National Lego Robotics Finals, Live Music & Cup Success

Lego Robotics compete in National Finals

Team R-AI, our intrepid group of Lego coders and roboticists, made the long journey up to the Harrogate Convention Centre in readiness for the First Lego League National Finals. Rewarded with a delicious Nando's meal upon arrival, the team set about final preparations as part of a campaign that first started for them in September 2025 to design and make a Lego robot capable of completing a broad range of tasks on a challenge mat in only two and a half minutes.

More than a thousand schools take part in the UK rounds of the competition and we really were competing against the best of the best in the National Finals with over 60 teams from the UK and a selection of international schools fighting it out to be crowned UK champions and a place in the International Final in Mexico.

Saturday 25 April was a full-on, fun-filled day which included an opening ceremony, judging for their robot design and science project, making a Lego graffiti wall, cultural celebrations and the all important robot mat challenge. Students were also able to interactively explore the numerous STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) hands on displays including making the fastest Lego speeders, dressing up as engineers and navigating space vehicles through whole body movements!

Thank you to all parents and carers involved in the build up to the event which included preparing in school over the Easter holidays and our fabulous team kit with custom printed T-shirts and caps. Whilst the team didn't receive any Lego trophies this time, valuable lessons were learned and students have already been designing a new robot for next year in light of their fantastic experience in Harrogate!

year 11 final assembly

Next week marks the start of the main GCSE exam season, which year 11 are looking forward to with eager anticipation. They have worked really hard throughout the whole year to prepare for their exams and we are very proud of all their efforts.

This morning we held a Good Luck assembly for them all, looking back over their time at TA - including all their year 7 photographs. It was amazing to see how much - or how little - some of them had changed!

At the end of the assembly they opened the cards from the mock exams results evening back in March - it was really nice to see the students reading messages of good luck that parents and carers had written to wish them well during the exam period.

sixth form live music

The Box Office Lounge at Arena Torquay was at full capacity this week for our latest student showcase. The 100-capacity room provided a perfect, close-knit setting for our musicians to step into the roles of their musical idols for a night of tribute performances.

DJ Dan Coda set the tone for the evening, weaving classic tracks between the live sets to keep the atmosphere steady as the room filled up.

The performances offered a impressive look at the students' range:

Double Echo captured the earthy, percussive spirit of The Lumineers, getting the crowd moving early on.
TA Music Academy shifted gears into sharp, punky indie territory with their take on the Arctic Monkeys.
Flare Acoustic brought a notable change in energy, channelling Olivia Dean to create a moment of absolute silent intimacy that held the room’s full attention.
Fluorescent State leaned into the groove, delivering a high-energy, polished tribute to Bruno Mars.
Music Academy Stevie closed the evening by tackling the complex arrangements and soulful melodies of Stevie Wonder.

The night moved seamlessly between raw indie energy and quiet, stripped-back moments. We are incredibly proud of the work the students put into these sets, and we owe a big thanks to Arena Torquay for providing the space and support to make it happen.

Performers:

Kirah Clee, Summer Faulkes, Logan Watt, Caleb Harford-Brown, Oliver Jones, Austin Howell, Zac Evans, Charlie Porter, Aliyah Smith, HEnry McManus, Bartosz Mitula, Luca Cronje, Oliver Boyce.

Y7 Maths with Miss Wooldridge

In Year 7 maths, students have been developing their understanding of the order of operations using a clear and memorable strategy: the priority triangle. This visual model helps pupils see which calculations must be completed first by structuring operations into levels of importance — with brackets at the top, followed by powers, then multiplication and division, and finally addition and subtraction. By referring to the triangle, students are able to approach multi-step problems with confidence, breaking them down systematically and completing calculations from left to right when operations have equal priority. 7Q6 have responded brilliantly with strong engagement in lessons and really challenging themselves with some Y11 GCSE questions!

We use mini-whiteboards in every maths lesson as a really effective way to check student understanding and give immediate feedback. Any misconceptions or misunderstanding can be identified and acted on quickly to support learning. Students enjoy the opportunity for low-stakes practice and show excellent engagement and participation using the whiteboards.

Art

Mrs Lithgow's Year 8 students have been exploring the theme of Popular Culture and Identity through the inspiring work of Peter Blake, Frank Stella and Shepard Fairey. Using these artists as inspiration, students experimented with a range of creative techniques including drawing, collage and painting to develop personal responses linked to self-expression and identity.

