The RP Weekly: 3 December 2021
The weekly digital newsletter from Rydal Penrhos School.
Sixth Form Information Evening
Did you miss it?
Did you miss our Sixth Form Information Evening?
You can still book a private tour and see the exceptional education provided by Rydal Penrhos.
How to book:
admissions@rydalpenrhos.com
Call: 01492 530155 - Press
Book Online
Gallery
Matilda the Musical Jr.
The anticipation surrounding the Rydal Penrhos Dramatic Society finally returning to the stage for their annual production was palpable this week.
Pupils and staff have worked exceptionally hard during rehearsals and cast creation for Matilda the Musical Jr., which is being held over three nights this week and is the first major show since the 2019 spectacle Les Miserables due to COVID-19 restrictions.
To say the production has lived up to the hype would be the biggest of understatements. The first two nights were nothing short of extraordinary and there’s going to be a packed house within the school’s Memorial Hall tonight (Friday 3 December) for the third and final evening of entertainment.
Those in attendance so far have given the school rave reviews about the production, which is of the highest standard and a testament to the dedication shown by our aspiring performing artists and the staff who’ve led them on every step of their journey. The final major dress rehearsal on Sunday was captured expertly by photographer Martin Vaughan.
FULL GALLERY IS AVAILABLE HERE
Learning
Prep providing the building blocks for a successful education
Rydal Penrhos is proud to provide a rich, broad and exceptional education for pupils of all ages. This is coupled with a safe, happy environment and a close-knit community that enables our young learners to thrive.
Our pupils reach or often exceed their goals on a daily basis. The school’s teaching staff implement a pupil-centred approach that caters to the individual, which comes from small class sizes and thorough progress monitoring to give each child confidence and guidance
At Rydal Penrhos’ incredible Prep site, staff are constantly striving to support pupils’ development into well-rounded learners who are fully equipped with the resourcefulness to embrace whatever lies ahead in the rapidly changing global marketplace that they will grow into.
Looking at our pupils as unique individuals is something that truly sets our Prep site apart. This is enhanced by a designed curriculum full of fun, inquisitiveness and creativity that forms the very core of teaching and learning methods at Rydal Penrhos.
It all starts within our Pre-School department, with qualified staff providing children with learning and early development activities to capture their imagination.
This comes through well-structured play in an indoor and outdoor setting, child-initiated activities under immaculate supervision and a range of focused individual and small group tasks.
Pre-School children are not pressured in the slightest. Instead, they are encouraged to join in activities that are suitable for their age, stage and ability.
Once children make the move up to Reception-Year 2 at Rydal Penrhos (Pre-Prep), attention turns to building very strong foundations in the core literacy and numeracy skills, engaging and exciting children throughout their learning.
A wealth of exciting subjects are introduced from History to STEM and even Computing, giving our pupils vital early skills that will stand them in good stead during their journey through Rydal Penrhos.
During Years 3 to 6, the school offers a broad and rich learning experience delivered through a dynamic, thematic curriculum.
English, Science and Maths form the core of the overall learning experience, with areas such as Art and Design, Music, Drama and Computing also implemented to ignite curiosity and improve creativity. It also enables the Prep site to combine the best primary practice with an extremely varied extra-curricular provision, which includes outdoor education within the outstanding Forest School area.
All this is bolstered further with the school’s free iPad initiative, which allows them to become more technologically advanced and provides assistance to learning both within the classroom and at home.
This provision under the exceptional guidance of Deputy Principal Mrs Lucy Davies equips pupils at Rydal Penrhos with the skills they need for wherever their life and learning takes them.
SchoolsBuddy
New app for parents, pupils and staff set to launch
SchoolsBuddy
We are always looking at ways to improve communication with parents and with this in mind, we will be implementing a new digital platform for parents, staff and pupils that is set to go live before the end of this term.
The school has decided to move forward with “SchoolsBuddy”.
This is an easy-to-use app that will be used to book extra-curricular activities, transport, wraparound care including hot teas, and holiday club.
It will also be the place to check on sporting fixtures and team lineups throughout the academic year.
Please rest assured there will be no alterations to activities which parents may have booked for the current term.
As SchoolsBuddy is constantly evolving, more tools will become available via the app during the spring term and beyond.
The app is downloadable on all mobile devices and more information will be made available in the coming weeks.
The system will be replacing the current SOCS calendar across Pre-School to Year 13, as the majority of bookings and activities currently within SOCS can be more easily managed within the SchoolsBuddy platform.
Online payments for those activities which are payable upon booking such as horse riding or hot teas (at wraparound care), will also be managed via the app.
