ACADEMY Life
The official newsletter of Tuxford Academy
Issue No. 3
Summer Term 2015
“Preparation -
the key to
success”
“Leaders are not born
they are made”
Welcome to Academy Life Principal’s introduction
Welcome to the summer issue of Academy Life. This term is always a high pressured term for both students and staff, with a lot of hard work being done in preparation for examinations. From speaking to staff and students I am confident that I am not alone in looking forward to results days in August and hearing how well everyone has done and about the next exciting stage in their lives, whether that be staying on at the academy for Post 16 or moving on to an exciting apprenticeship. But for now the Year 11 and Year 13s have nearly finished their GCSEs and A levels and the Year 7s are wondering where their long awaited first year went too! Finally, I do hope that you enjoy reading issue 3 of Academy Life as much as I will. The students never fail to impress me with their varied talents, dedication and knowledge. I am proud on a daily basis to introduce them to VIPs and guests to our academy and know that those leaving us will be amazing young ambassadors for our academy. Mr David Cotton, Principal
Dates for your diary JUNE
AUGUST
25th
Y11 Prom
19th
School shop open
26th
Y7 Student Well Being Day
20th
GCSE exam results
29th
Transition Week
27th
AS/A2 exam results
30th
Y6 Parents Coffee Morning
JULY
2
SEPTEMBER
1st
Y6 Parents Coffee Evening
7th
DALP Games
8th
P16 Transition Day
9th
P16 Summer Ball
10th
Creative Arts ‘Romeo & Juliet’
11th
Creative Arts ‘Romeo & Juliet’
13th
P16 UEA trip departs
13th
Y10 Rome trip departs
13th
Y7 Camp 1 departs
14th
Y9 London trip departs
15th
Y7 Camp 1 returns
15th
Y7 Camp 2 departs
16th
P16 UEA trip returns
16th
Y9 London trip returns
17th
Y10 Rome trip returns
17th
Y7 Camp 2 returns
20th
First day of summer holidays
1st
Inset Day – School Shop open: 10.00 am – 2.00 pm
2nd
Yrs 7, 11 & 12 students in school
3rd
All students in school
Post 16 Editorial team Cullen Gaskell Kashif Hussain Anastasia O’Connell Hannah Slack Many thanks to all staff who contributed towards articles www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
Once in a lifetime eclipse On 20th March, a very unique celestial incident occurred. On a chilly Friday morning, students and teachers witnessed a total solar eclipse; a rare phenomenon where the moon orbits around the earth and appears to completely block out the sun creating a large, round, glowing shadow in the sky called an umbra. Among the students crowding around the entrance to Tuxford Academy were members of the Astronomy Club. The club prepared all sorts of equipment in anticipation for the eclipse, including specially constructed eyeglasses made from cardboard and telescopes covered with special filters to shield the viewer’s eyes from sun’s radiation, which becomes much more harmful to the eyes during an eclipse. They also invited two special guests; Professor Dean Garthwate, who was involved in the development of the SOHO spacecraft used to observe the sun’s rays from space and astronomy specialist Doctor Vicky Gould, to
News
shed some light on the eclipse. The event was described as “spectacular” by members of the club and others who were interested in the atmospheric affair. The club is run by Mr Nichol and Miss Tivey and meets each Wednesday in IS1 from 5-7pm. They have previously arranged several school trips, including the Mansfield Observatory and the National Space Centre in Leicester. They are always looking for new members to take part, so if you have an interest in learning about space, the stars, and the sun, then please come along to a future meeting. If you somehow missed this solar eclipse, the next one visible from the British Mainland is predicted to happen in September 2090. There will be many partial eclipses until then, if you’re unable to wait that long! Kashif Hussain, Post 16 student
Academy Life
3
Dance Leaders credit to academy schools were given a DVD recording of the routine and music for the performance to practice back at their schools. A final rehearsal was completed on the morning of the festival with the talented dance leaders prior to the final performances.
The Tuxford Family Collaboration (TFC) Dance Festival took place on 12th February with over 230 primary pupils in attendance from nine feeder schools. The process started mid-October when the Year 11 Tuxford Academy dance leaders choreographed routines in their lessons. The primary pupils then attended a training day at Tuxford Academy on the 8th and 9th of January to learn their routines with the fantastic dance leaders. All primary
The primary school performances were followed by two special guest performances from the Tuxford Academy dance4 group and the finalists of Britain’s Got Talent Shannon Parker and Josh Ecob (Bitter Harvest) who treated the crowd to a fantastic ballet performance. “I thought the dance festival yesterday was brilliant and the dance leaders for our groups were amazing.” Nicola Hemsley - Kneesall Primary. “The performances were excellent - it was clear all schools had put in a lot of training. The special guest performances gave the primary students something to aspire to and the dance leaders were a credit to the academy.” Oli Tatterson, Extended Services Co-ordinator
Honorary guests impressed by our academy On Friday 6th February Tuxford Academy welcomed Sir John Peace Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, Neil Taylor - Bassetlaw District Council, Chief Executive and Councillor Simon Greaves - Bassetlaw District Council Leader to our academy. The special VIP guests met with our students and enjoyed a tour of the academy. Sir John was particularly impressed with the knowledge the students had on both local and global issues and their general confidence levels. Mr Cotton said he was ‘very proud of all the students’.
