Amber was nominated by Miss McFall who said: “Amber’s journey through school has been marked by a remarkable transformation in both attitude and achievement. In Year 7, Amber experienced a challenging start to secondary school life. However, over the past year, Amber has made a conscious and determined effort to reshape her approach, consistently striving to be the best version of herself. Even when she makes mistakes, she demonstrates maturity by responding positively to feedback and actively working to improve. This shift is clearly reflected in her achievement and Amber's AtL grades are now almost all 1s and 2s. Amber has received only 1 C all year. Despite facing several personal challenges this year, any one of which could have derailed her progress, Amber has shown admirable determination. She has engaged positively with the support offered and has overcome each obstacle, proving that her growth is both genuine and lasting. I am so proud of Amber and feel that she deserves recognition for this amazing transformation.” 

Ladies of Midnight Blue are an Afro-Latin percussion and brass duo, comprised of Hannabiell Sanders and Yilis del Carmen Suriel. Their performances combine a vibrant fusion of rhythms, blending melodic percussion, brass, vocal chants and mbira to create a rich and dynamic sound. 

With an international performance career spanning many years, they have also spent over a decade delivering workshops, residencies and collaborative projects. We were fortunate to welcome them to work with our students across a series of three workshops, running from 1:15pm to 4:45pm. Two sessions took place before half term, followed by a final workshop the day before the concert, which was part of this year’s Swaledale Festival. 

These sessions focused on jazz and blues improvisation—an area that challenged many of our students to step outside their comfort zones. As Harry (alto saxophone) memorably put it, “I only ever play using the notes. I’m not used to playing without music!” This perfectly captured the spirit of the experience: encouraging creativity, risk-taking and musical independence. 

Hannabiell and Yilis brought tremendous energy to their teaching. They created a highly inclusive environment, encouraging contributions from all students regardless of experience. Rather than directing every detail, they asked students to shape the music themselves, only guiding when needed. This gave the workshops a real sense of ownership and collaboration. 

On the day of the concert, the ensemble rehearsed from 10:00am until 3:00pm. While this may sound intensive, much of the time was devoted to staging and movement, ensuring the performance was as visually engaging as it was musically compelling. 

The concert itself was truly unique. It was as much about atmosphere and presentation as it was about sound. Instead of beginning in a traditional seated formation, students were positioned throughout the aisles of St Mary’s church. Each performer entered individually, improvising using the A minor blues scale. As they concluded, they sustained a drone, creating a layered harmonic backdrop for the next musician. This evolving texture built into a striking collective sound. 

The second piece featured Ellen (baritone horn), Lottie (violin) and Lydia (clarinet), improvising alongside Hannabiell over a driving rhythmic foundation provided by Yilis, Rhys (percussion), Ben (bass guitar) and Auburn (guitar). 

The final work was an original composition by Hannabiell in 5/4 time. Students performed an accompaniment while she delivered a powerful spoken-word element, adding another dimension to the performance. 

Although the programme consisted of just three pieces, they unfolded over 45 minutes of near-continuous music. Seamless transitions meant there was no pause between sections, maintaining momentum and immersion throughout. 

The second half of the evening showcased Ladies of Midnight Blue in performance. Their set was vibrant, engaging and full of personality. The atmosphere in the church was electric, with audience members clapping, laughing and even dancing in the aisles. 

At the conclusion of the concert, the response from the audience was overwhelmingly positive. Many commented on the confidence, creativity and musicianship displayed by our students, as well as the originality of the performance as a whole. It is undoubtedly an experience that will stay with them for years to come. 

This event was organised and funded by the Swaledale Festival, and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity it has provided our students. 

The Richmond musicians who took part were: 

Seluleko Bhembe, Mathilda Boyd, Benjamin Denton, Alban Desics, Fin Duffield, Ellen Ford, Jessica Ford, Charlotte Francis, Eloise Francis, Flynn Hammond, Dan Harding, Harry Hare, Edward Hilyer, William Hilyer, Thomas Hinde, Lottie James, Freddie Lundberg, Annie Martinson, Lydia Martinson, Amelia McCormack, Rhys Price, William Swainston, Rubie Walton, Teddy Warren, Kimi Williams, Arthur Young, Mr McCormack and Miss Abbey. 

