Newsletter for Students and Parents

Newsletter for Students and Parents
Friday 10th March 2017
Learners of today, Leaders of tomorrow.
The Principal writes ……
Two weeks ago, I mentioned the large numbers of Year 11 students taking
up additional opportunities to revise and/or catch up in sessions outside of
regular lessons; a full programme was published last week and is available
on our website. I have been impressed to see that enthusiasm and
engagement with these opportunities has not fallen and I am grateful to
teachers for giving so generously of their time. To further support effective
preparation for the summer, this week all Year 11 students took part in a
“Walking Talking Mock” experience in Mathematics which gave them the
opportunity to be taken through the questions and solutions of an exam paper
(through a pre-recorded video), step by step, with clear advice on how to
secure full marks. Many students have commented positively on this
experience and I hope that it has helped them to better understand the
demands of the exam paper.
Meanwhile, Year 12 students all attended a very powerful event this week:
“Safe Drive, Stay Alive”. With young drivers being in the highest risk
category for car accidents, the purpose of this event was to highlight to our
16/17 year olds the key issues around staying safe on the roads. The
experience not only taught young people the dangers but also the
consequences of poor and dangerous driving. I hope that it had the desired
impact.
As usual, a range of students have been learning on activities that have
taken them outside of the Collegiate this week. GCSE Dance students visited
Pineapple Studios, College VI Literature students enjoyed a theatre
performance of Othello, Year 13 Sociologists went to the Old Bailey and
today, 130 Year 7 students have gone to Windmill Hill for a PGL Activities
weekend. All of these activities (and others that I have not mentioned here)
add to the overall learning experience of students at the Collegiate and form
a key part of what we deliver. I hope that everyone recognises and benefits
from the value.
Two particular examples of our wider work having huge impact are the
success of the Year 7 boys football team and the Croydon Panathalon team.
The Year 7 boys football team continued their successful streak with a 2-0
victory in their quarter-final match of the National Open Cup. The boys had
travelled to Plymouth for the match the day before, but the long journey there
and back was certainly worth it as they now proceed to the semi-finals. To be
in the last four team nationally is a fantastic achievement and we wish the
boys the best of luck for the next round. Meanwhile, the Croydon Panathlon
team, which includes a number of Riddlesdown students, was victorious in
the South London finals this week, which means that they will now proceed to
the London finals in the Copper Box in June. We are very proud of all the
students involved and congratulate them on their success so far.
Timetable:
Week commencing Monday
13th March will be
Timetable Week A
Forthcoming Events
13th March
Aquila Year 7 Science Museum Ttip
CPA Music Seminar
Gardening Club
Year 11 Biology B1 Topic 2
Year 12 Drama Visit to Box Clever Theatre
Company
14th March
Orion Year 7 Science Museum Trip
Year 11 Biology B1 Topic 2
Year 13 Biology Homeostasis
Year 10 Parents’ Evening – 5-8pm
Twelfth Night Dress Rehearsal @RC
15th March
Year 10 Immunisations
Year 10 Maths Challenge
Year 13 Physics - Fields
Pegasus Year 7 Science Museum Trip
College VI Othello at the Globe
16th March
Year 10 Immunisations
Phoenix Year 7 Science Museum Trip
Year 11 Biology B3-Topic 2
Year 13 Physical Chemistry Homeostasis
Twelfth Night Performance @RC
17th March
Year 8 & Year 9 Maths Challenge
College VI Talk Business
Twelfth Night Performance @RC
18th March
UK SDC final
19th March
DOE Training Morning
UK SDC final
AQUILA ORION PEGASUS PHOENIX CPA COLLEGE VI

This is one of Shakespeare's best-loved Comedies retold by students of
Riddlesdown Collegiate: a tale of mistaken identity and unrequited love,
set in a high school in South London.
Having fled her war-torn country, Viola finds herself being rehomed in the
London Borough of Illirya, joining a new school and facing the prospect
of fitting in and making friends. Fearing her identical twin brother has
drowned during his journey over, she disguises herself as a boy, hoping
that this will help her draw strength from his character as she prepares
to begin her new life in this foreign land.
An Evening of Shakespeare performed by Savvy Theatre
Company and Riddlesdown Collegiate Drama Department
Thursday 16th and Friday 17th March, 7.00pm
@RC Theatre, Riddlesdown Collegiate
Students £4.00
For tickets please visit:
https://thearcshakespeare.eventbrite.co.uk

