As we reach the end of another successful academic year, I am delighted to reflect on the exceptional achievements and experiences that have defined our school community over recent weeks.
Our KS3 Summer Showcase proved to be a remarkable celebration of student creativity and learning, with this year's theme of "The Future: Innovation and Technology" providing an excellent platform for our students to demonstrate their understanding of contemporary issues and forward-thinking approaches. The quality of work displayed was truly impressive and highlighted the depth of engagement our students have with these important topics. Congratulations to all our winners!
The super-curricular lecture programme has continued to enrich our students' educational experience beyond the classroom. Recent sessions exploring the life and times of Thomas Hardy and examining the importance of photography during protests have provided valuable opportunities for intellectual growth and critical thinking. These lectures demonstrate our students’ commitment to broadening their horizons and deeper academic exploration.
Our geography department successfully organised fieldwork trips that allowed students to apply their classroom learning in real-world contexts. Such experiences are invaluable in developing practical skills and enhancing understanding of geographical concepts through direct observation and investigation.
The Rewards Fair for students with the highest number of achievement points was a wonderful celebration of consistent effort and positive behaviour throughout the year. The ice cream van proved to be a particular highlight, creating a festive atmosphere that recognised and rewarded our students' dedication to their studies and school community.
Our Sports Awards 2025 event was a tremendous success with a packed hall full of students, parents’ and family members, all celebrating the sporting achievements of our students across a range of different disciplines throughout the academic year.
I am particularly proud to congratulate our Year 10 football team, who were deservedly named team of the year following their epic victory in the Essex Cup. This historic achievement marks the first time in our school's history, and indeed in over 100 years of the cup's existence, that a team from Roding Valley has brought this prestigious trophy home. Their success exemplifies the dedication, teamwork, and sporting excellence that characterises our school.
We are absolutely thrilled to celebrate Yusuf Hussain in Year 8 for achieving a phenomenal Distinction in the Junior Olympiad! This is an extraordinary accomplishment, placing him among the elite less than 0.1% of students worldwide achieve this remarkable feat.
Yusuf's dedication, sharp intellect, and tireless efforts have truly paid off. His success in such a rigorous competition is a testament to his exceptional problem-solving skills and deep understanding of the subject matter. This isn't just a win; it's a shining example of what can be achieved through passion and perseverance.
As we conclude this academic year, I want to thank all members of our school community for their continued support and commitment. Looking ahead, we return to school during the week commencing 1st September. Students in Year 7 and Year 12 will join us on Wednesday 3rd September for their induction, with all other students returning the following day, Thursday 4th September
A number of letters have been shared over the past week, these include my end of term letter which you can find here , the arrangements of the Year 11 GCSE results day here and the arrangements for the Year 13 A level results day here.
Finally, for any students with Epi-Pens - please note for September, new guidance from the DfE advises that all students who have an allergy that requires an epi-pen should carry 2 epi-pens with them at all times, a spare epi-pen for them should also be kept in the school office. If you have any questions related to this please email sgladman@rodingvalley.net
Stars of the Week!
Year Group W/C 7th July 2025
Year 7
Year 8
Nimrit Diocee - for making a fantastic start at Roding and for being an exceptional role model.
Paige Read - an all-round amazing student who follows our school values every day inside and outside of the classroom.
Year 9
Year 10
Year 12
Sophie Jones - an excellent Year 9 with the most achievement points in the year group!
Beth Diamond-Conway - for having the most amount of achievement points in the school and for being headliner of every celebration assembly!
Aayush Sangwan - outstanding contributions to school life throughout the year, including being a superb mentor to a year 7 pupil.
W/C 14th July 2025
Ismail Ramadan - for always continuing to do the right thing in lessons, and in the school community.
Evie Clifton-Green - a student who thrives in everything she does every day, a pleasure to have in the year group and will achieve great things in the future.
Zac-Crawford Kite - one of the highest ARE points in the year group and 0 behaviour points.
Theo Savage - for absolutely smashing year 10 achievement points wise and for being a truly lovely student.
Sabrina Touama - outstanding contributions to school life throughout the year, including excellent lessons to lower school pupils for international languages day.
Roding Valley High School Media Service
Roding Valley High School has relaunched its media service to provide a regular flow of news updates from the school.
The media service is provided by Everything Local News, part of the Everything Epping Forest local news and information service.
Media updates are sent to the local / regional media (newspapers, community magazines, television and radio outlets) and are also featured on the Everything Epping Forest and Everything Local News social media feeds. If you would like to receive our updates, please register your email address at https://everythingeppingforest.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=741289ef92d3ddc499cf58f32&id=d3dfa9bedb
Please note that no contact information provided to Everything Local News (Everything Epping Forest) is passed on to any other organisation, and you can ask for your information to be amended or deleted at any time.
