Before Christmas we heard from Rebecca Morgan, mum of Dan Harding, Year 9 student at Richmond School, telling us about his involvement in this year’s Georgian Theatre Royal panto – Cinderella. She mentioned that there was a group of Richmond students involved this year, as well as students from other local schools. She told us about the hard work they had been putting into the rehearsals since September and the workload of performing two shows a day, twice per week throughout the Christmas and New Year period. 

The Georgian Theatre Royal panto has become a bona-fide Richmond institution over the years, so we jumped at the chance to find out some behind the scenes information from Dan: 

RS: Tell us a bit about this year’s panto, Dan. 

DH: Well, this is the fifteenth year they’ve done it, and my third. The theatre thinks it’s the best one they’ve done – it received some brilliant reviews! 

RS: It definitely did! What about for you – what were some of the highlights? 

DH: Getting into the company was definitely a highlight! The auditions were in June – 90 people auditioned for 18 places in the three young company teams – A, B and C. It was quite high-pressure with separate acting, singing and dancing sections. Then meeting and getting to know our team and the other teams in September and starting to learn the songs, choreography, lines, timing, stage directions. Meeting the main company and starting to rehearse with them just two weeks before opening night was good – quite intense, but good fun. Then the shows – that's the best bit. I particularly enjoyed being involved in the knitted star throwing and running through the audience as mice! 

RS: Lots of highlights! Tell us some more details about your bit – how does the young company work in terms of rehearsals and preparation? 

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Recently, our Computer Science students in Year 12 and 13 had the fantastic opportunity to visit MHT Technology, a local company based in Melsonby.   

MHT Technology Ltd is a leading global supplier of tank gauging, terminal automation and stock management solutions for bulk liquid storage and handling. Founded in 1994 as an independent, private company, providing a range of services to the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, MHT has grown into a leading global supplier of bulk inventory management and stock reconciliation systems.  

Mr Stephenson, who accompanied the students, provides a summary of the visit:   

"During the tour, students learned how tank gauges communicate with custom‑built circuit boards housed in explosion‑proof enclosures located in the field, often directly above tanks containing highly flammable liquids. They explored the wide range of sensors used inside storage tanks, including radar measurement systems, and saw how these components work together to ensure precise monitoring.  

MHT engineers also introduced students to the communication protocols used to transfer critical data back to central control systems. They were shown how specialist industrial computers process this information to guarantee both safety and accuracy during operations and financial transactions.  

A highlight of the visit was a full live demonstration simulating the arrival of a tanker lorry at a fuel depot. Students followed each stage of the process; from signing in, to allocation of fuel, to real‑time monitoring, using MHT’s proprietary software. This gave them a hands‑on understanding of how automated systems support logistics across the industry.  

The software development team then showcased how a variety of programming languages are used to interface with different hardware at various points in the process. Students left with a deeper appreciation of the engineering, coding and safety considerations involved in managing large‑scale liquid storage facilities."  

Miss Hamer, Careers Adviser, added: “MHT have been a wonderful support to school and college over the last few years. They have attended our careers fairs, helped with mock interviews and talked to students about degree apprenticeships. We are incredibly grateful to the whole team for hosting our A Level students and giving them an insight into the work they do. 

Experiences like this are invaluable, as linking studies with real workplaces helps students see how their learning applies in practice and encourages them to think more clearly about future pathways.” 

On the Thursday before the Christmas holidays, as Christmas lunch was being served in Richmond School’s Restaurant, the school’s Media office received a visit from Grace Whitatker, Year 7 student. Grace was escorted into the office by Mrs Potter, Headteacher. Mrs Potter explained that she had started talking to Grace as she was serving her Christmas lunch and had found out that Grace helped look after a big allotment where she grew a wide variety of produce, as well as keeping a number of chickens. This sounded brilliant and we promised to catch up with Grace in the New Year to find out more... 

RS: First question, Grace – how did you get talking to Mrs Potter about your allotment? 

