The RP Weekly: 25 November 2022
The weekly digital newsletter from Rydal Penrhos School - 25 November 2022 edition.
The RP Weekly
25 November 2022
Mock Exams
The Best Exam Preparation
Rhian Williams, Assistant Principal, Director of Studies and Exams Officer at Rydal Penrhos, said: “The Osborn Hall is an incredible venue that we are keen to ensure is maximised throughout the academic year.
The very best preparation for external exams has taken place this week with pupils sitting mock exams in the Osborn Hall. The recent refurbishment included a state of the art lighting system, which was installed using the latest guidelines from key examination boards and ensures that the Osborn Hall has been future proofed as a examination and study centre for years to come.
Maximise your potential – this is always the number one goal for our pupils at Rydal Penrhos and the school does everything we can to achieve it. being able to create an identical experience for mock examinations in a dedicated facility gives our pupils the best preparation for their external exams next year.
Putting our pupils first remains the absolute priority of the exceptional education provided at Rydal Penrhos. With this in mind, the Grade II listed Osborn Hall is a perfect place for exams in the short and long term.
With its vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows and parquet flooring, this room is steeped in history and this term has also been the venue for concerts, parents evenings, the school Open Day and will soon be a festive hub where our Y11, Y12 and Y13 pupils will hold their Christmas Ball.
Rhian Williams continues.“Moving our examinations was, therefore, a logical choice and one that provides pupils with a spacious and more modern area with outstanding lighting to undertake their exams.
“This change has been well received by pupils during their mock examinations. It’s a room that will become the heartbeat for pupil-centred learning at Rydal Penrhos moving forward and is a tremendous asset we are fortunate to possess.”
Music
Osborn Hall Concert Raises Over £500 for BBC Children in Need
One of the biggest fundraising occasions during the academic year at Rydal Penrhos surrounds BBC Children in Need.
The school marks a special date in the calendar to raise funds, with pupils and staff getting into the Pudsey spirit on Friday 18 November this year with games, face painting and yellow attire as a mark of support.
Rydal Penrhos added another event in pursuit of raising additional funds earlier in the week.
The entire school community came together on Wednesday 16 November for a musical evening to remember in The Osborn Hall, the jewel in our crown that was recently brought back to its former glory after impressive renovations were completed earlier this year.
The Senior and Prep choirs performed superbly during the concert. There were also memorable performances from the Community Choir and Community Wind Band, with outstanding pieces for those in attendance.
A total of £503 was raised from the concert, which was added to the overall sum from the school which currently stands at more than £1,500.
Mr Alan McGuinness, who is a music teacher at Rydal Penrhos, said: “This was a special occasion and one of the first musical concerts held in the Osborn Hall since its renovation.
"The room is absolutely spectacular – an exceptional place to hold events such as this – and we consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to perform in such a setting.
“More importantly, hundreds were raised for BBC Children in Need at a critical time.
"Thanks so much to everyone that came to support and for your generous donations.”
On behalf of everyone at Rydal Penrhos, we would like to thank our pupils, Community Choir and Community Wind Band for their exceptional efforts during an event that will live long in the memory.
Video
BBC Children in Need Concert at Rydal Penrhos
Restoring the Osborn Hall
Watch the Careful Process of Renovation in Action
As the Osborn Hall continues to assert itself as the school's flagship educational space, we thought you might be interested in the following article from the RP Society Newsletter, detailing the Osborn Hall's renovation.
"Depending on when you attended Rydal Penrhos, a particular version of the Osborn Hall will stick in your mind's eye; whether that be the hall as a chapel, dinning hall or Learning Resource Centre.
The Osborn Hall is remembered by many as the school's dining hall.
"What is harder to envision is what the space looked like when it is between these different guises. When it comes to the Osborn Hall's latest transformation, we have an extensive record of this process, thanks to the efforts of longtime member of staff and the current caretaker of our archives, Mrs Christine Bramhall.
The Osborn Hall has a long history of being a center of pupil activity in school.
“This includes an incredible time-lapse video that exhibits the painstaking work involved in restoring this jewel in the crown of the school's estate. A huge thank you to the members of our Estates team for producing the magnificent result we have today.”
Months of work in the space of seconds: the renovation of the Osborn Hall.
Weekly Sports Update
A Round Up of this Week's Sports News
Prestigious Golf Scholarship - We are delighted to announce that Charley Simpson has secured a prestigious golf scholarship at the University of Idaho, joining the Vandals golf team. This will commence in 2024 and is a just reward for the pupil’s hard work and determination.
This year has been an important one for Charley, who set his sights on attaining a golf scholarship to continue his journey in the United States of America when he leaves Rydal Penrhos next summer.