I wish everyone a restful and enjoyable summer break.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement with our school community
Mr D Charlton Headteacher
Alex Kelly
I am writing to inform you about the tragic loss of a former student and to share details of an important initiative that has emerged from this heart-breaking situation.
Alex was a student at Roding Valley High School between 2017 and 2022. He was a fit, healthy and happy 18-year-old who was enjoying life and looking forward to his future plans. After finishing school, he spent two years at Harlow College completing his City and Guilds Carpentry and Joinery qualification. During his school years, Alex was actively involved in various sports including football, tennis, swimming and kick boxing, which he continued for ten years. He also had a job as a landscape gardener, which he loved, as he was working outside.
Tragically, on 28th June 2024, whilst on a family holiday in Egypt, Alex went into cardiac arrest without warning, despite having previously shown no symptoms. Despite the best efforts of the medical team at the local hospital, he could not be saved. The heartbreak and devastation caused by this has been life changing for his family. In the UK, approximately 12 young people under the age of 35 die each week from sudden cardiac death, often due to previously undiagnosed heart conditions, with many occurring suddenly and unexpectedly.
Alex's family are still trying to heal and navigate their way through their day to day lives without him, but have also found the strength to raise awareness about this silent killer and to raise money through fundraising for two charities: Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and SADS UK (Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome).
Both charities have the same mission, to save lives from sudden death caused by undiagnosed heart conditions. They fundraise for research into these conditions and provide family support and counselling for those who have tragically lost a fit and healthy loved one suddenly and unexpectedly. CRY also raises funds to offer cardiac screening for young people between the ages of 14-35 years old, whilst SADS UK, through donations, puts defibrillators and bleed kits into the community. Saving as many lives as possible from this silent killer is both of their goals.
With the initial fundraising events set up by Alex's friends, Alex's family have now raised enough money to run their first screening day at Roding Valley, which they hope to offer young people on a rolling annual basis in order to prevent similar situations to Alex's affecting other families. This initiative is focused on looking after the young people in our community and informing people by spreading awareness of this silent killer, which affects so many families all over the country. Their phenomenal work over the past year is a testament not only to their own hard work and dedication, but also to the impact that Alex had on them, his friends and the wider community.
Alex’s family would be incredibly grateful if you could support their future fundraising events in Alex's memory and help save lives, further details of which will be shared in near future. If you have been affected by this and would like any further details or support, please contact sadsoffice@sadsuk.org or cry@c-r-y.org.uk
Messages from Our Heads of Year
Our team is proud to be your child’s Head of Year and very much looking forward to supporting your child and with such a great cohort of students, we are sure it will be a great half term. To ensure that you are aware of who your child’s Head of Year is and who to contact, please refer to their details below:
Year 7: Miss Aston
To contact Miss Aston, please email caston@rodingvalley.net
Year 8: Miss Burke
To contact Miss Burke, please email tburke@rodingvalley.net
Year 9: Ms Wills
To contact Ms Wills, please email rwills@rodingvalley.net
Year 10: Mr Ryan
To contact Mr Ryan, please email fryan@rodingvalley.net
Year 11: Ms Wills
To contact Ms Wills, please email rwills@rodingvalley.net
Year 7 News
Message from Miss Aston
As we come to the end of the academic year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support throughout what has been a busy, exciting and successful Year 7.
It has been a real pleasure watching our Year 7 students grow in confidence, make new friends, and settle into life at Roding Valley. They have demonstrated enthusiasm, curiosity, and resilience - key qualities that will serve them well in the years ahead.
We are incredibly proud of the progress Year 7 has made. Teachers have been impressed by the effort shown in lessons, and we've celebrated achievements through rewards, certificates, and praise assemblies.
We had a fantastic Awards Assembly this week which saw many Year 7's gaining certificates and awards from their hard work from this term. To see our assembly presentation please click here. 2 weeks ago, saw Year 7's have their first Sports Day at Roding which was a success! Not only did this day entail many Year 7's taking part, but a few also breaking records!
The Summer Holidays are a valuable time to rest, recharge, and prepare for the next stage. We encourage all students to continue reading regularly, and where possible, take part in any activities that promote creativity, independence, or physical activity.
We look forward to welcoming students back in September as they begin Year 8. The start of the new school year is an opportunity to build on the foundations laid in Year 7. We expect students to return ready to learn, with a positive mindset, and a commitment to doing their best.
Have a fantastic Summer break.
