ACADEMY Life
The official magazine of Tuxford Academy
Issue No. 8
Spring Term 2017
Our Students: Making a difference
Role models: Who inspires you? Follow us on
twitter: @TuxfordAcademy
Welcome to Academy Life Academy Director’s Introduction Having a positive role model can be a fantastic way for students to remain focussed on their goals and keep motivated. It’s wonderful therefore, to see such positive examples throughout this issue of Academy Life; of students really making a difference, whether that be through their academic talents, enrichment activities, or through our student voice group such as the Food Forum. Having inspirational guests in our Academy is something that Tuxford strongly values, but inspiration can be found everywhere in school. At Tuxford we are fortunate that teachers and staff, older students and friends can be fantastic role models in very different ways. Dave Vernon, Academy Director
Dates for your diary MARCH
JUNE
15th
Curriculum Day 2
26th
Y7 Academic Tutorial Week begins
15th
Y10 & Y12 trip to Big Bang Fair at NEC
27th
Post 16 Transition Day
24th
Non Uniform Day
28th
GCSE exams finish
27th
Year 10 Academic Tutorial Week
29th
A Level exams finish/ Y11 Prom
29th
Y11 Dance trip to see Rambert
30th2nd
PE GCSE residential to Skipton
30th
Creative & Expressive Arts Showcase Evening
30th
Post 16 Summer Ball
APRIL
JULY
3rd
First day of Easter Break
3rd
Transition Week for Y6 pupils begins
3rd7th
PE residential to Spain
11th
DALP Games
18th
School re-opens after Easter Break
12th
Sports Celebration Event
26th
Higher/Vocational Education Evening
14th
Sports Day
14th15th
Creative & Expressive Arts Show
17th18th
Y10 residential to York
17th
Y7 Camp 1 depart
MAY 1st
May Day – school closed
12th
Non Uniform Day
26th
Y11 Smart Day
17th19th
Post 16 residential to Lancaster University
29th
First day of Half Term break
18th20th
Y9 residential to London
19th
Y7 Camp 1 return/ Y7 Camp 2 depart
21st
Y7 Camp 2 return
24th/ 25th
Inset Days – School closed
JUNE
2
5th
School re-opens after Half Term
12th
Post 16 Work Experience Week begins
www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
News
A bright future for Alice and new guide dog, Billy Tuxford Academy welcomes new recruit Billy (black Labrador cross retriever) the guide dog. Billy’s owner 15 year old student Alice Hopkins, who is a Year 11 student at Tuxford Academy, has severe restricted vision and has relied on her Teaching Assistant and friends to help her navigate her way around the Academy. Alice is one of the youngest owners of a guide dog in the region and after several weeks of intensive training has now become a qualified handler. Billy accompanies Alice to most of her classes and while in class will lie quietly by her side. Students and staff are now used to seeing Billy and Alice at school together and have overcome the instinct to stroke Billy while he’s working (that being a challenge in itself!). Alice has worked extremely hard in training Billy and keeping up with her studies. Her timetable was adapted to assist with training and Alice was given one to one lessons after school with a Guide Dog Instructor. Mrs Nichol, Assistant
Principal – Behaviour for Learning, said Alice has worked incredibly hard over the weeks that she was training Billy. “It is fantastic to see them both working together so well.” Alice’s parents are delighted by how the Academy has supported her since she started in 2012 and with Billy now enrolled in school, it’s going from strength to strength! Mrs Liz Hopkins (mother) said, “The Academy has always exceeded our expectations and we have overcome any problems together.” Mrs Hopkins went on to say that a guide dog for Alice would not have been possible if not for the support and willingness to allow a huge amount of flexibility within the school.
“I can now go out with friends into the town, go to the cinema and go shopping, which was not always possible before.”
