ACADEMY Life
The official magazine of Tuxford Academy
Issue No. 10
Autumn Term 2017
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream was a visual spectacle!” A flying start to this academic year following a summer of incredible results Follow us on Twitter: @TuxfordAcademy or Facebook: /TuxfordAcademy
Welcome to Academy Life Principal’s introduction As we near Christmas, I am still astounded at the start we have had to this academic year. Coming back after what can only be described as breathtaking results in the summer, which have left us in the top 10% of schools nationally regarding progress made by students between Year 7 and 11, meant we were all in even higher spirits than usual. It has certainly been a very busy term and a half, and one of the favourite events for both students and staff has to have been when the National Youth Orchestra came to spend a day with us. It was a privilege to host them and an even bigger honour to learn of their desire to come again next year. With all the changes that are currently happening to A Level and GCSE courses, it is with great pride that we saw our results rise this year. It is truly down to the hard work and dedication of our students and staff that we have navigated these changes in such a positive way. 71% of our Year 11s left with five or more GCSEs, including English and maths, at grade 4 (equivalent to the old GCSE grade C) or above, with 24 students achieving a grade 9 in English and maths. At Post 16 the story was similar, with 97.5% of our students getting what they needed to move onto the next stage of their
journey (whether that be an apprenticeship, work, university etc.). There have been a few advancements at Tuxford this year, not least our ever-expanding Post 16. Compared to September 2016, 32% more students opted to start Year 12 with us. We are very proud that so many are choosing our academy as the setting to continue with their education. One of the biggest changes is certainly the introduction of the new school skirt and I have to say that I’m incredibly proud of how well our girls have taken to it. Walking around the academy, all of our students, girls and boys, are looking very smart. Looking ahead, there is so much more to come this year and it’s certainly one of the reasons I enjoy working at Tuxford Academy: there is always something to see or do or hear about! Mr Dave Vernon, Principal
Dates for your diary FEBRUARY
DECEMBER 4th
Year 9 Academic Tutorials week
7th
Year 11 Progress Evening
6th
Curriculum Day
15th
Key Stage 3 Disco
11th
INSET Day
17th
First day of Half Term break
13th
Inter College Football Competition
26th
INSET Day
14th
DALP Creative Arts Festival
27th
School re-opens after Half Term
20th
Key Stage 3 play – Scrooge
28th
Year 9 Pathways Evening
21st
Year 7 Panto Trip
28th
Parent Steering Group Meeting
21st
Post 16 Celebration of Achievement Evening
22nd
Non Uniform Day – Christmas jumpers optional
25th
First day of Christmas break
JANUARY 8th
School re-opens after Christmas
15th
Year 11 mocks begin
17th
NYC Drama Trip Parents’ Information Evening
29th
Post 16 Academic Tutorials Week
MARCH 21st
DALP quiz at Retford Oaks Academy
23rd
Beech College Charity Day – non uniform
30th
Ski Trip departs
APRIL 2nd
First day of Easter break
Many thanks to all students and staff who contributed towards articles.
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A fantastic day of music with one of the best orchestras in the world At the end of September, we were honoured to be visited by the National Youth Orchestra. It was an experience that I will never forget. Upon their arrival, all the National Youth Orchestra ambassadors met up to greet the 80 members of the orchestra who were coming to do various workshops and perform for us. It wasn’t even the full orchestra, as this normally comprises 165 people who are aged from 13 to 19. When all the members arrived, I was surprised at their friendliness (as I had expected 21 year olds who perhaps wouldn’t want to mix with us ‘ordinary’ students) yet I was met by a group of students who adore music, seemed genuinely down to earth and were approachable.