In England, a Free School Meal (FSM) is a statutory benefit available to school aged children from families who receive other qualifying benefits and who have been through the relevant registration process. Recently, the process of applying for Free School Meals at Roding Valley High School has changed to an online application in order to improve speed and reduce the burden of paperwork for parents. For more information on the qualifying benefits and for more information, please visit our Free School Meals page on our school website It is important that parents register their children for free school meals if they are entitled as the school receives additional funding known as the Pupil Premium to support the children’s learning. The use of the pupil premium is personalised to meet the needs of the children who are entitled to support, such as 1-1 tuition, additional LSA support and intervention groups, access to school visits, Learning Mentor, speech and language assistants, Family Support and counselling. If you believe that your child is eligible for Free School Meals, please click here to use our Free School Meals Checker. Your Certificate of Eligibility will then need to be emailed to finance@rodingvalley.net
Year 8 News
Message
Miss Burke
As we reach the end of another academic year, it’s a perfect time to reflect on what a fantastic journey it has been for Year 8. This year has been full of growth, achievement, and an overwhelming sense of community and progress. Our students have shown resilience, curiosity, and a growing sense of responsibility in both their learning and their wider school life. Academically, they have made significant strides across all subjects not only in the knowledge they’ve gained but in the confidence with which they now approach challenges and opportunities. It’s been wonderful to see so many students engaging deeply with their studies, asking thoughtful questions, and striving for personal bests.
Beyond the classroom, Year 8 has truly come into its own. From sports events and school trips to drama performances, creative projects, and community activities, our students have consistently demonstrated enthusiasm, teamwork, and leadership. These moments have brought our year group together and allowed individual talents to shine.
We’ve also been incredibly proud of the kindness, support, and maturity that so many of our students have shown towards one another. The way they support each other, take on responsibilities, and represent our school values has been inspiring.
Since joining Year 8 in January, it has been an absolute pleasure to take this brilliant year group forward. I have been consistently impressed by their spirit, their potential, and the way they conduct themselves as members of our school community. I’m very much looking forward to continuing to work with them through the important next stages of their journey with us at Roding Valley.
Looking ahead, Year 9 will mark a key stage in each student’s journey. It’s a year where we begin to explore future pathways, start conversations about GCSE options, and think more deeply about our individual strengths, passions, and goals. It’s an exciting step one that will help shape who they become and the direction they choose to take in the wider world. We’re committed to supporting every student through that process with care, clarity, and encouragement.
We also have so much to look forward to next year. In October, our Year 9 netball team will be heading off on an exciting sports tour to Marbella a fantastic opportunity to compete, bond as a team, and experience a new culture. Then in April, some of our students will travel to the French Alps for our much-anticipated ski trip an unforgettable experience that promises adventure, challenge, and fun in equal measure.
Thank you to all the families and staff who have supported our students along the way your involvement makes a tremendous difference.
I hope everyone has a well-deserved rest over the summer holidays and takes time to recharge, ready to go full steam ahead in September. I can’t wait to see all that we’ll accomplish together in the year to come.
Please do get involved with your children over the holidays in our Year 8 Bingo Challenge I’ll be taking part myself, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the results and hearing all about your experiences when we return.
Year 9 News
Message from Ms Wills
We have come to the end of the first full term of GCSE lessons and I have been really impressed with the efforts that students have put into their subjects. The good habits and hard work now will really help them as they go into a very important year, where the majority of content will be covered in lessons.
Looking forward, Year 10 ends with the first set of full PPEs as well as a careers week, which is a great opportunity for students to consider their next steps post 16. They will have a mock interview, 6th form/college taster day and also take your child to work day. This proves to be a real highlight of the year.
I also want to congratulate the students who have been awarded certificates in the Celebration Assembly this week. It was great to see so many students rewarded for their outstanding commitment to their lessons. Please see the assembly here
A reminder that as students consider their next steps, the importance of attending extracurricular activities is so important and one we want to encourage.
As we take the summer to rest it is important to set those high expectations for September. Uniform must be worn correctly and in line with our school policy at all times. A smart appearance reflects a strong attitude and pride in our school community. We appreciate your support in ensuring your child arrives each day in full, correct uniform.
Attendance is another key focus this year. Every day matters, and every hour counts. With important content being covered throughout the year, consistent attendance will give your child the best chance of achieving success and feeling confident when it comes to choosing their future options.
Finally, it is with sadness that we say goodbye to two of our tutors - Mr Stewart and Ms Furtado. It has been a pleasure to work alongside them and I wish them all the best. Updated information on form tutors for next year has been shared in the Headteachers end of term letter sent earlier this week.
Wishing you all a wonderful, restful summer
LOST PROPERTY
To report any property lost, please email: lostproperty@rodingvalley.net
We ask if you could provide a detailed description of the item you have lost so that we can reunite you with your missing property.
