RTS reviews | Mumsnet

helterskelter99 · 05/04/2024 10:39

Anyone who has children there is very positive and the results are getting better

But it still feels like no one is putting it as 1st choice!

Shinyeyes · 05/04/2024 10:40

Any children going there that I know of love it.

cottonrich · 06/04/2024 14:53

I haven't heard anything negative about it.

All the schools in Richmond Borough are fine. Some of them are obviously more popular than others, but none of them are bad - some of them used to be bad, and are finding it hard to shake off past reputations - but RTS is a relatively new school without that baggage.

It doesn't have a sixth form but, because of that, their year 11 leavers get priority admission to Esher College (which is outstanding).

helterskelter99 · 06/04/2024 21:26

Six form opens in Sept and sounds really promising

if they could get their grades up which I think they will I think it will be really good. They seem on track to do this as the 1st 2 years of GCSE results don’t seem to be a fair marker They are very impressive at open evenings and the head seems great.

helterskelter99 · 06/04/2024 21:28

(There is lots of negative opinion about it and people don’t seem to want it as an option however anyone with any connection to the school or kids at the school is positive and I think that is the best review)

cottonrich · 06/04/2024 21:42

helterskelter99 · 06/04/2024 21:26

Six form opens in Sept and sounds really promising

if they could get their grades up which I think they will I think it will be really good. They seem on track to do this as the 1st 2 years of GCSE results don’t seem to be a fair marker They are very impressive at open evenings and the head seems great.

The "sixth form" is just a rebranding of Richmond College isn't it?: https://www.richmonduponthamesschool.org.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=76

Richmond upon Thames College and the Richmond upon Thames School announce exciting, new partnership

https://www.richmonduponthamesschool.org.uk/news?nid=1&pid=3&storyid=76

cottonrich · 06/04/2024 21:51

Seems to be RTS staff doing part-time A level teaching at the college.

redberry12 · 06/04/2024 23:11

It's a new partnership but the guaranteed status will continue with Esher College.

cottonrich · 07/04/2024 07:37

Looks like a positive move for staff recruitment. When the other local schools opened their sixth forms a few years ago, the main reason was that they were previously finding it difficult to attract high quality staff because they didn't offer A Level teaching.

Pelle2 · 17/09/2024 14:17

I don't have any other Twickenham schools to compare to as I just moved to the area from the US, so take my opinion with a pinch of salt. However, my daughter tells me students are very loud and disorderly to the point where hearing the teacher is a challenge. Will change to a better school the second I get a chance.

helterskelter99 · 17/09/2024 22:45

Pelle2 what year is she in?

I suspect a lot of secondary schools are similar
she can ask to sit at the front

blahblahlalawawa · 21/09/2024 23:18

We moved our daughter out of RTS in Jan after 4.5 months at the school because there were a lot of issues - kids throwing chairs in the classroom, swearing at teachers, kicking open doors, general disruption to lessons. I didn't feel my daughter was able to learn much in such a chaotic environment. Maybe some year groups are better, but this is my experience. She is now at a school in Hounslow and we are much happier.

cottonrich · 22/09/2024 07:57

blahblahlalawawa · 21/09/2024 23:18

We moved our daughter out of RTS in Jan after 4.5 months at the school because there were a lot of issues - kids throwing chairs in the classroom, swearing at teachers, kicking open doors, general disruption to lessons. I didn't feel my daughter was able to learn much in such a chaotic environment. Maybe some year groups are better, but this is my experience. She is now at a school in Hounslow and we are much happier.

It's sad, but these things can happen in any school ... there are children who should be in specialist provision, but there aren't enough places for them, and the transfer to secondary can be very unsettling for them. You can only judge a school on how they cope with it day to day and over time. Each serious incident should result in an exclusion and the child's needs will be assessed, plans put in place. It can take a while, but eventually things will settle, either because the child's needs are successfully met within school, or because a suitable placement is found for them elsewhere, or because they are permanently excluded.

