Ten Tors, national cup progress and recreating history

Ten Tors Training Weekend – First Steps on the Moors

Last weekend, our Ten Tors hopefuls headed out onto the moors for their first training walk and camp.

Thirteen Year 10 students set up camp on Saturday evening in a sheltered spot, safely tucked away from the strong winds. After cooking dinner and making s’mores, they settled into their tents for a good night’s sleep ahead of a busy morning.

On Sunday, everyone cooked breakfast and packed away their tents before being joined by the Year 12s for a day walk. All teams performed brilliantly, both sixth form teams covered over 20 km in just under five hours, while the Year 10s successfully navigated a slightly shorter route.

Dartmoor provided its usual mix of challenges, with strong winds and plenty of bog to navigate, something Anya discovered first-hand! Despite the conditions, all teams showed great teamwork and determination throughout the weekend.

A huge thank you to Mr Beswetherick, Mr Brett, and Mr Butler for giving up their time to support our students. We’re already looking forward to our next training walk in November!

Recreating the past at Tank museum

Our CCF cadets enjoyed an unforgettable trip to the Tank Museum this week, where they were able to explore the incredible history of armoured warfare and get up close to a vast collection of military vehicles from around the world. The day was packed with fascinating exhibits, hands-on learning, and inspiring stories that brought history vividly to life.

One particularly special moment came for Maisie Hart, who was able to re-enact a photograph taken of her grandfather many years ago at the very same museum. We are delighted to share both images here — a wonderful reminder of how history connects us across generations. It was a moving and memorable experience for Maisie, adding an extra layer of meaning to what was already an inspirational day for all our cadets.

Trips like this remind us why our CCF programme is so valuable, offering students not just new knowledge, but also lasting memories, pride, and a sense of connection to those who served before them.

Torquay Academy CCF Weekly Update

This week, cadets from both the Army and RAF sections took part in a varied and challenging programme that showcased teamwork, determination, and skill development across multiple disciplines.

Training began with drill practice, where cadets refined their precision, coordination, and attention to detail, vital qualities for maintaining discipline and smart turnout on parade. The commitment shown by all was outstanding, with noticeable improvements in timing and confidence.

The cadets then rotated through CFIT (Cadet Force Instructional Techniques) sessions, learning how to effectively teach and lead their peers. These sessions are a key step in developing future junior and senior NCOs, giving them the confidence to deliver lessons and command small groups.

Finally, both sections had the opportunity to tackle the indoor climbing wall, testing their physical fitness and problem-solving skills. It was great to see cadets supporting one another, pushing past their comfort zones, and celebrating every successful climb — a perfect example of the camaraderie that defines our contingent.

A special well done and thank you goes to the cadets who volunteered their Saturday to assist with the administration for the Ten Tors Managers’ Meeting. Your professionalism, reliability, and positive attitude were greatly appreciated and reflected extremely well on the Torquay Academy CCF.

A big well done to all cadets for their effort and enthusiasm throughout the week — the balance between skill, teamwork, and personal challenge truly reflects the spirit of our contingent.

Darwin Mascots

Year 12 and 13 Music Students Visit Arena Torquay

This week, our Year 12 and 13 Music students had the exciting opportunity to visit Arena Torquay, one of the Bay’s newest and most dynamic live music venues.

Led by Hollie from the Arena team, students were given a guided tour of the venue’s impressive new facilities, including its performance spaces, rehearsal areas, and professional-grade sound and lighting equipment. The visit offered an invaluable insight into how a modern venue operates and supports both local and touring artists.

Following the tour, students took part in an engaging Q&A session, where they learned about the formation and development of the Arena, from its early concept to becoming a key player in the region’s music scene. Hollie also shared practical advice about how emerging artists can stand out in the industry, emphasising the importance of building networks, developing a unique identity, and performing regularly at grassroots venues.

The visit was an inspiring experience that helped students connect their classroom learning with the realities of the live music industry. It offered a real-world perspective on career pathways in music, from performance and production to event management and promotion.

A huge thank you to Hollie and the team at Torquay Arena for such an informative and interesting session our students came away inspired and ready to take their next steps in the industry.

Battle of the Brains Champions

The results of the first year 7 house competition are in. Brunel were crowned victors, having defeated Pengelly in the Battle of the Brains final on Tuesday. The Brunel team consisting of Taylor Nougaard-Welsh, Elias Abbott, Nathan Cameron and Aimee Byrne beat the Pengelly team: Amelia Drew, Chloe Sanderson, Oliver Simpson and Sam Vesely on a series of general knowledge questions ranging from geography and science to popular culture and sport. Both teams had already defeated two other houses to earn their place in the final and each team wanted desperately to win the House Cup for their tutors, fellow tutees and heads of house.

Stakes were very high on Tuesday morning when both teams, watched by their tutor groups, battled for prime position. Pengelly put up a valiant effort but could not defeat Brunel, who won by a very
impressive margin.

