Newsletters

Rugby High School - Spring Term 2025 Issue 17 for web

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News from Mr Grady

17th July 2025

Hello everyone!

We are just about finishing our Curriculum Enhancement week. The school is awash with students painting murals, landscaping and improving our site – there are students in Wales, France and Harry Potter Studios as I speak, yesterday we were at Alton Towers, and our Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions continue.

I feel tired simply listing those activities, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg – I was privileged to sit in on a professional voice-over artist doing a voice-over session with a group of our year 10 students, testing their mettle against advertising, games and animation scripts and finding the right voice for the job.  A fascinating insight into an industry our students may not have considered.

With all of the activity, we’ll be glad of a relatively normal day of school tomorrow to take us into the summer holiday, and whatever you might be doing, I do hope you manage a pleasant break, and time with family and friends. I of course, have spoken to all our students about staying safe over the summer holiday, and our desire to see everyone return safe and well and in one piece, and I wish all our families a positive break.

Our staff will of course, be on holiday too, enjoying the break of switching off their email, and taking some very well-earned downtime.

We’ll be in school a little over the A-Level and GCSE results days, but mostly, with this final newsletter of the year, I’m here to say, have a good break, and we’ll see you in September!

Oh – and our fundraising total stands at just over £8800 for the refurbishment of the Gospel Lab. I do hope you feel able, if you haven’t already, to make a donation through Parentmail or our JustGiving page. 

I hope you all have a good summer break,

Stay safe and well,

Mr Grady

CE Week
9:15am – 3:45pm
from 15 Jul until 17 Jul
15
July
Silver & Gold Duke of Edinburgh Qualifier Expedition
1:00pm – 6:00pm
from 14 Jul until 18 Jul
14
July
Term ends
8:50am – 3:45pm
18
July
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Fundraising £20,250 for the Gospel Lab!

Our £20250 in 2025 fundraising campaign continues! 

We have now raised £8847 towards the £20250 goal for transforming the Gospel Lab in school!

Click here to watch our latest video - with two of our Year 12 students discussing their experiences of learning Science at Rugby High, their personal future aspirations and how the new Gospel Lab will help future students.

Please keep donations coming in!

Don't forget you can also donate through Parentmail! Thank you!

Celebration Assemblies

Celebration assemblies were held in school last week and subject awards given out, plus Head Teacher's awards. Our winners are: 

Year 7 

English: Emili C
Maths: Sophie T
Science: Hana B
Computer Science: Serah T
Art and Design: Shreya M
French: Avni L
Spanish: Yela T K
Latin: Grace A
Drama: Phoebe C
Music: Xuqi S
Geography: Shivi T
History: Kenuli W
PRS: Mannat S
PE: Rebecca A
PSHE: Arya V

Head Teacher’s Award: Arya V

Year 8

English: Hiya M
Maths: Zahra N
Science: Jathusha S
Computer Science: Mihika K
Art and Design: Kate W
Textiles: Louise L
Food: Iqraa A
French: Maryam E
Spanish: Faiza R
Latin: Amelie L
Drama: Evie R
Music: Isla S
Geography: Maya B
History: Lucia B R
PRS: Akshaya S S P
PE: Jasmine G
PSHE: Sophia H

Head Teacher’s Award: Sanchita P

Year 9

English: Irene B
Maths: Xuyan S
Science: Anushay P
Computer Science: Nikita S
Art and Design: Amelia P
Textiles: Sienna D
Food: Leah A
French: Mrunal M
Spanish: Freia M
Latin: Deeksha T
Drama: Annabel R
Music: Sofia C
Geography: Anushka K
History: Liv B-W
PRS: Ellini A
PE: Evelyn H
PSHE: Reet C

Head Teacher’s Award: Anushay P

Year 10

English: Lily L-M
Maths: Jessica H
Biology: Ellie F
Chemistry: Jenny M
Physics: Ema L
Science: Bestly A
Computer Science: Rishika R
Business Studies: Sirisha G
Art and Design: Arlo R
Textiles: Annie V
Food: Antonina K
French: Jessica L
Spanish: Izzy B
Latin: Sofia E
Drama: Jazmine D-K
Music: Iris P
Geography: Jessica C
History: Aarya S
PRS: Sarah A
PE GCSE: Jessica P
PE Core: Kaila J

Head Teacher’s Award: Florrie S

Year 12

English Language: Lucy H
English Literature: Freya R
Maths: Shaan K
Further Maths: Frankie T
Biology: Sophie C
Chemistry: Patryk M
Physics: Zara S
Computer Science: Ria D
Sociology: Emily H
Psychology: Alice D
Business Studies: Jessica H
Economics: Eve M
Art and Design: Sofia N
French: Robin J
Spanish: Maia L
Classical Civilisation: James C
Performing Arts Award: Poppy G
Geography: Georgie S
History: Grace F
Politics: Nia R
PRS: Daniela O
PE: Jessica B-P

Head Teacher’s Award: Isla P

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National NHS Winner

Following a rigorous online judging event a couple of weeks ago it was been announced that Shreya Sangili, in Year 8, has won this year's national "Step into the NHS Competition". More than 1,400 entries were received from nearly 2,500 pupils from all parts of England this year. Students were challenged to work alone or in groups to create a job advert by researching an NHS role and using their creativity to create an advert that appeals to their peers.