Throughout the project, students explored how colour, pattern, imagery and composition can communicate ideas about personality, interests and contemporary culture. They investigated the bold graphic style of Peter Blake, the geometric abstraction of Frank Stella and the powerful visual messages used by Shepard Fairey, applying these influences to their own creative outcomes.

The project encouraged students to take creative risks, refine their technical skills and think critically about how artists use visual language to represent identity. The final pieces showcased imaginative use of mixed media and demonstrated growing confidence in combining artistic processes to communicate individual ideas.

Mrs Lithgow's Year 9 GCSE Art students have begun their mini summer project exploring the theme of crushed cans through observational drawing, photography and card relief. The project introduces students to the importance of close observation, composition and material experimentation.

Students started by creating detailed observational studies and photographic investigations inspired by the work of Jan Groover, exploring how everyday objects can be transformed into striking visual compositions through lighting, scale and viewpoint. They carefully examined texture, reflections and form to develop a deeper understanding of tonal drawing and photographic techniques.

Building on these studies, students will then experiment with card relief sculpture inspired by James Lake. Using layered cardboard and recycled materials, they will explore structure, depth and surface texture to recreate the crushed forms in three dimensions. The project encouraged creativity, problem-solving and thoughtful use of materials while introducing students to a wide range of artistic processes that will support their GCSE Art portfolio.

Fun Friday

The school came together for another fantastic Fun Friday, with each year group taking part in activities designed to build community, reward effort, and end the week on a high.

Year 7 kicked things off with a fast-paced quiz, testing their knowledge and teamwork. The atmosphere was competitive but supportive, with students working together and celebrating each other’s success.

Year 8 took part in a student prize egg hunt, bringing a sense of excitement and anticipation as they searched for hidden rewards. It was a great opportunity to get students moving, collaborating, and enjoying some well-earned fun. The boys who supplied and organised the hunt were Oliver Barkhuizen, Gabriel Talbot-Pwner and Jacob Hicks. Well done boys!

Year 9 brought energy and intensity with a Rock, Paper, Scissors competition. What sounds simple quickly became fiercely contested, with students fully invested and large crowds forming to support the final rounds.

Year 10 tested their judgement skills with Sweets in the Jar. Guesses varied widely, but the focus and discussion around estimation and strategy made this a surprisingly thoughtful challenge.

Year 11 rounded off the day with karaoke, showing confidence and character as they took to the stage. It was a brilliant way for students to express themselves and enjoy a moment of celebration during a demanding exam period.

Events like Fun Friday matter. They create shared experiences, strengthen relationships, and contribute to a positive school culture where students feel connected and motivated.

A big thank you to the staff who organised and ran the activities, and well done to all students for getting involved and making the most of the opportunity.

English with Mrs Wiltshire

This week , Ms Wiltshire’s hard working Year 10 class have concluded their study of their GCSE literature text , Macbeth. They made a fantastic effort in their planning of the final Yellow Sticker Task, which asked them ‘To what extent is Macbeth is presented as a hero ?’ 10Q7 were amazing and made easy work of Act 1 Scene 2, analysing the Captain’s flattering speech about Macbeth’s heroic and extraordinary efforts as a battlefield soldier. They were readily able to identify that most of Macbeth’s bravery was actually superficial.

Next , they had to write about another scene from elsewhere in the play; they chose the scene that depicted the regicide of Duncan. They concluded that killing the elderly king in his sleep was actually the work of a cowardly man , who lacked the courage of his convictions. Their skill at pinpointing the metaphors and the foreshadowing of his own execution in the extracts was almost forensic !

10Q7 have really enjoyed Macbeth and their knowledge of the play is absolutely magnificent. Well done 10Q7!!

learning legends

Year 9 - Archie Phillips

Students of the Week

Year 9 - Kobi Burness-Moakes and Mia Piewiszko

Year 9 Football

The Year 9s safely secured passage into the South Devon Cup Semi Finals with a convincing 7-1 over Newton Abbot College. After a slow start, and tight first half, the team had to come from behind before ultimately running out comfortable winners. Goals from Oliwer (4) Calum (2) and Gio in an outstanding second half performance.

Year 8 through to County Cup final

The boys once again put in a dominant performance to secure their spot in the county final, this group continued to expand on a great season and have now put themselves in a great position to try and win some silverware for all their hard work.

Next week they have another semi final so fingers crossed we can be competing in two finals to round the season off.