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Tuesday 4 September INSET Day (staff only) Wednesday 5 September Incoming Year 7 students and Year 12 inducCon Thursday 6 September School commences for all students except Year 12 Dates for the Diary JULY 2012 ANOTHER YEAR OF EXCELLENCE THROUGH CREATIVITY A message from our Executive Head Teacher I am very proud to present our Summer NewsleJer, packed as it is with the tremendous achievements of our students throughout the year. This was epitomised in the recent celebraCon assemblies for Year 11 and Year 13. It really was a privilege to see our young people receiving their awards and accolades. For the past year I have been most impressed by the manner in which all in our community have risen to the challenges and exceeded our expectaCons. I have been parCcularly impressed with the sheer number of extracurricular events which you will read about herein. Looking back over an excepConally busy year I am proud to be part of a school that saw us gain a very good report from the Local Authority Review and one that is looking forward to a great set of results in public examinaCons. Our moJo, Excellence through Crea0vity, has really shone through and I have been impressed at the resilience displayed by all during our momentous move to our new buildings. The new school year will bring with it many challenges but we are confident that we will conCnue to see our students exceed all of our expectaCons. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all colleagues, teaching and associate staff for their magnificent efforts this year. In addiCon, I would like to thank all parents and carers for the encouragement you have given us this year; we couldn’t possibly achieve what we have without your support. Moreover, I would like to extend my hearYelt thanks to the governors for their Creless and voluntary hard work over the year. I wish everyone a resYul summer break. Byron Parker Mr Roy Preston Mr Roy Preston sadly passed away unexpectedly at the end of June. Roy was a governor at the school for over 20 years and his son, Nick, aJended Tallis. On behalf of governors and staff we would like to pass on our sincere condolences to Roy’s family. Cath Barton celebrates her last TTRA ceremony with members of our departing Year 13. TALLISNews

Tallis News July 2012

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Thomas Tallis School's newsletter for parents and carers. July 2012.

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Page 1: Tallis News July 2012

Tuesday  4  September       INSET  Day  (staff  only)Wednesday  5  September     Incoming  Year  7  students  and  Year  12  inducConThursday  6  September       School  commences  for  all  students  except  Year  12

Dates for the Diary

JULY

201

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ANOTHER YEAR OF EXCELLENCE THROUGH CREATIVITYA message from our Executive Head Teacher

I  am  very  proud  to  present  our  Summer  NewsleJer,  packed  as  it  is  with  the  tremendous  achievements  of  ourstudents  throughout  the  year.  This  was  epitomised  in  the  recent  celebraCon  assemblies  for  Year  11  and  Year  13.  Itreally  was  a  privilege  to  see  our  young  people  receiving  their  awards  and  accolades.  For  the  past  year  I  have  been  most  impressed  by  the  manner  in  which  all  in  our  community  have  risen  to  thechallenges  and  exceeded  our  expectaCons.  I  have  been  parCcularly  impressed  with  the  sheer  number  of  extra-­‐curricular  events  which  you  will  

read  about  herein.  Looking  back  over  an  excepConally  busy  year  I  am  proud  to  be  part  of  a  school  that  saw  us  gain  a  very  good  report  from  the  Local  Authority  Review  and  one  that  is  looking  forward  to  a  great  set  of  results  in  public  examinaCons.  Our  moJo,  Excellence  through  Crea0vity,  has  really  shone  through  and  I  have  been  impressed  at  the  resilience  displayed  by  all  during  our  momentous  move  to  our  new  buildings.  The  new  school  year  will  bring  with  it  many  challenges  but  we  are  confident  that  we  will  conCnue  to  see  our  students  exceed  all  of  our  expectaCons.  I  would  like  to  take  this  opportunity  to  thank  all  colleagues,  teaching  and  associate  staff  for  their  magnificent  efforts  this  year.  In  addiCon,  I  would  like  to  thank  all  

parents  and  carers  for  the  encouragement  you  have  given  us  this  year;  we  couldn’t  possibly  achieve  what  we  have  without  your  support.  Moreover,  I  would  like  to  extend  my  hearYelt  thanks  to  the  governors  for  their  Creless  and  voluntary  hard  work  over  the  year.  I  wish  everyone  a  resYul  summer  break.

Byron  Parker

Mr Roy PrestonMr  Roy  Preston  sadly  passed  away  unexpectedly  at  the  end  of  June.  Roy  was  a  governor  at  the  school  for  over  20  years  and  his  son,  Nick,  aJended  Tallis.  On  behalf  of  governors  and  staff  we  would  like  to  pass  on  our  sincere  condolences  to  Roy’s  family.

Cath Barton celebrates her last TTRA ceremony with members of our departing Year 13.

TALLISNews

Page 2: Tallis News July 2012

Departing colleagues

The  following  staff  will  be  leaving  Thomas  Tallis  at  the  end  of  the  Summer  Term:

Jill  Moon  Deputy  Head  Speech  &  Language  (reCring)Denise  Field  Deputy  SENCoNigel  Anderson  Individual  Support  Teacher  SENLeila  Clarke  Individual  Support  Teacher  SENJulia  Renouf  Individual  Support  Teacher  SENIan  Williams  Business/ICT  TeacherDaniel  Talbot  English  TeacherCaroline  Nolan  HumaniCes  TeacherDanny  Brown  Maths  TeacherAndrew  Cayless  Maths  TeacherLinda  Steel  MFL/Advanced  Skills  TeacherElizabeth  Capener  Head  of  MusicDelarry  Sawyer  Science  TeacherKate  Hawkins  Art  &  Design  TeacherSophie  HeweI  Art  &  Design  TeacherRoss  O’Brien  Art  &  Design  Teacher

I  would  like  to  thank  them  all  for  their  contribuCon  to  the  school  and  wish  them  well  for  the  future.

Assistant  Headteachers,  Cath  Barton,  Siobhan  McCauley  and  Soren  Hawes,  are  leaving  Tallis  to  take  careers  breaks.  

