Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to Newsletter Edition Number 7 which can only
mean one thing: the final term of this academic year is
drawing to a close and we're almost ready for the summer
holidays to begin! Before I provide a brief run-down of the
events across this packed term, I wanted to thank you once
again for your support of the school, our staff and pupils
across the last year. It was wonderful to see so many of you
at the recent ‘Oliver! Junior’ production where we all not only
enjoyed the most amazing show, but were also able to come
together in our community and reinforce what makes St.
Richard's so special: a common goal and shared approach
in supporting all the children to enjoy their learning, find their
talents and keep Christ at the centre of all we do. In my
prayers with the cast and crew before the production started,
we gave thanks for our talents and the chance to celebrate
what makes each of the children unique, precious and special
in the eyes of their Heavenly Father. I think we certainly
witnessed that in all of the performances, both on and off
stage.
As one might expect, this has been a term of 'Hello' and
'Goodbye' in many cases for both pupils and staff. We
celebrated our Year 11 Leavers' Day with a Liturgy and
Assembly before joining them at The Cavendish for their
Prom where we danced, gave out awards and enjoyed their
company as a year group one final time. Less than a week
later we welcomed our new Year 6 on not one, not two,
but three consecutive Taster Days, which allowed them to
experience St. Richard's to the full. The group were a credit
to their families and will be ready for September - of that, I
have no doubt.
As we're in the final term, we also bid some staff farewell
and welcome some new faces. Mrs Herring is retiring from
St Richard’s after 24 years of service. We wish her the very
best and welcome Miss Harrington, an experienced French
specialist teacher, in September. Mrs Cook is also retiring
after being at the school since 2011. Current plans include
hiking the Sahara and taking up sailing, but probably not at
the same time. We wish her all the very best and welcome
Mr Connor, already teaching here, in a full time capacity.
Mrs Kempson will also retire in August after being part of
our History Department for two years. She has been an
incredible support to the History team and we will be sad to
see her go. This concludes the teaching staff changes and
I'm delighted to say that we are fully staffed with a specialist
team in all areas, ready for September. Wider staff changes
are in the support team. Mr Hollingsworth, who has worked
here for 14 years, leaves us to join BOSCO as their IT
Leader. We'll still be able to pick Mr. Hollingworth's brains, of
course, as we will follow him to the BOSCO Trust in October
2025. His role is being filled by Mr Duncan, who is promoted
to IT Manager. Mrs Wright, Finance Officer, leaves us after
18 months service and Mr Mewett is headed to University
after being with us for just over a year. Miss Bowman
leaves our SEND team having served as an INA, and Miss
Magbadelo leaves from our Reprographics team to go
travelling after 2 years of service to the school. We wish all
colleagues leaving us happiness for the future. Lastly, we
bid farewell to our Chair of Governors, Mr. Parker-Harding
who has had a long association with the school and has not
only served as a Governor for 16 years, but has also been a
parent of children coming here. He is succeeded by Kirsty
Eydmann as Chair, a previous member of teaching staff and a
colleague steeped in SEND and leadership experience.
Alongside the welcomes and farewells, we've also continued
to ensure we provide the very best experiences for the
children. July 9th saw an amazing Sports Day, won by Rigby
House after some fierce competition, most notably from
Howard House. The final result was only secured after the
final races, which meant high drama and excitement all day
long. Huge thanks too must got to the PTFA for their support
of refreshments throughout the event.
Trips have, of course, continued to go ahead, not just on the
Block Day in June, but this term we have taken pupils out and
about on liturgical trips, sporting tournaments, a residential,
music events, aspirational careers events and supporting our
primary schools.
Once again, thank you in anticipation of your support with our
uniform expectations from the very start of term - polo shirts
will not be permitted and we’ll return to normal uniform. Hair,
make up and jewellery rules apply as normal. Please also
consider the start and end times of the day; from September,
we’ll be opening the gates to pupils no earlier than 7.30am
with pupils needing to be offsite in the afternoon at 3.10pm,
unless attending a supervised club, prep or interventions.
They should, of course, leave directly after their clubs have
finished.
Finally, we have the End of Year Mass planned for the end
of term and a small reminder that school will close for the
summer at 1.15pm on Friday, July 18th. For our current
Year 11, please don't forget that Results Day is scheduled
for August 21st from 9-11am - we look forward to seeing you
then. The autumn term will begin for our new Year 7s and
Senior Prefects on Wednesday, 3rd September at 8.40am,
with the rest of the school joining us on Thursday, 4th
September.
Have a wonderful break, everyone.
Page 1
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
A High Performing Specialist Science School
July 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 7
Paul Barber, Principal
8S: highest number of achievement points,
8O: least behaviour points, 8S: best overall attendance,
8O & 8U: biggest improvements.
Pastoral Reports
Year 7
Page 2
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
Mr Bligh, Pastoral Leader Year 7 - mrblighj@strichardscc.com
Year 8
Mrs Harker,
Pastoral Leader Year 8 - mrsharkerh@strichardscc.com
As this academic year comes to a close I would like to take
this opportunity to thank the pupils of Year 8 for all of their
hard work and efforts over the course of this academic
year, as well as the continued support from our parents and
carers who continue to champion the children’s success.
Liturgy
Thank you to Jo and our clergy for organising and
supporting the year group services and opportunities for
reflection over the course of the year.
Andreas completed a 10k hike and
hosted a very popular cake sale in
June, raising a staggering £573 for
cancer research. Very well done,
Andreas!
Congratulations to Layla, Lottie and Ksenia for achieving
over 500 house points, along with a further 4 pupils who
have achieved over 450 achievement points this year, a
testament to their hard work and outstanding efforts.
Although my time with Year 8 has been brief, I have
thoroughly enjoyed working with all of the pupils over
the last 4 weeks. I have had some of my most proudest
moments witnessing the journeys many pupils have made
and we celebrated these collectively in our final assembly,
with the following form groups being rewarded with a
selection of sweet treats to share.