There will be plenty of useful hints on the welcome page of the SchoolsBuddy platform and we will also share with you a YouTube video link with additional information.
Assessment Day
2022 details confirmed
Rydal Penrhos warmly invites you to attend its 2022 Assessment Day, which is for all year groups and will take place on Saturday 22 January 2022 from 9am.
This is for any child looking to join Rydal Penrhos for September 2022 entry and the Assessment Day will all be conducted with consideration of COVID-19 safety protocols at the time.
This will be open to external families looking to join the Rydal Penrhos community from September 2022 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 14 January.
It is an enormously exciting time to join the Rydal Penrhos family. The school achieved historic results at A Level and GCSE this summer, which also came with some truly exceptional value-added scores.
This added to the rich history of academic achievements throughout Rydal Penrhos’ illustrious history, which is coupled with an outstanding extra-curricular provision from Pre-School to Sixth Form.
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 at the end of Sixth Form 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 the online form which can be located at this link.
Christmas 2021
Activities aplenty at Rydal Penrhos
Christmas is always an exciting time of year at Rydal Penrhos. There is a real buzz across the school campus and our staff have once again devised an action-packed schedule to ensure pupils go into their well-deserved break on a high.
These occasions are subject to COVID-19 guidelines at the time. Rydal Penrhos has endeavoured to follow every possible precaution to preserve the safety of the school community, so the scheduled events could be subject to change.
Here is a little Christmas taster of what we have in store for our children and young people this Yuletide.
On Monday 13 December we start our Nativity Play for the children and parents of Pre-School to Year 2. This is a traditional tale told with a very modern twist! And families are very welcome to book into this in the Prep Hall at 2pm but it is only two tickets per family due to restrictions.
Then on Tuesday 14 December, pupils from Pre-School to Year 6 are being invited to come to school dressed in Christmas Jumpers (instead of school jumpers). They will celebrate with a marvellous Christmas dinner including the traditional singing in of the pudding!
This is being done to raise funds for Save the Children.
On Tuesday 14 December the senior pupils (Year 7-13) will be singing their way through the day as the annual House Singing competition takes to the stage in the Memorial Hall.
It is the turn of the senior pupils (Year 7-13) to take to school in their Christmas Jumpers on Wednesday 15 December. Raising money for Save the Children, they will be treated to a wonderful Christmas Dinner and those who triumph in the competition earns first inline in the dinner queue.
In the afternoon of the same day we have one of the Christmas highlights as “The Christmas Extravaganza” kicks off in the Prep.
All Prep children who will have come to school dressed as something beginning with the letter J will be entertained by the pupils in Year 12 and 13 who will tell the traditional nativity story in the forest.
The pupils will also meet the FORPS elves, attend a mini-Christmas market led by Business Studies pupils in Years 10 and 11 and meet Father Christmas himself!
This cross-school initiative is done to raise funds for local charities.
Parents are invited in once more on Thursday 16 December to accompany pupils in Years 5-13 and staff to the traditional Carol Service in aid of the RNLI. This takes place in St John’s Church at 7pm.
And the last day of term is Friday 17 December – a wonderful way for pupils and staff from Pre-School all the way through to Year 13 to celebrate is a final Christmas Chapel – a celebration service led by the Reverend Dr Rob Beamish and is set to feature a lion, a witch and a wardrobe!
Matilda the Musical Jr.
Mrs Jones lauds cast and crew
Another chapter in the rich and vibrant history of dramatic performance over the past 140 years at Rydal Penrhos is taking place this week.
After weeks of exceptionally hard work from pupils and staff alike, the Dramatic Society production of Matilda the Musical Jr. finally took place inside the picturesque Memorial Hall.
This is the school’s first major production since the jaw-dropping Les Misérables in 2019 due to COVID-19, which only adds to what is sure to be an incredible occasion for those in attendance.
It’s been a collective effort from the cast, tech team and other teaching staff to get to this point, with pupils giving their all during rehearsals to ensure things go off without a hitch during their big moments on stage.
The school values drama in its curricular and extra-curricular provision not only for its academic worth but because it enables pupils to explore their creativity, try something new, gain confidence and work closely in a team.
Mrs Rachel Jones, who is the Head of Drama at Rydal Penrhos, lauded the commitment from the entire production team ahead of their big opening night, with performances also taking place on Thursday and Friday.
She said: “The enthusiasm with which Mr Williams (Music), Mr Sherrington (Art), Mr Harmsworth and Mr Bonser (Design Technology) and our pupils have embraced this production is truly inspiring.
“The opportunity to perform reminds us how deeply live performances have been missed over the past 18 months. We are proud to see both longtime Rydal Penrhos pupils and new entrants to the school getting involved and thoroughly enjoying the process of bringing a script and sheet music to life, all the while making new friends and memories along the way.
