Year 8 high performance academy
This term the Year 8 High Performance Academy students have been researching a series of topics related to technology in the Arts, such as the evolution of weaponry throughout history, the use of technology in classical civilisations and representations of AI in the media.
This Tuesday students met to deliver presentations on their research as well as to receive prizes for their work and eat lots of well-earned pizza! The quality of research and presentations has been exceptional this year with the students showing impressive research skills and sophisticated understanding of their topics. A massive well done to everyone involved!
Prizes for the best research went to Sophia Blake in History, Elizabeth Francis in Media and Victoria Simunkova in classics, while prizes for the best presentations went to Emily Bowden, Jamie Hancox and Elena Bolton. A huge thank you also to Miss Piggott, Miss Elson and Mr Crow for delivering such fascinating lectures that inspired the students in their own research.
Year 7 Gold EfFORT Lunch
YEAR 10 GOLD EFFORT LUNCH
Cadets
As the year draws to a close, our Combined Cadet Force (CCF) ended on a high note with a fantastic training session and presentation evening, organised by our exceptional Senior Cadet NCOs. This event highlighted the dedication, teamwork, and accomplishments of our cadets, showcasing the pride and professionalism that defines our CCF.
The Year 8 cadets, wearing their uniforms with pride, were presented with their Certificates of Cadet Induction. These young cadets have taken their first steps into the CCF, setting a shining example of what it takes to commit to this prestigious organisation.
For our Year 9, 10, and 11 cadets, the evening celebrated their hard work as they earned new syllabus badges, ranging from Basic to 2 Star, reflecting their progress in skills and knowledge. Special recognition went to our RAF cadets, who proudly received Leadership Badges, a testament to their dedication to personal development and teamwork.
The highlight of the evening was the much-anticipated promotions. Cadets were recognised for their commitment and leadership, with advancements from Cadet to Lance Corporal, Corporal to Sergeant, and the crowning achievement of our senior cadets stepping into their roles as Flight Sergeant and Staff Sergeant. These promotions represent not just rank but the trust and respect they have earned from their peers and leaders.
Of course, no celebration is complete without refreshments, and the pizza was a huge hit with the cadets! It was a well-deserved treat after a year of hard work, commitment, and growth.
A special shout-out goes to the staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that our cadets receive the best training, support, and opportunities possible. Their dedication makes evenings like this not only possible but unforgettable.
As we head into the New Year, we are filled with pride for what our cadets have achieved and excitement for what lies ahead. Well done to everyone involved, and here’s to another successful year with the CCF!
Aim high, achieve higher.
HOUSE NEWS
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On Thursday December 5th the final of the Year 7 Penalty Shoot-Out took place. The finalists were Brunel and Pengelly who had both beaten two other houses to earn their place in the ultimate game. Stakes were high, with nervous players from both sides desperate to win glory for their house.
Miss Pappin and Mr Chadwick were in attendance and were also displaying their competitive natures. Although the game was closely fought, Pengelly emerged victorious with a 3-1 lead. All finalists received a small prize with sweets for the whole of 7P. The Year 7 house cup currently resides in Mrs Lancaster’s tutorial room- resplendent in purple ribbons.
Hospitality and catering
year 9
Year Nine Hospitality and Catering students have been fabulous in creating theory written tasks in their workbooks. The concentration and application to the work demonstrates just how seriously and intensely they value the subject; not only the practical aspect of the subject but also the written aspect about the Hospitality and Catering industry. They have also been developing their basic to mediums skills in preparing, cooking and presenting their dishes. They have made a wonderful start to their level 2 and are trying hard to ensure the washing and tidying up is completed to a high standard for health and hygiene in the kitchen.
year 10
The Year 10s have been committed to writing their mock controlled assessments and studying the importance of nutrients both macro and micro nutrients. We have been examining the ways that nutrients affect our nutritional health and well-being and focusing on case studies to help us understand the structure of the controlled assessments they will have to do next academic year.
find the elf
year 7
year 10
year 7 fun friday
mfl with miss hammett
Miss Hammett's Year 12 Spanish students have been working hard on their topic of idols and did presentations on Colombian musician Juanes and Spanish singer Rosalía. ¡Qué interesante!