Cath  has  taught  Dance  and  Drama  at  the  school  since  1981  (31  years).  She  became  a  member  of  the  leadership  team  in  2001  as  Head  of  our  Post  16  Centre  and  has  played  an  integral  part  in  the  building  of  a  successful  and  thriving  6th  Form.  Cath  has  seen  countless  students  progress  and  achieve  success  before  they  have  lee  to  join  the  world  of  work  or  move  on  to  further  educaCon.

Siobhan  has  been  a  teacher  of  English  at  Tallis  for  the  past  23  years.  During  her  Cme  at  the  school,  Siobhan  has  been  an  effecCve  pastoral  leader  and,  in  the  past  year,  she  has  been  a  member  of  our  leadership  team  as  Assistant  Headteacher  responsible  for  Inclusion.  Siobhan  has  created  a  cohesive  inclusion  team  and  has  supported  the  school  in  maintaining  a  high  aJendance  rate.  

Soren  has  been  aJached  to  Tallis  since  1999  as  part  of  our  English  faculty,  our  Deaf  Support  Centre  and  has,  for  the  past  few  years,  been  involved  in  Tallis  Lab.  Soren  has  been  the  Assistant  Headteacher  for  Learning  &  CreaCvity  for  the  past  few  years  and  has  played  an  integral  role  in  organising  the  ICT  structure  for  the  new  school.

We  would  like  to  thank  all  staff  leaving  for  the  support  they  have  given  to  students  and  colleagues  at  Tallis  and  we  wish  everyone  the  very  best  for  the  future.

Staff AppointmentsI  would  like  to  warmly  welcome  the  following  staff  who  will  join  us  in  September.

Paul  Avery       Deputy  Head  Teacher,  PastoralLindsey  Rayner       Deputy  Head  Teacher,  CurriculumAshley  Tomlin       Deputy  Head  Teacher,  Post  16Francesca  Kamei       Assistant  Head  Teacher,  InclusionKeith  Matheson-­‐McLaughlin  Curriculum  Leader  ScienceJulieIe  Robinson       Curriculum  Leader  MFLSam  Sheedy       Head  of  GeographyDale  Smith       Head  of  Social  ScienceDiana  Minnicucci       Art  &  Design  TeacherVictoria  UIley       Art  &  Design  TeacherJames  Rogers       Business  TeacherRobin  Morgan       Design  &  Technology  TeacherLindsay  Shaw       Drama  TeacherMartha  Campbell-­‐Irving     English  TeacherClaire  Runci       English  TeacherCraig  Catlin       HumaniCes  TeacherRobert  Fredrick       HumaniCes  TeacherSylvia  Myers       Maths  TeacherTina  Wallace       Maths  TeacherRabia  Zeshan       Maths  TeacherCharline  Gradowicz     MFL  TeacherRyan  Partridge       Trainee  Teacher  PEKaSe  Tomczynska       Music  TeacherEdith  Agboola       Science  TeacherBen  Doerner       Science  TeacherMartyn  Ray       Science  TeacherZara  Shaikh       AST  ScienceKate  Swannack       Science  TeacherRemi  Opelaye       Wellbeing  TeacherJane  Thomas       Director  of  Deaf  Support  CentreLorna  PaIon       CommunicaCon  support  workerMary  Mulrenan       Dyslexia  supportJoey  Williams       Learning  Support  AssistantShilo  Yoger       Learning  Support  AssistantRebecca  Tunricliffe       Learning  Support  AssistantReborah  Wythe       Learning  Support  AssistantDermot  Cullen       Learning  Support  Assistant

UniformFrom  September  all  students  will  be  expected  to  wear  the  new  school  uniform.  Details  can  be  found  on  the  website  but  the  important  details  are:• All  students  will  have  to  wear  the  new  turquoise  polo  shirt  and  cannot  wear  the  old  royal  blue  polo.

• All  students  will  have  to  wear  the  new  knitwear.• The  colour  of  uniform  trousers  and  skirts  has  been  changed  back  to  BLACK.

The  school  shop  will  be  open  at  the  following  Cmes  duringthe  holidays:  28,  29  and  30  August  2012  from  10:00  –  14:00.

ExaminationsOur  congratulaCons  to  all  the  students  who  have  worked  incredibly  hard  and  have  coped  with  the  pressures  of  sikng  so  many  exams.  Thank  you  also  to  all  staff  involved  in  preparing  the  students  and  the  admin  team  for  ensuring  that  everything  ran  so  smoothly.  We  look  forward  to  theresults  days  in  August:  Years  11  and  10  -­‐  23  August;  Post  16  -­‐  16  August.

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English UpdateKS3 Book Group:The  KS3  book  group  has  been  a  huge  success  this  year.  Students  from  across  the  key  stage  have  approached  discussion  with  maturity  and  enthusiasm,  responding,  listening  and  discussing  with  passion  and  interest.  So  far  we  have  read  and  discussed  How  I  live  Now  by  Meg  Rosoff,  The  Hunger  Games  by  Suzanne  Collins  and  The  Hound  of  the  Baskervilles  by  Conan  Doyle.  We  will  be  meeCng  in  the  last  week  of  term  to  discuss  our  last  book  of  year,  Haroun  and  the  Sea  of  Stories  by  Salmon  Rushdie.Central  to  the  success  of  the  group  has  been  the  student-­‐led  blog.  Aeer  each  meeCng  students  have  used  laptops  to  write  their  own  brief  review  of  the  novels  we  have  read.  Another  area  of  success  has  been  the  involvement  of  a  year  11  G  and  T  student  who  has  helped  prompt  and  extend  discussion.

