The RP Weekly: 12 March 2021
The weekly digital newsletter from Rydal Penrhos School.
The RP Weekly
12 March 2021
Rydal Penrhos
A warm, caring and friendly environment
At Rydal Penrhos, we aim to provide a warm, caring family environment where every pupil’s individual needs are addressed enabling them to flourish.
To find out more about our pastoral care, register for a personal socially distanced tour:
Call: 01492 530155
admissions@rydalpenrhos.com
Or book online:
https://rydalpenrhos.com/admissions/apply-now/
Prep School
Accelerated Reading programme launched
World Book Day is always one of the more popular occasions to celebrate at Rydal Penrhos Prep School. Pupils look forward to raising awareness on the importance of reading and taking part in a series of special activities throughout what is an action-packed day for all year groups.
Things looked a little different in 2021 due to the ongoing restrictions surrounding COVID-19, but this did not stop Rydal Penrhos’ incredible teaching staff from coming up with some innovative ways to mark World Book Day, both on-site and during their thorough online learning provision.
One example of this was the school introducing their new Accelerated Reading programme to pupils on Thursday 4 March, which is a highly successful reading intervention that is proven to accelerate the reading age growth of pupils.
This is sure to be another valuable learning tool for Prep School pupils, who will be back on-site in the coming days after some good news from the Welsh Government, with coronavirus cases continue to fall across the country.
As part of the initiative, pupils will set individual goals that centre around comprehension, engaged reading time, and specific reading levels to keep them on the path to future success.
The Accelerated Reader has quizzes on more than 200,000 books, ensuring pupils never run out of choices and are allowed to develop at their own pace reading either at school or from the comfort of their own homes.
Staff will also play a huge part in the programme, gaining an insight into pupils’ quiz results and using this information to monitor progress and personalise lesson plans to fit with just how individuals and the group, in general, are getting on.
This is the latest in a long line of exciting academic introductions across the Prep School in recent months, which gives pupils of all ages a strong platform from which to build a successful education.
From Colwyn Bay to Kathmandu
Former pupil reflects on 40 years
To mark International Women’s Day, a former Rydal Penrhos pupil recently shared her incredible journey since leaving school that we thought would be a perfect way to celebrate the occasion.
Many women have been at the core of Rydal Penrhos’ rich history, with Penrhos College forming a large part of this before the eventual merger with Rydal School in the mid-1990s.
Anne Griffith (Whittaker), who was part of the Penrhos College community until 1983, recently spoke to the Rydal Penrhos Society newsletter about her time immediately following the conclusion of her education and what’s been an immensely eventful life ever since.
It’s been 40 years since I spent a fabulous term on an exchange with Penrhos College, Perth. En route to Australia, I had stayed with Old Penrhosian Wendy (Simpson) Lister (PC 51-57), living in Singapore with her family. It was my first taste of Asia, and I loved it.
After three fun years (and some work) at Durham University, I travelled more extensively in Asia and in 1987 was commissioned from Sandhurst into the Women’s Royal Army Corps. As an archaeology graduate, I have always said I was at a loss to explain my decision to join the army, besides the all-too-obvious link of trench digging.
My first posting was to 6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles, two years which laid the foundation for the rest of my adult life, not least because my future husband and I shared an office! Whilst not the first woman to be attached to a Gurkha infantry battalion, there had been only a few before me, and in those days learning at least a workable knowledge of the language was essential.
A first visit to Nepal trekking to remote villages to visit welfare pensioners supported by the Gurkha Welfare Trust was the beginning of a lifelong love of a country and its people. Reaching a village after some hours of steep ascent I collapsed exhausted onto a wall, surrounded by smiling work-lean young women, all fascinated.
The Headmaster was equally shocked by the arrival of this female British Officer, and my small knowledge of the language enabled me to understand his all too clear, ‘How did this fat woman get here?’. My distress at the comment was lessened only by the clear admiration in his voice.
After a Training Officer role in North London, and two years recruiting servicewomen into the WRAC from their Headquarters in Guildford, I was promoted from Captain to Mother. I left the Army in 1992 and with our 8-week-old daughter, moved to Hong Kong. Here I retrained as an EFL teacher, sponsored by the Brigade of Gurkhas, teaching soldiers English for promotion, and proof-reading.
This was a new beginning, living with Gurkha families now as a civilian and a teacher. We left Hong Kong four years later with two wonderful daughters, initially to Shrewsbury which became our UK base, and then to the Battalion, now amalgamated as the Royal Gurkha Rifles. I continued to work in the Army Education Centre, until in 2000 we had the opportunity to move to Nepal.