Message from Mr Ryan Year 10 News
I can't believe how quickly the year has gone by. It has been exhausting but fun and now is the time to unwind and relax. Over the past week students have been receiving their PPE papers back and have been closing the gap in some subjects. These are the first round of mocks and are an indication of what needs to be done to improve. We have another two rounds of mock exams next year to give the children every opportunity to understand what the exams are like.
I would like to congratulate all those who were invited to the rewards fair. It is always nice to be able to reward the effort and hard work that a lot of students put into their time at Roding Valley. I also need to thank Beth Diamond-Conway for singing in every awards assembly. She can always be relied on and is so willing to help.
When we come back in Year 11 it will be all systems go till the GCSEs, here are a few dates for your diary.
• Thursday 4th September 2025 - return to school
• Week beginning 10th November 2025 - PPEs 2
• Week beginning 25th February 2026 - PPEs 3
• Week beginning 5th May 2-26 - Summer exams start.
Please relax and take some time to enjoy the summer as very soon it will be year 11.
RVHS Pre Loved Uniform
Any parents/carers wishing to purchase some RVHS preloved uniform, please use this link to select & pay for any uniform you wish to purchase.
The process is quick and easy to use. You will be notified once your order is ready for your collection.
All orders will be processed during term time only
Do you have any old uniform your child has outgrown or no longer uses?
Please wash and donate back to our pre-loved uniform. A box will be in reception for students to drop off.
6th Form News
May Half Term 2025 – BGC Insight Day
In the recent half term, I attended an Insight Afternoon at global brokerage and finance company BGC. The whole day was an amazing experience and I gained a lot of insight into the company alongside what it offers on a day to day basis.
I found the talks very interesting and especially useful as those giving the talks told us about their first-hand experience at BGC and how they worked their way up to their current position. They also told us their backstory and previous jobs they'd worked at, which I found very helpful as the careers they had worked in before were the same ones I was considering.
Then there was the networking / hot seat session, which was the most insightful part of the day for me as I got to speak 1 on 1 with five employees at BGC who were just a few years older than me, such as George Coombs and Jameel Joomun. They had all enrolled in the school leavers programme offered by BGC and told us what they thought of it and why they chose it over the university route. This was exceptionally beneficial for me as I have been (and still am) unsure on whether to go to university or not, so talking to them gave me an in-depth insight into what it would be like to enrol in their school leavers programme and potentially pursue a career in brokerage, hopefully at BGC.
It was a great pleasure to see the students receive their PPE2 results on the last day of term on our mock results day. There was a wonderful atmosphere in the hall with students really engaging in the process. The message given was for them to reflect on how they felt receiving these results and to think about what needed to be done in the lead up to the final exams in May.
Finally, there was the CV workshop presented by Priti Patel, where we were given advice on what to include on our CV and what not to include. This helped me understand what was actually necessary on a CV as well as what I should remove from my own in order to make it stand out from others and give me the best chance at getting hired by employers.
Overall, the entire day was an eye-opening experience and I really enjoyed my time there. I would definitely recommend it for anyone unsure on whether to go to university or not. – Year 12 student
Wednesday 25th June – SalesForce Employer Day
A full day for our students that attended!
6th Form News
A few words from our Alumni student Ella Margetts who made this opportunity available at SaesForce for our students:
‘Just a quick note to say a big thank you to everyone who attended and for your contribution yesterday - hopefully it was an enjoyable experience and something valuable was learned! As promised, please see here for more information and keep an eye out for available apprenticeship opportunities. For anyone interested in learning more about Salesforce, Agents, or anything business related, Trailhead is a great free platform to learn and build skills and even compete with your peers! Any questions or support in applications for any apprenticeships, please feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn.’
The SalesForce work experience day gave a great insight into what the company does and the large variety of roles they have. We created an AI agent (basically an assistant) for a company of our choice and pitched it. I learnt a lot about how ai is being used to help companies and even got to emulate selling my very own product. Definitely a worthwhile day - Lukas
‘The day was lovely and it was great to learn the new information and how they are used and enforced at SalesForce’ - Lucie
6th Form News
Monday 30th June – Year 12 Wizeup Education Workshop
➢ Student Finance and Apprenticeships
➢ Budgeting and Earning Extra Money
➢ Cryptocurrencies and NFTs
Welcome to our new Sixth Form Captains 2025/26 Friday 4th July – Last mentoring sessions with 6th Formers and Lower School
6th Form News
Dates for your diary:
Week of 14th - 19th July – Year 12 Work Experience week
Thursday 14th August - A level results day
Wednesday 3rd September – Year 12 term begins
Thursday 4th September – Year 13 term begins
Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th July saw the Sports Day format continue over two days at Roding Valley with two days of brilliant athletics and inter house competition.
