The RP Weekly: 18 November 2022
The weekly digital newsletter from Rydal Penrhos School - 18 November 2022 edition.
The RP Weekly
18 November 2022
Prep Taster Day
Come and see what we have to offer!
Rydal Penrhos Prep Taster Day
Friday 2 December
From 8.30am
Those attending our Prep Taster Day will be greeted by key staff including Mrs Lucy Davies, Deputy Principal and Head of Prep. Children will then be taken into their respective year groups and experience for themselves what goes on during a typical day at Rydal Penrhos.
Any parents wishing to take tours of the school can do so, with the Taster Day set to provide an action-packed morning of fun-filled activities under the supervision of our incredible teaching staff.
Join us for what should be another wonderful showcase of what Rydal Penrhos has to offer!
admissions@rydalpenrhos.com
01492 530155
BOOK ONLINE HERE
Assessment Day
Details confirmed for 2023 event
Rydal Penrhos warmly invites you to attend its 2023 Assessment Day, which is for all year groups and will take place on Saturday 21 January from 9am.
This will be open to those looking to join the Rydal Penrhos community from September 2023 across Years 7-13. Academic scholarship premiums are available in Years 7-10 for anyone that demonstrates potential from their Cognitive Abilities Test and during an interview with a senior staff member.
The school is offering several free day places for Year 7 and Year 12 entry in 2022, which is a means-tested scheme that has proven hugely popular since the initiative was launched.
All applications must be in by Friday 13 January.
It is an enormously exciting time to join the Rydal Penrhos family. The school achieved exceptional results at A Level and GCSE this summer, which also came with some truly outstanding value-added scores.
This added to the rich history of academic achievements across the school, which is coupled with an outstanding extra-curricular provision and leadership opportunities available to further enhance development.
Here is a more in-depth look at the initiatives available for incoming pupils.
Academic Scholarship Premiums
Academic scholarship premiums may be awarded to children on entry to any academic year (from Year 7 upwards).
These scholarship premiums are open to pupils already within the school and those joining the school and are based on clear testing/results and interviews. There is no limit to the number of these awards.
These awards are not means-tested and the reward is the title of scholar and also a £500 contribution each year for the pupil from the school to further their academic studies through the purchase of books etc.
A mentor will be attached to the pupil for this purpose and would meet half termly to discuss progress in that area and help the money be spent wisely and appropriately.
Art, Drama, Sport and Music scholarship premiums may also be awarded to pupils with “exceptional talent” at any point during their senior school years. They do not require an application.
Fully-funded day places
Rydal Penrhos offers fully-funded day places based on academic ability and financial eligibility. Occasionally, the number of places in Year 7 and 12 may increase, or the scheme may become available for entrants into other academic year groups.
The Year 7 places are awarded based on school reports, a Cognitive Ability Test (CAT) and an interview with a senior staff member.
These are means-tested awards, intended as an “opportunity” for an academically able child or young person residing in North Wales who is currently being educated within the state school system.
The scheme is transparent and is based on financial criteria.
Eligible candidates are part of a financial assessment which only considers families in which family income is less than £35,000 per annum and there are no other significant assets that could be monetised.
An external assessor carries out a thorough assessment, including publicly available data that is not part of the submission and carries out a home visit to establish the family’s suitability for the award.
Once a candidate is awarded a place, they will have it until they leave assuming they continue to be an exemplary member of the Rydal Penrhos community and are not subject to a significant change in circumstances.
Anyone wishing to register can do so by emailing admissions@rydalpenrhos.com, calling 01492 530155 or using our online form which can be located at this link.
Boys' Hockey
U16s and U18s progress to national showcases
Rydal Penrhos’ outstanding hockey programme has secured a plethora of national titles in recent years. The school is also proud to have developed many international-calibre players such as current Wales U18 squad member and Year 13 pupil Alex Starling.
This is down to their exceptional commitment and development under the school’s coaching staff led by Mr Dan Rippon, who provides expert advice and encouragement to ensure Rydal Penrhos’ aspiring players reach or exceed their goals.
The U16 and U18 boys’ hockey squads began their quest for more recognition at the national level later this year by participating in two qualifying fixtures against Ysgol Eirias, which took place on the school’s Astro surface.
It was the U16s first up on a glorious afternoon for hockey. A tense affair saw both sides miss chances en route to a 0-0 stalemate at full-time, which led to a penalty flick shoot-out between both sides to determine who advanced.
Rydal Penrhos managed to hold their nerve to secure a dramatic 3-2 triumph and they will now progress to the national semi-finals in Newtown next month.
The U18 encounter against Eirias was another hard-fought affair that was end-to-end. Rydal Penrhos’ attacking prowess was on full display to attain a 3-2 victory that puts them in the Welsh Schools’ Championships held in Cardiff next March.
This swiftly followed the recent success of the girls’ U18 hockey side, who also clinched their place in the national semi-finals by coming through their regional heat in fine style.
Everyone at Rydal Penrhos would like to congratulate our U16 and U18 boys’ hockey teams on their efforts and the staff that guided them positively throughout. We wish you all the best in the Welsh semis and finals in the coming months.
Pre-School
Parents join children for Book Fair fun
Pre-School bookworms at Rydal Penrhos got the chance to involve parents in a special annual occasion centred around the importance of reading.
The annual autumn Book Fair is once again taking place at the Prep School’s Lyndon Library. There is a wide range of children’s books available to purchase ranging from Pre-School level up to Year 6 standard and beyond.
