Richmond
PARENT AWARENESS PROGRAMME
Teaching staff training on online safeguarding
We are pleased to inform you that our teaching staff have recently completed a comprehensive CPD course on online safeguarding. Developed by international safeguarding expert, Robin Watts from the National College. This training equips our teachers with the essential knowledge and skills to ensure a safe online environment for our students. The course, titled “Annual Certificate in Online Safety for Teaching Staff International (2024-25),” underscores our commitment to delivering a robust approach to online safety.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN EYFS/PRIMARY AND SECONDARY?
VIPEIKA news
Fundación Lealtad has shared this evaluation sheet of our foundation vs. 52 other similar NGOs and all audited by them.
We are very proud of these results!
Yrs 8 & 11 trip to Gredos
The three days educational trip to Gredos provided an opportunity for both Year 8 and 11 to experience the natural environment and enrich their curriculum and skills by going beyond the constraints of the classroom. In particular, this prepared them as future citizens to take care of resources and work towards a sustainable development of the planet.
The three days educational trip to Gredos provided an opportunity for both Year 8 and 11 to experience the natural environment and enrich their curriculum and skills by going beyond the constraints of the classroom. In particular, this prepared them as future citizens to take care of resources and work towards a sustainable development of the planet.
The Year 11 programme focused on a number of skills for IGCSE, and a brief introduction to the future IBDP requirements. They performed community service by encouraging environmental responsibility by cleaning up the rural paths while on the way to their next activity doing fieldwork on the river Tormes.
This focused on the process of measuring the profile, discharge and the velocity of the river and learning to use sampling methods by using different instruments. The students also compared two rural settlements. Looking at the services and the main sources of income, agriculture and tourism. They also learned to interview local residents.
The This experience allowed the students to understand what rural communities had to face in their day to day lives. Also, the students were taught orienteering; the use of a map and compass and bearings practice in the surroundings of the Gredos Centre. Additionally, there were fitness activities including mountain biking and paint balling where team building was demonstrated. During the evening, we played games including, cards, chess, trivial pursuit and charades.
In all this was a very compact three days which enhanced the students’ overall learning opportunities beyond the traditional environment at school and provided useful practical skills for the future.
Agreement with Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid
We have recently signed an agreement with Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid for an internship student at RPS. The Royal Conservatory student will be observing music Secondary lessons with Ms Orton while writing her report about the teaching environment.
British Council university fair
We are delighted to share with you that on the morning of 16 October we took Year 11 students to the prestigious British Council University Fair.
We considered this a great opportunity for the students to speak to representatives from many well know Spanish as well as international universities.
We believe that this initiative could help the Year 11 students begin to think about their preferred choices for the future.
We were pleasantly surprised with the interest shown by the students, who took advantage till the last minute of the visit to gather information and ask the representatives of the different universities about many aspects that could influence their future choices.
This was a very successful visit and we are excited to see what the students end up deciding!
IB Global: Education for a better world
Richmond Park School is proud to announce that our Executive Director of Secondary Education, Mr. Brian Conway, recently attended the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) Global Conference held in Budapest in October 2024.
The conference brought together leading educators, administrators, and policy makers from around the world to discuss the future of education, with a special focus on innovative teaching practices, curriculum development, and the role of the IB in preparing students for a rapidly changing world.
As you are aware Richmond Park is a candidate school for the IB and is in the final stages of the process to become an International Baccalaureate School, to be able to deliver the Diploma Programme to our Year 12 students from next September.
This year’s theme, “Empowering Communities for a Sustainable Future,” resonated deeply with Richmond Park School’s mission to develop well-rounded, globally minded students who are equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century. As a passionate advocate of holistic education, Mr. Conway engaged in discussions on how to further integrate IB principles within the Richmond Park School curriculum to continue fostering critical thinking, creativity, and intercultural understanding among our students.
During the event, Mr. Conway had the opportunity to connect with senior leaders in education, such as Dr Elaine Kasket, and Charles Fadel, exchange insights on best practices, and explore new initiatives for enhancing the IB learning experience. The conference also provided an invaluable platform for Richmond Park School to strengthen its ties within the global IB community, reinforcing our commitment to delivering a world-class education and the Diploma Programme.
During the conference we received our official feedback on our Verification application and are pleased to share that it is overwhelmingly positive. We can therefore proceed in confidence towards the final stages of our IB accreditation. We have asked the IB team to visit us soon to complete the process and will be asking some of our Year 11 parents to be part of that process as we finalise our plans for the IB Diploma at Richmond Park School.
Silly Sock Stromp
On Friday 4 October, children and staff from KS1 participated in the annual KS1 ‘Silly Sock Stomp’ to raise money for Fundación Pequeño Deseo. Everyone proudly came to school dressed in their colourful and wonderfully decorated socks, excited for a morning of movement and fun. This year, the children completed various obstacle activities and challenges that had been organised by Mr. Brougham. The event ended with a tug of war competition: teachers against pupils which the children were delighted to win. The children raised lots of money to help others less fortunate than them and a great time was had by all.