KS5 Reading Group:The  Thomas  Tallis  KS5  Reading  Group  has  gone  from  strength  to  strength  this  year.  It  has  aJracted  a  great  range  of  students  who  have  been  enthusiasCcally  choosing  books.  So  far  we  have  had  animated  discussions  about  Room  by  Emma  Donohue,  The  Diving  Bell  And  The  BuDerfly  by  Jean  Dominique  Bauby,  Under  The  Skin  by  Michel  Faber  and,  our  favourite  so  far,  Morvern  Callar  by  Alan  Warner.  This  summer  we  are  reading  two  very  different  books  -­‐  In  Cold  Blood  (Truman  Capote),  and  A  Room  With  A  View  (EM  Forster).  Central  to  the  group  have  been  the  year  13  students  who  were  instrumental  in  sekng  it  up,  but  now  that  they  are  off  to  university  and  art  college,  we  need  some  new  blood.  It  has  been  a  great  opportunity  for  students  who  enjoy  reading  to  talk  about  books  outside  of  a  classroom  sekng  and  to  encourage  them  to  widen  their  reading.  Our  Facebook  group  already  has  33  members!  So,  if  you  are  in  Years  10,  11,  12  or  13,  come  and  see  us  in  the  English  Office  for  your  copies  ofthis  summer's  books!

Yorkshire Trip:AS/A2  English  Literature  students  have  been  enjoying  a  three  day  trip  to  Yorkshire  to  help  them  to  prepare  for  their  A2  course  on  ‘Elements  of  the  Gothic’.  Amongst  other  things,  students  have  enjoyed  a  trip  to  the  Bronte  Parsonage,  eaten  fish  and  chips  in  Whitby  (where  they  were  looking  out  for  Dracula),  and  have  taken  a  compulsory  long  walk  across  the  moors.  Although  the  wet  weather  lee  much  to  be  desired,  the  cold  and  occasional  thundery  showers  at  least  served  the  purpose  of  creaCng  the  perfect  Gothic  atmosphere.  If  you’re  interested  in  finding  out  a  liJle  more  about  the  trip  then  check  out  the  tweets  on  TwiJer!  #A2LitTrip  

The  English  department  have  worked  relentlessly  to  potenCally  achieve  exceedingly  strong  results  with  Year  11-­‐  76%  of  students  are  projected  to  achieve  A*-­‐C  grade.  We  have  also  achieved  the  best  results  at  Key  Stage  3  with  80%  of  students  in  Year  9  gaining  Level  5  or  above,  55%  achieving  Level  6  or  above  and  more  students  than  ever  before  making  good  progress.  These  achievement  bear  testament  to  the  hard  work  and  dedicaCon  of  the  staff  and  students  alike.

Sane Black DogClifford  Chance  asked  Thomas  Tallis  Year  8  Art  students  to  design  a  coat  for  the  SANE  Black  Dog  campaign.  The  campaign  is  helping  to  reduce  the  sCgma  surrounding  mental  illness.  Mental  illness  is  an  increasingly  common  condiCon,  with  anxiety  and  depression  the  most  common  forms.  One  in  four  of  the  populaCon  are  likely  to  suffer  from  a  mental  health  problem  at  some  point  in  their  lives.  The  Black  Dog  has  been  used  as  a  metaphor  for  depression  from  anCquity  to  the  present  day.  To  bring  the  campaign  to  life  SANE  have  designed  visually  striking  Black  Dog  statues.  The  physical  presence  of  a  Black  Dog  would  help  people  to  define  their  experience  of  the  ‘invisible’  condiCon,  which  characterises  mental  illness,  as  well  as  promoCng  more  open  discussion,  understanding  and  acceptance.  The  students  and  teacher  Gina  Braden,  discussed  the  issue  and  decided  that  it  was  important  that  the  designs  were  colourful  and  bright  to  aJract  aJenCon  of  the  public  and  to  alleviate  any  negaCve  connotaCons  of  being  dark  and  depressive.  They  also  

thought  about  symbols  for  mental  health  this  is  where  some  students  came  up  with  ideas  of  quesCon  marks  or  cogs  in  their  composiCons.  At  the  unveiling  ceremony  on  Tuesday  17  July,  all  the  winning  students  received  book  tokens  and  the  winning  design,  by  Harvey  Cantrill-­‐Baker,    was  printed  onto  the  statue.

Winner:  Harvey  Cantrill-­‐Baker                  1st  runner  ups:  Libby  Stuart  and  KaSe  Allen                      2nd  runner  up:  Ryan  Galler

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Science UpdateThis  year  has  been  an  enjoyable  and  vibrant  year  in  thescience  department.  We  are  set  to  achieve  the  best  results  at  GCSE  the  department  has  ever  achieved  with  72%  of  students  achieving  2  Science  GCSEs  at  C  grade  or  above.  At  Key  Stage  3  students  in  Year  9  have  also  achieved  the  best  results  ever  with  95%  of  students  gaining  Level  5  or  above,  70%  of  students  gaining  Level  6  or  above,  and  the  levels  of  progress  that  the  students  have  made  since  Year  7  far  exceeding  any  previous  year  group.  We  are  very  proud  of  these  achievements,  not  least  because  they  set  the  students  up  for  success  as  they  embark  on  the  next  stage  of  their  educaCon.  The  department  have  been  involved  in  lots  of  interesCng  projects  with  Year  8  students  parCcipaCng  in  an  iScienCst  project  with  Beau  LoJo  at  the  Science  Museum  where  they  built  and  designed  their  own  experiments  and  with  Year  12  students  aJending  a  series  of  lectures  from  word  famous  astronomers  at  the  Royal  Observatory.  The  department  also  entered  into  partnership  with  Eltham  College  in  a  SHINE  project  aimed  at  increasing  the  profile  of  science  amongst  some  of  our  feeder  primary  schools.  This  was  a  huge  success  with  staff  working  with  students  on  Saturday  mornings  for  several  months.  There  were  always  beaming  smiles  from  students  and  staff!  Science  at  Tallis  conCnues  to  move  from  strength  to  strength  and  is  expanding  in  2012-­‐13  with  several  new  staff  joining  an  established  and  successful  team.

PASTORAL LEADER REPORTS

The  year  7  cohort  has  had  a  busy  year.  Like  the  wholeschool  community  we  have  moved  into  the  new  schoolbuilding;  however  unlike  most  of  the  school  communitythis  was  their  second  move  of  schools  in  less  than  a  year.They  have  managed  these  moves  with  aplomb.  We  have  had  a  number  of  successes  throughout  the  year.  The  vast  majority  of  the  cohort  are  making  good  (and  very  good)  progress  as  measured  by  their  NaConal  Curriculum  levels.  This  is  testament  to  the  dedicaCon  and  hard  work  of  staff  and  students  alike.  