All finalists received individual prizes, with the Brunel team earning extra treats for the whole of 7P. The House Cup is now proudly displayed in 7P’s tutor room, decorated with the classic ‘Brunel Blue’ ribbons.

Mr Bindon's 11t5 Maths class

The class has been focusing on using a huge variety of questions relating to their exam papers at the end of the year. This 'mat' of questions tests students' knowledge and skills relating to the paper 2 calculator exam. Students strive to demonstrate how to answer fully in order to achieve all the marks per question.

Art with Mrs Lithgow

In Mrs Lithgow's Year 8 art lessons this week, where we discussed propaganda and censorship, students have explored the grittier aspects of wartime life with studies that depicted the harsh realities faced by soldiers. Using chalk, charcoal, and even mud, they have created hauntingly effective images of rats, lice, and trench foot-ridden feet. These works brought to light the physical and emotional toll of war, showing a mature understanding of the suffering that often goes unseen.

History with Miss Carter

This week, Miss Carter's A Level historians have been studying how Henry VII controlled the nobility following the Battle of Bosworth, to prevent further conflict or threats to his reign. They studied the interpretation of historian G.J. Meyer, identifying his Overall Line of Argument and his arguments throughout the extract, then used their own knowledge to analyse how convincing his viewpoint is, deciding ultimately that it was very convincing. They are tackling this key skill with increasing confidence, and Miss Carter has been really impressed. Her Year 9 GCSE classes have also been practicing their skills, in this case PEEL paragraphs to answer a 12 mark question about why there was an uprising against Tostig Godwinson. After unpicking the question in depth and writing one paragraph collectively, students went on to complete the essay, with fantastic focus and engagement. Well done Year 9!

Year 7 food

The year sevens have completed their pancake practicals this week.

Pudding club

Pudding club began once again by making some wonderful old-fashioned puddings. All the students have challenged themselves to produce dishes that appeal to the customer and can be produced from scratch at home and with their families.

MRS Clayton's 11T8 English

Every week, in their English lessons, the whole of year 11 completes an exam practice question against the clock in exam conditions (the reality of exams is that it does tend to come down to confidence and time management). To begin with, students get the opportunity to plan and explore their own ideas around a set of(known) questions using flashcards, mastery packs (with exemplar essays) and knowledge organisers. This classwork is reinforced by the week's set homework so if full engagement is given - success is always guaranteed. So far, 11T8 have completed timed essays covering the Poetry Anthology, unseen poetry and we are now just about to start the An Inspector Call's practice essays. I cannot express fully how impressed I have been with the effort and commitment of 11T8. We are only into the second week of October and they already have 5 completed essays under their belt! By the time their summer exams come around they really will not be worried about what to write - they would have probably already written it.

This year's Year 11are amazing. Keep up this hard work and mindset and you can achieve your dreams!

Year 7 Art Lesson – Brilliant Bugs!

Our Year 7 art students had a fantastic art lesson exploring the world of bugs and insects.

The students began with a coloured mark-making exercise, experimenting with patterns and textures to inspire their drawings. After learning how to blend coloured pencils effectively, students were given the freedom to choose their own bugs to study and draw.

The results were vibrant, imaginative, and full of lively detail, showcasing each student’s creativity and growing confidence in their drawing skills.

Mrs Lynch was delighted with her year 7's energy and enthusiasm for the topic : )

A Level Photography Workshop Review – Exploring Light and Movement

Our recent A Level Photography workshop focused on experimenting with slow shutter speed and light painting techniques, giving students the opportunity to explore the expressive potential of light in photography.

Working in the drama studio, students were able to manipulate different lighting setups and spotlights to enhance their compositions. They collaborated in pairs and small groups, experimenting with shutter speed, ISO, and aperture settings to understand how these controls affect exposure and creative outcomes.

The session encouraged a spirit of play and discovery, the resulting images were surprising, imaginative, and highly inventive, demonstrating each student’s growing confidence in using manual camera settings to capture movement, colour, and atmosphere.

Overall, it was an inspiring and dynamic workshop that successfully combined technical skill-building with artistic experimentation.

learning legend

Fun Friday

This week’s Fun Friday was packed with excitement, laughter, and plenty of friendly competition across all year groups. It’s always brilliant to see our students ending the week on such a high, celebrating teamwork, creativity, and a well-earned chance to unwind.

Our Year 7s took on the challenge of Code Breakers, putting their problem-solving and communication skills to the test as they raced to crack the codes and uncover the hidden answers. The energy in the room was electric, with some impressive logic and teamwork on display!

Over in The Platform, Year 8 and Year 9 turned up the volume with a fantastic session of Karaoke. From pop classics to current hits, the performances were full of confidence, enthusiasm, and plenty of laughter. It’s safe to say we might have a few future stars among them!

