New Year 7 STEM Club

Friday 15 May 2026 SJV STEM

A new STEM Club for Year 7 has been up-and-running since the beginning of term, and pupils have been fully immersing in all things STEM on Wednesday lunchtimes, including flame tests, CD hoover crafts, Cartesian divers and building bridges! It has been great to see so many regular attendees enhancing their...

Ten Tors Challenge

Friday 15 May 2026 SJV General

A huge well done to all the Year 12 students who took part in the Ten Tors Challenge last weekend! The pupils are pictured here at various stages of their 45+ mile trek across Dartmoor: Nick W, Eva Z, Harry K, Irwin J, Lydia L, Aidan B, Reserve: Rafferty H. The...

House Cooking Trophy

Friday 8 May 2026 SJV STEM

Newgate and Southgate Houses are the joint winners of the 2026 House Cooking Trophy! A huge well done to all the Year 7, 8 and 9 bakers who took part in the challenge, which centred on vegan sweet treats. The standard of entries was extremely high, and the judges had a...

Jazz Band Perform at Cheltenham Jazz Festival

Tuesday 5 May 2026 SJV Arts

The Sir Thomas Rich's Jazz Band took to the free stage at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival on Saturday afternoon in Montpellier Gardens, with a fantastic performance of jazz pieces old and new. The polished presentation was the result of lots of hard work and rehearsals; a huge well done to Mr...

Arnav Scoops Silver in Badminton Doubles

Tuesday 5 May 2026 SJV Sports

Arnav S (Year 8) competed in the Gloucestershire Community Doubles Badminton Tournament on 26 April at Cheltenham College Sports Centre. He delivered a fantastic performance and finished in second place, taking home a silver medal. Well done, Arnav, your School is very proud of you...

Alumni Careers Day 11 September

Friday 1 May 2026 SJV Alumni

Calling Old Richians – our next Alumni Day takes place on Friday 11 September. If you left the School within the last 25 years and would be interested in speaking with our older pupils about your higher education and career journey, we would be very pleased to hear from you. Previous...

Wizard of Oz Auditions

Friday 1 May 2026 SJV Arts

Auditions for the whole-school production of The Wizard of Oz will take place later in May. Pupils in any year group who are interested in performing should contact Head of Drama, Mrs Roberts, or Head of Music, Mrs Jones for further information and audition materials. There will also be plenty of...

Year 10 Work Experience

Thursday 30 April 2026 SJV General

Well done to our Year 10 pupils who completed their work experience placements last week. A total of 168 placements took place across 132 companies, spanning 15 counties - and even two continents! The feedback from employers has been extremely positive, with many highlighting the valuable contribution our pupils made during...

Year 10 Pupil Shortlisted in Carducci String Quartet Young Composers’ Competition

Monday 27 April 2026 SJV Arts

We are proud to announce that Sam in 10C has been shortlisted in the Junior category of the Carducci String Quartet Young Composers’ Competition. The award-winning Carducci String Quartet is internationally acclaimed as one of the most accomplished and versatile ensembles of today, and are regular visitors to the School. We...

LAMDA Awards

Monday 27 April 2026 SJV Arts

Well done to all the pupils who achieved such fantastic grades in their recent LAMDA examinations. LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) is an internationally recognised awarding body offering graded examinations in communication, public speaking, acting, verse and prose, and performance skills. These qualifications are designed to build confidence...

Rich's Choir Captain Offered Cambridge Scholarship

Friday 24 April 2026 SJV Arts

We are extremely pleased to announce that our Choir Captain, Sachin, has not only achieved an offer to study Modern and Medieval Languages at Queen's College, Cambridge, but he has also been awarded a Choral Scholarship. This is a huge achievement as the Scholarships are highly competitive, requiring semi-professional singing ability...

Netball Malta Tour

Friday 24 April 2026 SJV Sports

Our Netball teams enjoyed a fantastic tour to Malta at the start of the Easter break. Activities included a jeep safari in Gozo, a coastal walk around the Qawra peninsula, shopping in Sliema, sight-seeing in Valetta, matches against club teams and a school team, and karaoke. The first fixture saw a...