Students  from  the  year  have  represented  the  school  at  the  very  successful  performances  of  ‘So  You  Think  You’re  a  Superhero?’  which  was  performed  at  the  Soho  and  NaConal  Theatres.  42  students  made  their  way  to  Wales  and  back  for  a  week’s  residenCal,  surviving  torrenCal  rain  and  mud  (some  even  made  it  back  with  a  tan  –  something  that  many  of  us  stuck  in  London  couldn’t  muster!)  This  trip  will  be  running  again  in  year  8.  Ruby  Dollner  has  represented  the  school  on  the  Greenwich  Youth  Council  (as  well  as  being  on  the  School  Council).  During  her  tenure  there  she  was  helping  design  programmes  for  youth  in  Greenwich.  Chester  Chambers  (our  other  year  7  school  council  representaCve)  was  also  nominated  to  carry  the  Olympic  Torch  and  will  be  doing  so  on  21  July.  Chester  was  interviewed  by  the  BBC  and  the  Greenwich  Times.Ben  Macdonald

Our  Year  8  boys  football  team  won  the  league  and  Blackheath  Cup,  just  narrowly  losing  out  by  one  goal  in  the  London  Cup  Final  but  a  fantasCc  achievement  nonetheless.  Charlie  Pearton  from  8BD  competed  in  the  London  mini  marathon  in  April  and  came  first  in  the  U13  category  for  Greenwich  Borough  and  41st  overall  in  the  country.  The  ASDAN  group  have  parCcipated  in  two  learning  away  days  at  Wrotham  and  the  Climbing  Wall  Centre  in  Woolwich.  They  have  also  been  doing  project  work  in  school  as  part  of  their  ASDAN  qualificaCon.  Videos  are  available  from  the  climbing  wall.  The  girls  group  also  produced  a  song  from  scratch  which  was  played  in  assembly  to  celebrate  their  achievement.  

Year  8  students  have  acted  as  ambassadors  for  the  school  when  showing  visitors  around;  their  feedback  has  been  excellent  and  they  are  a  massive  credit  to  the  year  group  and  the  school.  Year  8  G&T  students  have  been  taking  part  in  projects  with  Ms  Fyfe  showing  off  their  ability  and  creaCvity  which  has  been  a  huge  success  Year  8  boys  literacy  group.  15  reluctant  readers  undertook  a  weekly  reading  lesson  and  have  all  improved  their  reading  ages  as  a  result.  A  great  year  for  Year  8.  Well  done  everyone!Damien  Quigg

Maths UpdateThe  mathemaCcs  faculty  are  set  to  achieve  record  breaking  results  at  all  3  key  stages.  Year  9  have  achieved  the  best  end  of  key  stage  levels  in  the  school's  history,  with  90%  of  students  reaching  a  level  5  or  higher  and  68%  a  level  6  or  higher.  This  will  set  them  up  to  do  very  well  for  GCSE  mathemaCcs.  We  are  going  to  break  the  70%  A*-­‐C  barrier  for  the  first  with  Year  11  in  the  summer,  and  year  10  will  beJer  this  in  12  months  Cme!  More  students  than  ever  before  will  also  leave  Tallis  with  AS  and  A  level  mathemaCcs  qualificaCons,  with  many  going  on  to  study  the  subject  at  university.

However,  it's  not  all  about  results!  The  maths  department  are  delivering  mathemaCcs  in  and  out  of  the  classroom  in  a  fun  and  engaging  way.  In  the  classroom  there  has  been  lots  of  mathemaCcal  learning  going  on  which  hopefully  moCvates  and  encourages  our  students  to  enjoy  maths.  This  has  included  some  creaCve  lessons  allowing  students  to  build  3D  shapes  and  record  the  process.  They  could  then  edit  these  to  speed  up  the  images  using  soeware  on  our  iPads.  Outside  of  the  classroom  there  have  been  mathemaCcal  trips  to  QMW  university  and  the  Greenwich  Observatory  and  Planetarium.  We've  also  been  down  to  the  Technology  department  and  completed  another  year  of  cross-­‐curricular  maths  with  them  -­‐  have  a  look  in  recepCon  next  Cme  you're  there!

YEAR 8

YEAR 7

Page 5: Tallis News July 2012

A  good  year  has  been  had  by  all  with  many  successful  trips  including  Tyn  Y  Berth  and  the  Business  Enterprise  Course.  The  Year  9  Band  has  been  entertaining  both  in  and  out  of  school  and  have  been  more  professional  in  their  approach  than  the  stars!  Finally,  congratulaCons  to  the  whole  year  group  for  their  fantasCc  results  at  the  end  of  Key  Stage  3,  which  are  the  best  results  the  school  has  seen.  A  great  year  and  our  expectaCons  are  even  higher  for  the  forthcoming  year.Denise  Armstrong

40  Year  10s  have  already  achieved  grade  C  in  Maths  aeer  taking  the  GCSE  examinaCon  in  March  and  over  100  more  also  sat  this  exam  in  the  first  week  aeer  half  term.  It  is  the  first  year  ever  that  Year  10  students  have  taken  GCSE  Maths.  The  majority  of  the  year  group  have  been  involved  in  English  and  science  exams  and  we  are  hoping  for  some  encouraging  results  in  the  summer.  Year  10  BTEC  musicians  and  dance  students  have  taken  part  in  public  performances,  which  were  both  very  wellreceived.  In  preparaCon  for  this,  the  musicians  raised  funds  for  the  TTRA  next  summer  by  performing  at  lunchCme  to  other  students.  A  large  group  of  Year  10s  are  now  school  ambassadors,  covering  break  and  lunch  Cme  duCes.  A  few  lucky  ambassadors  were  guides  for  the  guests  who  aJended  the  official  opening  of  the  new  school  building.  Feedback  from  the  visitors  was  that  they  were  very  impressed  by  the  ambassadors  they  met.  Thanks  to  all  the  year  group  who  have  supported  the  designing,  producCon  and  selling  of  our  bespoke  mugs  to  raise  money  for  their  TTRA  next  year.  This  has  been  a  great  year  for  Year  10.JeaneIe  Harding

The  deparCng  class  of  2007-­‐2012  have  had  to  cope  with  tremendous  change  at  such  a  criCcal  juncture  in  their  educaCon,  dealing  with  things  with  amazing  maturity  and  incredible  resilience.  This  involved  moving  from  the  old  site  to  the  new  during  Year  11  and  gekng  used  to  a  completely  different  environment,  all  at  the  same  Cme  as  their  first  early  entry  maths  examinaCon.  Year  11  have  totally  focused  on  being  the  very  best  they  could  be  and  proving  beyond  any  doubt  their  resoluCon  to  succeeding  and  making  us  all  very  proud  of  them.  We  have  had  nothing  but  admiraCon  for  their  willingness  to  engage  with  the  numerous  intervenCons  in  order  to  secure  the  grades  they  needed  to  progress  to  the  next  stage  of  their  educaCon.  They  will  achieve  the  best  grades  the  school  has  ever  seen,  which  they  thoroughly  deserve.  In  addiCon,  Year  11  have  demonstrated  their  strong  community  idenCty,  a  real  feature  of  the  year  which  has  always  been  in  evidence  during  their  Cme  here  at  Tallis.  They  have  looked  aeer  each  other  and  helped  one  another  wherever  the  situaCon  demanded.  They  have  been  amazing  role  models  and  proved,  quite  simply,  a  complete  pleasure  to  work  with  for  anyone  and  all  concerned.  It  is  with  opCmism  that  we  were  able  to  bid  them  best  wishes  in  their  endeavours  beyond  Year  11,  either  conCnuing  their  journey  here  or  elsewhere.  They  leave  behind  a  genuinely  posiCve  legacy  and  will  be  sincerely  missed.  We  wish  them  every  success  and  all  our  love  and  best  wishes.Robert  Walsh

YEAR 9

YEAR 10

YEAR 11

POST 16Year  12  take  to  the  boards  with  a  stunning  set  of  AS  plays.  The  AS  Drama  students  presented  their  examined  performances  of  “Enron”by  Lucy  Prebble  and  “Love  of  the  NighCngale”  by  Timberlake  Wertenbaker.  Both  pieces  were  ensemble  and  physicalized  in  style  enabling  students  to  mulC  role  and  really  capture  the  essence  of  the  characters  being  portrayed.  Both  pieces  were  directed  by  Shona  Carter  and  Kerri  West.  The  pace  and  standard  of  performance  and  Cght  ensemble  work  was  outstanding.  The  Year  13  Fashion  Show  was  a  real  treat,  led  by  Ande  Zeka  with  Mel  Mustafa  and  Flo  HodneJ  forming  part  of  the  creaCve  team.  They  brought  together  Year  11  and  Post  16  students  from  across  three  schools  in  the  Greenwich.  Two  of  the  collecCons  had  a  middle  Eastern  influence  with  a  modern  day  twist  and  were  provocaCve  in  challenging  tradiCon.  The  other  collecCon  had  more  of  an  urban  feel  and  Nehmi  rapped,  as  the  models,  sultry  in  their  disposiCon,  took  to  the  cat  walk.The  main  hall  was  full  to  bursCng  with  an  appreciaCve  audience  made  up  of  family,  fellow  students,  teachers  and  friends.  The  aestheCcs  and  intelligence  of  the  show  were  stunning  but  what  really  impressed  was  Ande  and  her  team’s  ability  to  bring  so  many  parts  of  the  community  together.  We  were  glowing  with  pride.

This  year  looks  set  to  be  a  very  successful  one  for  students  studying  A-­‐levels  and  BTECs  in  the  Sixth  Form  at  Tallis.      We  are  predicCng  an  A/A*  pass  rate  of  around  30%,  and  an  A*-­‐C  pass  rate  of  86%.    The  average  points  score  per  student  is  also  set  to  rise  considerably  to  over  700  points.    All  these  figures  represent  a  fantasCc  achievement,  a  significant  improvement  on  last  year  and  are  a  product  of  the  hard  work  and  dedicaCon  of  the  staff  and  students  at  Thomas  Tallis.    With  many  students  anCcipaCng  results  that  will  get  them  into  Higher  EducaCon  courses  or  onto  the  next  step  of  their  working  career,  we  are  very  much  looking  forward  to  results  day  on  16th  August  when  results  will  be  made  available  from  10.00.

A  key  part  of  the  success  of  the  Sixth  Form  at  Tallis  is  the  excellence  achieved  in  subject  areas  and  exams,  combined  with  the  wider  opportuniCes  available  to  Sixth  Form  students  and  the  major  contribuCon  they  make  to  the  whole  school  community.Cath  Barton  &  Jon  Bradshaw

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Food TechnologyIt  has  been  a  fantasCc  year  in  food  technology  with  the  new  faciliCes.  Pupils  in  Years  7  -­‐  9  have  made  a  whole  range  of  products  including  soups,  fresh  bread,  pizzas,  risoJos  and  curries.  We  have  looked  at  healthy  eaCng  models,  Fairtrade  products  and  recipes,  as  well  as  exploring  a  range  of  cultural  foods.  The  re-­‐introducCon  of  food  technology  at  GCSE  level  is  going  to  be  very  exciCng  for  pupils  in  the  year  ahead.

GraphicsThe  graphics  department  would  like  to  celebrate  the  following  students  for  securing  themselves  places  at  Ravensbourne  University  starCng  a  FoundaCon  Coure  in  September:  Jesssica  Bird,  Alex  Golin,  Lisa  Ly,  Nayim  Rahman  and  Aivaras  Sakalauskas  (3  Year  Degree  in  Web  Design).  All  of  these  students  did  excepConally  well  in  their  AS  and  A2  courses.  They  have  been  dedicated  and  have  worked  hard  in  and  out  of  lessons  and  deserve  all  the  success  that  they  will  achieve  in  the  future.  The  GCSE  students  have  also  performed  

excepConally  well  this  year  and  many  of  them  will  be  joining  the  A2  course  this  coming  September.  Many  of  these  gave  up  their  lunch  Cmes  on  numerous  occasions  to  show  how  dedicated  they  were  to  the  course  and  their  own  success.