World Book Day
World Book Day celebrations took place on Thursday and Friday last week at the Collegiate.
All students were offered a £1 WBD voucher to be used in bookstores and Year 7s were
able to choose a £1 WBD book to take home from the Library to keep.
A WBD Bake Off was held on Friday where our students demonstrated their culinary talents.
The cake sale raised £52.75 for Book Aid International.
Thank you to the students listed below for taking part and their hard work. They all created a
stunning display: Catherine Curd 7ICS, Amy May 7EJS, Abigail Skelton 7EJS, Georgia
Ryan-Shelton 7CLK, Elena White 7HMB, Jenna Hooper 7HMB, Bethany Sarkodie 7TSA,
Taryn Green 7TSA, Rosie Green 8ARM, Maya Carpenter 9FLH, Zoe Johnson 9FLH
Sam Singh VI/CCS, Alfie Brown VI/SPO & Sabrina Stoute VI/SPO.
Saatchi Gallery Art Prize 2017
Last week selected GCSE and A Level Art students were entered into a nationwide art
competition run by the Saatchi Gallery, London.
The gallery not only displays the talents of our students on their website but the winner of the
art prize receives £1,000, along with £5,000 awarded to the winning school. A high profile
exhibition of the top 20 shortlisted artworks at the Saatchi Gallery will follow in May 2017!
Good luck to all of our entries; Ellie Fletcher 11NJJ, Benjamin Harbour 11OMM,
Neve Clancey 11KET, Yetunde Francis 11FTD, Romellie Zionani 11ELH, Hanna Baban
11OMM, Kelly Hersey 11FTD, Megan Mardle 11FTD, Mehak Qureshi 11JEB,
Lydia Ferry ELH, Shanice Blackman 11JEN, Francesca Shaw 8ARM, Cerys Heys
11ELH, Jasmine Pears 11SCS, Megan Smylie-Page 11JEN, Maya Ball 11JEN, Hannah
Judge VI/SEJ and Zara Burton VI/AKG.
http://www.saatchigallery.com/schools/prize/2017/artist.php?id=1315

Seeds Wanted
Can you help the Lunchtime Gardening Club and the main Collegiate garden? We are
asking for the following donations of seeds: wild flowers, vegetables, herbs, plus any spare
seed potatoes. Will also looking for plug plants or cuttings of any herbs, lavender,
tomatoes, brambles and autumn fruiting Raspberries! Please hand all donations to
Mrs Norman.
Duke of Edinburgh Training Morning
Letters have been given to students regarding the forthcoming Duke of Edinburgh Training
Morning on Sunday 19th March from 9am to 12pm. This training morning is for Year 9
D of E Bronze students and for those Year 10 Silver students who have not done the Bronze
Award previously. As stated in the letter students do not need to bring anything with them
but as two of the exercises are outside appropriate clothing for the weather needs to be
worn.
Mrs White
Message from the History Department
If you ordered a Year 10 students’ GCSE revision guide for they have now arrived and will
be distributed during History lessons this week.
Mrs Hastings
Year 11 Dinner and Dance Reminder
Year 11 students need to return their consent forms for the Year 11 Dinner and Dance in
order for them to be issued with their tickets. Consent form can be found on the Collegiate
website.
A reminder, also that there are 3 weeks left to order Year 11 leavers sweatshirts. The link is
www.schoolleaverscompany.co.uk/shops/SL35190 and the online shop closes on 3rd April
2017. Mrs Surbey