Founder's Fortnight Total

Tuesday 21 April 2026 SJV General

An outstanding £5,370.57 was raised during this year’s Founders’ Fortnight, which took place in March. The amount is a testament to the commitment and generosity shown by pupils from across all year groups. Students in 10C took the top form prize by raising an impressive £508.18, demonstrating exceptional teamwork and determination...

School Production Announcement

Monday 20 April 2026 SJV Arts

Breaking news: we will be staging a brand new whole-school production this autumn, building on our strong tradition of high-quality performances over the years. The project will bring together pupils from across all year groups, offering opportunities both on stage, in the band and behind the scenes, including crew, lighting and...

Southgate Wins House Creative Writing Competition

Friday 17 April 2026 SJV English

We are delighted to announce that Lilly R (Southgate, 12C) has been awarded first place in the House Creative Writing Competition for her poem ‘Ice Always Melts’. Second place was awarded to Devank S (Newgate, 9C) for ‘The Dream Unpledged’, and third place to Henry D (Eastgate, 12G) for ‘The Space...

GSP Primary Shakespeare Festival

Thursday 16 April 2026 SJV General

We were recently pleased and proud to play host to the Gloucester Schools' Partnership (GSP) annual Primary Shakespeare Festival. Eight primary schools from our local area gathered in our school hall to rehearse and then perform scenes from The Tempest for their families. The young actors took to our stage like...

Gloucestershire Grammar Schools Appoint New Provider for Admissions Test

Wednesday 15 April 2026 SJV General

The seven Gloucestershire Grammar Schools (G7) have appointed Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE) as their new admissions test provider for entry to Year 7 from 2028 onwards, following a comprehensive competitive tender process. The procurement sought an organisation with proven technical expertise, robust security, strong capacity for large scale assessment, and...

Year 7 Pupil Goes for Gold at National Athletics Event

Tuesday 14 April 2026 SJV Sports

Huge congratulations to Tiwa in Year 7, who recently represented the South West as part of the U13 team in the finals of the UK Sportshall Athletics Championship. Although in the lower end of the age group, Tiwa stepped up to compete as first leg in the 4x1 lap boys’ relay...

House Cooking Competition

Tuesday 14 April 2026 SJV STEM

This year’s House Cooking Competition is open to pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9, and the theme is vegan baking. We are looking for pupils' best and tastiest vegan cake or muffin recipe, so it's a chance to get really creative and impress the staff judges. Pupils should bring their...

Year 7 Mentoring Programme

Monday 13 April 2026 SJV General

Our Year 7 and Year 13 pupils recently came together for their final mentoring session, bringing to a close a supportive partnership that has run throughout the academic year. To mark the occasion, Year 7 pupils spent time in tutor sessions creating thoughtful thank-you cards for their Year 13 mentors. These...

Daniel Selected for England U13 Squash Team

Thursday 26 March 2026 SJV Sports

Huge congratulations to Daniel S in Year 8, who has been selected to represent England in the Five Nations U13s Squash Tournament in Dublin at the end of the Easter holidays. The Five Nations is a team event, with each country represented by a single squad made up of three boys...

80 Years of Rugby Celebrated in Style

Wednesday 25 March 2026 SJV Alumni

Sir Thomas Rich’s marked 80 years of rugby at the school with a special celebration event on Saturday, bringing together pupils, alumni, parents and supporters for a full day of sport and fundraising in aid of the School Development Fund. From the first whistle at 11.30am, the school fields were alive...

Early STRS School Button Donated to Archives

Wednesday 25 March 2026 SJV Alumni

Old Richian Andy Frape (1979–1984) and his fellow metal detectorist John Ganley, an Old Cryptian, visited us this week to present an interesting historical find to Headteacher Matthew Lynch. The item was uncovered by John during a recent metal detecting outing and he has kindly donated it to the School. The...

