this is not a prospectus tallis moves Words and Photos by Natalie Mirza In October 2011, after ten years of planning, Thomas Tallis moved into their new £52m school. The final day on the old campus was memorable, as teachers and students celebrated 40 years of achievements, memories and magic. The new building will continue the legacy of creativity for all year groups, whether you’re studying maths, science, history or any of the diverse subjects on offer here.
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Issue #1
Stand Tall www.gillesandcecilie.com
The photographs (below) document the old and new school building, charting the change and comparing the two buildings. The new school is almost double the size of the old one, and has dance studios, two drama theatres and incredible science facilities. The endless rows of windows allow tonnes of lights into the vibrant subject blocks, making Tallis really come alive with colour. Unlike the old school, the technology department is now well equipped with a huge selection of computers and portable technologies as well as Macs and PCs for the students to use. In addition, we’ve got a study area specifically for the use of Post 16 students, which generates a vibe more similar to one you’d find at university. The old building will be missed, but the new school suggests future achievements in a refreshed environment that is full of resources and colour. We achieved stunning results and created incredible opportunities in the old building. Just think what we’ll be able to achieve here.
by Tennessee Williams
Almost a year ago, a small team of students and teachers met at Tate Modern to take part in a series of design workshops orchestrated by Gilles and Cecilie Studio and partner Nina Ansten. The purpose of the workshops was to generate ideas for wall graphics in the new Thomas Tallis School. Gilles, Cecilie and Nina had been selected to take on this task based on their ability to create collaborative workshops with clients and their clean, colourful and playful illustrations that seemed to fit perfectly with the creative and vibrant atmosphere at Tallis. We didn’t just want something pretty for the walls but rather something that would transform the acres of white walls in the new building into thought-provoking murals of inspiration and creativity, enhancing a tradition of wall art from the old building and animating the huge, light-filled atrium spaces that were such a wonderful feature of the architect’s designs. Luckily though, the designers came equipped, not just with their pens and pencils, but with several experiments to get us all thinking about the past and future. These activities coaxed out a lot of memories of the old building as people recalled their first memories of the school. The mix of people meant the experiences represented a range of viewpoints - some being from the very beginning of the school’s journey, whilst others came from the last few months of its current life. Speaking to some of the Post 16 students involved in the project there was agreement about the depth and imagination involved in the design process. “The activities broadened my mind, showed me that there was a lot more to the graphics and advertising you see everyday. Not just an aesthetic image. Also all the thinking about the future made me consider design as a potential career path for myself”. Back then it didn’t feel as though these activities could one day be transformed into images. However the innumerable jumbled thoughts, the hundreds of blog posts and the reams of paper littered with ideas and memories, came back a few months later as fully formed designs, each carefully channelling the individual ideas generated in the workshops and managing to say everything we hoped about the past, present and future of Thomas Tallis School. Check out the project blog for the full story: tallisgraphics.tumblr.com
Tallis Post 16: The Basics You might be wondering about the courses we offer at Tallis. Head of the Post 16 Centre, Ms Barton, explains all. You can come in as a Level 2 student and progress onto Level 3 courses either at BTEC level, or at AS level and you can mix these qualifications. There are different progression pathways that you can take, whether you’re looking to go to university or Art College, or if you want to find a job or start an apprenticeship. There’s a hugely diverse student body, not just in terms of ethnicity or socio-economic groups, but also in terms of academic ability. We have a programme that stretches all students to meet their potential both on and off the curriculum. There’s a stepping stone approach to learning at Tallis and you’ll be supported throughout. Alongside your main programme of study you can take the Extended Project, which is a research-based course. It is an AS qualification (it’s the only one in which you can obtain an A* at AS) and it’s excellent for improving your chances of getting into a good university. A Level Photography
We have a great connection with the UK Careers Academy, which offers six-week internship in The City. Economics, Business and Finance students benefit greatly from this course and have visited and interned at City businesses including Morgan Stanley and Chase.
Progression Week
Tallis students have the chance to go on loads of trips. We run short excursions to see theatre, dance and art and recent international trips have included various European cities, New York and Oklahoma. Recently, Maths students went to Bletchley Park and Business students went on a book launch marketing programme. The list is endless. There is an ethos of learning that goes beyond the curriculum here at Tallis.
by Gemini Sim Every Year 12 student at Tallis goes through a process called UCAS Week (or Progression Week) which is a fun-filled series of days about future plans and choices beyond the Post 16 Centre. The week includes various workshops, university visits, and extra help with study so we can make sure we get the grades! It also provides you will all the help you need to apply for uni for the first time with UCAS.
