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• Thursday 28 September 2023 CCF Cadets attend the annual Soldering on Awards 2023 On Wednesday 27th September Our CCF Cadets were given the opportunity to attend the annual prestigious Soldering awards, held at The Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge. This is the 13th Year of the event held annually to celebrate outstanding achievements within the whole Armed Forces community, and contributions made by members. The event showcased 12 different categories, in which a winner was announced in each. Along with entertainment, speeches and live performances. The event was hosted by Presenter and Journalist Jeremy Vine. The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Johnny Mercer MP, opened the awards announcement and spoke about the theme surrounding this year’s event. Also speaking and in attendance on the night were Chief of Defence People, Vice Admiral Phil Hally CB MBE, Soldiering On Awards Co-Chair of Judges, General the Lord Dannatt GCB, CBE, MC, DL, Lt Col Ren Kapur MBE, Chief Executive of X-Forces Enterprise and Soldiering on Awards, with video link appearances by adventu
• Thursday 24 August 2023 GCSE Results Day 2023 Congratulations to our Year 11 Students, who have achieved exceptional results in their GCSE’s with a great outcome. We are proud to see a year on year growth in GCSE’s with some impressive individual achievements. Subject highlights and spectacular individual performances include: 85% of students achieved Grade 4 + in English 75% of students achieved Grade 5+ in English 75% of students achieved Grade 4+ in Maths 62% of students achieved Grade 5+ in Maths 59% of students achieved Grade 5 + in English & Maths
• Friday 21 July 2023 Sports day and Cultural Day The last few weeks of term, saw a number of activities taking place. Both students and staff were heavily involved wth the planning and preparation of Sports day. Despite the weather the La Retraite sports day was off to a great start. We headed to Tooting athletics track to start the events.
• Thursday 20 July 2023 La Retraite Choir takes on Paris As we come to the end of the school year, the Summer term has been very busy with various activities, trips and events. We are delighted to share with you the incredible adventures of the Tour Choir during their trip to the enchanting city of Paris. Departing in the early hours of July 4th, at the crack of dawn, our intrepid singers embarked on a memorable journey aboard a coach. The eight-hour ride to Paris left our pupils exhausted, but their spirits were instantly rejuvenated as they arrived at their hotel just outside the city. The tour began with a magnificent river cruise, allowing students to soak in the breathtaking sights of Paris. As the boat glided along the Seine, they marvelled at the iconic Eiffel Tower and the renowned Musée d'Orsay. Our talented choir members had the privilege of showcasing their vocal skills at the magnificent Church of Saint-Étiennedu-Mont. The performance featured a diverse repertoire, including moving, renditions of "The Lord is my Shepherd" an
• Friday 14 July 2023 Summer Term Concert 2023 The Summer ended on a great note as we invited the families of our school community, into school to watch our summer concert. Both staff and students put a lot of preparation and planning in place to ensure that the concert was greatly received. Students and staff attended weekly rehearsals in preparation for the big day. On the day of the concert despite the nerves students pulled off an amazing event. The choirs, orchestra, conductors all did an amazing job. Attendees were amazed at how well the concert was performed with many stating that It was a real pleasure listening to such wonderful pieces of music, from tour choir to solos and band performances, gospel choir the quality of the music is really impressive” We look forward to welcoming more families to our next concert in the Autumn Term
• Monday 12 June 2023 Celebrating British Flowers Week 2023 Students attended the Garden Museum for the second time this year, by invite to celebrate British Flowers Week 2023. Students were amazed at the wonderful flower exhibition celebrating British grown flowers, sustainable floristry and the diverse talent in floral design found across the country. Students took part in a cooking session led by Ceri, the Garden Museum Food Educator this involved, cooking risotto, baking garlic bread, and making chocolate cupcakes all whilst incorporating edible flowers into the ingredients. The Queen visited the Garden Museum to open the exhibition, and came into the cooking session and asked students questions about the activity they were doing, even suggesting that she hoped to see them on future episodes of Masterchef. Students enjoyed the day and can't wait to visit the museum again!