Shreya showed great creativity using a food basket to better showcase the role of a dietitian, this idea was loved by all of the judges. The judges said "Congratulations to Shreya! She was really enthusiastic, well-spoken and showcased many conditions in her basket. She also did a really impressive presentation!" You can watch a video of Shreya’s entry on YouTube.

In addition to a cash prize, framed certificate and an NHS goodie bag, the NHS digivan visited the school on Tuesday 8th July to showcase Shreya’s video to all of Year 8. The impressively large van was positioned with the school as the backdrop and Mr Grady welcomed the NHS staff to the school. Shreya was presented with her certificate by Advanced Dietician, Roxanne with all of Year 8 cheering her on. Roxanne said she was honoured to meet the national winner and that it was great to see such a broad knowledge of NHS careers from our students.

Shreya and the 10 Highly Commended students had a photoshoot and the digivan then went on to tour Rugby, showing Shreya’s prize-winning video to the public at key sites throughout the town. Congratulations to Shreya!

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🎾 Wimbledon 2025 – A Grand Slam Adventure! 🍓

What. A. Day.

Wimbledon 2025 delivered everything we hoped for and more! The sun was shining (thank you, British weather gods!), the energy was electric, and Court 2 was absolutely buzzing from the first serve to the final game. We didn’t leave our seats until the umpire called time at 9:30pm - and even then, we didn’t want to go!

Some very lucky girls managed to snag front-row seats right in the corner - prime position for catching flying tennis balls… and let’s just say not all of them made it back to the court. We may have some future ball girls in the making - or just some new souvenirs!

Of course, no Wimbledon trip is complete without the iconic strawberries and cream. Henman Hill was climbed (and conquered) and Wimbledon merch was thoroughly raided.

By the end of the day, the coach ride back to the hotel was full of sleepy but smiling faces - though somehow there was still enough energy left for a full-on singalong to the playlist our brilliant driver had made just for us.

The next morning, it was up bright and early for a full English breakfast - essential refuelling before heading back into London for our next adventure: the London Dungeons!

There were shrieks, there were gasps, and there may have been a few people (we’re looking at you, Mr Moseley!) who jumped out of their skin... but we all survived and even learned a thing or two about the darker side of British history.

We rounded off the day with some well-earned ice creams, a bit of London sightseeing, and plenty of laughter before settling in for the long journey home -tired, happy, and with memories we’ll be talking about for years to come.

Mrs DG

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Caroline Lawrence Competition Winners

Our winners of our Caroline Lawrence creative writing competition have been announced! Students were challenged to write a short story inspired by Caroline Lawrence's talk when she visited the school in the Spring term. And they are:

Winners:
First place - Shenu L, 7H
Second place - Emili C, 7R
Third place - Shivi T, 7G

Highly commended:
Eva S, 7R
Anya P, 7S
Aerwyn C, 7H

Mrs Sidwell said “It was a difficult decision to choose the winners. We were really impressed with the lovely stories and the effort and care you put into your creative writing! They were a joy to read and will be put on display!” Congratulations to them all!

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Shakespeare Festival

On Friday 27th June, The Drama Department hosted a Shakespeare Day for RHS, Lawrence Sherriff and Harris students. 90 students took part in a range of workshops developing skills in characterisation, ensemble performance and stage combat.

All schools shared performance work in a celebration of The Bard, including scenes from Macbeth performed by LSS, a myriad of sonnets from Harris and a theatricalised fairy song from Midsummer Nights Dream by KS3 RHS students. It was a really positive day, giving all students the opportunity to collaborate and be creative with new people. A huge thank you to Poppy G for leading Uproar, our KS3 Drama group, this year and helping to direct their Shakepeare performance, and to Ailisha Sabin and Olga Dermott-Bond for running drama workshops.

Digital Theatre Plus

Rugby High School subscribes to Digital Theatre Plus which has a wealth of outstanding theatre productions that you can stream. Here are some recommendations for the Summer holidays – happy watching! Please be aware that this log in is for RHS students only and cannot be shared outside the RHS community. Thank you.

Log in: drama@rugbyhighschool.co.uk
Password: performingarts2021

Lookingglass Alice

Based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland stories, this circus adaptation follows Alice on a journey of self-discovery where she encounters magical creatures and absurd situations.

Click here to watch Lookingglass Alice

The Tempest

“My library was dukedom large enough.” 

Thought to be one of his final plays, Shakespeare’s tale of family, magic and revenge is brought to life in this visually striking production from the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Click here to watch The Tempest

The Railway Children

“A train is coming. It’s like a great dragon tearing by.”

