A long-serving member of staff at Tewkesbury Academy, who spent more than three decades helping young people achieve their Duke of Edinburgh accreditation, has seen her work recognised during a special presentation.
Isobel Tustin started the Duke of Edinburgh (D of E) Awards at Tewksbury in 1986, and since then has assisted students in achieving an amazing total of 66 Gold awards. Isobel retired from teaching science three years ago – but even then continued with her dedicated D of E work.
Only now has Isobel reluctantly decided to stepdown as the scheme’s leader. The Tewkesbury team recognised her exceptional work by holding a small presentation.
The very first and last Tewkesbury student participants in the award were in attendance, along with some other former participants and a representative from the D of E head office. Kathleen McGillycuddy, Principal and Tewkesbury Academy’s Chair of the Academy Council, also made up the presentation party.
Isobel was presented with flowers and a congratulatory certificate from the D of E office.
Kathleen McGillycuddy Principal said: “It’s been fantastic to acknowledge the work of Isobel- she has done above and beyond over the years serving the Tewkesbury community. We are pleased that she will support students on some of our future trips and we wish her a wonderful and happy retirement.”
Sarah Williams Operations Officer for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards said: “Isobel’s involvement with DofE started in 1976 when she signed up to start her Bronze Award. In 1977 she had completed her Bronze Award, 1979 her Silver, and in 1980 her Gold Award. She was in fact, the first girl at her school to achieve a Gold Award!
Isobel set up the DofE Award at Tewkesbury School in 1987, two years after she joined the school as a science teacher, and since then, 37 years later, the programme has gone from strength to strength. From delivering expeditions locally at Bredon Hill, The Malvern’s and- The Cotswolds, to progressing further afield to locations such as Orkney, Bavaria, Corsica, Romania and Slovenia, it’s easy to see the effort that is put into DofE, to ensure that young people have an exciting and memorable journey. Hundreds of pupils at Tewkesbury School have achieved their Award because of her, and the fantastic volunteers she continues to engage and support.
Isobel even received a royal mint commemorative coin in 2021 to recognise her outstanding work. Her dedication, efforts and achievements should be highly commended, and she should be so proud of all that she has done.
Thank you, from all of us at DofE.”
It’s been another fabulous World Book day at Tewkesbury Academy!
As part of the celebrations staff put together their own exciting spin on the The Masked Singer – ‘The Masked Reader’. Short videos were made of teachers who read a couple of lines from their chosen book whilst they wore a mask or disguise….some even used a voice changer to give incredible results! Each had their own character name – their name and book was a big clue as to who they were. Students had a great time guessing who was ‘behind the mask’!
Our Big Read this year was Cloud Busting by Malorie Blackman. Throughout the morning at the start of lessons, our Key Stage 3 classes listened to a variety of staff who had filmed themselves reading chapters from the book.
As always, the Library had some delicious complimentary cakes donated by our local supermarkets Morrisons and the Co-op. Children enjoyed their cake whilst collecting their free World Book Day book. Books were supplied by local bookshops Alison’s Bookshop and WHSmith.
Principal, Kathleen McGillycuddy said, “World Book Day is really important to us here at Tewkesbury Academy. Reading unlocks our future; literacy is something that will set us free – whatever our interests or passions. If we read well we can discover more about the world, we become more empathetic, we understand more, we can debate more, and we can see into other people’s world – this makes us better citizens.”
A big thank you to our wonderful library team for all of the work that went in to this day and to the staff involved for entertaining us all with their masks and story-telling.
A group of 21 Tewkesbury Academy Year 12 A-level media studies students visited the University of Gloucestershire Park Campus to attend the Great Create interactive media session.
During the session, students engaged in a variety of workshops aimed at exploring different aspects of media production. Workshops included TV and film production, creative advertising and journalism, providing students with hands-on experience in these fields.
Kate Murtagh, Associate Assistant Principal, said: “The students had a great time coming up with their own TV programme and learnt all about interviewing and the news studio.”
It was an early start for Tewkesbury Academy’s Year 9 students when they embarked on an enriching educational journey to the heart of London.
The group were making the long journey to explore the wonders of science at the renowned Natural History Museum.
The museum is a world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre. Curators use their unique collections and unrivalled expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. The museum cares for more than 80 million objects spanning billions of years, and welcomes more than five million visitors annually.
Students were particularly keen to visit the volcanic exhibits, as this linked with their current topic of study. The experience provided a firsthand glimpse into the amazing wonders of the natural world.
Head of subject, Mrs Woodman, said: “We’ve had a brilliant day with Year 9. The students have been exceptional and were complimented on their exemplary conduct. It’s been a pleasure spending the day with all of them.”
A big thank you to Mrs Woodman, Mr Pilkington, Mrs Hood and Mrs Wager for supporting this activity.
Tewkesbury Academy students held their second Pupil Parliament.
It was a jam-packed agenda which included guest speaker Natalie Wang, who is running for election in the national Youth Parliament. Natalie spoke to the students about the Youth Parliament, offering tips on how they could get involved and the importance of voting.
There was a discussion regarding the parliament’s next steps and what area of student experience they are going to focus on.
The Pupil Parliament is designed to enhance student engagement and empowerment by giving them a voice in school matters.
Students enjoy inspirational talk from a microbial ecologist
A group of GCSE and A-level scientists at Tewkesbury Academy had the privilege to attend an inspirational talk by an environment molecular microbial ecologist from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology about her journey from flunking chemistry to studying the guts of bees.
Dr Lindsay Newbold described her 20-year scientific journey through unconventional paths. She described the soil bacteria (with links to GCSE biology) project in the mountains, earthworms in Chernobyl, analysing water quality (links to GCSE chemistry) and work in environmental biology.
In a fascinating revelation, Dr Newbold told students their plate of chips relies on bees, birds, rats and another pollinators.
Dr Alice Kennedy, Director of Science at Tewkesbury Academy, said: “Dr Newbold gave some excellent advice about standing out from the crowd when looking for career progression.
“The event left a lasting impression on attendees, igniting a spark of curiosity and passion for science among the students at Tewkesbury Academy.”
A Tewkesbury Academy student has achieved a remarkable feat by finishing in the top 20 at the South West Cross Country Championships.
Year 10 student Jess Sheppard demonstrated exceptional talent and determination, securing an impressive 15th position in this tough competition. Jess was also part of the Gloucestershire County team, who triumphed by winning the competition outright.
Her dedication and commitment to the sport has not gone unnoticed, as she has been selected to represent Gloucestershire at the upcoming National Championships in just a couple of weeks.
Congratulations and good luck Jess!
Fines for parents taking children out of school without permission will rise across England from September the Department for Education has announced. Greatest Hits Radio, Gloucestershire spoke to Kathleen McGillycuddy, Principal of Tewkesbury School about how schools should work in partnership with parents to encourage attendance.
The Year 7 girls’ football team from Tewkesbury Academy showcased great sportsmanship at the recent Cheltenham District football finals. Despite a slow start, the team rallied to secure a commendable third-place finish in their group.
While the girls did not advance to the semi-finals, they demonstrated their determination by securing a hard-earned draw against the eventual champions. Their performance reflected their dedication to the sport and their school.
Mr Graham-Kevan said: “They were a pleasure to work with and represented their school with pride and determination. Well done girls!”
After the education secretary’s proposal to ban the use of mobile phones in schools, Principal of Tewkesbury Academy Kathleen McGillycuddy was interviewed by Greatest Hits Radio, Gloucestershire.
Click on the link below to find out what Kathleen had to say.