• Thursday 11 May 2023 Lambeth Schools Under 14 Football Tournament La Retraite Year 9 showcased their talent and resilience in the Lambeth Schools' U14 Football Tournament held at Ferndale, Brixton, on Wednesday, 10th May 2023. Fourteen teams from various schools participated in the highly anticipated 7-aside competition. Despite facing an initial setback, La Retraite's U14 team, comprising of Kimaya, Louise Myra, Amaiya, Julie, Quaisi-Ann, and Anna, rose above their nerves and displayed an outstanding performance throughout the tournament, ultimately securing victory
• Friday 5 May 2023 Lambeth Schools Athletics Championships 2023 The Lambeth Schools Athletics Championship took place on Thursday, May 4th, 2023, at Tooting Bec Athletics Track. The event saw the participation of 14 schools, and the weather conditions were ideal for the athletes. La Retraite students demonstrated their true athleticism and put up a great show at the championship. The school took 52 athletes to the event, and they all performed exceptionally well. In the Year 7 category, Erych and Zainab both secured the 3rd place finishes in the hurdles. Amelia and Maya also gave an impressive performance, both gaining 3rd place in the 1500m. Elisha secured 2nd place in the 300m. Gillian and Letizia gave a great performance in the jumps and throws, respectively. The relay teams also put up an impressive show, with the Year 7 team consisting of Kourtney, Tayo, Mandisa, and Sydney securing 3rd place. There were also many other notable achievements from students of different year groups. Niamh and Kaila from Year 8 performed well in the 1
• Wednesday 19 April 2023 Debate Mate Cup On Tuesday 18th April, students from Year 9 and 10 participated in the Debate Mate Cup at Imperial College London. There were three rounds of debate, on topics including strike action, plastic surgery, an whether or not everyone should go to university. Both teams did incredibly well, with our Year 10 team narrowly missing out on the final coming in 3rd place overall out of 32 teams - a fantastic achievement.
• Monday 27 March 2023 Junior Gymnastics On Tuesday 21st March, the Junior Gymnasts from La Retraite in years 7 and 8 demonstrated their unwavering commitment and dedication to their sport by putting on a spectacular performance for the students at St Bernadette’s Primary School. The girls' routines were a combination of floor work and spring board somersaults, which were executed with precision and grace. Their outstanding performance was a testament to their hard work and dedication, having trained every Wednesday morning at the gymnastics club starting from 7:45. The team comprised of Chinedum and Niamh as the captains, and Erych, Rhianna, Shari, Matilda, Kaila Owusu, and Aislinne from year 7 and year 8, respectively, as well as Nataysia,. The routine was choreographed with the help of Stephanie, and the team also generously gave a brief gymnastics taster session to the pupils from St Bernadette’s, highlighting their commitment to spreading their passion for gymnastics to others.
• Friday 24 March 2023 Spring Concert 2023 On Wednesday 22nd March we held our Spring term Concert. All Year groups took part and Parents /families were invited to watch the concert. There were great performances by The Tour choir, Gospel choir, Junior Choir and the Orchestra. Choral Conductor, Jonathan Schranz led the students in their performance. It was a special afternoon with a wonderful atmosphere. Well done to all the students and staff that took part.
• Monday 13 March 2023 La Retraite does Salsa! Here at La Retraite School we believe our Students should embrace different Cultures and Customs. One way we have incorporated this is by introducing a Salsa club. The Salsa club has successfully been running since last term. It is a very inclusive environment where students can express themselves through dance, but also get the chance to learn about different cultures
• Wednesday 8 March 2023 Celebrating International Women's Day We were delighted to welcome Surgeon Cadre Fleur Marshall and CPO Janine Potts from the Royal Navy to La Retraite School. Surgeon Cadre Fleur Marshall and CPO Janine Potts talked to our Year 8 Year 10 and the Royal Navy Cadet students about their career in the Royal Navy, how they embarked on their career and what it feels like to be a Woman in the Royal Navy. The students had the opportunity to ask questions which they found insightful. Surgeon Cadre Fleur Marshall and CPO Janine Potts were really inspirational, they provided an insight to what might be achieved by young women with determination, aspiration and hard work.