Compulsory enrichment is part of Tallis life. This might cover European film, drama, debating, yoga, photography or the history of art. Sport will play a big part with our new wonderful facilities. There are great opportunities for mentoring. We have reading schemes for Post 16 students to work with students in the lower school and in local primary schools.
Students are presented with clear and helpful instructions that guide applicants through the application form with ease. At ukcoursefinder.com Year 12s are able to take the personal questionnaire providing unique results for each individual about university courses. Students are also encouraged to look at courses around the UK from English Literature at Edinburgh to Graphics at Ravensbourne and Ancient History at Cambridge.
Our tutorial programme gives students one-to-one attention, similar to the experience you’d have at university. We run a social development programme, which might include being given a talk by someone who has experienced homelessness, which raises students awareness of the society in which they live and helps turn our students into good citizens. All the information about courses, grades required and the application process are online at www.tallispost16.com
The week helps Year 12s understand the university entry requirements which are usually in the form of a point system aka UCAS points. For example a university may ask you for 300 UCAS points. Your grades, along with extra points for completing the Extended Project or taking Arts Award or ASDAN qualifications are transformed into points: an A* is worth 140 points at A2, an A is worth 120 points and so on. The sessions encourages students to aim even higher in their A Level studies and to engage with extracurricular activities around the school to give them good material for their Personal Statement.
A Level Photography, created using an iPad
Progression Week also includes motivational workshops teaching Post 16 students about getting the most out of revision and the most effective methods for succeeding in exams. You’ll look at mind-map techniques but unique methods are also included, like creating your own songs, videos, cue cards and getting friends to help test you. Other workshops include finance, art, medicine, event management and alternative options after A Levels with information on careers, apprenticeships, gap years and part-time jobs as well as meeting Tallis alumni who are now at uni themselves.
#Pop-Up School Oklahoma by Billy Rowlinson and Raihan Muhamad
Back in Year 10 Billy Rowlinson and Raihan Muhammad were invited to be part of a research group established when Thomas Tallis become one of the first 30 national Schools of Creativity. With a clear objective to bring creativity into the classroom the students, now in Year 13, discussed the pop-up phenomenon which sparked ideas about learning anywhere, anytime, with anyone and the #popupschool was born. Supported by A New Direction, the London delivery organisation for Creative Partnerships, the research group began a cultural exchange with Howe High School in Oklahoma USA, meeting on Skype and Facebook to discuss how American education differs to the UK and how to take learning outside the classroom. This led to an invitation for Tallis students and their peers from two other London schools to visit their American cousins in Oklahoma and create a #popupschool at the Creative World Forum. The two day event was held in a converted ice hockey stadium, and explored how creativity drives commerce, education and culture. There were keynote presentations from the legendary former NASA astronaut John Herrington and from Sir Ken Robinson who is world-famous for his contributions to creativity and is author of The Element. The team of students from the UK and US opened the event and talked about the importance of exploring creative learning outside of the classroom in front of 1,500 people. After appearing on the main stage they took a guerrilla approach to building their own unofficial display booth or #popupschool to engage with the delegates. “We set up between two other display booths (100 and 101) and named ours Booth 100½” says Billy. “Once we set up base we scavenged resources to set up our #popupschool. We rustled up some paper and made posters for our booth and began our journey as roaming reporters interviewing entrepreneurs, the general public and even Sir Ken himself about the importance of creativity and education. During the event we tweeted, live blogged, filmed and created a website of our findings.” The pop-up school wowed the conference and two students were invited to dinner with Sir Ken Robinson to talk about the importance of taking risks. The trip was a hugely enlightening and liberating experience for teachers and students reaffirming that you don’t always need a classroom to learn. The legacy of the #popupschool lives on here: www.creativepioneers.weebly.com
Photos Billy Rowlinson
Maths make delicious Pi Maths at Tallis is thriving. Teachers and students alike are experimenting with new technologies to communicate their learning and there is a buzz of excitement all along the yellow corridors. Mr Brown’s YouTube videos are receiving hundreds of visits thanks to his enthusiastic delivery and the long tradition of creative learning throughout the department ensures a healthy crop of A level maths and higher maths students achieving success at Post 16 and progressing to university. The most recent innovation involves the establishment of a Facebook magazine curated by Post 16 maths students entitled Delicious Pi (http://www.facebook.com/pages/deliciouspi#!/pages/ Delicious-Pi/145664845531356). Recent posts on the site pose questions such as “Is Pi normal?” and attempt to measure the weight of the Internet. It’s not unusual to discover students in maths lessons making origami polygons, constructing their own abacuses and exploring the maths behind card tricks. Delicious Pi indeed!
