Torquay Academy

national ATHLETICS CHAMPION 

It has been a busy end to the indoor season for Keeley Little.  She has been crowned England Athletics National Champion indoors over 200m at under 17.  She ran a personal best time of 24.47 in the final.

The championships were held at the English Institute of sport indoor track in Sheffield. On the Saturday, she contested the 60m heat, finishing 3rd in 7.71 seconds, a new Personal Best and new Torbay AC club record. In the semi, Keeley was 7th in 7.77 sec, not quite making the final.

On Sunday, Keeley competed in her specialist event the 200m where she was in scintillating form, going into the championships ranked fastest entrant from England. She dominated her heat, winning in 24.84 seconds.

In the semi-final, she again won in 24.65 seconds, another a new PB, and in the final Keeley produced the race of her life to place third overall in another PB of 24.47 sec. She was the highest placed English athlete behind two guest athletes from Wales and Scotland.

 

 

National Under 14 Ju Jitsu Champion & Musical Success

Esmie Riggs in 8C is excelling in the world of Ju Jitsu after being crowned U14 Ju Jitsu National Champion. Well done, Esmie!

Rosie Bevan recently took part in the Torbay Music Festival and won the musical theatre category for grades 3 and 4. Well don,e Rosie!

 

Another fifteen DofE certificates awarded

On Thursday this week we were thrilled to present more Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze certificates. Fifteen more certificates were presented - ten Bronze and five Silver.
It is a fantastic achievement by the students and recognises their efforts in learning or developing Skills, giving up their time to do a Volunteering activity, and their time in undertaking a sport or similar Physical activity. And of course undertaking the gruelling Expeditions - hiking and camping over 2 days and camping for 1 night for Bronze, and 3 days hiking 2 nights camping at Silver. Our completion rates are DofE are improving year in year out - testament to the efforts and resilience of our young people here at TA.

Once again the activities the students participated in were extremely diverse. In the Physical section students were undertaking activities such as gym fitness; netball; basketball; football; rugby; athletics; and dance. In the Skills section students were developing skills in learning musical instruments; video editing; drill and marching in cadets; navigation; and performing arts. And in the Volunteering section students coached younger students in athletics, netball football, cricket, dance and gymnastics; helped out in an animal rescue centre; assisted with organising, cleaning and cataloguing the outdoor education equipment; and supported younger scouts to develop their scouting skills. Some amazing activities undertaken by TA students that really help, support and inspire their local community with positive action

Congratulations to the following students:

Bronze - Ema Kestell, Lyra Bowstead, Keeley Little (all Year 11), Grace Green, Bailey Heaward, Hamish Herring, Barnaby George, Laurentiu Mihai, Scarlett Finley-Squires, Ethan Anyon (all Year 10)
Silver - Ollie Coleman, Summer Faulkes, Amy Harrison, Rayan Nafim, Adam Wright (all year 11)

 

 

everyone's talking about henry!

This past week, our school community has been bursting with pride as Year 12 student, Henry McManus, took centre stage in TOADS Theatre Company's production of the hit musical, "Everybody's Talking About Jamie." And what a performance it was!

From Tuesday to Saturday, the Palace Theatre in Paignton was alive with the energy and talent that Henry brought to the iconic role of Jamie. It's a role that demands incredible vocal range, emotional depth, and a genuine stage presence – and Henry delivered all of this and more.

Many of you will know that Henry auditioned for this challenging part back in October. Since then, he has dedicated himself tirelessly to rehearsals, often spending five days a week honing his skills and preparing for the show. This level of commitment is truly commendable, and it's clear that his hard work has paid off spectacularly.

The reviews have been nothing short of phenomenal. Audience members and critics alike have been unanimous in their praise, with many hailing Henry's performance as "West End standard" and declaring him a true star. The feedback we've received has been overwhelming, with countless messages expressing admiration for his talent, charisma, and the sheer joy he brought to the character.

We are incredibly proud of Henry's achievement.  He is a shining example of the talent we are privileged to nurture at TA.

Well done, Henry! You've made us all incredibly proud.

  

Fun Friday

TABle tennis success

A huge well done to our player, Kacper, who made us incredibly proud by winning four national medals! Competing in five categories, Kacper who reached four finals, an outstanding achievement!   

The weekend was long and intense, starting on Saturday at 8:00 am in the U17 boys' events. Twelve hours of relentless competition, match after match, but it was all worth it! Kacper secured two silver medals - one in boys’ doubles with Abraham and another in mixed doubles with Sienna - as well as reaching the quarter-finals in singles.