4
Student Point of View The whole experience was memorable and inspiring. We discussed local issues, both in the academy and around the area and also explored topics on a national scale. The students were enthusiastic and were interested in what the Lord Lieutenant had to offer. It was extremely interesting and opened my eyes to factors of academy life I was otherwise unaware of including both the attributes of the academy like how we try to give the students a voice and a
valid opinion about academy life and also factors we are working on to improve standards even more. The range of students from Year 7 and Post 16 also gave a wide view from many perspectives about Tuxford, which complimented the conversation and benefitted everyone. The respect the students had for the visitors was commendable and made me proud to be a student at Tuxford Academy. Daisy Stringfellow, Y9 student
Special day for Year 9 student
www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
News
Polish Exchange – exchange of hearts and minds Tuxford Academy has run the Polish Exchange trip for Post 16 students for over twenty years. The trip has always been a great success and this year was no exception. Eleven students from Year 12 and Year 13 took the plunge and decided to sign up to take part in the exchange, which was set to take place in two parts: the first leg of the journey to the town of Gniezno in midOctober to stay with our Polish families for a week, and the second back home to England to host our partners in March. Both weeks were filled with interesting trips and outings to different landmarks and cities which showcased each country’s beautiful assets. As well as this, there was the amazing opportunity to build friendships with other young people from a completely different culture. Throughout the first week we gained an appreciation of the similarities and differences between our lifestyles, tried the local cuisine, and even learned some of the language! We got the opportunity to visit some old Polish cities, went shopping and even visited an authentic gingerbread factory.
Welcoming them into our own country in March for the second week was just as rewarding, when it was our turn to offer hospitality. We also got to showcase our nation’s gems, including taking them to London, which was very popular all round! When the time came to wave them off at the airport, there were plenty of tears, hugs and promises to keep in touch. It was truly an experience of a lifetime, from which so much was learned and many lifelong memories made. Paul Simpson, Assistant Principal of Post 16 at Tuxford Academy said in his final address to the group; “Links have been made between the two countries and we have gained an insight into each other’s culture. Staying in someone’s house or being a host in your own home is a huge undertaking. We have all enjoyed it, and this has been one of the best exchanges we have ever had”. Anastasia O’Connell, Post 16 & Polish Exchange student
Battlefields surprise for Y8 student Year 8 student Joseph Marsden went on a four day trip to the WW1 Battlefields last term and found quite the surprise whilst there. Joseph already had an active interest in history but got a lot more out of the visit than first anticipated. Whilst looking through a book of names he was very surprised to find entries under both ‘Marsden’ (his Mother’s surname) and ‘Foulstone’ (his Father’s name). He then located the gravestones for the two relatives; William Marsden at Tyne Cot cemetery (the largest British and Commonwealth cemetery in the world) and Joseph H Albert Foulstone at the Theipval memorial (the largest Anglo-French memorial to the missing in the Somme). Joseph didn’t know of these historical family links before the trip, connecting his heritage to the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment). Seeing the names carved into the stone memorials was a real eye-opener for those on the trip of just how many lives were lost and how many families were affected by the war. Academy Life
5
News
The city that never sleep Mr Cox, Head of Drama, recalls the New York trip Our students were an absolute credit to the academy. Everybody we came into contact with praised us for our mature, polite and enthusiastic students. The New York trip gave students an invaluable opportunity, not only to explore a world famous city, but also to work with professional Broadway performers in a workshop environment. Students were directed by working actors, dancers and musicians and were able to gain a fascinating insight into the life of a Broadway performer. A personal highlight for me was the first day spent travelling around the city. In one day we explored Wall Street, Ground Zero, the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. It was a fantastic feeling to be standing in such famous locations with a great group of students. Walking into Times Square for the first time was something none of us will ever forget.