From Primitive Streak to Wonderland and Beyond Our collaborations with Professor Helen Storey stretch back many years and we are delighted that her inter-disciplinary approach to solving the world’s problems is still having an impact on learning at Thomas Tallis School. Helen was a celebrated fashion designer in the ‘80s, designing dresses for Cher and Madonna. When her business went spectacularly bust she turned her attention to the world of science. Her first collaboration with sister Kate, a developmental biologist, resulted in Primitive Streak, an attempt to describe the first 1,000 hours of human life in a series of haute couture dresses. After a world tour these were installed in a creative laboratory in Greenwich and so began a partnership that has sustained several fantastic projects at Tallis including Eye & I and Wonderland. Each has explored the links between science, art and design and philosophical issues related to human behaviour and caring for planet earth. Her current project, Catalytic Clothing, is an attempt to purify air through embedding nanotechnology in the clothes we wear. Members of the science department at Tallis have been commissioned to develop educational tools that use Helen’s creations as a starting point for learning experiments and our students have, over the years, been directly involved in shaping and sharing the outcomes of these explorations. Primitive Streak is fifteen years old and Helen has asked if we can help her think of ways to ensure its legacy continues to have an impact across the world. Current ideas include issues related to sexual and reproductive health and supporting communities in subSaharan Africa. Helen, now an OBE and a professor at the London College of Fashion, has opened our annual Fashion Show and continues to share wonderful learning opportunities with us including recommending us for a project at the Science Museum with the wonderful Beau Lotto and helping us find a designer to help redesign our school uniform. We owe a great debt of gratitude for her inspiration and support and we are delighted to be working with her again in the near future. She is living proof that the worlds of science and art can communicate effectively and that this is increasingly necessary in order to make the world a better place.
A Level Photography
A Level Art
KaosPilots by Cheyenne Joseph
Profile: Raihan Muhammad
Thomas Tallis has an extra student beavering away in the Post 16 centre. Aurimas Razanauskas is a second year KaosPilot currently studying a three year degree at the revolutionary university in Denmark. Tallis Director of Specialism, Mr Nicholls, has invited the Lithuanian native to help our school define the culture of learning in the Post 16 centre. He has been interviewing students, staff and leaders to work out how to make the best of the existing resources and figure out how to take full advantage of the brand new facilities. What is KaosPilots and where does it come from? Mr Nicholls: KaosPilots is a university based in Denmark founded in 1991. Their students are mainly industry practitioners and practicing professionals. The idea of KaosPilots is to teach people how to be social entrepreneurs.
A Level Art
action stations! by Pascal Phillips The state of the art sports facilities in the new Thomas Tallis building are leaving us a little breathless. Open from 8am - 6pm the vast new sports wing includes a dojo where students will have the chance to practice martial arts, a weights room, two dance studios, a huge basketball court with seating for 300 people and an Olympic-sized gymnastics hall. Outside of the building students will also have the use of two full-sized football pitches, a floodlit multi-use games area and tennis courts. We did warn you this would make you a bit breathless. These facilities will also be made available to the local community in the evening with external events and classes. This Is Not A Prospectus can also reveal that the school are in talks with Team Japan who may be using the new facilities as a training base during the London 2012 Olympics. Take it from us, sports at Tallis will never be quite the same again.
