Tewkesbury Academy student Brendan Hoole has achieved remarkable success in the golfing world, securing first place in the County Championships and third place in the Schools’ County Championships.
The competition, held at Henbury Golf Course, saw the 15-year-old test his skills against a field of around 60 competitors. Brendan’s outstanding performance came in the under 18 category for the schools’ championships and under 16 for the county.
Brendan, who was inspired to take up the sport by his father, began playing golf at the age of seven. He is a dedicated member of Tewkesbury Park Hotel and has been under the expert guidance of golf coach Jordan Aubrey for the past three years.
Golf is more than just a sport for Brendan; it is a full-time passion. He plays three to four times a week, including weekends and evenings, and also dedicates time to practice during the week.
Brendan, who is in Year 11, said: “I have put lots of dedication into my training – this is my passion. I’m coming back to this level following the end of last year when I was really ill with a stomach condition. I spent six weeks in hospital, so my goal is to keep getting better. I’m not going to let that setback cloud over my mind. I am aiming for my goals and will focus on them.
“I would like to thank my mum and dad for pushing me and for encouraging me to turn professional. From September I will be attending Hartpury College and will be a part of the Hartpury Elite squad. From this, a select few students can go to the United States for a college scholarship – this is my main aim in the next few years. I will be practising a lot!”
Brendan’s future in golf looks promising as he has qualified for higher regional events. He will compete in the under 18 Gloucester Golf Union Championship on June 30 at Knowle, and the Kendalshire Open on July 25, which offers a £250 prize.
Kathleen McGillycuddy, Principal of Tewkesbury Academy, said: “Brendan is an impressive young man – talented, hardworking, kind and polite. He is a great example to other young people and shows that the power of resilience and decency brings rewards. I am excited about his future in the sport and look forward to seeing him in the British Open or on the fairway in Augusta in due course!”
Well done to students Luke, Ellie and Emma from Tewkesbury Academy who attended the Tewkesbury Borough Mayor Making Ceremony held at Tewkesbury Abbey.
Congratulations to them all on their stunning musical performances to a packed audience – Luke singing a solo, Ellie Haines performed a beautiful piano solo accompanied by music teacher Rachael Patrick, and Emma Aubury, accompanied by Head of Music Rhiannon Felton, singing a duet.
Thanks to Mrs Felton and Mrs Patrick for giving up their time to support this activity.
Lyndsey Woodward, Executive Assistant to Kathleen McGillycuddy said: “We are so proud of these students and as always it’s an honour for our school to be invited to be a part of this prestigious community event.”
Forty Year 9 students from Tewkesbury Academy embarked on an insightful educational visit to the Imperial War Museum in London to explore their exhibits of the Holocaust galleries.
The students are currently learning about this monumental and harrowing period of events in history. Visiting the galleries helped students improve their knowledge and understanding of how and why the Holocaust happened and the enduring impact on humanity.
They engaged in workshops before and after touring the galleries. After being divided into small groups, they used iPads to navigate through the exhibits, and were guided to significant artifacts that prompted contemplation and reflection.
Teacher Chris Thomson, who organised the trip, said: “It was a thought-provoking and sobering experience. The students engaged really well, and their conduct was excellent, a great learning experience all round.”
Since the start of January, the creative minds of students from Tewkesbury Academy in Years 7, 8, and 9 have been diligently honing their pottery skills at an after-school pottery club.
Guided by the expertise of Mrs Ply, they have painstakingly crafted enchanting ceramic birds, each student utilising their imagination and pottery skills.
These remarkable creations, collectively known as the ‘Magical Murmuration’, will be proudly exhibited at Showborough House Gardens in Twyning, offering a delightful blend of youthful creativity alongside the works of renowned Gloucestershire artists.
The Showborough House exhibition opens on Thursday May 2 and continues until Sunday June 16. It will be open to the public from 10.30am-4pm from Thursday to Sunday each week.
Admission to the exhibition is free, with donations warmly welcomed. No prior booking is required to view the students’ brilliant work in all its glory.
For more information about visiting, please go to https://www.showborough.com/
In a swashbuckling display of talent and creativity, Tewkesbury Academy’s stage came alive with the timeless tale of Peter Pan.
Audiences of all ages were taken on a magical journey to Neverland, home of fairies and pirates and a unique ticking crocodile.
They followed the story of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up, as he whisks the Darling children away from their nursery to the fantastical realm of Neverland, where adventure and mischief lay in store.
Led by Noah Green (Year 9) in the iconic role of Peter, Tinkerbell played by Phoebe Haddrell (Year 10) and Captain Hook, played by Samuel Tomkins (Year 13), a talented cast of more than 40 students from different year groups took part in this mammoth production.
The students put their talents to use in a wide variety of roles, both on stage and behind the scenes.
Everyone involved had been working tirelessly on this production, rehearsing extensively for more than three months, after school and even at weekends.
Morgen Taylor, Teacher of Drama at Tewkesbury Academy, said: “This production of Peter Pan has been a journey filled with creativity, collaboration, and sheer determination. I couldn’t be prouder of the dedication and talent displayed by our students. They truly brought the magic of Neverland to life on stage.”
Kathleen McGillycuddy, Principal at Tewkesbury Academy, was asked to comment for Greatest Hits Radio on a report stating Children in England could face the worst exam results because of school closures during Covid.
Click on the link below to find out what Kathleen had to say and what schools are doing to work with students.
Four Tewkesbury Academy sixth form chemists took part in the Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad.
The UK Chemistry Olympiad is a challenging competition open to all secondary schools and colleges across the British Isles.
Nearly 15,000 students took part in this year’s contest, which is designed to showcase the nation’s brightest young minds in chemistry.
Against strong competition, William Redfern and Barnabey Jones showed their skills and knowledge to earn a Bronze certificate, placing them in the top 37% of the 15,000 who entered.
Not far behind were Lucy Evetts and Ava Baker, who narrowly missed the Bronze certificate by just a few points.
Dr Alice Kennedy, Director of Science at Tewkesbury Academy, said: “We are immensely proud of our students’ achievements in the Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad. Their success reflects not only their individual brilliance but also the supportive and nurturing environment fostered here at Tewkesbury Academy. Congratulations to William, Barnabey, Lucy, and Ava for their remarkable performance.”
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.”