Year 8 Spanish have been looking at the topic of holidays and did some lovely creating writing, talking in the past tense about where they have been and activities they have done. We have also started looking at the Christmas holiday and Spanish traditions. ¡Feliz Navidad!
year 9 biology
9T8 were carrying out food tests in Biology this week. Testing different food samples for proteins, carbohydrates , lipids and sugars.
Year 7 - Isla-Mae Gale and Achillies Richards
Year 8 - Riley Johnson and Gracie Fancourt
Year 9 - Matthew Campman and Anya Cosslett
Year 10 - Ella Randall-Pybus and Sraavan Sooryaprakash
sixth form netball
Tammy Westacott, Elspeth Herring, Rosie Clarke, Ellie Denby, Evie Sutton, Maisy Green, Ella McLachlan, Ellie Stone, Mia Denby (C), Ellie Chammings
The sixth form netball academy continued their unbeaten streak in the AOC netball league after a dominant win at Weston College on Wednesday. The team displayed defensive pressure throughout the court leading to numerous interceptions and forcing the opposition to make errors. The phenomenal work rate and determination of all players was the key to the convincing 51-9 win. Well done, girls!
Coaches Player: Evie Sutton
Oppositions Player: Ellie Denby
Players Player: Elspeth Herring
PICKLEBALL
TA’s House sport programme has continued with pickleball this week. The sport (similar to short tennis) is growing rapidly around the World, including Torbay. The event was held at Torquay Tennis Club with 6 students on each of the 8 courts in the indoor tennis dome. We had over 60 Year 9 students apply but unfortunately only had spaces for 48.
Students played 15 group matches with the best combined points making the quarter finals.
The rules can seem quite complicated at first, but students, with the help of our year 12 sports leaders, developed good knowledge of how to play the game correctly. Progression in skills of the game were really clear every match.
As always with house sport, competition was fierce and medals were up for grabs for the top 3 boys and girls.
Well done to all who participated, all earning house points!
Boys
Gold-Lee Stevens
Silver-Noah Margetts
Bronze- Max Murphy
Girls
Gold- Scarlett Connelly
Silver-Heidi Bowers
Bronze- Sophia Peryer
A Busy Three Weeks for Our Football Program
The last three weeks have been an action-packed period for our football program, featuring 15 games in 15 days! Our teams have shown exceptional dedication and spirit, competing across multiple tournaments and age groups. Here’s a recap of the highlights:
Week 1
- 6th Form Boys: Kicked things off with a challenging away game in Cornwall against Truro and Penwith. The hard-fought match ended in a 2-2 draw.
- Year 7 Boys: Impressed in the National Cup, defeating Torquay Boys’ Grammar School with an outstanding performance.
- Year 9 Boys: Faced Millfield School in the National Cup. Despite a close game with chances on both sides, Millfield secured the win with two breakaway goals.
Week 2
- 6th Form Boys: Traveled to Dorchester for their final English Schools Super League game against Champion Sport. They played valiantly but fell short with a 3-1 loss.
- Year 7 Boys: Made their way to Reading for a thrilling Elite National Cup game against Forest School, played on a tight indoor pitch. The boys triumphed in an edge-of-your-seat match, clinching a 4-3 victory.
- Under 14 Girls: Traveled to Bournemouth and delivered an outstanding performance, winning 2-0 to progress in the National Cup.
- Under 13 Girls B Team: Started their campaign against Poole Academy. Despite a tough 3-0 loss, the girls showed great effort and promise.
Week 3
- Year 7 Boys: Continued their strong form in the National Cup, securing a 4-1 victory over Devonport to advance to the next round against Wadebridge after Christmas.
- Year 7 Boys B Team: Dominated their first National B Team Cup fixture against Wimborne, with an incredible 11-0 win.
- Under 15 Girls: Took on Sir John Hunt in the National Schools Cup. The girls were too strong for their opponents, progressing to the last 32 with a win. They’ll face Eggbuckland next.