Celebrations
I also take this opportunity to celebrate the successes of
pupils who have gone above and beyond in their efforts this
last term.
I look forward to seeing all of the pupils continue to
approach their education with positivity and curiosity. Asking
questions, exploring new ideas, and never stopping seeking
knowledge. An enthusiasm for learning will open countless
doors and help you discover your passions. I wish you all a
wonderful summer break and all the very best for Year 9.
Scarlett, Emilia, Amelia and Maria represented St Richard’s
Catholic College at this year’s town sports, which fell on our
inset day on Friday, 27th June. Despite the teams usually
consisting of 6 athletes, the girls did fantastically well and
finished 2nd in their year group out of the other 8 competing
schools - this is an incredible achievement girls, well done!
As we approach the last week of Year 7 the Tutor team
and I have been reflecting on the journey the pupils have
made this year. It seems a blink of an eye since the Year 7s
were walking up the drive on their first day. I could not be
more proud of the way they have embraced all aspects of
school life. To have a Year 7 as the lead role in the summer
production is just one example of how they have impacted
our school community and made it better. All year, I have set
them 3 tasks - be kind, give your best, make a difference to
someone else. If they continue to do this, I am sure they will
overcome the challenges of Year 8.
Mrs Harker (Pastoral Leader Year 8) has already been
getting to know your child and I am confident they will
continue to flourish under her leadership in Year 8.
I hope you all have a restful summer
GCSE Results Day - Thursday, 21st August 2025
Please click here to read important information regarding Results & Post Results.
Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Fletcher, Exams Officer, with any queries or concerns.
Term 1 will begin for Year 7 and Senior Prefects only
-
Wednesday, 3rd September
Term 1 will begin for Years 8, 9 10 and 11
-
Thursday, 4th September
Dates for 2025/2026
Firstly, I would like to wish our prospective Head Girl and
Head Boy candidates good luck in their election campaign
and video presentations. The final candidates for Head Boy
and Head Girl will create and show a short one minute video
of themselves which illustrates the reasons why they would
be an excellent choice. The aim of the videos is to inform
both staff and pupils and will help them to cast their vote.
This has been taking place this week. The results will then be
announced on the last day of term at our end of year service.
The senior prefect team, Deputy Head Boy and Girl will also
be announced on the last day of term. Good luck to all of the
applicants, and well done to all who put their names forward
to be selected.
Prefect voting by staff is now underway. This process both
ensures that the most deserving children are selected for
prefect status who best embody the values and ethos of St
Richard’s, and helps to narrow down the field of pupils who
wish to be in the senior team. Please note: not all children
who apply can be prefects. There are limited numbers
we can accept, and it is inevitable that some children will
be disappointed. We have tried to make the process as
fair as possible via the staff vote, CREST award, house
points and through the prefect application process, as well
as considering a pupil’s conduct, attitude and attendance
throughout Year 10 and preceding years at St Richard’s.
I was delighted to see how well Year 10 got on during their
Work Experience Week, and we have had excellent feedback
from many employers and parents. I have included some
anonymised examples here:
As we approach the end of this year I would like to thank
Year 9 for all of their hard work. I have thoroughly enjoyed
being the Pastoral Leader of a great year group and
confidently leave them in the capable hands of Mr Doherty
who is in the process of completing transition interviews with
all Year 9 pupils in preparation for starting in Year 10. The
summative reports and pupil profiles demonstrate how the
majority of pupils have been fully engaged with their learning
and have contributed to their learning in a positive manner.
Rewards:
Throughout Year 9, pupils have collected House Points.
Special mention should go to the pupils who, at the time of
writing this, have earned over 500 achievement points in
the school year to date: Antalia in 9F, Sharon in 9O, Leona
in 9F, Aada in 9F and Larissa in 9S. Well done! Also to be
commended are 20 other pupils who have achieved over 400
achievement points.
PSHEe:
During this term, pupils have looked at RSE and drugs
education units. They have also taken part in Sports
assemblies.
Liturgy:
We have been able to experience some lovely form services
this year and it has given pupils the opportunity to really
take charge and lead their own liturgy with great success.
We give thanks to the clergy who supported these services
and we do look forward to them returning to school to lead
liturgies in September.
Charity:
There have been a number of charity events in Year 9 this
year that have raised funds for a range of chosen charities.
I hope that as a year group they will continue to share their
compassion and kindness. It is always a pleasure to hear of
the positive impact that our pupils have from members of the
public.
I cannot end the year without showing my appreciation for
an amazing set of tutors, 9F’s Miss Coelho, 9L’s Mr Eyre,
9O’s Mrs Mead, 9U’s Mr Skilton, 9R’s Miss Tallant, 9I’s
Miss Roland, 9S’s Mrs Adams and Mrs Fox and 9H’s Mr
Brett. Thank you for all your hard work with the year group
throughout this academic year.
Finally, may I take this opportunity to thank you, parents
and carers of our pupils, for your support throughout this
academic year and I hope that all of the pupils in Year 9
have a happy and restful summer holiday, and come back
refreshed and ready to begin the challenge of their GCSE
courses. I wish them well as they move into KS4 and Upper
School.
Mrs Hills, Pastoral Leader Year 9 (mrshillsa@strichardscc.com)
Page 3
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
Year 9
Year 10
Mr Steele, Associate Assistant Principal, Pastoral Leader
Year 10, mrsteelej@strichardscc.com
I wish you all the very best as you enter your final year with
us at St Richard’s. Have a wonderful summer, and come
back fresh and ready for the challenges ahead.
A wonderful work experience. A very positive and
encouraging environment. Friendly people who talked
about careers in IT.
My son had a fantastic experience where he was exposed
to every aspect of the cafe’s business; taking orders,
serving customers, food prep, washing up etc. They were
friendly and supportive and really boosted his confidence.
