The RP Weekly: 23 April 2021
The weekly digital newsletter from Rydal Penrhos School.
The RP Weekly
23 April 2021
Open Day - 8 May 2021
What to expect
Now that the Welsh Government are relaxing restrictions surrounding COVID-19 due to the improved landscape across the country, Rydal Penrhos is delighted to announce details of a special Open Day event on Saturday 8 May.
This will give prospective pupils and their families a chance to tour the school under strict social distancing guidelines, exploring for themselves the wealth of academic and extra-curricular opportunities on offer.
The Open Day will run from 9am, with tour bookings running all the way up to 3.45pm.
Upon arriving at Rydal Penrhos, visitors will be greeted by a member of staff who will take them around the school’s impressive campus, which has undergone some outstanding renovations over the last few months to improve the safety and learning experience of pupils young and old.
Tour guides will be able to answer any questions people may have on the curriculum, examination success, extra-curricular options, the school’s outdoor education programme including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, the incredible performing arts provision on offer and how the school has adjusted to an ever-changing climate over the last year to ensure pupils’ goals remained unaltered.
Upon completing the tour, there will also be the chance to go through the admissions process and secure your place at Rydal Penrhos.
John Waszek, Executive Principal of Rydal Penrhos, said: “Rydal Penrhos is a school of which we are immensely proud; our pupils are absolutely delightful, and they are ably and enthusiastically supported by a talented and committed staff.
“We seek to provide a safe and happy environment within which our pupils can thrive; this features outstanding pastoral care, excellent teaching and a powerful extra-curricular programme which is designed to enable each pupil to live his or her life to the full, both whilst at school and afterwards.”
Anyone wishing to book their place at our Open Day can do so by calling 01492 530155, emailing admissions@rydalpenrhos.com or using our online form: https://rydalpenrhos.com/admissions/journey-through-rydal-penrhos/
The little things...
Making a big difference at Rydal Penrhos
It has been a difficult 12 months for everybody across the globe due to COVID-19.
This has not escaped Rydal Penrhos and its ability to educate, with the school adapting quickly to produce an exceptional online learning provision that was implemented to make sure ambitions and goals remain as they did before the pandemic took hold around the country and beyond.
While other schools across the country struggled to cope with these additional demands, Rydal Penrhos has thrived.
If coronavirus taught us anything, it’s that the little things in our lives matter the most.
Not the flashy holidays abroad or the luxuries in life. But spending time with family, friends and classmates is the sort of quality time everybody took for granted and missed terribly at various stages over the last year.
At Rydal Penrhos, we have focused on the little things to improve the quality of education provided.
This has seen some outstanding examination results at A Level and GCSE, some eye-catching numbers relating to value-added and pupils’ progression in fields of interest such as Music, Sport and Drama bringing some notable achievements despite the obvious difficult circumstances regarding learning from the comfort of their own homes.
The results of this outstanding commitment from staff are there for all to see.
Rydal Penrhos has recruited 70 new pupils to the school since September – yet another strong indicator that things are trending in the right direction since the appointment of a new leadership team led by Executive Principal John Waszek, Prep School head Lucy Davies and Senior School head Sally-Ann Harding.
Focusing on the little things and getting them right has played a crucial role in this.
Over the last year, 300,000 combined pupil lessons have been taught online or on-site under strict social distancing guidelines. This represents a remarkable achievement from everyone associated with the school – with everyone from teaching staff, support staff, senior leadership, governors, pupils and parents playing their part.
It’s not just academically where this has been evident.
The school’s extra-curricular and outdoor education programme has been able to carry on where it can in difficult times, with elements such as Coastal School, Forest School, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, the Combined Cadet Force, Sailing and sports fixtures resuming more frequently once restrictions allow.
Whether it is the Estates team improving areas of the campus, our admissions team providing expert support and guidance, assisted learning needs on hand to help in any way they can, or a friendly face welcoming visitors and pupils at reception, it’s these little things that are clearly having a tremendous impact.
This has enabled Rydal Penrhos to look forward to the future, rather than approach it with a sense of trepidation in the current COVID-19 climate. Plans are being formed to ensure a sustainable and thriving future for the school, with every decision made for the benefit of its pupils moving forward.
We couldn’t have done this without incredible support.
Everyone involved can be enormously proud of their approach during their most unprecedented of times. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have a brilliant Rydal Penrhos community who are all pulling in the same direction.
Welcome Back!
All year groups start summer term
There has been plenty of disruption throughout the academic year so far. COVID-19 health concerns forced pupils and staff into another period of remote learning to kick off the spring term in January, which brought out the best in the Rydal Penrhos community.
Now that cases are falling across the country and vaccine rollouts continue at an encouraging rate, the Welsh Government is gradually relaxing restrictions and this means every year group can make a return to vital face-to-face learning, and hopefully, there will be no further disruptions.
This is something we saw during the final week of the spring term with the re-introduction of Years 7-9, which saw all pupils together in their respective bubbles for the first time in 2021.
It has not been easy for anybody, but there does appear to be some light at the end of the tunnel. The school has arranged some notable events like Sports Day, Speech Day, Concerts and Drama productions that were sorely missed on the summer term calendar last year, which can hopefully take place under strict social distancing measures.
Exciting activities are returning to the school day during extra-curricular sessions, which also sees the Swimming Pool re-open in accordance with regulations.
The school’s COVID response team are constantly monitoring the situation and reacting quickly to ensure every precaution is taken to ensure pupils continue to thrive in a different environment.
Pupils and staff were greeted with friendly faces of staff who were clearly delighted to see them back on-site, with Reverend Nick Sissons, the school’s Chaplain, putting together a virtual Chapel for Senior and an assembly for Prep to get them off on the right foot.
There was a fantastic buzz across Rydal Penrhos on the morning of Tuesday 20 April. We hope our pupils enjoyed a well-deserved break over the Easter period and wish them a smooth and happy transition back into school.
Thank you!
Doctor's message for generous Reading for Wellbeing donation
The school has also been keen to highlight the incredible work being done throughout the community by keyworkers and NHS staff, something that was further reflected in a recent pupil-driven initiative that centred on thanking hospital workers for their exceptional efforts during the pandemic.
A discussion during a Prep School council meeting came up with the idea of producing reading boxes for NHS staff rooms, which saw pupils and their families donate enough books and magazines to fill ten boxes.
These also included some chocolates and hand sanitizer, with each box fogged before being packed into air-tight bags and distributed by current parents who work for the NHS.
The initiative has received an incredibly positive response from those who received the boxes, with thank you messages coming from hospital staff that included this lovely email from a doctor.
“I wish to thank you all for the thoughtful Wellbeing Box. It is a very considerate and loving gesture, which we appreciate greatly.
“After some deliberation, I decided to place the box in the staff Rainbow Wellbeing Room for the NWCTC (North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre – Glan Clwyd Hospital).
“As physicians, we receive all types of feedback, especially in the NHS: good, bad and ugly. This pandemic has been unprecedented in modern living memory and continues to present unique challenges.
“During such a precarious time, it is truly touching to be valued and appreciated by the school, and by the young minds who will be serving our future generations.
“Once more, we are grateful to you and your staff for steering our precious children through this uncertain and at times perilous voyage.”
Things have not been easy for anybody over the last year. NHS staff deserve all the credit in the world for giving their all to ensure the safety and care of people young and old who’ve contracted COVID-19.
At Rydal Penrhos, our pupils are fully aware of the sacrifices being made by keyworkers. Their care, compassion, and commitment to raising funds and awareness have been especially evident during the most troubled times. We are very proud of them all.
Biology
British Olympiad success for Kevin
One of Rydal Penrhos’ medical applicants this year managed to secure a notable achievement from a prestigious national science competition.
Kevin Farrell, who is a Year 13 pupil and joint-Deputy Head Boy at the school, recently sat two papers as part of his participation in the British Biology Olympiad, which is an advanced problem-solving competition for A Level pupils across the country and an entry point for the International Biology Olympiad.
The Sixth Former worked exceptionally hard in his own time to study for the olympiad, with teacher Anne Margerison and technician Tara James also providing exceptional support and guidance throughout the process.
As a result of his fabulous commitment, Kevin attained a high enough score to attain a Silver Award from the competition, which represents a significant achievement under far from usual circumstances.
Ms Margerison, said; “Kevin should be highly commended for his ability to manage extra study, whilst completing his online studies for his A Levels.”
The British Biology Olympiad is open to pupils in post-16 education studying at school or college. The competition consists of two, 45-minute multiple-choice papers to be taken online under staff supervised exam conditions.
Students were presented with topics and ideas which they are not familiar with, so will compete with their problem-solving skills and understanding of core principles.
Kevin revealed that the opportunity arose after Ms Margerison mentioned it during an online learning lesson during Rydal Penrhos’ exceptional remote provision during the second educational lockdown throughout the spring term.
“Having competed in the intermediate Biology Olympiad last year and managing to get a Bronze I decided I would give it a go this year to improve on last year and also because I enjoy biology as a subject. I was more than happy to spend some time outside of my lessons on the subject.”
The pupil added that there was a “clear step-up in difficulty” between the two Olympiads he’s taken part in over the last couple of years.
Topics like biochemistry, genetics, human anatomy and ecology made regular appearances in the challenge, some of which Kevin was “happier to see than others”.
This is the latest in a series of exceptional accolades Kevin has accumulated during his time at Rydal Penrhos. He is a nationally recognised sailor, has won national hockey titles with the school, is an outstanding musician and even played a leading role in the jaw-dropping Dramatic Society production of Les Miserables.
However, Kevin’s real passion lies within the sciences. He received two offers to study Medicine when he leaves school next year and is planning to go to the University of Nottingham in September.
“I’ve known for quite a while that I would end up in the scientific field when I left school, and medicine is the perfect combination between knowledge of the sciences, as well as the practical application directly people’s health.”
We would like to offer our sincere congratulations to Kevin on another wonderful achievement. He has been an absolute credit to himself and everyone at Rydal Penrhos.
Fees
Frozen for 2021/22 academic year
Rydal Penrhos school fees have been frozen for 2021/22 – the second academic year in succession. The school has also effectively reduced them by 15 per cent in real terms over the past couple of years.
Mr Julian Barnes, Chair of Governors at Rydal Penrhos, said: “We are committed to long-term planning which includes continued downward pressure on school fees and our restlessness in providing a better education for our pupils.”
Rydal Penrhos is a registered charity and is entirely focussed on providing the very best it can for its pupils through the provision of excellent teaching, facilities and opportunities, keeping fees as reasonable as possible and using the said fees to improve the education of the children and young people.
The strong work being done across all areas of the school, with initiatives such as free iPads for pupils, a substantial investment in IT totalling £250,000 along with curriculum and timetabling changes, new reporting systems and monitoring of childrens’ academic performance and wellbeing has played a significant role in ensuring education remains incredibly strong and focussed.
Learning loss has been minimised over the last 12 months in difficult circumstances thanks to an exceptional online learning provision. This has resulted in a growth in the pupil population by over 70 new children since September.
Simply put, Rydal Penrhos is going from strength to strength.
The Governors have again confirmed that in 2021, as in 2020, as well as freezing the fees the school will fund the examination entry fees for GCSE and A Level.
This represents a saving of approximately £500 for a Year 11 pupil, £200 in Year 12 and £350 in Year 13 as well as covering tuition, almost all extra-curricular activities, exercise and textbooks, curriculum trips, meals, publications as well as accident insurance and wrap around care until 6pm.
Evidence Me
Reporting app a big hit with Pre-School parents
With the world moving into an ever-increasing digital age, Rydal Penrhos Pre-School Department has embraced a new reporting system which enables us to communicate easier and more immediately with families.
How your child is progressing in school is something every parent likes to know. It is also nice to know on a very practical level what they got up to in their day so that you can chat about it and share their school “world” with them.
The school has implemented Evidence Me, an award-winning observation, assessment and reporting app that has gained a significant reputation in a short space of time.
