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PROSPECTUS 2022 - 2023Contents Welcome About Us Academic Pastoral Co-curriculum Boarding University destinations Location/Contact us 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 12 2 www.ruthinschool.co.uk | #StudyThriveSucceedTelephone: +44 (0)1824 702543Miss Sue Frencham BSc PGCE Head Welcome Here at Ruthin School, we place the child at the centre of all that we do. We are unashamedly academic, but we maintain the best interests of every child in every decision that we make. Each year we guide and support our students through their academic journey, culminating in transition to some of the very best further education establishments both here in the UK and around the world. We are particularly proud of our achievements in gaining places at Cambridge, Oxford, UCL, Imperial and many other Russell Group universities. In September 2021, we will send 8 students to Oxbridge and 84% to Russell Group universities. Whilst we are proud of our academic achievements, life at the school is so much more than just study. We provide our students with the opportunity to develop leadership, resilience and communication skills as well as an opportunity to mix with other young people from different backgrounds, cultures and from all over the world. Our students work hard and are driven by the common desire to succeed in their academic studies, whilst maintaining a sense of well-being and community. The daily interactions I have with our student body is not only life affirming but also an immense privilege. Nestled at the foot of the Clwydian mountains, the view from my office is second to none. Our students can live here, surrounded by beautiful scenery, in the knowledge that they are breathing clean and healthy air, and are part of a small community so they can study, thrive and succeed. 3 www.ruthinschool.co.uk | #StudyThriveSucceedTelephone: +44 (0)1824 702543About us Ruthin School has been established in this small Welsh town for over 700 years. In that time the school has seen many changes, transforming from a small boys-only school to a co-educational international boarding school. The longevity of the school is tantamount to its ability to adapt, change and modernise over the centuries, whilst continuing to embrace its tradition and history. The COVID pandemic has been an opportunity for us to revisit our learning pedagogy and we have embraced technology and blended learning so that our students can be confident they will continue to receive a high-class education whilst in school and, if necessary, at home. 4 www.ruthinschool.co.uk | #StudyThriveSucceedTelephone: +44 (0)1824 702543We have found there are a number of benefits to this. The testing sessions provide a focus for students and they are motivated to review and revise their recent work in preparation for the tests. This process of review on a regular basis makes it easier for them to fully prepare for the summer external examinations and reduces the fear of the unknown when it comes to the exams. In addition, the testing provides the students with experience of the exam style questions, and they can identify very rapidly areas of weakness. The testing has been surprisingly popular with students who recognize its benefits. Parents are also kept up to date with the results of the testing papers and so they feel they are able to follow the progress of their children. Academic In the younger years, our curriculum is designed to provide a broad and balanced range of subjects to give young people the skills and knowledge base to take them through to the next stage of their academic studies. In Forms 4 and 5, they take core subjects and a range of other academic options in preparation for GCSE and IGCSE examinations. Finally in the Sixth Form, students generally take 4 A level subjects and complete their transformation in readiness for university life. The majority of our students will study the sciences, mathematics and/or economics but we are equally successful with those choosing to study other subjects. Every year we send students to Oxford and Cambridge to study subjects such as Mathematics, Natural Science and Engineering. In recent years we have successfully placed both local and international students on medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses. In September 2021, we will be sending 8 students to Oxbridge and 84% will be attending Russell Group universities. For a small school of less than 300 this is an amazing achievement. We are an academic school and we dedicate a great amount of time and energy making sure our students can make excellent progress in their academic studies. Excellent behaviour for learning will be witnessed in all classes. Our class sizes are small typically between 10 and 16 in a class. This provides teachers with the opportunity to support all students individually in a lesson, providing feedback and guidance throughout the lesson. Teachers know their students extremely well and are able to adapt their style of teaching to suit those in the class. This breeds confidence in our students. They feel valued and empowered to ask for help in a safe environment. Teachers are available to provide individual support outside lesson time should a student or parent ask for some help on a specific topic. For a number of years, we have been running Saturday morning school for our older, exam year students. During this time, students take tests on a rotation basis throughout the year. Saturday testing provides students with the opportunity to experience examination style questions and learn examination technique. 