TCCLife Issue 1 July 2024

#TCC
Life
July 2024
The brand new newsletter celebrating life across the Thurston
Community College and Thurston Sixth community
Election Fever!
Meet our new Student Principals
and find out about the election
process on Page 6
Global Citizens
Find out how Thurston Sixth
made a global impact in Nepal
on page 8
The Best Bits…
We take a look back at the
highlights of this Academic Year
on pages 12 - 17

Welcome!
from the Principal
It seems remarkable
that we are nearing the
end of the Summer
term, especially for me
having joined TCC in
January; however, the
last few months have
flown by and that is
because there is so
much going on at the
College. We hope that
our newsletter,
#TCCLife will capture for
you some of the highlights of this academic year,
seeing all of the wide and varied experiences that our
students can enjoy from years 7-13.
There have been a range of educational visits,
encompassing our Duke of Edinburgh Awards, at
Bronze and Silver levels, visits to art galleries,
museums and theatres, the two week trip to Nepal
for our sixth formers and a range of sports fixtures.
The College has also hosted a range of events
including our hugely successful production of “Legally
Blonde: The Musical”, last choir standing, battle of the
bands and a wonderful musical collaboration with
primary school students from four local members of
the Thedwastre Education Trust.
We have welcomed Year 5 students on tour, Year 6
students to our Welcome and Transition events, Year
12 to our Induction Day and new staff this term. This
is all very exciting as we look forward to the new year
ahead.
However, we also say farewell to our Year 13
students and some of our Year 11 and wish them
every success with their exam results and for their
futures.
Key Dates For Your Diary
Autumn Term 2024
Wednesday 04 September
Students in Years 7, 11, 12 and 13 return
Thursday 05 September
Students in Years 8, 9 and 10 return
Tuesday 17 September
#TCCTalk Parent Forum event
Thursday 19 September
Student Leadership Celebration Evening
Thursday 26 September
Year 6 Open Evening
Thursday 03 October
Thurston Sixth Open Evening
Thursday 10 - Friday 11 October
Six The Musical
Tuesday 15 October
Year 7 Meet The Tutor event
Friday 25 October
Final day of half term
In this issue…
Welcome Year 7! 4
Election Fever at TCC 6
Thurston Sixth Abroad 8
Celebrating 2023 - 2024: Autumn Term 13
Celebrating 2023 - 2024: Spring Term 15
Celebrating 2023 - 2024: Summer Term 17
Celebrating 2023 - 2024: Student Success 19
“The best Sports Day ever”! 20
Your opportunity to discuss College improvement 22
Enrichment 23
What to look forward to next term…. 23
Rounding off our 50th Anniversary Year 24
Stay safe this summer 26
We also say farewell to some members of staff who
are moving on to new roles. We send our very best
wishes to: Mr Williams, Mr Morris, Mrs McManus, Mrs
Drury, Mr West, Mr Fisk, Miss Debnam, Miss Grandi,
Mrs Foster, Mrs Merryweather, Mrs Williams, Miss
Wajszwilli, Miss Lawson and Miss Nicolls.
Please see our school website or information here
about term dates for September, term begins on
Wednesday 04 September for Years 7, 11, 12 and 13,
with Years 8, 9 and 10 returning on Thursday 05
September, when we will be pleased to share good
news about how our students fared in their GCSEs
and A levels.
We wish everyone a restful summer break.
Maéve Taylor
Sixth Form Art Exhibition 2024
2 3
What would you like to see in future editions
of our #TCCLife Newsletter? Email your
suggestions to admin@thurstoncollege.org.
Don’t forget to follow us on Social
media to stay up to date with all
things TCC and Thurston Sixth.

