The Rydal Penrhos Weekly: 25 June 2021
The weekly digital newsletter from Rydal Penrhos School.
The RP Weekly
25 June 2021
Class of 2021
Emotional farewell ceremony held for Year 13
"Lots of pupils talked of their affinity to Rydal Penrhos and their gratitude to all the staff who have supported them in different aspects of school life.” – Mr. Alun Brown – Head of Key Stage 5.
We are incredibly proud of how our Year 13 pupils have adjusted to extremely uncertain times throughout their A Level studies.
Over the last 15 months, their progress could have been hampered by COVID-19, educational lockdowns, and social distancing. However, an exceptional effort from the entire Rydal Penrhos community has maintained academic growth, development through extra-curricular activities and enabled Year 13 to secure conditional offers to many prestigious universities across the country next year.
Despite current restrictions preventing the normal end of Year 13 events from taking place in their usual format, the school held a special ceremony from the Class of 2021 to officially conclude their time at Rydal Penrhos on Friday 18 June.
This took place in the school’s fantastic dedicated Year 12 and 13 Ferguson Centre, which is where the pupils spent a large portion of their time studying and socialising over the final two years of their time at Rydal Penrhos.
Mr. Alun Brown, who is Head of Key Stage 5 at the school, gave one final amusing and motivating talk to the group and praised them all for the way they’ve applied themselves. From an academic standpoint and their efforts to provide support to younger pupils and charitable causes across the region and beyond.
Head Girl Anna Parry-Williams and Head Boy Richard Wolfendale also addressed those in attendance, speaking with a real sense of emotion and fondness of the memories both have made over the years.
Executive Principal John Waszek lent his support to the occasion with words of thanks and encouragement, wishing all of them the very best of luck before they head off to higher education or the working world.
There was a surprise for the Year 13 group, with Vice-Chair of Governors Anne Watson presenting them with special badges that reflect their transition from pupils to Alumni and members of the Rydal Penrhos Society.
It’s hard to put into context the challenges our pupils have faced and how well they’ve responded. Everyone at Rydal Penrhos pulled in the same direction in pursuit of reaching goals, which will hopefully add to the school’s rich and proud history of exceptional examination results and value-added scores this summer.
On behalf of everyone at Rydal Penrhos, we would like to wish the Class of 2021 the very best of luck whatever they go on to do next. Keep in touch and go away knowing your incredible contributions to the school will not be forgotten.
Discovering Sixth Form
Transition event hailed a success
We are enormously proud of our Sixth Form community at Rydal Penrhos.
Years 12 and 13 are exceptional ambassadors for the school and our teaching staff do an incredible job of ensuring each pupil reaches their goals and are put in the best possible position before moving on to higher education or the working world.
Small class sizes, an individualised approach to learning and the freedom to study the subjects that really excite brings out the best in pupils. Our examination results at A Level in 2020 were the best in the school’s history despite some substantial disruption that resulted in an exceptional online provision to ensure there was no loss of learning during such an important time.
Not only this, Sixth Formers get the chance to develop informal and rewarding relationships with teachers and make new friends – all whilst being guided towards the very best outcomes for a successful career path.
Rydal Penrhos held a “Discovering our Sixth Form” event on Wednesday 16 June, which gave the next generation of Year 12 pupils a chance to familiarise themselves with staff and each other before making the move at the start of the 2021/22 academic year in September.
The day began with arrival drinks at the Sixth Form Ferguson Centre, where those in attendance got the opportunity to meet the tutors they’ll be working with over the next two years.
This was followed by a formal welcome from Head of Key Stage 5 Alun Brown, a short presentation from Chris Davies on the Extended Project Qualification and an introduction to the Sixth Form lessons rotation.
Pupils then got a chance to find out more about their chosen subjects at A Level with teachers, which should stand them in good stead when they are ready to tackle their studies following the summer break.
A special event planned for the group after lunch, with leadership and teamwork challenges testing pupils both mentally and physically.
These were led by members of the Royal Infantry, who visit Rydal Penrhos regularly as part of their work with the school’s Combined Cadet Force.
In recognition of their tremendous efforts throughout the day, pupils were treated to a barbecue to round off what was a hugely successful day and something that should ease their transition to the next stage of their journey within our Sixth Form.
Our thanks to the incredible staff at Rydal Penrhos who made the event possible and safe in the current climate. We are indebted to them for going above and beyond the call of duty to assist in whatever way possible to benefit the pupils.
Wellbeing Week
Pupils head to the beach
“What a lovely thing, to be able to walk to the beach from our classrooms!” – Mrs Lucy Davies – Head of Rydal Penrhos Prep School.