A ‘FRANTIC’ week for George Last year I was accepted into the Frantic Ignition Scheme; which is set up by the theatre company Frantic Assembly. This is a process where over 270 young men from across the UK, aged 16-20, audition to become one of the 12 boys to perform a physically demanding show in five days. The production was devised within the week and was made up of the work we had created ourselves. Here, I worked alongside Scott Graham and other practitioners within Frantic Assembly, which was an unbelievable experience. The experience involved a week living in London and rehearsing 9am - 6pm in Stratford, before performing the show in Stratford Circus Theatre. In addition, we were given the opportunity to see Frantic Assembly’s Production of ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ at the Gielgud Theatre and were able to meet members of the cast back stage. It opened my eyes completely to the world of theatre and acting and exceeded my expectations tremendously. From the relationships that I have built, to the demanding physical rehearsals, it was incredible, and I cannot wait to work with Frantic Assembly on other projects in the future. I wish to pursue an acting career and aim to get a degree to support this. Mr Cox, Head of Drama, commented, “I had the privilege of watching George perform in London and the performance was
outstanding. Frantic Assembly are the UK’s leading physical theatre company and this opportunity will certainly open doors for George in the future. He excelled in the performance and it was evident how much work and training had gone into the piece.” George Bartlett, Year 13 student
Academy Life
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News
A modern take on the classics The novel ‘Gone’ is written by popular American sci-fi author, Michael Grant, published in 2008 (followed by five sequels). Grant generally focuses his books towards older children and teenagers. ‘BZRK’ the trilogy and ‘The Messenger of Fear’ were also written for a similar audience by Grant.
My favourite author is Gillian Flynn because of her dark story lines and emotive language used in all of her books. Isabella Scott, Year 10 student
My top 10 favourite books
The story is a modern take on the classic ‘Lord of the Flies’, everyone over the age of fifteen has disappeared and the children have been isolated within an impenetrable dome circulating the town. The twist that distances ‘Gone’ from ‘Lord of the Flies’ is that some of the children begin to develop superpowers. The book is set in Southern California and follows the events of a group of children and how they work to discover the cause of the disaster and attempt to escape.
1. Gone by Michael Grant 2. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn 3. Divergent by Veronica Roth 4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 5. The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks 6. The Maze Runner by James Dashner 7. The Enemy by Charlie Higson 8. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 9. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 10. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
I recommend this book because it’s easy going but very entertaining and adventurous, without being overly intellectual or intimidating. It’s a good book to begin with if you’d like to read more.
What literature means to me: Inspiration for 100K run
In my early teens I’ll be honest I wasn’t much into reading. Looking back I am ashamed to say that I chose Media Studies over English Literature just to avoid books. I have to say that I massively regret this decision as I now absolutely love reading when I have time. On holiday I love to lose myself in a book, or five! My taste in books has varied over the years as I have gone through different phases. The only books I did read in my early teens were the ‘Choose your own adventure’ books by R.A. Montgomery & Edward Packard. The fact you could read a page and then choose about what page to go to, based upon a decision you needed to make, fascinated me. The Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13¾ was also a fantastic read. I think the fact it was structured like a diary meant I wasn’t daunted by reading a whole book as every day was another diary entry. It is a great read and extremely funny
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My top 10 favourite books 1. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall 2. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly 3. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown 4. Psycho: The Autobiography by Stuart Pearce 5. The Wrecker by Clive Cussler 6. The Black Echo by Michael Connelly 7. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13¾ by Sue Townsend 8. The Bourne Sanction by Robert Ludlum 9. Short-Cuts to Poland by Laura Klos Sokol 10. Clough: The Autobiography by Brian Clough
so I would recommend this to anyone as a really good book to help you fall in love with literature. Finally I also read for inspiration. I have read a number of sporting autobiographies in my life, but none more important than ‘Born to Run’ by Christopher McDougall. When I needed inspiration for a 100k ultramarathon that I ran in September 2015, I turned to this book for guidance. This true story centres on the author visiting a remote tribe in the Andes called the Tarahumara. This tribe has a way of life that sees them run hundreds of miles each day, just for fun! He meets a number of other inspirational characters on the way in his quest to find his inner ultra-athlete. The book culminates in a breath-taking race in the Copper Canyons with the world’s top ultra-runners taking on the Tarahumara. Anyone who is into running and needs inspiration to take the next step absolutely must read this book. Jon Newsum-Smith, Geography Teacher
www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
News
Architects support Year 12 students with coursework projects On Monday 21st November, our A2 Product Design students were pleased to host two guests from Leonard Design Architects. The purpose of their visit was to discuss and feedback on our students ‘live’ Commercial Design coursework projects, which they have been working on since the summer. Charlotte (a professional Interior Designer) and Matthew (a professional Architect), sat with each student and conducted a ‘crit’ on their work. They provided real life, constructive feedback on aspects such as: technical construction details; use of materials; sustainability and aesthetic design. Our students then had to incorporate aspects of this feedback into their designs. Charlotte and Matthew also talked to our students about pathways into careers in Architecture and Interior Design. It was a truly invaluable experience for our students and staff alike. Many thanks to http://leonarddesignarchitects. com/ for all their support.