Welcome Year 7!
We hope you enjoyed your Transition Days and cannot wait for you to join us in September! In
the meantime, here are some top tips on a smooth start.
"Dear New Year 7! I am very much looking forward to working with you and
your families in supporting your journey at TCC. I have 18 years
experience of being at Thurston and I can assure you I will be available to
guide you when you first start, along with my brilliant tutor team, to make
sure you settle in really well. I appreciate it will be a big change from
primary school, but you will meet so many new students and teachers and
I can guarantee you will really enjoy your time with us. See you all on the
intake days and then in September!”
Mr Chubb - Head of Year 7
There are lots of reasons to be excited about your
new adventure here at TCC in September and one of
them is making sure that your bag is well-packed!
Whereas at your primary school, you may have had
a lot of stationery and resources provided for you, in
year 7 we look forward to building your
independence by asking that you come prepared.
Selecting a school bag
Lots of you will already have a great school bag with
plenty of room in it, but some of you might be
looking at getting a new one. Have you considered
being kind to the environment (and your wallet) by
buying pre-loved? Apps like Vinted have all of your
favourite brands and are well worth a look if you
have a particular style, colour or brand in mind and
lots of other things to spend money on. Don't
underestimate the size of bag you'll need here; think
of what you'll be carrying: a packed pencil case,
reading book, water bottle, sometimes exercise/text
books, sometimes ingredients and PE kits (you might
find it useful to have a separate bag for this) and
maybe a snack or packed lunch.
Pencil case prep
Please stock your pencil case with at least the
following basic equipment which we expect you to
have with you every day: 2 x black pens a green
pen, 2 x nice sharp pencils, rubber, ruler, protractor,
glue stick, highlighter and a scientific calculator. We
can help you out with this as we sell well-stocked
Preparing for September
pencil cases here at school for just £4 at the TCC
shop: TCC Shop
Before you go and buy brand new items, it's worth a
good look around at home as often everything you
need is right there; everyone has one of those
drawers with a selection of pens, pencils and
rubbers bought or gifted as souvenirs - why not
reuse some of those and enjoy the memories? If
you have older siblings, there's something to be said
for hand-me-downs in this area too; you can always
update items with some Washi tape and stickers!
Label, label, label!
Please label everything you'll bring with you to
secondary school life: uniform, PE kit, water bottle,
lunch box, pencil case, perhaps a phone (switched
off in the bottom of your bag), containers for DT. By
labelling it, you allow us to support you by returning
anything you lose and avoid the wrath of your
parents being cross at having to endlessly replace
items!
Lunch logistics
Have a conversation with your parents about how
you might manage breaks and lunches here: will
you bring snacks and a packed lunch, will you get a
hot meal or will you do a combination of both? If
you are entitled to Free School Meals, you'll get
£2.51 a day released to your account at lunchtime to
get a meal deal, but make sure there's extra money
on your account if you also want to buy snacks at
morning break otherwise you'll struggle to get your
meal sorted correctly at lunchtime. We'll never see
a child go hungry so if there's been a problem
loading money onto your account or if you've
forgotten your lunch, just look for a member of staff
in a high-vis jacket in the dining room and they'll
support you to get lunch on that occasion.
There are lots of places to both buy food and hang
out here so in the first few weeks try a few out and
see where your friends want to be - this will help you
find them in busy periods too! Don't forget a nice,
big water bottle; there are water fountains in the
Junction, dining room and block 1 to refill at break or
lunch if needed, but remember that you won't be
allowed to leave class for this so it's important to get
organised to stay hydrated!
Travel time
How are you going to travel? Some of you will feel
lucky to be able to just stroll to school from within
the village while some will be navigating trains,
buses, taxis, cars and bikes. Whichever way you'll be
arriving, try it out in advance over the summer so
you feel confident about which door you'll enter
through and where you'll meet your friends. If you
arrive by car, you can easily get dropped off in our
back car-park and walk up to the Junction from the
back door or head to the field for a while in good
weather. If you cycle, the bike sheds are just down
by the bottom field and ATC hut - what a great way
to get some exercise before and after school! Buses
are all organised through Suffolk County Council and
can take a little while to work out your best route,
but lots of our students travel this way and many
will be happy to help you as you learn your way
around the bus lanes at the front of school; there's
also always a member of staff in their trusty high-vis
to get you in the right place at the right time.
Putting the YOU in uniform
Again, everything doesn't have to be new; we have
lots of pre-loved uniform so look out for flash sales.
Aubyn Davies and myclothing.com are the places to
go for new items and you'll now have the chance to
buy polo shirts with the colour of your house around
the logo! We feel it's important to take pride in your
appearance and in being part of our school so
choose the right fit and check what you need on our
website so you can wear your uniform with pride
from day one.
Don’t forget to check out our
#TCCTransitionTalk series and Day in
The Life of a Year 7 video at www.
thurstoncollege.org/transition
4 5