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to perform a full orchestral piece with many individual layers which mixed perfectly. In the afternoon we settled down for their recital of ‘The Rite of Spring’ by Igor Stravinsky. This epic piece of music lasts for over 30 minutes and has indubitably revolutionised the field of classical music. Overall, I believe that this experience was phenomenal as it allowed the students of Tuxford Academy, as well as other schools, to meet members of one of the best orchestras in the world. It was truly a privilege as it gave us a taste of what is to come in January when we will have the opportunity to watch them again at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham. Ben Galbraith, Year 11
The most striking thing about the NYO performers is that they immediately sat down and started warming up without any prompts, clearly highlighting their commitment and wish to perform to the best of their ability. They opened the day by explaining each instrumental section (brass, woodwind, etc.) to a selection of students from schools in the region (Outwood Portland Academy, Holgate Academy, East Leake Academy and Southwell Minster School) whilst also performing small solos to highlight their instrument’s ability. After a short interlude, students who were chosen to be part of the workshops were taken into separate classrooms depending on the instrument they played. For example the brass section were taken into a classroom where we worked on a specific section of music. After all the groups had perfected this simple repeating pattern, everyone returned
Post 16 show off their talent alongside Retford artists A few of our Post 16 students were invited to showcase their artwork at St. Swithun’s Church in Retford alongside local artists who are part of the Art Society. Work ranged from landscapes, still life work and portraits, all in a range of different fine art media. The evening was a huge success, with a good turn out of people observing the art work for the private viewing. It was a huge celebration of the artistic talent in the local area, and for Tuxford Academy students to be included was a real treat. The students there on the evening were so happy to have their work shown off to the public and were proud to be part of the exhibition. There will be a summer exhibition in 2018 where we are hoping to exhibit more work by our students, both in fine art and photography. Lydia Webb, Lead Practitioner and Teacher of Art Academy Life
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Going for gold in our gardens At Tuxford Academy, we are extremely lucky and proud to have a highly skilled school gardener, Mr Alan Hardy. Mr Hardy runs a gardening club for students of all years during break and lunchtime each week day from the school allotment. He also runs a bird watching club from a nearby classroom as the gardens attract varieties of visiting wildlife (including a small deer last summer!). Mr Hardy teaches the students a range of gardening skills: the safe use of tools, seasonality of plants, when to sow and harvest, how to encourage growth, dealing with pests/diseases and how to protect the garden from varying weather conditions. Many of the students who are, or have been, part of the gardening club have found new confidence, new skills, new friends and a wonderful calming distraction from the sometimes stressful, busy academic side of academy life. A number of faculties within the school have been using the
gardens for cross-curricular projects to support students’ learning. The Creative Arts faculty regularly take their classroom outside to work in the gardens or bring some of the garden inside to draw, paint and photograph the produce, flowers and wildlife. Creative Arts teacher, Mrs Lydia Webb, says of the garden: “The school gardens have been a point of inspiration for students at Tuxford Academy across all year groups. For GCSE artists (as part of their Natural Forms Project) and also for our A level students (who recently created a natural colour wheel using pieces from around the school gardens), the garden is a wonderful and inspiring environment to work in. After the Royal Horticultural Society visited, we are now putting in an application to be awarded level 5 for our garden - the top level possible - and are confident that, with Mr Hardy at the helm and our green fingered students alongside him, there is no reason why we can’t manage it.
The winners of the LDA design competition revealed Last year we reported on the coursework project our Year 12 product design students were undertaking with Leonard Design Architects of Nottingham. This was part of their ‘commercial design’ coursework unit of their A Level which involved undertaking a project based on briefs set by real companies. As well as LDA setting tasks, our students also completed projects for Burghley Horse Trials, B&Q and then more local independent businesses. As part of the process with LDA, students were picked up (in a limo, no less) and taken to the company’s headquarters where they were then taken on an architectural tour of Nottingham. It has been a great experience for the students involved and the winners were chosen in the summer... Jessica Kitchener won the competition for her project on their Interior Design brief. LDA selected her for: • Most rounded implementation of all her skills • Great palette of contemporary materials brought together in full integrated design thinking • Great understanding of realistic design thinking Joe Spencer won the award for the architectural design brief, with the company selecting him because: • Great model, showing good precision and detail • The original design thinking and interacted detailing
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• Research into sustainable design thinking and his integration of this in his project Jamie Tegerdine, Assistant Principal, believes that: “The students really benefited from the whole project. It’s a great piece of coursework to complete as they have to communicate professionally, get real life technical feedback and use constructive criticism to help them improve. It will also look fantastic on their CVs.” Since the competition, both Joe Spencer and Jacob Wooley, another student who worked on this project last year, gained a place at the University of Nottingham – their first choice – to read Architecture and have been offered to be paired with people working at LDA to be mentored, something that will prove invaluable to them as they start out in their chosen profession!