Charley is currently part of the Wales U18 squad and has enjoyed significant success representing his country. Congratulations from all of us at Rydal Penrhos!
Continued Sailing Success - Freddie MacLaverty was recently selected as a finalist at the Conwy Sports Awards in the Junior Sportsman of the Year category. There was further cause for celebration as the Freddie earned a place with the RYA Cymru Wales Welsh National ILCA Squad for the 2022/23 campaign.
Sarah McGovern, who is Performance Manager (Wales) for the Royal Yachting Association, said: “As an organisation, we value the contribution of Rydal Penrhos in Freddie‘s continued development as an individual and a talented athlete."
Prep Taster Morning
Booking Open for Special Event
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 2023
Details Confirmed for January 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.
Feeding Hungry Minds
Local, Sustainable, Nutritious
These last few days have been busy ones for Jonathan Stubbs our Catering Manager and his team of chefs and kitchen staff.
Local – The quality of the ingredients that feed our school community is paramount and this week we moved away from a non-specialist national supplier and have chosen to source all of our fresh produce, milk and eggs from M. Hughes. Hughes are a specialist produce supplier based just across the A55 in Mochdre who supply a host of North Wales restaurants, hotels and kitchens. We know that using such a great local supplier will enable us to maintain the quality of our school food and also to eliminate issues with supply chains and deliveries which have proven a problem in recent months.
Sustainable – Clearly, using a local supplier cuts down on food miles and also allows us to order more regularly, keeping our offering fresh and helping to reduce food waste.
Did you know that our school community consumes over 5000litres of milk each academic year? And, that up until recently the majority of the milk that our Prep pupils drink came in individual plastic containers? As part of our catering objectives, we aim to reduce both food and general waste and to move towards more sustainable sources. Working with the team at M. Hughes, we are now ordering our milk in larger, containers and asking our Prep staff to give each pupil their morning milk in a reusable container.
Maria McLean, Commercial and marketing Manager who also leads on our relationship with Holroyd Howe comments ‘I am delighted that we are able to move away from national wholesalers and can work with local food suppliers. It is vital that we source the best quality ingredients for our pupils and also look for more sustainable ways to feed our school community’.
Nutritious – As part of our relationship with Holroyd Howe we are able to access a host of specialists and Ellie Olds, one of the senior nutritionists recently visited school to work with pupils and to encourage them to make healthy eating choices. Ellie spoke to Prep pupils to encourage them to try new foods and also with our senior sporting teams to discuss the best way to prepare for training sessions or to be match ready.
Thank you Ellie for taking the time to visit and speak to our pupils!
Boost It – As part of our work with Ellie we will be continuing to replace some of our most popular menu items with a more healthy version. Who knew that the celebrated RPS Brownie would taste just as good (if not better!) with the refined sugars replaced by beetroot!
Iceland 2023
Huge Demand for Exciting School Trip to Nordic Nation
Whether children are just starting out their journeys through education or getting ready for the next stage as Sixth Formers, Rydal Penrhos endeavours to treat every pupil as an individual with a broad academic curriculum and extra-curricular options that cater to every possible passion and interest they may have.
This includes offering exceptional opportunities to enhance development outside of a typical classroom environment. Examples of this include outdoor education initiatives, visiting prominent landmarks across the North Wales region and on occasion, sampling the culture of different countries during tours and trips.
Rydal Penrhos has confirmed another voyage for pupils that will live long in the memory. The school has teamed up with WST Travel for a visit to Iceland, where they will be staying in the picturesque city of Reykjavik for an action-packed three days.
Upon arriving at their destination, pupils will jump right into their activities with a visit to the Blue Lagoon before exploring some incredible sites around Reykjavik. These include the jaw-dropping Perlan Observation Deck.
Their second day features a guided coach excursion, exploring the spectacular sites of Iceland’s Golden Circle such as the Kerid Centre, Fridheimar Greenhouses and the Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant. This will prove invaluable for aspiring scientists at Rydal Penrhos as they look to get a broader perception of how things work in different nations.
The third and final day is equally as busy. This will see pupils and staff embark on a guided coach excursion to the South Shore to witness for themselves the many incredible geographical features including the Lava Centre.
Not only will this bolster pupils’ overall knowledge of scientific and geographical matters relating to their curriculum, but it is also a fantastic way to boost friendships, become more comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings and increase a sense of independence despite being supervised throughout by Rydal Penrhos staff.
This is the third excursion arranged by the school over this academic year, following the Poland educational trip and the Sports Tour to The Netherlands.
Charity
Rousing Fundraising Effort for BBC Children in Need!
Rydal Penrhos pulled together to raise funds for an extremely worthy cause during the annual BBC Children in Need fundraising day on Friday 18 November.
