Summer Newsletter 2025 – Seniors

Introduction

As we conclude another busy and successful term, I’d like to thank our pupils for their hard work over the past few months. It has been inspiring to see so many of you passionate about your learning, and as we come to the end of another academic year, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our pupils for their outstanding effort, resilience, and achievements. It has been wonderful to see so many moments of personal growth and success, both in and out of the classroom. From academic excellence and sporting victories to creative flair and contributions to school life, our pupils have shown an impressive range of talents—well done to each and every one of you.

A sincere thank you also goes to our parents. Your continued support, encouragement, and involvement play a crucial role in helping our pupils grow and succeed.

To our dedicated staff—thank you for your energy, care, and commitment. Whether delivering high-quality lessons, leading extracurricular activities, organising trips and residentials, or providing pastoral care, your efforts are what make Tower College such a special place to learn.

We hope you enjoy reading about the many great things that have happened this year, and we look forward to the new opportunities and successes that the next academic year will bring. Wishing you all a restful and enjoyable summer. We look forward to welcoming you back in September.

Mr Taylor (Assistant Principal – Head of Teaching and Learning)

Staff Appointments

We are delighted to welcome Mrs Sims to Tower College. With a strong background in education and a particular passion for Computer Science, Mrs Sims brings both expertise and enthusiasm to our supportive community.

Mrs Sims joins us from a secondary school in Knowsley, where she spent the last five years and progressed into the role of Head of Year. During that time, she supported students from Year 7 through to Year 11, guiding their academic and personal development. This experience deepened her commitment to pastoral care, student success, and the importance of consistent, compassionate leadership.

Before entering the education sector, Mrs Sims built a solid foundation in business, earning recognition as a finalist for Young Business Person of the Year. Her work in social enterprise was further acknowledged through a fellowship from the Royal Society of Arts—an honour that affirmed her belief in innovation and positive social impact.

She is especially passionate about Computer Science—not just as an academic subject, but as a gateway to creativity, critical thinking, and future-ready skills. She is excited to inspire students to explore the ways in which technology shapes our world and how they, in turn, can influence and innovate within that landscape.

Mrs Sims was drawn to Tower College by its holistic ethos and strong sense of community. We look forward to the valuable contributions she will make as she works alongside staff and forges meaningful relationships with students and their families.

And, a warm welcome to Mr Williams who brings over 26 years of experience in Physical Education to his new role at Tower. He has served as Head of the PE Department at Byrchall High School in Wigan for nearly 20 years, where he led a variety of successful sports programs and championed student wellbeing.

His career also includes experience as a PE lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University and teaching at a leading international school in Vietnam, giving him a broad and diverse perspective on education.

Mr Williams holds a Masters degree in Education and is passionate about creating engaging, inclusive environments where students can build fitness, confidence, and lifelong healthy habits.

He is excited to join the Tower College community and contribute to both the academic and extracurricular life of the school.

SCIENCE – Mr Leigh, Mrs Poole & Mr Thorn

As we come to the end of the academic year, the Science Department would like to reflect on the tremendous efforts made by our pupils this term. Across all year groups, we’ve seen consistent hard work, growing curiosity, and real engagement with science. Whether in the classroom, the lab, or through independent study, our pupils have shown great determination and resilience.

We’re especially proud of the many students who have made excellent progress in their assessments. Some achieved outstanding results, while many others worked hard to improve their understanding and performance. Their commitment to revision, participation in lessons, and confidence in asking questions has truly stood out.

As always, we’re grateful for the continued support from parents and carers. We look forward to building on this momentum next year with new topics, practical investigations, enrichment activities, and exciting challenges. We can’t wait to continue exploring science together.

Events

Mond Trophy – Mr Leigh and Mr Thorn accompanied Year 10 pupils to the Mond Trophy, an annual competition held at Cronton College. Pupils were selected based on their enthusiasm and effort in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computing, and Mathematics. They gave their best in every challenge and made us incredibly proud.

Congratulations to Team A—Isabelle, William, Jacob, and Tavimba—and to Team B, who came in 3rd place overall, just four points behind the winning school. Well done to Brandon, Jessica, and Harry for this impressive achievement!

British Science Week – This year’s theme was Change & Adapt, which encouraged pupils to explore how living things, materials, and ideas respond to the world around them.

We welcomed Year 6 pupils to join us for hands-on science activities in our Upper Middle School labs. They tackled challenges with curiosity and energy. Older pupils also took part in extra investigations and science-themed activities throughout the week. It was a great way to think more deeply about science in everyday life.

Merseyside STEM Challenge – In June, Mrs Poole and Mr Leigh took 12 pupils (six from Year 8 and six from Year 9) to a STEM competition at Hope University. They took part in challenges involving robotics, medical diagnostics, and forensics.

Well done to Hendrix, Ethan, Sophie, Ava-Grace, Stelios, and Bella in Year 8, and Zoya, Ava, Victor, Saswin, Anushri, and Sophia in Year 9. You represented our school brilliantly.

Thank you also to Chibwe and Malaika, who returned in January to represent Tower College in the final round of last year’s competition.

Transition Day – We were thrilled to welcome our future Year 7 pupils into the science labs this June. It was a chance for them to explore science in secondary school—and for us to see just how curious and enthusiastic they are. We’re excited to see you all again in September!

Clubs

Science Club – This year marked the start of our Science Club. Our goals were to enter the ISA STEM competition and to help pupils work towards their CREST Bronze Awards. These awards are recognised by colleges and show that students are able to research, investigate, and evaluate like real scientists.

We’ve already awarded several Bronze certificates and hope more pupils will join them. We’d also be delighted to support anyone who wants to aim for a Silver award. For more details, contact mrthorn@towercollege.com.

Science Clinic – This year we launched the Science Clinic—an open lunchtime session where pupils can catch up on missed work, prepare for tests, or build confidence. It’s available to all students for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. There’s no need to sign up—just drop in. We look forward to running it again next year!

Subject Focus

Biology – Mr Leigh

Year 7: Completed the Nervous System unit, including senses, brain regions, and historical cases like Phineas Gage.
Year 8: Wrapped up the Human Body unit and began a forensics-based investigation into a mock “murder at Tower College.”
Year 9: Studied the Human Circulatory System and heart disease treatments. They also dissected hearts in the lab.
Year 10: Finished Paper 1 with Photosynthesis and started Year 11 topics including the Brain and Homeostasis.

Chemistry – Mrs Poole

Year 7: Learned separation techniques—chromatography, distillation, filtration, and more—before moving on to the reactivity series of metals.
Year 8: Completed the Earth and Atmosphere unit and began reviewing key knowledge from KS3 in preparation for GCSE Chemistry.
Year 9: Covered topics on Atomic Structure, the Periodic Table, Bonding, and Properties. They’ve now begun Energy Changes.
Year 10: Completed Paper 1 and are progressing through Paper 2 with the topic Rates of Reaction.

Physics – Mr Thorn

Year 7: Explored Light (reflection, refraction, colour) and then moved onto Space—looking at the night sky, planets, seasons, and Moon phases.
Year 8: Developed knowledge of Speed, Pressure, and Forces before beginning a unit on technology in our daily lives.
Year 9: Built on electricity by learning about mains supply and plugs. Also covered the Particle Model of Matter.
Year 10: Finished Paper 1 with Radioactivity and are now working through Paper 2 topics like Forces and Newton’s Laws.

This term, we said goodbye to our Year 11s as they completed their GCSEs. We will miss every one of you and are proud of all you’ve achieved. We know you’ll continue to make a difference in whatever you choose to do next.

To our current Year 10 pupils—prepare for a challenging but rewarding final year. If you stay focused and curious, you’ll approach your exams with confidence and skill.

ENGLISH – Mrs Christian

It has been a very busy term for the English Department, as pupils from all year groups have taken part in a wide range of activities, including Spoken Language, reading contemporary texts, persuasive writing, and creative writing.

Our Amazing Young Writers

We’ve been thrilled to see so many of our pupils participating in the Young Writers Competition, which offers a fantastic opportunity for them to express themselves creatively. This national competition allows pupils to share their original work and even be published as young authors. Supporting creative writing is a key part of our English Curriculum, and we were proud to see so many of our students embrace the challenge.

In May, we celebrated great success in the “Grim Tales” competition, which invited pupils to write a mini saga of just 100 words. There were many imaginative entries, with creative titles such as The Big Bad Wolf Returns, Not So Snow White, and Never Go to Neverland.

Congratulations to our published writers:

Year 7: Mia, Caitlin, Aoife, Samuel, Matilda, Jaidenvir, Ava
Year 8: Olivia, Ava-Grace, Isla, Charlotte, Bella, Sophie, Emily, Willow
Year 9: Malaika, Lottie, Zoya, Luca, Tess, Ava, Anushri, Esme
Year 10: Jess, Harry, Isabelle, Olivia

In June, several talented young poets were selected for publication in the latest Young Writers “Empowered” poetry competition.

Congratulations to these pupils:

Year 7: Jack, Poppy, Ariana, Matilda, Febo, Cian, Georgie, Darcey, Sammy, Ethan, Jasmyne, Francis, Jack B, Caitlin, Aoife, Mia, Emily, Jensen, Sophie, Milly
Year 8: Ibrahim, Senumi, Ava-Grace, Ethan, Freddie, Willow, Charlotte, Emily, Ashvinth, Sophie
Year 9: Lottie, Luca, Ava, Isabelle, Nathan, Tess, Zoya, Saswin, Lola
Year 10: Brandon

We’re already looking forward to the next Young Writers competition in September!

