Year 7 enjoyed their very first Fun Friday today; a central part of life at Torquay Academy where students work hard and play hard. In the Year 7 playground there were basketball shoot-outs and karaoke, while indoors a DJ and even more games created a fantastic atmosphere.
This week, every student at Torquay Academy has been given their very own personalised Careers Mountain. Each mountain maps out the pathways they can take to achieve the career goal they have told us about, helping them see how their dreams can become a reality.
The new school year began with students taking part in our TA Way programme, a vital part of life at Torquay Academy. For some, it was their first opportunity to learn about our unique approach, while for others it served as an important reminder of the core principles that underpin everything we do. At the heart of the TA Way are our values of Hard Work, Integrity and Pride, which guide students in both their learning and their wider school experience.
DofE Gold Teams Final Qualifying Expedition in the Lake District
Between the 13th and 17th July, 11 yr12 students undertook their DofE Gold Qualifying Expedition in the Lake District supported by Adventure Academy Staff. The expedition was the culmination of 6 months of training, planning and trekking across the hills & mountains of Dartmoor, the Brecon Beacons and ultimately, the Lake District. For this, their qualifying expedition, the Gold students had to plan and carry out a 4 day expedition, carrying all their own kit, tents, cooking gear, and food. Each day the teams spent a minimum of 8hrs hiking their routes from campsite to campsite across the Western Lake District regardless of the weather. And yes, it rained! Day 2, the hardest day, when the teams were due to navigate a hilly 16km from Wasdale Head to Greater Langdale, heavy rain began at 2am and continued late into the evening. As the mountain passes were being inundated with fast running streams, the decision was taken to change the route for safety reasons. Good training and kit management meant that the teams had dry, warm, clothes and sleeping bags for the evening.
Luckily on Day 3’s hike the weather gods smiled and the sun shone all day. With the teams complete and in good spirits, Day 4 saw a shorter route from the final campsite at Nether Wasdale to Muncaster Castle, where the teams were picked up and driven back to Torquay Academy, arriving late on Thursday evening. With the expedition aims completed by the 2 groups, all that remains is a final presentation to the DofE staff and the expedition phase will be complete. Well done to all!
CCF RAF Cadets Summer Camp
The Sunday before Activities Week saw twelve of our RAF Cadets set off on their summer camp. Flying Officer Adams and Sargeant Prew met the cadets at school and drove them up to RAF Little Rissington in Gloucestershire. The base is a former home to the Red Arrows and has also been used by the US Air Force during the Cold War and the first Gulf War. Nowadays it is the home of the 621 Volunteer Gliding Squadron RAF. Some of our cadets have been to the base before for a gliding experience but this week-long summer camp was primarily focusing on Adventurous Training (AT).
Along with cadets from Bournemouth School CCF, Westonbirt School CCF and Plymouth School CCF our cadets were prepared for an exciting week ahead. On arrival the cadets were shown their dormitory style rooms and settled in for the first evening on camp. For some of our cadets it was the first time they had been on a camp, mixing with cadets from other schools.
After dinner the cadets were briefed by the staff and the group were divided into three flights (squads). Despite being younger than some of the other cadets on the camp, our very own Cadet Sgt Bella Blatchford and Cadet Sgt Julia Tatarynowicz were chosen to lead two of the flights. And they really stepped up to the mark, showing commendable discipline, leadership and maturity. The three flights would compete against each other in the various activities during the week.
After a good night's sleep and a decent breakfast our cadets prepared themselves for the first day. Climbing and high ropes course at 270 Climbing Centre, near Gloucester. One of the most challenging and highest ropes courses in Europe!
Our cadets were not daunted! All of them put in maximum effort on the mobile climbing tower that had varied climbing challenges. And all of them tried at least two of the levels on the high ropes course, with challenging obstacles and courses ranging up to 18 metres. Many of them tried the daredevil Freefall from 18 metres! An incredible experience that really tested the problem solving skills and resilience of our cadets. Several of our cadets completed Level 5 on the High Ropes Course, which in the windy conditions was particularly scary!