In the meantime, it's not fair to tarnish a whole school on the back of a few incidents in a year 7 class. This thread will persist online for years to come and pop up in Google feeds when anyone searches for RTS reviews.

helterskelter99 · 22/09/2024 11:39

I think they did have some issues in the past when they were newer

i wouldn’t say I have heard any reports of chair throwing and mine is a rule follower so would say if this was happening as they would be horrified! But we are at the start of the new year so maybe who knows!

i think with all secondary schools it comes back to the friends you make. You can be at the best school and have an awful time as you don’t find your people or at the worst school and be fine because of the crowd you have met

is RTS perfect no, does it try to be better absolutely, anything I’ve raised has been dealt with, All the experiences from the children seem to be similar regardless of the school locally!

Pelle2 · 23/09/2024 12:23

cottonrich · 22/09/2024 07:57

It's sad, but these things can happen in any school ... there are children who should be in specialist provision, but there aren't enough places for them, and the transfer to secondary can be very unsettling for them. You can only judge a school on how they cope with it day to day and over time. Each serious incident should result in an exclusion and the child's needs will be assessed, plans put in place. It can take a while, but eventually things will settle, either because the child's needs are successfully met within school, or because a suitable placement is found for them elsewhere, or because they are permanently excluded.

In the meantime, it's not fair to tarnish a whole school on the back of a few incidents in a year 7 class. This thread will persist online for years to come and pop up in Google feeds when anyone searches for RTS reviews.

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cottonrich, respectfully, reporting bad experiences is not, in my opinion, unfair. Will reviewers with bad experiences tend to post more often than others? And will some reviews be unfair? Of course, but this is true for all schools. If certain schools get more bad reviews than others, it therefore probably indicates they are worse whether or not all reviews are fair. If parents refrained from writing negative reviews about RTS , the school would therefore probably end up looking better than it really is compared to other schools. How does that benefit anyone?

cottonrich · 23/09/2024 15:21

Pelle2 · 23/09/2024 12:23

cottonrich, respectfully, reporting bad experiences is not, in my opinion, unfair. Will reviewers with bad experiences tend to post more often than others? And will some reviews be unfair? Of course, but this is true for all schools. If certain schools get more bad reviews than others, it therefore probably indicates they are worse whether or not all reviews are fair. If parents refrained from writing negative reviews about RTS , the school would therefore probably end up looking better than it really is compared to other schools. How does that benefit anyone?

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Pelle2, if it were a private school, I might agree with you, but it is a state school, and most families don't have the freedom that you have to move around. When transitioning from Year 6 to Year 7 they send their child to the school they are offered. If they are lucky, it will high on their preference list, but many will be offered a school that is not on their list at all, and be obliged to accept it, no matter what its reputation.

As you're new to the country, and new to the area, it is too easy for you to just post a bad review and move on, without any thought to the impact. But I've lived here long enough to see other schools that have developed bad word-of-mouth really struggle to come back from it, even after they have vastly improved.

Pelle2 · 23/09/2024 19:15

cottonrich · 23/09/2024 15:21

Pelle2, if it were a private school, I might agree with you, but it is a state school, and most families don't have the freedom that you have to move around. When transitioning from Year 6 to Year 7 they send their child to the school they are offered. If they are lucky, it will high on their preference list, but many will be offered a school that is not on their list at all, and be obliged to accept it, no matter what its reputation.

As you're new to the country, and new to the area, it is too easy for you to just post a bad review and move on, without any thought to the impact. But I've lived here long enough to see other schools that have developed bad word-of-mouth really struggle to come back from it, even after they have vastly improved.

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I don't feel I just carelessly "dropped a negative review" - I took pains to spell out my potential bias, coming from a different, possibly better school district in a different country. I might also add that I take academic achievement extremely seriously, which maybe makes me more demanding than the average parent.

But ok, to avoid any misunderstanding: RTS doesn't seem like a terrible school. I have not heard my daughter say she feels threatened or bullied and she says a few teachers are very good. Also the materials and notes she brings home suggest teachers do generally provide reasonable instructions. With all these caveats in place, all I'm saying is my daughter complains most other students are unmotivated and loud.

cottonrich · 23/09/2024 19:20

Pelle2 · 23/09/2024 19:15

I don't feel I just carelessly "dropped a negative review" - I took pains to spell out my potential bias, coming from a different, possibly better school district in a different country. I might also add that I take academic achievement extremely seriously, which maybe makes me more demanding than the average parent.

But ok, to avoid any misunderstanding: RTS doesn't seem like a terrible school. I have not heard my daughter say she feels threatened or bullied and she says a few teachers are very good. Also the materials and notes she brings home suggest teachers do generally provide reasonable instructions. With all these caveats in place, all I'm saying is my daughter complains most other students are unmotivated and loud.

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In which case it sounds like your problem is with the children rather than with the school.

somewhereoverthechipshop · 08/01/2025 20:57

Any recent reviews of the school? I’ve heard mixed reports. Thanks in advance

helterskelter99 · 13/01/2025 23:23

Hi
are you looking for this year? Mine is in year 7 the transition to secondary has been hard but I think it would have been the same at whatever school.
most of his friends went to a different school but we were out of the tiny catchment so we are where we are. None of his friends at any secondary school seem to love it ! They just all have different complaints

teaching wise seems to be doing OK I like they have different bandings so if you’ve worked really hard by achieved a low grade that is acknowledged that for you you’ve done your best

school seem to deal with anything raised

all in all we are happy if he could be happy life would be easier but that’s not schools fault!

somewhereoverthechipshop · 15/01/2025 21:53

Thank you so much! So socially all is well not too much disruptive behaviour etc

helterskelter99 · 16/01/2025 07:23

There’s disruptive behaviour in every secondary school even Orleans!!

they are taught in classes which are different from their forms / house and the teaching classes mine is in seem fine, what other groups are like I don’t know, but as I said in an earlier thread mine is a massive rule follower and would tell me I think
i’m on a larger WhatsApp group of parents who love to complain and that’s not something that’s bought up and indeed any issues with behaviour / bullying have been dealt with very robustly and quickly. There is a kid in year 8 that I am aware of that is very disruptive and has been moved sets but is still in trouble but it is being dear with. The current year 6s at our primary are a rowdy lot and push boundaries I would imagine they might be a bit livelier but I think they will be controlled!

I don’t know where you live but the fact that we have to put down 5 choices is a farce there is no choice catchment areas for all schools are tiny. However fo put all choices as if you don’t you won’t have a space anywhere on 1st March!

what I love about RTS is that they want to be better and they know they have to sell themselves as I don’t think anyone apart from those with siblings in the school put them 1st. If you get offered a place there is an early open eve on the 12th March and then loads more until Sept which wilts repetitive do give you a feel for the school.

there results are appalling and I can’t quite work out why. The GCSE results are massively improving each year so by the time ours sit them they will be on a par with other local schools, maybe even Orleans !! I do think that Orleans head maybe thinks that has she made some very un-necessary digs about the tech culture at RTS which felt like she thought that there will be a time when it’s actually a choice. The phone culture at RTS is not there they aren’t allowed them on them whereas at Orleans when RTS were on half term and they weren’t were texting during the school day the RTS crew were amazed and horrified this was possible I liked that!!!

It’s fine but it is secondary school and that’s a massive culture shock!
The biggest issue was summer term before when there was a lot of movement and the playground attitude of my mum says I’m not allowed to go to RTS / the head wobble when you tell people that’s where your kid is going however I think this is limited to the schools where the majority get Orleans !

would I rather they were at Orleans yes because that’s where the majority of their primary went, would we be having an easy year 7 absolutely not it would just be different issues.

does that help?

helterskelter99 · 16/01/2025 08:45

Would I put Teddington higher if I had the choice again? Probably not as I think walking to secondary school is a massive advantage
I say Teddington as that is the only one with a massive catchment that we probably would have got into!

somewhereoverthechipshop · 17/01/2025 23:34

Yes that’s so helpful I really appreciate you taking the time to write this, it’s really reassuring. Most of my dc’s friends will be going to Turing but we are out of catchment as it’s tiny! Similar to Orleans probably. Im also of the feeling that Teddington is my only other option which would mean a long bus journey and I think it makes the school day less stressful to walk there and back. We will definitely be in the minority going there in term s of dc’s primary class so good to hear positive feedback.

somewhereoverthechipshop · 17/01/2025 23:36

Other mums can be so judgemental about schools..easy to say when you are in a good catchment with lots of choices!!