure we’re all ready for
the autumn term.
For now though, let’s look back at the spring and remember
all the achievements we’ve had. As you’ll see in the following
pages, it’s been a highly successful term and we now look
forward to a prayerful and restful Easter.
Term 5 resumes on Monday, 15th April and we look forward
to welcoming the children back in full uniform and ready to
give of their best. We’ll update families about any move to
summer uniform in good time.
I wish you a wonderful break and will see you all in Term 5.
Paul Barber, Principal
Page 1
Newsletter 5 - March 2024
A High Performing Specialist Science School
March 2024
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 5
Dates for Terms 5 and 6
First Day of Term 5 for pupils
-
Monday, 15th April 2024
PTFA meeting
-
Tuesday, 23rd April (7:00pm-8pm)
Year 8 Parents’ Evening
-
Thursday, 25th April (5:00pm-8:00pm)
Parental Focus Group (am)
-
Wednesday, 8th May (9:15-10.30am)
Parental Focus Group (pm)
-
Thursday, 9th May (6:00pm-7:15pm) - online
End of Term 5
-
Friday, 24th May
First Day of Term 6 for pupils
-
Monday, 3rd June 2024
PTFA Meeting
-
Tuesday, 4th June (7pm-8pm)
Year 7 Parents’ Evening
-
Thursday, 13th June
MUFTI day for Summer Fayre
-
Thursday, 13th June
PTFA Summer Fayre
-
Saturday, 15th June
Final Exam Date
-
Tuesday, 18th June
Parental Focus Group (am)
-
Wednesday, 19th June (9:15am)
Year 11 Leavers’ Morning
-
Wednesday, 19th June
Year 11 Prom
-
Wednesday, 19th June
BLOCK Day for Years 7-9
-
Thursday, 20th June
BLOCK Day for Year 7
-
Friday, 21st June
INSET Days (school closed for pupils)
-
Monday, 24th & Tuesday, 25th June
New Intake Evening for September 2024 admissions
-
Wednesday, 26th June
Parental Focus Group (pm)
-
Thursday 27th June, (6:00pm-7:15pm) - online
New Intake Days
-
1st, 2nd & 3rd July
Summer Production
-
3rd, 4th, 5th July (evening performances)
Sports Day
-
Wednesday, 10th July
End of Term 6
-
Friday, 19th July
Results Day
-
Thursday, 22nd August (9am-11am)
Pastoral Reports
Year 7
Page 2
Newsletter 5 - March 2024
Mr Bligh, Pastoral Leader Year 7
mrblighj@strichardscc.com
Year 7, once again, continue to shine here at St Richard’s. This term, we have built on many of the successes of the
previous months of hard work and determination. One of the many highlights was a lovely letter received from Chestnut Tree
House sharing that the year group raised £661.60 for their Reindeer Run. Well done to everyone who took part!
A focus for Term 4 has been kindness. In assemblies, we have explored how kindness has a ‘ripple effect’ and often
‘boomerangs back to you’ that not only makes people around you happy, but also makes you happy too. I shared this
kindness diary with all of Year 7 to see if they could complete the daily challenges. This has linked in really well with our
preparation for Easter, with a focus on reconciliation, fasting and collective worship.
After Easter, we come back to the summer term when I am hoping the weather
improves! Year 7 will also be assisting me in preparing next year's cohort as part
of their transition programme and I am sure my current Year 7s are going to be
very proud of showing off their achievements. In Term 5, I will be inviting all the
Year 7s to a cinema evening where we will enjoy a film and eat some hotdogs and
popcorn!
As always, I like to share achievements in our newsletter and I want to
congratulate Joana on reaching her black belt in karate. An awesome
achievement!
In PSHEe during Term 5, the pupils will be exploring British Values & Careers.
As always, I like to share achievements in our newsletter and I want to congratulate Joana on
reaching her black belt in karate. An awesome achievement!
PSHEe:
This term, pupils have been exploring how to manage their
money, discussing credit cards, student loans, interest and
banking. Hopefully they have found this a useful insight into
real-world finances and will feel better prepared for when
they begin to take responsibility for their own money. Next
term’s PSHEe focus will be RSE, with lessons on healthy
relationships, understanding the HPV vaccine and sex
education.