The format of day 1 on Thursday 3rd July remained the
Tuesday 8th July saw the return of the prestigious sports awards evening hosted by the PE Department. It was a fantastic evening to celebrate the success of students who have represented the school in fixtures this year and students in their PE lessons.
With over 300 students and parents/careers in attendance it was a great review of the sporting year.
Students who represented the school received a colour badge to proudly wear on their blazer to continue the tradition the PE Department started last year. Depending on how many teams they represented.
Bronze 1 Team
Silver 2 Teams
Gold 3 Teams
Platinum 4 or more teams
Well done to the 13 students who received a platinum badge.
Ismail Ramadan
Mason Sayer
Henry Smith
Gwen Collischon
Sue Ozcan
Amber Neary
Ming-Sheng Chen
Adriana Valionkina
Anah Chowdary
Isabella Mcloughlin
Hetti Collischon
Evie Johnstone
Fearne Johnson
There were six nominations for team of the year with the winner being decided on the night, they were: The Year 10 Boys football team for winning the Under 15 Essex Cup, The Year 7 Basketball Team for winning the West Essex & Harlow Competition, the Year 9 Girls Netball team for winning the West Essex & Harlow District final, Year 7 rugby team for winning the West Essex & district final, Year 7 & 8 Girls tennis team for reaching the Semi-finals of the Essex Cup and the Sportability swimming team for winning the Panathlon at London Aquatic Centre.
Alongside the representation badges were the big awards of the evening. Each year group had a Boy and Girl outstanding achievement in PE award winner which led to the overall outstanding achievement in PE winner being crowned from this list of students, The Moncur award, the Sports Leaders Awards for Boy and Girl, A special sports coaches award, Chelsea Foundation Player of the Season and Team of the year.
Winners of the outstanding achievement awards:
Year 7 Year 8 Year 9
Girl Jessica Dawkes
Anah Chowdary
Year 10 Year 11
Phoebe Glen Lea Horakova
Ciara Weekes
Boy Ismail Ramadan Alex Smith Charlie Connors Noah Walters Jot Foot
Sports Leaders Awards were: -
Chelsea Foundation Player of the Season - Max Handley
The Moncur Award winner - Amber Neary
Sports Coaches Award winners - Emma Williamson and Shay Carlsson
Team of the Year winners were - The Year 10 Football Team
Overall Outstanding Achievement in PE Award Winner - Ismail Ramadan
It was a fantastic evening of celebration, thank you to all those students and parents/careers who attended.
I look forward to seeing students wearing their PE Colours badge around school on their blazers.
Mr Allen Head of PE
As part of our Mandarin Learning, cultural enhancement is one of the essential elements. Last week some Year 7 and 8 students who study Mandarin visited ChinaTown. We participated in activities such as Taichi and Calligraphy. In Taichi, we learned how to exercise our body and mind in a calmful and tranquil movement. This also involved the coordination of the body parts. The second activity was Calligraphy. In this activity we learned how to use the Chinese paint brush to write the Chinese characters, this involved the understanding of the language as well as the structure of the characters. We had a fun and joyful experience, and have received positive feedback from our students. Please read the feedback from our students.
‘I liked the ChinaTown trip. It was very fun. The Tai chi was fun and the calligraphy was hard but interesting to do. Bubble tea and the bakery pastries were yummy. The train ride was fun with everyone and the trip overall was really enjoyable’ – Ellie
Sau
‘I think that the ChinaTown trip was very good because I learnt lots of new things, like how to write calligraphy pen and we also learnt some Tai chi which was very fun and the bubble tea was yummy’ – Maury Choo Yin
‘I liked the ChinaTown trip as it was full of activities. I liked doing Tai chi and calligraphy. I liked looking at the writing and I liked the bubble tea’ – Georgia Parker
Over the course of the last 2 weeks we have had the privilege of welcoming a multitude of Chinese students as part of an exciting cultural exchange program here at Roding Valley High School. It has been an honour and a deeply enriching experience to share our cultures and values, made even more special by the friendships and memories that pupils were able to create.
Despite the language barrier, we had a plethora of students volunteer to join up with and guide our guests through daily Roding Valley life.
From joint classroom experiences to extra curriculum activities, including table tennis and badminton, both Roding pupils and Chinese pupils have thoroughly developed their language skills as well as immersing themselves in new experiences.
We are beyond grateful to once again have this opportunity for members of the school community and it would be a pleasure to welcome them again. Additionally, we are proud of our students for taking the initiative and allowing this visit to run smoothly.
On Tuesday 8th July, Year 7 students had the unique opportunity to step into the world of languages, led by our wonderful students from Years 8-13. The younger pupils were able to immerse themselves in up to 15 different languages throughout the day through student-led activities.