The girls were so polite, friendly, hardworking, and
exceeded our expectations! They got stuck in during a
busy week for us (we had our annual stocktake), so it
was a bit chaotic in store. However the girls did a great
job during this busy environment, and we have had such
positive feedback from our colleagues about both.
Page 4
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
Year 11
Mr R Doherty
Assistant Principal, Pastoral Leader Year 11
mrdohertyr@strichardscc.com
Safeguarding and Pupil Wellbeing
Leaver’s Day and the Prom on the 19th June were a
resounding success. Year 11 behaved impeccably at the
leavers service and celebrated their 5 years at St Richard’s
by singing loudly and listening intently to all the goodbyes
and advice offered to them. Afterwards, there was a lot of
shirt signing and refreshments (thanks to the PTFA) and it
was touching that Year 11 did not want to leave when it came
to the end of the celebrations as they walked across the field
for the last time as pupils.
The prom was thoroughly enjoyed by pupils and staff alike.
The Photobooth and the balloon arch were very popular
and lots of wonderful memories were created. Thank you
for following our drop off and pick up procedures at the
prom. I imagine that this is a very emotional time for both
parents and pupils as they come to the end of their time at
St Richard’s. It has been a pleasure to work with you all and,
as a staff, we have enjoyed watching the young people grow
into such helpful, intelligent and productive young men and
women. I have no doubt that they have made you proud and
that they will continue to do so in the future. They have been
an asset to our school and will be missed.
I wish Year 11 all the best as they begin the exciting next
stage of Key Stage Five. Have a great summer.
Mental Health and positive wellbeing has been a continued focus for the school throughout this academic year. We have
continued to work with our school counsellor, staff mentors, pastoral leaders and the trainee practitioners from the Mental
Health Support Team to support pupils who need to access support for their mental health. We have also continued to
signpost pupils to I-rock (aged 14 - 25) and also e-motion, the online typing counselling service alongside other online
services.
Please click here to view the Parenting Team offer from July to Sept
with lots of online workshops available to support parents.
If your children or young people face a crisis over the summer, they
have all got access to these support services on their homework feed.
Please do remind pupils of this if needed.
Childline: 0800 1111
A free and confidential helpline for children and young people,
available 24 hours a day.
Samaritans: 116123
A charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in
emotional distress, available 24 hours a day.
Shout: Text SHOUT to 85258
A text helpline for young people experiencing a personal crisis or
feeling unable to cope.
I-rock: www.irocksussex.com
A drop in service offering support virtually and face to face, based
in Hastings and Eastbourne.
E-motion: www.e-motion.org.uk
A free online counselling service for young people aged 12-18
living in East Sussex.
If your child experiences a crisis, see the following Crisis Plan:
•
To use the Young Minds Crisis Text Messenger service when struggling – text YM or SHOUT to 85258 and they will text
you back or https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/get-urgent-help/youngminds-crisis-messenger/
•
Contact the Sussex Mental Health line 0800 0309 500 (which is open 24/7) or NHS 111 (option 2).
•
Attend A&E in emergency or if medical treatment required exceeds first aid that can be carried out at home.
•
If you need an ambulance or police support please contact 999.
Mrs Dann, Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mrs R Campbell
Page 5
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
Student Listeners
Congratulations to the following 24 pupils who have been
selected as Student Listeners for 2025-2026. They will be
working closely with the new Year 7 pupils next year and
are excited to provide support and care for our community.
Well done to all 74 pupils who applied. It was very difficult
to select from such a fantastic array of applications. I am
really looking forward to working with the Student Listeners
next year and thank Miss Tester for all her hard work with
them in recent years.
Skye
Lucy
Kimberley
Joseph
Viva
Samuel
Akkish
Niamh
Angelika
Violet
Leona
Gabriel
Aaliyah
Audrey
Lucia
Angelique
Edith
Alysher
Evie
James
James
Harry
Tailynn
Aada
Ellie
SEND
(Special Educational Needs
and Disabilities)
Mr Smith & the Learning Support Department
Contacting the SEND team
If you have a query relating to SEND, please use the new
mailbox, send@strichardscc.com. Your message will then
be directed to the relevant member of staff, whether it is
myself, Mrs Tadros, Mrs Britt, Mrs Kerrigan or Miss Hanlon.
This account is now live, so parents/carers can start to use it
straight away!
Fantastic pupil work!
Two of our pupils with a visual impairment have completed
some incredible work in Fine Art!
Mrs Miller writes:
“All Year 9 Fine Art pupils have learnt this process of gridding
and cross checking. I adapted the photo into a line trace of
the photo (after giving them a chance to work from the photo
first). Another pupil worked directly from the photo. I could not
be more proud!”
Val Larkin Award
Last month, Yazdan in Year 11
was honoured with Third Prize in
the ceremony for the Val Larkin
Award, held to recognise pupils’
writing in both English and their
home language.
The competition is run by the English as an Additional
Language Service (EALS) and provides an annual
opportunity for bilingual pupils to demonstrate their skills.
Very well done to Yazdan, and thank you to Fiona Neda
(EALS teacher) for all her support of our pupils.
Staffing updates
This term we have wished a very fond farewell to Mrs J.
Di Mascio, who has left her post as TA/Year Co-ordinator
alongside the Year 11 pupils she has supported throughout
their time at St. Richard’s. We are already missing her and
her wonderful dedication, expert subject knowledge and care
for so many pupils over her 5 years in this post, and prior to
this as a Cover Supervisor. We wish her every happiness in
her new role, and hope she will continue to visit us as often
as she can! We will also be saying goodbye to Miss Bowman
after her 5 years supporting one of our pupils. We wish her
good luck for her future.
I would also like to congratulate Miss Hanlon and Mrs
Kerrigan on their new roles within the team as Key Stage Co-
ordinators. They will each have responsibility for pupils on
our SEND register within two year groups: Years 8 and 9 will
be with Miss Hanlon, and Years 10 and 11 with Mrs Kerrigan.