For most of the next decade we lived in Kathmandu and then Pokhara. I continued to proofread for various NGOs and for personal student theses, made voiceover recordings for two French films, one on the Yeti, one on Shamanism.
I was on the School PTA and the committee of a newly-formed Cultural Studies Group, ran the Army Wives’ Club and supported a trekking company with school groups out from UK. I was involved in Amateur Dramatics first with HAMS (Himalayan Amateur Dramatics) and then The New Shakespeare Wallahs. We performed niche parodies of life in Kathmandu, classic Oscar Wilde and my last contribution was as Elvira in Blithe Spirit. Never a dull moment.
Nepal is a country overflowing with fascinating traditions and an enviable artistic and cultural heritage; there simply weren’t enough hours in the day. I was fortunate to see much of this beautiful country. In Pokhara my husband worked for the field arm of The Gurkha Welfare Trust, supporting welfare pensioners across Nepal, and on occasion I was lucky enough to join him visiting ex-Gurkhas or their widows from Bakloh in the shadow of the Indian Himalaya west of Nepal, to Darjeeling, built high against the backdrop of Kanchenjunga, to the east.
We met remarkable people – renowned adventurer Sir Edmund Hilary on his return to celebrate 50 years since the first ascent of Everest, the shy but talented Prashant Tamang, Nepalese winner of the first series of Indian Idol, and the 100yr old widow of a Gurkha pensioner who told me the secrets to her longevity had been marrying at nine, giving birth to 13 children, never eating meat and never touching alcohol.
I have failed on all counts.
The years we spent in Nepal were a joy and a privilege but set against a turbulent time in the country’s history. For so many families, life is a constant battle for survival, and for far too many children in remote and urban areas, education remains a luxury.
Such struggles in the last three decades have been exacerbated by rural depopulation and the overcrowding of urban areas following a 10-year Maoist insurgency. My husband and four others were briefly abducted by Maoist guerrillas when escorting Michael Palin to film Gurkha recruiting for his Himalaya series.
In 2001 the Royal massacre led ultimately to the end of the Monarchy, the final days of the last Hindu kingdom in the world. In 2015 Nepal suffered a devastating earthquake, still affecting many in that region.
I have been able in a small way to support and work with some incredible charities both in Nepal and back in UK, with remarkable people rescuing Nepali children forced to live in prison with an incarcerated parent, or returning those trafficked into circuses or child labour back to homes and families.
Returning to Shropshire as my late husband left the Army in 2012, our second daughter was just leaving Moreton Hall. I worked there for the next six years, running the International Summer School and holiday programmes, but with a 10-month contract so that I could return to Nepal regularly.
Recruiting international students enabled me to travel within Europe and beyond, to Russia, Japan, China, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, and back to Hong Kong. Two years ago I started work as Programme Director for CAIRN, a charity providing educational opportunities for the least advantaged children in Nepal.
I feel blessed that so many years after I was so lucky to be posted to the Gurkhas, I still have the opportunity to give back to a country that has given so much to me. And our daughters continue the legacy – one serving in the Army has commanded a Troop in the Queen’s Gurkha Signals, and spent eighteen months working as Assistant Military Assistant to the Colonel Commandant Brigade of Gurkhas, the other is currently undertaking a PhD with the Zoological Society of London and the University of Oxford on gharial crocodile conservation in the south of Nepal.
And so, based out of Shropshire, with my Mother still living in Rhos-on-Sea, delightfully close to where I grew up, I look back on my Penrhos years with enormous affection, the very best of memories and the dearest of friends.
When I left, it was with a sense of anticipation for what adventures and opportunities would lie ahead, instilled by the less than conventional Nigel Peacock and his spirited enthusiasm for life, and for living it.
Everyone at Rydal Penrhos would like to thank Anne for revealing such a fascinating story to our wonderful school community.
Community
Rydal Penrhos contributes to another 100th birthday celebrations
Pupils and staff at Rydal Penrhos made a short trip to a Colwyn Bay care home to assist in some extremely special birthday celebrations once again.
The school paid a visit to the Abbeyfield Residential and Retirement Home on Alexandra Road in Colwyn Bay to surprise Mrs Megan Pari Jones with plenty of presents and a musical performance as part of her socially distanced 100th birthday party on Friday 5 March.
Mrs Pari Jones hails from Menai on Anglesey and moved to Alexandra Road with her husband Jack in November 2004.