Election Fever at TCC!
Our new Student Principals have been elected!
Meet your Student Principals
Congratulations Beau and Ellie!
Our new Student Principals have been elected
and the news is spreading like wildfire across the
school. People talk in the corridors and all
around the campus about what Beau and Ellie
are going to do first as they take over from
Taylor and Amelia. However, let's look back at
what each candidate promised us during this two
week long campaign. First, Emilia with a very
promising a summer fayre, off timetable days
and a designated year 10 and 11 study space.
Next, Ellie who wants to bring an adapted 3
strike late system, KS4 college tasters and to
review the uniform policy. Then we have Beau
who wishes to focus on making the student
experience better, helping our education and
continuing work from her previous area in the
Student Leadership Team. And last but not least,
we had Mary who wanted to boost overall
student enjoyment, to make a better future for
us and create new opportunities for everyone.
And all four of them could have been Student
Principal but there were only two spaces to fill.
Nevertheless, Mary and Emilia get to be Deputy
Student Principals so their amazing ideas could
also be implemented in some way.
Now, before the election results, many of our
fellow students were hoping to be ecstatic with
the results. They were enthusiastic and excited
as our Student Leadership Team is still a
relatively new and different concept for the
school community. To quote some: it’s a “very
strong step to building a thriving community
where students are empowered to call for the
change they want to see”. Another one is, “I think
it is a great opportunity for students to
understand their civic duties, role and
responsibilities in a democracy for the future”.
However, some students wanted to highlight the
fact that they needed change as they felt that
more could have been done over the past year.
After the election, many of our peers are
extremely happy due to their chosen candidates
being voted into power within our college
ecosystem. This is a real opportunity to give us
the power to change and voice our opinions.
On the 3rd of July the first of three TV Style live
broadcasts from the Student News Team was
aired, in the form of a live debate, during our Life
Skills lesson, lasting about half an hour. The
event was live on Youtube and had the hopeful
Student Principal candidates answer questions
from Louie, a Politics student at Thurston Sixth,
and some chosen volunteers from each year
group who appeared on screen from different
locations across the College. The entire Student
News Team have worked very hard to make
these live broadcasts the best they could be
throughout the week and they achieved that with
a grand applause from across the College that
the team could hear from the Student
Leadership Hub after each broadcast.
Polling day was on the 4th of July, in line with the
national General Election. Starting with another
live Student News broadcast. It was designed to
portray the actual polling stations your parents
may go to to vote. It was positioned in the block
6 hall and during each lesson a year group would
vote. It also involved an exit poll for which the
results were shown on the screens across the
school. The election process overall was a
fascinating event that will be remembered by all
students. This has been an exciting few weeks
and we’re sure many students are all eager to
see what Beau and Ellie have in store for the
future.
Written by Jayden and Thomas of TCC Student
News
You can watch our live broadcasts back at www.youtube.com/@TCCLive
6 7
Beau
Hello, my name is Beau and I am going to be
one of your Student Principals next year.
In the past year I have been acting as Head of
Year 10 and a Senior Prefect and I am looking
forward to carrying on in the Student
Leadership Team. In my spare time I love to
bake, read and sing. I am a competitive
person and will strive to make your
experience at TCC the best it can possibly be
and to put some of my ideas as well as your
own into place as this is your school and I
want to give every student a voice!
I am looking forward to working with you, the
staff and the rest of this amazing team to
make all of this happen.
Ellie
Hi, my name is Ellie and I'm one of your two
Student Principals at TCC next year.
My friends would describe me as a
determined, outgoing and academic person,
but in my spare time, I'm an avid Peloton
user and amateur baker, a Cadet and an
employee at my local cafe.
My ambitions for the role consist of making
College life the most positive experience for
students, and actively listening to ideas
presented by all students, particularly those
whose voices may not have been heard in the
past.
I hope to be innovative and create change
working closely alongside the incredible
Student Leadership Team and the staff here,
to make a lasting impact on TCC!

Thurston Sixth Abroad
Year 12s become Global Citizens in an expedition to Nepal
Working with a local Nepalese school
Although we had all enthusiastically volunteered to
take part in the FutureSense programme, nothing
could really adequately prepare us for the
experience of actually taking on the role of
facilitators and working with the school children. We
all knew it would be difficult, but I think it was
something that at least in my experience you just
had to take one day at a time and keep adapting.
What was so surprising but so rewarding is just
how well the kids responded to us - it wasn’t long
before we were all getting along and so many of
them were so excited to engage with the
workshops we planned.
Obviously not every day went to plan, but we all
quickly learnt how to think on our feet and adapt
our plans when things went wrong or had to change
- you never quite know what’s going to happen with
any group of school children even when you’re not
struggling with a language barrier.
Either way, by the end of the two weeks, we came
away feeling as if we’d had a good impact. The
emotional farewell and gifts we received was
indication enough that they valued our visit, and I
think I can speak for all of my fellow students who
went on the trip by saying that we too will value the
lessons and memories that we were given by the
school in equal measure.
Joe R - Year 12
Monkeys, Motorbikes and Music: a slice of
Nepalese Culture
The vast Concrete Jungle of Kathmandu can be
seen sprawling into the sunset from the
Swayambhu Mahachaitya - known by many
tourists as simply the ‘Monkey Temple’. Whilst
Nepal has offered us countless unforgettable
experiences, glistening golden temples hidden
within mazes of grey housing - and of course
the newfound ability to dodge oncoming
mopeds, the Monkey Temple perfectly captured
the astir spirit of Nepal. The mountainous terrain
led us upwards, climbing several flights of stairs
on which were perched countless stalls, with
enthusiastic vendors selling anything from
mysterious ‘lemon tea’ to life-size buddha
statues. Once we had reached the top, the
golden temple became visible, a place of great
cultural significance where both Buddhists and
Hindus can come to pray together. The
surrounding area was a complete sensory
experience, the thudding and chants of
traditional music accompanied by sweet incense
and hoards of manic monkeys. To complete the
bewildering scene, I watched as a monkey stole
a juice carton off a small child and consumed
the contents on a high ledge whilst the child
cried below. I can assure you, there was never a
dull moment.
The streets of Bhaktapur had a similar intensity,
with a variety of markets specialising in
souvenirs, hand-made tapestry or pottery. We
visited the pottery square and had the chance to
make our own bowls or mugs (or fish, for
others) with the help of the Prajapati family who
had been in the industry for many decades. The
surname Prajapati means ‘producer’ in Sanskrit
and is the traditional Nepali name for potters.
Once we had completed our ‘flawless’ creations,
they were left out to dry under the blistering sun
whilst we explored the surrounding areas. Many
of us bought a range of souvenirs which
challenged Turkish Airlines’ luggage weight
capacity, however they were all beautifully
handcrafted by local artists. The singing bowl
was a popular souvenir, and hearing its soothing
tone back home is still a solid reminder of the
vibrant Nepalese culture.
Isaac R - Year 12
8 9

AUBYN DAVIES
Menswear & Schoolwear
81 St. Johns Street
Bury St. Edmunds
Suffolk, IP33 1SQ
Tel: 01284 754276
Email: enquiries@aubyndavies.co.uk
www.aubyndavies.co.uk
A comprehensive range of School Uniform is kept in stock
at all times in a wide selection of sizes. Our friendly staff are
always available to help with any enquiries you may have.
During the busy ‘back to school’ period we operate an appointment
booking system which can be accessed via our website.
Uniform is available to buy online for delivery or via click and collect.
YOUR
AD HERE
Email admin@thurstoncollege.org for details.
10 11

Celebrating 2023 - 2024: Autumn Term
Can you spot: Thurston Sixth Sports Day, Odd Socks Day, Student Leadership Ceremony, Gatehouse Food bank collection, Student News training day and more?
12 13