The competition continued with the U15 boys’ events, kicking off at the same early hour. Kacper gave everything he had and fought his way to a fantastic silver medal in singles, as well as another silver in doubles with Abraham.

 

Year 7 Art Project: A Collaborative 'Textile Art' Wall Hanging

Our Year 7 art class, 7T5, recently completed a fantastic collaborative textile project, creating a vibrant fabric wall hanging featuring colourful bugs drawn in oil pastels. Each student designed and illustrated their own unique bug on a square of fabric, exploring bold colors and intricate patterns. These individual pieces were then carefully stitched together by Mrs Giddings, forming a stunning collective artwork.

The final piece was proudly presented to our school SENCO, Mrs. Jukes, who was delighted by the creativity and effort put into the project. The students took great pride in their work, showcasing their artistic skills and teamwork in bringing this beautiful wall hanging to life. 

Mrs Lynch is very proud off 7T5's wonderful work : )

Geography with Mr Risdon

Year 7T6 Geographers have been learning about the weather this week, focusing on elements of the weather and then the extreme weather we are beginning to experience to an increasing extent in the UK and the impacts these are having on people's lives and businesses. Students made connections to careers and the opportunities as meteorologists at the Met Office in Exeter. You can see all students focussing 100% on selecting relevant information from a short documentary on extreme weather in 2024, thinking like GCSE geographers by adding detail to their responses. Great work Year 7. 

 

English with Miss Risk

Students in 10T6 have made a really positive start in their study of Macbeth a GCSE set text. Their recent set of extended writing tasks show an impressive understanding of Shakespearean context and intentions. Additionally, all students have demonstrated a high level of language analysis -revealing how Shakespeare presents the witches in Macbeth as subversive, transgressive figures through the use of specific word choice.

For the GCSE English Literature exam, candidates are required to analyse both a given extract and relevant examples from elsewhere in the play. All students in 10T6 have demonstrated the ability to do so proficiently and their results look very promising in relation to future examinations.

 

Year 8 maths

In 8Q6, they have been studying angles on parallel lines. First, they recognised that on parallel lines with a transversal, there are two sets of equal angles. For the GCSE the students need to be able to recognise the relationship between pairs of these angles, so once we had learnt them, they practiced using the mini whiteboards to test our understanding of whether an angle was alternate, corresponding or co-interior.

polish examinations

On Thursday Gośka Kosmaczewska came into school to meet our Year 10s and 11s that will take their Polish GCSE this summer. She spent some time with the students making sure that they understood what the speaking element of the exam will entail. They had some time to introduce themselves (in Polish) and practice some elements of the test. They were reminded not to use slang in the actual exam!

 

year 8 ready steady cook

The year eight Technology classes have been working on creating a savoury dish to enter the competition Ready steady cook. Although TA supplied the main staple ingredients for them, the students then rose to the occasion by planning and  purchasing all the other ingredients that were needed to produce the most innovative and creative dishes. They were to focus on multiple skills including cleaning throughout, making bread from scratch and using colour and textures to enhance the appearance of the dish. We are immensely proud of their accomplishments.

 

year 9 art with mrs lynch

Year 9 art students have been producing a fantastic series of drawings inspired by the artist Ian Murphy. As part of their project, they embarked on a photoshoot to capture the intricate details of local churches and other historic buildings in Torbay. The students were focusing on stained glass windows, decorative wrought ironwork, and stone carvings. Once back in the classroom, they created textured papers using tissue paper, glue, and paint, forming a rich, tactile surface to work on. The students then began carefully drawing the architectural details in pencil and fineliners. The resulting work certainly showcased their observational skills and creativity. Each student's work is unique, reflecting their personal interpretation of historic buildings. Well done year 9!

 

Year 7 - Freyja Mobbs and Freddie Thatcher

 

 Year 8 - Seren Panther-Glinn and Jack Robinson

 

Year 9 - Emilia Warner and George Evans

 

Year 10 - Maisie Sandercock and Bailey Heaward

   

netball national south semi finals: 44-19 victory - what a performance!

Maisy Green, Isabelle Moxham, Rosie Clarke, Emily Graham, Elspeth Herring, Summer Connolly, Ellie Chammings, Ellie Denby, Mia Denby (C) Tammy Westacott, Ellie Stone!

What an incredible performance from our Sixth Form netball academy on Thursday!  A dominant 44-19 victory that has left us in awe.  From the very first whistle, the girls were unstoppable, putting their foot on the pedal and setting the tone for the entire match.  They worked tirelessly as a squad, applying relentless defensive pressure all over the court, forcing the opposition into mistakes and capitalizing on every opportunity.