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Academy Focus
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I’m guessing that if we think back, most of us ‘oldies’ can remember our careers interview at school or the careers input we received - well, certainly those of us who are younger than 60 years of age, as careers advice in schools was introduced officially in 1973. However, the advice given has changed considerably over the years. No longer can young people enter a career, safe in the knowledge that they will have a job for life. Technological advances and new innovations have led to a constantly changing labour market and consequently, to be successful throughout their working life, young people need to develop skills and resilience to navigate the changes they will face.
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Is Big Brother watching you? Find out in the next issue why we are currently asking all of our students about their career intentions and aspirations for when they leave us. Sue Johnson, Work Related Learning Leader
Here at Tuxford Academy, we use a variety of methods to help ensure our students are fully equipped when they leave us to be able to navigate the trials they may come across. One of the key areas we work on from Year 7 to Year 13 is the development of employability skills and personal qualities and values that universities, colleges and employers value in applicants. We encourage students to develop and identify these throughout their lessons and extra curricular activities, such as: becoming Sports Leaders, helping to host Open Evenings as Subject Ambassadors, joining the Food Forum to debate what we serve in school and many, many more.
Student leadership teams working hard to create some great action plans for the year
Parents are agents of change at Tuxford Academy Last year we introduced the Parent Steering Group which is made up of parents who volunteer to meet and discuss various topics surrounding life at the academy with members of our Leadership Team. So far there have been meetings focussed around: communication, the parent toolkit and homework. It is a chance for parents to offer their opinions on practice at the academy as well as helping to inform potential changes that we are looking at making. It has been successful so far and we are grateful for any input as we
strive to deliver a package that is right for our community of students. Mr Dave Vernon, Academy Principal, commented: “Parents offer a different voice to staff and students at Tuxford. Getting feedback from as many different angles as possible can only help as we strive to constantly develop.” Our next meeting will be held in February and if you would like further information about joining the group then please contact ndunn@tuxford-ac.org.uk
Academy Life
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Academy Focus
Our summer spectacle amazed yet again On the 14 and 15 July 2017, we proudly presented our second full-scale academy play: William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We have a strong reputation for producing musical theatre, but over the past few years we have explored the idea of re-imagining classic plays, with the intention of making them engaging and accessible for a younger audience. Romeo & Juliet in 2015 was the beginning of this initiative and our most recent production continues this experimental approach to more ‘traditional’ texts.
‘Kneehigh Theatre’ – their highly innovative, comedic and all round unique approach to storytelling delights audiences of all ages. Our combination of a universal setting, song, dance and the removal of the infamous ‘fourthwall’, helped us to achieve our goal. Our students more than rose to the challenge and produced a genuinely hilarious, completely bonkers piece of theatre. ‘Show week’ is one of the most exciting weeks of the year and we continue to be proud and utterly amazed at the high quality work our students produce. Performing Arts are invaluable to a child’s social and emotional development, as well as being a fantastic opportunity to explore rigorous and highly rewarding skills.
We worked with a company of over 70 students, aged between 12 and 18, to produce a piece of theatre that we are immensely proud of. A Midsummer Night’s Dream was only ever intended to be a light hearted comedy written in around 1595, although it’s exact origins are still disputed. However, it remains one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays.
We are excited to announce that next summer we will be presenting Les Misérables from 10 – 14 July 2018! Tickets will be on sale in the new year. If you cannot wait until then, why not come and support our brilliant Key Stage 3 actors, as they present a brand new version of Charles Dickens’ classic, Scrooge. The performance takes place on Wednesday 20 December at 6pm and tickets are available on the door.
For Romeo & Juliet we wanted to show our students the power of Shakespeare’s words and skilled story-telling; this summer we wanted to explore just how funny he actually was! For our production of ‘Dream’ we were heavily influenced by renowned theatre company
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Nick Cox, Head of Drama
Academy Focus
Literature that still resonates today ‘The Outsiders’, written by S. E. Hinton, is a novel that tackles topics such as friendship, peer pressure and the social divide amongst 1960s teenagers. Primarily, the story follows two rival groups of teens: lower class ‘Greasers’ and the upper class ‘Socs’. The narration comes from 14 year old ‘Greaser’, Ponyboy Curtis, and focusses on the lives of him and his fellow ‘Greasers’ over a two week period. During that time, the characters face physical and emotional challenges such as violence and discrimination that leave a lasting impact upon the reader. This book was also made into a great film in 1983. We really enjoyed reading this due to the relevance it still has in today’s society, despite being written in 1967.