• Tuesday 28 February 2023 It's All Go for Sports The PE Department have been very busy with students taking part in various activities this term. Year 7 took part in a netball tournament at Streatham and Clapham High School, La Retraite had two teams representing the school with one of our teams coming second overall, all teams played exceptionally well, well done to all that took part. Congratulations to three of our students, that were selected to represent Lambeth in the London Youth Games!
• Monday 13 February 2023 Trip to Auschwitz with The Holocaust Education Trust. On Tuesday 2nd February 2 Year 12 history students: Chloe and Fatimah, took part in a series of seminars organised by the Holocaust Education Trust which included a one-day visit to the Nazi death camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The aim of the course is to increase knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust for young people and to clearly highlight what can happen if prejudice and racism become acceptable. Here are some of the reflections from the Students: Chloe: I thought it was a very special opportunity where I learned many new things. It was definitely unsettling at times but interesting too. Seeing things such as the victim's shoes, glasses and even hair really hit me, and it was surreal seeing the sheer scale of the camps. Being able to see it in real life was definitely different experience than simply seeing it in textbooks and it allows you to properly acknowledge the extent of death and loss that happened in the very place I was standing which was quite emotional. Fa
• Thursday 9 February 2023 Sheriff's Challenge 2023 Year 12 politics students entered the prestigious Sheriff's’ Challenge 2023 and debated the following topic: Post-Covid, the City will change beyond all recognition” The Sheriffs’ Challenge offers students in London schools a chance to hone their public speaking skills by delivering a team-work presentation, competitively, on a topic relating to the City of London or the business/wider world. This is the seventh year of the challenge and this year it has been organised by the Worshipful Company of Educators, which continues with great success. La Retraite students had the support of Ms Gray from the Worshipful Company of Insurers and had the opportunity to visit Lloyds of London to witness first hand the impact of the pandemic upon the workforce in the City. They also interviewed Ms Flynn, a former student, now working at Gallagher in their financial and professional risks department as an Assistant account holder and Ms Robinson, Group Chief Underwriting Officer, Zurich Insu
• Wednesday 1 February 2023 Duke of Edinburgh Award Programme We have been awarded funding by the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and currently have over 70 students from Year 9 and Year 10 signed up. With the increasing number of students expected to sign up we expect to have hundreds of our students engaged in volunteering, taking part in physical and sporting activites, taking up new skills,and joining extracurricular as they complete for their Bronze award. We see this as an opportunity to continue our work with the local community further developing links. For further information about The Duke of Edinburgh Awards, please visit their website HERE
• Friday 27 January 2023 Debate Mate Success On Tuesday 24th January KS3 and KS4 students from our Debate Mate club took part in the first round of the Urban Debate League competition, held at Notre Dame RC School in Southwark. The teams took part in two rounds of debate. These were unprepared debates, meaning that the teams had only 15 minutes to prepare once the motions had been given. The debate titles were 'This House would make Maths compulsory until the age of 18', and 'This House believes the royal family do more harm than good.' All four teams did exceptionally well in their debates and were commended on their excellent rhetorical style and use of powerful language. La Retraite won a total of 6 out of the 8 debates. Well done to all the students and teachers' involved
• Monday 9 January 2023 Epiphany Service Students put on a great performance for parents with an Epiphany Service. The quality of the performance left both Parents, Staff and members of the local cmmunity amazed. A lot of effort went into their performance. The Epiphany service was a way for students to recognise the day and why it is celebrated in the Catholic Church
• Wednesday 16 November 2022 Climate Kick-Start Prize Giving 2022 As a prize-winning school, Our Students were invited by The Mayor of London, Bloomberg and Let’s Go Zero to join them at the Prizegiving event of the 2022 London Schools’ Climate Kick-Start. The event took place on Monday 14 November, at the Bloomberg Building in central London. The Prizegiving event featured a number of high-profile environmental ambassadors including TV presenter,Paralympianand climate activist, AdeAdepitanMBE; BBC Radio 1’s Vick Hope; and CBBC presenter and Strictly Come Dancing star, Rhys Stephenson. It concluded a week of green careers events across London involving thousands of secondary students; helping to fill a vital skills gap and improving diversity and representation within the sector. Our award was given for inititives introduced to save water, such as the introduction of Water butts, changing the taps to produce less water and monitoring water usage.