“A big thank you to all of those involved both on stage and behind the scenes, Mr Lavin, Arthur Hind, Mrs Freeman, Mrs Richardson and Mrs Davies. And thanks to the parents who have been on duty dropping off and picking up their children.
“This production is a true reflection of our togetherness as a school community.”
Congratulations to the entire Rydal Penrhos Dramatic Society.
Sport
Gold for Amélie at national diving competition
A talented young diver at Rydal Penrhos marked her return to competition with an outstanding performance in the face of some stern competition.
Amélie Creer, who is a Year 9 pupil at the school, competed in the Advanced Category at the Great Britain Diving Federation competition in Cheltenham, where she was representing the Manchester Aquatics Centre Diving Squad as a guest member.
She performed six dives covering each of the four directions – forward, back, inward and reverse – in both the tuck and pike positions across the one metre and three-metre springboards as well as the five-metre platform, where Amélie tried the complex arm-stand forward 1 ½ somersault in the tuck position.
Despite the challenging task awaiting Amélie at the event, she held her nerve and excelled throughout to secure an outstanding 196 points from her six dives.
This was enough for Amélie to attain a Gold Medal for her efforts, which represents a substantial achievement and one the pupil can be enormously proud of.
Amélie contributed significantly to the overall success of The Manchester Aquatics Centre squad, with their divers coming away with six gold, six silver and three bronze medals from the competition.
This was Amélie’s first national competition since February 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, which makes her success even more remarkable and it’s a performance the pupils can take a great deal of encouragement from ahead of future challenges.
Everyone at Rydal Penrhos would like to congratulate Amélie on an exceptional accomplishment and wish her the best of luck during her upcoming competitions.
Community
School thanked for Remembrance Sunday Service contribution
Ethan Bytheway
Rydal Penrhos was honoured to once again play an important role in the annual Remembrance Sunday Service this year.
Pete Williams, the school’s Director of Music, organised some of the Year 7-13 Choir to sing throughout the event. Year 12 pupil Ethan Bytheway superbly played The Last Post and Reveille and Arthur Hind and Shruthi Ganapathi – Head Boy and Head Girl of Rydal Penrhos – laid a wreath on behalf of Rydal Penrhos.
Sixty-three former pupils lost their lives during World War One, with a further 43 killed in the Second World War. Miss Constance Smith, who was Principal of Penrhos College from 1938-1966, undertook the monumental task of evacuating the school to Chatsworth in 1939.
Among the other school representatives in attendance was Lucy Davies, who is Deputy Principal and Head of the Prep site (Pre-School to Year 6).
Mrs Tina Earley, who is Clerk to the Bay of Colwyn Town Council, wrote a special letter of thanks to all involved from Rydal Penrhos for adding to the poignant occasion.
The letter to Executive Principal John Waszek, said: “I am writing on behalf of the Mayor, Councillor Mrs Merrill Jones, and Members of the Town Council to express our thanks to Mr Pete Williams and members of the Rydal Penrhos Choir and Orchestra for their excellent performance at this year’s Remembrance Sunday Service.
“The choir and orchestra continue to add to this important annual occasion and, once again, we have received many positive comments from those who attended the service.
“I would be grateful if you would pass on our thanks to all concerned, and especially to your pupil for his excellent playing of the ‘Last Post’ and ‘Reveille’, which form a very important part of the service.
“We are very grateful for the involvement of pupils from Rydal Penrhos in the Service and appreciate the time and effort put in by all concerned to prepare. We very much hope to see you again next year.”
Christmas
Busy time at the Prep!
Christmas trees in classrooms, all ready for the next two weeks of excitement at school.
Great fun was had by all the pupils in the inter-house paperchain-making competition! There were 163 metres of chain made in 30 minutes!! All recycled paper of course.
Tilly helped Rev’d Beamish to light the first Advent candle on the Advent wreath earlier this week.
Our daily assemblies have been focussing on the traditional Christmas Story.
Thedre will be plenty more activities to come before the end of term!
Christmas
RP supports Heart FM’s Big Christmas Lights Switch On
The festive season is quickly approaching and Rydal Penrhos has a bumper schedule of activities and events planned to ensure pupils, staff and the entire school community head into their end-of-term break full of the Christmas spirit.
Some staff and pupils got up early to lend their support to a nationwide campaign organised by Heart FM and breakfast show presenters Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston.
On Friday 3 December, the whole nation came together just after 7am to switch their Christmas lights on at the same time. A campaign that gained a significant amount of momentum in a short space of time.