E. Nesbit’s cherished novel is brought to life in this Olivier award-winning adaptation from York Theatre Royal. This production about a family forced to move from London to rural Yorkshire near a railway line was captured live by Genesius Pictures at the National Railway Museum.

Click here to watch The Railway Children

For more details on these performances click here.

These productions have been chosen based on suitability for a wide audience. If older students would like further recommendations, with grittier themes, please do ask!

Ms R D’Souza

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Access our E-Library

Remember our E-Library is available to access over the summer holidays! It offers 1000's of fiction and some non-fiction books electronically. All students need to access it is a device, wifi and their school log in and password. They can then access our E Library from across the world. They can choose a variety of languages, fonts and colours to read in – so it is accessible to all. 

Scan the QR code or click here to access the E Library.

Sources of support over the Summer

www.internetmatters.org and UK Safer Internet Centre both offer help on managing devices and help with talking to young people.

Please know that even during weekends or school breaks, support is available if needed. If you find yourself or a loved one struggling or just needing someone to talk to, don't hesitate to reach out to trusted friends, family, or other support resources that are always available:

Urgent help for mental health issues:

  • In an emergency call 999.
  • Call NHS 111 In a mental health crisis or emergency, get immediate expert advice and assessment, by going to 111 online or calling 111 and selecting the mental health option.

Support for young people:

  • Kooth is a free, safe, and anonymous place for young people aged 11-25 to find online support and counselling. As well as confidential counselling online, Kooth offers access to lots of self-help tools such as discussion forums and an online magazine.
  • Papyrus offers confidential support and practical advice for anyone under the age of 35  experiencing thoughts of suicide. For anyone concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide 0800 068 41 41 (Telephone 24/7 every day of the year).    Text service - 07860 039967. Email - pat@papyrus-uk.org. Website - papyrus-uk.org.
  • Compass offer free, confidential substance misuse services for children and young people who may need support around their own or another person’s drug or alcohol use. Confidential text messaging is available on 07507 331 5252 or telephone 01788 578 227 to speak to a member of the friendly team.

Resources for parents/carers:

  • This May Help supports parents and carers with concerns about their child’s mental health, across important subject areas such as self-harm, eating disorders, school avoidance and more.
  • Parenting and Family Support | Family Lives can be of help if families are struggling.
  • Warwickshire has resource page for adult mental health too.

Primary Care / GP:

  • If you are experiencing emotions or behaviours that are difficult or hard to manage, speak to your GP. If you aren’t registered with a GP, please click here to find your nearest GP surgery.

Samaritans provides free, confidential support to anyone in emotional distress, offering a listening service 24/7 without judgement or pressure 116 123 (Free 24hr helpline). Email - jo@samaritans.org. Website - samaritans.org.

We encourage you to have open and honest conversations with your children about their feelings and experiences. Please remind them that it is okay to seek help and that there are resources available both within the school and in the wider community. Together, we can create a supportive environment where our young people feel valued and understood.

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Mental Health in Schools Team’s Workshops

The MHST is running workshops this summer which you may be interested in attending, please see the flyers above. 

Pirate Pete 
James Carter

Pirate Pete
had a ship on the sea
had a fish for his tea
had a peg for a knee
and a tiny little parrot called…Polly

Pirate Pete
had a book with a map
had a skull on his cap
had a cat on his lap
and another little parrot called…Dolly

Pirate Pete
had a trunk full of treasure
had a belt made of leather
had a cap with a feather
and another little parrot called…Jolly

Pirate Pete
had a patch on his eye
had a flag he would fly
had a plank way up high
and another little parrot called…Molly

So, Pirate Pete
and the parrots four
they sailed the world
from shore to shore –
collecting gold
and gifts galore.
And that’s their tale –
there is no more!

All things Poetry found at Poetry by Heart

Jobs

Cover Supervisor

£13.74 per hour
Responsible to: Cover Manager/Business Manager
Start Date 1st June 2025 (or as soon as possible after)

This is a broad description of the types of duties/activities expected at this level. This is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of duties. Please read the Job Description on our website. 

  • Supervising a whole class to undertake set work/activities and can include introducing and closing the class.
  • Maintaining good order and managing behaviour constructively.
  • Promotion of self-control and independence.
  • Keep pupils on task as necessary.
  • Responding appropriately to questions raised by pupils.
  • Collecting any completed work and returning it to the appropriate teacher.
  • Dealing with immediate problems and emergencies in accordance with the school’s policies.
  • Reporting back on behaviour of pupils during the class and any issues arising.
  • Supporting the general administration and/or Front of House teams when not actively covering pupils’ lessons.

Tel: 01788 810518 / Email: vacancies@rugbyhighschool.co.uk

For more details and how to apply, go to our website. 

Please find below information that has been passed to us that may be of interest to you and your family.

Warwickshire Family Information Service Newsletter

15th July Edition

The school newsletter is sent out every other week during term-time.