Assemblies:
In assemblies this term, we have explored Lent, its origins,
and how to turn “giving up” into a positive. There was an
assembly on “Snitching” and we discussed how this term
is often used as a way of bullying and intimidating victims,
allowing those who want to damage society for selfish
reasons to face no consequences. I hope that the pupils
considered this in terms of their own responsibility to report
poor behaviour which damages the school and affects the
privileges all pupils want to enjoy. A look at disability and
challenging stereotypes around disabilities encouraged Year
8s to empathise with others and put themselves in the shoes
of others, whilst also celebrating the achievements of some
who have overcome disabilities that can make day-to-day life
a challenge.
Reasons to celebrate
Well done to Violet in 8I whose photo “Shake It Off” was
shortlisted for the RSPCA Young Photographer competition
(see below). We wish you the best of luck!
Youth Social Action Day
Year 8 were awarded funding from BBC Children in Need’s
‘Youth Social Action Fund’ to engage them with local causes
and national issues. The day at the De La Warr Pavilion was
a brilliant opportunity for Year 8 to consider how they can use
their voice and take part in action that can make a difference
regarding causes they are passionate about. A big thank you
to Emma Dann and Jo Doyle for organising and making the
day a success.
We are now over half way through the year, and it is
important that the children continue to push themselves in
all areas of school life, rather than resting on their laurels
as they are now comfortable and settled. A reminder that
Prep Club runs Monday to Friday, and Prep Club Plus
runs Monday to Thursday, for any pupils who struggle with
completing homework.
Year 8
Year 9
Mr Steele, Pastoral Leader Year 8
mrsteelej@strichardscc.com
Page 3
Newsletter 5 - March 2024
Year 8 and 9 Talent Show
Thank you to all who took part in the wonderful
talent show this month. Money was raised for
charity, with acts that included singing, dancing,
poetry and musical instrument renditions.
The event was won by Finley for his stunning
performance of “Hallelujah”. Second place
was won by Aden in Year 9 with a stirring drum
performance, and finally in third place was
Lucia in Year 8 for her fantastic tap and song
combo. Well done, to all three! Well done also,
if you were brave enough to show off your
talent, and if you were generous enough to give
up your time to come and watch.
PSHEe
During PSHEe, the pupils have been completing the careers
skills unit and attended a careers workshop, providing an
insight into life after St Richard’s. Our assemblies have
included 9F’s assembly on the topic of resilience. In Term 5,
we will be focusing on emotional health and wellbeing.
Charity Events:
The Year 8 and 9 Talent Show had an incredible range of
acts including singers, musicians and comedians. Well done
to Aden in Year 9 for coming second with his great drumming
skills and to all who took part or attended the event. Money
raised has gone to our local food bank to help support
families within our community. Well done to 9I for their
charity event, a cake sale, to raise money for Comic Relief
and the local charity Warming Up the Homeless.
As we approach Easter, I would like to thank the vast majority of Year 9 who continue to give of their best in the classroom
and wider school community. All pupils have submitted their option choices and will be notified of their history and
geography GCSE classes by the end of term.
Page 4
Newsletter 5 - March 2024
Mrs Hills, Pastoral Leader Year 9
(mrshillsa@strichardscc.com)
Congratulations
During this term, sixteen junior rowers from the Bexhill
Rowing Club headed up to the Copper Box Arena, Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park, for the National Junior Indoor
Rowing Championships, including Demelza and Isabel from
Year 9. Isabel came 177th and Demelza 154th, a great
performance for their first year!
Achievement points
Although many pupils continue to accumulate an impressive
amount of Achievement points, there seems to be somewhat
of a decline in the amount some pupils are receiving. Please
encourage your child to continue to work hard, both in class
and at home, to complete charity work, support the liturgical
life of the school, attend school as much as they are able,
and complete letters of The Crest.
And finally, although the pupils have chosen the subjects
they would like to study for GCSE, it is imperative that they
continue to try their hardest across the curriculum and enjoy
their last two terms studying a broad subject base.
Extra-curricular clubs
I am happy to confirm that Prep Club and a wide range of
other extra-curricular clubs are taking place daily. With
the days growing lighter, and fingers crossed, the weather
improving, please continue to encourage your child to give
a new club a go. This additional enrichment opportunity is a
great opportunity for your child.
Please remember that we are always here to help and we
all want to work closely with yourselves to ensure that your
child is happy and fulfilled, thus enabling them to reach their
full potential. Please do not hesitate to contact myself or your
child’s Form Tutor if you have any concerns.
Have a happy, restful and peaceful Easter break.
