INTRODUCING MS TUMKEVICE

Hi everyone,

My name is Ms Tumkevice and I’ve been teaching since 2018 working in inner-city London schools. My journey began as a Teacher of Business and I quickly moved up through middle leadership roles like Head of Vocational Courses and overseeing Business & Economics courses. Since January 2024, I’ve been proud to lead the Business and Computing department here at Deptford Green School.

I actually stepped away from teaching for a year - it’s a tough job! But that time away made me realise just how much I missed working with young people and being part of their journey. So, here I am, back in the classroom doing what I love the most.

I’m a bit of an education geek – I love reading books about cognitive science, and the fascinating ways our brains absorb and retain information.

Outside of school, you will find me exploring new corners of the world, skiing in winter, and surfing in summer.

Last year, our Y11 Business results took a big leap, and I’m feeling even more optimistic about this year’s group. August can’t come soon enough!

COMPUTING STUDENT UPDATES

Huge congratulations to all Y11 students who have just completed their GCSE Computer Science exams! Sitting both Paper 1 (Computer systems) and Paper 2 (Computational Thinking & Programming) is a significant undertaking and you should all be proud of your hard work and dedication. Your efforts will pay off. Now, take a well-deserved break—you’ve earned it!

ATTENTION Y10 - YOUR PPE'S ARE COMING UP FAST!

For our Y10 Computer Science students, your mock exams are just around the corner! (27June). This is a fantastic opportunity to:

Test your understanding of key topics.
Identify areas for improvement before the real GCSEs.
Build confidence in exam conditions.

Make use of the resources on Teams and use the following simple techniques to help you prepare:

1. ACTIVE RECALL WITH FLASHCARDS

Create and use flashcards (paper or digital tools like Quizlet) to quiz yourself on key terms, algorithms, and definitions.

2. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Redo the questions we do on Thursdays in your own time, and use platforms like Craig’n’Dave or Isaac Computer Science for interactive revision.

3. TEACH IT TO SOMEONE ELSE

One of the best ways to solidify your understanding is to explain a concept to a friend. Try it to reveal to yourself what you truly know or need to revisit.

COMPUTING RISING STARS

Y7: SCRATCH SUPERSTARS!

A special mention to Jesse, Grace, Rae and Tom for their outstanding work in Scratch programming!

Y8: FLOWCHART CHAMPIONS!

Well done to Treasure, Ava, and Diamond for embracing flowcharts with enthusiasm!

Y9: PYTHON PIONEERS!

To all our Y9 students who are now writing their first programs in Python —you’re taking a huge step forward in programming. Keep experimenting, debugging, and pushing your limits!

Remember: Computer Science is all about curiosity, persistence, and creativity. Keep pushing yourselves DG!

Thanks to Ms Tumkevice and Mr Djizo

Y10 VISIT TO OXFORD

Our Y10 students had an inspiring day visiting Oxford University, exploring both our partner College, St Catz, and Jesus College.

From chatting with undergraduates to imagining life at one of the world’s top universities, it was all about aiming high and discovering new possibilities.

We also took part in Maths and Medicine tasters and a puzzling and thought-provoking language taster session that got everyone thinking about our use of metaphors.

Fun fact of the day: Oxford students wear special gowns and carnations during exams – white for the first exam, pink for the others, and red for the final one!

Walking through Oxford we saw many students wearing red carnations and celebrating the end of their exams and even when we got absolutely drenched by a sudden downpour, there was a joyous atmosphere.

Our students left feeling motivated, curious, and ready to explore, dream and discover.

ACCELERATE

Do you know a 16 to 18 years old, interested in Architecture or Engineering , check out ACCELERATE, a free course for students interested in careers in the built environment (architecture, engineering, planning, or landscape architecture).

Deptford Green alumni have previously taken part and are now architects.

Running from October 2025 to May 2026, the course includes 10 Saturday workshops at top universities, site visits, peer learning, mentoring, portfolio and university application guidance, and an optional Arts Gold Award worth 16 UCAS points. Hosted by Open City and five leading universities, Accelerate supports strong university applications. Click HERE to apply asap and before 15th September.

For more information, contact Siraaj

Do you know a Year 11 or 12 student who wants to prepare for competitive apprenticeship applications?

Pathway+ is a new 8-week apprenticeship preparation programme launching in July working with organisations offering apprenticeships across finance, engineering, marketing, management, and retail.

This initiative bridges the gap between aspiration and opportunity by equipping students with the skills, confidence, and tools needed to navigate the competitive apprenticeship application process.

Apply to Pathway+ directly - click HERE

KING'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP LAB ESSAY COMPETITION

The purpose of the competition is to encourage UK students (Years 11-13 ) to pursue entrepreneurial aspirations and apply to top universities.

More details about the E-Lab can be found here.

Students should choose between one of the three possible choice of essays questions (available on the Competition website), exploring the importance of entrepreneurism and the challenges that business-people face.

Eligible students from all backgrounds and regardless of subjects studied are welcome to enter the competition.

The winners will be invited to a prize-giving ceremony, held in King’s College, Cambridge in Autumn 2025.