The seamless connections between players were flawless, making their play unbreakable.  Although the opposition tried to fight back, we pushed even harder, refusing to take our foot off the gas, and ensuring the gap never closed.  It was a faultless effort across the board.

This victory sees us advancing to the ‘Final Four’ playoffs in Loughborough in two weeks’ time.  We are so proud of the team’s performance; they are more than deserving of this win!  Onward to the finals!

Opposition's Player: Tammy Westacott

Players' Player: Isabelle Moxham

Coaches' Player: Ellie Stone

 

Girls' rugby festival

Over the last few years, the interest in participating in Girls Rugby at TA has grown so much that today we took two full minibuses of 30 girls from Years 8 and 9 to a Rugby Festival at Paignton Rugby Club. We had a mix of experiences, but all have had coaching at After School Rugby or in their PE lesson. The girls were all a credit to Torquay Academy and after some training sessions were showing some real skill and talent when they took on local schools in touch rugby matches. Lots of the girls have shown an interest in attending some Training sessions at Torquay Rugby Club, which has got an up-and-coming Girls and Lady's sections of the club being developed. With an enthusiastic Yr 7, Yr 10 and Yr 11 group waiting for more fixtures, Torquay Academy has real potential to excel locally in Girl's Rugby.   

 

netball sixth form SW league

 

 

 

governor's gold certificates

Year 7 - Eva Thompson, Harry Monro, Luna Mearns, Willow-Mae Calland, Myles Bonnici, Kayleb Yeo, Amelia Woodland, Laila Stuttaford, Zafirah Faryal, Lexi Walker, Freddie Thatcher, Jack Parker and Archie Kershaw

Year 8 - Immy Shaw

 

governor's silver certificates

Year 7 - Gracie Ritson, Louie Gribbin, Calvin Downer, Ruby Ross, Cody Butler, Sienna Hunter, Kaiden Ilhan, Rhia Holding, Skye Beesley, Bella Stevenson, Samuel McDonald, Evan Jones, Peyton Wilkin, Corah Luscombe, Macie Gay, Jacob Hicks and George Davies 

Year 8 - Max Kapusta and Jack Robinson

Year 9 - George Evans

 

governor's bronze certificates

Year 7 - Bailey Clements, Tyler Moss, Jake Jolly, Mia Fellows, Frederick Sintim, Ava Wiggins, Abigail Harkin, Maddox Findlay-Peers, George Ballance, Dee Davies, Maja Kokoszka, Mason Beardsley, Lilah Dallow, Rocco D'Alessandro, Sara Szeweczuk, Teddy Shobbrook, Isla Parsons, Georgina Morton, Braxton Biggs, Joe Matthews, Kamile Degutyte, Cian McHugh, Lexi Nicholson, Kai Parton, Lillyanna Edmonds, Jacob Caldwell, Skyla-Rose Whitfield, Amaris Quennell, Tallulah Owen, Lucy Matthews, Jacob Purdie, Jaycie Kennedy-Taylor, Darcie Mae Finch, Brooke Dennett, Myles Anyon, Chloe Bastow, Caelan O'Gorman, Jude Nwachukwu, Zofia Bocianowska, Ella Batten and Willow Waugh

Year 8 - James Costello, Luke Sandeman, Seren Panther-Glinn, Frances Roberts, Esme Poole, Kobi Burness-Moakes, Jessica Stoyle, Kaitlin Towell and George Garbett

Year 9 - Tyler Evans

 

principal's gold certificates

Year 7 - Ellis Palmer, Lottie Forrester, Mabel Clatworthy, Toby Young, Alex Oleksy, Gabriel Talbot-Powner, Lilly-May Lee, Luca Guppy, Ella Bayliss, Hayley Steenkamp, Riley House, Jasmine Craig, Isaac Hodge, Zac Austin, Abi Allen, Erin Ayres, Zack Jeneway, Lexi Kenneford, Milly Skelly, Caleb Drein, Eryn Stafford-Summers, Theo Mason, Pandora Ferguson, Josh Cainey, Caiden Edmonds, Fi Bellamy-Hall, Kieran Truong and Hope Burston

Year 8 - Jelani Ondo-Chamielec, Jax Biagott, Poppy Evely, Annalise Little, Logan Payne, Viktoria Simunkova, Theo Slater, Rosie Bevan, Oceana Furse, Jessica Ferguson, Ethan Hindom, Jess Wiltshire, Poppi Jones, Oaklie Chancellor, Phoebe Grindling, Madison Wood, Lilly Shaw, Edith Mackenzie, Elena Bolton, Lily Langler, Farah Davidson, Seth McCann, Keylan Hodgson, Poppy Haslett and Shae Craig 