Year 9 (contd)
Rewards
I am delighted by the efforts of Rafferty with 419
Achievement points and with Grace, Daniel, Patricija,
Oliver, Michelle, Isabella, Henry, Darren, Isabelle, Mimi,
Macayla, Ciara and Clea who have all amassed over 300
Achievement points.
Assemblies
As I mentioned in my weekly bulletin, Year 10 had a singing
practice assembly a few weeks ago and it was a great
success. I was very pleased with their efforts and hope to
repeat this soon. I have spoken to Year 10 in assembly
about the application process to become Prefects, Senior
Prefects, Deputy Head Girl/Boy, Head Girl and Head Boy.
The Application went live on 13th March and is in the Year
10 Google Classroom.
PSHEe
During Term 4, Year 10 have been looking at SRE Education
focusing on the ‘qualities of a good relationship’. In Term 5,
Year 10 will be looking at Barclay Life Skills (Finance and
the World of Work, Planning Your Finances for the Future).
Year 10 Exams
The Year 10 examinations are due to commence on
Monday, 22nd April until Thursday, 2nd May. The timetable
has been emailed out to all parents and pupils, along with a
revision timetable model. Pupils can edit their own version
of this document on the Year 10 Google Classroom. Year
10 should have already begun to revise for their Year 10
examinations.
Pupils are expected to come prepared for their exams with
all the equipment required. Seating plans will be appearing
on pupils’ EduLink under the ‘exams’ section. Paper copies
of the exam timetable were printed and handed out at
Parents' Evening.
Year 10 Reports and Parents/Carers evening
You will soon be receiving your child's Year 10 progress
report. Please ensure you read this and go through
the report with your son/daughter. Pupils will have an
opportunity in PSHEe to review their report and set targets
for themselves, highlighting areas for further development.
Year 10
Parents’ Evening
Thank you to all parents who came to the Parents/Carers’
evening; it was great to see so many parents and carers
there.The attendance was 90% overall and the top attending
form with 24/26 pupils was 10S. I hope that you gained a
good insight into how your child is getting on and what is
needed to make progress in the imminent mock exams.
Feedback from the parental survey will be shared via the
weekly bulletin with allocated responses to any queries/issues
raised. Individual concerns have been allocated for members
of staff to respond to.
Homework
All pupils should be checking their EduLink daily. It has
come to my attention that some pupils are organising and
completing their homeworks by date due, rather than by date
set, as encouraged to avoid any organisational issues arising.
All homeworks should be completed to the required standard
and should be handed in on time. Year 10 homeworks should
be taking a minimum of 60 minutes per piece. Once again,
as a reminder, if all homework is complete, pupils should
be spending time reviewing their work or revising for future
tests. All Year 10 pupils are aware of the sanctions around
homework and the additional sanctions for repeat offenders.
If your child is struggling with organisation or completing
the homework due to understanding, Prep Club runs every
week Monday to Friday, and Prep Club Plus runs Monday to
Thursday, to further support pupils with their homework.
Many thanks in anticipation for your continued support.
Wishing you an enjoyable and restful Easter break.
I will start this term’s newsletter by highlighting how
impressed I am with the attitude and commitment of our
Year 11 pupils. The pupils have coped well with their second
round of Mock examinations and are working hard to
close the gaps in their understanding. Early morning and
afterschool interventions recommenced from Monday, 4th
March. All pupils who attended interventions prior to the
Mock exams are expected to attend their early morning and
after school sessions. All sessions from Term 5 onwards are
open to all pupils. Please encourage your child to attend all
available sessions (see the timetable here).
The majority of pupils are demonstrating a relentless
approach to their learning, overcoming issues and organising
themselves in such a mature and grown up fashion, and are
ready to take on the challenge of the remaining four weeks
of lessons before their first exam on 16th May.
Year 11 Reports and Mock Results
The Year 11 summative report is due to go out to parents/
carers on Thursday, 28th March. The report highlights the
progress your child has made since September and is a
holistic report. Alongside this report, your child’s most recent
mock results will also go live on Tuesday, 28th March. These
results will give an indication of which grade your child is
currently working at in each subject.
Please note that we are in the process of changing our
management information system, so there may be a
requirement to amend these dates.
Final Examinations Timetable
See here for the GCSE Examinations timetable for the
Summer 2024 examinations. A reminder that all the JCQ
documents that pupils, parents and carers should become
familiar with are here.