Year 7 PGL Trip to Windmill Hill
We are very excited about the trip this weekend! Students will be enjoying a range of outdoor
activities at Windmill Hill and I am sure they will make lots of new friends in the process. Just
a few things to remember:
We return to school on Sunday 12th March at approximately 3 pm
Parents are asked not to park on Honister Heights, as this will block access to
coaches — please park on the playground
Phones are taken at students own risk and are not covered by PGL’s insurance.
We look forward to telling you all about it on our return!
Miss McKirdy
Year 9 Options Forms
Please can all Parents and Carers ensure their child has handed in their completed Options
Form by 17th March 2017. Should you need any further advice or guidance, please do not
hesitate to contact your child’s Tutor or Senior Tutor in the first instance.
Thank you in advance.
Mr Osborne
Punctuality
I am pleased to inform you that following the introduction of late to school detentions there
has been a significant improvement in students’ punctuality to school. Thank you to all the
parents/carers who work positively with the Collegiate by ensuring their child is punctual
every day .
A reminder that students should be seated in their Tutor rooms by 08:50. If a student arrives
after this time, they must register at Student Services where they will be marked in late with
the Attendance Officer, who will then issue a late to school slip.
If there is a genuine reason for their lateness, he/she should bring a note from home to this
effect and the late slip will not be issued if we consider the reason to be acceptable. Students
will be notified when they register with the Attendance Officer that they are expected to
attend the same-day detention, which is in line with our existing policies.
If students fail to attend this detention, or if they are late twice in one week, they will be
issued with an SLT detention on Friday after school from 3:30-4:30.
Thank you in advance for your support. Should you have any concerns regarding punctuality,
please speak to your son/daughter’s Tutor in the first instance.
Mrs Williams
Deputy Principal

Panathlon
On Wednesday 8th March the Croydon Panathlon team headed to Crystal Palace National
Sports Centre for the South London finals.
Points are awarded in six different sports to find an overall winner. The Riddlesdown team
played extremely well at table cricket to win gold in that sport. Special mention must go to
Megan who hit a maximum score of six sixes.
Ellis Weekes 11SCS and Jaimeson Kenny 8TRH both fought hard in their respective
Polybat games, achieving silver place overall.
Erin O’Flaherty 7MRS, in one of our new sports chairs, achieved first place in her
relay race. Jaimeson also achieved first place in both of his races.
Congratulations to Ellis Weekes 11SCS , Megan Hierons 9AMM, Meghna Vikram 8NPG,
Michael Hoad 8CMT, Ellie Bowen 8TRH, Scarlett Hewitt 7MRS, Erin O’Flaherty 7MRS
and Jaimeson Kenny 8TRH for a fantastic team effort. Croydon won the overall competition
and are through to the London final at the Copper Box in June. Well done!
Year 7 Football
The Year 7 team made history on Wednesday by becoming only the second Riddlesdown
team ever to reach the semi finals of the National Cup.
The boys travelled down to Plymouth on Tuesday night, for an overnight stay and then
travelled to Ivybridge Community College on Wednesday for a 12 pm KO.
Ivybridge is a large school with 2,500 students on roll and attached to Plymouth Argyle
Academy, with 5 representatives in the team we played against.
The game was a very close one with both sides very cautious in the first half, with no goals
being scored. Hugo Fisher 7HMB was immense in goal and Harry Patterson 7NMM was
commanding in defence to help keep Ivybridge at bay.
The second half started really well, with Charlie Mark 7MRS scoring after one minute with an
excellent finish. Ivybridge piled on the pressure, but Riddlesdown were disciplined in
position and kept them out. In the dying seconds Riddlesdown counter attacked and a great
ball from Alfie Shears 7JKB put David Ozoh 7CLK through to score and seal a 2-0 win.
Well done to the whole squad who
were great ambassadors for
Riddlesdown Collegiate both on and
off the pitch and will now travel to
Northampton School for Boys for the
semi finals.
Good luck lads and well done on an
outstanding performance.
Mr Langan

Best Attendance: 3rd March 2017
Year
Best Tutor
Group
College
7 7TSA 100% Aquila
8 8PAB 100% Orion
9 9ALQ 99.2% Aquila
10 10FEB 98.8% Aquila
11 11ELH 97.9% Aquila
12/13 SEJ 96.8% College VI
Percentage of Students with 100% Attendance:
Aquila 88.4%
Orion 86.5%
Pegasus 85.3%
Phoenix 85.1%