Our top 10 favourite books
• The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton • The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky • Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald • Born to Run by Michael Morpurgo • Pig-Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman • About a Boy by Nick Hornby • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon • One Dollar Horse by Lauren St John • Harry Potter 1-7 by J. K. Rowling Lucy Webster and Ruby Kimberley, Year 11
Providing a safe space for all Tuxford pride is an LGBTQ+ group led by members of the current Tuxford Post 16 (Holly Fender, Maia Bates and Charlie Love). The group meets every Wednesday lunch in S2 where it is open to all year groups, genders and sexualities. The main purpose of the group is to provide a safe and comfortable space for students who may be questioning their gender, sexuality or just want to show their support towards the community/their friends. It is very important that students know that they have someone to talk to about these issues; being a teenager going through this alone can be very isolating and difficult. The group atmosphere allows students to offer each other advice and guidance around topics like coming out or how to deal with homophobia/transphobia. Also, it is beneficial for the group to be led by Post 16 students as, in most cases, younger students are more likely to open up to a student than a teacher about being affected by homophobia. Tuxford Pride has previously worked to educate students on important issues that are not covered in classes. Last year a lesson during a Curriculum Day was presented to the students explaining the importance of acceptance, mental health and charities that can offer some help. We know that the national curriculum does not cover all aspects of sexuality and gender identity so further information needs to be provided. To further this knowledge, the previous leaders did an assembly on the history of LGBTQ rights and the progression that can be seen in our society today. However, they stressed the fact that we haven’t achieved full equality yet so must keep working towards this. In the past we have done charity events like bake sales and film nights. Through the last bake sale and film night combined, we managed to raise over £150 which we donated to the Albert Kennedy Trust. This is a charity that supports
homeless youths that have been kicked out of their homes due to their sexuality or gender identity. It became a trust in 1990 after 16 year old Albert Kennedy unfortunately died after running away from home due to his sexuality and had nowhere to turn to. Stonewall, the leading charity for LGBT rights worldwide, is another charity that we have raised money for in various charity events. Tuxford Pride has recently set up an email address for students who may need advice or guidance but don’t feel confident enough to speak to the leaders face to face. We are also running weekly drop in sessions that consist of a one on one environment where people can talk to one of the leaders privately if they don’t feel comfortable in front of the group. In the near future we will be running an organised sleep-out, to raise money for the Albert Kennedy Trust, which involves sleeping on the school grounds on 30 November. It’s designed to show you the reality of what it’s like for homeless people and how we shouldn’t take for granted what we have. Then, in the long term, our aim is to create an environment at Tuxford Academy where everyone feels accepted, no matter their sexuality or gender identity. Tuxford Pride is a place where students can feel a sense of belonging that they may not feel in their everyday life.
Academy Life
Charlie Love and Holly Fender, Post 16
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Academy Focus
A summer of great memories The aim of the 2017 Summer School was to encourage our new Year 7 students to build friendships and improve teamwork skills whilst having fun. A number of our fantastic Post 16 sports leaders helped staff to deliver the activities that included treasure hunts, team building challenges, archery, football, rounders, mini Olympics and an inflatable fun day! Two students who took part, Thomas Haywood and Millie Cooper,
both commented on how many friends they made during the week. Thomas found the whole experience ‘a lot of fun and entertaining,’ and Millie particularly enjoyed ‘the inflatables day as it was so funny.’ Oli Tatterson, School Sport & Extra-Curricular Coordinator, said: “It was fantastic to see the students’ confidence increase as the week went on and many new friendships were created. It was a very enjoyable week; I hope the students enjoyed it as much as I did! I would like to thank the staff and sports leaders for all their hard work and support – it wouldn’t have been possible without them.”
Summer residentials The summer term is jam packed with trips and residentials are always particular favourites whenever students look back on their time with us. Read on to find out where our students went to stay.
Spooks galore in York Upon arrival, the first stop was the York Dungeons, where Year 10 students came face to face with sinister characters from York’s gruesome past, including Guy Fawkes and the famous highwayman, Dick Turpin. The creepiness did not stop there with everyone participating in the Original Ghost
Walk of York that same evening. Miss Leaning, a teacher on the trip, said: “It was actually really creepy. I didn’t expect it to be but it did give me the shivers!” After a day of adrenaline and shopping, they headed off to Flamingo Land for more thrills on the second day before heading home.