MATHS – Mrs King and Mr Abbot

Junior Maths Challenge Success – Year 8 – At the start of the term, pupils in Year 8 took part in the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge. This national competition challenges pupils to solve complex problems using logic and reasoning. We were thrilled with the results and are pleased to share the following certificates awarded:

Year 10 Shine at Maths Feast – Congratulations to Amaan, Jess B, Tavimba, and Harry K in Year 10, who competed in the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme ‘Maths Feast’ at North Liverpool Academy. They faced 21 other teams from across Merseyside in four rigorous rounds of mathematical challenges. Round 4 was particularly tough, but our team rose to the occasion and emerged joint winners of that round. They demonstrated not only excellent Maths skills but also outstanding manners, teamwork, and sportsmanship—earning praise from staff at the event. We are very proud of them. Well done!

End-of-Year Assessment Highlights – Pupils have shown fantastic progress and confidence in their end-of-year Maths assessments. Many achieved excellent results, supported by regular use of Mathswatch for revision and practice.

Celebrating Consistency and Effort – On Graduation Day, we celebrated pupils’ hard work with certificate awards. Special recognition goes to those who consistently engaged with Mathswatch throughout the year. Together, pupils have spent over 4,300 hours learning on Mathswatch, completing more than 130,000 questions—a remarkable effort! Here are the top four performing pupils in each class:

Thank You to Our Supportive Families – A heartfelt thank you to all parents, grandparents, and carers who have supported learning at home. Your help with homework and revision makes a real and lasting impact.

Looking Ahead: Booster Sessions & Summer Learning

GCSE Booster sessions for Year 11 begin in September.
Weekly lunchtime intervention sessions continue for Years 7 to 11—no booking required; pupils can simply drop in.

Our Maths learning packages remain open over the summer break. Encouraging your child to practise times tables, money, and time calculations in everyday life can help keep their skills sharp. While it’s important they relax and enjoy the holidays, keeping up some regular practice will make the return to school much smoother.

HISTORY – Mr Jack

Year 7 have completed their studies of England in the Middle Ages, covering a wide range of topics and engaging activities. Pupils worked together to make leadership decisions based on real-life dilemmas faced by King John, created leaflets with medical advice relevant to the time of the Black Death, and participated in a simulation of the “Peasants’ Revolt,” where they made choices aimed at improving the lives of ordinary people. A highlight of the King John lessons included a humorous clip from Horrible Histories featuring a fictional “rap battle” between King John and the barons—much to the amusement of the class, though their teacher admitted he had little idea what a rap battle actually is!

Year 8 concluded their unit on the American West (1840–1890), sometimes referred to as the “Wild West” years. The curriculum covered the cultures of Plains Indian groups such as the Sioux, the expansion of the United States, and the experiences of homesteaders. Pupils also explored conflicts over differing views about land use and resources. Lessons featured key historical figures such as Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and General Custer, and looked at how interpretations of this period have evolved over time. Pupils compared portrayals from different eras, including Errol Flynn’s 1940s portrayal of Custer and the animated version from Night at the Museum 2.

Year 9 focused on the United States during the economic “Boom” of the 1920s. Topics included cultural and leisure changes, the impact of Prohibition, racism and intolerance, and the varied experiences of different social groups. The role and perception of women in society were also explored. Pupils wrote thoughtful letters expressing the views of older generations towards the new lifestyles of young women, often referred to at the time as “flappers.”

Year 10 completed their study of the USA from 1920 to 1973. Lessons covered post-war prosperity and culture in the 1950s, the African-American Civil Rights Movement and its effectiveness, and the goals and influence of feminism during the 1960s and 70s. Pupils have now started a new topic on England under Elizabeth I, where they have been introduced to prominent historical figures of the era, along with key developments in Religion, Exploration, Wealth, and Poverty.

ART – Miss Carr

Year 7 students have been studying the vibrant work of Roger Djiguemdé, using his art to explore culture and identity. By looking closely at his use of bold patterns, striking colour combinations, and symbolic storytelling, pupils have gained a stronger appreciation for how art reflects heritage. They compared Djiguemdé’s style with their own cultural experiences to create mixed-media pieces that express both individuality and global understanding.

Year 8 pupils have been learning about the lively and colourful traditions of the Day of the Dead. Their project involved designing and sculpting unique sugar skulls from clay. They began by researching the festival’s origins and meaning, focusing on the decorative motifs and floral designs found in traditional sugar skulls. After sketching their ideas, they brought them to life in three dimensions. This work strengthened their sculpting and painting skills and encouraged thoughtful reflection on how different cultures celebrate life and death through creativity and colour.