Business/ICT

“During  the  Business  ApprenCce  trip  we  completed  three  different  tasks  in  groups  over  three  days.  From  this  we  have  developed  our  business  skills  further  and  will  hopefully  help  me  in  the  future.  On  the  first  day  in  groups  we  had  to  create  a  calendar  for2013  of  London.  We  went  round  London  taking  pictures  to  make  a  calendar  and  once  we  were  finished  we  had  to  present  our  calendar  in  front  of  the  other  groups.  On  the  second  day  we  had  to  brand  our  own  water  and  encourage  more  people  to  drink  it.  This  was  our  favourite  task  because  we  completed  market  research  in  Camden.  On  the  last  day  we  had  to  try  and  rebrand  Woolwich  and  aJract  tourists.  This  is  a  very  tough  task  knowing  that  Woolwich  tends  not  to  be  seen  as  a  tradiConal  tourist  aJracCon,  so  we  had  to  work  well  together  to  come  up  with  some  great  ideas.  We  had  to  give  a  presentaCon  at  the  end  of  each  day  for  each  task.  Overall  this  trip  benefited  us  a  lot;  it  improved  our  business  perspecCve  and  team  working,  presentaCon  and  communicaCon  skills.  We  are  now  a  lot  more  confident  when  speaking  in  front  of  people  which  is  a  very  good  skill  to  develop.”Jeremy  Steel  &  Kabir  Dhaliwal,  Year  13

PEWe  have  had  a  busy  year  in  PE  with  teams  playing  friendly  and  compeCCve  fixtures  in  Football,  Volleyball,  Basketball,AthleCcs  and  X-­‐Country.  The  highlights  are  listed  below:

Cross-countryYear  7  Boys  5th  Year  7  Girls  1stYear  8  Boys  1st  Year  8  Girls  3rdYear  9  Boys  3rd  Year  9  Girls  1st

FootballYear  7  Boys  -­‐  League  Winners  &  Blackheath  cup  FinalistsYear  8  Boys  -­‐  League  Winners,  Blackheath  cup  Winners&  London  cup  FinalistsYear  9  Boys  -­‐  League  Runners-­‐upYear  10  Boys  -­‐  League  WinnersYear  11  Boys  -­‐  League  Winners

Indoor Athletics:Year  7  Boys  -­‐  Greenwich  Schools  Winners,  South  London  Winners  &  London  Schools  WinnersYear  7  Girls  -­‐  Greenwich  schools  Winners  &  South  London  Schools  Runners-­‐up

AthleticsYear  7  Girls  -­‐  Greenwich  Schools  Championship  WinnersYear  8  Girls  -­‐  Greenwich  Schools  Championship  3rd  placeYear  9  Girls  -­‐  Greenwich  Schools  Championship  WinnersYear  10  Girls  -­‐  Greenwich  Schools  Championship  4th  place

Year  7,  8,  9  and  10  Boys  2nd  place  in  Greenwich  SchoolsChampionships.

Year  8  Boys  were  the  World  Sports  Day  AthleCcsChampionship  Winners.

We  have  also  had  a  number  of  students  selected  at  bothdistrict  and  county  level  in  Football,  AthleCcs  and  cross-­‐country.

      Richard  Ankah,  Head  of  PE

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Art & DesignOur  year  10  Art  and  Design  class  were  entered  into  theM.A.D.E  in  East  London  design  project.  They  worked  hardto  design  and  make  a  3D  model  of  a  sustainable  andaccessible  design  soluCon  for  a  public  space  within  thecontext  of  the  Olympic  Park.  The  aim  was  to  make  aposiCve  use  of  the  space  long  aeer  the  Olympics  havegone,  with  a  1st  prize  of  the  students  design  actually  beingmade  for  the  public  to  use.  The  Year  10  students  went  for  the  final  event  where  they  were  compeCng  against  10  other  East  London  schools.  Our  students  had  to  present  their  designs  in  front  of  different  judges  for  over  an  hour,  arCculaCng  themselves  perfectly  and  enthusiasCcally.  We  faced  really  tough  compeCCon  from  the  other  schools  but  we  came  3rd!  The  students  were  ecstaCc  especially  as  one  of  the  judges  wascomedian  Sean  Lock  and  they  have  won  the  class  a  trip  onthe  London  Eye.  Well  done  to  all.

Learning Resources CentreThe  School  Library  supports  students  in  their  learning,offering  a  wide  range  of  resources  relevant  to  thecurriculum.  As  well  as  providing  vital  support  for  schoolwork,  the  Library  is  a  place  of  enjoyment,  for  privatereading,  browsing  and  relaxing,  a  key  source  of  informaCon  and  a  place  to  develop  individual  interests.  Our  most  popular  books  this  term  have  been  the  Diary  of  a  Wimpy  Kid  series,  the  Hunger  Games  series  and  our  new  collecCon  of  Manga  books.  As  part  of  our  World  Book  Day  celebraCons  a  wordsearch  compeCCon  was  run  in  the  Library  and  the  winners  were  drawn  from  all  correct  entries  by  Ken  Jones,  our  Head  of  School.  CongratulaCons  to:  Confidence  Nkem-­‐Okorie  7GN  and  Travis  CoJerell  9RA.

In  our  Year  7  Library  lessons  this  term,  the  students  havebeen  using  iPads  to  produce  a  comic  leaflet  for  theincoming  year  7  pupils  in  September.  This  has  enabledthem  to  share  the  knowledge  and  skills  they  have  gained  inaccessing  informaCon  and  making  use  of  the  libraryfaciliCes.  The  addiCon  of  bean  bags  to  extend  our  range  of  library  furniture  and  enhance  the  welcoming  atmosphere  of  the  Library  has  proved  to  be  popular  with  our  avid  readers.Similarly,  the  introducCon  of  chess  during  some  lunchCmebreaks  has  brought  out  the  quiet  compeCCve  spirit  in  some  of  our  students  as  they  enjoying  not  only  taking  part  but  teaching  novices  the  finer  skills.