5 www.ruthinschool.co.uk | #StudyThriveSucceedTelephone: +44 (0)1824 702543Pastoral A happy child is more likely to be successful in their studies. We therefore feel it is important that all our students feel safe and secure in the school and in the boarding houses. Each child has an assigned tutor who is their “go to” adult for any concerns a child might have. The tutor spends time with their tutor group learning about each child so they can support them through their academic journey. Each tutor is associated with a boarding house too so that boarders have access to them in different settings. The school has a “day” house system that provides a focus for internal competitions and events. Students are encouraged to take part in the sports, arts, music, academic competitions run throughout the year. We feel the safeguarding of children is the number one priority and we have a dedicated safeguarding team of Ruthin School staff. All the Heads of Year, and House parents have level 3 training in safe guarding children. Our team are ready to listen to any concerns raised by our children, this may be a concern for themselves, their family or their friends. The team are guided by our designated safeguarding person and Deputy Head: Pastoral Miss K Tipton, who has a wealth of experience in this area. Students are greeted each morning by their Form Tutor who is on hand to give them important messages and help and support throughout the year. The tutors run a mentoring programme designed to highlight the successes of our students throughout the year. Tutors help students to embrace all the opportunities on offer at the school so they can develop leadership and community skills. By completing various different skills, the students are awarded different levels of recognition. 6 www.ruthinschool.co.uk | #StudyThriveSucceedTelephone: +44 (0)1824 702543Co-curriculum Younger students (11-14 years) are timetabled “enrichment” lessons throughout the year. Here they have the opportunity to try something different. We offer a range of opportunities including drama, an introduction to the Welsh Culture and language, the linguistics olympiad, singing for all, Duke of Edinburgh award. Each afternoon at the end of the day, all students are offered activities. These include a variety of sports, arts and crafts and music activities. We encourage all our students to take part to make new friends and learn new skills and to wind down after an intensive day of study. Wednesday afternoons are dedicated to whole school activities. There is an opportunity to go further afield to compete against other schools in a variety of sports including netball and football. Plus, there are regular visits to the climbing wall, tennis courts, swimming pool, ice skating rink, horse riding centre, and woodland crafts. We are constantly reviewing our programme and adapt what’s on offer to the time of year and the cohort of students. 7 www.ruthinschool.co.uk | #StudyThriveSucceedTelephone: +44 (0)1824 702543We liaise closely with the parents and guardians of all our students. Each boarder is required to have a nominated person (guardian) in the UK whom we can contact. This information is placed in the student’s personal file and also recorded on the database. Parents and guardians are encouraged to telephone or call the school at any time for a general discussion regarding any concerns. Boarders may raise concerns with a range of school staff, (the Head, their Tutor, their House staff, the Designated Safeguarding Person and other student services staff). There is also an Independent Listener available to boarding students. The Independent Listener is a person outside the staff and those responsible for the leadership and governance of the school, who boarders may contact directly about personal problems or concerns at school. Boarding Boarding at Ruthin School is overseen by a Deputy Head and Head of Boarding. Each house has a houseparent who acts in loco parentis for all students residing in the boarding house. They provide advice, information and counselling and the enforcement of the School’s Code of Conduct. In addition, each house has a team of house staff made up of a housekeeper, boarding assistants, graduate assistants, night wardens, teachers and cleaners. The team works together to ensure each boarder is supported and monitored both academically and pastorally. Each house accommodates either boys or girls and are arranged into sections of similar aged young people. Each house has a common room, and kitchen. Boarders are supervised during prep time in the evenings in their boarding houses. Teaching staff are on hand to help develop study skills. In addition, each evening there are activities organized within the boarding house and on the school grounds. Weekend activities are provided on a Sunday for all boarders if they so wish. Saturday activities are for the younger boarders who do not take part in the Saturday testing rotas. 8 www.ruthinschool.co.uk | #StudyThriveSucceedTelephone: +44 (0)1824 702543University destinations Students from Ruthin School aspire to attending the very best institutions both here in the UK and abroad. We are proud of our track record of successful placement at these institutions. Below is a list of destinations for September 2021. Visit our website for previous years successes. UK Universities BangorBiomedical Science with Foundation BirminghamArchaeology & Ancient History BristolLaw BristolMechanical Engineering BuckinghamMedicine Cambridge (Corpus Christi College)Engineering Cambridge (Downing College)Engineering Cambridge (Fitzwilliam College)Economics Cambridge (Robinson College)Mathematics Cambridge (Trinity College)Engineering Cambridge (Trinity College)Mathematics Cambridge (Queens’ College)Mathematics (2022 entry) CardiffArchitectural Engineering UK Universities CardiffMarine Geography City, University of LondonAccounting and Finance DurhamCombined Honours in Social Sciences DurhamGeology DurhamLaw EdinburghElectronics & Computer Science EdinburghPhilosophy ExeterLaw with Business GlasgowEconomics GlasgowNeuroscience HartpuryIntegrated Masters in Equine Science (2022 entry) ImperialElectrical & Electronic Engineering 9 www.ruthinschool.co.uk | #StudyThriveSucceedTelephone: +44 (0)1824 702543Next >