Year 9 artists have explored the surreal world of Salvador Dalí. They started by examining surrealist themes and experimenting with distortion and dream imagery in their sketchbooks. From these ideas, they developed final pieces that express personal thoughts, fears, and aspirations. Using materials such as paint and collage, students created artwork that challenges perception and invites interpretation. This unit has encouraged greater confidence in expressing abstract ideas visually.

Year 10 students have completed a detailed study of natural forms, focusing on structure, texture, and fine detail. Their final pieces are the result of careful observational drawing, mark-making, and experimenting with various media. Inspired by artists such as Sarah Simblett and Amanda Cobbett, pupils explored how natural objects can inspire both realistic and abstract responses. Their studies of shells, leaves, fruit, and bones—created using clay, paint, and mixed media—demonstrate a thoughtful understanding of composition, tone, and layering. These works highlight their growing independence and ambition within the GCSE course.

GEOGRAPHY – Mrs Griffiths & Mr Taylor

It’s been a fantastic and productive term in Geography, with each year group exploring meaningful global issues. From understanding development to addressing climate change, our pupils have been building valuable geographical skills and gaining a deeper appreciation of the world around them.

Year 7: Discovering Africa
Year 7 pupils studied the continent of Africa, focusing on the wide range of geographical features and levels of development across different countries. For their main project, each student researched a country of their choice and prepared a presentation for the class. These presentations covered both Physical and Human Geography, along with how these factors affect development. Through this work, pupils strengthened their research, communication, and comparison skills.

Year 8: Investigating the Sustainable Development Goals
This term, Year 8 explored the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), creating thoughtful and informative overviews, some of which are featured in this newsletter. Each pupil chose one goal to study in depth, looking at its targets, current progress, and ongoing challenges. This topic encouraged critical thinking, data interpretation, and a broader global perspective.

Year 9: Addressing Climate Change
Our Year 9 geographers have been exploring one of today’s most urgent global challenges: climate change. They investigated the scientific evidence, its causes and effects, and the effectiveness of different strategies to manage it. This topic supported the development of evaluative thinking, problem-solving, and a stronger understanding of environmental responsibility.

Year 10: Understanding Global Development
Year 10 pupils completed a comprehensive unit on global development. They explored the reasons behind the development gap and looked at various ways to reduce it, from large-scale international projects to local community initiatives. This helped them build skills in analyzing socio-economic data and applying geographic knowledge to real-world situations.

Looking Ahead
We’re excited for what’s to come in Geography next year. Our new Year 11 students will soon head to the Lake District for their GCSE fieldwork trip. They’ll plan and carry out two investigations: one into river landscapes and another examining the impact of tourism. This hands-on experience will give them a chance to apply their data collection and analysis skills in a practical setting.

Across all year groups, we look forward to continuing our exploration of the world through engaging topics that deepen pupils’ knowledge and curiosity.

Here’s to another great year in Geography!

MFL – Mrs Turner & Mrs Riley

The Languages Department has had another wonderful year! Pupils studying French and Spanish have explored a wide range of topics, including House, Home, Food, and more.

They’ve also made great strides in grammar, using a variety of tenses—from mastering the present tense in Year 7 to exploring more advanced structures at GCSE level, such as the imperfect tense, which helps them talk about the past.

Building Strong Foundations

Year 7 pupils have made a fantastic start to their language learning journey in Upper and Middle School. It’s been great to see new pupils embrace the challenge of learning a new language, while continuing students have built confidently on their existing knowledge.

We’ve continued using the Gianfranco Conti method of language learning, which pupils enjoy and engage with. This method focuses on listening and speaking—essential skills for real-life communication. Through interactive and enjoyable activities, pupils grow more confident speaking in the target language with their classmates.

Cultural Celebrations

This year we celebrated another European Day of Languages! Pupils in Lower School came dressed in colourful outfits representing their chosen countries—some even wore traditional dress.

Across all year groups, pupils also explored exciting and unusual fiestas from the Spanish-speaking world, from the world-famous Tomatina Festival to the lesser-known Las Fallas.

French Flourishes

French is now in its second year at Tower. Pupils have enjoyed learning about Sports and Hobbies and recently celebrated Mardi Gras by making their own festive masks.

Exams

As the year draws to a close, pupils across all year groups sat their exams in both languages—and the results have been truly impressive. We are especially proud of our Year 11 pupils and wish them every success as they await their results.

À bientôt!

From everyone in the Languages Department, we wish you a relaxing and refreshing summer break. We hope you’ll find fun ways to use your language skills over the holidays—whether that’s practicing a few phrases abroad or impressing family with your vocabulary at home!

Middle & Upper School – Summer Newsletter 2025