Greenpower Glory, National Motorsport Finals & Girls in STEM

Heat, Hurricanes, and History: Our Greenpower Triumph at Predannack

There is a well-known saying in motorsport: To finish first, first you must finish. On Thursday, our in-house motorsport team headed to the rugged coast of the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall for the latest round of the Greenpower Championship at Predannack. We arrived with high hopes, two brilliant cars, Chadwick and Bindon, and a bold strategy aiming for a spectacular 1-2 finish.

What followed was a masterclass in resilience, strategy, and pure team spirit in conditions none of us had ever seen before.

The Scrutineering Scare & The Hairdryer Wind

Before we could even think about the podium, we had to face the scrutineers. A faulty brake light switch threatened to derail our day before it even began. Thanks to some quick-thinking garage work, the switch was repaired, practice laps were completed, and our strategy was locked in.

But as the cars rolled onto the grid, Mother Nature decided to turn the difficulty slider up to maximum.

The track was hit with a scorching 27°C heatwave coupled with Force 6 winds that felt exactly like a giant hairdryer blowing directly down the straight. In an electric vehicle championship where efficiency is everything, sailing the car and using that brutal wind as an additional energy source wasn't just a quirky tactic, it was the key to survival.

Race 1: Highs, Lows, and a Year 9 Masterclass

Chadwick’s Heartbreak

Driven by our Year 10 team, Chadwick looked primed for a great run. Unfortunately, gremlins struck early in the form of severe gearing issues. The pit crew worked like a seasoned F1 team, but a gruelling 23-minute pit stop ultimately ended any hopes of posting a competitive time in the opening race.

Bindon’s Brilliance

While Chadwick fought in the pits, Bindon, piloted by our incredible Year 9 team, put on an absolute clinic. Ignoring the heat and the howling wind, they managed their race flawlessly, hitting remarkably consistent lap times to cross the line in an incredible 2nd place.

Race 2: The Thrill of the Chase

The interval between races was a blur of flying wrenches and strategic debates. The team did some drastic work to Chadwick to fix the gearing issues, and by the time the green flag waved for Race 2, both cars were sitting proudly at the front of the grid.

What happened next was pure racing drama:

The Sprinter: Chadwick came out of the blocks like a rocket. Fast, consistent, and aggressive, they stretched out a massive lead, eventually sitting over a full lap ahead of the entire field.
The Marathon Runner: Bindon took the opposite approach, holding a healthy, calculated position lower down the order, waiting to launch a late charge.

As the clock ticked down, the brutal conditions took their toll. Chadwick had expended too much energy too soon trying to maintain that massive lead, and as their batteries waned, they unfortunately dropped down the field.

But Bindon’s pragmatic, disciplined strategy worked to absolute perfection. As the other cars faded in the heat, Bindon surged forward, seizing the lead and crossing the line to secure their first-ever race win!

The True Victory: Teamwork and Togetherness

While taking home a 2nd place trophy and a 1st place win is an incredible achievement, the proudest moment of the day happened off the track.

Throughout the event, our team was approached and highlighted by multiple rival teams. Why? Because of their exceptional conduct, their unwavering teamwork, and the genuine togetherness they showed from the first frantic minutes of scrutineering to the final checkered flag.

Huge congratulations to both teams, the pit crews, and everyone who supported us on a historic day in Cornwall. On to the next round!

From After-School Practice to National Finals: TA Motorsports Takes on the S-RC Cup!

Talk about a baptism of fire. This past week, the year 9 students of our TA Motorsports Radio-Controlled car racing division packed up their gear, boarded a bus at the crack of dawn, and made the massive 4-hour trek up to Daventry. The goal? Compete in the inaugural National Finals of the S-RC; an elite, F1-style RC car championship for schools across the country.

As newcomers to the sport, we knew the competition would be fierce. But what our team lacked in years of experience, they more than made up for in sheer work ethic.