Thank you to Mrs Moore, History Teacher and organiser of the visit, for this report:  

"Richmond School's History Department was delighted to welcome Holocaust survivor Liesel Carter BEM into school recently. Liesel is 91 years old, one of a very few remaining Holocaust survivors who are still able to tell their stories. Students at Richmond School are the last generation who will hear directly from people like Liesel - it was a poignant and important day for the school.   

Born in Germany, Liesel travelled alone at just four years old across Europe to Britain to escape from Nazism. She explained in her talk that out of 250 extended members of her family, only six survived. Liesel spoke of the loss of her father; how he was beaten and placed in a concentration camp when she was only 18 months old.   

In 1939, Liesel's mother, Marthe, managed to secure a job as a domestic servant in Hull, but under the terms of her visa she was unable to take Liesel with her. Travel documents were later organised for Liesel, and she travelled alone through Germany, Sweden and Norway, where she stayed for a month with a Norwegian family. Liesel then travelled by boat and reunited with her mother in January 1940.   

Liesel's main point of discussion was around how she spent years of her life researching what happened to her family, especially her father. Liesel later reunited with her Norwegian foster family and travelled back to Germany to visit her father's grave.    

It was an absolute privilege to host Liesel and her daughter Janet. Liesel left Year 10 students with a poignant message - to respect everyone regardless of their background. Liesel emphasised the importance of forgiveness and learning from the atrocities of the Holocaust.     

I would like to thank all of Year 10 for the huge amount of respect shown in the talk. I've really appreciated students stopping me in the corridor and chatting to me about it; it's had a profound impact. I'm really pleased that we could provide this once in a lifetime opportunity for both students and staff - it was lovely to see such support for this prestigious and important event.   

Thanks to the Holocaust Centre North for facilitating the visit and to Janet who accompanied Liesel on her trip to Richmond." 

Students at Richmond have an incredibly wide range of interests and hobbies, ranging from sport, drama and music, to nature, photography and local history. We recently found out that Michael Bagley, Year 7 student, is interested in World War 2 history and has started to build up quite a collection of artefacts on his visits to antique shops. This sounded fascinating, so we arranged a time for Michael to bring in some items from his collection and tell us a bit more information about his interest in WW2. 

When the allotted time came, Michael knocked on the door of the Media office and made quite an entrance. He was dressed in a military jacket, carrying a complex set of webbing and storage bags, and was topped by a slightly-too-large helmet. He looked brilliant! 

Michael unpacked items from his collection, including magazines, a diary, insignia, a model plane and spread them out on a table so we could take some photos. As he did so, he told us a bit about the provenance of some of his collection, explaining that he’d acquired the items from various antique shops in Richmond, Whitby and Cornwall. Some of the collection had also come from his grandad; Michael said that it was his grandad who’d got him interested in WW2 history in the first place and that his dad – Michael's great-grandad – had actually fought in the war.  

We then looked at a map of Richmond to identify the position of Michael’s favourite antiques shop – Antique Haven. Coincidentally, this is a just a few doors up from his grandma’s cake shop – Edwina's Cakes. Michael told us that he enjoyed visiting his grandma here as he often got free cake! He said that he liked visiting Antique Haven as the owner was really friendly, gave him discounts and had a lovely dog! Michael described a few of the interesting items he’d found in the shop – a periscope from a tank, cartridge cases and a coin from Vietnam. We talked about the helmet, jacket and webbing Michael was wearing as well as a beret he had and its regimental insignia. Michael also told us about his plans to expand his collection with a gas mask and, ideally, a tank! 

Thanks to Michael for giving us an insight into his collection and his family connection to WW2 – we wish him luck as his collection grows – maybe he’ll arrive at the prom in Year 11 in that tank! 