What they did:
• Explored the city on foot, including Ground Zero, Staten Island, the Statue of • Saw the Broadway musical Liberty, Wall Street, Times ‘Wicked’ • Took part in a workshop with Square • Toured the world famous professional Broadway Lincoln Arts Center, actors, dancers and musicians • A sightseeing tour of famous including the Metropolitan Opera House film and TV locations, including films such as ‘Home • Shopped on 34th Street • Went up the Empire State Alone’, ‘I am Legend’ and Building at night the apartment block from • Evening meals at Hard Rock ‘Friends’ Café and Buppa Gumps
‘It was a world away
from my home’
‘The whole city was so bright and overwhelming’ 6
www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
ps – New York, New York In the first trip of its kind, the academy sent a group of forty talented drama students to New York City to investigate just how the real life Broadway actors put on a show.
Cawthorne, Year 11. Then came a visit to Staten Island, which was the highlight of many of the students because it allowed everyone to see all around the city.
After an exhausting and exhilarating day of travelling, the group finally got to see New York City. “We went straight out for a meal at the Hard Rock Café in the evening to witness the New York City nightlife”. “It had a real rock star vibe,” said Ryan Footitt, Year 11. “It was very stereotypically American.” The group then made their way into Time Square to round off their first day in New York City. It was definitely a once in a life time experience to witness it first-hand.
Finally, the students had the amazing experience to watch ‘Wicked’ on Broadway and saw the actors from the workshop earlier in the week in action. “This was an amazing experience that will no doubt stay with us forever”, said Henry.
On the second day, the group got involved in a workshop with real life Broadway actors. The workshop took place in a genuine rehearsal studio, used by the Broadway actors themselves and was led by a professional music director. “It was an out of this world experience that I will always remember,” said Ryan. “Members of the ensemble from the Broadway show, ‘Wicked’ taught us one number from the actual show! The whole session replicated a real life audition process, so it was incredibly valuable for those of us thinking of pursuing a career in acting.”
The boys summarised their trip by saying “It was great as acting is my passion and it has given me a real insight into the possibility of taking Drama further and considering the subject as a real career choice. Also, the trip allowed us to get to know students who we wouldn’t usually get the chance speak too.” “The trip has been invaluable to me as I intend to study Drama at university.” “This trip has had a massive influence on my future aspirations as we were given the opportunity to ask questions to genuine Broadway actors.” Hannah Slack, Post 16 student
“The group took a boat trip to see the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, which was truly beautiful,” said Henry
Academy Life
7
News
New Governor All about Revd Greg Price Greg has a heart for sharing the gospel in everyday life and passionately seeks revival and an awakening for our nation and has taken a lead role in missions in his native Liverpool; Manchester and Lincolnshire. Greg also has lots of experience in educational settings too - from turning around a failing day nursery; being Executive Head teacher at a Christian Independent School; Independent Internal College Inspector; Head of International & Enterprise and Curriculum and Programme Area Manager at further education colleges in both Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. More recently he worked as a ‘Community Pioneer’ in the Diocese of Derby
East Midlands Regional Maths Feast On March 16th Tuxford welcomed 14 teams from all over the country for the East Midlands Regional Maths Feast. “The event is great because it encourages competent mathematicians in activities that take them to a higher level, whether in calculation process or the more important reasoning and evaluation that is becoming an ever important area in both GCSE and A level”, said Mrs Taylor, event organiser! The first round of the competition started with a relatively simple matching activity ‘Amuse Bouche’. Students were asked to match algebra, organised steps and tables to fit each other. The second Hors D’Oeuvres round required students to estimate larger or smaller of several different quantities
developing new approaches to mission within the Derby Group of Churches and with Ecumenical partners. His last post was as Schools and Education Partnership Manager with a private Training Provider LAGAT Ltd in Lincoln developing ‘S2S’ - ‘Services 2 Schools’ a new collaborative network of businesses. “I am delighted to be joining the benefice and especially working at Tuxford Academy and Tuxford Primary Academy,” said Greg.
‘Together we are a winning combination!’
and introduced a new area of mathematics around Venn Diagrams, this was enjoyed by all students, probably because it was a refreshing change to see mathematics used and explained in diagrams. The third round which was linked to the new demands of GCSE where students have to be clear with explanations of their calculation processes… Both Tuxford teams did particularly well at this round. Congratulations to the obvious diligence of our Maths teachers who have carefully tutored our students in all these techniques! The final round was the most enjoyable for Tuxford teams. Congratulations to Loughborough High School (winners). Mrs Jenny Taylor
Governor’s retirement – special message
8
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all staff, students, parents and governors for all your continued support and guidance throughout my time as governor. It has been a privilege and an honour to be part of such a great establishment!
down to all the fantastic team of professionals who make it happen and the great relationship and bond between staff and students.
I have seen the school flourish and shine and go from strength to strength to become what it is today! This is
Mrs Mandy Pask
Fondest farewell my friends.
www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
Charity
Fantastic community links with Retford Rotary Club Over the years the academy has been fortunate to build up a special relationship with Retford Rotary Club which has kindly supported our school with funding for both community projects and individual students. This year the club has donated £400 for a new rugby kit for our Year 11 boys and has also donated £370 for an exciting space science project, led by Mr Atherton and a
Annual Quiz Evening raises £432! Thanks to all who supported the annual quiz held on Saturday 7th February. The evening raised £432 which was divided between the Student Voice Committee and the Post 16 Charity Committee. Special thanks to Philip
group of Post 16 students. Excitingly, the club has also provided our students with the opportunity to bid for £5000 towards projects at the academy which will benefit all students. In a Dragons’ Den type presentation the students are pitching their ideas to members of the Rotary Club and Mr Cotton with the hope to win the monies for their project!
Baker who set the questions and was Question Master for the evening, Paul Creighton for technical support, Julie Hethershaw and her helpers who prepared and cooked a tasty supper and to Rose Hawcroft and members of the Charity Committee who helped during the evening.
Beech College Charity Day Beech College students successfully organised a charity day last term inspired by one of their fellow classmates. Fifteen year old Jaz Clark was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in November 2014 and so to support their friend a fundraising day for Leukaemia Research was organised with Year 10 student Jaz in mind. Fundraising activities included a whole-school non-uniform day, a bake sale and a sponsored head shave by Jaz’s cousin Connor Hanson (also Year 10).
Academy Life
The special events raised funds for all children with cancer. A total of £1161 has been raised so far by Tuxford Academy, with the funds split between Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, and ‘Up Yours to Cancer’.
9
Gardening
Summer Fruit Pud Summer has finally arrived so why not have some fresh food like strawberries? Or maybe try making a delicious dessert like a Strawberry and Peanut Pie? Yum! For the base: 60g butter 15 digestive biscuits 85g peanut butter
For the filling: 200g crème fraiche 200g full fat cream cheese 25g icing sugar Half tsp vanilla paste For the sauce and topping:
For the method, search on www.bbcgoodfood.com Enjoy! Wiktoria Nalewajska, Y8 student
450g ripe strawberries 2 tbsp icing sugar
Blooming Marvellous Oh what a joy it is to see the flowers in summer come into bloom. I’d suggest planting Snapdragons for midsummer and also Foxgloves, however, you must be careful about handling Foxgloves as they can be poisonous. Make sure you wash your hands well after handling the plant. Dahlias are also a delightful plant for the summer and come in a variety of colours. Sophie Marshall Potter, Y8 student
Mr Hardy’s gardening tips It’s time to start feeding the rhubarb and all the plants that have a lust for food. We use liquid food at the academy. Miracle Grow does the job on all the vegetables and flowers and if you water this down to a weak solution, this is good for seeding. It also works well on runner beans to get them started.
10
My tip is to water the compost the day before you use it. It’s also time to put radishes and lettuce seeds in to get an early crop to enjoy. Alan Hardy, Academy Gardener
www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
Academy Focus
Escape through reading I read an awful lot of books and find they take you on a journey to places and people you might not normally meet. They encourage you to use your imagination and open your mind to new experiences. Sometimes I can lose myself in a book and not be able to put it down, books are a good way of travelling and going nowhere. The book I am currently reading is by Alan Bradley and is called ‘Speaking from Among the Bones’, it is the 5th book of a series of Flavia De Luce Mysteries. ‘When the tomb of St. Tancred is opened, no one expects to find the body of the organist, lying in a pool of blood, his handsome features covered by a gas mask.’ This is the opening page and probably sounds a little gruesome but it’s really not that bad. These series of books are about an 11 year old girl called Flavia De Luce who has a knack of solving murders and getting herself into various scrapes at the same time. She is a very intelligent young lady with a very old head upon young shoulders. Not only does she investigate these mysteries with forensic science but
she has her trusty bicycle Gladys to help her track down clues to help her. This kind of book is quite suitable for the younger reader as it is quite easy going and not too long.
Mrs Hollingworth’s Top Ten Books: 1) Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer 2) My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell 3) The Shardlake series by C. J. Sansom 4) Hugh Corbett series by Paul Doherty 5) The Help by Kathrn Stockett 6) The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander Mc Call Smith 7) The Vinyl Café by Stuart Mclean 8) The Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch 9) Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt 10) Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith
20 books to read before you’re 18 Twenty books to read before you’re 18 is a literacy challenge that was set by the English faculty in 2014. It consists of 20 books that were chosen by students and staff alike to encourage the broadening of students’ reading diversity. By widening your reading, you are also raising your reading level.
Hannah Barnett, Year 9 rises to the challenge The challenge has inspired many students to get reading - like me and my friends - but we hope that it will get many more of you into reading. Most of those books are available in the Learning Resource Centre, and there are lists of the books in many classrooms, as well as a giant one at the end of the Trent Gardens. Some of the books include: Harry Potter; Pride and Prejudice; The Hunger Games and The Fault in our Stars. These four great books are just some out of the 20 that are on the list. So go on, get reading!
Academy Life
11
Academy Focus Gifted and Talented Tuxford Academy once again participated in the Gifted and Talented Challenge Plus event on 26th February at the Queen Elizabeth’s High School in Gainsborough. This is an annual event that Tuxford regularly enjoy attending. Emma Dominic, Year 8, about the event “We were told we had to invent something using our Maths and Science
skills. Each team presented their invention to other teams at the event. It was quite scary, but we put our heads together and I think we all did really well. I wish I could do it again, said Emma even though I can’t, anyone else who can should do it. It’s fantastic!” Cullen Gaskell, Post 16 student
Songwriter Daudi Matsiko VIP visit Last term the Music Department had the pleasure of welcoming local artist / song writer Daudi Matsiko who came to speak and perform to Year 9 students in a special one-off event - ‘An Audience with Daudi.’ The event had been organised as a direct result of the song writing unit Year 9 had been studying. With the aim of students to think about their own passions and future career aspirations/pathways (particularly poignant before selecting GCSE options!).
On the day, Daudi delivered a very personal presentation, sharing with the students his journey as a professional musician so far, as well as sharing samples of his work and performing some of his own material. “I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Daudi. He inspired me to open my eyes to a wide range of musical studies and to create my own songs which will be meaningful to me. He was an inspiration to both myself and many others which will not be forgotten.” Said Caitlin Parker, Year 9 student. “It was very inspirational. Daudi was really passionate about his work, which really came through. He is very nice and he answered all our
questions. We had a really good time and it was definitely worth attending,” said Hannah Barnett, Y9 student. After the end of the school day Daudi then led a song writing workshop with a select group of musically minded individuals, to further their music studies and to widen the musical opportunities made available to them at Tuxford Academy. There are a number of clips, videos, interviews that can be found on YouTube / Facebook / Twitter. I think you’ll be impressed! Photography by courtesy of Newark Advertiser
Primary Partnership Music Festival At the heart of the Music Department’s vision lies the desire to strengthen links with the feeder schools and to create further opportunities to showcase talent to our wider community. This ambition and drive culminated in the first of Tuxford Academy’s Primary Partnership Music Festivals in March this year, and involved pupils from all Key Stages at Tuxford Academy, and Year 5 pupils attending East Markham, Kneesall, Muskham and Tuxford Primary.
12
Such an event enabled primary school pupils and secondary students to unite with a combined enjoyment and enthusiasm for music and with a shared determination to showcase their talents and achievements with the families of all those involved. “It was a great success – with staff and pupils alike feeling justly proud of the performance they delivered on the night,” said Mrs Jackie Thacker, TFC Music Coordinator.
www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
Achievement & Awards
Mr Stephen runs London Marathon Twenty six miles is a long way to run. Even as a member of a running club who had completed a number of half marathons, I did not realise exactly how much a marathon would push me to the limits of my endurance. My running began just over a year ago when I entered a half marathon having done no training whatsoever. This did not go well. The lady who ran with me and gave me encouragement over the last few miles was in the 70-75 age category. And she beat me by three minutes! So I started running - a couple of times a week to begin with. Then I started going to my local park run event. When I couldn’t get under 23mins for 5km, a friend suggested that I join a local running club. All running clubs get a place in the London Marathon, and my name was pulled out of the hat as the person to represent my club. So the training began. When people found out I was running the London Marathon it was inevitably followed by the question, “Are you doing it for charity?” I had not considered this, but it seemed a wasted opportunity considering there was a charity very close to mine and my family’s heart. Henshaws (a society for visually impaired people) supports my brother in law, Samuel Garwood, so I simply set up a Virgin money giving page and put on Facebook that I was running the marathon for this charity, and soon people started donating money. I didn’t think that I would need any motivation for running the marathon. However, I was shocked at the generosity of my friends and family and it did add another level of motivation that I had not been expecting. People had taken an interest in what I was doing, giving their own money to support a charity of my choosing, and now I felt the need to ensure that I put some serious effort into making sure I got around in a reasonable time. Running upwards of 50 miles a week is not easy. However, the knowledge that I have raised over £1500 for Henshaws by running 26 miles in 3 hours 19 minutes makes it very worthwhile. I would recommend running the London Marathon to anyone. Although it is difficult, it is an exhilarating experience and made all the more worthwhile by doing it for a charity that does such good work in ensuring that the people it supports reach their full potential.