Top Government Economist Visits Students

Tuesday 24 March 2026 SJV Humanities

On Thursday, our Year 12 Economics students had fantastic opportunity to hear from Mo Abdirahman, Head of Data and Modelling at the government's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Mo shared valuable insights into how economics is applied in the real world, what a career as an economist looks like, and...

Josh Represents England

Tuesday 24 March 2026 SJV Sports

Congratulations to Josh N in Year 9, who was recently selected for the England U14 Fencing Squad and travelled to Wroclaw, Poland to compete in the prestigious Challenge Wratislavia youth tournament. Competing in an U15 event against many older opponents, Josh performed strongly and was pleased with his performance. An incredible...

House Music Competition

Tuesday 24 March 2026 SJV Arts

The House Music Competition took place on Monday this week, and the judges and audience members all agreed that the standard was exceptionally high this year. In the morning, the Junior and Senior Soloists competed, with all performers displaying an incredible level of skill. The judges had a hard time deciding...

L3Harris Computer Science Workshop

Monday 23 March 2026 SJV STEM

On Friday, a team from top cybertech firm L3Harris in Tewkesbury worked with our Year 12 Computer Science students on designing and coding digital logic circuits. It was a challenging, hands on day that ended with students building their own 4 bit RISC processor. A fantastic opportunity to apply their learning...

House Netball

Friday 20 March 2026 SJV Sports

The House Netball competition took place this week, marking the end of another successful season, with up to four teams playing fixtures every week at top schools and colleges around the country. Well done to Southgate, in first place, and to all the teams, who showed great competitive spirit and determination...

German Exchange

Friday 20 March 2026 SJV Languages

This week 20 of our Year 10 pupils completed the second leg of our exchange with our partner school in Göttingen, Germany. Students were a credit to Rich's as they fully immersed themselves in the culture and embraced the spirit of the exchange. It was wonderful to see so much interaction...

Founder's Fortnight

Thursday 19 March 2026 SJV General

Founders’ Fortnight wraps up tomorrow after two brilliant weeks of fundraising. Pupils from across all year groups have run a huge range of events – from sports tournaments and cake stalls to sponsored challenges and more – all in support of our link school, PMM Girls’ School in Uganda. A special...

Mock Trial Competition at University of Gloucestershire

Monday 16 March 2026 SJV Humanities

Our Year 8 and Year 9 pupils have delivered an impressive debut at the Mock Trial Competition at the University of Gloucestershire Oxstalls Campus. Guided by our outstanding Year 12 Law Society coaches, whose leadership and commitment have been exemplary, the teams produced two highly accomplished performances against Stroud High School...

Economics Olympiad

Monday 16 March 2026 SJV Humanities

A group of 45 Year 12 and 13 pupils competed in the regional finals of The Economics Olympiad at the end of last week. The students attended the University of Worcester for the event, and faced two rounds of Economics questions, which increased in difficulty as the rounds progressed. Well done...

Fairtrade Fiesta

Friday 13 March 2026 SJV Languages

Thirteen of our Year 9 Spanish students travelled to King Edward’s IV Handsworth School for Girls in Birmingham this week to take part in the inaugural 'Fairtrade Fiesta'. The event is aimed at promoting languages and business to pupils from across the region, and was a great opportunity for our Spanish...

Toby Wins FameLab Academy STEM Competition

Thursday 12 March 2026 SJV STEM

We are incredibly proud of Toby H from 9B, who won the prestigious FameLab Academy Gloucestershire final this week at the Rose’s Theatre in Tewkesbury! His talk explored the mathematics of Rubik’s cubes, and he also solved one live on stage in front of a large audience. Toby answered the judges...

Regional UKMT Team Maths Challenge

Thursday 12 March 2026 SJV STEM

Four Year 8 and 9 students represented Sir Thomas Rich's this week at the Regional UKMT Team Maths Challenge, which took place at Pate’s Grammar School in Cheltenham. The boys competed across five demanding rounds and achieved an excellent 4th place out of 17 schools. Hadi H from Year 8 and...