Thank you to Miss Hamer, Careers Adviser, for the following report: 

“Before half term, our Year 10 students took part in their work experience placements – and we couldn’t be prouder of how they represented Richmond School and Sixth Form College! 

Students worked across an incredibly diverse range of industries and locations, from healthcare and engineering to retail, education, hospitality and beyond. The feedback we have received has been overwhelmingly positive, with employers commenting on our students’ enthusiasm, professionalism, and willingness to learn. 

We hope this experience has inspired our students to work hard towards their goals, helped them discover new interests, and showed them that they are capable of far more than they might have realised. Many have developed new skills, grown in confidence, and taken important first steps towards their future pathways. 

A huge thank you to every organisation and individual who supported our students – your time, guidance and encouragement make a lasting difference. 

At Richmond School, we place great importance on providing real-world experiences for all our students. Opportunities like this are vital in helping them understand the world of work, build essential skills, and make informed decisions about their futures. 

We are incredibly proud of each and every one of our Year 10 students – you have done yourselves and our school proud!” 

These photos are just a selection – more can be found at the link below: 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TWRGKiovHVMXEReq8 

Year 13 students celebrated the end of an era recently. Exam season is well underway, so formal lessons concluded on Friday 15th May, their final day at Richmond Sixth Form College.  

Students celebrated the end of seven years of secondary and college education by wearing their old school uniforms. They looked wonderful with several schools represented!  

We held a ‘Good Luck’ assembly where we reflected on all the achievements in the last two years as well as having a cheeky look at some photos from when the students were much younger.  

Ms Richardson, Head of Sixth Form, said: “We will genuinely miss the Year 13 students, and we are extremely proud of the young adults they have become. They are all so focused on their exams at the moment, and we hope the remaining ones go well. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our students for the brilliantly positive contribution they have made to our college community during the last two years - they really have helped to make the college the happy place it is. I look forward to hearing about the wonderful things our students do in the future. I know that whatever they choose to do, they will go on to achieve amazing things." 

After the exams have finished, we look forward to our final goodbye when we hold our Year 13 Prom. "The Prom is always a glamourous occasion - tinged with sadness but full of excitement for what lies ahead. It will be a real celebration!”  

These photos are only a selection - more can be found at the link below: 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zNjASzQygHgi3SoJ6 

Olly was nominated by Mr Oliver who said: “I would like to nominate Olly Middlemiss (9BHO) for the Headteacher's Credit Value award. Olly has consistently displayed multiple of the CREDIT values throughout the year when representing the school in the Year 9 boys football team. Olly has shown these values throughout the year as part of the team that has recently won the Area Cup final. On the pitch, Olly has shown brilliant creativity and excellence scoring 9 goals throughout all the fixtures this year, including 5 in one game! A rough count suggests this makes him the top scorer of the year. Away from the pitch, Olly shows a brilliant attitude, demonstrating respect to every decision made without questioning and with a smile on his face, even if from a personal point of view this limits Olly's minutes on the pitch. Olly represents school in a positive way too, always remaining polite and respectful throughout the fixtures, as well as the travel to and from the fixture. Olly has also rarely missed a training session, showing brilliant determination and teamwork to learn and practice his skills. This outstanding attitude partnered with Olly's talent on the pitch makes him a true star student that any team would be lucky to have.” 

Richmond School Sports Partnership hosted two days of Dynamos Cricket competitions for pupils in Years 3–6 recently. 

Despite challenging weather conditions, both competitions successfully went ahead. Matches were relocated from the grass pitches to the all-weather Astroturf to ensure play could continue. This was particularly important as the events formed part of a national competition pathway, with area finals scheduled for the first week after half term. 

The events were expertly officiated by Richmond School’s Year 8 Sports Leaders. Their enthusiasm for cricket shone through, as they supported, motivated and guided the younger participants throughout the competitions. 

We would like to thank the following schools for their support: Brompton, East Cowton, Ravensworth, Richmond Methodist, Richmond St Mary’s and Trinity Academy Richmond. 

Congratulations to the following schools who have qualified for the Area Finals in June: