Eleanor R.
Head Girl, Clifton High School
I thank you for allowing me to get involved once again in all the eco committee has to offer and I have definitely learnt a lot from you. Although it will not be the same without you, we will absolutely strive to make Clifton High as eco as possible, using all the skills you have taught us so that we can ready the younger kids for when we leave this year.
Vicki Harris
Sustainability Lead, University of the West of England
Thank you so much for coming along today. Brilliant session – spot on for the audience; inspiring, interesting energetic engaging and practical! I spoke to some of the students afterwards and they enjoyed it and some were really enthusiastic.
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Jacqueline Jenkins
School Improvement Consultant / Senior Ofsted Inspector
It was truly a pleasure to meet you. Your work is extremely interesting and forward thinking. Your passion and expertise warrant praise. You have very high personal standards and the skills to navigate complex and challenging issues around environmental education. All schools and further Education will appreciate your uncompromising approach to Environmental Education and Eco confidence. Your inspiring work is exactly what children and young people need to be aware of. The Ofsted 2019 Framework conveys clear messages around sustainability and well-being linked to Eco anxiety. I have inspected a number of schools (all phases), and I currently support schools from Early Years to Post 16. This is the best practice I have ever seen. Well done!
I look forward to working with you.
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Johnny Palmer
SOL CELL / SXS Productions
I sincerely admire the energy you put into sharing such vital messages. More so the way in which you do is inspiring; your focus on wide awareness, personal action, and enjoyment is awesome and something the world needs so desperately right now.
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Emma Peddie
Sustainable Production Advisor at BBC NHU
‘Can I introduce a friend of mine, Tom Walmsley? He’s an ex wildlife cameraman, stills library entrepreneur turned eco-educator. He’s working with various Bristol schools to provide a range of environmental education ideas. I thought you might be interested in hearing about Tom’s ideas on environmental education. You are welcome to contact him directly to ask about the free talk and environmental photo exhibit he has to offer.’
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Sarah Willerton
Foundation Stage Teacher, Clifton High School, Bristol
Dear Mr Walmsley,
I am writing to you to summarize the benefits of your Aquarium Ecosystem for Reception. The children have very much enjoyed having the tank in our classroom and it has generated a real interest in the environment. They have been curious about what will happen to the tadpoles and have been keen to make close observations of any changes. Some of the children are beginning to know that the environment and living things are influenced by human activity. We have been able to cover many areas of our curriculum from this focus:
- Communication and Language – Class discussions about what the children have seen and learnt
- Literacy: Writing about the life cycle of a frog /looking at non-fiction books
- Understanding the World – Learning about the environment
- Expressive Arts and Design – Drawing tadpoles and frogs
- ESEP – taking turns to look at the aquarium.
Children from Year 1 and Year 2 have also visited the tank regularly. Unfortunately, I wasn’t working the morning the ducklings came to school, but I know the children were very excited about seeing them and they generated a lot of discussion.
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Laura Sutton
Oasis Long Cross Primary School
Dear Tom,
Thank you so much for your email, the children thoroughly enjoyed your talk and learnt so much from you. Your talk was pitched at an appropriate level and I am certain it will be of help to them in their writing assessments this week. Thanks so much for your support in our zoo trip it was extremely successful.
Laura
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Head of Maths and Geography
Clifton High School
Thank you so much for organising the live-link with ‘Song of the Whale’ today. 5M, 6PC, Mrs Williams and I all enjoyed it very much – it really brought alive the lovely whale-data context for using mathematics! It may well have inspired one or two to get involved in mathematics and science on projects like that in the future.
Kathryn
I have just asked my Year 7 Geography class if they want to do your Global Classroom session and they are very excited about it!! Some of them have siblings from year 5/6(?) and they have been raving about it!
Laura
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Co-Headteachers
Crockerne C of E Primary School
Thank you both for all the hard work this year; the nature area is a real legacy.
Lara Furmidge
Thank you too to you and Rob for providing the children with some amazing learning opportunities this year. We will really enjoy sharing the PP with the children this afternoon.
Geeta Verrell
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Mrs Julia Sutcliffe
Lead Support to Deputy Head , Nursery –Year 2
First of all a big thank you for yesterday. As usual just as interesting for adults as for children! Also I loved the video you did that you showed in the assembly to the older children – we watched it in class yesterday. You must be inspiring so many children – well done you!
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Mrs Sarah Barker
Assistant to the Deputy Head, Nursery – Year 2
thank you so much for all your efforts with the Open Day. The activities that you put on were just right for the event – thank you again. You really lift the department and show it in such a good light.
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Vicky West, Wicked Weather Watch (climate change education group)
Just to say thank you all so much for your hard work – I know it took an awful lot of organisation at your end too. Tom you’ve been brilliant throughout, and the team there for making us feel so welcome and for keeping the groups to such a tight schedule. We’ve loved working with you, so many bright and engaged kids that have been a pleasure to talk to, and some already so knowledgeable about climate change which is always really exciting to see. We’d love to do more with you in the future, and looking forwards to the multischools which we’ll be pushing forwards with next week! Thrilled the science cafe was so busy too. Really nice to have a mixed group and see both parents and their kids engaging in the topics together.
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Dr. Helen Pascoe, Deputy Head, Clifton High School
You are a natural teacher and speak so passionately about your subject. You are clearly knowledgeable and adapted quickly to the needs of the children in front of you. The session was well planned and resourced, with tasks that all pupils could access, with extension for the more able. You dealt very well with the boys that got a bit chatty, turning the comment around to tell them what you liked form them and what you liked less so – great tactic! It would have got an excellent from an ISI inspector!
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Sarah Barker, Head of Early years
Tom’s ducks and activities also “went down a storm!” and added the extra special touches that set us aside from other setting’s events.
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Johnny Palmer, Scout Leader
…I think the kids found it pretty mesmerising! I love your style with kids – you gain the respect (getting them to listen) of a teacher while making it carefree fun. I admire this and hope that I can one day achieve this same balance with my scout leading. It is great that the kids get such an insight into nature and endangered species from your sessions.