GW: Well, she was helping the kitchen staff to serve Christmas lunch, and she asked me if I liked Brussels sprouts. I said that I love them and I even grow them myself on my allotment. She then started asking me what else I grew and lots of other questions. I told her that I also have chickens – she was really interested! She asked me to come back after I’d finished my food and that she would take me to the Media office to talk to Mr Wardle and that you would write an article about it. 

RS: And you came along with Mrs Potter and we had a brief chat about it and arranged a time to meet – and now, here you are! 

Ok, let's take it one stage at a time – where's the allotment? 

GW: Oran Lane, Catterick. Just a few minutes' walk from where I live. Our allotment is the second one down – you can see my chickens in that corner on the Google map and my veg boxes. 

RS: Ok – excellent. Tell us about the plants that you grow in the allotment and what you do to look after them.  

GW: To start with, we planted carrots, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, and some fruit bushes. Also leeks and rhubarb. We change what we plant each year. I plant the seeds in pots and we move them to the greenhouse until they’re big enough to plant in the soil outside. I go down in the morning and after school to water them and make sure they’re doing OK, then at the weekends I do the weeding. At the end of the season, we harvest the crop, then dig the soil over with manure we get delivered from a nearby farm ready for next year, although we leave the leeks in – and the rhubarb and fruit bushes. I love eating what we’ve grown in the allotment – you get a really good sense of achievement – I've done this myself! 

RS: Definitely – nothing better than eating food you’ve grown yourself! 

Ok, let's move on to the chickens – tell us about them. 

GW: We got them – five of them – at the beginning of last year. I was struggling in my last year at Primary school so we thought the chickens might give me something to look after and calm me down a bit. They've really helped, actually. They rely on me to stay alive, and I definitely feel responsible for them. I’ve got them quite well trained – they back up and wait for me to go into their enclosure, then they wait for me to do their water and their food until I say, “Release!” and then they go! 

RS: And do the chickens stay in the enclosure, or are they allowed out? 

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Thank you to Miss Jeans and Mrs Carruthers, PE teachers and coaches and managers of the Year 10 and Year 7 netball teams, for the following reports about a recent fixture against Thirsk School: 

Year 7  

Richmond’s Year 7 netball team put on an outstanding display of determination and teamwork in their fixture against Thirsk School, securing a confident 6-3 victory. From the first whistle, Richmond dominated possession and showed excellent movement down the court. Their attacking players worked cohesively to create space, converting opportunities with calm, accurate shooting. 

Defensively, Richmond were equally impressive. Consistent pressure from the GK, GD and WD forced turnovers, and the mid‑court players linked play effectively to maintain momentum throughout the match. The team’s communication and resilience were evident, especially during tightly contested phases. 

This impressive performance highlights the potential within the squad, and the players should feel very proud of their efforts. 

Year 10 

The Year 10 team faced a strong and well‑drilled Thirsk side, ultimately losing 11–6 despite a determined performance. Richmond started with intensity, matching Thirsk goal for goal in the opening stages. Their defensive unit of Hannah Southworth-Gedye, Alice Rhodes and Mereseini Tikomailepanoni worked tirelessly to disrupt Thirsk’s attacking rhythm, and the centre‑court players, Liana Silo, Freya Atkinson and Imogen Burnham transitioned the ball well under pressure. 

As the match progressed, Thirsk’s accuracy in the shooting circle proved decisive. Richmond created several promising opportunities of their own from Connie Briggs, Grace Baleilekutu and Mereseini, but some narrow misses allowed Thirsk to extend their lead in the later quarters. 

Despite the result, Richmond demonstrated commendable resilience and teamwork, showing real promise for upcoming fixtures. With continued hard work and focus, this group has plenty of potential to turn future close contests in their favour. 

Before Christmas, we learned that Bertie Morris, Year 10 student and one of Richmond’s most talented and hard-working cricketers, had been selected for the Durham Academy U16 Team for their tour of the United Arab Emirates, and to take part in the 2026 Gulf Cup. Durham has a good relationship with cricket in the UAE and has been visiting for over 20 years. The tour took place over the Christmas Holidays, and we recently caught up with Bertie to find out a bit more about it. 