Celebrating 2023 - 2024: Spring Term
Can you spot: Student Leadership Team at the Commonwealth Service, Thurston Sixth Dance Company ‘Xilr8’, Edward Scissorhands visit, Legally Blonde, charity sponge throwing, Little Voices and more?
14 15

Celebrating 2023 - 2024: Summer Term
Can you spot: Sixth Form charity car wash, Year 11 final football match, KS3 Science Fair, Nepal visit 2024, Festival of Colour, Student Principal Election Day 2024, Thurston Sixth War Games, Euros
Bake off, ITV Anglia visit, Sports Day, and more?
16 17

Celebrating 2023 - 2024: Student Success
We LOVE to
celebrate success!
Has your child achieved something
amazing outside of school?
Make sure to send photos to
admin@thurstoncollege.org so that
we can celebrate it in school, on
our social media channels and in
this newsletter!
18 19

Sports Day 2024
“The best Sports Day ever”!
"Well done for the best Sports Day ever! Congratulations on your competition, supporting,
singing, dancing and bringing a great community spirit throughout.
Thank you to all students who supported Sports Day and helped to make it such a stunning
success as well as those who ensured that transition days ran so smoothly - it has been a
real pleasure to see sixth formers leading the school community."
Ms Taylor
20 21

Parent Forum…
Your opportunity to discuss College improvement
Enrichment
What to look forward to next term….
“Very useful for being kept up to date about
future plans and projects under consideration”
(Year 10 Parent)
Six times this year, parents and carers have been
invited to attend an evening at the school and have an
update about key issues or developments at the school.
The format of these was a presentation from a member
of the senior leadership team followed by the
opportunity for a more informal discussion and chat
over tea and biscuits.
“I feel that these give me a great opportunity to get
further involved with my son's school life by hearing
what is going well at Thurston and an informal setting to
ask questions and make suggestions for improvement.”
(Year 7 parent)
Topics covered this year include: an introduction to
Classcharts; online safety and safeguarding; meet the
Principal; behaviour update; teaching and learning
information; , personal development including
educational visits and enrichment; and looking ahead to
2024. In total over 70 families have attended and there
has been some positive feedback.
“I have found the Parent Forum evenings to be really
useful - they provide such a good insight into how TCC
is being run, the relationship that is being nurtured
between teaching staff and students and just to get a
feel for the dedication of senior staff and the direction
the college wants to be heading. It is an invaluable
opportunity to visit the college and get to ask questions,
put forward views and chat to other parents’ (K Wade -
Year 8 Parent)
We asked for suggestions about ways to improve these
and the responses included: vary the days of the week
these take place; start a little later in the evening to
avoid dinner times; offer some online options; and
change the name!
Therefore look out for #TCCTalk! which will take place
on a range of evenings from 7pm hopefully with some
online access and shared slides if you cannot attend.
“The parent forum events held over the last year have
all been really interesting and informative. I have
gained an insight into what is happening ‘behind the
scenes’ and had the opportunity to meet the senior
leadership team and discuss their vision for the school
going forwards. The forums have provided a platform
for parents and carers to air their views on how the
school is being run and what activities are offered. I
think it is great the school is encouraging parents’
involvement and participation, and I would definitely
encourage more parents and carers to attend.” (C Nunn
- Year 8 Parent)
…soon to be
‘#TCCTalk!’
At Thurston Community College we believe in
enabling students to have learning and enriching
experiences which will enable them to become well
rounded individuals who will make a positive impact
on the world.
We want students to develop a range of skills that
will put them in the position possible for a successful
future. For us this means enabling them to develop
and hone a range of skills that we know will benefit
them with their ongoing education post-16 and in
their careers.
These include:
Organisation / time management, planning and
aiming high, teamwork, problem solving, leadership,
creativity and innovation, resilience and staying
positive, working well under pressure as well as their
literacy, numeracy and oracy outside of the
classroom.
Our Student Enrichment Charter has been
developed with these at the forefront and we are
excited by the range of experiences that our
students will be able to undertake during their time
with us, across the five or seven years that they are
here. We have put together ten categories of
opportunity and students can work towards
achieving the Personal Development Award.
1. Immersive cultural experience
2. Arts and culture
3. Live sporting event
4. Subject rich
5. Further Education
6. Character development
7. Visit an area of British natural interest
8. Visit a city
9. Learn a new skill
10. Staying away for a night
Level 1 - activities from 3 categories
Level 2 - activities from 5 categories
Level 3 - activities from 8 categories
Level 4 - activities from all 10 categories.
Students record their progress through the levels of
the Charter on their Unifrog platform, where they
can match the activities with the skills they have
developed. This will also help with applications for
post-16 education and with job applications.
Our comprehensive enrichment programme means
that all students have the chance to achieve the
highest level and receive the Personal Development
Award. Students can participate in:
• Residential Visits in the UK and Abroad
• Curriculum focused day visits and residential
visits across the Year groups
• Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme for Years 10 to
13
• University Taster Days - Years 7-13
• Work Experience for year 10
• Work related learning webinars and virtual work
experience days throughout the year for Years 7-
13
• Performing Arts Productions and Music Festivals
• School Sporting events
• Lunchtime Enrichment activities
• Student Leadership
Activities that your child takes part in outside of
school also adds to their social and cultural
experience and can be recorded on their Unifrog
platform.
This is a very exciting development for TCC and we
are really booking forward to seeing our students
grow to become the very best versions of
themselves.
22 23