Academy Life
13
Achievement & Awards Post 16 students win prestigious opportunity It’s been an exciting and successful couple of months for Tuxford Academy Post 16 students, Richard Grant and Abigail Kemp. After what started as a visit and presentation from David Stevenson, from Construction Consultants, Edmond Shipway, both students have been offered the opportunity of a lifetime! Edmond Shipway is a leading construction based company that covers a variety of sectors in industry: from leisure to finance, and healthcare to education. Recent successful projects have included the £252 million Centre Parcs development in Woburn Forest, and pipeline projects include a £200 million Paramount water park development in London and the £150 million development of a new Centre Parcs in Ireland - not to mention international projects in Nigeria, Katmandu and Malta. The purpose of their visit was to advertise their career opportunities and find talent amongst our Post 16 students here at Tuxford Academy, and they weren’t disappointed. They were promoting a career opportunity as a Chartered
Surveyor, which came with a sponsored honours degree from Nottingham Trent University. David Stevenson described the position as a chance to become an ‘integral part of a successful and expanding team, working on a wide range of projects.’ He added that Edmond Shipway was ‘a great place to build a career.’ What they were looking for was commitment, determination, pride and professionalism and they definitely found it at Tuxford. Motivated by the presentation, Year 13 students Richard Grant and Abigail Kemp, contacted the company to show their interest. After an interview at their Nottingham offices, the successful pair impressed the interviewers and they were offered a formal contract. Richard explained that he felt ‘privileged’ to be offered such an opportunity, and he is ‘excited’ for his August start. We here at Tuxford Post 16 are confident in Richard and Abi’s success, with Head of Post 16, Miss Murphy stating, “Edmond Shipway has offered our students an exciting opportunity, but they will be gaining two of our hardest working and motivated students. They will be lucky to have them. We wish them every success and have confidence in what they will bring to the company.” Miss Leanne Murphy, Head of Post 16
Tuxford wins DALP Quiz Many congratulations to Tuxford Academy’s Oak team who after a very close competition at Retford Oaks on 11th February won the DALP Quiz Trophy! Oak team: Eliza Wright Ben Cawthorne James Thacker Daisy Stringfellow Fraser Ridgway Phoebe Cawthorne Heather Eakin
The final results were: 385 Tuxford Academy 350 Retford Oaks Academy 325 Holgate Academy 305 East Leake Academy 105 National C of E Academy
This year for the first time, pupils from Tuxford Primary Academy (TPA) also took part in the quiz. The younger pupils joined teams from across DALP and were fantastic additions to the teams.
Thank you to all those students and staff who attended and supported the DALP Quiz. It was a really exciting and enjoyable event. Many thanks to Retford Oaks for hosting and managing the technical side of the event - as usual it was brilliant. Finally a big thank you to our quizmaster Mr Baker for writing all the questions!
“I really liked coming to the quiz. It was exciting.” Year 6 TPA pupil
14
All DALP students who participated really embraced the competition and represented their academies fantastically - in particular Tuxford’s Wilfred Wright, Year 9, whose geographical knowledge was astounding!
‘We were all extremely impressed by the breadth of knowledge and intelligence all our DALP students had’. Mrs Manning, DALP Student Engagement Coordinator
www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
Recipe for Success Tuxford Academy students James Shuttleworth (Year 9) and Sophie Grant (Year 10) took another step toward their dream careers last term as they took part in a Master Chef Challenge.
Sophie was crowned runner-up in the Year 10 final for her sweet chilli salmon with asparagus, followed by chocolate brownie served with raspberry coulis. Year 9 student James took the coveted first-place spot for his favourite dish of herbed pork served with a creamy apple sauce. James has been cooking since the age of 10 and knew he wanted to be a chef in just Year 8.
Heats were held at Tuxford Academy, Retford Oaks Academy and The Elizabethan Academy, Retford with the finals held in the kitchens of Ye Olde Bell Hotel at Barnby Moor, near Retford. Competition was fierce for the students, who each took part in a final for their individual year group. The finalists were treated like real chefs, with aspirations high and the judges expecting nothing but the very best. With only 90 minutes to prepare their meals, time was tight for the budding chefs. Both students showed skill in the kitchen, with presentation skills shining through and the taste test proving delicious. Criteria for the finalists included; workmanship, creativity and presentation, composition, taste and flavour, plus menu balance.
Future chef James now gets to spend the day with the Restaurant & Bistro Head Chef, Richard Allen, at the hotel; James says he cannot wait to get started.