The Pre-Race Grind

Success in RC racing isn’t just about who pulls the trigger fastest; it’s won in the pits and the workshop. For weeks leading up to the finals, our Year 9s spent nearly every evening after school honing their crafts. They drilled battery changes, perfected driver-to-spotter communication, and executed a host of performance and reliability modifications, including:

Upgraded Motors: Swapped in for maximum straight-line speed.
Quick-Release Fasteners: Engineered to shave crucial seconds off pit stops.
Aluminium Component Swaps: Replacing stock plastic parts with aluminium equivalents to withstand the brutal, high-impact nature of national racing.

Welcome to the Big Leagues

After surviving the early morning travel, the team hit their first milestone: flying through the event’s robust technical scrutineering process on the first attempt.

Then came practice, and with it, a massive reality check. The Daventry track was huge—over double the size of anything we had ever practiced on. It pushed our drivers and communicators to their absolute limits, featuring literal "blind spots" that couldn't be seen from the driver's enclosure.

Despite the daunting scale, the team kept their cool. A fantastic qualifying session saw our two cars, Broome and Hocking, lock down 4th and 5th on the starting grid.

Overcoming Adversity in the Main Event

The Grand Finale was a grueling 35-minute endurance test; 10 minutes longer than any race we had ever run. To make matters worse, the rough track surface was punishing our machinery. Before the green light even dropped, Broome suffered a catastrophic rear suspension failure: two broken springs and a snapped component. The pit crew jumped into action, executing hasty, high-pressure modifications just to get the car grid-ready.

Learning a valuable lesson from our previous event in Leicester, our strategy for the main event was clear: prioritise accuracy over raw speed.

How the Race Unfolded:

Broome: Executed the strategy perfectly. Ollie clocked consistent, clean early laps to comfortably maintain a Top 5 position, eventually climbing as high as 2nd place.
Hocking: Had a tougher start, getting tangled in an unavoidable early multi-car crash. After a rapid pit stop for emergency repairs, Hocking rejoined the race dead last.

What followed was a masterclass in resilience. While Broome fought hard at the front, Hocking began putting on an overtaking clinic, picking off the tail-enders and slicing through the field.

A Remarkable Finish

As the clock ticked down, the early structural damage began to take its toll on Broome. Despite a fading car, the team held on heroically to cross the line in an admirable 4th place. Meanwhile, Hocking's stunning comeback drive was rewarded with a phenomenal 6th place finish.

To finish 4th and 6th in the National Finals of our first-ever season is nothing short of remarkable.

Year 9 & Year 10 Rounders

girls in stem trip

On Tuesday, Mrs Thompson and Mrs Horton took eight year 9 girls to a ‘Girls in STEM’ day at South Devon College. For this event the girls have been working in period 1 (alongside local company TorbayPharma) to produce a device to collect scallops, flatfish and clams whilst minimising disruption to the sea bed. The end product was a device which was powered by solar and tidal energy and had various attachments to specifically capture the target species.

The girls then had to present their device and proposal to a panel of judges before being subject to a round of questioning. Each girl presented a small portion of the presentation and the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the judges was testament to their hard work.

Whilst we did not take home the trophy this year, the girls worked so hard on their idea and successfully collaborated with each other to share the workload and support each other.

A special thanks to TorbayPharma for their support and to Serenity and her Dad for making a custom marketing ‘jingle’ for the device.

Year 9 & 10 Geography Fieldtrips

Over the past 2 weeks our Year 9 and 10 Geographers have completed their Physical and Human revision which is vital for the Paper 3 exam that they will sit. In Dawlish Warren, students investigated how effective the groynes were at preventing Longshore Drift. They completed a Groyne Drop Survey and a Pebble Size Analysis. In Plymouth students investigated the regeneration of Drake Circus to determine if Frankfort Gate needed regeneration or not. Here they completed an EQS, a land use survey and a pedestrian count.

national scientific thinking challenge

A few weeks ago, Mrs Thompson’s 10T9 class took part in the National Scientific Thinking Challenge ran by the University of Warwick. This challenge is open to year 10 students only and 16,000 students participated this year from 255 schools!

