Visits from Nelson Mandela's bodyguard and Ofsted

chris lubbe - NELSON MANDELA's BODYGUARD

Thursday was a day that will stay with our students for the rest of their lives. Nelson Madela’s bodyguard, Chris Lubbe, fulfilled a promise he made to him before he died to spread the powerful messages of tolerance, peace and forgiveness to young people across the world. This is his continuing mission, and we were privileged to be part of that this week.
His talk was truly inspirational and gave our young people an insight and understanding into not only the evils and injustice of apartheid, but also the powerful message of forgiveness and hope which sprang from Nelson Mandela’s presidency

Mr Lubbe began his talk by dropping a few names of the ‘minor’ celebrities he met whilst working for Mr Mandela: Beyoncé, JZ, Chris Martin, Matt Damon. Too many to mention, but he certainly gained the audience’s attention.
He went on to talk powerfully about his childhood growing up in a shanty town with no electricity, no running water, and ‘no hope’. He was taught in a classroom with no books in a class of 60 to one teacher, learning to read and having to search through rubbish dumps to find books, which he cleaned up and treasured. Teachers and students who also loved reading found it incredibly moving to hear of the lengths he went to in order to find what we take for granted is freely available in our libraries. The first book he found was Romeo and Juliet which our young people study in year 7.

He went on to talk about his experiences of apartheid; stories of injustice, violence, discrimination and hopelessness. You could hear a pin drop as our students absorbed these horrifying events, and clearly drew parallels with their own privileged life of freedom and democracy sat in a school which Mr Lubbe described as being one of the most amazing he had ever seen.

But Mandela’s release changed everything in South Africa, and Mr Lubbe was fortunate to witness first-hand the forgiveness Mandela showed for those responsible for his twenty-seven year long imprisonment. He showed a clip from the film ‘Invictus’ in which he was played by an actor who looked nothing like him. He worked with the writer of the film to ensure its accuracy, and confirmed that it was indeed 99.9% accurate. It is an incredible film which demonstrates how Mandela united the nation.
He ended his speech with some of the lessons Mandela taught him, below is one of the ones which resonated with our girls and boys.

Chris was inundated wherever he went with students wanting to shake his hands, ask questions, take photographs and get his signature. Despite the fact that he spoke solidly for four hours, he was welcoming and gracious to them all, overwhelmed by their interest and respect. We had messages from parents following the event saying that their children came home keen to talk about their experience and learn more about the world around them.
We are keen to build on the messages Chris imparted in the coming weeks and years - an unforgettable experience that will encourage our young people to ‘be the change they want to see in the world’.

Ofsted visit

Just before 10am on Monday I received a call from Osfted saying they would be inspecting the school over the next two days. We were expecting this as it has been nearly five years since we were last inspected.

All of the staff and students were looking forward to welcoming the inspectors into the school as we are very proud of our students, their achievements and the opportunities we provide for them.

The inspection was an ungraded inspection, which is a shorter Ofsted inspection designed to assess whether a school continues to provide a good standard of education. It lasted for two days. Three inspectors were in school on the first day and one inspector on the second day. An ungraded inspection differs from a graded inspection because it does not result in individual graded judgements. Instead, it focuses on determining whether the school has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

We are looking forward to sharing the great feedback we received when the report is published within the next month. I will email the report to our parents and students and share it here, on the blog.

Torquay Academy CCF Cadets Brave the Elements for First Wednesday Training of the Year

Despite the wet and wintry weather, the Torquay Academy Combined Cadet Force (CCF) marked their first Wednesday training session of the new year with unwavering enthusiasm and dedication. The session was a true testament to the cadets’ resilience and commitment to excellence, as they tackled their respective training programs with focus and determination.

RAF Cadets Gear Up for Regional Competition

The Royal Air Force (RAF) section wasted no time diving into their preparations for the upcoming regional competition. Their training session emphasized drill, ensuring precision and synchronization, while also working on RAST (Royal Air Squadron Trophy) preparation. The cadets demonstrated exceptional teamwork and concentration as they honed their skills, keeping the competitive spirit alive despite the challenging weather conditions.