World Book DayAs  part  of  our  World  Book  Day  celebraCons  a  wordsearchcompeCCon  was  run  in  the  Library  and  the  winners  weredrawn  from  all  correct  entries.  CongratulaCons  to:Confidence  Nkem-­‐Okorie  7GN  and  Travis  CoJerell  9RA.Thanks  to  the  Library  team  for  organising  yet  anothersuccessful  event.

Thomas Tallis Career AcademyThomas  Tallis  School  has  been  running  a  successful  CareerAcademy  for  the  last  7  years.  Part  of  the  programmeincludes  an  internship  at  a  business  organisaCon.  In  thepast,  the  students  have  been  offered  internships  at  TheBank  of  England,  JP  Morgan,  CiCgroup  etc.  We  had  8  students  on  internship  at  Morgan  Stanley,  Barclays  Wealth,  McGraw  Hill  and  Lloyds  Banking.  The  internship  ran  from  the  25  June  for  6  weeks  and  it  offered  the  students  a  paid  work  placement,  based  on  a  standard  working  hour  week  in  a  real  operaCng  environment,  aiming  to  use  the  skills  and  knowledge  the  student  has  learned  in  school.

DebatingThe  school  has  hosted  a  debaCng  compeCCon.  Ourstudents  who  took  part  were  Huck  McKenna,  Joe  Powley,Robin  Paton-­‐Copley  (Year  9),  Esther  Bukoye,  and  SamSpence  (Year  10).  They  did  fantasCcally  and  won  in  theirdebate  against  Darrick  Wood.  Two  teams  from  WoolwichPoly,  a  team  from  Eltham  College  and  a  team  from  StColumba's  also  aJended.  It  was  a  very  successful  event.

Rep LondonRepresent  London  is  a  three  year  employability  andvolunteering  programme  which  will  leave  a  legacy  ofyoung  people,  who  will  thrive  in  educaCon  andemployment  through  the  development  of  key  skills,  raisedaspiraCons  and  the  acquisiCon  of  community/businessskills.  The  culminaCon  of  the  project  is  the  volunteeringopportunity  as  a  London  Ambassador,  over  the  Olympicand  Paralympic  Games.  Six  of  our  6th  form  students  willbe  London  Ambassadors  at  the  games.  They  are:  DaanDeol,  Zabit  Salman,  Jimmy  Nguyen,  Sang  Nguyen,  EmmaBuJ  and  Jade  Benge.

In  recogniCon  for  her  work  within  the  Rep  London'sAmbassadors  Project,  Daan  Deol  was  invited  for  a  RecepCon  at  Number  10  which  was  hosCng  a  London  2012  legacy  launch,  with  the  emphasis  being  on  young  people  benefiCng  from  the  London  2012  Games.  She  was  also  invited  to  the  official  London  Ambassadors  programme  launch  where  the  students  were  offered  the  chance  to  be  the  first  people  to  wear  the  official  uniform  and  meet  the  Mayor  of  London,  Boris  Johnson.

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School JourneysOur  students  have  been  out  an  about  on  many  school  trips/journeys  over  the  past  term.  We  have  some  feedback  for  parents  on  some  of  the  fantasCc  opportuniCes  that  our  students  have  been  offered.

Humanities Trip to Cheddar GorgeHow  did  you  spend  the  jubilee?  For  a  mixed  group  off  year  77  G&T  and  year  8  students  who  have  made  excellent  progress  this  year,  their  jubilee  weekend  4th-­‐6th  of  June  was  spent  in  Somerset  exploring  Cheddar  Gorge,  its  caves  and  the  history  of  the  area  including  its  use  by  cannibals!

This  joint  geography  and  history  residenCal  aimed  at  helping  students  to  understand  how  thee  gorge  and  caves  were  formed  and  how  man  has  used  them  since  prehistoric  Cmes  (including  maturing  Cheddar  cheese  inn  the  caves.)  We  then  looked  at  the  impact  people  have  had  on  the  area  and  what  is  being  done  to  preserve  it  for  future  generaCons.  Touring  the  caves  (and  shops)  gave  us  re  spite  from  thee  rain  and  the  photo  above  shows  the  students  even  stayed  posiCve  for  thee  two-­‐mile  climb  to  the  top  of  the  gorge.

Working with Harmony Audio-VisualAs  a  result  of  publishing  the  Annual  Fashion  Show  live  edit  footage  online  we  were  contacted  by  Harmony  Audio  Visual,  an  audio  visual  company  specialising  in  providing  thee  mulCmedia  coverage  for  live  events,  conferences,  concerts,  who  were  so  imp  pressed  with  what  the  media  students  had  created  that  they  offered  us  some  real  world  AVV  events  work  experience,  which  we  of  course  gladly  accepted.

The  KS5  Btec  Media  students  were  given  all  the  planning,  pre-­‐producCon  and  safety  paperwork  to  study  prior  to  the  event  in  order  to  be  able  to  contribute  to  the  planning  and  installaCon  of  all  the  media  equipment  for  an  ATT&T  conference  at  The  Thistle  Hotel  in  Marble  Arch.

On  14  May  their  working  day  started  with  an  8am  briefing  in  central  London  where  all  the  paperwork  and  the  plans  for  the  day  were  discussed.  The  students  then  worked  in  teams  of  2  

with  a  specialist  technician  to  set  up  the  lighCng,  sound  or  visuals  for  the  conference,  which  began  thee  following  day.

They  worked  all  day  alongside  Harmony's  professional  technicians,  under  the  watchful  gaze  of  the  company  director  and  a  representaCve  from  AT&T,  unloading  lorries,  laying  cables  and  sekng  up  equipment,  troubleshooCng  issues  regarding  the  site  and  health  and  safety,  sekng  up  the  central  conference  room  and  several  breakout  workshop  spaces  too  the  client's  specificaCons.    It  was  an  amazing  opportunity  for  them  to  learn  from  experienced  professionals  in  a  real  world  sekng  and  the  people  and  thanked  the  school  and  its  students  publicly  via  the  company's  social  networking  promoCon  sites.