‘Both students showed fantastic skills in the kitchen’
Student’s parents thank charity Year 9 student Seamus Morrison has won a prestigious county award of £250 to enable him to play a standard drum kit in the school band. Seamus, who has Achondroplasisa, was nominated for the Hilary Steemson Legacy Award by his percussion teacher Gary Haynes, who has already created a raised platform for him to play the kit. The grant will allow Mr Haynes to continue to work with Design and Technology students to create further adaptations for the platform, including a cableoperated hi-hat pedal, a base drum
pedal and a stairway entrance to the drum kit to improve access for Seamus. “We are delighted that Seamus has been selected to win the award” says his mum Lynda Morrison. “He loves rock and folk music and has learned to play the drums; we have a drum kit in the house and he plays in showcase events.” “We are extremely grateful to the family of Hilary Steemson for this award, which will help to further improve his quality of life and his love of drumming.”
Academy Life
15
Sport
PE Curriculum Day is a winner The Tuxford Academy PE Curriculum Day gave our Year 7, 8 and 9 students the opportunity to experience a range of enrichment activities aimed at developing their knowledge and awareness of certain subjects. The theme of the day was ‘Encouraging students to lead an active lifestyle’ and featured a series of trips on the day, open to around 700 students. Venues included Doncaster Dome, Manchester’s National Football Museum and The Showroom in Lincoln. They housed a series of activities ranging from ice skating, swimming, climbing wall, dodge ball, dance mats, arcades,
penalty shootouts and seeing how footballs were made throughout history. All students said they would love to visit again and this PE day was their favourite curriculum day. Students who remained in school didn’t miss out on the fun. They joined in with ‘Question of Sport’ and ‘The Cube’ style activities, along with Ultimate Frisbee and a training session from a personal trainer. Students certainly used this day to show that they not only work hard but also know how to have fun.
Positive attitude - the key to success Dan King age 15 and Zach Casburn, age 14 have achieved the dream of boys their age - to train with a professional football club. The Tuxford boys were spotted by a football scout whilst playing for their local Retford home team and have been offered a place on the U15 squad at Lincoln City, with the exciting possibility of being offered a paid scholarship at Lincoln City Youth Team in the summer of 2016. ‘They let us know around Christmas time whether we will be offered the scholarship, said striker Zach.’ When asked what they have learnt so far in their first six weeks training with the club Dan, who plays Centre Back
16
replied: “We have been taught a lot about psychological mentality - mainly how important a positive attitude is. They like us all to be leaders on the pitch and if your head goes down after a bad pass you risk being taken off or worse asked to leave.” “Teamwork is also really important –‘Excellence through Teamwork’ is still with us on the football pitch, laughed Dan!” Both boys are an inspiration to all students who want to fulfil their dream of playing sport professionally. ‘You just have to keep going. Club success is also important if you want to get spotted.’
www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
Amy Evans - Tuxford International Life Saver which were held at the London Olympic Stadium in March and her team won the rope throw relay winning gold and a UK National title. Amy is proud of her achievements and a fantastic ambassador for promoting swimming and educating youngsters on life saving skills.
Year 10 Amy Evans early start at Retford and District Lifesaving Club at the tender of age of 7 has led on to international success and acknowledgement for her life saving skills. In 2014 she competed in the World Lifesaving Championships in France and in March 2015 the first ever National Italian Emergency Rescue competition in Italy, where her team won the gold medal becoming the first ever National Italian SERC Champions. Amy also attended the National Speed Lifesaving Championships
“A lot of people think it is just about rescuing – but it’s not! There are a lot of races which include towing water filled mannequins which weigh more than me. At the Nationals I thought I had dislocated my shoulder during a race and carried on as I didn’t want to let the team down after a trip to hospital I was given the OK and finished the day with the last race.” Stamina and dedication are key attributes for success in any competition – particularly lifesaving. But it’s not all hard work. Amy said one of the best parts of competing and travel is meeting other
competitors from other countries – whom she has met from all over the world. “I have made so many friends through lifesaving. I do sometimes get really worried before races but love the atmosphere and feeling I get from competing.” Amy’s next big venture is at ‘Blyth Beach’ where she is competing in beach events which include flag races, sprints, surf swim and paddleboard races . This is followed by the National Surf Lifesaving Beach National Championships in August in Exmouth. Amy has said that she wants to train in life saving after her stay at Tuxford Academy, and ultimately wants to become a paramedic. In the meantime, she will be going to the Netherlands and Australia in the near future to participate in more exciting events. Well done Amy, all the best for the future!
Tuxford student represents GB in Italy Year 11 student Tom Atkinson flew to Lignano, near Venice, in Italy this month to represent his country at the Energy Standard International Swimming Competition. The immensely talented young swimmer was chosen from athletes from all over England to be part of a team of 40 swimmers to compete in the prestigious competition. Competing over two gruelling days, Tom swam races against the best swimmers from all over the world, in the 17-18 year age group, including Italy, Germany, Russia and the Ukraine. He returned home triumphant and elated to bring home back to England both a silver and a bronze medal!
