Dance Success, CCF Leadership & Conservation Project

Sienna Triumphs at Dance Festival!

We are delighted to celebrate the fantastic achievement of Sienna Painter in Year 11, who recently competed in the Torbay Dance Festival over the Easter break.

The event, held at the Palace Theatre Paignton, brought together talented dancers from across the region. Sienna delivered an outstanding performance and was awarded 1st place in the Senior Modern Championships - an incredible accomplishment!

This is a wonderful recognition of Sienna’s hard work, dedication, and passion for dance. We are extremely proud of her success and look forward to seeing what she achieves next.

Congratulations, Sienna!

Lilah Dallow Shines at Regional Finals!

We are incredibly proud to celebrate the outstanding achievement of Lilah Dallow in Year 8, who recently showcased her talent at the South West Trampolining Regional Finals, held at the University of Bath.

Competing against some of the best young athletes in the region, Lilah delivered an exceptional performance, securing second place and a well-deserved silver medal - a fantastic accomplishment.

This success has earned Lilah an even more exciting opportunity. She has qualified as one of only two athletes in her age group and category across the entire South West to represent the region at the upcoming British Gymnastics Inter-Regional Trampolining Competition. The event will take place this July at the renowned Utilita Arena Birmingham.

This is a remarkable achievement and a testament to Lilah’s dedication, perseverance, and talent. We wish her the very best as she prepares to compete on the national stage, what an incredible journey so far.

Well done, Lilah, we’re all cheering you on!

DofE Volunteering conservation project

Just before Easter a group of our Year 9 and 10 DofE Volunteering students attended their final conservation project session with Taleblazers and the Life on The Edge project staff. The session involved the students delivering their presentations about their experiences and the conservation skills and activities in which they have been involved.

It was fantastic to hear about the students' experiences as they recounted their time building bug boxes, planting a wildflower meadow here at TA, gorse clearing at Berry Head to encourage wildflower growth, learning about the common dolphin and even spotting some off Berry Head, and carrying out invertebrate and wildflower surveys to support the vital Life on the Edge biodiversity conservation project. The students created slideshows and posters to support their presentations, which included many photos of their experiences.

As well as fulfilling the requirements of their DofE Volunteering and/or Skills sections, the students also achieved the nationally recognised John Muir Award. This award recognises how the students learned about the special attributes of wild places and how they Discovered, Explored, Conserved and Shared their environmental conservation experience in these wild places.

The students gained such valuable insight and knowledge of the work of the South Devon National Landscape Organisation's project Life on the Edge, and the project's aims of enhancing biodiversity in their local area and coastline.

A huge thank you to Rich from Taleblazers, and to Amy and Eva from Life on the Edge for giving our students this opportunity to gain valuable insight into environmental conservation and for showing them how they can make a difference. Well done to the the following students: Lily-Jo Prior, Ava Macardle, Esme Poole, Emelia Wood, Elena Bolton, Naomi Szyszka, Tanya Neil, George Garbett, Freddie Blagden, Dion Maharjan.

Fun Friday brings energy and excitement across the school

This week’s Fun Friday brought plenty of competition, laughter and house spirit, with each year group taking part in a different challenge.

Year 7 enjoyed a lively game of Higher or Lower, with students trying to predict whether the next number would be higher or lower than the one before. It was simple, fast-paced and created lots of excitement as the rounds became more tense.

Year 8 took on the classic Sweets in the Jar challenge. Students had to study the jar carefully and make their best estimate, with plenty of debate over who had the sharpest eye. It was a great test of judgement and observation.

Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11 all competed in a quiz, putting their general knowledge and teamwork to the test. There was a brilliant atmosphere in each room as students worked together, shared ideas and tried to secure as many points as possible for their house.

Fun Friday continues to be a really positive part of school life. It gives students the chance to come together, enjoy some healthy competition and build house pride. It is always great to see students getting involved so enthusiastically and supporting one another throughout the activities.

Torquay Academy CCF

It has been another busy and productive period for our cadets at Torquay Academy, with training continuing at a pace across a wide range of activities.

Cadets have been developing their practical skills through ongoing drone flying sessions, refining both control and confidence, alongside continued progress on the drill square where standards remain high. Air Rifle training and target practice have also featured heavily, with cadets demonstrating increasing discipline, accuracy, and safety awareness.