This was a day for pupils to proudly share their cultural heritage and many students came dressed in traditional clothing whilst sharing history and knowledge regarding their home languages.
Students were able to partake in a multitude of different cultural activities including singing, dancing, and research which were widely enjoyed by the Year 7 cohort. A number of pupils suggested that they appreciated the opportunity to participate in learning other languages that they otherwise would not have had the chance to immerse themselves in.
We are happy that our students were able to share more about their cultural heritage and we are immensely thrilled that many students volunteered to take time out of their lessons and allow for this day to happen.
Please see some comments from our students.
“I did my presentation on the Irish language. I think it's a very good idea to allow younger students to explore and experience cultures that differ from their own as it allows them to have a bigger and more open understanding of the world at a younger age. This experience helped boost my confidence and presenting skills whilst also helping younger students get the confidence to stand in front of a class and speak languages that they haven’t spoken before.”
“It was really fun and exciting to learn new languages with my favourite being Arabic. I enjoyed researching the history of Morocco and found it to be very interesting.”
“My favourite language to learn was Italian and we got involved in singing and dancing as well as learning different hand signals. Throughout the day I did 9 different languages and was able to learn more about different cultures.”
” I really liked learning Bulgarian and I feel like the experience taught me a lot about the diversity of languages within the world. This day made me want to have a more diverse range of languages taught at the school and I would love to do this again.”
Year 9 The Mousetrap Theatre Trip
Year 9s went to solve Agatha Christie’s long-running whodunnit. As students are studying Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’ as part of their English Literature syllabus, this play fitted the genre perfectly. Students enjoyed visiting St Martin’s theatre - a beautiful setting for such an iconic play. Students even got to meet an actor after!
Year 7s go BACK IN TIME!
This half term, Year 7s attended the theatre production of the 80’s CLASSIC movie; please read a glowing review from Year 7 Ralph Poett:
‘Our Back to the Future trip was a fun and memorable experience. We started the trip by having lunch at Embankment Gardens where we enjoyed our lunch and had a go at the outdoor gym with some of my friends, which was a great start to our trip.
After lunch, we took a walk through the amazing streets of London, having a look at the interesting architecture as we made our way to the theatre. Not watching Back to the Future before I did not know what to expect…very quickly I was completely sucked in and I loved the sets and the actors. It was for sure the highlight of the day!
Once the show ended, we made our way back, ending a brilliant day filled with fun, culture and some amazing memories which will stick with me.
Thanks Ms Flynn and all the other teachers that organised the trip.
I’m sure everyone that attended found it fun because it was a brilliant day!’.
Hospitality & Catering Afternoon Tea Party!
On Friday 11th July, the Year 9 Hospitality and Catering students hosted their afternoon tea party.
The students prepared sweet and savoury treats for their guests. The guest feedback was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the high standard of both the food and service.
A big congratulations to Mrs Abbott and her Year 9 class for hosting an amazing tea party!
Thanks to Mrs Blundy for preparing all the ingredients and resources for this amazing event.
Hospitality & Catering Year 10 Mock Practical Exam
Congratulations to all Year 10 Hospitality and Catering students for their hard work, resilience, and creativity demonstrated during the 3-hour mock practical exam.
The students were tasked with preparing two meals: one for a child and another for an adult. They demonstrated a variety of practical cooking skills by preparing dishes ranging from medium to complex difficulty. Below are samples of their work.
Another wonderful year with our Creative Writers is coming to an end – how quickly the time seems to fly when I get to spend it with such lovely students!
We have had busy, exciting lunchtimes where students have been working hard each week with new ideas and themes for their writing, but something I have loved this year in particular is the fact their love for Creative Writing has extended beyond the classroom and Thursday lunchtime club. So many students have been writing, editing and adapting their work after school – with some additions to this book being completed solely at home! It has been fantastic to see the care and time these students have put into their stories and with each new piece of writing, you can see just how well their ideas and expression are developing.
A huge thank you to all the students who have contributed their work to this Compilation Volume. It has been an absolute joy to spend so much time with you this year and to read your excellent work. You have put a smile on my face every day and it has been such a pleasure to see you all each week.
We will, of course, be back again next year – ready to cook up some more amazing, inspiring and imaginative stories - but for now, please do enjoy reading our latest collection of creative writing pieces which can find by clicking this link This should keep you busy over the summer before we get cracking on the next Volume. Although, it’s never too early to get started. Maybe over the next six weeks, you could pick up a pen and have a go too!
Happy Reading…and Writing!
On Tuesday 1st July, 20 employers came to Roding Valley to participate in our annual Year 10 Mock Interview Day.