Junior House Public Speaking

Thursday 12 March 2026 SJV General

Huge congratulations to all our Junior teams for their excellent performances in this year’s House Public Speaking Competition. The overall standard of entries was exceptional, and the judging panel found the rankings particularly challenging due to the high quality of delivery, structure, and critical engagement shown across all speeches. This year...

School to Celebrate 80 Years of Rugby with Special Match Day

Thursday 12 March 2026 SJV Alumni

Sir Thomas Rich's 80 years of rugby with a special celebration event on Saturday 21 March, bringing together pupils, alumni, parents and supporters for a full day of sport and fundraising in aid of the School Development Fund. Parents, supporters and friends of the school are warmly invited to attend and...

Senior House Public Speaking

Thursday 12 March 2026 SJV General

The Senior House Public Speaking Competition this week showcased an exceptional standard of oracy and rhetorical skill. Students demonstrated confident delivery and well structured arguments. This year’s topics included ‘Should we abolish prisons as punishment for non violent crimes?’, ‘In what situation is lying a good idea?’ and ‘Should homework be...

STRS Hosts European Youth Parliament Debates

Tuesday 10 March 2026 SJV Humanities

We were pleased and proud to host the regional finals of the European Youth Parliament this week, welcoming eight schools from across the region for a day of lively debate and discussion. Students tackled a range of challenging and topical issues, including the role of artificial intelligence in education, toxic masculinity...

Spring Concert 19 March

Tuesday 10 March 2026 SJV Arts

Join us for an evening of music at our Spring Concert on Thursday 19 March, starting at 6pm. The programme promises an eclectic mix of styles and genres, showcasing the talent and dedication of our pupils across all age groups. From solo performances to ensembles, the concert will celebrate the hard...

Sam Wins First Prize in German Competition

Monday 9 March 2026 SJV Languages

The MFL Department is delighted to announce that Sam C from 9B has won first prize in the German Compound Noun Competition organised by Pate’s School. The competition was open to all schools in the area which teach German, and Sam’s imaginative “Zungenbrecher” (tongue-twister) poster impressed the judges with its creativity...

Y12 Pupil's Powerlifting Success

Friday 6 March 2026 SJV Sports

Year 12 student Sid N recently secured 3rd place in powerlifting at the British Classic Bench Press Championships in a highly competitive field. A fantastic achievement, Sid is pictured on the left here, on the podium after collecting his medal. Sid’s success is the result of many hours of disciplined training...

World Book Day 2026

Thursday 5 March 2026 SJV English

We celebrated World Book Day today, and it was fantastic to see so many pupils and staff joining in, with many coming to school dressed as their favourite literary characters. A wide range of genres were represented - from the Wizard of Oz via Sherlock Holmes to Good Omens! The Book...

The Masked Reader Returns

Wednesday 4 March 2026 SJV English

Our popular Masked Reader Competition returned this week as part of our World Book Day celebrations. Ten members of staff went undercover, hiding behind books and leaving a trail of clever clues about themselves. Pupils were challenged to use these hints to work out who was behind each clever disguise. On...

U14 Squash Team Compete at National Level

Wednesday 4 March 2026 SJV Sports

The U14 Squash Team competed in the National Finals at the Priory Club, Edgbaston this week, representing Sir Thomas Rich’s among the top teams in the country. The boys defeated St Joseph's, Ipswich but lost to Whitgift and High Storrs, Sheffield to finish 7th in England, a tremendous achievement after finishing...

Celebrate 80 Years of Rugby With Us on 21 March

Tuesday 3 March 2026 SJV Alumni

Join us to celebrate an amazing 80 years of rugby at Sir Thomas Rich's! Do you recognise yourself or your school friends in some of these photos from our archives? If you would like to join us to toast eight decades of rugby at the School on Saturday 21 March there...

National Careers Week

Tuesday 3 March 2026 SJV General

This week we marked National Careers Week in school. Pupils have explored a wide range of career pathways during tutor time, sparking conversations about future ambitions and the many different routes into the world of work. Head of Careers, Mrs Manning, worked closely with staff to deliver a fun, careers-themed quiz...