So what’s it like at the KaosPilots uni? Mr Nicholls: Well, school work is very much based on group collaboration and the team use various techniques to develop ideas. There are no classes or subjects, but the school year is divided into several phases where students focus on one subject for a period of time. As part of their course they must create a voluntary event. The course takes three years and the same team go through the whole education together. How did Thomas Tallis get involved with KaosPilots? Mr Nicholls: After seeing something interesting from KaosPilots which had illustrated creative and imaginative learning, we wondered if there was any way they could help apply similar skills within Tallis since we are a creative school. A few Skype calls to the director of KaosPilots gave us insight into their learning schemes and a KaosPilot student payed a visit to Tallis to hear about the idea of the #popupschool in Oklahoma, and now we have Aurimas Razanauskas helping develop the Post 16 centre. www.kaospilot.dk
Tallis students are a capable bunch who often surprise us with their extra-curricular skills. Like Post 16 student, Ray Muhammad, who tells This Is Not A Prospectus about setting up his own film company. When I was 12 I won an award for my first ever film at the BFI Southbank’s Young Filmmakers Network. I knew then I wanted to make films. As time went by I joined our school’s online broadcast show, Tallis TV, which was set up by Ravensbourne University students, and I also joined our school magazine Tom Tom. Soon after, I helped create a fanzine with the BBC which was distributed at the Thames Festival where I interviewed pop singer Jay Sean. During Shine Week 2008 I was lucky enough to film an interview with the man who was Prime Minister at the time, Gordon Brown. I began to look for projects outside of school and found Vault. Set up by the East End Film Festival, Vault is an event that offers workshops and information about the film industry. It was around the same time I joined A New Direction who were looking to put together a team of young filmmakers within the five Olympic boroughs. I filled out the application and I won a place on the team. We were briefed to create a new promotional film for A New Direction. We launched under the name of Constant Pictures and created a film for the organisation that was shown at events, conferences and meetings around the country. After a year working with the New Direction team I had gained a lot of experience and I felt it was time to leave the group and start my own journey. So I launched Storm Leaf Productions. It’s a studentbased company that make films with other young people. We collaborate with young writers, actors and editors and we’ve just finished ‘Dave’, a new short comedy film that took about five months to create. The team and I are hoping to enter the film into competitions and film festivals including Tallis’ very own Josh Beasley Award.
it’s a jass thing by Raihan Muhammad Talented vocalist and Year 13 BTEC music student Jass Rodriguez de Sousa is currently in the finals of the national Open Mic 2011 competition. The winner of the competition will get to perform at the Indigo O2 and will receive star treatment and a record deal. “Tallis has been really good for me,” says the student, who joined the school after his GCSEs. “At my old school they didn’t really have that creative touch. It’s just good to be in a school that allows me to broaden my opportunities and be around other students that are creative and musically talented like myself!” Good luck Jass.
Ray’s Top Three Tips to becoming a media mogul: • Always see projects through to the end. That one project could make you a legend. • Join clubs like Tallis TV. They really can help. • Work hard, believe in yourself and don’t let anyone put you down! A Level Photography
Snap It Up by Billy Rowlinson At Tallis we see the value of work experience. Lucy Porter is a Year 13 student who is also a talented creative. She interns at Livin’ Cool magazine and has started working as a freelance photographer. She explains why doing work experience is helping her build the groundwork for her future. How has studying A Level Photography helped you find work placements? Taking A level Photography helped because I got to learn about the technical sides of things like exposure and aperture which allowed me to be more creative. How did you start taking photographs for magazines? I woke up one morning and realised I was bored, so I went online, found some magazines I wanted to work for, and sent them some pictures and an email that blabbed about technical stuff. I ended up with an internship at a fashion magazine called Livin’ Cool. What does the freelance photography involve? Well, I get to go to events with free entry and photograph things. For example, I covered a Ray-Ban event where Tom Vek was playing. What have you learnt from your experiences? I’ve realised that there are a lot of opportunities in the world, and it’s really easy to do things in life if you just put your mind to it.
Illustration Lisa Ly
ravensbourne summer school july 6-7 2011 by Alex Golin
Photo Lucy Porter
In July 2011 Ravensbourne College gave Post 16 students the chance to take part in a two day taster workshop at its new state of the art building. It wasn’t a laborious, sit down and take notes session; the staff there had prepared a real hands-on experience for us. We were challenged to put on a fashion show promoting Lady Gaga-styled apparel. We played on our strengths splitting off into teams of broadcasters, graphic designers, fashion designers, sound engineers and presenters. With the support of lecturers and Ravensbourne alumni all departments collaborated to produce a fully-functioning fashion show. Tallis participants produced a slick and professional event that was aided by access to thousands of pounds worth of equipment. Ravensbourne showed exactly why it has a world-class reputation as a design institution and even though leaving all that shiny equipment behind was heartwrenching, myself and many others at Tallis are working hard to return there in 2012 as undergraduates.