• Monday 24 October 2022 Hayward Gallery Visit Year 12 Art and Textiles were able to see the amazing exhibition ‘In The Black Fantastic’ at the Hayward Gallery before it closed.
• Wednesday 19 October 2022 Design Engineer and Construct Approximately 50 Year 8 students got to meet TfL Architect, Ray Mwanahiba, when he visited school on Tuesday 11th October.
• Monday 17 October 2022 Fenwick Estate Site Visit On Wednesday 5th October, T-Level Construction Students visited the Fenwick Estate Development in North Clapham. TfL are building 55 new affordable homes and a community centre on the Fenwick Estate near Clapham North Tube station. The Fenwick development is part of the wider Northern Line Extension project and provides an opportunity to accelerate the delivery of affordable homes in the borough.
• Friday 14 October 2022 Minister for Skills Visits La Retraite 6 to Mark National T Levels Week Week commencing 10th October marked the beginning of national T Levels week, a movement to celebrate the successes and promote T Levels.
• Monday 10 October 2022 Exploring the Past Our GCSE History cohort have recently completed two workshops with Front Line Living History, an organisation dedicated to communicating the past in a way which is engaging, interactive, immersive and fun, helping students to live and understand their history.
• Wednesday 28 September 2022 Catching Up with the Girls Network Over the last few months, a group of students have been engaging in the Girls Network. The Girls Network’s mission is to inspire and empower girls from the least advantaged communities, by connecting them with a mentor and a network of professional role models who are women.
• Monday 26 September 2022 Jack Petchey The Jack Petchey Environmental Award is awarded to a student who has worked hard to protect and promote the environment, and to build a greener future for their local community.
• Friday 23 September 2022 Superbloom Students In September, keen gardeners across Years 8-10 from the Garden Club were invited to visit the Superbloom in the Tower of London Moat and explore the Tower of London.
• Thursday 22 September 2022 Long Service Awards
• Monday 19 September 2022 Celebrating Our Students At the end of every academic year, our annual Awards Ceremony recognises the achievements and efforts of students across the school. This year, students were celebrated in the following categories: Head of Year Award, Community Award, Merit Award and Best Academic Progress. Congratulations to all recipients! We would also like to take this opportunity to recognise all students hard work, dedication and exemplary efforts over the last year.
• Thursday 15 September 2022 La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls School praised by Osaka University for closing achievement gaps and inclusion success On the 14th of September 2022, La Retraite School welcomed researchers, professors and academics from Osaka University, Fukuoka University of Education and Matsuyama Shinonome College. Our school was chosen to be the subject of their case study, as the team were impressed by the success of the our inclusion and the closing of achievement gaps, whilst situated in an area with some of the high rates of child poverty in the UK.
• Wednesday 14 September 2022 Katy Walsh: My Experience Teaching T Level In September 2020, Katy became one of the first teachers to deliver the brand new T Level qualification in Digital Production, Design and Development. In this published article on the FE news, Katy discusses what it was like to deliver this brand new qualification and why mixing classroom learning with on-the-job training is so valuable to students.
• Monday 12 September 2022 Catching up with the Legacy: Taneshe La Retraite alumni Taneshe Oliver-Lodge, a former Harper's Bazaar scholarship winnter and student at the Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts, has taken home the Fashion Concept Award at Graduate Fashion Week.
• Monday 12 September 2022 FIRST EVER T LEVEL COHORT! On the 18th of August 2022, La Retraite 6 celebrated the outstanding results attained by the first ever completed T Level cohort, which saw 100% of students pass their exams, exceeding national averages and an incredible 62% of students achieve A*-B grades. In addition, of the 29 T Level students, one achieved A*A*A*, six students celebrated AAA and 11 students attained BBB.