University life experienced by Post 16 Our Post 16 students spent a successful three days at Lancaster University to prepare themselves for life at uni. During this time they engaged in a campus tour, spent some time preparing their personal statements and researching potential places at universities. They also engaged in a philosophy lecture delivered by a leading professor of philosophy, no mean feat for a 17 year old! In their down time, they made use of the sports facilities, explored Lancaster itself by bus, did some sneaky slacklining using the trees on campus and consumed an exceptional amount of toast for supper. This is a regular trip, conducted in order to give them a flavour of what life is like at university and better prepare
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them for the demands they face, both social and academic. One student remarked, “It was a nice way to finish the year after the stress of the exams in May and June; it was a bit of an adventure to travel and live at a university and we completed some good preparation for our applications in Year 13.”
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Academy Focus
Camping out at Carsington Water Without a doubt, this trip stays with students all the way through school and beyond; it comes up time and time again as one of their favourite memories of life at Tuxford Academy. Mr Thompson and Mr Matuszewskyj pitching tents for the students
As well as enjoying a range of activities, such as cycling,
sailing, raft building, walking and spending some free time at Matlock Bath, Year 7 also had chance to enjoy evening meals together (made by students themselves) before playing team games and then settling down in their tents. “I enjoy running the camp trip as it’s great to see students in a different environment, learning new skills and attempting different activities for the first time. The outdoors really brings the best out of some students.” Mr Thompson, Head of Oak College.
A jam packed tour of London
Lessons from the Auschwitz Project In the summer, two Year 13 students (Simonas Alksnevicius and Luke Reynoldson) participated in the Lessons from Auschwitz Project run by the Holocaust Educational Trust. It included seminars in Nottingham and a one day visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial in Poland. Students found it a profoundly moving experience. The whole experience gave an insight into one of the darkest periods of twentieth century European history.
Another very popular trip has to be this one. It is such a jam packed few days that everyone always returns home (students AND staff) with a rather noticeable decrease in energy levels! This year saw twice the amount of Year 9s go (176 to be precise) to enjoy: The Lion King, Madame Tussauds, the London Aquarium, London Dungeons, a river boat ride, shopping at Covent Garden, dinner in Leicester Square, shopping at Westfields, The Natural History and Science Museums, Wembley Stadium, ArcelorMittal Orbit and so much more. Taking so many to London is always a daunting task and we admire Mrs Leathem-Pugh for her fantastic organisation of it year on year. She says that all the hard work is “Completely worth it to see how much they get out of it. It’s great to see so many new friendships blossom as well as old ones strengthen over those few days together. And of course none of it would be possible without our wonderful staff giving up time to accompany them.”
Based on the premise that ‘hearing is not like seeing’, the experience helped the students to understand the universal lessons of the Holocaust and its relevance for today. The Lessons from Auschwitz Project aims to increase knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust for young people and to clearly highlight what can happen if prejudice and racism become acceptable. “It is hoped that we will be able to continue to participate in this unique project and provide two more students the opportunity to participate in 2018.” Paul Simpson.
Record numbers through our doors for Open Evening Thursday 28 September saw us host yet another record breaking Open Evening for prospective students. Over 1000 visitors came through our doors to experience the delights of Tuxford Academy and we couldn’t be prouder. Presentations were given by Mr Cotton and Mr Vernon as well as every department pulling out all the stops to highlight what we do here. Having walked around the whole school, Mr Cotton said that he was ‘blown away’ by the commitment
of all staff helping to show off our (in our not so humble opinion) wonderful academy. Parents were equally pleased with their time here, commenting as they left on the ‘friendliness and helpfulness of staff’ and how they themselves would have ‘loved to attend a school like Tuxford as a child.’
Academy Life
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Achievement & Awards
A published poet Busta Rhyme is a poetry competition that is organised in conjunction with secondary schools across the UK and aims to encourage young adults to read, write and enjoy poetry. Students’ poems are selected based on imagination, creativity and use of language. This year the competition received more than 6000 entries and Adam Taylor, Year 11, is one of the students whose work has been chosen. Adam’s poem is titled ‘Calm and Anger’ and has featured in a publication showcasing young writers’ work called Busta Rhyme – Poets from the Midlands (released 31 October).