The former schoolteacher sadly lost her partner in 2013, who was also a resident at Abbeyfield, and a special effort was made by Rydal Penrhos to ensure that she had a day to remember.
This included Year 1 and 2 pupils creating some colourful birthday cards that were presented to Mrs Pari Jones on the day, with Prep School head girl Amelie Skinner and sister Megan – who is in Year 7 – holding up a happy birthday banner outside the facility in Welsh, which was made by keyworker children during the second educational lockdown.
Year 2 pupil Jacob Skinner then presented Mrs Pari Jones with 100 tulips to make the occasion, before Sixth Former and decorated vocalist Tegid Goodman-Jones performed a mini outdoor concert that began with her favourite Welsh song – Calon Lan.
Tegid, who is currently in Year 13, said: “I did not sing the hymn version that everyone is familiar with, I sang an arrangement by a Patagonian folk singer.
“I picked up this arrangement after hearing him sing it in a concert in Rhyl. I added my own twist on the arrangement, altering the melody and chords.
“The second piece I sang was called ‘Can yr arad goch’. This is a Welsh piece written by Idris Lewis, a great welsh composer.
“I chose to sing this song because it was written when Megan was one-year-old and it was popular in Wales for most of her life.
“It is about the farming life of a typical Welshman, hence why it is so special.
“The third and final piece I sang was ‘Dy garu o bell’. This is a beautiful song from a Welsh musical by famous Welsh composer Robert Arwyn.
“The literal translation of the main-line in the song is ‘I loved you from afar’ and it’s a piece symbolising hope and love.”
Also in attendance was Prep School head Lucy Davies, Marketing and Admissions co-ordinator Debbie McCluskey, Senior School secretary Hannah Skinner – mother of Amelie, Megan and Jacob – in addition to school governor Anne Watson and Guy Watson, President of the Rydal Penrhos Society alumni group.
Rydal Penrhos and staff at Abbeyfield ensured that every COVID-19 precaution was taken to ensure that Mrs Pari Jones had the celebration she deserved whilst ensuring the safety of those who participated in the celebrations.
Online Learning
Positive response from pupils
Adaptation has been a key component throughout Rydal Penrhos over the last year. The lingering worries surrounding COVID-19 have forced staff and pupils out of their usual comfort zone thanks to the educational lockdowns, which has seen most of the school community embark on a thorough online learning provision that has ensured minimal loss to development despite the difficulties in the current climate.
With coronavirus cases continuing to fall and vaccine rollouts increasing across the country, there is now a clear plan in place to get more Prep and Senior pupils back on-site in the coming weeks. The school’s estates’ team have gone above and beyond the call of duty to provide a safe environment, with every possible precaution being taken to keep children happy and thriving when they return to Rydal Penrhos.
Rydal Penrhos staff deserve an exceptional amount of credit for keeping pupils progressing in the right way from the comfort of their own homes. But there is simply no substitute for face-to-face learning and the benefits of interacting on a daily basis.
This outstanding approach to remote study has been reflected by a recent pupil survey, which gave the school some useful insight into how the structure and programme have been received by those who matter most.
Among some of the big takeaways from the survey was the benefits of the school’s free iPad initiative, which was introduced at the start of the academic year and has proven to be an incredible assistance for pupils of all ages.
Another standout feature from online learning has been the use of OneNote, which also went down extremely well, in addition to the improved efficiency of Microsoft Teams and keeping cameras on making things look a little bit more like a classroom environment.
Teaching staff also received plenty of praise for always being on hand to answer questions and emails from pupils any almost any time of day. This attention to detail and care for young learners is something that’s brought an incredible amount of academic success across the school in recent years and long may it continue.
Here are some comments that pupils made along with the survey
“Good communication between teachers and pupils. Teachers have been helpful in trying to resolve any issues regarding work.”
“The iPads! It has been SO helpful to be able to have Teams on one device and OneNote on the other. The iPad has been very useful to me in this time, especially the pens for making notes. It allows me the option of handwriting on the iPad or typing on my laptop.”
“I don’t feel like I’ve fallen behind in any of my subjects.”
“I think the way the teachers have ensured you are doing the work meant that I have stayed up to date with my learning.”
“Using OneNote has been a big help.”
“Teachers have been supportive and understanding, having the cameras on has helped me as it feels like I am more in a classroom with my peers.”
“The Maths department has used the provided technology to a level that lets us almost match the pace of normal school.”
Gina Williams
Staff member hangs up the apron after 40 years!
If anyone could epitomise the Rydal Penrhos family, it would be Gina Williams.