BTEC Art and Design
A Level Photography
Rock school by Alex Golin Music has always been a big deal at Tallis, whether it’s taking courses at AS or A2 or BTEC, or joining one of the numerous school bands. This year Alex Golin had the chance to take part in a half term project, Felix’s School of Rock. Felix’s School Of Rock is a music project where musicians aged between 9 and 16 are placed into bands and given three days to put some songs together before performing in front of 250 people at a gig. Professional musicians offer support to each band and help them out with tasks that vary from writing lyrics to coming up with a good band name. Previous participants have played everything from bongos to electric violins. This year, Felix’s School of Rock came to Thomas Tallis and I signed up as a runner. I also moonlighted as a tutor helping teach drums to students. It was a great experience as I now have skills in event management, tuition, child protection, health and safety awareness, security and being a roadie which is basically shifting gear and stage building. FSOR really works with Tallis’ ethos of creativity and individuality. The four day workshops benefit all involved: participants from the lower school gained confidence and learning skills and students from the Post 16 centre who worked as runners and tutors have gained crucial skills that will put them ahead when applying for jobs and university. Find out more about Felix’s School of Rock: www.fsor.org.uk A Level Photography
a healthy debate by Gemini Sim As the first year group to face the increased tuition fees in 2012 it’s no wonder this issue has been at the forefront of our minds. Gemini Sim reflects on how the debating team took to the streets and year group assemblies to talk about this important issue. Many Thomas Tallis sixth formers are active members of the debate team in which we discuss relevant topics and issues of interest. This includes religion, law and philosophy, and of course what the future has in store for us since the rise of tuition fees. The student marches of November 2010 did much to rouse our sense of healthy debate. We took to the streets of London with our homemade banners and signs in a bid to peacefully protest and get our voice heard by the media and politicians. Of course the media focused on the mayhem, caused by students who were perhaps not educated in the art of effective protesting. Some protesters were joyful at the potential for a riot, which sadly detracted from the main issues. You can argue against the police tactic of kettling (we were let out late at night and treated a bit like cattle) but perhaps this was necessary to control the situation. At Tallis, we value freedom, not violence.
After attending the protests we harnessed the power of the student voice by creating a presentation for year group assemblies that set out to explore the different viewpoints around the rise in tuition fees. We also set out to reassure students that university is not only for a select few. Students of all year groups naturally had unique and differing opinions towards the issues and we, as a fair debate team, felt it was important that everyone understood the true facts about the student protests and rise in fees. Overall, the assembly presentations were well-received, even though the protests were not directly successful, it was perhaps more important that everyone had a say in certain topics with help to form fair and unbiased opinions. Opening as many doors as we can for the future is key. Freedom of speech and the ability to express ourselves is important at Tallis, and is key to enhancing personality, promoting equality and creating well-rounded individuals.
Mentoring by Lucy Porter Lucy Porter talks to Head of Post 16 Ms Barton, about the regular mentoring workshops held at the school. What exactly does the mentoring programme entail? In the summer term Year 12 students run a workshop with the Year 10s to give them a taste of the kind of things they should expect for the jump from GCSEs to A Levels. Do you think that by opening up these issues with Year 10s it will help current Year 12s apply it to their A2 courses, which are much more challenging than GCSE? It’s helped them greatly, in the fact they’ve been able to talk about it on their UCAS statements. It also clarifies their own understanding of their subjects because when it comes down to teaching somebody you have to be very clear that you have an understanding. What happens in the workshops? Well, last summer we had an entire day where professionals came in to give talks. We had journalists, engineers and lawyers running careers-based workshops. We also want to get all Year 12 students to give workshops and subject specific tutorials to a group. So it’s helpful to create a system where upcoming Year 12 will already know Year 13s? Yes, it’s very helpful. They’re informing them of things to do and places to go and look around maybe not just at Tallis but to see what else is out there. It also connects Post 16 students with Year 10 students, which is a brilliant thing.
