The Facts
Academic provision and pupil wellbeing – the facts
We have small class sizes and high teacher to pupil ratios:
Throughout the school, we have a teacher to pupil ratio of 1 to 9. We have small classes but not so small that debate and discussion can’t take place.
Our classes are a size that means each and every pupil is known to their teacher and teaching can be adapted therefore according to the ability and performance of each young person. If extension work is required to push a child further or support is required to enable a pupil to succeed in an area of study we are flexible and can adapt quickly and easily.
Excellent teaching and a solid traditional curriculum:
In Year 7 we teach all the subjects you would anticipate as part of the curriculum:
Our teaching staff are always going above and beyond the call of duty showing they care deeply about the development and welfare of each child.
Thorough marking and progress monitoring:
Having a consistent marking and assessment process during studies enables our staff to identify areas of improvement and the strength of a pupil.
This allows us to form a study plan to enhance their progression academically, which is a proven method of improving results.
Free iPad for every pupil:
We have introduced a free iPad and pen for every senior pupil. These are for use in school (but also to facilitate remote online learning in the event of a further lockdown) to complement the excellent teaching and learning that currently takes place.
Details of how these are used to enhance teaching are noted in the section "enhanced learning".
Wellbeing and Mental Health:
There is a strong tutor structure in school and a weekly PSHE lesson so that our young people always feel valued and supported.
This is a time for developing independence and confidence but within a safe and nurturing environment.
Peer Mentoring:
Possibly the most popular job for the older senior school pupils is the mentoring of the younger ones.
The kindness and caring and humour this evokes is one of the things of which the school is most proud.
Oh, and did we mention the fantastic food!
Chapel life:
Rydal Penrhos is a Christian school with a Methodist foundation. We have a full-time Chaplain who is an ordained Methodist minister and is resident on the School campus.
At our heart is a short daily act of worship or assembly in the Memorial Hall at the beginning of the day which is broadly Christian and is led by a variety of staff, pupils, or visiting speakers from local churches.
In addition, we hold whole school services at Harvest, Remembrance Day, Christmas and Easter.
The Christian ethos of the School is expressed in the values of tolerance, respect, and care towards all members of the community, whatever their faith or culture. The School takes seriously its responsibility to foster spirituality across the curriculum and its commitment to sustainable development and global citizenship. It is always heartening to see our pupils respond to Charity Days and fundraising for a wide variety of good causes, both local and overseas.
Teacher-led Homework / Prep Club after school:
For those seeking more study time or assistance with their subjects, we have homework/prep club after school hours.
We add value to a child’s academic performance:
What does this mean? What is “value-added”? And perhaps most importantly how is it one of the best indicators of the performance of Rydal Penrhos? When children arrive in school they are evaluated through tests (most of the time they do not even realise this is what is happening, so it is nothing to worry about).
These tests plot the child’s innate ability and performance and can therefore forecast the child’s likely outcome at GCSE and then later at A Level according to the national average.
To “Add Value” means a school can significantly influence a child’s performance through such a high standard of teaching that the projected outcome is improved and therefore they achieve much better grades than they would have done at an average school (i.e. the national average). We are very successful at this and would refer you to the later section entitled Value Added.
Results
Our ongoing commitment to developing each child academically is further reflected every summer with consistently outstanding examination results at A-level and GCSE, we have given more details regarding these later in this document.
University destinations
We know that life is only just beginning when you leave school at 18. A vital part of what we offer our older pupils is information evenings, masterclasses and one-to-one tutorials to support them with whatever journey they decide to take post-school, whether it be in regards to gap years, university application or running the family business or going into the forces. Almost all Rydal Penrhos pupils proceed to higher education, either immediately after the summer they leave school, or after a gap year. In August 2020, 48 pupils out of 51 decided to proceed to university.
If university is the path you wish to follow, we offer all of our Sixth Form pupils guidance in applying to their chosen destinations. We pride ourselves on providing close and expert support throughout the UCAS application process. This enables pupils to focus on their A-levels, making sure they never find their exciting first steps towards life beyond school a burden.
Each year several of our pupils are offered places at Oxford or Cambridge and we receive many offers from Russell Group universities. In August 2020 over 87% of our pupils secured their first-choice destinations. The destinations of our leavers this summer are listed later.
Inclusivity
We prepare individual intervention programmes to ensure that every pupil has what they need to achieve their best potential.
The school has staff expertise in dyslexia, dyscalculia and visual stress and work with leading external agencies and Conwy Education Authority to ensure that any interventions are timely and pertinent.
We also have support for pupils recognised as gifted or talented in a particular area. We are an equal opportunities school and welcome discussions with parents and pupils who may have a learning or physical disability.