• Wednesday 7 September 2022 Impressive results and ambitious plans for the future once more at La Retraite 6 Once again, we are delighted to share the exceptional results achieved by sixth form students, and celebrate the outstanding results attained by the first ever T Level cohort, which saw 100% of students pass their exams, exceeding national averages, and an incredible 62% of students attaining A*-B grades.
• Tuesday 6 September 2022 La Retraite's Legacy of Academic Excellence Continues to Grow This year, we are thrilled to celebrate the successes and outstanding achievements of our GCSE students, building upon the accomplishments of the our existing and impressive legacy.
• Monday 5 September 2022 Catching up with the Legacy: Tihara La Retraite 6 alumna Tihara Smith joined the Haringey Learning Partnership for Windrush Day, to share her Windrush-inspired graduate fashion collection, which was selected for display at Graduate Fashion Week in 2018. Students were inspired by Tihara’s work and design process, and have since created their own designs to share at the school’s own exhibition.
• Friday 2 September 2022 Catching up with the Legacy: Mercedes
• Thursday 1 September 2022 Medic Pathways We are extremely fortunate to work in partnership with a range of institutions and organisations, to enhance our student experience and increase exposure to industry. This year and extending into the future, we have secured partnership with a UCAS Medic Mentor at St Pauls School to support with students’ personal statements; BMAT online support sessions; Warwick University Professor Tunstall will be visiting the La Retraite 6 in September to deliver a medics insight course and Dr Ndidi Boakye, Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist will host a guest speaker event focused on careers in mental health next year. These opportunities have fantastic impacts on our students and their networking skills, and we are incredibly grateful.
• Monday 29 August 2022 In Industry Throughout the year, and as part of the T Level Education, students on T Level courses have embarked on industry placements. Digital students undertook 315 hours of placement in organisations including Vector Ltd, Gatsby, Pearson’s and Department of Transport, whilst Education and Childcare students participated in 415 hours of placement in nurseries and schools across the borough and beyond. We were thrilled, although not surprised, to gain feedback from employers praising their work ethic and determination and are grateful that the links developed with businesses has created an excellent careers resource for the whole school.
• Friday 26 August 2022 Careers Fair
• Friday 26 August 2022 Spotlight on: Scholarships
• Wednesday 24 August 2022 An Adventure on the Water
• Tuesday 23 August 2022 GCSE Results Day Thursday 25th August 2022 Results should be collected from school between 8am & 12noon. If you are unable to collect your results an email will be sent to your school email address after 1pm.
• Monday 22 August 2022 Excellence in Drama Year 10 Drama students devised a piece of work and performed it to an audience of their peers and Sixth Form students. Students devised ideas based on a range of stimuli, including poems, articles and stories, over a period of 10 weeks and their hard work culminated in a piece structured with technical details, supporting the devising component of their GCSE examination. The performance entailed the use of different theatrical techniques and acting skills, with all students accomplishing their task to a high standard in their performance and audience members were extremely impressed with their efforts.
• Friday 19 August 2022 A Love for Reading
• Wednesday 17 August 2022 The Cup! Students from Year 9 and 10 attended the Debate Mate Cup Competition at the University of Westminster last term. Students engaged in lively debate on three topics, including violence in the media, using artificial intelligence to make decisions in government and whether public figures should share their personal views on important issues. Participants did extremely well, each team winning two out of three debates and demonstrating excellence rhetorical skills. In addition, the team won an award for the club with the best overall attendance!
• Monday 15 August 2022 Promising New Teacher
• Thursday 11 August 2022 Beyond the Classroom
• Wednesday 10 August 2022 Respecting the Environment
• Monday 8 August 2022 In Partnership with our Primaries Last year, we launched our Primary Programme, a menu of workshops and masterclasses, aimed at primary aged pupils, to enhance their pupil experience and enlighten them to life at secondary school.