RS: So, Bertie, the U16 Durham team won the 2026 Gulf Cup – congratulations! How was it, and how come you’re the one in the middle of this photo, holding the trophy? 

BM: I’m the captain, so I got to hold the cup in the photo, and the whole trip was brilliant! We played a few local teams on our way to the Gulf Cup final and then some of the teams merged together to form the team we played in the final – MSYTCA. 

RS: Excellent – I hadn’t realised that you were the captain! Tell us some of the highlights from this game – we'll talk about the rest of the trip in a moment. 

BM: So, there’s me on the livestream at first slip. Normally I’m the keeper, but I’ve got a back injury at the minute. We started well and took an early wicket, but their number three was good. It was a flat wicket with short boundaries, so he got about 60 runs of 25 balls. We got him out and some of their other batters dug in ok, but never really got enough runs on the board for a 30 over game. We were quite confident going into bat – Harry Walker got 82 not out – a great innings. We cruised home in the end, to be honest! 

RS: And what was your route to the final? The letter about the tour said that you’d be playing cricket most days – was it all cup games? 

BM: We had five cup games, taking us to the final. Those games were against some local sides and some touring sides from Pakistan and India. We only lost one game, against one of the local academy teams – they were a really strong team. We also had two friendlies – one against a UAE National U16 side – that was a good game! Training too – we used the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, a massive international stadium, for our training sessions between matches. 

RS: So, plenty of cricket and some good competition – the whole point of the tour, I guess! 

Take us back to the beginning – how did the selection process work? 

BM: Most of the players were selected from the existing U15 side at Durham, so a lot of us were quite confident that we'd be selected. In the end it was 13 from the U15s and one from the U16s. 

RS: Ok, now talk about the tour – how did the travel work? 

BM: We flew from Newcastle to Dubai on December 31st with Emirates. That was quite an experience! It was really posh – you had your own TV and there was a bell you could press, and someone would come and bring you drinks and stuff – a good start to the trip!  

It was a seven-hour flight to Dubai, then the tour manager from the travel company – Lions Sports Travel – met us there and a coach drove us to our first hotel in Ajman – about an hour away. The tour manager – Dipam - stayed with us throughout the trip. He had run the tour with Durham before, so it was all very well organised with the travel and the accommodation and the cricket etc. He actually came to a meeting at The Riverside in Durham to explain everything to us beforehand. 

RS: Who else travelled with you? 14 players and who else? 

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The annual Key Stage 1 Multi Skills Festival was a fantastic success, bringing together 11 local primary schools for a morning filled with energy, teamwork, and enthusiasm. Nearly 300 pupils from across the area took part, making it one of the largest KS1 events of the year. 

The festival was expertly delivered by a team of Year 8 Sports Leaders from Richmond School, who demonstrated impressive leadership, communication, and organisation throughout the event. Their encouragement and guidance helped ensure every activity ran smoothly and that all pupils felt supported and involved. 

Throughout the festival, pupils rotated around a series of multi‑skills challenges designed to develop key physical fundamentals including balance, coordination, agility, and teamwork. The young participants threw themselves into each task with excitement—smiling, cheering, and celebrating each other’s achievements. 

The atmosphere was overwhelmingly positive, with schools praising both the sports leaders and the confidence-building experience it provided for their pupils. It was wonderful to see so many young children enjoying sport, trying new activities, and working together. 

A huge thank you goes to all the staff and accompanying adults, and especially to the Richmond School Sports Leaders whose hard work made the event possible. The KS1 Multi Skills Festival continues to be a brilliant celebration of physical activity and community spirit.  