Rounding off our 50 th Anniversary Year
This year, we celebrated 50
years of Thurston Upper School
and Thurston Community
College.
Watch the ‘Then and Now’ video series at www.thurstoncollege.org/50
When the building first opened in
1973, it wasn’t even complete!
We’ve heard stories from those
who attended on the very first
day as well as memories from
students across the past 5
decades. Our Student News
Team produced a ‘Then and Now’
video series, where they learned
all about school life back in the
seventies. This culminated in a
celebration evening where 50 th
celebration contributors and
local representatives were invited
to observe memorabilia and
watch the ‘Then and Now’ videos.
Thank you to everybody who has
played a part in helping us to
mark this milestone. Here’s to the
next 50 years!
Our 50 th anniversary web page is full of
memories!
Did you see our article in the Bury Free Press?
Visit www.thurstoncollege.org/50 for memories and photos from the last 50 years
24 25

Stay safe this summer
Top tips for keeping your child safe during the summer holidays
Online Activity
Think about their online activity. With time on their hands they may be tempted to spend
longer than usual on portable devices. It’s worth thinking about your parental controls if you
haven’t already. It’s also worth reviewing the platforms they are using, and negotiating how
long they spend on screens each day.
Safeguarding during the summer holiday
Please note that College telephones, general emails, and contact forms will not be
monitored during the summer holiday.
If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, please visit www.thurstoncollege.org/
safeguarding for information on the appropriate agencies to contact. In an emergency,
always dial 999.
There is no legal minimum age for a child to be left alone, but it is against the law to leave
them if ‘it puts them at risk’. Every child is different and you know your child best but if they
are going to spend protracted periods at home alone, set boundaries about what your
expectations are.
We are all hoping that the summer arrives at some point, and young people will benefit from
being outside and being active. However, some activities can present high risk. Open water
swimming should be carefully assessed, referring to guidance about the availability of
lifeguards, lifesaving aids etc. Open countryside and woodland can present a variety of risks;
from potentially lethal farm equipment (and livestock) to the possibility of encountering
individuals with unwanted intent. Young people should always be discouraged from being
anywhere near railway lines
Whilst many young people look forward to the summer break with excitement, for others it
can be a time of anxiety, especially for those who rely on the friendship and structure
provided by school. If you are concerned about a young person’s emotional wellbeing, please
use the following resources:
• Customer First on 0808 800 4005 (the first point of contact for social services)
• The Police on 999
Home Alone
Outside Activities
Emotional Well-being
• The NSPCC child protection helpline on 0808 800 5000
26 27

#TCCLife
Celebrating life at TCC and Thurston Sixth
www.thurstoncollege.org