The English Schools Cross Country Championships are the end of season pinnacle of school cross country running. The very best athletes from the entire country gather to compete at the highest level in very fast, hyper-competitive races. Qualification for the English Schools is a fantastic achievement in itself, reflecting an excellent season of running with some outstanding performances. The year Aiden Johnson, Year 10, was the only Richmond student to qualify, demonstrating the high standard required – Richmond has many excellent cross-country athletes! Aiden’s mum Emma provides this report – thank you!  

“Aiden qualified again this year for the English Schools Cross Country Championships held on 14th March at Sefton Park in Liverpool. He travelled to the event by coach with the North Yorkshire team, staying in a hotel the night before the race. Aiden was racing in the Intermediate Boys race (Years 10 and 11) with over 300 runners. It was a fantastic day for it with lots of sunshine, although the course was still very muddy underfoot. Aiden had a great run and a strong mid-pack finish against some very fast competition!” 

Thank you to Mrs Carruthers for the following report: 

“Pupils from Years 1–6 recently took part in this year’s Key Steps Gymnastics Festival, showcasing an impressive range of skills, teamwork and confidence. The atmosphere throughout the event was supportive, energetic, and full of enthusiasm as pupils represented their schools with pride. 

The festival was expertly led by Sports Leaders from Richmond School, who played a vital role in ensuring the smooth running of the entire event. Their responsibilities included judging the routines, coaching and supporting pupils, scoring each performance with accuracy and presenting final results to competitors. 

Every gymnast completed three components: 

1. Floor Routine 

Pupils demonstrated control, balance and creativity while performing set sequences on the floor. Many participants showed excellent extension, timing, and confidence in front of the judges. 

2. Body Management Routine 

This section tested flexibility, strength, and core stability. Pupils performed movements such as balances, shapes, and transitions with precision. It highlighted the fantastic physical development of all age groups, especially the progression seen from the younger years to the older gymnasts. 

3. Vault 

The vault event allowed pupils to demonstrate power, coordination, and good technique. There were many impressive runs and controlled landings, showing the hard work pupils have put into practicing their vault skills this year.” 

Results 

Teams competed across Steps 1, 2 and 3, with exceptionally close scores in all categories. Results can be seen in one of the images in the album below. 

These photos are only a selection. To see more go to this link: 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KhWCxSUevLQsg3Bb6 

Myles Hartland, Year 8 student at Richmond, already has many years of equestrian experience behind him. He competes with his ponies at a high level across the whole country. Once again, one of this year’s big goals was to qualify for the Royal International Horse Show held at Hickstead in July. Rebecca, Myles’ mum, takes up the story.  

“Myles recently competed at the first qualifying show of the year at Onley Equestrian in Rugby, Warwickshire. Qualifiers are held from March until the middle of June throughout the country with 25 spaces available at the Royal International Horse Show final in July.  

Myles and his pony Mount Pleasant Tanzanite competed in the 133cm Show Hunter Pony section, performing in front of two judges. To start with, all competitors perform a go-around together in walk, trot , canter and gallop. Each competitor then performs an individual show for the judges. Finally, riders dismount, remove the saddle and stand the pony up for the judge so they can assess the pony's conformation - how the pony is put together. 50% of the marks are given for manners and way of going in the show, then another 50% on conformation and type of pony.   

Myles and his pony did brilliantly, being the first combination in the country to qualify for the finals! 

Myles also has another pony he is hoping to qualify this year. The owners have specifically asked Myles if he will ride their pony for them. He will be competing in the Junior Mountain and Moorland Royal International qualifiers this weekend in Uttoxeter and later in the year, hopefully, Horse of the Year Show qualifiers.” 

Last week, Miss Spittlehouse’s Year 12 tutor group held a bake sale at Richmond Sixth Form College to support the MS Society. The tutor group had discussed which charity to support, and student Jeavon Love suggested the following:  

“I proposed that the bake sale should support the MS society which is a charity that helped support my dad when he was diagnosed with MS last year and helps support many people who suffer from the condition. The charity does important work and deserves recognition of the ongoing work they do and to raise awareness of the condition and its impacts.  

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, unpredictable, and often disabling disease of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). There can be a range of symptoms, as well as a range of treatments and impacts on people's lives.”  

Miss Spittlehouse said: “The group made some wonderful homemade cakes and bakes. The display was amazing and they raised £342.50 in total! Huge congratulations to Jeavon for organising such a successful event, for the courage of sharing a personal story with not only his tutor group but the whole college, and how fortunate we are to have lovely students who support each other in every way.” 

Lauren was nominated by Mr Shami who said: “"Lauren is an exceptional student who truly deserves recognition as this week's HTCVA winner.  

With over 200 credits and no negative consequences, she consistently demonstrates the very best of our school values. She is a perfect example of a student who works incredibly hard while remaining humble. 

Across all her lessons, Lauren is known for her diligence, focus and dedication to her work. She approaches everything with determination and quiet confidence, always striving to do her best and supporting those around her. 