• Friday 5 August 2022 Giving Back In light of the events in the Ukraine, the La Retraite community came together in celebration of different cultures, where staff and students dressed in their own cultural outfits to help rise funds for the Ukraine Appeal, to provide food, water, health, shelter and clothing for those in need. Not only was the Cultural Day a rich celebration, but it was a resounding success as we proudly donated £220.00 to the appeal. We received the following message of thanks from CAFOD:
• Wednesday 3 August 2022 Superstar Fundraisers!
• Monday 1 August 2022 Inspiring the Next Gen
• Saturday 30 July 2022 In the Workplace
• Friday 29 July 2022 A Baobab and an Umbrella
• Wednesday 27 July 2022 Catching up with the La Retraite 6 “I am currently in Year 12 at the La Retraite 6, and studying Politics, English Literature and History. I chose to stay on to the Sixth Form because I had strong relationships with my teachers and felt suitably comfortable and challenged in the environment and selected the subjects because I am passionate about writing, and I want to develop my knowledge about the world and our history, I find it fascinating. I hope to study Politics and International Relations at either Warwick of Queen Mary’s university, and believe I am in good stead for this as my teachers, subjects and the La Retraite 6 environment have provided me with a strong foundation to build on”.
• Tuesday 26 July 2022 Rewards for Sports Leaders! On the 8th of July 2022, Year 10 Sports Leaders embarked on their reward trip, to Aqua Action Waterpark, Ilford.
• Monday 25 July 2022 Build Back Better Business
• Friday 22 July 2022 Royal Trinity Hospice We are thrilled to share with our wider community that this academic year, La Retraite School has raised £875.00 for Royal Trinity Hospice, a record amount in the history of our fundraising for the chosen charity. Royal Trinity Hospice carries out fantastic work, providing support and care for patients and their family, and we look forward to continuing to support them next year.
• Wednesday 20 July 2022 In Partnership with our Primaries Our series of masterclasses and workshops are tailored to meet the needs of primary curriculums, alongside providing a breadth of enriching and exciting activities.
• Wednesday 20 July 2022 Andrea's Speech At La Retraite, we take great pride in showcasing students work and achievements. Below, we share Year 10 student Andrea's essay on family YouTubers, and the exploitation of children online.
• Monday 18 July 2022 Year 7's Works of Art In Art this term, students have produced fantastic works of art based on landscapes. Take a look at the fruits of all of their hard work, below.
• Friday 15 July 2022 Our Day Out Below, is an account of the recent Drama performance, Our Day Out, from La Retraite 6 A Level student of Drama and Theatre, Angeline Moya, who has undertaken work experience within the Drama department over a two week period
• Wednesday 13 July 2022 Year 10 Showcase We are thrilled to share some of our Year 10 art students work, from their mock exams. Students are completing a coursework project on The Human Condition.
• Monday 11 July 2022 On the High Seas As the academic year ended, the La Retraite cadets enjoyed a fantastic sailing trip. The cadets sailed from Portsmouth to Cowes, learning to navigate and steer the ship, whilst displaying fantastic seamanship and other skills they have cultivated throughout the year.
• Thursday 7 July 2022 Catching up with the Cadets!
• Monday 4 July 2022 Camera, Lights, Inspo!
• Friday 1 July 2022 Bianca in the Big City We are thrilled to share that La Retraite 6 student Bianca has successful secured a paid internship this summer with TD Securities, through partnership with IntoUniversity as part of Big City Bright Future. Securing the placement has been no easy feat, involving insight days and application masterclasses, networking and interviews. We would like to extend our thanks to IntoUniversity and Smart Works Charity for their support, providing Bianca with a corporate mentor, CV advice and interview coaching.
• Wednesday 29 June 2022 Careers Champions! Our Steps to Success careers programme is designed to develop the skills and attributes required for the world of work, alongside offering experiences and exposure to a range of industries, to broaden horizons and ensure students are excited by their future. As a school and Sixth Form, we are committed to ensuring all students receive an outstanding Careers Curriculum and as a result have applied for re-designation of the Investors in Careers Award, to celebrate our provision.
• Monday 27 June 2022 Spotlight on: Midwifery
• Tuesday 24 May 2022 Welcome to our new website

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