Year 9 - Harry McCarthy, Charlotte Holmes-Vittles, Vinnie Frankum, Lilly-Rose Garbett, Vaughan Heavens, James Beer and Ollie Martin 

 

principal's silver certificates

Year 7 - Eden Zaple, Nevaeh Piri-Sadigh, Holly-Rae Mason, Ethan Eales, Ethan Nichols, Poppy Cosh, Bella Cassidy, George Tonks, Achilles Richards, Scarlett Slater, Nancy Wheeler, Oscar Anderson, Eve Truscott and Cody Hunter 

Year 8 - Zachary Kittow, Emily Redmond, Toby Preston, George Pitts, Charlie O'Connor, Wiktor Koza, Harry Evans, Seraphina Rozier, Harley Smith, Lilly-Rose Haughton, Sophia Blake, Ocean Brant, Kumar Hopton, Ted Dudley, Isaac Mccabe, Elissia Greenwood, Gabriela Piasta, Ted Lithgow, Leonard Toribio, Cayden Castle, Gracie Fancourt, Ava McArdle, Wiktoria Aleksander, Freddie Novis and Aaron Pinto 

Year 9 - Ethan Veasey, Alexa Lyons, Johnny Sandbrook, Ellie Simpson, Jack Forte, Aiden Hooper, Summer Pallant, Ethan Lewis, Euan Miller, Ed Rackley, Lily-Rose White, Jenson Gorin, Mollie Peters, Max Warner, Ivan Masliakovas, Ruby Chamberlain and Luke Smith-Harding 

Year 10 - Ellie Farthing 

 

principal's bronze certificates

Year 7 - Tommy Fairey

Year 8 - Tate Reynolds, Ayden Quarshie, Rudy Abdulla, Beth McMahon, Tyler-Joseph Boradley, Oscar Deegan, Marli-Ray Cutajar, Bobby Joint and Khalid Al-Ajrami

Year 9 - Bali Mudge, Ellie-May Jackson, Melissa Page, Neeve Thomson, Lewis Graham, Daisy Humphreys, Ethan Greenwood, Anya Cosslett, April Hubbard, Logan Clatworthy, Sienna Welsh, Stella de Rose, Emir Zorel, Evie Ford, Harry Pitman, Tom Weaver, Max Weston, Toby Hamilton, Sean Canham, Oscar Read, Finley O'Leary-Black, Godsay Ampomah and Cherry Connors

Year 10 - Faye Cassidy, Isabelle Kelly, Harrison Richards, Oliver Cocker, George O'Hanlon, Ashleigh Evans, Ruby Sellick, Phoebe Smith, Grace Gibbings, Isabella Bentley, Emilee Payne, Banjamin Houghton, Hayden Halsey, Poppy Sims-Walton and Leon O'Connor

 

House stars of the week

Year 7

Brunel - Jack Jackson

Christie - Amelia Woodland

Darwin -  Lucy Matthews

Fawcett - Arya Kelly

Harrison -  Maja Kokoszka

Kitson -  Riley House

Nearne -  Theo Mason

Pengelly - Josh Cainey

 

Year 8

Brunel - Brogan Holmes-Inch

Christie - Isla May

Darwin -  George Garbett

Fawcett - Archie Philips

Harrison -  Bonnie Stacey

Kitson -  Luke John

Nearne -  Viktoria Simunkova

Pengelly - Levi Jones

 

Year 9

Brunel - Sienna Holton

Christie - Francis Downer

Darwin -  Lilly-Rose Garbett

Fawcett - Michael Wynd

Harrison -  Ella Lake

Kitson -  Mollie Peters

Nearne -  Lexi Cave

Pengelly - Emily Cooper

 

Homework Stars of the Week

Year 7

Brunel - Kyle Squires

Christie - Jack Lennox-Statham

Darwin -  Kai Cornish

Harrison -  Jacob Purdie

Kitson -  Poppy Cosh

Nearne -  Olivia Fisher

Pengelly - Willow Waugh

 

Year 8

Brunel - Ted Dudley

Christie - Ellie Mae Burton

Darwin -  Charlotte Townsend

Fawcett - Anna Rozanska

Kitson -  Nanma John

Nearne -  Ben Cowie

Pengelly - Jake Richards

 

Year 9

Brunel -  Logan Clatworthy

Christie - Cody Burton

Darwin -  Harry Pitman

Fawcett - Emilia Warner

Harrison -  Emily Colclough

Kitson -  Archie Somerset

Nearne -  Evan Ciavarella

Pengelly - Gracie Sandercock

 

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