In French, Lauren has been particularly outstanding. Her teacher describes her as exceptional in both her hard work and effort, and a model student who embodies the values of Richmond School. Her hard work pays off in achieving full marks nearly every week. This is an impressive reflection of her commitment and consistency. 

In PE, according to her teacher: "Lauren is a wonderful student that always tries to be the absolute best she can be. She definitely slips under the radar as a student that is continuously doing the right thing around school. She has been working exceptionally hard in PE responding to any feedback she is given immediately and always striving to better herself!" 

Beyond the classroom, Lauren’s achievements are just as remarkable. Too shy to boast, her recent orienteering success was shared by her mother: Lauren is the W12 British Orienteering Champion 2026, winning the recent competition in the Brecon Beacons, mid-Wales. While it is clear that she is competitive and loves to succeed, she spoke to Mr Wardle, Richmond’s Media Lead, with genuine modesty about her accomplishments. 

Lauren is a truly determined and inspiring student who leads by example every day. Her work ethic, humility, and achievements both inside and outside of school make her an absolute star and a very deserving nominee for the HTCVA." 

Thanks to Mrs Fox, Lead Teacher of Dance at Richmond, for the following report: 

“Our GCSE Dance students recently enjoyed an exciting and insightful trip to the Phoenix Dance Theatre, Leeds, to take part in the event Inside Phoenix: Shadows. This unique opportunity allowed students to explore one of the professional works studied as part of the GCSE specification, choreographed by the renowned British choreographer Christopher Bruce. 

During the visit, students participated in an engaging lecture demonstration which explored the creative and technical elements that bring Shadows to life on stage. They learned first-hand about the use of costume, lighting, and set design, gaining valuable insight into how these components contribute to the work. 

Students also took part in a contemporary dance class led by a company dancer, followed by a practical workshop where they were taught movement directly from the performance. Experiencing the choreography physically provided a deeper understanding of the movement style and intention, making it an invaluable learning opportunity ahead of their written exam. 

The visit also included the opportunity to watch a live performance of Shadows and participate in a question-and-answer session with the professional dancers. Students were able to ask about the rehearsal process, working alongside Christopher Bruce and life within the professional dance industry. 

The students demonstrated impressive subject knowledge throughout the day. In a knowledge quiz involving several schools and colleges in attendance, three Richmond School students achieved 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places - a testament to their hard work and understanding of the work studied. 

The dancers fully immersed themselves in the experience and demonstrated enthusiasm and professionalism throughout the day. It was a fantastic experience for all and a wonderful opportunity to bring their GCSE Dance learning to life.” 

We recently received an email from Rebecca Simpson, mum of Lauren, Year 7 student at Richmond School, passing on some information about Lauren’s performances in two orienteering events. These events weren’t local events with a few competitors, but much bigger – the British Orienteering Championships in the Brecon Beacons and the Portugal ‘O’ Meeting, a week-long competition featuring some of the world’s best athletes, held in Mira, Portugal. Just competing in these events is an achievement in itself, but Lauren won the W12 category in Wales, becoming British Champion, and came second overall in Portugal after competing in five different events over the week. As mum said in her email – she's pretty good at running and navigating! We caught up with Lauren to find out a bit more about these events and her background in orienteering – read on! 

RS: Can I confirm that I’m talking to the W12 British Orienteering Champion 2026? 

LS: Yes. 

RS: I ‘m honoured! How did it feel to be British Champion – standing on the podium receiving your medal and the trophy and the Welsh Red Dragon? 

LS: Good. I like winning. 

RS: Are you quite competitive? 

LS: Yes. 

RS: And you also went to Portugal over half term to compete in a week-long competition. Your results from five events meant that you came second overall? 

LS: Yes. 

RS: And last weekend you went to the Lake District with your club, the North East Junior Squad, to train for a big event in Scotland over Easter – the JK Festival? 

LS: Yes. 

RS: And am I also right in saying that the whole family competes: Isla in Year 12, Rae in Year 9 and mum and dad too? 

LS: Yes. 

RS: Ok, good that I’ve got my facts right – thank you. 

Let’s go back to the beginning – how did you get into orienteering? 

LS: Hmm – I can’t really remember exactly – there wasn’t really a choice! 

RS: Fair enough! I guess because the whole family was doing it, it made sense that you did too. 

What do you like about orienteering? 

LS: I like seeing my friends from the club. Some of them live quite far away like Stokesley, so it’s nice meeting up with them at events and training sessions. I like actually doing the events too – running and navigating and especially winning! 

RS: For those people who don’t know anything about orienteering, can you talk us through how an event works – you can use the British Championships as an example. 

LS: Ok – you go to the start and pick up the control descriptions from a box, then you get to look at a map without the controls marked so you can get an idea of the area. Then you go to the end box and pick up your map – but you’re not allowed to look at it until you go. The controls are marked on the map, joined with lines, so you know what order to do them in. Then you start running! 

RS: And do you try to follow those lines? 

LS: Not really – they just tell you which control is next. You have to use paths and tracks that are marked on the map to get between the controls. 

RS: Ah, ok – you obviously have to be very good at reading a map. And what happens when you get to a control? 