Photo Billy Rowlinson
fashion rocks by Temi Omolekulo Tallis’ annual fashion show Fashion Rocks took place over a two day period in April 2011. Organised by Post 16 students the show encourages students from all years to step into the limelight to provide musical accompaniment, work the catwalk and try their hand at hair and make up. Post 16 students from all subjects work together to project manage, photograph and promote the event collecting skills that will help them in the world of work or at university.
Fabric Live by Temi Omolekulo and Neringa Sutkute Neringa Sutkute, 19, left Tallis in September 2011. She fills us in on how being part of the Tallis fashion show inspired her to study hair and make up at London College of Fashion – and set her on the right path. “The yearly fashion show is a great way to showcase student talents. Whether it’s clothing, make up, stage design or production it really motivates the students to come up with something great and is something to look forward to. Each year I made clothing for the show and created hair and make up designs. It was a great way for me to do hair and make up in a different environment and it is a great and challenging experience. It’s also a good thing to put in your personal statement and portfolio for the future.”
Tales From tallis alumni Our ex-students go to a wide range of universities, including Russell Group institutions, and they’ve gone on to be architects, engineers, journalists and a whole lot more. Find out what two of our alumni have to say about their life at school.
The Dancer “Entering Tallis for the first time was like walking into a vast concrete jungle. This 11 year old boy was instantly curious and slightly hooked! It was like walking into a melting pot. So many new experiences: discovering that perhaps Italian isn’t your forte and falling asleep over a Bunsen burner, all played out to the soundtrack of steel drums in the background. Bliss. It was evident from the start that Tallis was special. Having spent a good term in the freezing cold and becoming an expert at running away from the football, we were told that the next PE lesson would be dance with Deb Khan. Oooh, inside and clean! Much more appealing. I actually remember the first class, having to stand with my arms to the side and spinning on place, learning to ‘spot’ the wall and then improvising around channeling my inner Isadora Duncan. Now this was fun. I decided to take advantage of the extracurricular dance classes on offer and had my first performance with the dance group in Year 8. We also had a vast number of guest companies come to the school to conduct workshops. Then when I was thirteen I had a life-changing experience.
Cabaret. The 1995 school production was directed by Deb Khan and had an amazing cast. I was cast as a bisexual Kit Kat dancer in Weimar-era Berlin. Still high from the Cabaret buzz, I spent that summer in a production of Cavalcade at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre and shortly afterwards, Deb Khan gave me a leaflet for the National Youth Dance Company and pushed me to audition. So I filled out the application and made my first choreography at Tallis to gain a place in the company as an apprentice. I was subsequently accepted into the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance and entered the school after my GCSEs. A year later Matthew Bourne invited me to join his company, Adventures in Motion Pictures (whom I’d seen perform only a few years earlier on a Tallis school trip to Sadler’s Wells). I stayed there until I moved to Munich, aged 19, to dance for the National Theatre. I have since toured extensively, including a short stint on Broadway, and worked in the Netherlands and Switzerland. In November 2011, 16 years after I made my first little choreography at Tallis, Sadler’s Wells Theatre named me the winner of their Global Dance Contest and I will present my work as part of their London 2012 Olympic celebrations. Thomas Tallis School gave me the understanding that creativity should not be frowned upon but celebrated. Had I gone to another school, who knows what path I would have taken. I’m still smiling.” Ihsan Rustem A Level Photography
Illustration Gonzales Neto
Illustration Aivaras Sabalauskas
Illustration Alex Golin
The Historian “I began Thomas Tallis as a sheltered and mild-mannered private school student. Bored with attending a small girls’ school for five years, I wanted to experience something bigger, more dynamic and less conservative in its ethos. I tell people I was attracted to Tallis because of its reputation in the arts, and whilst this was certainly a contributing factor, I think in all truthfulness, my decision was mainly based on the fact that several of my friends were already there.
Anger’ and borrowing texts on 17th century insanity to write history coursework, things that I will remember for years.) Yet what most impressed me about Tallis was the encouragement I received from my teachers. From the first day I arrived, it was clear they were determined to develop my full potential. They made me see that the whole concept of ‘realistic goals’ needed to be reassessed, and that essentially, with a steely determination I could achieve results that I had thought were completely unreachable.