Year 10 students completed their CVs and were offered the opportunity to have a mock interview with a visiting employer. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to practice their interview techniques with a real employer. It prepares students for their first interview and gives them an insight into what to expect from the real thing.
The day is always so exciting for students, they receive feedback from the employer with guidance where necessary to help them improve.
Comments from an employer:
‘I wanted to highlight a few of the children who really stood out. They were an absolute credit to the school. They interviewed with a maturity well beyond their years, very confident, clearly academic and a very impressive list of extra-curricular activities’.
A huge thank you to all the employers, alumni and governors who participated.
The theme of this year’s showcase was “The Future: Innovation and Technology”. From this, students were tasked with creating their projects independently or as part of a group. They were allowed to choose whichever medium they felt resonated with them the most and showcased our theme in a way that they wanted to express. We had many visual displays this year, as well as art pieces and PowerPoint presentations.
During period 6, our students presented their projects to their peers as year 7 were called to vote on their favourite piece. The winners of the Student Vote were Olivia J and Lottie R for their piece entitled “Saving Our Planet from Climate Change”.
Following this, a ceremony was held after school for parents, carers, teachers and governors to come together to celebrate the creations of our students. Students were tasked with having to articulate the meaning of their projects to our visitors and what inspired their visions. Many people commented on how well our students expressed themselves.
Following much deliberation, the following awards were distributed:
This year’s showcase evidently displayed the creativity, dedication and enthusiasm of our students as they created their masterpieces. They should be incredibly proud of themselves because we ARE certainly proud of them! Well done to all of the students that took part - you are an inspiration to us all. Keep challenging yourselves and pursuing new opportunities that might be outside of your comfort zones as this is how you grow and prosper!
Most Innovative - The Past, Present and Future of Music by Zara B, Jasmine W and Maria G
Most Informative - AI and its Impacts by Nicolas G, Crystal M and James S
Most Creative - The Future of Travel by Chloe S
People’s Choice - The Future of Space by Adriana V and Jessica Y
Governors Vote - Skylight by Harlequin M
Headteacher’s Award - My Wonderful World of Cameras by Hermione M
Tuesday 9th September – Years 7 & 8
Thursday 11th September – Years 9 to 13
Tuesday 16th September – call backs
All in CA1 at 3.00pm
Congratulations to the following students for their fantastic work in Literacy and during Drop Everything and Write (DEAW)
Nancy Gibson – 7Ox
Leonie Hadzhidiev – 7Ar
Sophia Sapal – 7Li
Alex Jajodia – 7Ne
Reese Tattam – 7Li
Student Absence
If your child is unable to attend School for any reason, please report their absence by phoning the school number by 8.30am at the latest, you must also ring in each day of your child’s absence.
0208-508-1173
On their return to School, please ensure your child brings with them a letter or medical evidence if requested explaining the reason for the absence for our records.
Medical Appointments
Please make sure you make any medical or dental appointments outside of school time. If this is not possible then please try to ensure that your child attends before and/or after their appointment
Holidays in Term Time
The school does not authorise any holidays during term time except if the Headteacher deems it an exceptional circumstance. A ‘Leave of Absence’ form must be completed (these are available at Student Reception) detailing your exceptional circumstances.
Please be aware if the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken, the case will be referred to the Local Authority who may issue a Penalty Notice for £160 (or £80 if paid within 21 days) to each parent for each child taken out of school.
For full details regarding attendance, please see our Attendance Policy here.
Who to contact
Should you have any concerns about your child’s attendance or punctuality please contact your child’s Head of Year or our Attendance Officer Ms A Parsley (aparsley@rodingvalley.net)
Explore together: Ask your child to show you their favourite websites and apps and what they do on them. Listen, show interest and encourage them to teach you the basics of the site or app. 1
Chat about online safety little and often: Young people are likely to want to explore new apps and websites this month, whether that is for learning or for fun. Take this opportunity to talk to them about how to stay safe on these new services, and in general. Ask if anything ever worries them while they are online. Make sure they know that if they ever feel worried, they can get help by talking to you or another adult they trust.
Help your child identify trusted adults who can help them if they are worried: This includes you and other adults at home, as well as adults from wider family, school or other support services who they are able to contact at this time. Encourage them to draw a picture or write a list of their trusted adults.
Be non-judgemental: Explain that you would never blame them for anything that might happen online, and you will always give them calm, loving support.
Talk about how their online actions can affect others: If your child is engaging with others online, remind them to consider how someone else might feel before they post or share something. If they are considering sharing a photo/video of somebody else, they should always ask permission first.
Parental controls: Make use of the parental controls available on your home broadband and any internet enabled device in your home. You can find out more about how to use parental controls by visiting your broadband provider’s website.