Finally, from September, Mrs Britt will become our Deputy
SENCo, completing some changes within our SEND team.
Free online resources
•
CLASS+: Facebook page for parents/carers.
•
i-go - the Children and Young People’s Additional Needs
Register: i-go is a register and FREE leisure discount
card for people 0-25 with additional needs living or
studying in East Sussex. This could include learning,
physical, or social, emotional and mental health needs. A
diagnosis is not always necessary. Apply for an i-go card
here!
•
East Sussex Local Offer: Listings for local activities and
events.
•
SEN Magazine: The current issue can be found here,
and is free to access online.
•
Inclusion in Secondary Schools: A really insightful article
from SecEd.
Page 6
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
Chaplaincy
Jo Doyle (Lay Chaplain) - missdoylej@strichardscc.com
As we reach the end of the school year, now is a good time
to reflect and give thanks to God for all the riches we have
experienced in this past academic year.
Leavers Celebration of the Word
We said a fond farewell to our Year 11 on Thursday, 19th
June with a very moving celebration of the Word. Fr
Eamonn gave a wonderful input on how important it is to
always remember that we can turn to God, and though He
may not answer us directly or immediately, He is always
there to listen. The Year 11 musicians contributed some
lovely music, including a very poignant version of Abba‘s
‘Slipping through my Fingers’. Pupils were greatly amused
to find their Year 7/8 photos made an appearance in a
‘memory lane’ tribute. I would like to thank Henry and
Michelle who led the Caritas Leaders by example this year,
and particular thanks to Dan Evans and Lilly Di Mascio,
who have been a huge support to the Liturgical life of the
school with the rest of the Senior Caritas Leader team.
Best wishes for all your future endeavours. We will miss
you.
Year 6 Primary Retreat
A small team of Caritas Leaders supported me on a visit
to the Primary schools. The theme of these Retreat days
was Journeys, focusing on the Story of the Disciples on the
Road to Emmaus. St Richard’s pupils led small workshops
on: Prayer using BSL sign language, creating bidding
prayers and dramatic reading reflection, and biblical drama.
The events culminated in a lovely final Celebration of
the Word. First up was St Thomas à Beckett and I must
congratulate Year 7 and 8 Caritas Leaders who took the
lead in the absence of the Senior Year 10s who were on
work experience for this retreat. They led with a maturity
beyond their years. Well done to all. We then visited St
Mary Star of the Sea, where some of our Year 10 joined us.
Jack brought a guitar and taught a hymn. The Year 6s then
presented all their workshop efforts in a Celebration for the
Word for the rest of the school.
Wintershall - Life of Christ Trip
A small group of Year 9 pupils had a
wonderful opportunity to see the Gospels
brought to life at the Wintershall Estate,
attending their ‘Life of Christ’ drama play.
Act I began with the birth of Jesus. Pupils
were delighted to see real life animals -
the donkey and lambs included in the cast
and a real baby playing Jesus.
Good Shepherd Celebration - Arundel Cathedral
A small group of 5 pupils joined all the catholic schools
across the diocese for the annual Good Shepherd
Celebration. To coincide with the Jubilee of our diocese
we travelled to Arundel Cathedral and were fortunate to
share the journey with our friends from our feeder primary
schools. Jennifer and Destiny were in charge of our
banner and joined the procession at the beginning of the
celebration. As part of this year’s celebration we were also
invited to present our Jubilee pledges to the representatives
of CAFOD. Year 8 completed these pledges as part of
Block Day, so Regan represented Year 8 and brought these
forward. We were delighted to receive a beautiful copy of
the Jubilee icon to bring back to school.
Act II saw the cast bring to life the call of the first disciples
and many of the parables of Jesus. We were even fed
bread during the enactment of the feeding of the 5000.
The whole day was really insightful for pupils as they will
study the ‘Passion Plays’ for GCSE. Finally, we had the
very moving and emotive depiction of the passion of Christ
in Acts III and IV. Some of our group got to be involved in
the crowd for the trial scene. This was a great experience
which will support their future studies. My thanks to Mr
Truss and Mr Trimby for accompanying us.
Finally, may I wish you all a peaceful and prosperous
summer holiday and I look forward to welcoming you back in
September.
Page 7
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
Science
Mr Filsell, Subject Lead for Science
Young Investigators Science club
Young Investigators is a Key Stage 3 Science lunch club that has been running every Monday this year. The club aims to
do a different experiment each week, using equipment and building understanding of science through practical work.
On 1st of July, Year 9 pupils started undertaking their end of Key Stage 3
assessment. This assessment was prepared for in class with revision and skills
sessions to build their confidence before the big day, as well as pupils being
supplied with a revision list at the end of Term 5. The assessment is structured
like a traditional exam paper, with 45 marks devoted to longer-answer questions
of varying difficulty. After the assessment, the papers will be marked and pupils
will receive feedback, as well as a banded 'grade' achieved.
The outcome of this assessment is to better understand the abilities and the
gaps in our cohort of young scientists, and inform our preparation for Year 10.
We will be able to identify the skills they need to build, any interventions needed
and the pupils who would benefit from greater challenge. The pupils who achieve
the 'top' grades or the highest percentage scores will be invited to join the Triple
Science scheme. This will not change the classes they are assigned to next
year, but rather that they will be asked to attend after school 'Triple' sessions
with extra practical activities and content! If you have any further questions on
how triple Science will look next year, please do contact our KS4 Science Lead,
Mr Brett.
Miss Vince
STEM Club
Our vibrant Girls in STEM Club is
a hub of curiosity and innovation
where we dive into a diverse range of
experiments, from precise chemical
titrations to exploring new worlds with
VR headsets. STEM Club has been
running on Mondays after school and
is open to girls in Years 8-10. Beyond
the exciting hands-on activities,
a core mission of our club is to
champion equal opportunities for girls
and women in STEM-oriented fields.