Careers interviews
All pupils in Year 11 have a careers interview. Please see
here for help with preparing your child for the interview so
that they can get the most out of it.
Year 11
Page 5
Newsletter 5 - March 2024
The Year 11 ‘Weekly Bulletin’ is sent out every Friday by 4pm via EduLink.
Please ensure you are keeping up to date with weekly news and important information
Mr J Campbell, Senior Assistant Principal,
Pastoral Leader Year 11, mrcampbellj@strichardscc.com
Mr R Doherty, Assistant Principal, Pastoral Leader Year 10
mrdohertyr@strichardscc.com
Key Dates:
•
MFL Speaking Exams: 22nd April – 3rd May
•
BTEC Travel & Tourism: 3rd May pm
•
Final Exam Date: 18th June - Design Technology and
Polish
•
Year 11 Leavers Morning: 19th June
•
Prom Date: 19th June at The Powdermill Hotel,
Battle 6pm - 6.30pm arrival - Carriages at 11pm.
•
Results Day: Thursday, 22nd August 2024
9am -11am
Charity
Well done to all senior prefects
involved in this year’s charity event.
Pupils toured the school singing
amazing love ballads, delivering
roses, chocolates and messages
from admirers! £288 has been
raised for the Willow Tree Children’s
support. I am so proud of everyone
who helped make it a superb event.
Many thanks for your continued support throughout the term.
Wishing you and your families an enjoyable Easter break.
Year 10 (contd)
Page 6
Newsletter 5 - March 2024
Pupil Leadership
This term, we ran an election for our new East Sussex Youth Cabinet. Five people put
their names forward and submitted campaign videos which were shared across the
forms for voting. It was great to hear such a buzz about this around the school; people
felt very passionately about who they were voting for! Ultimately, the person with the
most votes, and our new East Sussex Youth Cabinet Representative, was Henry in
Year 10. Congratulations Henry! Henry will be keeping us up to date with what he
gets up to at the cabinet meetings. We also voted for the ‘Make Your Mark’, a chance
for young people to have a say on what will become the focus of the Youth Cabinet’s
campaigns. Whichever topic has the most votes nationwide will be something that
Henry and the rest of the Youth Cabinet will focus on this year. Our results show that
the majority of our school are concerned about/passionate about: Crime and Safety,
Culture, Media & Sport and Jobs, the Economy and Benefits. Mrs Holder
Wellbeing Ambassadors and Heads of House
The Wellbeing Ambassadors celebrated Children’s Mental
Health Week (5-11 February) by running some fun events
to celebrate ‘My Voice Matters’. They ran a craft session
making friendship bracelets, phone charms and worry dolls.
There were some very creative finished products. They also
ran a boom whacker Karaoke event where there voices were
definitely heard! Thank you to all who participated and raised
awareness of mental health.
The Wellbeing Ambassadors continue to run ‘Time to Talk
Tuesday’ where pupils can learn different crafts and get a
chance to chat. Heads and Deputy Heads of House are
busy planning four charity events for Terms 5 and 6, so
please get involved and support them to gain House points
and raise money for their good causes.
Careers
Work Experience MOCK Interviews
Year 10 pupils will go on a week’s Work Experience in June 2024. In preparation for this, the timetable is suspended for one
morning of activities. The activities include writing a curriculum vitae, role play and health and safety in the workplace. Each
pupil also attends a 20 minute one-to-one interview. I am looking for volunteers to act as interviewers for our WEX morning,
which will take place on 4th June 2024. Each interviewer will see approximately 3-4 pupils over the duration of the morning.
Feedback should be given to the pupils in terms of their CVs and any tips or advice for the future. If you are interested in
being involved in this event or would like further information, please contact me at mrsadamsc@strichardscc.com
Calling all former pupils
Did you go to St Richard’s Catholic College?
If you are a former pupil and would like to support
current pupils, the school would love to hear from
you! Right now, there are pupils in the assembly
hall where you once sat, facing similar challenges
and opportunities that you did. Being connected to
you could really help them. St Richard’s is one of
more than 500 state schools across Britain which
have registered with the charity Future First to set
up networks of former pupils or alumni. It doesn’t
matter when you left school, whether you’re in further
education or employment, whether you still live
nearby or have moved further away, there are still
ways you can help! You can sign up to Future First’s
alumni scheme here.
