Historic Football Clean Sweep, Summer Fest Launch & A Level Creativity

SOUTH DEVON CUP CLEAN SWEEP

Our Year 7, Year 8, Year 9 and Year 10 football teams have achieved something truly special this season by completing an unprecedented clean sweep of the South Devon Cup Finals. To have every team crowned champions is a remarkable accomplishment and reflects the talent, commitment and determination shown by our players throughout the year. It is a fitting end to what has been a fantastic football season for Torquay Academy, and one that every player, coach and supporter should be incredibly proud of. Congratulations to everyone involved on creating a piece of school sporting history.

Year 7’s finished off their season in style. This group have been great all year and fully deserved to lift the trophy after their first season together. Lots of positives to work on and we now look forward to pushing on again in year 8. Our cup final goals on the day came from Harley and Ronni. Well done again on a great season!

Year 8 - A fantastic finish for these boys. Our year 8’s have been breaking records all year and fully deserved to be lifting the trophy at the end of the year. This group is special and have performed consistently throughout, the chance to celebrate was lovely to see. Can this group go one further next year and break more records.
Goals in this final were scored by Teddy x2, Bonner, Toby and Archie. Well done everyone!

Year 9 - These boys were class when it mattered. After a slow start this group really turned it on to dominate the second half and lift the trophy . What a great achievement! Goals in the final were scored by Gio x3, Calum, Alfie and Oscar.

Year 10 - These boys finished the week off by securing the clean sweep. Another record for the school, winning every age group was a great finish to the season and fully deserved. The atmosphere within the football programme was electric all week and the final day sealed it, the year 7s stayed on after their victory to support the year 10s and what an environment they created. The year 10s were fantastic on the pitch and after going behind early on they showed great character to get back on top and never looked back, dominating the rest of the game to secure trophy number 5 of the year. Goals on the day were scored by Alex x2 and Stan.

Rising Tide Perform at the SUP World Cup

On Thursday 25 June, four of our students; Zac Evans, Austin Howell, Bartosz Mitula and Oliver Jones performed as 'Rising Tide'. at the Opening Ceremony of the SUP World Cup, held in Torbay.

This international event hosts competitors and visitors from around the world for competitions and SUP events organised by Paddle UK, the band performed a great set of indie songs that impressed everyone, including the delegates, athletes and students from local primary schools. They finished their performance with “What You Know” by Two Door Cinema Club to a warm reception, impressing and inspiring those in attendance.

Performing at such a major event was a fantastic experience for our students. We are very proud of Rising Tide for representing our school so well and showing their talent at such an event.
Congratulations to them all.

Behind the Scenes: The Invisible Mountain We Climb Before Every School Trip

When our students turn up for an Adventure Academy activity there are excited for what’s to come but what they don’t see is what’s already taken place...... here is a quick look at the "hidden paperwork expedition" that makes it all possible:

Qualification: Passion for the outdoors isn't enough to lead a school group; it takes serious, accredited expertise. Our team hold industry standard qualifications that take (in some cases) years to gain, for example the highest walking qualification is called Mountain Leader, that’s a six day course and to pass the five day assessment you need at least forty days in the mountains!

Risk Assessment: Months in advance, teachers go out and scout the locations. We hike the trails, check the emergency access routes, and inspect the campsites, check the phone coverage etc and write comprehensive risk assessments that cover everything from "What if a student sprains an ankle three miles from the road?" to "What is our backup plan if a sudden thunderstorm rolls in?"

The Logistics Jigsaw Puzzle: Planning an outdoor trip is like running a traveling kitchen, hotel, and school all at once. We have to coordinate dietary restrictions and medical needs for dozens of students, pack and double-check first kits, tents, stoves, helmet, ropes, buoyancy aids, maps, compasses, water etc etc. Every piece of equipment is regularly inspected to ensure it works when it matters most. Then comes the transport, that’s usually easier!

Student information: The paperwork you fill out at home is our lifeline. We read every single medical form, allergy note, and emergency contact sheet to build a master safety plan. Meanwhile, in school, students are busy learning the baseline skills—how to pack a backpack properly, read a map, and dress in layers—so they are ready to thrive, not just survive.

The Final "Green Light": Before we can leave, our entire plan must pass a rigorous approval process both within school and at county level. We check the live weather forecasts one final time, brief our staff on medical needs etc.

The Reward: It is an enormous amount of work, but the moment we hear the first laughs on the trail or watch a student successfully pitch a tent for the first time, the spreadsheets and logistics fade away.