The staff member began working at the school aged just 16 in 1979, so she has literally lived her entire life within the Rydal Penrhos community – 40 years to be precise – and became a much-loved member of an incredible team during that time.
Gina walked into Rydal Penrhos on the off chance there was employment, and her bold gamble paid off after being given a role of general assistant, living on the top floor of Old House with five other girls.
Gina recalls that it was so long ago, the great Mike Leach was still a pupil!
She left briefly in 1984 before re-joining in 1986, taking over as a dining room supervisor. Gina has been single, married and divorced during her time at the school, was an employee when her son Josh was born and even celebrated his 21st birthday as an employee.
“My colleagues have become closer than family, they are like sisters and brothers and I have shared all of life’s experiences.”
There are so many memories for Gina over four decades it’s hard to know where to begin.
One of her more treasured moments was much-loved and sorely missed teacher and historian Rob Tickner helping translate “gone but not forgotten” for her in German when Gina’s mother sadly passed away.
She was a German native and Gina wanted this to be recognised.
“Mr Tickner always used to say: ‘I need to write a book about you Gina, you have been here so long, you must have your very own school history’.”
Another notable highlight from Gina’s perspective was the Centenary Ball, giving out champagne all through the night before eventually deciding “it wasn’t worth going to bed”.
Of course, who could forget the Rydal Vikings Sports Dinner to honour Mike Leach and Phil Mather’s exceptional service to the school’s sporting provision, something that has brought a wealth of regional, national and international success over the years.
Gina was busy minding her own business chatting to the plenty of familiar faces when a chant began…..
“Gina, Gina, Gina!”
She was called to the stage to assist with the charity raffle and received a standing ovation from those in attendance, with one of the chefs stating that he “couldn’t believe such a big fuss had been made”.
That is just how much Gina meant to everybody at Rydal Penrhos.
When former pupil Bill Roache, who plays legendary Coronation Street character Ken Barlow, returned to Rydal Penrhos, Gina recalls she was so star-struck that “I was shaking so much I couldn’t serve him a cup of tea”.
She remembers Dr Mark Baker as a pupil, who is behind the incredible re-generation of Gwrych Castle that recently hosted the smash-hit reality show ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!” due to coronavirus restrictions preventing them from travelling to their usual location in Australia.
Gina will be taking away a signed photograph from “The Vivienne” James Lee Williams, who called her “The Best Dinner Lady”.
She has served thousands of meals over the years. But what is Gina’s favourite school dinner?
“Lasagne and then Bread and Butter pudding.”
Who could blame her?
Looking back, Gina reflected on what she will miss and her plans for the future.
She said: “I will miss all the friendships, the Rydal Penrhos family, but I will be very much keeping in touch with everybody.
“I love walking around Rhos-on-Sea – sometimes with my son and with the neighbour’s dog – so I will be doing plenty of that and will look for some part-time work to keep me busy.
“It can’t have been a bad job as my son Josh is following in my footsteps doing breakfast club at his local school and also looking after the Old Colwyn Methodist Church.”
On behalf of everyone at Rydal Penrhos, we would like to thank Gina from the bottom of our hearts for four decades of incredible service to the school.
We wish her the very best of luck moving forward and she will always be a member of our amazing school community.
Raha
2020 leaver secures Medicine offer
One of Rydal Penrhos’ recent leavers will be embarking on the next stage of her educational journey later this year after securing her place at a top university.
Raha Aminnejad, who was part of the school’s 2020 cohort that secured the school’s best-ever A Level results in difficult circumstances thanks to COVID-19 restrictions, has been accepted to the University of Leicester after taking a Gap year immediately following the conclusion of her Sixth Form studies.
This represents a notable achievement from Raha, who will be studying Medicine at the higher education establishment situated in the East Midlands.
Raha began her journey at Rydal Penrhos as a youngster and grew into a respected and heavily involved member of the school community. Her academic development was exceptional under the guidance and support of the school’s committed teaching staff, something that brought eye-catching results both at A Level and GCSE.
Not only did Raha thrive in the classroom, but her engaging demeanour and willingness to try her hand at almost every opportunity provided by Rydal Penrhos saw her make a lasting contribution within a variety of extra-curricular areas.
She was a member of the school’s hockey sides, progressed well as part of Rydal Penrhos’ Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and also played a leading role in charitable events put on by the school during her time as a Sixth Former.
Raha was also a strong role model for younger members of the Rydal Penrhos community in her role as a Prefect, with her time at the school also coming with plenty of accolades from Speech Day events over the years.