Supporting young people Each term as part of my role as Academy Chaplain and latterly as Chair of Governors, I have had the privilege of leading several assemblies. In the last year the themes have covered topics as wide as Building Character; My Enterprise, Business and Faith Journey; Team Work; Stress and Depression and where to go for help; and an amazing day of Remembrance when veterans came into school to share with us our
commemoration of those who gave their lives for our freedom. I have also been involved in the Post 16 Ethics Conference where we looked at British Values and the foundations on which our nation has been built. I look forward to continuing in the coming year to develop these themes with the aim of helping our young people excel in their future lives and all that they set their minds to do. Revd Greg Price
Golden Beans! Tuxford staff panto The Tuxford Academy staff panto this year was a production to rival even the London West End! (“Oh know it wasn’t! Oh yes it was!”). Written and directed by our very own Head of Drama Mr Nick Cox, this year’s hilarious performance of Tuxford’s take on the classic ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ had the students in stitches, with staff dressing up as infamous pantomime characters much to the amusement of their audience. Thank you again to all staff for their Oscar winning performances (you know who you are!) to make the final day of term before the Christmas holidays so joyful.
Academy Life
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Academy Focus
Inspirational dance workshop held by world class dancers Students at Tuxford were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to take part in a special dance workshop, led by two dance professionals from James Cousins Company, London. Since winning the inaugural New Adventures Choreographer Award in 2012, James Cousins Company quickly made their mark on the dance world. Here at Tuxford we believe that dance goes deeper, to a place words cannot; it has the power to open your eyes to new ways of thinking and the energy to transport you to the edge of your imagination. Year 9 Tuxford student Millie Clarke said “I really enjoyed the entire workshop and it has made me appreciate the importance of trusting others and taking risks when creating dance work.”
Miss Kelly Smith, Dance teacher said “It was such a pleasure to see our dance students show such resilience and persistence when trying new things. The workshop really brought out their passion and encouraged them to take risks and build trust within one another. Students were able to talk with and question freelance dancers to inspire their own career paths and spark their ambition, as well as use the work created to enhance their own choreography. Year 11 student Caitlin Parker said “It was inspiring, I am going to continue to use the exercises we used to develop as a dancer. I am also going to use the material we were taught in my own GCSE choreography pieces.”
“It was a privilege to sit back and see how talented and determined our dance students are.” The workshop took place in the dance studios at the Academy on Thursday 10th November and a total of 30 students from Year 9, GCSE and BTEC Level 3, all took part. The aim of the six hour workshop was to create dance material in the same way the James Cousins company works, with students specifically learning about a set piece titled ‘within her eyes’. All students will use the material to develop their class work and their technical skills as a dancer. Year 10 students will write about this piece of set work in their written exam.
Pictured left to right are: Year 9 students, Millie Clarke and Lao Makrakis
Spicing up the dinner menu The Academy’s student Food Forum has recently been working with our Year 10 Food Preparation and Nutrition students in making positive suggestions to the school menu. The group put on a taster session with the students’ own recipes being added to the menu. Everyone enjoyed all the new tastes which will soon be going on the menu, with a personal favourite being the noodles. The new menu options for this term will include: noodles, fresh soup and quiche. This is one step closer to the students and the kitchens working in partnership with each other. “As a member of the Food Forum my job is to put forward ideas and advertise any new products to the students so that they fully benefit from the school’s catering services.” Caitlin Clarke, Year 10 student.
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www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
Academy Focus
Students lead the way Last term, Jason Tattershall from Blue Circle Training came into school for a training day and worked with forty five students from across the academy. Students took part in various leadership challenges and worked on their student forum proposals for the academic year. All students delivered a presentation and demonstrated excellent leadership skills throughout the day.
‘The leadership day was brilliant.’ Year 9 Student.