Children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing have become a hot topic of discussion in recent months. It’s now a focal point within education and the coronavirus pandemic has only heightened the need to examine and improve this critical area for pupils young and old throughout Rydal Penrhos and indeed across the country.
This is something our staff team is fully aware of. Pupils receive constant support and guidance not only regarding their studies, but also from an emotional standpoint during such difficult times.
Staff at the school have arranged a Wellbeing Week from Monday 21 June until 25 June to promote awareness and take some of the stress from our pupils with activities to go along with their usual timetable.
The first of these saw various year groups make the short journey down to Colwyn Bay beach, where they were greeted by warm sunshine and a chance to explore surroundings right on their doorstep both individually and as part of a group.
During the Year 5 trip, pupils enjoyed a picnic lunch along the picturesque shoreline, before having a short period of play ahead of their activities.
They were then challenged, in groups, to build a sandcastle. The pupils had one hour to construct something that was creative, individual and each section of the castle had to have a purpose.
This improved communication and ignited curiosity, resulting in some fantastic final designs that can be viewed in our gallery below.
Year 8 took part in their own beach session with Alice Breed, a PGCE student from Bangor University, which focused on writing words in the sand to describe their environment.
The increase in mental health issues in children is concerning because of its potential impact on their learning.
Although there are many factors outside of a school’s control that affect the wellbeing of the children they teach, we can still have a significant impact on improving wellbeing within the relaxed, safe and friendly environment Rydal Penrhos provides.
Promoting pupil wellbeing is more than just helping children to achieve better academically. A child’s wellbeing could be the key to their future happiness.
Given that good mental health is linked to better learning outcomes, there is a strong sense of vindication in our staff prioritising wellbeing.
Something that has already paid dividends with exceptional academic results, high value-added scores and happy pupils who are thriving across our stunning campus.
Luiza
Joint-Deputy Head Girl reflects on time at RP
Luiza Gratton, joint-Deputy Head Girl of Rydal Penrhos, reflected on her incredible time at the school before heading onto the next stage of her journey.
These seven years have gone so quickly just like our parents and teachers at Rydal Penrhos said it would.
It feels like just yesterday we were all in lower school house – the only weight on our shoulders being the backpacks that were basically the same size as us. Now we’re all grown up and getting ready to leave, all I can say really is thank you to Rydal Penrhos and the class of 2021.
One of my earliest memories has to be Mr. Lee-Browne saving me from the celebratory round of applause in Year 7 by taking credit for a dropped lunch tray, an embarrassment that would’ve taken months to live down.
I think it is clear and quite obvious to say that this has been a very trying year for pupils and staff alike.
It’s easy to get swept away by the weight of anxiety surrounding these unprecedented times. But in the midst of the worries, there have been many silver linings.
From simple things like spending more time with family to the global improvements such as the carbon emissions falling drastically.
Like many of my classmates, I have loved having time to reconnect with my family.
Between playing board games and going out for our daily exercise, I explored more of my hometown than I have ever seen before and I most likely wouldn’t have had the chance to without this precious time.
On the flip side, which we cannot dwell upon too much without a sense of grief, we have missed out on social events, peer mentoring and Speech Days, to name a few.
All of which prepares the Sixth Form for leaving school, our safety net and gives us the right of passage into our careers and adulthood. We will all have technically been catapulted from our GCSE results to university preparation.
One of the main challenges that faced us in Year 13 was applying to universities to start our careers, without even a first-hand experience at the campus of choice.
Everything from the applying process is flipped on its head even down to the interview process being on Microsoft Teams in our own front rooms. Preparing a portfolio online was challenging; I count myself extremely lucky to have had the support of pastoral staff and a careers advisor at Rydal Penrhos to guide me in the process.
Despite this being a new process for not only the pupils but the staff too, we are so fortunate to have received many offers, including a handful of unconditional, so we can breathe a sigh of relief before we receive our results in August.
As our year comes to a close, I’m extremely grateful that the alumni at Rydal Penrhos is so incredibly strong as I know our end-of-year closure can be recreated as a reunion, sometime very soon.
Luiza Gratton
Joint-Deputy Head Girl 2020/21
Sports Day
Galleries now online!
Sports Day Galleries
Galleries from the recent Sports Day event are now available to view online.
It was another wonderful occasion for the school - the first major event since restrictions were lifted - and well done to all staff and pupils who made it such a special day for all involved.
RECEPTION-YEAR 2 GALLERY
YEARS 3-6 GALLERY
YEARS 7-13 GALLERY
Sixth Form
Adrian receives MORSE offer from Warwick
We are incredibly proud of our Year 13 cohort who are now preparing for the next stage of their journeys. It has not been an easy process throughout their Sixth Form studies, but Rydal Penrhos’ strong support system and exceptional online provision during the two educational lockdowns ensured that their goals remained unaltered.