The 2020 leaver was part of an exceptional group of individuals who achieved record-breaking results, which included a 51.9 per cent pass rate at A*-A – the highest in the school’s history.
Cricket
Plans progressing on surface
With COVID-19 cases falling and vaccine rollouts increasing across the country, there is renewed hope that a much-needed return to some semblance of normality is not-too-far away.
Pupils and staff have done an incredible job of adjusting throughout the pandemic restrictions implemented by the Welsh Government over the last 12 months, which has stemmed from a thorough online learning provision and every possible precaution being taken on-site.
Despite so much uncertainty regarding the current climate, Rydal Penrhos is continuing to plan and progress to improve the learning experiences and development of pupils young or old. Providing restrictions allow in the coming weeks, then all signs point to some cricket being played at New Field for the first time since coronavirus began causing so much concern across the world.
The school’s grounds staff, together with 360 Groundcare, have completely revitalised the surface with four bags of seed and 94 instalments of Loam, which is soil composed mostly of sand, silt, and a smaller amount of clay.
This significant investment at the school’s New Field sporting facility has been maintained by Rydal Penrhos’ groundstaff throughout the winter, with 360 Groundcare also paying a second visit to the site for additional work.
The New Field surface is widely regarded as one of the best in the region and has been a regular host of Welsh youth international fixtures and has also welcomed Lancashire Cricket Club for training ahead of their annual match against Glamorgan at the home of Colwyn Bay Cricket Club.
Another memorable occasion hosted by the school is the first XI’s annual fixture against Marylebone Cricket Club, which has been played for more than a century and is always one of the most anticipated sporting events on the calendar.
Head of Art Mark Sherrington, who is a member of the Rydal Dolphins team of alumni, said: “There is nowhere better to play sport.
“Old boys come back just to be on that field again. The pavilion gets the sun in the evening, it is a special place on a summer’s evening after a day of sport to have a cup of tea or a beer.”
In addition to the work already carried out on the wicket, there are further plans to improve the surface during the autumn months as part of Rydal Penrhos’ ongoing investment across all areas of the site.
Pupils also benefit considerably from the outdoor and indoor nets throughout the year to aid their development, which is also used by Cricket Wales as part of their youth coaching schemes.
Rydal Penrhos has a rich and proud history of cricketing success throughout the years, with many pupils going on to achieve international recognition at Welsh youth and senior level.
Much will depend on whether restrictions are relaxed, but the school’s cricketing provision is ready to go once the green light is given by Sport Wales and the Welsh Government.
Prep School
Artists flourishing online and on-site
Keeping children creative has been a growing focus of the Rydal Penrhos online learning provision during the second educational lockdown, which has been implemented on-and-off for the last 12 months and resulted in some exceptional adaptability from teachers and pupils alike.
Staff have done a truly remarkable job of producing a thought-provoking timetable that not only enables pupils young and old to remain on track with their academic development, but also improve other key skills and boost knowledge for when they are able to make a return to the all-important face-to-face learning that is something none of us will ever take for granted again.
This is something we have seen over the last couple of weeks, with Pre-Prep making their triumphant return to the Prep School which will see the entire school community come back by the end of the month.
One thing all Prep School children love is their weekly Art lessons with Suzy Morris. This passionate teacher has been instrumental in coming up with an abundance of exciting projects that continue to ignite creativity in Rydal Penrhos pupils from the comfort of their own homes or at school.
Over the last few weeks, Prep pupils have been tasked with plenty of challenging topics that brought some outstanding work to the fore and also assisted with a special community initiative Rydal Penrhos recently participated in involving a 100th birthday celebration for Mrs Megan Pari Jones of Abbeyfield Residential and Retirement Home in Colwyn Bay.
Year 1 and Year 2 pupils used one of their art lessons to produce some colourful cards to mark Mrs Pari Jones’ centenary, which were delivered to her on Friday 5 March.
A number of year groups also participated in a Mexican art-themed activity involving the sun and the moon coming together as one, which not only improved artistic talent but also gave each pupil a broader knowledge of the world around them.
This represents the past and the future, involving hot and cold colours to bring their respective creations to life.
Year 4 pupils drew inspiration from one of the greatest British artists of modern times during a recent online session, which centred on the work of David Hockney, an English painter, draftsman, printmaker, stage designer and photographer.
As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century.
On 15 November 2018, Hockney’s 1972 work Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) sold at Christie’s auction house in New York City for $90 million (£70 million), becoming the most expensive artwork by a living artist sold at auction.