Work Experience update
As you are aware, the deadline for submitting work experience
placement choices has now passed. Mrs Forte is busy behind
the scenes contacting employers and coordinating with East
Sussex County Council to ensure each placement is suitable.
At the time of writing, Mrs Forte has 14 pupils left to place. If
there has been a problem with your son/daughter's chosen
placements, Mrs Forte will speak with the pupil or contact you
directly to source a solution. Once all of the pupils have been
linked to a work experience placement, (I am hoping this will be
completed by the end of April), details of the placement will be
given to each pupil to share with their parents/carers. This will
include a pupil/parent agreement form which needs to be signed
and returned to the school.
Mrs Adams, Careers Lead/Work Experience Co-ordinator
Chaplaincy
Page 7
Newsletter 5 - March 2024
We are now in the season of Lent and during this time we are encouraged to
focus on three main areas. The first is to give more time to prayer, perhaps
five minutes each day. The second is to fast; this could be not consuming a
favourite food or drink (or even spending less time on Facebook or Twitter!) to
remind us not to become too dependent on material comforts. The third is to
help those in need. If we are able to put these three areas into practice, then
Lent becomes a season of getting closer to God, so that when we reach Holy
Week and Easter, the most solemn and important time in the Church’s year,
we will be well prepared and ready to receive the Risen Lord. May I wish you
every blessing on your Lenten journey.
Jo Doyle - (Lay Chaplain & Teacher of RE)
Deanery Spiritual Council Retreat Day
On Monday, 4th March we welcomed our four deanery Primary School’s
Spiritual Councils. These are Year 4,5 and 6 pupils who have taken over the
leadership of Catholic Life and Ethos in their schools. The Caritas Leaders
Senior Team, some members of the Minister of the Word Club and the Altar
Servers Club helped to support and lead on the day. Pupils created an action
plan on what they could do to support prayer life in their schools and then
explored a resource called ‘Let us Pray 2gether’, created by NDCYS to support
pupils in creating Celebrations of the Word. It was lovely to see the younger
pupils learning from our Caritas Leaders and indeed they brought a wonderful
energy. We ended the day with a Celebration of the Word and a blessing on
their ministry in their schools.
Form and Year Masses
Year 9 were delighted to welcome Fr
Simon to begin their Lenten journey in
a prayerful fashion with a Mass in the
school hall. Fr Simon reminded them
that giving up something in Lent is not
always about sweets or chocolate, but
perhaps we could think about giving up
hateful words or negative interactions
with each other. He also reminded them
that we should see Lent as a starting
point and try to carry those Lenten
promises through to beyond Easter.
Miss Rhodes and Mrs Forster-Simmons
forms, 9U & 9H, also focused on Lent
for their Form Mass and Fr Simon
encouraged them to think of this time
as a time to seek forgiveness and begin
again. 8F and 8R are busy preparing
their form service, as 8L & 8I will be in
the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Music, Drama and Dance
departments are hard at work preparing
for our annual Easter Celebration for
the end of term.
CAFOD Walk and Foodbank Appeal
Our annual CAFOD Walk Appeal took
place on Thursday, 21st March.
Pupils had been sent a sponsorship sheet via EduLink and alongside this, we
asked pupils participate in our Foodbank collection. All food collected will be
distributed in the local area and benefit so many in our own community who
are in need. This is a wonderful way to fulfil our Lenten promise of Almsgiving.
Upcoming Event - SPEC Retreat for Year 9
This is a residential retreat for Year 9 pupils which will be advertised
to pupils in the coming weeks - keep an eye out and sign up.
Chaplaincy Clubs
Wednesday lunchtime
Drop-in for a ‘Moment with God’
Friday morning
Morning Prayer of the Church - 8.15-8.30am
Friday lunchtime
Chapel Band
Each week in the Chapel, we have the following clubs:
The following clubs are also available in the Chapel - details will appear in
Pupil Notices:
Altar Server Club
New and existing servers train practically and
spiritually to serve as Altar Servers in our school.
Minister of the Word Club
Pupils can develop skills in delivering the Word of
God and put this to use in school celebrations.
Year 9 Retreat: 10th-12th May 2024
Year 9 parents/carers will be sent an
email in the coming week about the
exciting opportunity for Year 9 to sign
up for a wonderful residential retreat
at the Diocese of Westminster's
Youth Retreat Centre in Pinner. This
weekend, run by the Youth team, is
an opportunity to reflect on your faith
and spend some time on your own
spiritual and mental wellbeing. See
details of the Centre on their website
here. The total cost for the whole
weekend is £160 - including food,
accommodation and transport. There
are only twenty places available, so
don't miss out!
