Newsletters

July 2021

Our students have faced significant challenges and embraced them this year, they have worked hard and moved themselves forwards regardless of these difficulties. This year was never the experience we had planned for them, but we have been impressed by the way our students have tackled this time, taking nothing for granted and keeping their aspirations at the forefront of their minds.

I personally couldn’t be prouder of you them all, and I know that their Head of Years and teachers feel the same way. Keeping the school together as a community has been difficult but listening to them all this week on the field enjoying themselves, cheering each other on in sports day has made me smile every day. Our community did not get lost, the Ribston spirit did not disappear, and I heard this time and time again during our year group celebrations when students spoke about working together, sharing their experiences and looking after one another. That is what Ribston is all about!

September is looking like we will be able to return to normal, and I am looking forward to having a year when we can spend more time together, holding more events, competitions and activities and giving the current Year 7 and 8 students an opportunity to see the real Ribston Hall as they have not yet had the chance to see what that actually looks like.

Thank you to our staff for all the commitment and dedication they have shown to the school and our students. 

Wishing everyone an enjoyable summer break.

Sarah Colombini 

Headteacher

Enrichment Week

The last week of term has been Enrichment Week, but unfortunately it hasn't been quite the same as previous years due to bubble arrangements and self-isolation rules. However, we have had a lot of competitive enjoyment with sports day track and field activities in our Year group House teams, as well as fun on the  inflatables. We had an ice cream van on site too, so the students were able to get a well-deserved treat after all their physical activity. 

Retirement relaxation awaits for two long-term Ribston teachers

Two long-standing members of the Ribston Hall teaching team, Mrs Carolyn Ford and Mrs Denise Stoner, are leaving us for an easier life in retirement having spent a combined 49 years at the school. 

Mrs Ford, who has had a number of roles at the school but is currently our Inclusion Lead as well as a teacher of music, is our longest serving member of staff having started 31 years ago. Many students, past and present, will remember the number of music concerts and tours she masterminded as well as the positive impact she's had on so many students as their teacher. 

Mrs Stoner has taught at Ribston for the last 18 years and has been a tremendous driver in the growth and development of Food and Nutrition lessons at Ribston Hall. We wish them a long, happy and healthy retirement, although we shall miss them greatly.

Mrs Labrum is taking on the South West Coastal Path for charity

You may know Mrs Labrum as a Year 11 parent but she's also our lovely Receptionist. Along with another Year 11 parent, Mrs Tracey Nicholson, they are walking the first 5 stages of the SWCP, starting in Minehead and finishing in Braunton.  Hoping to take just 5 days to walk 64 miles, they are raising money for the British Heart Foundation.

Read more and donate to their fundraiser

Science lab update

Our construction team are making excellent progress with the build of our new Science block. In just two months, the foundations have been laid and the steel frame has been constructed, so it's now possible to see the physical size of the new building. This week, we witnessed the floors and staircases being installed.

We have a time-lapse camera onsite to capture progress and will be able to share footage from this with you in the near future. Here is a snapshot from this week's time-lapse captures. 

Royal Mail 'Heroes' Stamp Design Competition

The Royal Mail launched a national Stamp Design competition aimed at primary and secondary schools 4-14 years old to celebrate their Heroes or Hero of the Coronavirus Pandemic - this could be from a wide range of key worker jobs who they felt deserved particular recognition. As a school we had an incredible 115 entries from Years 7 to 10 - a fantastic effort with great artwork using traditional art media and also digital outcomes too!!

Eight lucky students will be shortlisted by Royal Mail from the numerous entries submitted from across the UK who will become part of the history of Royal Mail and of the UK this year - their stamp designs printed millions of times and part of the limited-edition stamp set! Her Majesty the Queen will finally approve the winning stamp designs before they are printed and issued! I have attached here some of the best entries that I saw submitted, but well done to everyone and keep your fingers crossed for which eight win it overall!

Mr Collins

Teacher of Art

Feature image: Poppy Smith

Top row L-R: Abhiya Arun, Karina Kolpaczek, Aimee Wood, Alessia Iaccarino

Middle row L-R: Alice Holder, Hannah Brown, Matilda Honeywill, Lucy Carter

Bottom row L-R: Hannah Freestone, Kashvi Gajjar, Nicola Dunham, Rosa Jolly

All the world’s a stage! Clareece lights up the hall at Ribston 

Year 12 Theatre Studies student Clareece Saysell completed her Component 1 Reinterpretation performance this month. Clareece has been working hard and diligently as performer, director and designer for her stunning performance based on Aeschylus's Clytemnestra. This unit of work requires students to create a piece of theatre based on an extract from a text using the techniques and working methods of a theatre practitioner. This may involve reimagining the text in a different context, reinterpreting it for a different audience or any other kind of creative reworking.

Using the working methods of practitioner Julie Taymor, Clareece used projections, physical movement, puppetry, symbolism and music to portray the harrowing Greek Tragedy of a mother’s grief for her daughter. Clareece’s performance was extremely moving and captivating. As well as that she has worked tirelessly in her effort to produce props, set design and costumes to a professional standard.  

Many thanks also go to Lucy Good, Phoebe Paulin, Jia Zhao and Jess Kirk for all the wonderful support and backstage help you gave to Clareece throughout the process.  