Calm and Anger Two entities that coexist with one another. They despise what the other one wants, Yet cannot be undone. You aren’t the same but always together, Like the blood-gears of a heart-clock Or the sun’s fury against the orb of the night. What Divine Being would create such a species? Only to torture them with their shadow. They hate but they love, And share the same frame. We walk amongst them, yet they walk amongst us. But when we pull on our anger we pull the calm too. Escaping it is like escaping yourself, And the pain of doing so is so closer to death That when we move our hands They glare with excitement, And so one inflicts the pain Whilst the other endures the agony. You can’t deceive them, They are you and you are them. They’re with you in the morning, And they’re here until you die. It could be a curse, or it could be a blessing. One would say ‘yes’ whilst the other won’t decide.
High praise for these superstars This summer saw our third ‘cohort’ of 500 Club graduates receive their badges and tie pins for reaching the dizzying heights of 500+ positive PARS points over the course of the year. We introduced this club because a few students were so dedicated in school that they were reaching far beyond the 350 points needed to achieve the diamond badge and it felt important to honour their commitment. Only 52 students have ever been part of this club over the course of the three years and that just shows how difficult it is to reach. We are very proud of last year’s students (pictured) and look forward to seeing how many manage it this year!
Tuxford Academy’s Youth Dance Company BackFootForward have been rehearsing on Wednesday evenings and competing in county dance competitions for a number of years now. The group consists of Key Stage 3 and 4 students from Tuxford Academy who have a passion for dance and a commitment to performing as part of a team. Rehearsals are led by Emily Thurston, a professional dancer. Clear dedication and skill last year resulted in them being just one of five youth dance groups within the county to be chosen by international choreographer Tom Dale to be part of his most recent project: Urban Explorers. Our dance group worked with Tom Dale’s international dance company to create a piece of modern dance inspired by urban foxes. The professional piece was performed at Nottingham Playhouse in July.
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Our dancers took part in gruelling rehearsals in order to perform alongside the professionals on stage. It was difficult to spot the student from the professional on the night, which just shows how incredible our students were! Two of our dancers, Caitlin Groves (Year 11) and Millie Clarke (Year 10), were also selected by Tom Dale himself to perform separately with the professionals; this was a huge testament to their skills and dedication. The performance was overwhelmingly professional and we are incredibly proud of BackFootFwd’s achievements last year. Want to be part of this unique sort of experience? If you enjoy dancing, are committed and want to improve your skills and confidence in dance, speak to Mrs Parker about joining the group.
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Charity
Cakes and drinks offered to all for charity Oak College were the first to run their annual charity day this year and it was a huge success. They decided to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support and do a school wide coffee morning at break time. The hall was a hive of excitable students, all purchasing either tea or hot chocolate and a piece of cake. They then proceeded to sit around tables with their friends and enjoy their time, as they would in a café. Wesley Clarke, Oak College’s Vice President, Iesha Smith and Charlotte Baines, all in Year 11, played a big role in organising and setting up for the event and Wesley said that: “It was a great experience and so much fun to see everyone getting involved – students from across the whole school. Obviously, it was also such a worthwhile charity that we wanted to raise as much as possible.” The coffee morning alone raised £850 and that wouldn’t have been possible without the huge number of contributed cakes from students across all the colleges. From moist chocolate fudge cakes to daintily decorated fairy cakes, the generosity of our wonderful students and parents always knows no bounds. One form went out of their way to do even more for the charity, pledging to run/cycle 100 miles in the fitness suite. They managed a whopping 60 miles between them on the
“It was a great experience and so much fun to see everyone getting involved – students from across the whole school. Obviously, it was also such a worthwhile charity that we wanted to raise as much as possible.” day and then made up the final 40 miles over the course of the following week after school. Including the non-uniform money and proceeds taken for watching a staff v students football match, a grand total of £2258 was raised for this great cause. The fundraising did not just stay in school, however, with some staff and students also hosting their own mornings. Michelle Lee, Senior Administrator for Pastoral Support, raised a total of £338 at her home and John NewsumSmith, Teacher of Geography, raised over £1000 with his family, who had a stall at a coffee morning in Collingham. Maddie Heighton (Post 16) also ran her own coffee morning, as well as running a tough mudder with her friend, and overall managed to raise a huge £4000.