My transition to Tallis was delivered with relative ease. I won’t deny I had initial reservations (let’s be honest, Tallis in its former physical state was pretty intimidating: someone referred to it once as ‘a concrete jungle held together with chewing-gum’) but thankfully these concerns were quickly dissolved. My time at Thomas Tallis was fantastic. I met some really great people (the kind that would later vote me “Most Likely to Marry a Royal”) and experienced countless exciting and original lessons (recording an audio class ensemble of Christina Rossetti’s ‘Goblin Market’, method acting in John Osborne’s ‘Look Back in
Since leaving Tallis in 2006, I went on to study history at the University of Leeds, and, after a year of work experience, and a brief hedonistic turn painting in Florence, I returned to academia by studying a Masters in History at the University of Edinburgh. I have now completed this and am seriously considering a career in education. I am still in touch with several former teachers who continue to offer me guidance and encouragement on career and life choices. I may not have married Prince William, but really, I think I’m OK with that.” Helen Bradley
A Level Photography
Bletchley Park Visit The maths department recently visited this wartime hub of codebreaking and innovation. Here’s what the students had to say. We went to Bletchley Park and learned very interesting things about cryptography, the first computer made by Alan Turing, how the enigma machine broke the German codes (which helped win the war) and how hard the people had to work to keep everything secret. The thing I most enjoyed about this trip was taking a tour around the large site and seeing a jet, some very old cars, the old housing and learning about the history there. ~ Nick
Some of my mathematics colleagues and I went on a trip to Bletchley Park. It was educational and really interesting. We took part in cracking codes used in World War II to decode messages sent by the German counterparts using the enigma machine. Apparently about 10,000 workers also took part in this, working morning, afternoon and night shifts. We saw Colossus, one of the very first computers, how amazing is that! We even saw massive disc-like storage units for really old computers, with storage ranging from 4MB to 8MB. ~ Joel I really enjoyed seeing the old vintage cars. We saw the first computer called Colossus, which was very interesting. We learned how to crack codes using the Bombe machine. We also saw the first robot called George which was fascinating and we learned a lot about cryptography. ~ Mohammed
Flow Chart The Geography Department is happy to announce that Tallis will be working with a scientific company called Bureau Veritas in a shared project to collect data relating to weather and flood defences. The project will last ten years and the school will be provided with a weather station and access to their flood defence data collection system. AS Geography students will work on the project and staff are in talks to see how we can extend the offering to science students too.
Love Yorkshire by Laura David and Gemini Sim In July 2011 the Year 12 English literature class left the inner city to visit the towns of Whitby and Haworth in Yorkshire. The purpose of the trip was to see where the authors Emily Brontë and Bram Stoker got their inspiration for the novels ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘Dracula’, the core texts that are studied in the A2 English literature course. In Haworth we visited the Brontë Museum, walked on the moors at twilight, went bathing at the Brontë Bridge and visited Penistone Crags. In Whitby we visited the ruined abbey, wandered the narrow streets of the port and went on a terrifying night walk with a story teller. As well as the many educational visits, we enjoyed fresh fish and chips by the beach and the optional horror film in the evenings, which wasn’t just for our entertainment: it links to the overall theme studied in A2 English literature of The Gothic Novel.
A Level Photography
historians in berlin Last February, A Level history students embraced the opportunity to go to Berlin for four days as part of their A2 studies on the Cold War and Germany 1890-1990. 23 intrepid explorers set off at an eye opening 3:30am from Gatwick and arrived a few hours later in the icy German city. After a quick stop to drop off the gazillions of suitcases at the Youth Hostel our first trip was underway, Check Point Charlie, the infamous divide between the old East and West Germany, where now sits an eclectic museum of the history of everyday Germans trying to cross the border. After a trip to the Sony Centre and some food, all were tucked up for some much-needed sleep before a very busy second day visiting The Story of Berlin. Students looked at the diverse history of Berlin, but also went on a tour of a nuclear bomb shelter! After a quick lunch stop and the biggest doughnuts the students had ever seen, we were off to the architecturally innovative Jewish Museum, a fitting tribute to those who lost their lives during the Holocaust. After an emotional afternoon, a quick dinner of schnitzel was enjoyed then a walk to see the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate awash with lights, as well as the world premiere of the re-mastered Metropolis. Further excursions included the old East German TV tower, the infamous Berlin Wall and the harrowing Stasi Prison. A chilling walk into the tombs of the holocaust memorial and a quick tour of the city in daylight was completed before we departed for our flight home. 20 very exhausted students and three staff members arrived to Gatwick with everyone expressing their delight at the trip almost instantly on Facebook. What great memories for us all! We are looking forward to the trip in February with the Year 13 students.