Year 10 Team Triumphs in Gloucestershire Geography Quiz

Monday 2 March 2026 SJV Humanities

A Year 10 team from Sir Thomas Rich’s School has won the Gloucestershire round of the Geographical Association Worldwide Quiz Competition. Competing under the team name 'Three Wonders of the World', the pupils secured first place against secondary schools from across the county. The competition, organised by Glos Geog with support...

Next Open Days

Monday 2 March 2026 SJV General

We warmly invite prospective parents and pupils to visit Sir Thomas Rich's School for our upcoming Open Mornings on 21 and 22 April. These events are primarily aimed at Year 5 pupils planning to sit the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools' Admissions Test this September, although pupils from other year groups and their...

1954–61 Alumnus Shares Archive Photos

Friday 27 February 2026 SJV Alumni

We recently received a lovely email and some archive photos from Old Richian, Dr Leo Crowley, who attended Sir Thomas Rich’s from 1954-61. After leaving school he entered the Faculty of Medicine, The Queen Victoria University of Manchester. Dr Crowley got in touch to wish us the very best for our...

Internship Programme

Thursday 26 February 2026 SJV Alumni

We are very proud to be taking part in the Odyssey Teaching School Hub Undergraduate Internship programme 2026. Undergraduates in their second year or above, and Master’s level students, are warmly invited to apply for this paid role. The three-week programme takes place in June and is an ideal opportunity to...

World Book Day 5 March

Thursday 26 February 2026 SJV English

World Book Day is nearly upon us! Pupils can get involved in lots of different and creative ways next week, including baking a character or scene from your favourite book, or coming to school as a book character on Thursday. We’re looking for inventive cakes and incredible costumes, plus there are...

Pupils Meet British Ambassador During US Study Visit

Wednesday 25 February 2026 SJV Humanities

Pupils had the unique opportunity to meet the British Ambassador to the United States, Sir Christian Turner KCMG, during a memorable half-term study visit to New York and Washington DC. In Washington DC, the group met Sir Christian, who spoke about his new role, his diplomatic career and the realities of...

Poetry By Heart

Monday 23 February 2026 SJV English

Year 7 gathered in the Old Gym this morning for the Poetry by Heart 2026 School Final. The annual event sees representatives from each form group compete against each other, performing poems which they have memorised. The selection of pieces was eclectic and varied, and the 15 participants gave it their...

Das Gruselhaus

Thursday 12 February 2026 SJV Languages

Recently, pupils in Years 7-10 enjoyed a live performance of Das Gruselhaus (“The Spooky House”) by the Onatti Theatre Company in the School hall. The production combined an engaging storyline with lively performances and plenty of physical comedy. Pupils had the chance to hear German used naturally, which helped improve their...

FameLab STEM Competition

Wednesday 11 February 2026 SJV STEM

This morning Year 8 pupils were the willing audience for our Year 9 FameLab competitors – all of whom spoke for three minutes on a STEM topic of their choice. The topics were wide ranging and thought provoking, covering diverse areas of interest from cricket to Rubik’s Cubes to the sky...

Safer Internet Day 2026

Tuesday 10 February 2026 SJV General

This year’s Safer Internet Day theme is 'Smart tech, safe choices', exploring the safe and responsible use of AI and how it impacts all of our lives. Our Anti-Bullying Ambassadors have created some special graphics for the day, to promote kindness, safety and positive online behaviour to everyone - in and...

GCSE Revision Workshop

Monday 9 February 2026 SJV English

Our Year 11 English students took part in a focused workshop in the School Hall today on how to revise effectively. Using ideas from cognitive science, pupils looked at why 'active' revision is more effective than 'passive' revision, and why revision should feel challenging. Pupils explored how real progress comes from...

Year 9 Options Fayre

Friday 30 January 2026 MPH General

Yesterday, we hosted our Year 9 GCSE Options Fayre during registration. Each option subject had its own stand, led by Year 10 students. They showcased examples of the work they have completed so far, alongside helpful information about exams, recommended textbooks, and what to expect from the course. There were also...

