That’s the first term of the new academic year done! We’ve so much to celebrate; topping the list for Calderdale’s best schools, sporting achievements, and we can’t forget all of our festive events and activities.
A MESSAGE FROM MRS WATKINS, HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we conclude the first term and approach the festive break, I would like to take a moment to recognise our students for their dedication to our values and for consistently striving to be the best they can be. It has been a pleasure meeting with many of you during parents’ evening or enjoying the various events together.
In this jam-packed newsletter, our spotlight shines on our students who continue to impress with their independence and confidence. From the wonderful Open Evening to the heartwarming Carol service and the festive Christmas concert, incredible sporting events and Team wins, we’ve been treated to remarkable talents. The warmth of our community was evident during the delightful Community Lunch last week, bringing us together, once again to display the talents of our students.
Your partnership with the school is invaluable, and I appreciate the collaborative effort in nurturing the growth and development of our students.
Ryburn is a special place, where we work as a team to ensure everyone’s experience of school is a positive and happy one. If you ever need us, please do get in touch.
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a restful break.
What we’ve been up to this term
This term has been busy with all kinds of exciting events and activities, from extra curricular excellence to special guests and festive feasts.
CHRISTMAS
There have been a host of festive activities this year, raising over £1000 for charity with festive hampers and stunning performances from our drama, dance and music departments.
Our music and dance department has hosted some wonderful events this week, starting with our Christmas Extravaganza; an evening of Christmas songs and dance performances. Our Christmas Carol Service at St Bartholomew's is one of the most festive events of the year, which sees students and staff come together to read verses and sing Christmas Carols.
Our Community Lunch is our favourite event of the year. We invite our primary schools and members of the local community to join us for a festive afternoon;
with songs, dance and drama performances and to top it off a delicious Christmas dinner!
We had some amazing entries for our Hamper Competition this year, the winners of the competition were 7.3, 7.7, 7.10 and 8.7!
ace Character Conference
This term, Ryburn was chosen by the Ace Centre for Character Education to host this year’s Character Conference. As one of the country’s leading schools of character, we were delighted to be given the opportunity to showcase our fantastic school.
WE ARE THE NUMBER ONE SCHOOL IN CALDERDALE
Calderdale released their figures for school progress and achievement for the summer exam season, and we are pleased to announce that Ryburn was ranked number one for student achievement and ranked second in Calderdale for progress.
Our students have set a remarkable standard by excelling in their GCSEs across multiple subjects.
Our success isn't just about numbers on a table — great results open the doors to endless opportunities for young people to chase their dreams.
RYBURN READY
Our Ryburn Ready doors have been packed full of excitement, quizzes and ideas to make you think. It’s the best way to start your day right, and get you powered up for the day ahead.
AMBASSADOR RESIDENTIAL
In November, our student leaders joined students from Honley High School and The Brooksbank School for two days of leadership training and collaboration
Our Ambassadors continue to inspire us with their creativity, enthusiasm and courage... some even volunteered to speak in front of almost 160 students about a subject of their choice for a 2 minute 'Lightning Talk'.
Well done to our future leaders!
RYBURN SIXTH
Our Senior Students organised Wicked Wednesday to raise money for young people with cerebral palsy. Students were asked to dress to impress for Halloween and they paid £1 to enter our fancy dress competition. We raised over £100!
The Ryburn Sixth Charity committee ran PJ day for sixth form where students and staff had to pay a pound to wear their comfy pyjamas in school.
Pride of Ryburn, our Ryburn Sixth presentation evening was a huge success and a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our students. Thank you to Paul Blakey who was our guest speaker for the evening, and our fabulous hosts Hattie Edkins and Miss Swindell.
RYBURN EXTRA
Our Year 12 biologists had the opportunity to visit Huddersfield University to take part in a practical day, which gave students real-life experience of a professional lab and the diverse opportunities that exist in biology.
Our C6 Band is a brilliant collaboration of Y12 and Y13 students who take Music across the C6 schools. They have wowed us a numerous events this term, including the Ryburn Sixth Open Evening.
Darts and Table Tennis have been great new additions to our extra-curricular offering, which has had excited students running to school in the morning to get involved. Great work, Mr Duffy.
SPORTS
YEAR 7 WEST YORKSHIRE CHAMPIONS 2024
A superb team performance saw Ryburn Year 7 boys win the West Yorkshire Cup.
YEAR 7 YORKSHIRE CUP GROUP STAGE
Ryburn completed their group games, undefeated in three outings scoring 110 points and only conceding 3 tries. Well done boys!
Riley Clarke-Foulds (yr11) and Skyla Handley (yr8) competed in the World Karate Federation Youth League in Jesolo, Venice. Both of these students are members of the England Karate team and competed at this prestigious event to earn points to ensure they are eligible for selection for future World and European championships. There were over 4000 competitors at the event.
Upcoming Dates:
Monday 7 January 2025: Teacher Training Day
Tuesday 8 January 2025: Students return to school
Thursday 9 January: Year 11 Parents Evening
Tuesday 28 January: Year 12 Parents Evening
Wednesday 5 February: Year 8 Parents Evening
11 - 12 February: Ryburn Sixth Interviews
Thursday 13 February: Year 7 Parents Evening
If you have any feedback or suggestions for this newsletter, please feel free to email comms@ryburn.tlt.school
You can also keep an eye on our social media channels for more frequent updates and stories.