Day 2 of the camp was a visit to the Defence Academy at Shrivenham, a tri-service training and educational establishment for the military. The focus of the cadets visit was the DCMCI (Defence College for Military Capability Integration) Mistakenly called a museum, this College is actually involved in cutting edge research into weapons and ballistics for the UK military. The cadets saw exhibits on the history of how weaponry, firearms and ammunition have developed. The most exciting parts of the day included being able to sit in the cockpit of a Tornado, sit in the cockpit of a Huey helicopter as used by the US army in Vietnam, climb into various tanks and armoured vehicles including Challenger tanks and even Russian and Chinese tanks, and hold various small firearms, including sub-machine guns and revolvers. The cadets were fascinated to hear about the types of weaponry on display and about the research on enemy tanks and weaponry that is undertaken at the College to inform, equip and innovate our armed services today. It was a fascinating and informative day with our cadets finding out about various careers within the Ministry of Defence, both civilian and military.
The third day was a flight competition day doing a round robin of various command tasks, shooting, archery, flight simulator training and mountain biking. In addition to this the cadets were treated to a display by some military police dogs and their trainee dog handlers. It was a compelling spectacle seeing the simulation of a dog apprehending an intruder on a base. The training undertaken and the relationship built up between dog and handler was explained by the trainer and the cadets had an interesting talk and discussion with him.
Day 4 saw the cadets off site again heading to the Cotswold Water Park for a day of watersports. Whilst not one of the roasting hot days we have had this summer it was still warm enough to feel nicely refreshed by being in a freshwater lake. The first activity saw the flights competing with one another in designing, constructing and paddling a raft. The rafts were constructed with 50 litre plastic drums, wooden logs and ropes to lash the constructions together. Before they got to building full scale rafts the teams built smaller models and then followed these designs. It really tested our cadets team working and problem solving skills. Once the rafts were built the teams had to carry them to the edge of the lake and then race each other to the other side of the island that was about 60 metres from the shore. Each team had to coordinate their paddling in order to make the fastest progress. It was an exciting race!
After the rafting and some lunch in the lovely surroundings, the afternoon brought some Stand Up Paddleboarding and Kayaking. The staff from Real Outdoor X watersports made the activities really fun, with some games and competitions on the paddleboards and kayaks. Of course some of these meant a bit of a soaking for the cadets!
The fifth day was definitely the highlight for some. A day at the biggest military air show in the world - the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at RAF Fairford. Our cadets saw flying displays from various UK military aircraft and from other military aircraft from around the world. The highlights included the Typhoon, a Polish Air Force F16, the F35 and an Apache helicopter. And topping that, perhaps, they got to see the Red Arrows display up close and personal! An amazing day for our cadets.
Overall it was another amazing experience for our CCF RAF cadets. The activities, the education, the spectacular weaponry and aircrafts of course, but also the experience of bonding, having fun and building friendships with fellow TA cadets and other air cadets from other schools was an invaluable and memorable experience. Well done for their participation, efforts and for engaging wholeheartedly in everything on offer to the following cadets: Cadet Sgt Bella Blatchford, Cadet Sgt Julia Tatarynowicz, Cadet Corporal Alexa Lyons, Cadet Lance Corporals Joshua Ward, Jack Hicks, Finn Moncrieff, Izzy Goldsbrough, Katie Peryer, and Cadets Ottilie Lucas, Emily Cowan, Mason Findlay-Peers and Nikita Hookway
Harry Lee Joins crystal palace
I am delighted to share some fantastic news about one of our former students, Harry Lee, who has signed for Premier League side Crystal Palace. We are incredibly proud of Harry and his achievements, and it is wonderful to see his hard work and determination paying off.
Harry’s football journey began here in Devon, starting out at Torquay United’s academy before joining Exeter City in 2015. Remarkably, he was named in Exeter’s senior matchday squad at just 15 years old. In 2021 he signed his first professional contract, making his senior debut later that year against Chelsea U21s in the EFL Trophy. Two years later, he went on to make his League One debut against Derby County.
To gain valuable senior experience, Harry also enjoyed loan spells at Dorchester Town, Weston-super-Mare and Plymouth Parkway. He made five first-team appearances for Exeter City before deciding to move on this summer. His next chapter now takes him to South London, where he joins Crystal Palace.
Speaking about his move, Harry described himself as a vocal goalkeeper who enjoys having the ball at his feet, saying: “I’m buzzing. Crystal Palace are a massive club, and I’m really looking forward to getting going. The Palace Academy is a great complex — it’s what you need as a player to knuckle down and play your best football. I just want to develop as a goalie, do well for the Under-21s, and when I’m ready, train with the first-team and be the best version of myself.”
We are all thrilled for Harry and will be following his career with great interest. On behalf of everyone at Torquay Academy, I would like to congratulate him on this exciting move and wish him the very best for the future.