contributors Adeola Rachel Ajolopo Aivaras Sabalauskas Alex Golin Billy Rowlinson Cheyenne Joseph Esther Collins Gemini Sim Gonzales Neto Helen Bradley Ihsan Rustem Jass Rodriguez de Sousa Laura David Lisa Ly Lucy Porter Masha Esa Neringa Sutkute Temi Omolekulo Tennessee Williams Pascall Phillips Raihan Muhammad Natalie Mirza Zana Wilberforce
This Is Not A Prospectus was put together by Post 16 students at Thomas Tallis. The group worked with journalist Hayley Joyes and designer Tom Salter to come up with ideas, to create illustration and photography, and to write articles. Like many Tallis projects, the intention was to provide a creative experience that will have practical outcomes: students who took part will be able to use their work when they apply for uni, or if they contact magazines, websites or design agencies for internships or to pitch for freelance work.
Olympic Ambassador: Daan Deol by Adeola Rachel Ajolopo
tallistv.weebly.com
We are eagerly anticipating the London 2012 Olympics and we couldn’t think of anyone more excited than the London student ambassadors. These ambassadors will welcome visitors from all over the world who are travelling to London to watch the Olympics. The ambassadors will have the opportunity to show millions of people the hidden treasures that make London one of the best capital cities in the world. This Is Not A Prospectus caught up with Tallis student and Olympic ambassador Daan Deol about what it means to represent London during the 2012 celebrations. How did you find out about the volunteering scheme? I found out about it at the beginning of Year 11 through the Business Links coordinator at Tallis. I applied as it seemed like a great opportunity to be involved in the Olympics. What have you been doing as an Ambassador so far? I’ve been to places like Barclays and the BBC. During the summer I worked at London Underground and the Brokerage City Link which really helped me understand the workplace. What will you have to do during the Olympics? As an ambassador I’m responsible for helping tourists around London. It’s really about being helpful.
With special thanks to Ms Barton, Mr Nicholls and all the teachers at Thomas Tallis. ~ Design and Mentoring: Tom Salter Editorial and Mentoring: Hayley Joyes Editor: Emma Warren
What are your hopes for the future? I’m hoping to go to university to study Economics, English or Law, but that could change at any minute because there are so many things that you can do!
A level Photography Photogram
A Level Photography, using a pinhole camera made from a biscuit tin
Thanks to Daan. Before we go, a word of encouragement. Whenever you see an opportunity... grab it. Take it, learn it, use it and pass it on. Pass it on to the next generation, pass it on to people that will benefit from it, pass it on to make the future a better place.
EndMor Exhibition by Esther Collins Endmor is a collective of young artists from Thomas Tallis and Brit School who have created an exhibition displaying their own interpretations of Modern Traditions in contemporary art. The collective was started by a group of teenagers who study art or just have a passion for it. The exhibition contained artists, sculptors, illustrators, graffiti artists and even some installation artists who were all interested in developing strong work to exhibit around the theme. The artists believe that contemporary art has been ‘bullied’ into a purely conceptual term; they wanted technique and craft to be paramount in showing the effects of today’s society. The name Endmor came from the theme, as it is an anagram of the word modern, and will be the name of all other future exhibitions. The Endmor exhibition happened on the 23rd - 25th Sept at Tower Bridge Studios, London. www.endmor.blogspot.com
listings The Tallis school year is punctuated by trips, whether you’re a geography student going to Swanage or a media student going to the Museum of Brands. And on top of the trips, there are clubs and regular meetings covering badminton, debating and photography.
Progression Week July
UK Careers Internships July - August
Yorkshire Trip July
Clothes Show Live December 2011
One to one tutorials Alternate Mondays
Berlin Trip (History) February 2012
Sixth Form Committee Thursday lunchtime
Swanage (Geography) February 2012
Sixth Form Ambassadors Monday after school
Houses of Parliament (Government and Politics) 2012
Photography Clubs Mondays
Ravensbourne Summer School July 2012
Senior Basketball Wednesday
Museum of Brands (Media) October 2012
Debate team Thursday
Clifford Change Internship October 2012
Senior Badminton Friday
UCAS July - December
A Level Art