Well done Clareece!  

Mrs Hill  

La Feria de Sevilla

Our Year 8 Spanish students have been learning about and celebrating La Feria de Sevilla (Seville Fair), one of the most popular Spanish festivals. Here are some examples of the advertising posters that Ribston students have been creating. They have included all the important details of la feria: las casetas (tents), la portada (the gateway), the typical flamenca dresses and even the Giralda Tower!

Mrs Castano

G15 'Out of the Darkness' concert

Covid-19 has once again prevented us from taking part in the annual G15 Celebration of Success concert at Gloucester Cathedral. This involves 15 local partnership schools coming together to showcase and enjoy the very best performances from each school.

Each school filmed their performance independently, which were later edited to form one concert by The Music Works. This is now live to view on Chosen Hill School's website.

This year's theme 'Out of the Darkness' was selected by students and signifies the hope of better times ahead. 

Watch the G15 Celebration of Success 2021 concert 

Non-uniform day fundraising update

In support of Molly Douglas' golf marathon to raise funds for Pied Piper Appeal, Ribston Hall High School are delighted our students raised an additional £764 to add to her fundraising total with a non-uniform day, resulting in almost £3000 being donated to help improve the lives of local children. Well done Molly and well done Ribston Hall students!

Freya passes the Police Cadet assessment with flying colours

Freya Carroll in Year 9 has been selected to join the Police Cadets after passing two stages of recruitment. As part of her assessment, she excelled during a face to face interview by two police officers at Gloucestershire Constabulary HQ in Quedgeley.

She will be starting her training shortly and will join the existing team at the beginning of September. We share her family's pride in this great achievement and wish her well in her new role. 

Year 9 excel in iDEA Award Scheme

This year, for the first time, year 9 have been taking part in the Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA) About iDEA, an international award-winning programme that helps students develop digital, enterprise and employability skills.  This is open to anyone who wants to take part.

The 107 Ribston students registered have so far completed a stunning 1813 badges since starting in May 2021.

The following students achieved a Bronze award:

Ele Breeze (9CP3)

Aimee Wood (9-CP3)

Tabitha Riley (9CP4)

Liana Johnson (9CP4)

Felicity Adey (9CP4)

Anna Frey (9CP4)

Olivia Howe (9CP4)

Holly Greening (9CP4)

Ruby Adams (9CP4)

Isabelle Clarke (9CP4)

Well done to all the students for their hard work and a special congratulation for all students who achieved an award. 

There were a number of very tricky and complex questions, involving OOP programming, ‘hacking’ leaky email servers and code breaking. All our students showed a high level of confidence and ability in their problem-solving. The level these students are working at is literally staggering.

Crusaders of the Lost Code (Seren Williams, Georige Abbey, Kitty Weller and Heather Aylwood) came 4^th nationally, while The Undecided (Delilah Fernandes, Rachel Treadwell, Amy Blanch and Harriet Siddons) came in 8^th. Well done all!

Ruby represents the Cotswold cricket team

Ruby Elkins in Year 9 was selected from girls across the county to represent the Cotswolds in an MCC Cricket Hub last year. This was set up by the MCC to provide opportunities for girls who attend state schools to have first class cricket coaching and enter a nationwide tournament. Sadly, the indoor cricket training over the winter was curtailed due to Covid, but she has since had a number of outdoor training sessions at the Cotswold School in Bourton on the Water. 

The last two weekends, Ruby has been to Winchester College & Harrow School where she played three games within their amazing facilities.  At Winchester, they even had groundsmen repainting the lines between matches! 

The Cotswolds Hub are now through to the National Final match which is being held at Lords Cricket Ground (on their main pitch) in September.  

Ruby as she is the only girl from Gloucester to have got through. Well done Ruby!

Year 7 create some brilliant Horrible Histories songs

Year 7 were challenged to research a period of History that interests them and create a ‘Horrible Histories’ style song about it.

Trinity achieves success with Severn Stars

In May, Trinity Nobes in Year 11 was successful in gaining a place on the Under 17 Severn Stars netball squad. She trains twice a week at Uni of Gloucestershire or Uni of Worcester. Trinity is enjoying the challenge and the opportunity to play against other Netball Superleague teams. Well done to Trinity for getting a place on such a prestigious team! 

This is the first stage in gaining Green flag status, an international award programme that guides schools in making sustainability an integral part of school life.

Congratulations to those involved. We are very excited about the plans ahead.

As we were unable to hold our leavers' events this term due to further Covid-19 restrictions, please note our Year 13 Leavers' Service at Gloucester Cathedral has been re-scheduled for 6th January 2022. We hope our recent leavers will come back and join us for this very special occasion to say a formal farewell.

Term dates

Monday 6th September: Year 7 and 12 only

Tuesday 7th September: Whole school

Please note the full term dates for academic year 2021-2022 can be found on our website, via the link below. 

 Term dates for academic year 21/22

Uniform Stock Update

We have been informed by Monkhouse that they are experiencing some stock delays for the smaller sizes of the polo shirts and hoodies for PE kit.  They anticipate further stock being delivered by the end of August.

All other PE kit should be in stock next week or at the latest by the end of July.

There are currently no delays to daywear.

We wish you a wonderful summer break!