LS: You have a dibber – an electronic thing that registers when you get to a control. Then you head off to the next control. You orientate your map, so you know which direction it is. If there are paths you use those, or you take a bearing and run in a straight line. 

RS: How do you do that? 

To read more, head over to our Facebook page.

Thank you to Mrs Fox, Lead Teacher of Dance at Richmond, for the following report: 

“Last week, 27 students from Years 8–11 had the exciting opportunity to attend the Everybody Dance Festival at York Theatre Royal. 

The festival celebrates dance, movement, and community, bringing together schools, colleges, and community groups from across Yorkshire for a day full of creativity and collaboration. Throughout the day, our students took part in inspiring dance workshops and had the chance to develop their skills while working alongside other young performers. 

One of the highlights of the day was an explosive Afrobeats workshop led by Teissy Easton and the students fully embraced the energy and rhythms of the style. We were also treated to a professional dance performance by Mithun Gill, which provided a fantastic insight into the world of professional performance and choreography. 

The day culminated in a spectacular evening showcase held on the magnificent stage of York Theatre Royal. Our students performed confidently in front of an audience of over 500 people and demonstrated total professionalism. A big thank you to the many parents, family & friends who made the journey to York to watch the performance and support us. 

It was an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. The students represented the school brilliantly and should be extremely proud of their performance and commitment throughout the day. The energy and positivity they brought to the day was incredible! The event organisers even commented on this on their social media, saying "Richmond were a joy. So supportive and friendly with the younger groups - great to see". 

A huge thank you to Hannah and Drew at York Dance Space for hosting such a joyful community event. We can't wait to return again next year!” 

To see a brilliant video of the tech rehearsal performance, go to this link: https://youtu.be/tq2FFDKSwyg 

Hermione was nominated by Miss Dunwoodie who said: “Hermione has recently been off school, and she asked for work and revision while she was absent so she would not fall behind. She was also concerned as she was potentially going to have to move to the Foundation tier in Science due to her grades in some assessments. She asked if she could sit both Higher and Foundation papers in the recent mock exams. She planned to work really hard outside of school as she needs a grade 6 for her next steps. Admiring her dedication, we agreed for Hermione to do this then review her tier of entry. She told me that she achieved a much-improved grade compared to her last assessments and is now going to be entered for the Higher tier. 

Hermione is a shining example of what sheer resilience and determination can help you to achieve, despite challenges outside of school. We are delighted for Hermione and know that her excellent attitude and dedication will see her go from strength to strength in her future. Well done Hermione, may your story be a shining example to others and good luck this summer.” 

Thank you to Mr Moore, joint Lead Teacher of PE at Richmond, as well as coach and manager of the Year 9 boys rugby team, for the following account of the team’s journey to the very top of Yorkshire’s most prestigious schools’ rugby tournament – the Yorkshire Cup:  

“Our journey through the competition started with a round-robin tournament at Harrogate Grammar School back in September with the boys needing to play three games against Ripon Grammar School, Harrogate Grammar School, and King James, Pontefract. The competition is laid out for the winner of that group to go into the semi-final of the Cup competition, with the runner up going into the Plate competition. Our boys won the group quite convincingly.  

The semi-final saw us take the trip down to Otley to Prince Henry's Grammar School.  The squad delivered an excellent performance, showcasing their skill, discipline and game management. Their relentless determination in both attack and defence set the tone, with every player contributing to an outstanding team effort. Richmond won 56-20.  

Saturday's final took place at West Park Leeds RUFC with us taking on Rodillian Academy, Wakefield. The game was a real physical battle from the start with both teams working incredibly hard on both sides of the ball. Richmond took the lead through a Charlie Downes try, before Rodillian responded well making the score 5-5. Richmond grew into the game as it went on before Archie Christon put us ahead with a well-worked try finishing with some powerful running. Two more tries from Steeno Lewavakula and a second from Archie Christon with conversions from Oliver Pickles put Richmond 26-5 up. The game was sadly stopped early due to an injury to one of the Rodillian students around eight minutes from time, with both sides accepting the game was effectively over, and the winner decided.  

The boys were invited up onto the clubhouse balcony to be awarded with the trophy, with Charlie Downes also picking up the Man of the Match award.  

The boys should be hugely proud of their achievement. As a school, we are certainly immensely proud of every one of them. Yorkshire is a big old county and to say you are the best school team in it is quite the claim to be able to make! The team is an absolute pleasure to take for fixtures - they live for their rugby, are all hugely passionate and I really look forward to seeing where their rugby journeys take them both with school and beyond.”   

The full Richmond team is listed below:  

Tobyn Gardener, Sam Kawa, Charlie Miller, Sam Fudali, Zac Airey, Rueben Willby, Moses Suguturaga, Ryan Wills, Rowan Wilkinson, Dylan Hall, Callum Coburn, Archie Christon, Charlie Downes, Steeno Lewavakula, Harrison Baines, Oliver Pickles, Will Littler, Archie Thomas, Addison Olliver, Rozen Magar.  

To see a short video of the team celebrating their win, go to this link: 

https://youtu.be/h9qzd40PgGU