Along with the more traditional school reports that are distributed every term or half term, Evidence Me allows Rydal Penrhos’ teaching staff to show the impact of their methods by capturing the different experiences of Pre-Schoolers, monitoring their development in key areas and creating easy to access digital documents that can be accessed on any device.
Teachers and parents alike share and access information instantly both from the department or the comfort of their own homes, streamline record-keeping easily and efficiently, in addition to receiving suggestion objectives based on what topics Pre-School are undertaking at any time during the academic year.
Each Pre-School child gets their own profile, with pictures and videos uploaded frequently to give parents a first-hand look at just what activities they are participating in during the day.
Parents can view various observations from home, watch their children reach individual goals and comment on any specific post to encourage interaction.
This has gone down extremely well with Rydal Penrhos parents and is further proof of the major improvements being made behind the scenes to improve educational standards since the appointment of Prep School head Lucy Davies and Pre-School manager Letitia Spencer.
The school cares deeply about its parent involvement and many of the big recent changes across all year groups in recent years have occurred as a direct result of feedback from its parent body.
History
Fascinating topics to start off summer term
“The past is not dead. It is not even past.” – William Faulkner
History is an important subject. It fascinates many pupils throughout education, giving them a better understanding of their own lives and the culture that surrounds them.
Delving deep into the moments that changed the face of the globe is a unique opportunity not to be missed.
Some pupils choose to take this interest even further – into higher education and the working world – which is evident with many of our former pupils at Rydal Penrhos over the years.
History can inspire. It can change the ways we act and think. Studying the people and the problems of the past can refine our minds, our conception of ourselves. So whether it is a fun fact, or a particular era, or simply a picture worth a thousand words, knowledge of history is essential to a child’s education and their perception of the world.
At Rydal Penrhos, over these first few days of summer term, different year groups have thrown themselves straight back into studying some thought-provoking topics in their History lessons.
Year 9 started the term with a unit that details the state of Weimar Germany, following their defeat in World War One, and leading to the ascendancy of the Nazi Party under Adolf Hitler.
Elements such as economic collapse and frustrations with existing leadership resulted in Hitler’s rise to power and the horrific events of the Second World War and the Holocaust, the latter of which saw the extermination of six million Jews as part of the “Final Solution“.
Teacher Maria Freeman, said: “Amongst other things, Year 9 were amazed that the WWI armistice was signed at 5am, but that fighting continued or another six hours until the guns fell silent at 11am."
Year 10 put in a lot of work during the previous half term – both remotely and during face-to-face lessons – which means that they can move on to Unit Two of their GCSE module, thanks to a fantastic effort from the whole year group.
The first unit focussed of the development of medicine and medical practices from 1250 to the present. Now, they will start to work on Early Elizabethan England, which lasted from 1558-88 and covers a number of important historical events, such as the crowning of Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots fleeing to England, Pope Pius V excommunicating the Queen from the Catholic Church and later on, Philip II of Spain launching the Armada.
There is so much going on during this era, it has to be explored to be truly believed.
Year 11 are currently revising for their examinations as part of the final few weeks of their GCSE course. Likewise, Year 12 are taking part in end-of-unit exams for their A Levels.
Year 13 exams are also continuing, as our Sixth Formers get ready to conclude their studies at the school. Our thanks go out to all of our pupils, who have demonstrated an incredible amount of resolve and perseverance over these last few uncertain months.
Mrs Freeman, added: “Year 13 studying Russia throughout this year have been amazed at the poor leadership of the Tsars and also how the Bolsheviks, Lenin and Stalin claimed to be for the people and then arguably treated the people as badly if not worse than any Tsar before them.”
Stars of the Week
23 April 2021
A busy week for the start of term at the Prep School.
Our Stars of the Week this week are:
- Pre-School – Ebenezer
- Reception – Livia
- Year 1 – Ellis
- Year 2 – Jacob M-P
- Year 3 – Sebastian
- Year 4 – Ashton
- Year 5 – Huw
- Year 6 – Gabriella
Artist of the week – Logan in Year 2 for his sensitive portrayal of the Queen attending Prince Philip’s funeral.
Well done everyone.
Mrs Lucy Davies - Head of Prep.
Celebration Chapel
Virtual format continues