We  received  extremely  posiCve  feedback  from  Chris  Irwin,  Harmony’s  managing  director,  who  commended  our  students  for  being  self-­‐moCvated,  proacCve  and  independent.

World Sports Day – 25 JuneA  team  of  Year  7  students  took  part  in  World  Sports  Day  atEltham  College  on  Monday  25  June.  Thomas  Tallis  camefirst  and  brought  home  the  cup!  Well  done  to  all  studentsand  thanks  to  Mr  Ankah  for  taking  Cme  out  of  his  paternityleave  to  organise  the  students.

Visit to the Houses of Parliament

Students  from  Years  9,  10  and  12  received  Cckets  for  aV.I.P.  tour  of  parliament  and  a  workshop  on  ‘Your  Voice’  as  a  special  treat  for  all  their  hard  work  in  class.  

Accompanied  by  Pendragon  Special  School,  all  the  students  had  a  super  Cme  recording  a  short,  educaConal  film  (on  iPads)  about  parliament  and  took  photos  of  the  sights  of  London.  Thank  you  to  the  SEN  department  for  organising  this  successful  day.

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Commemorative CoinsThe  outgoing  Mayor  of  Greenwich,  Cllr  Gillman  visited  the  school  at  the  end  of  June  to  aJend  a  special  assembly  to  distribute  commemoraCve  coins  to  a  selecCon  of  our  students.  All  students  received  a  coin  during  their  assemblies  on  18  July.  The  coins  are  from  Greenwich  Council  to  celebrate  that  we  have  become  a  Royal  Borough.

SuperheroesCongratulaCons  to  those  involved  in  the  play  whichopened  the  NT  ConnecCons  FesCval  at  the  CoJesloeTheatre  in  June  having  already  played  to  a  sell  out  crowd  at  the  Soho  Theatre.  This  was  yet  another  high  quality  performance  to  a  packed  house.  Thanks  also  to  all  those  who  were  able  to  aJend  and  support  our  students.

Speak Out National FinalsOn  Monday  2  July,  Esther  Bukoye  took  part  in  the  naConal  finals  of  Speak  Out  at  Southbank.  Esther  did  extremely  well  to  reach  the  finals  and  we  are  very  proud  of  her  achievement.  Well  done,  Esther.

Art PreviewMany  thanks  to  the  art  department  for  pukng  on  afantasCc  display  of  our  students  AS  and  A2  artwork.  We  held  a  viewing  on  5  July.  We  have  many  talented  students  at  Tallis.

Opal Coast Trip

On  Tuesday  26  June  Mr  Hier,  Ms  Shelley,  Mr  Hordern  and  I  took  40  students  to  France  for  the  day.  It  was  a  cross-­‐curricular  trip  for  History  and  French  students  in  years  nine  and  ten.  We  departed  from  Thomas  Tallis  at  

5:30am  and  made  our  way  to  the  Euro  Tunnel.  Many  of  the  students  had  never  been  on  the  shuJle  before  and  so  even  the  journey  became  an  exciCng  event!  Our  first  visit  was  to  the  Second  World  War  Museum  in  Ambleteuse.  It  was  very  interesCng  to  look  around  this  charming  museum.  We  were  also  shown  a  film  about  the  D-­‐Day  landings.    Our  lovely  coach  drivers  then  found  us  a  beauCful  beach  where  we  enjoyed  our  picnic  and  an  ice  cream.  We  were  very  fortunate  with  the  weather  so  some  of  the  students  had  a  paddle  in  the  sea.  We  then  went  to  a  tradiConal  style  Boulangerie  where  the  children  learnt  how  bread  is  made  and  they  had  a  go  at  making  croissants.  Our  last  stop  was  Boulogne-­‐Sur-­‐Mer’s  old  town:  a  forCfied  town  with  a  lot  of  character.  We  all  had  some  food  and  some  of  the  children  even  ordered  snails!  It  was  a  fantasCc  day  out  which  I  intend  to  repeat  next  year.  The  students  behaved  immaculately  and  we  all  wished  we  could  have  stayed  longer.Ms  Crocker

Tuscany Trip17  students  of  Italian  from  year  9  and  2  teachers  spent  5  days  in  Tuscany.  Based  in  Florence,  it  was  an  inauspicious  start  with  the  aeershocks  of  the  earthquake  sCll  being  felt  strongly  in  the  region.  However,  aeer  a  health  and  safety  talk  on  what  to  do  in  case  of  an  earthquake,  the  students  embraced  the  Italian  experience  and  as  they  say,  travel  is  the  best  form  of  educaCon…•  an  introducCon  to  the  classics  –  interpreCng  the  classical  myths  in  art;•  a  comparaCve  look  at  medieval  versus  renaissance  art  and  architecture•  history  –  learning  about  the  Medici  family•  Italian  gastronomy  -­‐balsamic  vinegar  tasCng,  ‘proper’  pizza,  ‘real’  ice  cream,  the  food  market;•  maths  and  budgeCng  –  each  student  had  10  euros  a  day  and  had  to  buy  their  own  lunch;•  sport  -­‐  visit  of  the  Ferrari  museum  (?)•  geology  -­‐basic  explanaCon  of  plate  tectonics•  personal  and  social  skills  -­‐haggling  at  the  leather  market,  enjoying  the  art  of  conversaCon  at  the  dinner  table  and  of  course  Italian:  being  exposed  to  the  wriJen  and  spoken  form  of  Italian.  

The  students  had  to  write  a  diary  each  evening  in  the  language.  Impact:  a  noCceable  improvement  in  confidence  in  their  Italian  lesson,  a  desire  to  return  to  Florence  (and  some  cases  to  go  and  live  there)  and  a  greater  sense  ofindependence.  Thoroughly  enjoyed  by  all.Ms  Crook