We actively discuss the challenges
and triumphs, empowering our
members to envision themselves
as future leaders and innovators in
science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics.
Miss Roycroft
In Terms 5 and 6, pupils have been looking at the
following ideas: How salt water affects onion cells;
making and racing balloon rockets, using Hot Wheels
cars to study energy transfer, and making acids and
alkalis of different strength as shown by universal
indicator. They have also been making density stackers
and testing their ingenuity and steadiness of hands by
making an electrical wiggly wire challenge!
Our final club session of the year will be on Monday 14th
of July, when we will have our end of year party and
quiz. Finally I would like to thank all the pupils who have
attended the club this year, you have been absolutely
brilliant. I would also like to thank Mrs Curtis who has
come in as a volunteer on a Monday to help and support
the club. I hope everyone has a good summer and don’t
forget to look for the science in everything you do over
the holiday!
Mrs Fox
Drama
Firstly, a huge congratulations to the Year 11 Drama pupils who finished their GCSE studies this term. They have done
amazingly well and we look forward to seeing them again on results day. Good luck to them in their future studies. Year
10 are now fast approaching their Component 2 assessment, and so far their performances are looking fantastic. KS3
Drama clubs will resume in the new academic year, and we look forward to welcoming pupils back. We also look forward to
welcoming the current Year 9's who have chosen Drama for GCSE in September, and can't wait to see what they bring to the
Performing Arts department. Have a fabulous summer! Miss Jefferies, Teacher of Drama
Page 8
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
Music
Create Music Summer Takeover
On Saturday, 14th June our amazing musicians
performed on the outdoor stage at the De La Warr
Pavilion. It was a sunny, wonderful event by the sea.
Big Summer Sing
A few members from the cast of our school production of
‘OIiver’, collaborated with local primary schools to perform a
couple of snippets from the show. The audience loved it and
ticket sales went through the roof! Well done to Jack, Lucia,
Henry, Bryony and Charlotte for their incredible performance
at the De La Warr.
Lunchtime Recital
Another wonderful set of
performances as part of our
- Musical Lunchtime Library
recitals. Well done to Bethan,
Francesca, Gabriella, Lottie
and Nity. Congratulations to all
involved and thank you to keen
pupils and staff for coming to
support. This is becoming a
regular feature of each term.
Exam Results
A huge congratulations to the following pupils on the
fantastic results they have achieved recently.
Grade 1 Piano - Merit: Naomi (Yr 7)
Grade 3 Clarinet - Distinction: Tomasz (Yr 8)
Grade 3 Piano - Merit: Isabella (Yr9)
Grade 4 Violin - Distinction: Lottie (Yr 8)
Grade 5 Piano - Destination: Lottie (Yr 8)
Fiesta Concert - De la Warr Pavilion
Last Sunday, members of the choir had the phenomenal
opportunity to perform ‘Viva La Vida’ and ‘Toreador’ with the
Hastings Sinfonia, Polo Piatti and other musical guests. Their
professional, pitch perfect, polished performance has opened
doors to more opportunities - such as working with the
famous composer Paul Lewis. Here is his website for further
information. Watch this space…...
Mrs Byrne, Subject Leader of Music
Page 9
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
Dance
Standing Ovation for Oliver Jnr!
We are absolutely thrilled to share the
outstanding success of our recent school
production, "Oliver! Jr.", and particularly want
to commend the incredible performance of
the whole cast. The dedication and hard
work of all our pupils truly shone through,
The entire cast and crew brought the classic
story to life with passion and talent. The three
performances were met with enthusiastic
applause and well-deserved standing
ovations, a testament to the countless hours
of rehearsals and the collaborative spirit of
everyone involved.
Dance Captains
Congratulations to Chloe who will be taking on the role as Dance Captain this year, Eliza who will be Deputy Dance Captain.
and Orlando who will be Dance Captain for the Boy’s Dance Company. Well done to all of them.
Careers
Work Experience Preparation Day
On Tuesday, 3rd June 2025, the Year 10 pupils took part in a work
experience preparation day. The morning involved a variety of
activities within their form, such as:
•
Preparing CVs
•
Completing application and medical forms – for their work
experience placement
•
A look at Health and safety in the workplace
•
Interview technique
•
Role play of various scenarios they could face whilst out on
placement.
The pupils also took part in a 20 minute interview with one of 50
employers, all of whom were volunteers from the Rotary Club,
parents/carers and businesses from across the local area. The
employers were impressed by the smartness of the pupils, who
were asked to wear suitable work attire for the day rather than
their school uniform, and by how responsive the pupils were
during their interviews. The pupils found their mock interviews
to be a very useful learning experience in helping them to think
about how to prepare for future interviews as well as giving
them more confidence in how to conduct themselves. We are
extremely grateful to all the employers for giving up their valuable
time. It was a great success with the pupils gaining much of value
from the interviews.
One employer mentioned “The pupils interviewed better than
some adults!” and another emailed in to say “I appreciate the
huge amount of work and organisation that goes into making such
a morning a success...and a success it was. The learners I had
contact with were all, without exception, a delight, interesting and
concerned to do their very best. It is easy as an older person to
become a bit disaffected by all manner of things. This morning
was an antidote to that!”
Well done to Year 10 who looked fantastic on the day and were a
real credit to the school.
Mrs Adams - Careers Lead, mrsadamsc@strichardscc.com
Work Experience
Year 10 pupils participated in a week’s work
experience from 16th - 20th June in placements
offered by over 190 companies and organisations
based mainly in the South East. This is part of
our Year 10 PSHEe programme giving pupils the
opportunity to prepare themselves for future careers.
As part of their activities, pupils have completed CVs,
application forms, taken part in a mock interview and
undertaken health and safety awareness training.