Student leaders and their main focuses for the day:
• Izzy Fountain Bird – Anti-bullying • Loucas Georgiou – Junior Town Council • Joseph Smith – Events/Charity • Abbie Robson – Mentoring • Maddie Vassiliades – Culture and Diversity • Will Ellison – Tutoring an Academic
REVISION! Advice from our Mentor Team The Mentor Team at Tuxford Academy strive to encourage independent thinking and reasoning skills so students can tackle ongoing challenges, such as revision, with confidence and self-belief. The following techniques can be used alongside CGP revision guides to reinforce and consolidate key areas of learning. • Word cards – Revision cards are great for learning key vocabulary in History, Modern Foreign Languages and Science. They are also useful for learning formulas in Maths and Physics. • Study sheets – A3 sheets of paper are extremely versatile and can used in a variety of different ways to help condense and organise revision material under main topics. Post-it notes can be used in addition to summary sheets to help extend revision notes and break information down further. • Online learning resources and revision videos/ tutorials – There is a wealth of information that can be accessed at students’ fingertips.
• Mind maps – Mind maps can be constructed in different ways depending on the topic that is being studied. • Cornell note taking system – A very powerful format for taking notes in subjects such as History, Psychology and English. • Problem cards – This technique helps you to recognise key features of problems in problem-related subjects such as Maths, Physics or Chemistry. • Question cards – A fantastic self-testing strategy that we encourage students to use when rehearsing information for recall. • Past papers – Past exam papers are most effective when used with a revision aid. It is important to mention that this list is not definitive. We strongly recommend to all of our students that they explore a variety of different techniques to find out what works for them. For a full explanation on our Mentors and revision techniques, please visit: http://www.tuxford-ac.org.uk/Weblinks
Academy Life
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Achievement & Awards
Students celebrate soaring successes with Olympic hero Olympic hero, Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards, was the special guest speaker at the annual Year 11 Celebration of Achievement Evening. Eddie was the first (and last) ski jumper to represent Great Britain. In the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, despite little experience or skill for his sport, Eddie’s heroic failures won the hearts and minds of the world. Mr David Cotton, Executive Principal, opened the prestigious event by welcoming the special guest, students and parents and encouraged the audience to share stories and memories of their time at Tuxford Academy and celebrate together the huge successes the class of 2016 have achieved. Mr Cotton said “Whatever you have learnt and achieved over the last few years, should be used as a platform for your future.” Eddie gave a truly inspirational speech to a capacity crowd, which echoed some of the amazing experiences he had over his career. Eddie said “It was my dream to ski jump at the Olympic games and my dream came true, so hold on to your dreams whatever they might be. I exemplified the spirit of the Olympic games, but without the help of those around me, I would have never have been able to succeed.”
During the course of the evening the Academy’s Heads of College, Mr Scott Thompson, Mr Rick MacPherson, Miss Vicky Leaning and Mr Neil Mosley, presented a number of awards to students from each of the academy’s four colleges for a range of academic and non-academic achievements. The award for ‘Highest Achiever’ was awarded to Ryan Dalby, Christopher Frow, Jessica Hogg and Lauren Miller. Ash student Ryan Dalby achieved 6A* and 6As in his GCSEs last July. Christopher Frow, Willow student achieved 1 A*, I Distinction* and 9As, Jessica Hogg, Beech student got 7As, 1A*, I Distinction* and 2Bs and Lauren Miller, Oak student got 1A*A*, 7A*s and 3As! Parent Dawn Wilson said “I am very proud of Alice for receiving an award and for being recognised by the Academy. She has had an incredible year and we hope her success continues, it’s been a lovely evening for both parents and students.” After the event, students and parents lined up to have their photo taken with the Olympic hero, who happily chatted and posed for photos.
“A new chapter of your life begins and with resilience and hard work, you can achieve anything.”
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www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
Achievement & Awards
Language success for former student Former student, Rob Kirk has had an impressive educational journey since leaving Tuxford Academy in 2012 and pursuing his passion for languages. With the solid intention of becoming a teacher, Rob has successfully risen through his GCSEs and A levels, before gaining a First-class honours degree in French with English Linguistics and Spanish. He has now secured a ‘Teach Direct’ place at the prestigious Silverdale School in Sheffield, which is an outstanding school with MFL specialism and now Tuxford Academy is going to benefit as Rob has agreed to come into the Academy to help in languages. Rob will be an inspirational person to have in our Modern Foreign Languages department – welcome back to Tuxford Academy Rob! Rob’s languages career pathway: • Studied French with English Linguistics and Spanish at Canterbury Christchurch University - First-class honours degree
• Used his linguistics skills as a translator supporting International students with their housing requirements • Spent two months in the summer in paid employment at the International Student Office • Presently studying a masters degree at Sheffield University in French Translation Studies • Works at Barcode Warehouse providing technical support to businesses in France • Gained a place at Teach Direct at Silverdale School, Sheffield • Supporting our students in French and Spanish at Tuxford Academy If any students have any questions about a career in languages, please ask a member of staff in Modern Foreign Languages.
Sensational vocal performance at Royal Concert Hall Tuxford Academy’s Vocal Ensemble was privileged to participate in an event involving several local Academies at the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham before the Christmas Holiday. The project was led by the National Youth Choir of Great Britain whose directors worked with students and staff on seasonal repertoire that was then to be transformed into an interpretation beyond the original. Tuxford chose the medieval carol ‘Coventry Carol’ and over four weeks created a version which combined the traditional nature of the original with the blues feel of ‘Feeling Good’ made famous by Nina Simone. We were surprised how well the two songs complemented each other and the potential for success was soon apparent. After a great deal of preparation, the event itself provided the students with a memory that will stay with them forever as they took to the stage in this most prestigious
venue. They applied themselves to this daunting task with a professional attitude and sang with a level of commitment that moved both myself and the friends and family in attendance. It was also thrilling to see them join with the other academies to sing ‘Carol of the Bells’ and ‘Let it Snow’. This was an inspiring celebration of the music making that is going on in state schools today, and long may it continue. The second part of the project begins in February, the culmination of which is a similar event at the Royal Concert Hall in May. Thanks go to the many parents, carers and staff who continue to give their time so freely to enable our young people to benefit from such character building experiences. Mr Jeff Evason – Subject Leader for Music
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Achievement & Awards
Born to play Our cover star Elliott Stockley in Year 8, started playing the clarinet and his drums at primary school. Last year, Elliott gained a distinction in Grade 2 and a merit in Grade 3 drumming together with a merit in Grade 2 clarinet (all in the same year)! He is now working towards his Grade 6 in drumming. Gary Haynes, Elliott’s drumming teacher, explains how talented Elliott is, “Elliott is a born musician and works very hard at both instruments, and is hoping in future to establish
a career in the music industry in some capacity. As the advances in Artificial Intelligence continue to take over more ordinary careers, the creative arts industries go from strength to strength providing secure and interesting employment opportunities to those people who have creative flair and are prepared to work hard. Elliott certainly has the flair and has shown himself to be someone who is likely to go far in Britain’s fastest growing industry in the future. Way to go Elliott!”
Celebrating success at P16 Celebration Evening
Mr Cotton, Executive Principal, opened the annual event, which was set to be an evening of celebrating the hard work and success our former students had achieved whilst at the academy. “Year on year Tuxford Academy goes from strength to strength. The success of our academy is down to everyone involved – Excellence through Teamwork.” Mr Cotton also encouraged everyone to reflect on fond memories, their time at school, reminisce with their teachers and friends and most of all enjoy their evening. Former student, David Newman was the guest speaker of the evening. David has had tremendous success since leaving the academy in 2007. After having worked, studied and travelled in America, Europe and Australia, David graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in History before embarking upon a career in finance. He went on to forge a successful path in wealth management, working at leading firms such as UBS and Barclays Wealth, before building his own fast growing financial technology company which now has offices in London, Cardiff and Brussels. We were honoured to have him back at Tuxford. David’s six pearls of wisdom: • It’s experiences that shape you • Be curious; find out what’s going on in the world • Read a lot • Be open to experiences • Say yes – worry about how later! • There are many opportunities out there if you apply yourself and work hard
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Many heart-warming stories were shared during the evening, with over 18 awards being specially presented to students for outstanding academic achievements. During the evening the following past students were honoured with Special Awards: • Eva Beasant • Grace Purnell • Harry Vaughan • Jack Bacon • Jamie Daly • Jonathan Lile • Lucinda Gent • Lydia Parkes • Sam Retallack-Hall • Jake Jones “Former students need to be celebrated. It is important to stop and reflect on achievement and success. Hard work and resilience needs to be celebrated. Grit and determination is our moto and the result is apparent here tonight in the success of our students.” Miss Murphy, Associate Principal, Post 16 David Newman was pleased to be able to come back to school and speak to our students: “It was a pleasure to be part of the evening. It is always great to see the recognition of success and it is a testament to the school that this recognition of students came in all shapes and forms. The evening was not just celebrating the highest grades or top sporting achievements but showing much deserved support for those that pushed boundaries, overcame difficulties or made significant turnarounds to make their own successes. The diversity of success is a message I tried to convey in the evening as this has been central to my own path; I have judged my own success by the wide range of amazing experiences I have been fortunate enough to have. For me, this has been driven not just by hard work but a genuine curiosity about the world, a willingness to seize new opportunities, see what these opportunities bring and even when I fail, making sure I learned from my mistakes and sought advice and help of those around me.”
Congratulations to all our former students and keep in touch! We love hearing about your successes!
www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
Star Students
Megan receives Baden-Powell award Year 11 student, Megan Sheeran, has recently completed her Baden-Powell award with 2nd Ordsall Guides and Retford Senior Section. Baden-Powell is the highest award a guide can achieve and can’t be done if you’re over sixteen. It is divided into five ‘Zones’ which contain clauses, you have to complete 10 of them, with at least one clause from each Zone to obtain the award which took her about eight months. You also have to take part in a ‘Baden-Powell Adventure’ - Megan went on a survival weekend in July to do this. Megan finished her Baden-Powell award on the 6th November 2016, having successfully fulfilled all the clauses necessary. These clauses included: Presenting to a group of young people in her guide group about Fair Trade; writing a song book; and completing the Survival and World Issues badges. When I spoke to her she said that once she had finished the challenge, she felt proud as it
took eight months to complete and some of the clauses were quite stressful, having to manage her time accordingly as she was doing her Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award at the same time. As a final question I asked whether she would recommend the challenge and Girl Guiding to anyone else. She responded with “Yes, it’s a good award and Girl Guiding gives girls a chance to go on adventures and challenge their limits. It’s also fun and an enjoyable thing to do.” Beth Atkinson, Year 11 student
Alice’s love of cooking (look out Mary Berry!) This recipe (right) is my all time favourite because of how easy, yet tasty it is! I first became interested in cooking and baking when I was quite small, I would bake fairy cakes with my Grandma and it became a passion and hobby from then on. I find cooking extremely relaxing but it is a process you must get right to reap the tasty rewards! I am vegetarian and I do a large amount of cooking for my family which everyone enjoys. Being vegetarian has really helped me branch out on what I cook and eat. I chose to do Food and Nutrition for GCSE because I thought it would be amazing to get a good grade in something I enjoy so much, and also so I could improve my knowledge of the components of food. I would really recommend having a go at cooking and baking because it is a great, relaxing hobby which you can do all year round. After creating your dish, it is really satisfying knowing you have made it which makes it even more delicious to eat!
Spicy Cheese Scones
3oz (85g) cheese, grated 6oz (170g) self-raising flour, plus extra for rolling Good pinch cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon mustard ½ teaspoon salt 1oz (25g) butter 1 large egg 2 tablespoons of milk
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4) and grease a baking tray. 2. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the mustard, salt and cayenne pepper. Then mix thoroughly. 3. Rub in the butter so the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. 4.
Mix in the cheese, then beat the egg with 2 tablespoons of milk in a bowl and gradually pour into the dry ingredients mixing first with a knife then finishing off with your hands. The mixture should be a soft ball, if not add some more milk.
5. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out as evenly as possible, around 1 inch thick. 6. Then using a floured cutter, cut out the scones. 7. Place the scones onto the greased tray and put into the oven for 15-20 minutes, until they are risen and golden brown.
Academy Life
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DALP
Students raise the roof at DALP Creative Arts Festival It was show time for students from all nine DALP Academies as they took to the stage in a show stopping dance and musical spectacular. DALP students rehearsed hard in the weeks leading up to the event as performances were polished to perfection, which was no easy task considering that some students had never performed before. Kelham Hall’s domed roof was filled to capacity with an audience consisting of students, parents/carers, teachers and VIPs who were all wowed with a fabulous array of singing, dance and musical performances. All academies sang together for the finale ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’.
Special guest Mrs Jan Richardson MBE, Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Nottinghamshire said “I’ve never spent such a lovely couple of hours and if Her Majesty The Queen had been here, I’m sure she would have wanted to join in. I’ve had a thoroughly splendid time.” Ticket monies raised at the event will be donated to Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire Air Ambulance.
DALP Christmas card competition Lucy Allwood, Year 9, was the secondary school winner of the first DALP Christmas Card Competition. The competition to design the DALP Christmas card was opened up to all nine DALP Academies (seven secondary and two primary schools), with a prize of high street vouchers and a donation to the charity of the winner’s choice. Lucy’s festive design was deemed the stand out overall winner with Tilly Hall, aged 10 from Tuxford Primary Academy’s design being chosen as the winner of the primary category.
Well done girls!
Fund raising support for Air Ambulance The DALP Student Engagement Committee is a group of students from each of the DALP schools that meet once a term to discuss matters affecting all of the DALP Academies and raise money for the nominated DALP charity. This year, Abigail Cheetham, Matthew Petley, Oliver Brown and Lao Makrakis from Tuxford Academy, along with all the other DALP Academies, are raising money for the ‘Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance’, through a number of different fundraising activities.
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At our annual Christmas Charity Fair, the students raised £120 by running a stall selling Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance merchandise, cakes and a chocolate tombola. Our students are aiming to raise at least £500 this year through their fundraising activities.
www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
Charity
Tuxford Academy pays moving tribute to the fallen Each year, Tuxford Academy hosts a Remembrance event to pay respect to all servicemen, servicewomen, police and civilians who have paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country.
Territorial Service as an ambulance driver during World War II.
Our visitors included 102 year old Mr Harry Mays from Tuxford who received the Lé d’honneur, the highest recognition awarded by France, for bravery during the Normandy Landings on June 6th 1944 and Mrs Winnie Timson, also from Tuxford who served in the Auxiliary
The academy fell totally silent as students at Tuxford observed the two minute silence. The students behaved brilliantly and showed great respect.” Mr David Vernon, Academy Principal.
Willow College Charity Day Miss Leaning, Head of Willow College, leads our AntiBullying Ambassadors and linked the fund raising to AntiBullying Week last November. The Charity Day was to raise money for two important anti-bullying charities – ‘The Diana Award’ and ‘Ditch the Label’.
A non uniform day was held raising £1334.00. During morning break there were various stalls in the main hall run by two members of each Willow form, which raised £432.10. In total, a fabulous £1979.48 was raised for charity.
During the week, there was an Inter-College Bake Off event with Grace Crooks and Sarah Jennings being crowned the champions. A bake sale of the cakes made was held the following day which raised £213.38.
If any students would like to find out more about antibullying or, get anti-bullying support, the Anti-Bullying Ambassadors, known as the Smile Ambassadors, meet each Friday in E5.
Festive Fair raises money for local charities Our annual Charity Fair was held in November and fourteen local charities attended including Mansfield & District Samaritans, Bassetlaw Hospice, Bone Cancer Research Trust, CHinK (Children in Kenya) Guide Dogs for the Blind and many more.
The hall was brimming with students as they visited the wide range of stalls available, including charity merchandise, tombolas, cake sales, competitions, games and raffles. The generosity of the children and staff was overwhelming, with some stalls selling out before lunch time.
Mrs Stella Coupe a volunteer from Bluebell Wood Hospice said, “The students are a credit to you, they were all so well mannered and polite.”
The event raised £1762.00 and was hailed a huge success by all who attended.
Look what we raised for charity last term The Big Sleepout for Framework
£500.00
Poppy Appeal
£616.35
Bake Sale for Bone Cancer Research
£75.00
Willow College Charity Day
£1979.48
Charity Fair
£1762.00
Mudfest (members of staff)
£225.00
Forget me Nots (Tuxford)
£1200.00
Lincoln Santa Run (members of staff)
£100.00
Total: £6457.83
Well done!
Academy Life
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Sport
Alex Espin Y10 - Dream of playing for England soon to be realised Like many boys Alex tried football but quickly realised that it wasn’t for him. So when he was around 10 or 11, he started playing basketball at a club in Retford and it was there that he first played against the Mansfield Basketball Club. After that match Alex was asked to play for Mansfield, which was a bigger and better club and he has been playing for them ever since. Through his success at the club, Alex went for County Trials (4 weeks of training) last August and got through! He was then entered for a county tournament, where he was chosen to play for the East Midlands. He had a couple of weeks training and then took part in a regional tournament, and from there Alex was then selected to play for the English U15 Basketball Team!! Alex received the amazing news in December – and all before his 15th birthday in March this year. He is now looking forward to going to the England Development Camp in April 2017. What a fantastic sporting achievement. Hopes and dreams – Alex is hoping to do A levels and then would like to secure a scholarship to study basketball abroad and then to live his dream and play for England.