This is a testament to the school’s community spirit and its pupil-centred focus that has brought some outstanding examination results, extremely high value-added scores as well as developing key life skills in and out of the classroom that will stand them in good stead throughout their education, at university and in the working world.
Adrian Lewis, who joined the Rydal Penrhos family as a Year 7 pupil back in 2014, is another fine example of what can be achieved from an education at the school and he recently received a conditional offer from the University of Warwick as a result of his successful university application process.
Pending the necessary A Level results this summer, Adrian has been accepted onto the coveted Mathematics, Operations Research, Statistics and Economics (MORSE) course at Warwick, which represents an exceptional achievement from the pupil and one he should be rightfully proud of.
Mike Farnell, who is Head of Careers at Rydal Penrhos, stated that MORSE is “one of the best courses you can do for employability at one of the best universities in the country“.
MORSE is a single honours degree in mathematics and its practical application to Business, Finance, Economics, and other topics.
Instead of pursuing the more traditional areas of Applied Mathematics, MORSE relates Pure Mathematics to the modern application areas described opposite.
The course contains a balance of mathematical theory and practical work in order to produce high-quality graduates who are mathematically equipped to deal with the practical problems of the modern world.
This also concentrates on developing areas of mathematics needed in industry, management, government and finance.
Adrian has been a credit to himself and everyone at Rydal Penrhos during his time at the school.
He has progressed academically in an encouraging fashion and has also become a valuable member of the Rydal Penrhos Golf Academy since its inception.
This has brought some notable success along the way, with Adrian part of the school team that secured back-to-back ISGA Regional Matchplay Championships and a spot in the prestigious National Finals.
He was also ranked in the ISGA‘s top-25 golfers across the country as a result of his outstanding efforts.
He was also a member of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme at the school, contributed to music concerts and also appeared on stage during Rydal Penrhos Dramatic Society productions.
Not only this, but Adrian also emerged as a strong role model for younger members of the school community.
Everyone at Rydal Penrhos couldn’t be happier for Adrian and wish him the very best of luck throughout his next challenge.
Sailing
Stars shine at RS Tera Start of Season Championships
With summer now in full swing and COVID-19 restrictions lifting, Rydal Penrhos’ talented young sailors are getting back down to competitions up and down the country after a frustrating 15 months of relative inactivity.
This is something that is sure to boost their overall development considerably, with the school also making a welcome return to the water earlier this month at our Sailing and Water-Sports Centre, which is accredited by the Royal Yachting Association.
Sailing has been a big part of Rydal Penrhos life for more than 60 years. The school is one of the very few in the country that offers it as part of the curriculum and there has been a wealth of regional, national and international accomplishments from pupils in the form of competition victories and prestigious squad selections.
The next generation of aspiring Rydal Penrhos sailors are looking to further add to this illustrious history, with Ben Sinfield, Fflur Pierce and Tom Sinfield getting their respective seasons off to a tremendous start at the recent RS Tera Start of Season Championships, which took place at Royal Lymington Yacht Club.
Ben and Fflur were competing in the Pro Fleet, which saw some of the best prospects in the country battle it out over a series of races in pursuit of the overall prize.
After a memorable weekend of action, Ben finished the competition in seventh, with Fflur close behind in ninth. This represents a solid foundation from which to build and a fantastic result considering how little competitive action each pupil has missed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Year 6 pupil Tom was slotted in the hugely competitive Sport Fleet and managed to finish in a respectable 22nd place in the face of some stern competition.
This summer promises to be a big one for Tom providing restrictions allow, with the pupil setting his sights on the RS Tera World Championships in Denmark later this year.
All three pupils were representing Port Dinorwic Sailing Club at the event, which was a fantastic experience and one that should stand them in good stead ahead of upcoming competitions.
Congratulations to Ben, Fflur and Tom. Everyone at Rydal Penrhos is proud of you!
Pre-School
Picnic and Fun Sports Day
Although Pre-School children at Rydal Penrhos were not directly involved in the school’s recent Sports Day, it did not stop our incredible staff team from organising a special event in recognition of their exceptional achievements and commitment during the academic year.
Children were treated to a Picnic and Fun Sports afternoon, which brought about plenty of excitement from the youngest members of the Rydal Penrhos community and was held in glorious sunshine to further enhance the overall mood of everyone involved.
The festivities began with a picnic outside, where Pre-Schoolers fuelled up on a nutritious meal before making the short trip down to the Plateau to participate in their Fun Sports Day.