- Under 13 Girls: Played Uffculme in a tight National Cup match. A solid performance saw them secure a 2-0 victory, also progressing to the last 32, where they’ll host Torpoint after Christmas.
A Remarkable Term
This term has been nothing short of incredible for our football program. Across boys’ and girls’ teams, staff and students have shown tremendous commitment and skill. Competing in the National Schools Cup and beyond, our performances reflect the strides we are making on the national stage.
As we wrap up for Christmas, we celebrate an amazing milestone: 52 games of football played this term. It’s been busy, rewarding, and inspiring for everyone involved.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Here’s to more sporting success in 2025!
House stars of the week
Year 7
Brunel - Poppy Tankielin
Christie - Archie Payne-Stanbury
Darwin - Nevaeh Piri-Sadigh
Fawcett - Ava Wiggins
Harrison - Sabrina Lewis
Kitson - Jacob Hicks
Nearne - Sienna Frost
Pengelly - Ava Harrison
Year 8
Brunel - May McDonough
Christie - Farah Davidson
Fawcett - Summer Dockrey
Harrison - Leonard Toribio
Kitson - Nanma John
Nearne - Lottie Knight
Pengelly - Myah Sellick
Year 9
Brunel - Kiara Ujj
Christie - Edward Rackley
Darwin - Immy Pace
Fawcett - Bella Hobbin-Mills
Harrison - Brooke Birchall
Kitson - Elliott Baines
Nearne - Alfie Spicer
Pengelly - Finley O'Leary-Black
Homework Stars of the Week
Year 7
Brunel - Leo Watson-Cox
Christie - Amelia Woodland
Darwin - Tallulah Owen
Fawcett - Heath Slater-Saunt
Harrison - Oscar Josey
Kitson - Riley House
Nearne - Isaac Hodge
Pengelly - Finley Elliott
Year 8
Brunel - Luke Sandeman
Christie - Ruby Turner
Fawcett - George Kasparis
Harrison - Sophia Blake
Kitson - Florence Botten
Nearne - Jack Hughes
Pengelly - Jake Richards
Year 9
Brunel - Ruby Chamberlain
Christie - Jamie Tully
Darwin - Finlay Clark
Fawcett - Saphi Byers
Harrison - Oscar Spurle
Kitson - Max Warner
Pengelly - Alex Moss
university offers this week
| Washbrook | Amelia | Bournemouth University | Law |
| Washbrook | Amelia | Cardiff University | Law |
| Washbrook | Amelia | University of Sheffield | Law |
| Heron | Evie | Cardiff University | English Literature |
| Prior | Gabriel | Durham University | Philosophy, Politics and Economics |
| Batten | Layla | Aberystwyth University | English Literature/Education |
| Batten | Layla | Bath Spa University | English Literature |
| Bruton | Lily-May Louise | Cardiff Metropolitan University | Media and Communications |
| Bruton | Lily-May Louise | Newcastle University | Film and Media |
| Carr | Lauren Hope | Aberystwyth University | Genetics |
| Carr | Lauren Hope | University of Sussex | Genetics |
| Carr | Hannah Lucy | Cardiff University | Architectural Studies |
| Mitchell | Robyn Henrietta | University of West London | Construction Project Management |
| Mitchell | Robyn Henrietta | University of Westminster, London | Urban Planning and Design |
| Richards | Penny | Bournemouth University | Business & Management |
| Sams | Ava | Cardiff Metropolitan University | Media & Communications |
| Beer | Max Henry | University of Bristol | Ancient History |
| Beer | Max Henry | Cardiff University | Ancient History |
| Batten | Layla | Queen Mary University of London | English Literature and Linguistics |
| Carr | Lauren Hope | Edge Hill University | Genetics |
| Bruton | Lily-May Louise | University of Leicester | Film and Media Studies |
| Dorling | Megan | Cardiff University | Biological Sciences |
| Richards | Penny | Cardiff University | Business management |
| Richards | Penny | Cardiff University | Business management with a professional placement year |
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