Whilst on placement the pupils had a work experience
diary to complete about their experience and
practise in the world of work. They were visited or
telephoned by a member of staff who talked to them
about their experience and checked on the quality
of the placement. Overall, the employers were
very impressed with the pupils, some even gaining
part time jobs from their placements. This was the
feedback from Primark:
Thank you to all the parents, staff and community members who supported the production – your encouragement
made it an even greater success! We can't wait to see what amazing talents our pupils will showcase next.
Mrs Knight, Dance Teacher
“The girls were so polite, friendly, hardworking,
and exceeded our expectations! They got stuck in
during a busy week for us as we had our annual
stocktake, so it was a bit chaotic in store. However,
the girls did a great job in this busy environment,
and we have had such positive feedback from
our colleagues about both. I believe Alna also
got amazing feedback from a customer who has
said they are going to complete a survey for us
and hopefully name her. This is a huge thing for
our store, and just shows what an incredible job
Alna did. These girls are truly what we look for in
colleagues, and we hope that in the future they
would want to apply to work with us.”
Page 10
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
MFL
As the academic year draws to a close, and following KS3
assessments and Year 10 orals, we thought that it would be
the perfect opportunity to share our personal highlights of
the year. We would also like to say a fond farewell and huge
congratulations to our amazing Year 11 pupils who leave us after
five years. We wish you all every success with your exam results
and plans for next year. You have all worked exceptionally hard; we
are extremely proud of what you have achieved, and we hope that
you will continue to use your language skills in the future.
Year 11 French awards
Award for excellence: Christie and Rebecca
Award for effort: Isabella and Oliver
Award for most improved: Macayla and Maisie
Year 11 German awards
Award for excellence: Kacper and Edwin
Award for effort: Louis and Paulo
Award for most improved: Raquel and Patricija
Year 11 Spanish awards
Award for excellence: Janine and Daniel
Award for effort: Louise and Maayan
As a team, we really enjoy seeing our pupils engage in their language learning
both in and outside the classroom. Our personal highlights centre around rich
cultural opportunities that have allowed our pupils to shine. Every year we look
forward to celebrating The European Day of Languages in September. This
year’s theme was Peace. Pupils loved guessing the language that teachers
outside our department speak from short voice recordings played at the start of
each lesson throughout the day. In MFL lessons, they amazed us by how quickly
they picked up British sign language.
Highlights
The annual Christmas card competition
showcased the incredible creativity and
talent in Year 7.
Each language enjoyed theatre
performances from the Onatti Theatre
company. Pupils came away from
the experiences full of confidence
and thoroughly entertained. It was
wonderful to see them immersed
and able to follow the 50 minute
performance in the target language
after just one lesson’s preparation.
In November, St Richard's pupils were
invited to sing three songs from memory in
French from the French film Les Choristes
at the “Music from the Movies" concert
alongside the Bexhill Sinfonia Orchestra at
the De La Warr pavilion. Bravo!
Trips and visits
Pupils studying Year 10 Spanish went to Barcelona in October and those
studying German went to Cologne to visit the Christmas markets in
December. The French department welcomed visitors to St Richard’s from
our French partner school in May. On all occasions, pupils acted as amazing
ambassadors for our school. They used their language skills not only to
communicate in everyday situations but also to create lasting memories.
We have been very impressed by the effort, commitment and enthusiasm of the following pupils to the weekly
zoom ‘live lesson’ with their Beijing based teacher Laoshi Li. They will be presented with a special certificate of
achievement on completion of the final module of the year: Rosa, Leon, Zizzy, Artur, Maria, Humphrey.
Page 11
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
Farewell to Mrs Herring
It is with a real sense of sadness that we say goodbye to
Mrs Herring, our department’s longest serving teacher. Mrs
Herring has worked at St Richard’s for 25 years, primarily
teaching French, but also working in the Spanish and
German teams. She has brought so much energy, passion
and commitment to everyone she has encountered. She will
be remembered by us as the ultimate team player who cared
deeply about the pupils and her colleagues. We will miss
her creative input hugely. She successfully planned and led
the European Day of Languages with flair. She was also
a driving force for the MFL World Culture Club and heavily
involved in promoting FairTrade activities both within our
department and across the school. She has recently been
instrumental in developing a link with our French partner
school who we will visit for the first time in September. We
send her off with every good wish and blessing for her
retirement and we look forward to seeing her, in and around
school, invigilating. For now, though, it is time for a new
chapter to begin, and for her to enjoy a well deserved rest
with her family and friends.
Finally, we would also like to wish all our pupils a very happy
and well deserved holiday. We look forward to seeing you all
again in September, rested and ready to embark on the next
stage of your learning journey.
MFL Department “Duolingo” Summer Challenge
Happy Holidays!
Bonnes vacances!
¡Buenas vacaciones!
Schöne Ferien!
Mathematics
What’s happening in class?
It has been a very busy couple of terms for pupils both in and
out of the classroom and pupils have been continuing to work
hard with both classroom and homework.
We welcome Miss Kent to the role of Head of Department.
Mr Jacobs still remains part of the Maths team, but also
has extra responsibilities as Senior Assistant Principal.
Revision (all years)
On the pupil portal, under Maths, pupils will find links to
many key websites and resources (such as past exam
papers and mark schemes). Aside from MathsWatch
and Sparx, other useful websites are Mathsgenie and
Corbettmaths. Revision guides are available and can be
purchased from Parent Pay. If you are unsure of your
child’s tier, please contact their Maths teacher.
Puzzle time
Using only addition, add eight 8s to get the number 1,000.
Answer: 888 + 88 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 1,000
Mr Eyre - KS3 Maths Co-ordinator
KS3 - for any questions, contact their class teacher or Mr
Eyre (KS3 Coordinator)
Year 7 have continued their studies covering topics heavily
focused on geometry and geometric reasoning. Year 8 have
covered areas of geometry (parallel lines, interior/exterior
angles, circles, trapezia, symmetry).