Attending Primary Schools:  

Barton 

Bolton on Swale 

Brompton 

Croft/ Gt Smeaton 

East Cowton 

Michael Syddall 

Middleton Tyas 

Ravensworth 

RMS 

Richmond St Marys 

Trinity Richmond 

Aidan was nominated by Mrs Fox and Miss Pemberton who said: “Aidan has demonstrated exceptional initiative and independence in his GCSE Dance choreography so far. This unit is entirely independent and accounts for 50% of the practical GCSE grade, and Aidan has approached this with maturity and commitment. 

Aidan has undertaken extensive research, arranged additional rehearsals with a Year 9 dancer, and off his own back, consulted with Mrs Harrison to validate the physics-based stimulus for his work. Drawing on the concept of wave phenomena, Aidan has created a thoughtful duet exploring hearing loss and the interference experienced by hearing aids. He has also edited his own music and has got Mrs Moore involved to incorporate voiceovers.

 
This work demonstrates outstanding creativity, organisation, independence, and strong cross-curricular thinking. Well done Aidan!” 

To complete our series of reports from an exciting and jam-packed German Week, here is a photo of some of the kitchen staff who prepared German food for students to sample in the Restaurant on Tuesday, along with the menu. There is also a collage of some of the posters on display in the Library where students could find out more about German towns, cities and landmarks. 

Looking forward to next year’s German Week already! 

Thank you to Miss Dutton, Lead Teacher of German at Richmond and organiser of the German Week events, for the following: 

“As part of National German Week students were invited to bake a cake or biscuits to a German recipe or to decorate a cake with a German theme. 

This was a first for Richmond School, and staff were blown away by the number and quality of entries. We had over 35 entries from students in Years 7-10. All entries were tasted by the judging panel which included Mrs Potter, Miss Tucker, Ms Doak and the MFL team. We tasted apple cake. Black Forest gateau, apple strudel, traditional gingerbread biscuits, marble cake,  Streuselkuchen, Baumkuchen, and Bienenstich to name but a few.  

A number of students coloured their cakes in the colours of the German flag which could be seen when you cut into the cake. The bakes were decorated in creative ways: we saw flags, hearts as well as more unusual ideas including a Miniatur Wunderland, the Swiss mountains, a traditional German Bollen hat and a beer stein. A lot of deliberation was involved but eventually we decided on 10 overall winners. We have definitely seen the work of some future Bake Off stars - well done and thank you everyone for taking part!” 

Winners  

Year 7 

Maggie Copland 7HWH 

Lila Diamond and Freya Stimpson 7MRA  

Sherwain Mathurin 7 MPE  

Leland Gregory 7RSH 

Eleni Barron 7 EHE  

Year 8  

Lottie James 8LCH  

Noah Sandell 8LCH  

Maha Farhat 8TMA  

Rachael Foyle 8TMA  

Max Adcock 8KAT   

Year 10  

Aiden Johnson 10KHB 

Last week Richmond School honoured Holocaust Memorial Day - delivered via an assembly - which explored both the long history of antisemitism and the people who stood against it. The assembly explained how centuries of prejudice created the conditions for the Holocaust, then discussed individuals such as Oskar Schindler and Nicholas Winton, whose courage saved thousands through rescue, protection, and quiet acts of defiance. 

The assembly also drew attention to Jewish resistance groups, including the fighters of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, who chose to resist despite overwhelming odds. By sharing these stories - of rescuers, resisters, and ordinary people who refused to accept hatred - it was shown that resistance can take many forms. 

The assembly closed by linking these lessons to the school’s credit value of respect, emphasising how everyday actions - treating others fairly, listening, and showing understanding - help challenge prejudice and create a welcoming community for all.  

Mrs Moore, Teacher of History at Richmond and organiser of the Holocaust Memorial Day events, said: “I'm incredibly proud of the students involved. I feel it's so important for these messages to be told to students by their peers as it resonates so much more. Thank you to Oliver Allinson, Year 13, Myles Fairhurst, Year 12, Izzy Barnes and Lucas Trenholm, Year 11, James Hall and Zeke Wild, Year 10 and Rita Cardie, Year 8, for speaking so articulately and confidently - it was a joy to present the assembly with you.”