SEND
Schools-based Keyworker
We are delighted to announced that Mrs N Campbell has
successfully applied for a new post within the school’s SEND
and Pastoral Care team, and will shortly be in post as our
first Schools-based Keyworker. Mrs Campbell will work with
SEND pupils and their families at St Richard’s, and also
our four Deanery Primary partner schools – St Thomas à
Becket, Sacred Heart, St Mary Star of the Sea and St Mary
Magdalene’s, to provide support either in school or in the
home. This will expand our ability to provide direct support for
children and families, without the need for an outside referral.
Mrs Campbell will continue to work closely with in-school
pupils and colleagues. We are really excited to be working
with her in this new role.
Year 11 GCSEs and Year 10 mock examinations
All the very best of luck to Year 11, who begin their GCSE
exams on Thursday, 9th May. We know you’re ready and
can’t wait to see you give your best on the day, and receive
the results you richly deserve in the summer! Year 10 pupils
are soon to begin their first set of mock exams. The whole
Learning Support team would like to wish them all very good
luck for their first experience of formal exams.
What’s cooking?
A group of young chefs in Years 9 and
10 have begun regular cooking sessions
in school! Freya and Darren have been
flipping pancakes with Seb, our OT.
Emotionally-Based School Avoidance (EBSA)
We are embarking on a pilot project with the Local Authority
to help to increasing our knowledge and understanding as a
school of EBSA, and improve our ability to support children
and young people experiencing this. This will involve
working with the local Educational Psychologists service,
and it’s hoped that as a school we can contribute towards
developing knowledge and confidence around EBSA
throughout East Sussex schools.
SEN Magazine
In the most recent edition of the free online magazine, there
are articles on: selective mutism, toxic stress and young
brains, neurodiversity; and wait time, amongst other topics
that may be of interest to all parents/carers.
Upcoming events during Term 5:
Thursday, 25th April 2024, 5pm-8pm: Year 8 Parent/Carer
Consultation Evening. Please contact me to arrange an
appointment: mrsmithi@strichardscc.com
Oliwia, with able assistance from Mrs
Fitzgerald, baked this fantastic banoffee
pie! We all hope there are lots more
goodies to come…!
With very best wishes, Mr Smith and all in the Learning Support department
Page 8
Newsletter 5 - March 2024
Mrs Mead, Subject Leader for RE
RE
It has been a very busy two terms full of exciting topics and discussions in
the classroom.
In Year 7, pupils have continued their
learning of the new RE curriculum. They
completed ‘Galilee to Jerusalem’ last term
and are currently working on ‘Desert to
Garden’. They are taking on the increased
rigour with real passion and enthusiasm.
In Year 8, pupils have completed a topic on philosophy.
They found this unit really engaging with all the
philosophical discussions in class. They are currently
working on a topic called “God is Calling you.” This
topic covers vocation, marriage, confirmation and
ordination. They have been fortunate to have visits
from the local clergy, talking about vocation.
Last term, Year 9 pupils covered a unit called
‘Medical Ethics’ and were fortunate to have
a visit from the local charity Reflect. This
term, pupils have been working on a unit
called “Death and Resurrection.” They have
had a much closer look at the events of
the Paschal Mystery and why this liturgical
season of Lent and Easter is so important for
us as Catholics.
Year 10 have almost completed half of their GCSE course. They will prepare for their mock exams
coming up after Easter. Year 11 have started their revision for their summer GCSE exams and are on a
revision rotation.
(Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)
Music
Page 9
Newsletter 5 - March 2024
London Mozart Players Workshop
The Year 10 Music GCSE group recently had the opportunity to take
part in a workshop with one of the flautists from the London Mozart
Players. Alyson Frazier talked about her professional work and her
musical journey, and shared excellent information about the set
work Badinerie by J.S Bach, which the GCSE groups are currently
studying. This was a workshop that was enjoyed by all.
Music Showcase: March 2024
Congratulations to our talented musicians here at St Richard’s for a
successful concert on Thursday, 14th March. We thank everybody
who came to the concert and donated so generously. All money
raised will go towards musical instruments and resources. This was
a wonderful event where we showcased some of the musical talent
we have here at St Richard’s Catholic College. Pupils performed
with professionalism, confidence and passion. It was noted by quite
a few of the audience members that this was a concert full of joy,
talent and that pupils showed an incredible level of support for each
other. We also had the largest number of ensembles performing
this year. The list of ensembles involved were: Orchestra, Choir,
String Group, Brass Club, Woodwind Ensemble, Band Night, Piano
Quartet, Cello Ensemble and Soloists.
Congratulations to the following pupils for
fantastic music results:
Grade 3 Cello: Oscar (Pass)
Grade 5 Theory: Pablo (Distinction)
Grade 5 Drums: Rafferty (Distinction)
Hastings Music Festival
One of our amazing Year 7 pupils, Lottie,
won a trophy at the Hastings Music Festival
for her piano performance. Congratulations!
Dance
What an amazing term! Huge congratulations
to all the pupils who participated and put in
an enormous amount of hard work to make
all the performances such a success this
term. The annual ‘Time to Dance’ festival
was held at the White Rock Theatre in
Hastings on Wednesday, 7th February. It was
lovely to see the Senior Dance Company
once again performing in a professional
theatre. Well done to all who took part. One
audience member commented: “As always,
St Richard’s dancers stole the show with
their beautiful, polished and moving dance
that held the audience captivated. Such
fantastic talent was witnessed in a thoroughly
executed and mesmerising performance”.
Mrs Knight
Mrs Byrne and Mrs Potter
Spotted! - two of
our pupils, Hana and
Thomas, performing
in Hastings for Fat
Tuesday. Amazing work!
Page 10
Newsletter 5 - March 2024
English
Art
Bedrock Vocabulary Winners
In Term 3, the pupils who achieved the most Bedrock points
were Regina (Year 7), Sarah (Year 8) and Pearl (Year 9).
We also want to celebrate the success of those pupils who
have achieved the most progress for Term 3, Hugo (Year 7),
Paige (Year 8) and Aden (Year 9). Congratulations to all our
winners and well done on your fantastic efforts!
Poetry by Heart
Poetry by Heart is a national competition where pupils are
required to memorise one or more poems and recite it by
heart. Well done to all this year’s participants: Leona, Julie,
Nia, Arabella, Isabel, Regina, Sadie, Joseph, Cora, Alice,
Khloe, Riley, Demelza, Ksenia, Sarah, Jessamy, Rosme,
Kimberley, Ava and Oliwia. These pupils have been learning
and practising their lines tirelessly each week. They have
demonstrated a fantastic level of commitment. We will be
submitting our entries in April and eagerly await the results.
Mrs Bayjou-Bates
This term has been incredibly busy in the English department
with many things to celebrate. Our department has been
working hard to ensure all pupils are making excellent
progress. Preparations are underway for the Poetry by Heart
competition and I would like to thank Mrs Bayjou-Bates and
her pupils for their diligence in preparing for this event. It
will not be long now until the real GCSE exams are upon
us and Year 11 pupils should be revising regularly and over
the Easter holidays. Pupils should be attending after school
intervention with their English teacher every Thursday until
4pm. We wish them the best of luck and would encourage
them to speak with their class teacher about any worries
before the exam starts. Year 11 pupils will also be taking part
in a Language Paper Carousel from the week commencing
11th March and 18th March, to support them with their
revision for both English Language papers.
Miss Rowland, Subject Leader
The English department would like to wish all families a very Happy Easter.
The artist Carne Griffiths, recently ran a very inspiring
workshop for our Year 10 and 11 pupils. They all got so
much out of the day, and the work they produced is very
beneficial to their GCSE portfolios. Mr Peachment
Please visit www.strichardsart.com to see some amazing artwork.
World Book Day
In celebration of World Book Day, we had the wonderful writer
Kate O'Hearn deliver writing workshops in the library. She
was blown away by our students and said, "what a wonderful
school St Richards is. It is a special place, and I thoroughly
enjoyed my day there working with your students. Everyone
seemed to have a good time; I know I did – and I encountered
some wonderful writing talent there."
Miss Kearney
Year 10
The Year 10s have continued to impress us with how well
they have adapted to the demands of KS4 English since the
start of the academic year. Pupils should now be revising
for their upcoming mock exams in April using in class
assessments, teacher feedback and revision platforms to
support them with this. Information regarding the English
Language and English Literature mock exams can be found
below; please encourage and support your child with their
revision for these crucial mock examinations. Click here for
Year 10 mock exam information.
Mrs R Di Mascio