--- title: "Pen to Print Writers' Retreat: Celebrating Our Students" url: "https://sydneyrussellschool.com/news/2026-06-03-pen-to-print-writers-retreat-celebrating-our-students" school: "The Sydney Russell School" --- # Pen to Print Writers' Retreat: Celebrating Our Students ![Image of Pen to Print Writers' Retreat: Celebrating Our Students](https://files.schudio.com/the-sydney-russell-school-2/images/news/25-26/pentoprint/IMG_1433.jpeg) 3 June 2026 We took a group of our Year 10 students on a trip to the Hay Festival during the half term. Here is what they got up to: 'I just wanted to share a message with you regarding our trip to Wales and express just how incredibly proud I am of the girls. I cannot put into words how amazing they all were. I have also attached some photographs that I thought you might like to see from our trip. We embarked on our journey on Tuesday 19th May from Barking Station. The girls were full of nerves about what to expect, but before I knew it, they had already come out of their shells and were excited for the adventure ahead. I had the privilege of watching them work together as a team, overcome their fears, try new things (such as gorge walking and hiking), and become so much more confident in themselves and around new people. During our time at the Hay Festival, one of the volunteers approached us and commented on how amazing our school was. They said that the questions the students asked the authors were insightful and that they really are an incredible group of young people. By Friday night, the students had to submit their pieces of writing, and I am thrilled to share that the two runners-up were from our school: Amira and Whitney. Overall, I want to say a massive well done to **Abigail, Amira, Keira, Tanisha and Whitney**. It was a pleasure to accompany you all on this trip, and I hope it will be an experience you never forget. One of the highlights for me was hearing the girls ask Lisa and Lena from Pen to Print whether they could return when they finish sixth form. This trip does such wonderful things for students, from allowing them to meet authors who started from very similar backgrounds and experiences. The girls did a terrific job of representing SRS, their year group, and themselves throughout the retreat. Well done, girls!' *Ms Ratkoceri* [Events](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/news/tag/events) [Trips](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/news/tag/trips) [Celebrating Success](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/news/tag/celebrating-success) [ Year 6 Primary Residential 2026 ](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/news/2026-06-01-year-6-primary-residential-2026) [The Globe \| 5th June 2026 ](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/news/2026-06-05-the-globe-5th-june-2026) ![The Sydney Russell School](https://files.schudio.com/the-sydney-russell-school-2/images/logo/logo-border-white(3).png) ### The Sydney Russell School Parsloes Avenue Dagenham ESSEX RM9 5QT 020 3959 9900 ### Helpful Links - [Term Dates](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/term-dates) - [Contact Us](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/contact) - [Safeguarding](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/safeguarding) - [SEND](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/send) - [Work With Us](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/recruitment) - [Admissions](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/secondary/admissions-secondary) - [Privacy Policy](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/privacy-policy-for-the-sydney-russell-school) ### Useful Links - [Curriculum](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/curriculum-intent) - [Personal Development](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/personal-development) - [Ofsted](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/ofsted) - [Policies](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/policies) - [Academy Information](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/academy-information) - [Accelerated Reader](https://login.renaissance.com/12d2c9ac-effd-460c-8884-557a8cc9c336?state=1646fda9-c0ca-44e6-830d-61c3967399c5) ### Translation [![Partnership Learning](https://files.schudio.com/the-sydney-russell-school-2/images/logo/PLLogo11(1).png)](https://partnershiplearning.com) ### Social Media - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/SydneyRussellSchoolOfficial) - [X](https://x.com/SydneyR_School) - [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/@SYDTVCHANNEL) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sydney-russell-school) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/sydneyrussellschool_official/) © The Sydney Russell School School & Trust Websites by [ ![Schudio logo](https://sydneyrussellschool.com/img/logo/light.png) ](https://www.schudio.com/)