A notable milestone has been reached by our senior cadets, who have now successfully completed their CFIT training. They are already beginning to apply these new skills by stepping into instructional roles, supporting and mentoring the newer cadets. This transition is a key part of their leadership development and is proving highly beneficial across the contingent.

Meanwhile, our Year 8 cadets are preparing to receive their well earned berets, an important moment that recognises their commitment, progress, and integration into the contingent.

First aid training has been a major focus this term, with 90% of the contingent now having completed a course. Of particular note, several of our older cadets have gone a step further to achieve the First Aid at Work qualification, equipping them with valuable, real-world skills.

Looking ahead, as the water temperature begins to rise and the evenings grow lighter, we are preparing to introduce coasteering and other water-based activities into the programme always a highlight of the training year.

With the Easter holidays now behind us, attention turns to the upcoming summer camp. This promises to be a dynamic and rewarding week, packed with adventure, challenge, and opportunities for cadets to further develop their skills and teamwork.

A strong term so far, with plenty more to come.

Geography with Miss Fannon

The Year 7 Geography students have been out collecting data this week as part of their microclimate investigation. They have practised using equipment such as anemometers and thermometers, which have helped them to develop their skills to measure wind speed, temperature and wind direction. The students really enjoyed the experience of putting what they had been learning in the classroom into practice.

Year 12 Information Technology

This week in their lesson, Year 12 students explored three key topics behind everyday digital safety. They looked at file permissions, working out when Read, Write, or Execute access is needed to protect a company's confidential files. They then compared full and incremental backups, advising a small business on the best approach. Finally, they investigated how HTTPS and digital certificates use encryption and SSL/TLS to keep personal data secure when shopping online. A great lesson connecting classroom theory to the technology that our students rely on every day.

Y12 Psycology

Year 12 Psychology students have recently been exploring the fascinating topic of eyewitness testimony, focusing on how memory is not always as reliable as we might assume. As part of this, students have been learning about forgetting through interference, including both proactive interference, where older information disrupts the recall of newer information, and retroactive interference, where new information affects the recall of previously learned material. They have also examined retrieval failure, considering how memories may be available but inaccessible without the right cues.

Students have also been investigating factors that can influence the accuracy of eyewitness testimony, particularly the role of leading questions and how subtle changes in language can distort memory. Through research studies, students have considered how a single verb used in a critical question e.g., "smashed vs contacted", or the use of the definite article “the” rather than indefinite article “a”, can shape recall even alter what witnesses believe they have seen. Looking ahead, the module will develop further as students explore how anxiety and post-event discussions can also affect eyewitness testimony, and how this research has informed important practices in police interviews and court questioning to help improve the reliability of evidence.

Learning Legends

Year 9 - Ben Cowie

Students of the Week

Year 7 - Benji Kittow & Evelyn Roney

Year 9 - Madeline Woodger and Charlie O'Connor

Year 11 - Callum Pile and Phoebe Smith

Sports Leaders

Five of our Netball Academy students stepped up as Young Sports Leaders for a primary netball tournament held at Cockington Primary School on Tuesday. The girls played a key role in the success of the event, officiating matches and offering support, coaching and encouragement to the primary pupils throughout the afternoon.

They were outstanding ambassadors for Torquay Academy, demonstrating excellent leadership, confidence, and teamwork. Their help was greatly appreciated by all!

Well done to Elena, Lily, Matilda, Madison and Isla!

House Swimming Gala

Our Year 7 and 8 students competed at the recent House Swimming Gala, with 30 swimmers taking to the pool to represent their houses. Competing across a range of strokes and events, every race contributed valuable points, creating a competitive and energetic atmosphere throughout.

There was some fantastic talent on display, alongside great team spirit and determination from all involved. Most importantly, it was a fun and inclusive event enjoyed by everyone.

Watch this space for more House Competition updates!

Year 9 football

The team played really good football on a bumpy pitch with a strong wind to safely pass into the next round. We moved the ball very well throughout and after missing a host of early chances, we ruthlessly finished our chances in the second half with goals from Gio (4) and Calum.

Year 7 Torbay Cup

This week our boys visited Spires for the first round of the Torbay cup, on a windy day at Quinta it was a tough day for football but the boys put on a great display and have secured their place in the next round against Cuthbert Mayne next week. Goals on the day were Shia ⚽️⚽️, Jaxon ⚽️⚽️, Ru ⚽️, Frankie ⚽️⚽️, Alfie ⚽️ and Marcus ⚽️