For the challenge itself, students answered a series of multiple-choice questions based on real scientific problems and devices. Once completed, students could receive either a bronze, silver or gold award.

Bronze = top 40%

Silver = top 25%

Gold = top 10%

Overall, in 10T9 we had four bronze awards, eight silver awards and one gold award – this was the most successful year yet! Additionally, a massive well done to Poppy Sanderson who scored 83% and secured the gold!

Maths with Mr Bindon

The Y9s this week have been taking their end of year assessment papers.

These assessments form part of the basis for their class setting next year. The test is an important factor in ensuring students are placed in the correct class for Y10.

History with Miss Carter

In Key Stage Three History this week, students have been studying modern world events to broaden and diversify their historical knowledge.

Year 7 are finishing their study of the British Empire and Slavery by considering the legacy and lasting impact of the empire on the world, including India, Africa and North America. They also learned about the Windrush generation and the experience of Caribbean migrants who moved to Britain following World War Two.

Year 8 have been learning about the Civil Rights movement, and this week studied the Apartheid system in South Africa. This follows the talk they were privileged to hear earlier this year from Chris Lubbe, who grew up in the Apartheid system and later worked for Nelson Mandela.

Students have been incredibly mature, thoughtful and perceptive whilst studying these important and sensitive topics. It has been fantastic to hear their questions and ideas throughout the cycle.

learning legends

Year 9 - Week 8 winner - Chris Csapo and Cucyle 4 airpods winner - Emilee Fenner

year 7 celebration evening

Effort Awards

Meelie Harvey, Ruby Ward, Isabella Hughes, Holly Garbett, Ruby Sambrook, Katie Hornbrook, Lewis Tandy, Max Watkins, Hugo Barding-Beattie, Isla Copping, Izzy Beer, Chloe Leese, Achie West, Corey Watt, Immy Weeks, Ava Medway, Kayliehg Norgaard-Welsh, Rupert Jones, Gregori Masliakovas, Erin Cooper, Siva Renjith, April Corbett, Hope Briant, Nathan Cameron and Dolly Peart

Subject Awards

English - Layla Selley-Dillon & Jack Harris

Maths - Dolly Peart & Lennon Head

Science - Ayda Snell & Samuel Vesely

RS - Roni Bates & Benji Kittow

History - Maddison Pearse & Isaac Armitage

Geography - Phoebe Prior & Brock Last

PE - Iris Blurton & Alfie Passmore

Art - Esme White & Oliver Evans

French - Heni Ujj & Arthur Williams

Spanish - Evie Allington & Charles Hepburn

Technology - Katie Hornbrook & Oakley Johnson

Music - Remy Beaumont Gray & Oliver Simpson

Tutor Awards

7B - Katie Hornbrook & Nathan Cameron

7C - Siva Renjith & Max Watkins

7D - Daisy Prior & Tommy Stevens

7F - Ruby Sambrook & Oakley Wise

7H - Aaleeah Craig & Jake Anyon

7K - Frankie Tait & Lucas Worrall

7N - Ayda Snell & Riley Thompson

7P - Izzy Beer & Archie West

Other Awards

Year Team Award - Meelie Harvey & Noah Harding

Lexonik - Emelia Essiful & Alfie Thomas

Sparx Maths - Heni Ujj & Cody Aguilana

Sparx Science - Zara Isemede & Dominik Mohacsi

Sparx Reader - Zara Isemede & Dominik Mohacsi

Tassomai - Holly Garbett & Samuel Vesely

Top House Points - Bonnie Beedle-Grigg & Oakley Johnson

Golden Mortarboard - Rosie Taylor & Nathan Hooper