Academy Life
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Sport
Tuxford host their first Sports Celebration Evening The end of the summer term saw Tuxford’s PE faculty host an evening to celebrate just a few of the many successes they had witnessed throughout the last academic year. From September 2016 to July 2017, more than 700 students took part in extra-curricular sporting activities, which is a feat PE staff are particularly proud of as they aim to be a fully inclusive department where every student, no matter their strengths or abilities, is encouraged to participate in sport. It was felt that this was too significant an achievement to go uncelebrated, and we couldn’t agree more. This was echoed by Geoff Lloyd, our previous Headteacher and special guest on the evening, when he commented that: “Tuxford Academy have a very talented group of young people who contribute significantly to the many successes and any
evening that celebrates that must be welcomed.” As guests arrived, a variety of sports were being showcased including: karate, badminton and basketball. They then moved into the hall for the main presentations, interjected with two guest speakers: Will Taylor, who is a former student and now a fully qualified PE teacher, and Lyndon Stocks, the Bassetlaw and Nottinghamshire Volunteer of the Year. There were also performances from some Year 7 dancers and Katie Liwoshko, who studied BTEC Dance and A Level PE. She has since gone on to study PE at Sunderland University. There were a variety of awards throughout the night; below is a list of them and the very deserving winners:
PE Curriculum award For effort, participation and commitment
Lacey Haywood, Husnain Gul, Mollie and Amber Scott, Jordan Ferguson, Sarah Gosling, JJ Grimwood
PE Extra-Curricular award For being reliable, committed and showing good sportsmanship
Anabel Lilburn, Manni Norkett, Holly Chambers, Jacob Mawer, Daisy Marsh, Ethan Smith
GCSE PE/A Level PE/BTEC Sport For attitude towards learning, persistence and resilience
Georgia Knight (GCSE), Katie Liwoshko (A-Level), Molly Lilicrap (BTEC)
Sports Leader of the Year
Luke Sayer and Ben Mitchell
Progress in Physical Education For this award, each teacher nominated a student who has made excellent progress in their lessons and shown true resilience and dedication to furthering themselves
Zoe Wright, Callum Wells, Luke Rushby, Charlotte Mante, Parris Cooper, Abigail Grieve
Team of the Year
Post 16 football team
Exceptional Sports Performance
Callum Macfie (golf)
Lifetime Achievement Award
Graham Curry - for his contributions towards Physical Education and school sport both at Tuxford and across Bassetlaw
Stacey Aisthorpe commented that: “It was incredibly hard to capture the immense success within PE last year.” Finally, special thanks go to the PE department. Without their hard work and dedication, both in planning the event and in nurturing and supporting our young sportsmen and women, the evening would not have been possible.
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Sport
Two athletics stars in our midst Morgan Spink, Year 11, and Luke Sayer, Year 12, both won gold during the summer at the Yorkshire Combined Events Championships. Luke won the under 17s octathlon after only seriously pursuing athletics for eighteen months. Luke told us that it was the fact that he always performed so well on sports days here at Tuxford that his dad suggested he look into athletics as a regular hobby. He found it difficult to find his niche at first, deciding he was neither a long distance nor sprint runner. The Octathlon really suits Luke, he says, because he loves dong the combination of events together, and when he does he finds that the 400m is actually his favourite element.
replied: “It’s really hard because I also ride. I train in Rotherham so often have to work in the car so that I can get everything done that I need to. This year I will aim to train hard through the winter in order to relieve the pressure in the summer when I will have to focus more on my GCSE exams.” We think that the way they both show focus in their chosen discipline as well as maintaining their reputation as committed students here at Tuxford is admirable.
It was a gruelling two days but Luke says he enjoyed it and especially liked that he and Morgan were there together and could return to inform Mr Longmore, our Head of PE, that they had both taken crowns! Morgan competed in the heptathlon, though is also a champion at the 300m hurdles. She has been doing athletics since Year 7, after being spotted at an event at primary school where she was encouraged to give it a try. She is now part of Retford Athletics Club. This summer Morgan also competed in the English Schools’ Athletics Championships where she came third. Looking forward, Morgan is aiming to come either first or second next summer in order to be put forward to represent England in a UK wide competition. When asked about how she balances her gruelling training schedule with the demands of school, Morgan
Morgan’s gymnastics performance Morgan Gill, Year 7, represented Worksop Gymnastics Club in the East Midlands Regional Championship at level 4. Although she didn’t medal, Morgan passed level 4 and will now move onto level 3. She showed consistency on all four pieces and delivered a brand new floor routine for the first time. Morgan trains every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday so is finding she has to juggle it with school life.