Toby Wins County U15 Table Tennis Championship

Thursday 29 January 2026 SJV Sports

Toby in Year 9 enjoyed a very successful weekend, winning the Table Tennis Junior County Championships U15 Doubles and reaching the semi-finals of the U15 Singles at the YMCA Sports Centre in Cheltenham! Earlier the same day, he also played as goalkeeper in a winning football match for his local team...

STRS Recognised in List of Top 200 Sporting Schools

Thursday 29 January 2026 SJV Sports

We are pleased to share that Sir Thomas Rich’s has been ranked 188th nationally in School Sport Magazine’s Top 200 Sporting Schools of 2025. The annual list recognises schools across the country for their commitment to sport, drawing on results from more than 20 different sports and over 120 competitive events...

Ofsted Report

Thursday 29 January 2026 SJV General

Following our Ofsted inspection on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 December last term, we are delighted to share our inspection report with the school community. The report will also appear on the Ofsted website in the next few days. Headteacher Matthew Lynch commented: “It goes without saying that we are incredibly...

Careers Fair

Wednesday 28 January 2026 SJV General

Our annual Careers Fair took place today – a great opportunity for pupils in Years 9 to 13 to engage directly with a wide range of local and national employers across many industries. Pupils were able to explore different job roles, understand routes into various careers, and learn about progression opportunities...

Poetry Live!

Tuesday 27 January 2026 SJV English

Year 11 pupils attended the Poetry Live! event at Birmingham Symphony Hall on Monday, enjoying an inspiring day focused on GCSE English Literature poetry. Students experienced live performances from a range of poets featured in their GCSE studies, including Simon Armitage, the current UK Poet Laureate. Other poets included Carol Ann...

Netball Success

Tuesday 27 January 2026 SJV Sports

Congratulations to the Netball B and C Teams, who both won their friendly matches against St Edward’s School in Cheltenham recently, 31-20 and 27-8 respectively. Netball continues to thrive at Sir Thomas Rich’s, with pupils given the opportunity to compete against many local schools, as well as top schools such as...

Chess Team Latest

Tuesday 27 January 2026 SJV Sports

Our chess teams performed very well at the South-West regional rapid-play tournament yesterday, at Bristol Grammar School. The A team finished an impressive 6th, with Alun A winning all of his games, while the B team achieved a highly respectable 8th place. A total of 36 teams competed in the tournament...

Rugby at Warwick School

Monday 26 January 2026 SJV Sports

A huge well done to the Rugby teams who played away against tough opponents Warwick School over the weekend. It proved to be a fantastic day of sport for our players, with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd XV sides all taking decisive victories, 31-24, 24-5 and 33-19 respectively. The Under 14A...

GCSE Art Workshop

Monday 26 January 2026 SJV Arts

The G9 art room was a hive of activity on Friday as our Year 10 GCSE Art students took part in a day-long workshop designed to boost their confidence in painting with acrylics. Experienced artist and workshop facilitator Stella Ashmeade led the day, which focused on a number of creative skills...

Shaping Futures 2026

Monday 26 January 2026 SJV General

Our Shaping Futures 2025–26 programme launched two weeks ago with a fantastic icebreaker activity, as pupils worked together to build marshmallow and spaghetti towers. This hands-on challenge helped new students get to know their Sixth Form mentors while developing teamwork and problem-solving skills. Pupils then spent time exploring Atom Learning’s Maths...

Learn with the Lords

Monday 19 January 2026 SJV Humanities

Last Wednesday, A Level Politics students took part in a live Teams call with Baroness Grey-Thompson as part of the Learn with the Lords scheme. The 45-minute session included an extended Q&A, with Baroness Grey-Thompson spending around 40 minutes responding in detail to students’ questions. These covered a wide range of...

Young Green Briton Design Workshop

Monday 12 January 2026 SJV Humanities

Last term all Year 7 pupils took part in the Young Green Briton Design Workshop – a sustainable enterprise and design initiative. Teams of five came up with new products or services to help tackle one of five key sustainability issues: transport, energy, waste, biodiversity and food. The day was supported...