UTC Oxfordshire
Newsletter - 21st July 2021
Dear all,
We have made it to the end of the year, well done all and thank you for your support. We had a successful transition day for the incoming year 10 and look forward to welcoming them properly in September. The sun has shone gloriously for our alternative based curriculum days, students have developed their team building skills, used some engineering and design creativity and actively used their brains in the end of year quiz. All in addition to the Race for Life which raised
Well done to the Business students who were enterprising in the fundraising and to staff for joining in the spirit of things. I love how these events bring out the competitive side of us.
End of term always brings celebration and I'm pleased to present the nominees for our Leadership Awards.
Each member of the leadership team selects a student for an award to recognise a range of outstanding development, achievement, accomplishment, and progress. We do this from a list of nominations from teachers
The skills and attributes that are particularly relevant at this time are:
- Initiative
- Resilience
- Planning and organising
The nominees this year are:
- Adam Simpson - Attributes
- Alex Walker – Maths & computer Science
- Alisha Slade – Combined Science
- Alistair Roberts - Engineering
- Angus Timblick-Stratham – History
- Austin Croft – Product Design
- Ed Bennett – Biology
- Emma Moroney – History
- Feddy Pepe – English
- Floyd Rayner – ELP
- Flynn Conington - Psychology
- Frank Drewitt –Product Design
- James Hickmott – Mathematics
- Jamie Cockburn - SLB
- Luc Binet – Product Design
- Max Ballard – English
- Megan Whitfield – English
- Monty Cave –Product Design
- Ola Bamawo - Psychology
- Oliver Holyoak - SLB
- Sam Perry - Engineering
- Sam Purdy - Mathematics
- Silas Harvey - Product Design & computer Science
- Stephen Price –Product design
- Tobi Abebiosu – English
The leadership Awards are presented to the following:
- Alisha Slade - outstanding progress in Science; outstanding self-awareness in managing personal change
- James Hickmott -outstanding progress in all subjects, outstanding self-awareness, building trust, determination and perseverance
- Ed Bennett - making a significant contribution to the success of others and the UTC; and outstanding communication, planning and organisation.
- Ola Bello Bamawo - outstanding professionalism, self-awareness and management in all subjects
- Emma Moroney - outstanding professionalism, self-awareness and management in all subjects
- Alistair Roberts - outstanding contribution to the success of UTC, outstanding initiative and independence
- Frank Drewitt - outstanding accomplishment in Product Design, outstanding self-awareness in knowing your strengths and managing personal change
- Alex Walker - outstanding progress in maths and computer science
- Sam Perry - outstanding progress in engineering
- Adam Simpson - being an excellent role model to his peers in outstanding displays of teamwork, resilience and communication
We are immensely proud of all of our students this year not just the ones cited above.
The end of year also brings a time to say thank you and farewell to some of our staff. The staff leaving us this year are Helen, Mandy, Toni, Marianne, Will, Lynn and Glen. I'm sure you will join with me to pass on your thanks to these staff for the support given across the years to UTCO
I know that some students in year 10 have been sharing the love and thanks to teachers in the form of personalised notes and cupcakes - thank you so much!
We all need a little help from time to time and as school is shut until September with the exception of results days please see below for some useful numbers
Science and Engineering at its best!
We wouldn’t be an amazing Science and Engineering school of excellence if we didn't show you the latest in cryogenics. Other than making cryogenic ice cream we can do wonders with super conductivity.
The summer challenge
Can you explain what is going on here in this short film by our amazing science technician Kat? Answers next newsletter:
UKAEA Summer Art Competition: “The Art of Fusion”
The UK Atomic Energy Authority’s competition ‘The Art of Fusion’ returns this year with a new theme; sustainability! Calling for school children between the ages of 7 – 13, and 14 – 17 to create fusion inspired artwork, using sustainable or recycled materials. This could mean that the artwork depicts a sustainable scene, or that it is created using sustainable materials.
The aim of The Art of Fusion competition is to bridge the gap between Art and STEM, and inspire those who may not initially think that science is their favourite subject, to look at it with a new perspective.
Fusion, the process that powers our Sun and all stars in the universe, will one day be a sustainable energy source on earth. So, what does sustainable art inspired by fusion look like? To help provide some inspiration, take a look at their website: (https://ccfe.ukaea.uk/fusion-energy/fusion-in-brief/), and @UKAEAofficial YouTube channel where they've created several videos for different levels exploring fusion, particularly the Fusion Tutorials and Fusion Shorts playlists aimed at interested teens and adults.
The competition will run from 22nd July, until 16th September.
Further details can be found here
Winners will have their entry turned into a postcard which will be used by UKAEA’s Outreach team to promote fusion at their different events! Winners and runners up will be invited to see their work displayed at a local Oxfordshire art gallery towards the end of 2021. They will also be offered a VIP tour with their family or a friend around Culham Science Centre, where they can get to see scientific research facilities like JET; the world’s largest active fusion machine helping us create a more sustainable planet!
All that remains for me to say, Stay safe over the summer, we will see you in September.
Key dates are below
With good wishes
Sam
- 10th August 08:30 to 12:00 Level 3 results year 13 (Further details on our website: A Level Results Day)
- 12th August 08:30 to 12:00hrs GCSE results year 11 (Further details on our website: GCSE Results Day)
- Friday 3rd September - Year 10 and 12 first day of Autumn Term
- Monday 6th September - Whole school start of term
- Next year's key dates are available on our website: www.utcoxfordshire.org.uk/term-dates