Rydal Penrhos staff at the switch-on included Commercial Manager Maria McLean, teacher Katie Oliver, Registrar Debbie McCluskey, Deputy Principal Lucy Davies and the Reverend Dr Rob Beamish, who is the school’s Chaplain.
They were joined at the Christmas tree situated outside the Senior site reception by pupils Alice Beamish, William Oliver, Niamh Jones and Campbell Jones.
The event was broadcast live on Heart FM radio and they all put together a highlight video on social media where Rydal Penrhos can be seen.
We would like to thank all pupils and staff for getting up early and supporting the event, which was a roaring success across the country and something that really left everyone feeling quite festive!
Hockey
Pupils shine for Eirias Hockey Club
It hasn’t taken long for Rydal Penrhos pupils to get back into the swing of things when it comes to competitive sporting fixtures.
This has seen some encouraging progress throughout rugby and hockey – the two primary school sports throughout the autumn term – with football sessions also proving most popular during Rydal Penrhos’ rich extra-curricular provision across almost every year group.
Not only are pupils thriving on campus, but they are also making a substantial impact on local clubs and organisations across the region. This is something the school actively encourages and plays a leading role in their overall development.
Another notable example of this came from a recent regional hockey tournament at Parc Eirias, where a number of pupils represented Eirias Hockey Club boys and girls teams at U16 level against some other talented squads from across North Wales.
The U16 girls’ team had no fewer than five Rydal Penrhos pupils in the squad, with Lily Copeland, Eve Durrans, Lily Davies, Martha Hind and Keira Luke all performing well throughout the competition.
There was also a Rydal Penrhos influence on the coaching team, with Prep teacher Jude Pyves leading the squad to some impressive production.
Lily Copeland was the super sub during their opening victory over Bangor despite her tender age. With the team 1-0 down, the 12-year-old was brought off the bench by Mrs Pyves and made an immediate impact, netting two goals with assists from Lily Davies and Eve as Eirias secured a 2-1 come-from-behind victory.
The girls’ squad followed this up with draws against Caernarfon and Ruthin before taking on the Eirias boys’ squad, who also enjoyed a fine tournament and had Liam Farrell, Gabriel Speakman, Laurence Richardson and Olly Davies representing the school in tremendous fashion.
It was a hugely competitive game between the two Eirias teams, with the boys just doing enough to secure a 2-0 triumph.
A huge well done to all Rydal Penrhos pupils that competed for Eirias Hockey Club.
Stars of the Week
Congratulations!
Stars of the Week
3 December 2021
- Reception - Arya
- Year 1 - Gareth and Asher
- Year 2 - Hayden and Amelia
- Year 3 - Wilfred
- Year 4 - Sophia
- Year 5 - Ashton
- Year 6 - Finlay
- Performer of the week - Vihaan year 2 for his piano playing skills
- Artist of the week - Immie year 2 for her painting of herself tasting snowflakes!
Rydal Penrhos Society
Now on Instagram!
The Rydal Penrhos Society is now on Instagram
The Rydal Penrhos Society
is the School’s alumni association that exists for our former pupils, whatever their stage of life.
Charity
Rydal Penrhos launches Conwy Home-Start appeal
We are very proud of our work for charitable causes at Rydal Penrhos. This is something that forms a key component of the school’s ethos and has been prevalent across the academic year so far with initiatives and fundraising days for worthy causes across the North Wales area and beyond.
The school raised more than £1,600 collectively from its recent BBC Children in Need Day, which saw pupils come in fancy dress for the occasion and the Prep site taking part in a day-long Dance-a-Thon to further boost the total.
The Rydal Penrhos community also lent their support to the school’s annual Harvest Food Drive, which saw an exceptional amount of items donated that were distributed to the Conwy Food Bank and the Kind Bay Initiative.
As the Christmas season approaches and excitement builds with the various exciting activities planned before the end of term break, Rydal Penrhos has launched a campaign to support those less fortunate during what can be a difficult time for families.
The Reverend Dr Rob Beamish, who is the school’s Chaplain, has announced that Rydal Penrhos will be accepting donations to assist the Conwy Home-Start appeal – a local community network of trained volunteers and expert support helping families with young children through their challenging times.
Rev’d Dr Beamish, said: “Our Christmas appeal is supporting Conwy Home-Start and we are looking to collect toys, books and toiletries for children of all ages.
“These toys along with some gifts for Mums and Dads will be distributed by Home-Start in our local area to support vulnerable families. It is not about the volume of what is collected but about nice gifts which will be a real blessing.
“This is open to everyone and please feel free to donate what you can.”
There are collection points by the Prep and Senior front desks for anyone wishing to donate.