Direct your child to age appropriate information about relationships and sex: It’s natural for young people to start exploring their sexual feelings online and adolescents are more inclined to take risks. It’s important to understand this and to talk to your child in a positive way. Thinkuknow, Brook, The Mix and Childline all provide age appropriate information about relationships and sex that you can signpost your child to.
Make sure they know about CEOP: Young people can report a concern about grooming or sexual abuse to CEOP at www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/ and get support from a specialist Child Protection Advisor. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Support your child with Thinkuknow websites
The age appropriate Thinkuknow websites are a great way to start and continue chats about online safety.
Our websites provide open and honest guidance for young people on friends, relationships and the internet, covering topics like dealing with pressure; consent; and getting support when you are worried.
You will find lots more advice on keeping your child safe online at www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents.
If you are worried that a child or young person is at risk of harm online, you should call the police. Young people can make a report to CEOP at https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
Other Recommended Resources
Parent Info: Expert information for parents about building their child’s resilience both online and off. Produced by NCA-CEOP and Parent Zone. This free service can be embedded on to your child’s school website. www.parentinfo.org
Brook: Information and advice for young people on sexual health and wellbeing, including staying safe online. https://www.brook.org.uk
The Mix: Support service for young people with information and advice on sex and relationships. https://www.themix.org.uk
Internet Matters: A useful tool showing how to set parental controls across a range of devices and websites. http://www.internetmatters.org/parentalcontrols/interactive-guide/
NSPCC Net Aware: Provides reviews and guidance on the most popular social networks, apps and games that children use. https://www.net-aware.org.uk/
Childnet – Information and advice for parents and carers on supporting people online. https://www.childnet.com/reso urces/supporting-youngpeople-online
How Can I Access Edulink?
EduLink can be accessed on any device – PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device – via the web browser or via the EduLink app. The link to access the EduLink login page on a web browser is www.edulinkone.com
Alternatively, you can download the EduLink App which is available to download for free on Apple or on Android.
Both the App and the web browser will display this log-in screen.
The School ID is ‘Roding’.
Parents/Carers will need to enter the Username and Password they have been provided with and click ‘Log in’.
The displayed is dependant of the platform you are logged in to:
• Via Web Browser
• Via the EduLink App
Navigating Edulink
You are able to navigate each of the following areas in EduLink:
• Achievement: You van view all positive achievements that have been awarded to your child
• Account Information: In this section you can view the current address we have for your child on file, your child’s Year group and the name of their Form tutor
• Timetable: In this section you can view your child’s daily timetable
• Absence Reporting: This feature will allow you to send a direct message to our Attendance Officer, to notify us of any absence for your child
• Linked Resources: This section contains links to all the schools learning resources available to your child both at school and at home
• Update Information: This section shows all of the contact information we hold for yourself and your child. You can review and update this information with any changes that may occur
• Exams: You can see all of your child upcoming exams; your child can also access this information so they can manage their own exam schedule
• Documents: In this section you can view your child’s reports
Parents can access information on all their children currently admitted to Roding Valley High School. If you require any assistance, please contact Mr Vermaak or Miss Stewart (mvermaak@rodingvalley.net or lstewart@rodingvalley.net )
How to Log on to Google Classroom?
Classroom
Students can log into their Gmail using their school email address and their password. Their school email will be the year they started at RVHS started plus their first initial and surname @rodingvalley.net (example- 19plarkin@rodingvalley.net).
Once your child has have logged in, they will need to click on the google apps button and then select ‘Google Classroom’
Your child will then be able to see all of the classes they belong to. They will then need to click on the class they want to use resources for and take a look at everything that their class teacher has posted for them to work on. They will be able to download items and make comments on them. Teachers will be regularly posting new work on their Google Classrooms.
What to Do if your child is a Missing a Subject their Google Classroom?
If your child is missing a Google Classroom for one of their subjects, they will need to click on the addition symbol, followed by ‘Join Class’ and then enter the Class Code for their missing subject. Class Codes are available from their subject teacher.
Top Tips for Our Students
Students must keep up to date with their lessons by using Google Classroom every day.
Use their workbooks to complete the work shown on their Google Classroom.
Don’t slack on presentation! Keep their notes in order of the lessons on the Google Classroom.
Year 11 and 13 Students: There will be revision materials available on Google Classroom. Please use them.
Heads of Year
Year 7: Miss Aston – caston@rodingvalley.net
Year 8: Miss Burke – tburke@rodingvalley.net
Year 9: Ms Wills – rwills@rodingvalley.net
Year 10: Mr Ryan – fryan@rodingvalley.net
Year 11: Ms Wills – rwills@rodingvalley.net
Sixth Form: Ms Wheaton & Ms Curling – lcurling@rodingvalley.net / awheaton@rodingvalley.net