So what next for the talented Tom? “I want to stay on at Tuxford to do my A levels. My plan is to study Economics, Psychology and Geography, but first I’ve got to get through GCSEs!” Good luck Tom – we’re sure you will achieve your dreams.
Tom achieved the following scores for his races: • • • • •
100m freestyle – 6th place 200m freestyle relay – 2nd place – SILVER MEDAL 200m freestyle – 3rd place – BRONZE MEDAL 50m freestyle – 7th place 100m freestyle relay – 4th place
“Competing is something I definitely want to take forward in the future,” said Tom. “It was an amazing experience, especially because I knew quite a lot of the other swimmers that won.” Academy Life
17
Sport
Student Spotlight: Bradley Lilburn At the age of three, Bradley Lilburn followed in his father’s footsteps and gained an interest in Motorcross. He went on to have his first quad that same year; his first two-wheel motorbike followed when he was five.
Recently Bradley has secured a sponsor, enabling him to fund parts, kit and essential maintenance for his bike. To stay fit Bradley visits his local gym three times per week. He rides every weekend and races wherever he can, choosing to go to Wales for events as the terrain is tougher and more competitive.
By the age of ten Bradley had started racing and undertaken his first competition and by 2013 was ranked 5th in the British Championship.
Bradley will take his GCSEs this year and is working as hard as he can between training and riding. He hopes to do an apprenticeship in engineering when he leaves the academy.
Whilst trying to improve this ranking Brad came off his bike and broke his arm. Once recovered, he started competing in Enduro - off-road motorcross - entering the British championship in the youth class in Wales. At the age of 14 he finished 1st in the sprint and joint 1st in the Enduro.
In 2016 Brad is looking to go to Europe and enter the European championship. His ultimate dream is to be a professional Enduro rider.
In 2015 Brad is still in the youth class and would like to retain his British title; he will hear in September if he has achieved this.
Professional Football Coaching in Eindhoven During the Easter break over 100 students took part in a prestigious football coaching trip to Eindhoven, Holland – staying at Center Parcs! The boys and girls were lucky enough to receive morning coaching sessions led by members of West Ham United and in the afternoon play league games against both Dutch and British teams. “We really enjoyed the trip, especially winning the tournament” said a Year 10 boy. The action packed week also included a stadium tour to PSV Eindhoven and a museum tour.
18
www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
Sports Results Date 18.05.15 14.05.15 09.05.15 07.05.15 07.05.15
Event
Result
Y7 boys Cricket (Nottinghamshire County Cup) Y10 boys Cricket (Nottinghamshire County Cup)
v Manor
Won
v Manor
Lost Crowned Mansfield Town Cup Champions
Y9 boys Football Y7 boys Football (Mansfield Cup final) Y9 boys Football (Mansfield Cup final)
v Ashfield
Lost 7-0
v Manor
Won 4-2 on penalties finished in second place behind Worksop college
01.05.15
Athletics Bassetlaw District finals
29.04.15
Y10 boys Rugby
v Minster
Lost 37-22
28.04.15
Y10 boys Football
v Manor
Lost 2-1
27.04.15
Y9 boys Football
v Joseph Whittaker
Won 4-1
24.04.15
Y8 boys Football
v Selston
Lost 4-1
23.04.15
Y10 boys Football
v Selston
Won 3-1
22.04.15
Y9 boys Football
v All Saints
Won 6-1
21.04.15
Y12/13 boys Football
v Joseph Whittaker
Lost 4-3
23.03.15
Y7 boys Football
v Joseph Whittaker
Won 6-3
18.03.15
Y11 boys Football
v Redhill
Lost 2-1
18.03.15
Y9 boys Football
v Becket
Lost 2-1
17.03.15
Y10 boys Rugby
v Christ the King
Lost 37-22
17.03.15
Y8 boys Football
v Holgate
Won 7-0
17.03.15
Y12/13 boys Football
v Ashfield
Won 6-3
05.03.15
Y10 boys Rugby
v Magnus
Won 54-0
02.03.15
Y11 boys Rugby
v Christ the King
Won 7-0
11.02.15
Y8/9 boys Cross Country
05.02.15
U16 girls Football
v East Leake
Lost 1-0
04.02.15
Y12/13 Boys Football
v Nottingham Boys
Draw 3-3
27.01.15
Y11 Boys Rugby
v Arnold Hill
Won 24-7
Champions
Academy Life
19
‘Spectacular sight’
Marnham Road, Tuxford, Newark, NG22 0JH
Tel: 01777 870001
Fax: 01777 872155 Email: office@tuxford-ac.org.uk
www.tuxford-ac.org.uk