Year 8 into Year 9 - Year 8 have recently taken their end of
year assessment. This, alongside unit assessments scores
from across the year, will help decide their groups for next
year. Pupils will begin following the GCSE curriculum in Year
9. The whole cohort is combined into 9 classes with groups
1-6 following the higher tier and groups 7-9 following the
foundation tier. We will continue to monitor classwork and
unit assessments to ensure students are in the correct set
and tier of entry in order for pupils to achieve the best grade
they can.
KS4 - for any questions contact their class teacher or Mr
Clark (KS4 Coordinator)
Year 10 have had a busy couple of terms, with their
mocks and work experience. Pupils will have gone
through their mocks in class to ensure they close any
gaps that they had. They also received a yellow feedback
form to support them in this. They will be set a homework
task over the summer to support them in closing gaps
and aiding retention. We congratulate our recent Year 11
pupils on all the hard work put in for the summer exams.
We wish them all the best in their future ventures.
For a chance to win some goodies in
September for the highest point scores
across French, German and Spanish,
get logged into Duolingo and keep your
language learning streak alive!
Miss Tester - MFL teacher
Page 12
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
Geography
Mrs Mead - Subject Leader for RE
RE
Term 5 and 6 has certainly been a whirlwind of activity for
the Geography Department! We've loved seeing our pupils
out in the field, bringing their learning to life. Our Year 8s
had a fantastic time on their recent beach trips, getting
hands-on with coastal processes. Meanwhile, Year 9s
were hard at work in Bexhill for their Block Day fieldwork,
making excellent progress on both their GCSE physical
and human geography investigations. We will also have
completed the Year 10 Isle of Wight residential trip, which
was an incredible experience for all involved.
To all our pupils, especially our Year 11 pupils who have
worked so incredibly hard throughout their GCSEs, a huge
congratulations on all your achievements this year! You've
shown tremendous resilience and dedication, and we are
proud of each and every one of you.
As the academic year draws to a close, we wish everyone
a lovely and well-deserved summer break.
Mr Skilton, Subject Lead for Geography
Sustainability tip:
Looking for a quick win for the planet? When
you're out and about this summer, remember
to always carry a reusable water bottle! It's an
easy way to stay hydrated and drastically cut
down on single-use plastic waste.
Block Day
The Block Day activities for our Year 9 Geographers actually
began on the previous Tuesday, setting a strong foundation
for their fieldwork. We were extremely lucky to have Dr. Tom
Zeissen from the Environment Agency Pevensey Bay to
Eastbourne Coastal Management Scheme come into school.
Dr. Zeissen delivered an incredibly insightful presentation,
sharing his first-hand knowledge about local coastal
management strategies, the challenges faced, and the vital
role of geographical understanding in addressing them. Then,
the main event: we had a fantastic and highly successful
day in Bexhill. Pupils were fully immersed, first putting their
coastal fieldwork techniques into practice along the seafront.
They collected data on coastal processes and management,
applying the theoretical knowledge gained in lessons. Later
in the day, the focus shifted to human geography, as pupils
compared the quality of life of two distinct locations in Bexhill
using various human geographical methods.
In Year 7, pupils have continued their
learning of the new RE curriculum. They
are currently completing a unit called
Dialogue and Encounter. This unit
involves learning about Judaism. Classes
will be visited by a Jewish member of the
faith who will explain Judaism and give
them the opportunity to ask questions.
Year 8 are also completing a unit on Dialogue
and Encounter. They are currently learning
about Hinduism. Pupils in Year 8 worked
extremely hard on Block Day, Friday, 20th
June. They brought in old/foreign money to
help the charity Mary’s Meals.
Year 9 are working on the topic ‘Creation and Covenant’. This work is background
learning to topics they will be covering in Years 10 and 11. They have learnt
about the creation stories from Genesis, the scientific explanations for the
universe and what the Catholic Church teaches about creation.
Year 10 have completed over half of their
GCSE course. They are currently working on
a unit called “Relationships.” This unit covers
marriage, family, divorce and prejudice and
discrimination. In Year 11, they will cover the
last 3 units of work.
This charity provides a meal for children who attend school in the poorest
places in the world. We have not received the final amount of how much
was raised just yet - but the money will certainly make a difference to many
children’s lives.
Congratulations to Mrs Kim and her husband, on the wonderful arrival of their baby girl on 1st June.
Art
I have included examples of the fabulous artwork our Key Stage 3 Pupils are
producing in their sketchbooks. Year 7 are analysing sgraffito, tonality, texture,
watercolour, and pattern. They are also painting their amazing ceramic pinch
pots. Year 8 pupils are painting their coil pots in clay, studying the artwork of
the Minoan dynasty, graphic design, and Michaelangelo. Year 9 are looking at
surrealism, storyboarding and designing robots based on John Brickels. Year 10
Fine Art pupils are successfully working in paint with beautiful results, and Art
Craft and Design pupils are building their Gaudi ceramic towers. I look forward to
sharing the fantastic Year 11 work in the Autumn term. Finally, well done to three
of our pupils whose work was exhibited in the Hastings Contemporary Gallery.
Please do have a look at our pupil’s wonderful artwork on the St Richard’s Art
Department website - www.strichardsart.com. Thank you and keep creating!
Mr Peachment (Subject Leader)
Page 13
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
Town Sports
This year's Town Sports unfortunately landed on an INSET day!
However, our committed pupils were still keen to attend and we
were able to participate with Year 7 Girls and Boys teams as well
as Year 8 and Year 9 Girls’ teams. All pupils performed amazingly
and stepped up to fill any gaps in order to do as well for the school
as possible. Big shout out to the Year 8 Girls team who came 2nd
overall in the competition with only 4 team members! Thank you
again to all the pupils for volunteering to give up their time to attend
the event. The results were as follows:
PE
Badminton
Several St Richard’s pupils participated in the "Sussex Rising Stars Junior Badminton
Tournament" in Brighton and achieved fabulous results. Jennifer in Year 8 managed to win
gold medals in the Girls’ U13 Singles and in the Girls U13 Doubles. Blake in Year 9 won gold in
the Boys U15 Doubles. Xavier and Samuel in Year 8 achieved silver medals in the Boys’ U13
Doubles. Well done to all of our pupils involved.