Staff and pupils devised an action-packed schedule for the occasion, which drew a huge response from the entire school community and raised a four-figure sum in the process.
Years 7-13 were given the option of coming in their own clothes for a small donation. Sixth Formers also arranged a face-painting activity for pupils and staff, which brought plenty of colour during lunch.
Things were equally as busy at the Prep site, with pupils dressing in yellow or spots to mark the event. The Prep School Council, which consists of 14 pupils across various year groups, organised and carried out a Pudsey Games Challenge throughout the morning that lasted three-and-a-half hours and was managed superbly by the group.
They devised traditional indoor games for their peers to complete and charged nominal amounts to enter. All of the pupils had great fun playing the games, being in charge of their own money and working out what the coins actually were.
There were winners of Pudsey prizes for some of the games and three children’s choice awards were also presented for their selfless and generous participation. These were chosen by school council members and went to Tilly, Adam and Hania.
The largest teddy was won by Celyn in Reception, which is taller than she is!
More than £1,500 was raised from the school’s JustGiving page online and at the Prep School, with £503 coming from the incredible concert earlier in the week.
Our Charity Committee and Prep site did an incredible job of organising this year’s BBC Children in Need Day, and it was great to see the entire Rydal Penrhos community enthusiastically supporting every activity for a very worthy cause.
Children in Need is the BBC’s official UK charity and raises money for disadvantaged young people around the country, such as those experiencing poverty, with disabilities, or victims of abuse or neglect.
Stars of the Week
25 November 2022
Stars of the Week
Reception – Edgar
Year 1 – Erin
Year 2 – Amelia
Year 3 – Josie
Year 4 – Hania
Year 5 – Sebastian
Year 6 – Jack
Performers of the Week
Year 4 – Cody
Year 5 – Rose
Christmas Calendar
Fun-Filled Festive Season in Store for Pupils and Parents
As we start the Advent season, we are delighted to be able to publish a full and festive calendar of events taking place in December
MONDAY 5 DECEMBER
Year 7 present A Child's Christmas in Wales (15:30 – 17:30)
A feast of seasonal music and drama. There is no charge for tickets but please book your places using the following link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/465360374407
TUESDAY 6 DECEMBER
Year 9 and GCSE pupils – Historians Front Line
The Faraday Challenge
Part of a national event, Rydal Penrhos will host teams from local schools who will battle through STEM challenges and compete to be the best in class. Hosted in the Osborn Hall.
WEDNESDAY 7 DECEMBER
Y9 Present Songs and Scenes of Christmas (09:00 – 10:00)
A seasonal feast of music and drama from our year 9 pupils. There is no charge for tickets, to book your place please use this link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/465377214777
Senior Interhouse Cross Country (14:00)
Year 10 Parents Evening (16:30, Osborn Hall)
FRIDAY 9 DECEMBER
Year 11, 12 and 13 Christmas Ball (19:00, Osborn Hall)
A more formal event for our older pupils, hosted by our events team in the Osborn Hall. Dress to impress! Pupils can book their tickets using this link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/469799682497
MONDAY 12 DECEMBER
Prep Nativity Play (14:00, Prep Hall)
It’s the most wonderful time… and the Prep Nativity Play is one of the highlights of the Rydal Penrhos festive season.
TUESDAY 13 DECEMBER
Prep Christmas Lunch – A festive spread in the Prep Dining Room
WEDNESDAY 14 DECEMBER
Prep Christmas Jumper Day
Senior House Singing Competition (11:00)
Prep Extravaganza (13:00)
Those naughty elves are back, full of festive spirit and with bucket loads of treats. This is also the chance for our senior pupils to be part of our ‘living’ creche and for our Senior Enterprise students to show our Prep pupils exactly what they’ve been up to.
THURSDAY 15 DECEMBER
Senior Christmas Dress Up Day
Senior Christmas Lunch
Crackers and mince pies for all in the Senior Dining Room.
Whole School Christmas Carol Concert (19:00 – 20:30, St John's Church)
All of our pupils and staff from Year 5 to Year 13 come together in St John’s for the most special of Christmas events. Parents and friends are also welcome to join us.
FRIDAY 16 DECEMBER
Tug of War (13:00, Astro Turf)
Raising money in support of Tŷ Gobaith.
SATURDAY 17 DECEMBER
The Rydal Penrhos Winter Ball (19:00, Osborn Hall)
It’s back! The most glittering event of the festive season as parents, carers, colleagues and friends come together to celebrate in the Osborn Hall. Individual tickets or tables of 10 are available. To book please use this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/430344129877
END OF TERM
Vacancies
Science Technician
Finance Officer
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.