Under the expert guidance of Pre-School staff, children participated in a number of fun-filled series of activities that focused on coordination and cognitive skills that are constantly being developed within the department.
It hasn’t been an easy time for children over the last 16 months due to COVID-19 and ongoing restrictions. Our Pre-School group have taken everything in their stride, approaching their daily tasks with enthusiasm, commitment and a can-do attitude that has seen their development enhance encouragingly as a result.
Pre-School forms the bridge between home and school and is a young child’s first experience of an educational environment.
Rydal Penrhos Pre-School is open to children aged two and aims to provide a stimulating environment in which every child can thrive and develop at their own pace across pivotal areas such as social, physical, emotional and of course, from an academic perspective.
We believe in encouraging our children to be self-motivated and independent, yet aware of their peers.
Our staff does a remarkable job of providing a happy environment where Pre-Schoolers can progress, overcome challenges and reach individual goals that stand them in good stead throughout their time in education.
It’s been truly inspiring to see our Pre-School department flourishing and long may it continue!
Staff
Rob O'Donnell appointed full-time Sports Coach
Rydal Penrhos has a rich and proud history of sporting success. Many pupils past and present have gone on to achieve accolades at national and international levels, with the school also securing prestigious team championships in a number of areas including Hockey, Golf, Rugby, Swimming, Skiing and Sailing in recent years.
Although the current COVID-19 restrictions are preventing normal fixtures from taking place, the school is still doing everything to ensure pupils are fit, active, healthy, and improving in a sporting environment.
Training sessions are still taking place under social distancing guidelines implemented by the Welsh Government and Sport Wales, in addition to specialist coaching sessions during the curricular and extra-curricular timetable.
Even though there is no substitute for competition, pupils are continuing to develop in their areas of interest as part of a fulfilling sporting provision and will ensure they are ready to hit the ground running when fixtures are permitted to resume.
This provision has been enhanced by the appointment of Rob O’Donnell as the school’s new sports coach. The former rugby professional is an expert in strength and conditioning and formally began his role on Monday 14 June.
Mr. O’Donnell is no stranger to Rydal Penrhos, having previously worked as a rugby and conditioning coach on a part-time basis.
He now joins in a permanent role and will specialise in rugby as well as strength and conditioning to assist our aspiring athletes reach their goals.
At six-foot five-inches, O’Donnell is a former rugby professional forward who operated on both sides of the scrum. He began his career at Waterloo before making a high-profile switch to Sale Sharks, where he made 35 appearances.
This was followed by a spell with Rotherham Titans over a two-year period, and O’Donnell also enjoyed hugely successful stints at Worcester Warriors and Yorkshire Carnegie.
He recently retired from the professional game following a fantastic 14-year career, and the popular figure is sure to be a huge asset to Rydal Penrhos’ sporting provision.
Everyone is thrilled to have Mr. O’Donnell on board and we look forward to watching how our pupils progress under his expert guidance.
Stars of the Week
Congratulations!
Stars of the Week
- Pre-School: Kit - for good listening and playing so nicely with his friends
- Reception: Oliver - for great work on his tricky words
- Year 1: Pearl - for mastering the 100 high-frequency words in her reading
- Year 2: Sienna - for brilliant online learning contributions
- Year 3: Sophia - for her fabulous Spanish physical geography work
- Year 4: Harrison H - for leading by example in his work and at playtimes
- Year 5: Oscar J - for showing all of the skills needed for working in a team; listening, contributing and compromising
- Year 6: Martha-Rose and Isla - for excellent online engagement
- Artist: Sienna in Year 2 - for her beautiful picture of a starfish
- Performers: Ella P and Eva in Year 5 – for beautiful singing
Celebration Chapel
25 June 2021
Vacancy
Alumni Liaison & Fundraising Officer
Due to the creation of an exciting role, Rydal Penrhos is seeking an Alumni Liaison & Fundraising Officer to lead on the development of excellent relationships with alumni.
The role will require the successful applicant to demonstrate his or her ability to implement and deliver a successful fundraising strategy, with a particular focus on building relations with the wider community.
The successful applicant will join a highly motivated and successful Marketing & Admissions department, with the ability to work as part of the team being key in this role.
The ideal candidate will have excellent oral and literacy skills.
Completed applications should be emailed or posted to Kay Walters: kwalters@rydalpenrhos.com by 5pm, Thursday 1 July 2021.
All shortlisted candidates will be invited for a visit to Rydal Penrhos School. If you have not heard by 15 July 2021, you have not been successful on this occasion.
FULL JOB INFORMATION & HOW TO APPLY