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Harrison’s success at WMO World Championships Harrison Fairhurst, Post 16, has been kickboxing for 11 years, training at Pro Martial Arts Schools in Retford. This year he represented England at the World Martial Arts Organisation World Championships in Dublin and came away with a silver medal. As well as training hard himself, he takes time to voluntarily help with other children’s training sessions.
Seamus continues to shine in the world of boccia Seamus Morrison, one of our Post 16 students, began playing boccia five years ago with the Dwarf Sports Association (DSA), a UK organisation for children and adults with restricted growth conditions that enables them to train and compete together. He admits that initially he didn’t feel that it came naturally to him but he trained regularly and is now a champion! This year he defended his trophy as the DSA junior singles champion meaning he has now won it for two consecutive years. He also won the Peter Sugden Trophy as the overall singles champion, becoming the first competitor to become the champion while still a junior player. Although he does have his sights set on the World Dwarf Games in 2021, Seamus insists that, above all, his main aim with boccia is to have fun and enjoy it. By courtesy of Newark Advertiser
Boys excelling on the pitch again Our boys’ football teams did extremely well last year and have continued into this year in the same way. So far, both the Year 8 and Year 11 boys have progressed to the third round of the National Cup. Manni Norkett in particular continues to dominate, scoring all seven of the goals in the Year 8 team’s 7-3 win against Shirebrook Academy.
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Teaching School Trent Valley Teaching School Alliance based at Tuxford Academy has a number of functions. In this edition, the focus is on recruitment and training of teachers and school to school support. Claire Hallam writes about the recent ITT success and Constantinos Tsimbiridis explains the invaluable role played by our Specialist Leaders of Education in raising standards in schools and academies. Tackling the Teacher Shortage Head On Trent Valley Teaching School Alliance’s Initial Teacher Training team (ITT) based at Tuxford Academy is tackling the teacher shortage ‘head on’ by providing high quality support and training for the excellent trainee teachers in our local schools. This process involves schools providing capacity to train teachers within their schools. TVTSA bid into the National College of Teaching and Learning for school direct teacher training places. Trainees are interviewed at each school’s site and, if successful, they complete a year’s school based training within the alliance. From last year’s trainees we have employed teachers in: English(3), chemistry (1), geography (1) and one primary teacher across our alliance. Other trainees have found employment in other schools/ academies. This successful trend is expected to continue with an increased number of trainees across the alliance in 18/19.
We have also been part of a Government Pilot Scheme hosting five physics interns for a four week paid internship programme at National Academy in June 2017. The aim of this particular programme is to show potential physics teachers what school life is like, widening their experience and encouraging them to consider teaching as a career in the future and train with TVTSA. We have over twenty trainee teachers starting their teaching journey in September 2018, and we are very much looking forward to helping them thrive in our schools.
What is an SLE? Trent Valley Teaching School Alliance has the capacity to support other schools through the use of Specialist Leaders of Education. SLEs are outstanding middle and senior leaders in positions below the head teacher, with at least two years’ leadership experience. They have a particular area of expertise (such as a subject area, early years, behaviour or school business management) and a successful track record of school improvement. SLEs support leaders in other schools. They have good interpersonal skills, are able to work sensitively and collaboratively with others and have a commitment to outreach work. They understand what outstanding leadership practice in their area of specialism looks like and can help other leaders to achieve it in their own context. The SLE role is about developing other middle and senior leaders so that they have the skills to lead their own teams and improve practice in their own schools. This may be done through one-to-one peer coaching or facilitated group support and could involve a variety of activities, such as data analysis, coaching or joint action planning. SLEs can come from any school or academy, including nursery, primary, secondary, special, pupil referral unit, independent or free school, or sixth form college. There are currently over 5000 SLEs who have been designated across the country. TVTSA currently has 23 secondary and primary SLEs who have expertise in areas such as Early Years Education, Primary Mathematics, Modern Languages, Science, Behaviour Management and Initial Teacher Training - to name but a few! Our SLEs have supported the improvement of Teaching and Learning across Early Years Foundation Stage, developed programmes to help Science internships and raised the impact of marking and feedback on pupil progress. These are just a small number of examples of the outreach work undertaken. Constantinos Tsimbiridis – TVTSA Lead SLE
Claire Hallam – ITT Lead Practitioner Marnham Road, Tuxford, Newark, Nottingham, NG22 0JH
email: bookings@tvtsa.co.uk web: www.tvtsa.co.uk
Twitter: @tvtsa
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