The collections featured everything from Peppa Pig and Super Mario to Harry Potter, which promotes imagination and development away from a typical classroom environment.
This is the latest in a long of initiatives put on by Rydal Penrhos’ exceptional staff, with Pre-School parents also invited to get involved by joining their children to choose a book from the fair.
We are proud to involve our parent body significantly in their child’s learning. This not only keeps them well informed but also improves confidence and interaction for good measure.
Our Book Fair is a great way for children to boost their own personal collections, while also progressing their reading in a relaxed setting. This is something we actively encourage at every opportunity here at Rydal Penrhos, and continues to progress the academic accomplishments and development of each pupil considerably.
Year 6
Group participate in Design Technology transition workshop
Rydal Penrhos is always willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to ease the burden on those making the step up to a different year group, which will gather pace in the coming months during a busy period for pupils from Pre-School to Sixth Form.
It’s a time of emotion and excitement all rolled into one, especially for those in Year 6 who are leaving familiar surroundings behind and moving on to Year 7 and the start of their secondary school journey.
Pupils are understandably sad to be leaving somewhere they’ve been educated for years. However, they are also looking forward to what comes next with an added sense of freedom and independence that comes with getting older.
This is something our teaching and support staff at Rydal Penrhos are always keen to assist with. They are in constant dialogue with current pupils and their parents across all year groups to ensure each child receives the right support and guidance throughout the process, with those new to the school also getting the same level of assistance before their arrival.
Year 6 are currently involved in a transition programme before their big move to Senior School in 2023. Something that saw the enthusiastic contingent descend on the impressive Design Technology facility for a special workshop under the supervision of staff.
As part of the workshop, pupils are making a complicated pop-up mechanism and really enjoyed working under the expert guidance of our Design Technology staff, Mr Harmsworth and Mr Bonser.
The transition programme aims to prepare our pupils for the next level of independent learning which they will experience when they move up in September 2023. This is an initiative with proven results as Year 6 looks to hit the ground running when the time comes.
Year 8
Study skills sessions prove beneficial
Study skills are a core part of the learning process at Rydal Penrhos, whatever the subject area.
All pupils have them, but it’s about recognising, developing, and refining them through various methods during their time in school.
Time management, revision and assignment planning, using electronic resources, reading/writing skills and critical thinking are just some factors associated with study skills. Developing these can help pupils feel more in control, become better organised and should assist in tackling various challenges before heading off to the next stage of their journeys.
Many study skills are transferable to higher education and the world of work. Developing the capacity to deliver good presentations and top-quality reports are two skills employers value as well as key traits such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving and working towards deadlines.
Year 8 pupils recently received praise for their application during specialist study skills sessions, with Rydal Penrhos staff putting together a comprehensive provision with thought-provoking activities designed to progress each individual at their own pace in a safe setting where they can thrive.
Among the topics covered over the academic year so far include motivation, organisation, time management and learning to learn. Other elements such as speaking/listening, finding answers and how best to utilise internet resources and apps have also featured prominently.
The most recent study skills session with Mrs Seenan centred on planning and organising story writing. After discussing best practices, pupils then worked together using story cubes to create exciting descriptive stories together.
Outstanding work, Year 8! And our thanks go to Mrs Seenan and every Rydal Penrhos staff member involved.
Anti-Bullying Week 2022
Pupils lead the way
Everyone at Rydal Penrhos is proud to support Anti-Bullying Week, an annual awareness event highlighting the need for kindness and compassion not only in school but across communities and especially online, which is becoming an ever-increasing worry thanks to the influence of social media on young people.
A series of activities are taking place in and out of the classroom over the next few days. Some of these are driven by teaching staff, but pupils are also taking the lead as demonstrated by a Prep assembly to kick off Anti-Bullying Week on Monday 14 November.
The Prep School‘s Anti-Bullying Ambassadors – Lissy, Harrison H, Isaac and Buddy – led by our Mental Health and Well-being Champion, Alexandra, delivered a powerful assembly about respect and tolerance.
Having received their anti-bullying training from Year 5 teacher Mrs Chamberlain – who herself is a trained Mental Health First Aider – the pupils wanted to show how important it is to be kind. Something that is prevalent across the Prep School thanks in no small part to the strong community ethos between every year group.
The pupils involved also spoke in front of the entire Prep School community about the difference between being rude, being mean and being a bully. They also held a special quiz to promote interaction and produce an interactive way to get their message across.
All staff and pupils also wore odd socks to school to show that Rydal Penrhos accepts and embraces the differences in ourselves and others. A huge well done to the pupils involved, who have been a credit to themselves and the Prep School in their respective leadership roles.
Stars of the Week
18 November 2022
Stars of the Week
Reception – Lizzy Ro
Year 1 – Sebby
Year 2 – Harris
Year 3 – Minty
Year 4 – Olly
Year 5 – Layko
Year 6 – Ethan
Artist of the week – Ella F-W for her self-portrait inspired by the style of Vincent Van Gogh
Performers of the Week: Prep School Choir for their brilliant efforts during this week's concert.
Gallery
Boys' Hockey vs. Eirias
Gallery
Year 3 and 4 Prep Cross-Country
Vacancies
Finance Officer
Science Technician
Rydal Penrhos Vacancies
We have two positions available for anyone wishing to join our staff team here at Rydal Penrhos.
Full details and how to apply can be found in these digital documents.