There is no substitute for being amongst classmates in the Prep School’s incredible art room, but Mrs Morris has done a brilliant job keeping our pupils engaged and enthralled despite so much uncertainty around them.
Prep School
Stars of the Week
Rydal Penrhos Stars of the Week
- Reception: Gareth – for amazing maths work on pictograms.
- Year 1: Poppy – massive improvement and effort in both her reading and writing.
- Year 2: Adam – resilience in learning his times' tables…he never gives up!
- Year 3: Lily – for fabulous effort in maths leading to her being able to tell the time.
- Year 4: Ella C – enthusiastic learning all week and a great model of the Olympic torch.
- Year 5: Kenzie – a wonderful free poem about her dog, Beau.
- Year 6: Freya – for her new confidence levels leading to an even greater rate of learning.
- Year 6: Robyn – for a much more confident approach to her maths and really conquering things she has found difficult.
Artist of the Week
- Oakley in Year 6 – for his wonderful picture of the school in the style of Hundertwasser.
Celebration Chapel
The Rev'd Professor David Wilkinson celebrates British Science Week
To mark British Science Week, which takes place from March 5-14, Rydal Penrhos enlisted the help of what of the country’s leaders in the scientific field for its latest Celebration Chapel.
These continue to be filmed and shown virtually due to COVID-19 and the restrictions surrounding large gatherings, which have proved highly beneficial to the school’s structure surrounding a thorough online learning provision.
The Rev’d Professor David Wilkinson, who is Professor and Principal of St John’s College in Durham, in addition to working within the Department of Theology and Religion, was the latest guest speaker acquired by the Reverend Nick Sissons, Chaplain of Rydal Penrhos.
The pair are no strangers to each other having been contemporaries at Wesley House in Cambridge in the 1980s when they were training for the ministry.
Rev’d Wilkinson is no stranger to the school having spoken at Founders Day back in 2017, with the respected figure also inspiring aspiring scientists at Rydal Penrhos in years gone by, appearing as a guest lecturer of the Scientific Society.
Before working in Durham as a theologian, Rev’d Wilkinson was a scientist and then a Methodist minister in inner-city Liverpool.
His background is research in theoretical astrophysics, where his PhD was in the study of star formation, the chemical evolution of galaxies and terrestrial mass extinctions such as the event which wiped out the dinosaurs.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and has published a wide range of papers on these subjects.
After this research, Rev’d Wilkinson trained for the Methodist ministry, studying theology at Cambridge, where he met and became friends with Rydal Penrhos’ very own Rev’d Sissons, before serving in a variety of appointments, including a growing church in Liverpool and as Methodist chaplain at Liverpool University.
The respected figure arrived in Durham in 1999 and held a Fellowship in Christian Apologetics at St John’s College, and was also Associate Director of the Centre for Christian Communication.
Reading
Weekly update from Miss Earle
Reading
We are delighted that the 2000 books in the refurbished Watkinson Library have now been catalogued…….. thanks to the sterling efforts of Ms Bramhall this week. Before the Easter break, they will be labelled for use by pupils following the Accelerated Reading Scheme.
Pupils in years 7 and 8 have now tested their reading age so that they can find books which are appropriate for their standard. They then complete an online quiz before moving on to another book, steadily progressing further with their comprehension levels. While we wait for the completion of the Watkinson Library, pupils have been introduced to an extensive online library of free books in order to start using the system.
The Ferguson Centre will have a range of titles available for Sixth Form pupils when they return after the Easter break, so we are currently collating books ranging from fiction to biographies to those teaching useful skills.
The Oak National Academy library is featuring author Will Mabbitt this week, with The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones available online for FREE! There's also a fun video with Will, a Q&A all about reading, children's books recommendations and fun activities to download!
Vacancy
Teacher of Languages - Welsh, Spanish and French
Teacher of Languages – Welsh, Spanish & French
Full Time
Permanent Position
We are currently seeking an excellent Teacher who can deliver a number of languages to a high standard for Rydal Penrhos Senior School from September 2021, or as soon as possible thereafter.
Rydal Penrhos follows the Teachers in Wales pay scale and the successful applicant will be paid on his/her point on the pay scale.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a thriving independent day school with 350 pupils and over, 45 teachers and over 100 staff to teach and make a significant contribution to the school’s pastoral and broader life.
The closing date for applications is Friday 26 March 2021. Interviews will be conducted later in April 2021.7
More information can be found in this digital document:
TEACHER OF LANGUAGES VACANCY
