From the Headteacher
Extracurricular
Huge congratulations go to the Netball First VII who have made it through to the regional finals of the U19 Championships in Bournemouth next February. To get through, the team won against Cheltenham Ladies’ College, King’s School, Dean Close, Pate’s, Cheltenham College and Crypt to come second overall in the U19 County Cup last week. Well done to all the players, and to coaches Mrs Brown and Mrs Lynn. The team also played in Round 2 of the Sisters ‘n’ Sport National Netball Shield, with a decisive 59-32 victory against Wycliffe College.
In Cross Country, the Senior Boys, Senior Girls, Intermediate Boys and Junior Boys teams all competed in round one of the English Schools Cross Country Cup last week, with the Senior and Junior Boys finishing second and the Senior Girls and Intermediate Boys finishing third. Well done to all who took part. The Gloucester District Cross Country Championship takes place on Thursday 14 November; good luck to all runners.
The 1st XI Football team defeated Churchdown School Academy in their first game of the season, but unfortunately lost to Old Swinford Hospital last week. We wish them well as they continue in the ESFA Cup this term.
The last two weekends have seen the School play block rugby fixtures against Dean Close and Bloxham School. Against Dean Close, the 1st XV unfortunately lost 21-20 after fighting back from a first-half deficit. The 2nd XV won comfortably and the U16s won a thrilling game 26-19. Against Bloxham, last Saturday, the 1st XV returned to winning ways with a 33-17 win at home. All 13 fixtures across all age groups against Bloxham last Saturday resulted in victory for Sir Thomas Rich’s. The 3rd XV also secured an excellent mid-week 12-12 draw against Farmor’s School 1st XV. We wish the teams well against the Crypt School and Cleeve School.
It has also been great to see so many pupils putting themselves forward to either audition for roles or be part of the crew for the musical We Will Rock You. Rehearsals will commence next term, and we look forward to the production in February.
Junior Debate Team Wins Rotary Competition
This week, we hosted the Rotary Youth Speaks: A Debate competition, welcoming students from Denmark Road High School, Pate’s Grammar School, Bournside School and Henley Bank High School. A range of motions were debated including ‘This house would ban space colonisation’ and ‘This House would prioritise funding for human charities over animal charities’. Congratulations to the Rich’s Junior Debate Team for winning the Junior round, and to Pate’s for winning the senior round. Thanks to John Jones of Gloucester Rotary and his team for judging the event.
Parent Survey
Every two years we carry out a parent survey, run by Kirkland Rowell Surveys (part of GL Assessment). Parents will be emailed a link to the 2024 survey after half term, and we would be most grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete and submit it. We value your feedback and opinions highly, and your responses will feed into planning for the next academic year and will inform how we continue to communicate with parents.
Scholastic Book Fair
A reminder that the Scholastic Book Fair is taking place at break and lunchtimes for students until 23 October in the Learning Resource Centre (LRC). Sales are cash only and there is a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles to choose from. There are some excellent discounts on offer too.
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Elmleaze Road Closure 27 November
The highways department at Gloucestershire County Council has notified us of its planned closure of a neighbouring road, Elmleaze, for resurfacing work. The closure is expected to last four days (excluding weekends), between 9.00am and 3.00pm on Wednesday 27 November until Monday 2 December 2024. Diversion routes will be signposted, and we have been informed that dates may change at short notice. Further information about this scheme can be found at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/resurfacing.
Parents who use LinkedIn may be interested in following the STRS page on the platform. It is a good way to stay up-to-date with news about the School, particularly careers events and initiatives. If any parents are Old Richians, it can also help to connect with fellow alumni: www.dhirubhai.net/school/sir-thomas-rich's-school
Key Dates
There are a number of events and key dates coming up in the second half of the Autumn Term:
A reminder that we finish for the half term holiday on Wednesday 23 October, at the usual time (3.20pm). We will return on Monday 4 November.
On behalf of all staff, I hope you have an enjoyable half-term break when it arrives next week.
Best wishes
Matthew Lynch
HEADTEACHER