Open Day 2024
On Saturday 19 October, Richmond Park School held an informative Open Day for new parents of EYFS and Primary. The event saw an excellent turnout of parents eager to learn more about the school. Executive Director, Ms Sanchez, along with the three Key Stage Directors, Ms Pritchard (EYFS), Ms Lanham (KS1), and Ms Morritt (KS2), provided valuable insights into their respective stages and the overall ethos of the school.
The presentation was delivered in English and covered key aspects of the curriculum and life at Richmond Park School. The session was interactive, with many parents asking insightful questions. In the spirit of inclusivity, these questions were answered in both English and Spanish to ensure all attendees felt comfortable and informed.
Following the presentation, parents were given a guided tour of the school led by our Head Boy, Head Girl, and several staff members, offering a firsthand look at the outstanding facilities. It was a wonderful opportunity for parents to get a real sense of the vibrant learning environment we offer here at Richmond Park School.
Overall, the Open Day was a tremendous success, providing new parents with a clear picture of the high-quality education and community spirit that define our school.
Vipeika’s charity gala dinner
As you already know, we are committed to supporting the creation of a new school in Kenya – Richmond Park Nursery, which is set to open in 2026.
We are delighted to share the 3 winning invitations for parents to our first charity gala in Richmond Park School this next month of December.
Changes in the swimming pool programme
The new approach we have given to our Richmond Swimming School pursues a main objective which is learning through directed play (collecting and searching for objects, swimming circuits and skills…).
From Pre-Nursery to Year 3 we aim for children to enjoy the pool space in a free but controlled way where skills such as increased endurance, propulsion or loss of fear of water are overcome in an unconscious way through play.
From Year 4 to Year 11 we focus on a more technical work, error correction, aerobic endurance work, but without forgetting to put our improvements and skills into practice through games adapted to these ages in competition mode, pursuit games…
The team of teachers of our school are great professionals of the aquatic environment due to their experience as elite athletes.
Regarding the uniformity in swimming, as you have been able to appreciate we have made a change in the swimsuits. We have opted for a more formal swimsuit and more in line with school level. The girls’ swimsuits are wider for a total adaptation to the whole body of the girls, as for the boys’ swimsuits are also wider and do not stick to the body. All swimsuits come with a black inner lining for greater durability and resistance to wear and tear due to use and chlorine, and also in this way we avoid transparencies in the swimsuits due to wear and tear. We have eliminated the cloth cap and have opted for a much more flexible and elastic silicone cap that avoids hair pulling and is easier to put on, even for children themselves. The silicone cap helps prevent water from getting into their ears, prevents their hair from getting wet, especially in the winter, and most importantly, prevents it from constantly falling out during classes, which is an interruption and a distraction.
At RPS Swim School we follow a continuous self-evaluation system that helps us to implement improvements. We are convinced that all this work will gradually bear fruit, making RPS students feel more and more comfortable and confident in this environment, allowing them to enjoy it to the fullest.
Halloween 2024
Our Halloween celebrations were a fantastic success, with all Primary and EYFS children and teachers looking absolutely incredible in their costumes. The creativity and effort from parents were truly impressive—thank you for all your hard work in making this event so special! Some of our students and staff were so brilliantly transformed, they were nearly unrecognisable!
The day began with a lively assembly, where children had the chance to showcase their costumes and join in with festive Halloween songs. Throughout the day, each class enjoyed a series of fun (and slightly spooky!) Halloween activities. House points were awarded for the best costumes, but with so many amazing outfits, it was a very difficult choice!
Thank you to everyone who contributed to a wonderful Halloween celebration filled with fun, laughter, and creativity!
Brian Conway Attends the Cambridge University Press & Assessment Principals Forum – October 2024
We are pleased to announce that Mr Brian Conway, our Executive Director of Secondary Education and VI Form recently was invited to attend the prestigious Cambridge University Press and Assessment Principals Forum at their Headquarters in Cambridge UK. This event brought together 83 Principals from the Cambridge International family of schools across Europe for two days of meetings, presentations and seminars.
Topics discussed included supporting Professional Development in your school through developing an active classroom, learning to tackle the climate crisis by empowering learners through climate change education and questioning whether education is ready for Artificial Intelligence.
A range of speakers, including the Regional Directors for Cambridge International, gave interesting and stimulating talks and led discussions.
Representatives from Universities across Europe, including Cambridge University, discussed how to maximise applications, and Mr Conway was able to have in depth discussions with the European Student recruitment leads from Cambridge University and Exeter University.
The advantages of the International Baccalaureate Diploma in making applications to universities was a major topic.