Norwich football
Tapi (Year 9) was selected to play for
Norwich City U14’s in a tournament
in Gran Canaria. They progressed
through to the semi finals where they
narrowly lost in a penalty shoot out.
Hastings and Rother schools athletics representative team
Several of our pupils represented the Hastings and Rother Schools
Athletics Representative Team in a competition held at the K2 in
Crawley. Tom (Year 11) had a great sprint finish in the Inter Boys
800m to finish 2nd place in 1 minute 59.94 seconds. This was his
first ever sub 2 minute 800m! Antalia (Year 9) won the Junior Girls
200m in a time of 27.39 seconds. In one of the last races of the day
Olivia (Year 9) had a very close race in the 100m Junior Girls and
came away with a silver medal with a time of 13.12 seconds.
Page 14
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
Rounders
Recently, St Richard’s have hosted a Hastings and
Rother Schools Rounders tournament. On 16th June,
we had our Year 7 and 8 tournament against 3 other
schools. St Richard’s won every game so achieved
the title of Tournament Winners! On 23rd June, we
had our Year 9 and 10 team tournament. We played
incredibly well and were up against very strong
fielding teams and achieved joint 2nd place in the
tournament. Well done to all the girls who played and
we look forward to making this an annual event.
Cricket
On 25th June, Year 8 and 9 girls played in a pairs
cricket tournament at home against Claverham
Community College. George (Y10) umpired the match
professionally and successfully. St Richard’s went
out to bat first and accumulated a high number of
runs, even after facing some fast bowlers. The team
worked amazingly well when fielding, stopping many
boundaries and preventing many additional runs from
being scored. Unfortunately, the game ended with
Claverham winning, with only a few runs difference.
Year 7 Boys
1st Place: Tiago (shot put)
2nd Place: 4 x 100 Relay team
3rd Place: Dexter (100m)
Talan (300m)
Marco (800m)
Dominic (1500m)
Year 7 Girls
1st Place: Rayhanah (Javelin)
Phoebe (Discus)
3rd Place: Destiny (100m
& Long Jump)
Year 8 Girls
1st Place: Maria (300m & 800m)
2nd Place: Emilia (Long Jump)
Scarlett (Javelin)
3rd Place: Scarlett (200m)
Maria (High Jump)
Year 9 Girls
1st Place: Olivia H (100m)
Antalia (200m & 300m)
Olivia C (800m)
Olivia H (Long Jump)
4 x 100m Relay team
2nd Place: Ellicia (1500m)
3rd Place: Ellicia (Triple Jump)
Messages
Page 15
Newsletter 7 - July 2025
Message from the Chair of Governors
Free School Meals changes from
1st April 2025
From 1st April this year, the Free School Meals transitional
protections will end. This means that any children whose
household no longer meets the free school meal eligibility
criteria will only receive free school meals until the end
of the phase of education they are in, i.e. primary or
secondary school (or 6th form for those schools with one).
At the end of each academic year (starting this year)
Year 6 pupils will be reviewed and any children no longer
entitled will be removed from the FSM eligibility lists before
they start secondary school. Year 11 children will also
cease to be eligible and those transferring to a school 6th
form must reapply for free school meals if they believe they
are entitled.
All new free school meal applicants confirmed as eligible
from 1st April will be recorded as ‘Eligible new’ and their
entitlement will be reviewed three times a year in March,
July and December. Parents and schools will be informed
of any children who are no longer entitled to FSM following
a review and they should be removed from the FSM
entitlement list.
Should you have any questions about free school meals or
pupil premium, please do get in touch with me .
Mr Steele, Pupil Premium Lead
mrsteelej@strichardscc.com
Message from
the Medical Room
If your child has a pre-existing medical condition and an
Individual Health Care Plan, this now needs reviewing for
the new school year. An email will be sent by EduLink to
parents/carers with instructions on how to complete this.
Please check your spam email.
If your child has a medical condition which requires a Health
Care Plan to be put in place, please get in touch with Miss
Thompson.
Miss K Thompson, Medical Room.
Email communication
All email communication from the school is via EduLink.
Please ensure that you have EduLink One installed on your mobile phone.
Any problems or queries, please email IT Services at:
itservices@strichardscc.com
I’m delighted to say we as a school have raised £512.56 in total this year for CAFOD
Much of this was raised by those who participated in the Big Lent Walk along with
other fundraising from various forms throughout the year. A huge well done to all, we
are truly living out our Catholic Social Teaching Values here at St Richard’s Catholic
College. Miss Doyle, Lay Chaplain
At the end of the school year, we pray for the future lives
of our Year 11 pupils, that they may be successful and
have learnt at St Richard’s to keep Christ in the centre of
their lives.
On behalf of the Governors, I thank all the staff for
their hard work and commitment to the College, for the
academic excellence, pastoral care, music and arts that
thrive in the College. The College has a feeling of being
well cared for whenever you enter - due to the hard work
and diligence of our facilities staff. The outstanding CSI
judgement was not unexpected - we were pleased to
have it confirmed by external inspectors.
Next year, the College will no longer be a Voluntary
Aided School of East Sussex County Council, joining the
Bosco Catholic Education Trust - pupils, parents, carers
and staff should not notice any changes. Joining the
Trust fulfils the Bishop’s vision for Catholic education - all
Catholic schools being in a Catholic Education Trust,
which is directly responsible to the diocese.
I hope you and your families have an enjoyable summer.
Mr Parker-Harding, Chair of Governors
Deanery Newsletter
The latest edition of the deanery newsletter can be viewed
via the school website here and is also available via on the
newly launched deanery website here. Inside, you’ll find
updates on the formation of our Single Parish, reflections,
and opportunities for people of all ages to get involved in
faith - both locally and further afield - this summer.