Army Cadets Expand Their Skills

Meanwhile, the Army section continued to progress through the Army Cadet syllabus, engaging in a variety of activities designed to build well-rounded capabilities. From mastering drill techniques to providing vital first aid, the cadets showed their versatility and readiness for all situations. The session also included fieldcraft, map reading, and air rifle training, offering a mix of both practical and theoretical learning. These skills not only build confidence and discipline but also foster camaraderie among the cadets.

The first training session of the year was a resounding success, highlighting the strength of the Torquay Academy CCF community. Despite the elements, the cadets and their leaders exemplified what it means to be part of the CCF: dedication, teamwork, and an unyielding commitment to self-improvement.

We are incredibly proud of all the cadets for their perseverance and hard work. As they march forward into the new year, we look forward to seeing them grow, succeed, and continue representing Torquay Academy with pride and excellence.

Year 7 Art Club Creates Festive Clay Gonks for Christmas

The Year 7 Art Club recently channelled their creativity into a fun and festive holiday project: making clay gonks for Christmas! These adorable Scandinavian-inspired creatures, known for their long beards, oversized hats, and quirky charm, were the perfect subject to spread holiday cheer while exploring art techniques.

Under the guidance of Mrs Lithgow and Mrs Gibbings the students learned how to shape and mold clay into unique gonk figures. They carefully crafted the gonks’ distinctive features, from pointed hats to flowing beards, adding their own personal touches with details like scarves, buttons, and textured patterns.

Once the sculptures were fired in the kiln, the students glazed them in a vibrant palette of colours turning their creations into festive masterpieces. Many were taken home for decoration or given as Christmas presents.

Pantomime Stars

Daisy, Lydia, Kierra and Olivia-Mae were all part of the Blue Team young company performing in Jack and the Beanstalk at Princess theatre Torquay. They learnt 10 routines in 10 days with some days not finishing till 10pm. They did 17 performances to over 1000 people. They’ve all worked so hard. Well done girls!

Maths with Mrs Kirby

In Mrs Kirby’s Maths class, 9Q6, students have been looking at identifying horizontal and vertical line graphs. This follows on from their previous work on plotting and labelling coordinates, finding the midpoint of a line segment and finding the gradient of a line on a graph.

Students were initially able to build their competency in this topic by using their current knowledge of plotting coordinates onto a graph, and using them to identify which coordinates formed a vertical line and which formed a horizontal line. Here is an example of April’s working showing how she was able to discover that a horizontal line was made up of coordinates with a constant coordinate and vertical lines were made up of coordinates with a constant coordinate.

Following on from this, the class developed their knowledge to select their own coordinates, on a given line, and use them to determine the equation of the vertical and horizontal line graphs by identifying the constant coordinate. Jasmine showed a great example of this in her workbook.

Mrs Kirby was so impressed with 9Q6 and how well the students were able to develop their understanding of coordinates and straight line graphs with some excellent examples of work in their books.

English with miss jelbert

7Q8 started reading the play version of the Canterbury Tales, adapted from Chaucer's 14th Century classic. We had already had a go at translating The Wife of Bath from Middle English and dicscovered that The Wife of Bath was not an archetypal, subservient Medieval maiden, but a 'liberated lady', getting ready to marry her husband number six!

When it was time to start reading the play, everyone wanted to be chosen to read a part, so after the hilarious first read, they insisted on a recasting of the roles and a second performance! There were some brilliant performances from everyone who took part, including:

Fi Bellamy-Hall, Kai Cornish, Emilie Cutmore, Louie Gribbin, Neave Heavens, Jack Parker, Bella Stevenson and Nancy Wheeler.

Extra credit to Sienna Frost and Darcy Gibbons, who both took on the role of The Wife of Bath with confidence.

The main star of the show was Nicholas Robinson, who engaged the whole class with an expressive reading, landing the jokes with exactly the right tone.

sixth form sport

This week year 12 and 13 sport students sat one of their external exams on the Body in Sport. Here they are in their briefing on the morning of the exam. They are due to sit the second one on Monday morning. They have worked extremely hard on preparing for these big exams since September. Good luck to all involved.

emilee fenner

Unfortunately, Emilee has returned from the break on crutches, but she was awarded star player for her recent Devon performance.