We climb the mountain of paperwork so your kids can safely climb the real ones!

Summer Fest Launch Party Kicks Off the Countdown!

Friday Break 2 was filled with music, sunshine and excitement as our talented Sixth Form Music Team officially launched the countdown to Summer Fest with a fantastic Launch Party!

The event was a huge success, bringing together students from across the school to enjoy an incredible showcase of live performances from both our Year 10 and Sixth Form musicians. Their talent, confidence and enthusiasm created a brilliant atmosphere that had everyone stopping to listen and enjoy the entertainment.

Alongside the performances, students were able to pick up exclusive Summer Fest merchandise and cool down with delicious ice creams, making the most of the glorious weather. With the sun shining and the weather truly sweet, it was the perfect way to spend Friday break.

The Launch Party marks the beginning of our Summer Fest run-in, building excitement for the main event on 10th July. Every purchase made at the Launch Party will help support our House Charities, with all proceeds going towards these worthwhile causes.

Summer Fest itself is a pupil-only event that takes place during the school day and is entirely organised by our wonderful Sixth Form Music Team. Their hard work, creativity and dedication continue to make Summer Fest one of the highlights of the school calendar.

A huge thank you to everyone who performed, volunteered and supported the Launch Party. If Friday's event is anything to go by, Summer Fest 2026 is set to be our biggest and best yet!

Celebration of Creativity at Our A Level Art & Photography Exhibition

Our end-of-year A Level Art and Photography Exhibition was a fantastic celebration of the creativity, dedication and talent of our students. Held in the Drama Studio, the exhibition welcomed a wonderful turnout of friends and family, who enjoyed spending the evening exploring the impressive collection of artwork and photography on display.

With the sun shining on a beautifully warm evening, guests were able to relax with cakes and refreshing fruit punch while taking in the incredible range of work produced over the past two years. The exhibition showcased not only outstanding technical skill but also the individuality, imagination and personal stories behind each student's creative journey.

As another successful year comes to a close, the exceptional quality of work on display leaves us feeling incredibly optimistic ahead of results day, with many students expected to achieve the highest grades.

Celebrating Student Achievement

The evening also provided an opportunity to recognise some exceptional accomplishments through our annual subject awards.

Photography Awards

Creative Vision Award – Daisy Bond
Beyond the Lens Award – Tayler Reynolds
Exceptional Storytelling Award – Kara Wills
Social Realism Award – Michaline Jarosz

Art Awards

Technical Excellence Award – Aspen Keenan-Rice
Exceptional Painter Award – Tayler Reynolds
3D and Mixed Media Excellence Award – Kara Wills

Congratulations to all of our award winners and to every student who exhibited their work. The standard was exceptionally high, and each display reflected the commitment, resilience and passion our students have shown throughout their A Level studies. Year 12 also made a promising debut so we look forward to their final show next year. Every student should be immensely proud of what they have achieved.

A Fond Farewell to Kay Lynch

This year's exhibition was also a poignant occasion as we celebrated the retirement of Kay Lynch, who is leaving us after 14 wonderful years at the school.

Kay has been an inspirational teacher whose enthusiasm, creativity and unwavering dedication have left a lasting impact on countless students and colleagues. Her boundless energy, encouragement and passion for the arts have helped nurture generations of young artists, and she has been at the heart of our department for over a decade.

While we will miss her enormously, we know retirement will be filled with exciting adventures. We have no doubt she'll be making the most of her paddle board, spending precious time with her family, and enjoying many visits to her favourite seafood restaurants along the beautiful South Devon coast.

Kay, thank you for everything you have given to our school community. Your kindness, humour and commitment have made an immeasurable difference, and your legacy will continue to inspire for many years to come. We wish you every happiness in your retirement—you will be greatly missed.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended the exhibition and helped make it such a memorable evening. We are incredibly proud of our talented A Level Art and Photography students and wish them every success as they take their next exciting steps beyond school. We look forward to celebrating their achievements again when results day arrives.

Year 9 Mock Exams

Over the past two weeks, Year 9 have sat their first set of mocks. These exams were sat under formal exam conditions in the exam rooms. They conducted themselves brilliantly, getting used to the conditions of formal examinations and taking it in their stride.

Well done Year 9, we are really proud of you!

hospitality and catering

The first class of the year 10 hospitality and catering students completed their practical PPE this week with some incredible results. I am super proud of all of them and know after some reflections, more learning and a little more practice their final dishes are going to be of the beat quality next year. Well done 10C.