GB ambitions for young athlete Year 10 student Sam Roberts has had some tremendous athletic achievements recently. He came 5th and 7th in the 1500m and 800m Welsh National Championships and over October half term was specially chosen as one of eight athletes in the country to train with Swansea Athletics Training Squad. Sam was able to join the Welsh team as his father is Welsh and so qualifies for the Welsh team. The challenging three day training session involved gruelling multi-terrain runs across sand dunes, motivational talks and lessons in stretching and body management for top athletes.
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“The sessions were really interesting. We were taught how to recover quicker after runs – one of them involved cooling down by standing in the sea!”
“I’d really like to try and get a scholarship in America – that would be amazing,” said Sam.
At home Sam’s training schedule is relentless with only one day off a week. He mixes shorter daily runs with circuit training and longer weekend runs. “I run every day because I love it!”
Sam’s sporting hero is Charlie Grice who trains with Mo Farah. Charlie’s advice to Sam when they connected via social media was to “Keep working and it will come”.
Sam’s ambition is to wear a GB vest and trainer John Wood believes he can do so.
Good advice for all our students. Best of luck Sam!
www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
Teaching school
Excellence through partnership
OLEVI INTERNATIONAL
EARLY CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME The Trent Valley Teaching School Alliance (TVTSA) based at Tuxford Academy offers the Early Career Development Programme. It is delivered by our outstanding team of facilitators who are: Specialist Leaders of Education, Principals or Lead Practitioners. The ECDP provides a range of skills and understanding suitable for all sectors and phases, supporting teaching colleagues in successfully completing their early years in the teaching profession. Delegates have the chance to visit classrooms, both primary and secondary, and discuss methodologies whilst also unpicking teaching and learning strategies. So far this academic year we have explored: • Challenge, Engagement and Motivation • Questioning and Higher Order Thinking Skills • Managing Behaviour Effectively
GET INTO TEACHING If you are thinking of teaching, TVTSA offer a personal school led teacher training programme in both primary and secondary schools. We have vacancies available which are rapidly being filled. To look at our current vacancies please visit: www.tuxford-ac.org.uk/teachingschool The School Direct Teacher Training Programme leads to a PGCE with QTS and masters’ credits. If you’re thinking of teaching, but want to find out more, why not try our school experience days; these are available to attend in both primary and secondary schools. For students in the second year of their degree who would like to teach Maths or Physics, we also host paid internships. DAVID JORDAN Psychology NQT writes about his experience of attending the Jason Bangbala Conquering Challenging Behaviour training day at Fernwood Village Hall
• Differentiation • Growth Mindsets Between sessions, teachers are keeping a reflective learning journal and also completing tasks that require them to learn in their own setting. This creates a basis of discussion with Induction Tutors/ mentors and other colleagues. This continuing professional development also helps prove that they are consistently satisfying The Teachers’ Standards, as all teachers must. Constantinos Tsimbiridis ECDP Lead Facilitator Teaching School Leader/Lead SLE Professional Tutor Inspiring Science: Primary Science Network Meetings facilitated by Nicola Beverley, Primary Science Consultant Nicola is an experienced school improvement professional, with extensive specialist knowledge of primary teaching. She is a nationally renowned primary science specialist and was a science advisory teacher for several years. Nicola has facilitated two excellent sessions so far here at Tuxford Academy; Science Subject ’Boot-Camp’ and Inspiring Science at Key Stage 1. We have had a fantastic response to these programmes and had to make use of our Science labs in order to accommodate everyone! We have had some fantastic feedback so far: “The session this afternoon was brilliant and gave me a good insight and a confidence boost as I have just taken on subject leadership for the first time.”
Jason Bangbala introduced a wide variety of strategies for overcoming challenging behaviours in the classroom in his recent training day. He focussed particularly on methods of overcoming constant low-level disruption, with reference to the importance of transactional analysis (how teachers reflect on their methods of communicating with students) and strategies that could be effectively employed to de-escalate challenging situations. “The training shall particularly impact on how I tackle constant disruptive behaviour and what things I can do to achieve the marginal gains in effective behaviour management that Jason consistently referred to. In particular, he recommended a real focus on constant positive reinforcement through consistent praise for worthy behaviour, a strategy that is sometimes overlooked but incredibly important to remember”.
Excellence through partnership
Marnham Road, Tuxford, Newark, Nottingham, NG22 0JH
Excellence through Partnership
email: bookings@tvtsa.co.uk
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