Year 10 Fun Friday

On Friday Year 10 we’re having fun playing tiddlywinks!

Year 11 fun friday

live music lunch

Year 7 - Mimi Skelly and George Davies

Year 8 - Jesse Isemede and Emilia Wood

Year 9 - Taylor Gillespie and Ava Luker-Hulme

Year 10 - Scarlett Finley-Squires and Jasper Franklin

Governor's Gold Certificates

Year 7 - Kyle Squires and Kayden Harper

Governor's Bronze certificates

Year 7 - Kyle Squires

Principal's Gold Certificates

Year 7 - Lexi Walker, Eva Thompson, Laila Stuttaford, Mimi Skelly, Harry Monro and Chloe Eales

Principal's Silver Certificates

Year 7 - Alex Nicholson, Jack O'Connor, Gracie Ritson, Kaiden Ilhan, Archie Hudson, Rhia Holding, Louie Gribbin, Nora Gordon, Georgiana Elliott, Calvin Downer, Skye Beesley, Josiah Addai, Sienna Hunter, Peyton Wilkin, Freddie Thatcher, Paisley Taylor, Lydia Shetliffe, Ruby Ross, Corah Luscombe, Libby Pell, Amelia Palla, Evan Jones, Archie Kershaw, George Davies, Bailey Clements, Oscar Manley and Ruben Tidball

Year 8 - Aaliyah Akpo, Charlie Berry, Max Kapusta and Tiffany Eastley

principal's bronze certificates

Year 7 - Gracie Harvey, Cole Washington, Finley Thompson, Abigail Rayment, Tyler Moss, Lilly Jones, Evie Jewell, Poppy Hewings, Vinnie Driscoll-Hayes, Oliver Beamish, Cole Barton, Ava Broughton, Rya Cutts, Lucy Matthews, Amaris Quennell, Gergo Rammer, Gabriele Stadalninkaite, Skyla-Rose Whitfield, Toby Young, Kai Cornish, Frederick Sintim, Ruby Treadaway, Gabriel Talbot-Powner, Abigail Harkin, George Ballance, Jacob Purdie, Kai Parton, Jaycie Kennedy-Taylor, Oscar Josey, Ethan Halliday, Darcie Mae-Finch, Lillyanna Edmonds, Jude Brodie, Myles Anyon, Neave Heavens, Lilah Dallow, Hope Burston, Chloe Bastow, Charlie Skinner, Isla Parsons, Isaac Hodge, Theo Mason, Olivia Fisher, Owen Brown, Toby Roadnight, Ellis Palmer, Annabella Hodge, Abi Allen and Josh Cainey

Year 8 - Serenity Ward, Layla Lock, Lily Langler, Jamies Hancox, Elena Bolton, Farah Davidson, Seren Chadwick, Harry Austin, Rosie Bevan, Chloe Taylor, Jelani Ondo-Chamielec, Oceana Furse, Jessica Ferguson, Jax Biagott, Poppy Evely, Poppy Jones, Jess Wiltshire, Isla Coish, Luna Truong, Harry Rowlands, Stefan Manta, Keylan Hodgson, Emily Bowden, William New and Myah Sellick

House stars of the week

Year 7

Brunel - Mabel Clatworthy

Darwin - Kai Cornish

Fawcett - Max Bovey

Harrison - George Ballance

Kitson - Lilly-Ella Smith

Nearne - Charlie Skinner

Pengelly - Lottie Forrester

Year 8

Brunel - Frederick Blagdon

Christie - Andy Iftode

Darwin - Jack Robinson

Fawcett - Riley Gomes

Harrison - Lilly-Rose Haughton

Kitson - Sofia Adamson

Nearne - Freddie Wallis

Pengelly - William New

Year 9

Brunel - Alexa Lyons

Darwin - Daisy Board

Fawcett - Jenson Gorin

Harrison - Ruby Fitzgerald

Kitson - Archie Somerset

Pengelly - Paris Reid

Homework Stars of the Week

Year 7

Brunel - Mia Kost

Darwin - Simeon Manners

Fawcett - Isla Gale

Harrison - Maja Kokoszka

Kitson - Oscar Anderson

Nearne - Georgia Morton

Pengelly - Freya Mobbs

Year 8

Brunel - Chantelle Robinson

Christie - Aaliyah Akpo

Darwin - Gabi Cobain

Fawcett - Emelia Wood

Harrison - Isla Coish

Kitson - Corey Davies

Nearne - Riley Page

Pengelly - Lyra Sully

Year 9

Brunel - Johnny Sandbrook

Darwin - Evie Ford

Fawcett - Gustaw Adamczak

Harrison - Robyn Higgins

Kitson - Elliott Baines

Pengelly - Mia Hawkes

university offers this week

Gibson-Roche	Hayden	University of Plymouth	Business & Management
Pound	Erin	Birmingham City University	Sports Journalism
Beer	Max Henry	University of Plymouth	History
Carr	Lauren Hope	University of East Anglia UEA	Molecular Biology and Genetics
Dorling	Megan	Queen's University Belfast	Microbiology
Richards	Penny	University of Bristol	International Business management with study abroad
Taylor	Elsie	University of Exeter	Accounting & Finance
Cornforth	Klara	Queen's University Belfast	Biomedical Science
Jamie	Nunn	Cardiff Metropolitan University	Sport Coaching
Jamie	Nunn	University of Gloucestershire	Sport & Exercise Sciences
Kinghorn	Evan	Manchester Metropolitan University	Biology
Pound	Erin	University of Brighton	Sports Journalism
Gibson-Roche	Hayden	University of Exeter	Business & Management
Fox	Charlie	University of Leeds	Civil Engineering
Batten	Layla	Oxford Brookes University	Education Studies and English Literature
Page Dove	Anya	University of Exeter	Psychology with Professional Placement
Lilly-Anne	Winterton	Bath Spa University	Education
Winterton	Lilly-Anne	Bath Spa University	Education
Winterton	Lilly-Anne	Cardiff University	Education
Kinghorn	Evan	University of Exeter	Biological Sciences
Hollie	Hand	University of Plymouth	Creative Writing
Sims	AJ	Bristol, UWE	Quantity Surverying and Commercial Management
Sims	AJ	University of Plymouth	Quantity Surveying
Corbett	Tim	University of Plymouth	Biological Sciences
Batten	Layla	Bath Spa University	Education and English Literature (Professional Placement Year)
Carr	Hannah Lucy	Arts University Bournemouth	Architecture
Whatley	Jeb	Bristol, UWE	Mechanical Engineering (Foundation)
Reed	William	UCSD	Computing
Pound	Erin	Plymouth Marjon University	Journalism (Sport Journalism)
Sims	AJ	Nottingham Trent University	Quantity Surverying and Commercial Management
Sims	AJ	University of Portsmouth	Quantity Surveying
Carr	Hannah Lucy	Cardiff Metropolitan University	Architecture
Copping	Joel	University of Exeter	Geography
Astley-Rubin	Shelby	University of Plymouth	English
Fox	Charlie	University of Exeter	Engineering
Fox	Charlie	University of Exeter	Engineering with foundation
Pound	Erin	Bournemouth University	Multimedia Sports Journalism
Winterton	Lilly-Anne	University of Bristol	Education Studies
Winterton	Lilly-Anne	University of Plymouth	Education
Reed	William	University of South Wales	Applied Cyber Security
Phillips	Emily	University of Exeter	English and Film & Television Studies
Shelby	Falmouth University	English & creative writing	104 UCAS
Whatley	Jeb	University of South Wales	Automotive Engineering
Galazkiewicz	Dawid	University fof Plymouth	Mathematics and computer science
Hand	Hollie	Falmouth University	Creative Writing
Hand	Hollie	Falmouth University	Creative writing with professional placement
McCaul	Oriana	Bangor University	English Language for speech and language therapy