Meanwhile, Year 10 took on the classic challenge of Sweets in the Jar, testing their estimation skills and having great fun in the process. The excitement built as guesses were revealed and the results announced, always a popular choice for Fun Friday.

Our Year 11s rounded off the week with a lively Quiz, combining general knowledge, quick thinking, and teamwork. The competition was fierce, but the good-natured atmosphere and sense of camaraderie made it a perfect way to finish the week.

Fun Friday continues to be one of the highlights of the school week, giving our students the chance to relax, connect, and celebrate life at TA together. We can’t wait to see what next week’s activities bring!

Students of the Week

Year 7 - Mia Carter and Brock Last

Year 9 - Lily Langler and Harry Austin

Year 11 - Amy Rogers and Sraavan Sooryaprakash

Year 11 netball

Our Year 11 netball squad competed in the National Schools qualifying round. After they competed against tough competitors and received close scores they kept their heads high. They approached every game with determination and confidence and produced some excellent netball games. It was fantastic to see the level of enthusiasm on court and deservingly they qualified to the next in Exeter, the county qualifiers. They should be very proud of themselves.

Well done, girls!!

Written by the year 11 squad xx

Squad: Frankie Skelly, Ellie Farthing, Matilda Stevens, Millie Swift, Connie Kinghorn, Ashleigh Evans, Chloe German ©, Maisie Sandercock, Lucy McMahon, Maile Beavis, Phoebe Smith

Coach's Player of the day: Matilda Stevens

Opposition's Player of the day: Phoebe Smith

Players' Player of the day: Phoebe Smith

Year 7 netball

Two of our Year 7 netball squads took part in their first netball tournament on Thursday, showing fantastic enthusiasm both on and off the court. Both teams managed to get some great wins under their belts, playing some lovely netball, and demonstrating great teamwork, energy, and determination throughout. With so much potential on display, it’s clear there’s an exciting future ahead for the Year 7 netball squads!

Well done girls!

Team A: Lucy Stephens ©, Ayda Snell, Amelia Lyons, Isabella Hughes, Maddy Pearse, Izzy Beer, Hope Briant

Team B: Ayva Howell, Grace Sampson, Amelia Drew, Zara Isemede, Katie Hornbrook, Amelia Cony, Ava Medway, Madison Trott

Players' Player of the day: Amelia Lyons & Zara Isemede

Coach's Player of the day: Mia Carter & Ava Medway

sixth form netball

The Sixth Form travelled to Taunton today for their second league match against Richard Huish. The girls played some phenomenal netball in a highly contested match from start to finish! Although they ended up losing 36-34, this was a huge achievement against such a high-level squad, and I am so proud of them. Travelling with a squad of only eight players — including two who had only just returned to netball after a year or more away — the team showed incredible determination, resilience, and teamwork. Every player gave their all, fighting for every ball and maintaining composure under pressure. Their effort and spirit throughout the game were outstanding, and they were rightly commended by the opposing coach. It was certainly a nail-biting match right up to the final whistle!Well done girls!

Coach's Player: Ellie Stone

Opposition's Player: Tammy Westacott

Players Player: Eve Cameron

Year 7 Football

Our Year 7 football team made a fantastic start to their journey at Torquay Academy with a dominant performance in the National Cup against Isca. After what has been a busy few weeks settling into a new school and attending trials, the boys demonstrated exactly what a talented and determined group they are.

Their hard work and teamwork paid off, securing a convincing victory that sees them progress to the next round of the competition. The goals on the day came from Shia (3), Jaxon (2), Rupert (1), Frankie (1), and Leo (1).

A special mention goes to Lennon, who was voted Player of the Match for his outstanding performance.

Congratulations to the whole team, an excellent start to what promises to be a very exciting season ahead!

Year 10 Football vs Monkton Wood Academy

On Tuesday, our Year 10 football team kicked off their season with a second-round National Cup tie against Monkton Wood Academy. With very little known about their opponents beforehand, it proved to be an incredibly competitive game that could have gone either way.

The first half was end-to-end, with both sides working hard to cancel each other out and few clear chances being created. After the break, however, TA came out with renewed energy and immediately took control of the game.

Just five minutes into the second half, the deadlock was finally broken. A quick throw-in from Brad Harrison, returned to him by Sonny Hutchings, saw Brad’s cross-cum-shot from wide on the flank loop over the goalkeeper and into the net, a moment of fortune and skill combined that gave TA the lead.

This goal lifted the team, and it wasn’t long before they doubled their advantage. Skipper Noah Margetts timed his run perfectly to arrive late into the box and rise above everyone to head home a pinpoint Lee Stevens corner.

The scoring was completed when striker Alex Moss reacted first to a loose ball in the penalty area, turning sharply and smashing home from ten yards — a goal his tireless performance fully deserved.

It was a strong all-round team display and a great way to begin the season. TA will now face the winners of Paignton Academy or Trinity in the third round.