A highlight of the event was a gala dinner at Robinson College, one of the prestigious colleges within Cambridge University.
Overall, from the event Richmond Park has significantly raised its profile amongst the admissions teams for Universities across Europe and made important links with our IGCSE examination board.
SPORTS
Years 7, 8 & 9 Cricket fixture
On Thursday 10 October, our Y7, Y8 and Y9 students took part in a Madrid Schools Cricket competition hosted by St George´s School. Students have worked hard on their batting, fielding and gameplay skills with PE lessons this term which meant that this competition was an excellent opportunity for them to apply various skills and strategies within competitive scenarios against other schools.
We are delighted to announce that Richmond Park Team A came away as overall winners. After winning their group and scoring the most runs within this stage, they progressed onto the semi-final stage where they narrowly beat Dallington before taking on TEMS school in the final. In the final, the team held their nerve to win the match by one run!
Despite their hard work and improvement throughout the tournament, our Team B unfortunately lost their matches against St. George, Dallington and Holy Mary School. Each game was intense and unpredictable, with the winner often in doubt until the very last ball. Sadly, we lost each match by just one run. However, the students recognized their effort and embraced this experience as a valuable learning opportunity.
They were excited to know that the majority will have another chance next year, and they believe this experience will help them succeed in the future.
In addition to coming away with the win, the students displayed huge amounts of respect through their display of fair play in each match and coming together at the end to help the organisers tidy the venue. We are very proud of all who took part!
Year 6 participation in Olimpiadas de Fuencarral
On Monday 14 October Year 6 pupils from Richmond Park School participated in the local Fuencarral Olympics. This was organised by the local authority and it gave the students a perfect opportunity to compete in athletics as well as play some alternative sports including dodgeball and korfball. This was the qualification round for the final which will be held on Wednesday 30th October. Richmond Park School battled with several other local schools and managed to qualify in several events. These events were 60m sprint relay, 60m hurdles, 400m race, long jump, javelin, tag rugby and boijball. This event was an excellent occasion for all the children of Year 6 to compete and learn the value of sport as well as making new friendships within the local community.
We are all looking forward to the final and hopefully there will be several success stories!
Basket tournament against Dallington
On 11 October, Richmond Park School pupils from Year 5 participated in a basketball tournament with Dallington School. This was an excellent opportunity for the Year 5 students to practise and improve their basketball skills whilst creating new friendships. Each child demonstrated excellent sportsperson ship as well as an array of fantastic basketball ability. We would like to thank Dallington School students and teachers for the fixture as well as all the Richmond Park School staff that helped this great event go so smoothly.
First volleyball league match
What an exciting start! On Friday 11 October our players of the alevín and infantil volleyball teams made their official debut in a friendly match against Irlandesas del Soto School, and the first impressions have been unbeatable.
From the first minute, the girls proved to be very lively and focused on the game, which contributed to an excellent first contact with the competition. Although it was a friendly, the enthusiasm and dedication of the players were palpable in every play, showing a great team spirit and desire to learn.
This first game has been a very positive experience for the team, which continues to prepare with enthusiasm for the next challenges of the season. Undoubtedly, this is just the beginning of a road full of success and learning for our young athletes. The girls have made it clear that they not only enjoy the sport but are also committed to improving every day.
Congratulations to all of you girls for this incredible debut!
Football league friendly match
On Saturday 19 Richmond Park School football teams were involved in several friendly games. Each team was playing and getting ready for the league season that starts in November.
The Benjamin team started the football Gala with a match against a strong Charmartin team. The game started well with Richmond Park taking an early lead. Charmartin fought back and the result at half-time was 2-2. The second half started with a strong Charmartin performance and in the end the score was 4-6 win for the visiting team.
The Alevin boys team also played against Charmartin. After the previous high scoring 9-9 draw, Richmond Park were hoping to defend better whilst maintaining their excellent goalscoring form. The game started with both teams evenly matched, this continued throughout the first half with the score finishing 1-1. At the start of the second half, Richmond Park stormed into 4-2 lead with two quick goals within the first few minutes of the restart. Richmond Park continued to play well and managed a 6-2 victory.
The Alevin girls finished the day against a strong Stella Maris La Gavia team. The girls started well and took a two lead into the half time break. In the second half Stella Maris La Gavia showed their experience and took control of the game. Richmond Park were saved several times by some fantastic goalkeeping and defending. In the end the game first as 4-7 Stella Maris La Gavia.
HOUSES
Richmond Park School’s Houses score chart
MERCHANDISING
Richmond Park School’s merchandising
We invite you to visit our website’s section “SHOP” where you will be able to see all the merchandise with our Houses’ logos. Please remember this is a personalised service, so orders cannot be received with less than two weeks notice.
https://richmondpark.school/shop/categoria-producto/houses/
