An Unforgettable Trip Liverpool with Our Year 10 Football team
This week our Year 10 football squad set off on an epic team adventure to the legendary city of Liverpool, and what a trip it turned out to be! From high-energy team-building challenges and city exploration, to witnessing top-flight Premier League action, this was a tour the students will be talking about for years!
Early Start & Adventures at New Mersey Retail Park
Bright and early at 07:30, we departed Torquay full of excitement, ready for a weekend packed with activities. Our first stop was the sprawling New Mersey Retail Park, a buzzing destination with everything from shops to Ninja Warrior-style challenges! Here, the socialised and laughed together, kicking off the weekend with total team spirit.
Team-Building Fun at Hollywood Bowl
Next up we hit Hollywood Bowl for more team bonding and wholesome competition. Bowling alleys echoed with cheers and playful rivalry, and it was brilliant seeing everyone support each other’s strikes and spares. The perfect warm-up before the real adventure!
Dinner, Downtime & Excitement Building
After checking in at our tour HQ in Liverpool, it was time to refuel and Domino’s was ready to provide pizza! With full stomachs, the squad had time to unwind before one of the biggest highlights of the trip…
Everton vs Bournemouth at the New Hill Dickinson Stadium
At 19:30 we made our way to the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton’s spectacular new home ground. Seeing a Premier League match live was an unbelievable experience: the crowd energy, the passion on the pitch, and the sheer scale of top-level football all around us!
There’s nothing quite like watching world-class athletes in action to inspire our own young players!
Next Morning Fuel: Toby Carvery Breakfast
Day two kicked off with a hearty breakfast at Toby Carvery, where everyone powered up with a traditional British feast, perfect for preparing minds and bodies for the next adventure.
Iconic Anfield Stadium Experience
At 09:45 they arrived at Anfield Stadium, one of world football’s most iconic venues and home to Liverpool FC. The atmosphere here is electric, steeped in history and legendary moments.
Whether you’re a Liverpool fan or just love football, Anfield delivers:
- Tours of the historic ground and museum
- A chance to soak up the rich heritage behind one of England’s greatest clubs
Fans from all over the world come here every year to enjoy the stadium and the stories hidden within its walls.
More Team Building & Farewell Snacks
After Anfield, we headed back to New Mersey Retail Park for more team building, including Hollywood Bowl and pool and time to explore some shops before we eventually set off back to Torquay.
Reflections on an Amazing Trip
Looking back, the trip was more than just football. It was about:
- Teamwork
- Friendship
- Memories with teammates that go beyond the pitch
From Ninja warrior to a Premier League match and historic stadium magic, our Year 10s experienced a weekend full of adventure, growth and pure football joy.
Here’s to more journeys like this!
Hers a link to our insta stories- https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE4MTgwNDk0Mzk1Mzc1NTE1?story_media_id=3830887982119559754&igsh=MWd4MmRkdTN1b2tpYg==
Year 11 Apprenticeship and Health Careers Event
Shortly before half term, the Year 11 Health and Social Care group had the valuable opportunity to attend the Apprenticeship and Careers Event at Torbay Hospital.The event brought together a wide range of hospital departments, universities and healthcare professionals, enabling students to gain insightful information about the diverse career pathways available within the sector. Importantly, they were able to explore the qualifications, training routes and key skills required for different roles.
Interactive scenarios within virtual ward and home environments further enhanced the experience, providing students with a realistic and engaging insight into working within health and social care settings.
Mock exams
This week has been an important milestone for many of our students as mock examinations began for Year 11 and Year 13, alongside the first mock experience for Year 10.
Mock examinations are an important part of the journey towards the summer exams. They provide students with the opportunity to experience the rhythm and expectations of the exam period, while also giving teachers valuable information about where students are performing strongly and where additional support may be needed.
I have been particularly impressed by the maturity and focus shown by our Year 11 and Year 13 students throughout the first week. Walking around the academy, there has been a real sense of purpose. Students have approached the exams with determination, understanding that this period is not just about assessment, but about learning how to perform under exam conditions.
For Year 13 students, these mocks are especially significant as they begin to shape the final phase of preparation before A-level examinations later in the year. Similarly, for Year 11 students, this is a crucial opportunity to refine revision strategies and build confidence ahead of the GCSE exam season.
This week also marked an important first step for our Year 10 students, who sat their first mock examinations in preparation for the two GCSEs they will complete this summer: Religious Studies and Statistics. Sitting public examinations a year early provides valuable experience and allows students to build confidence before the full GCSE programme begins in Year 11.
Undertaking these exams now helps students understand what effective preparation looks like and allows them to practise key exam skills in a supportive environment. It is also an opportunity for teachers to identify where further teaching and revision will have the greatest impact.
Across all year groups, the atmosphere during the week has been calm, purposeful and focused. These mock examinations are not the end of the journey, they are an important checkpoint that helps students and teachers plan the next steps together.
I would like to thank our students for the positive way they have approached the week and our staff for the careful organisation and support that makes these examination periods run smoothly.
We wish all students the very best as the mock examination period continues next week.
health and social care
Year 12 Health and Social Care students on the single pathway were invited to visit the Turning Heads Community Café, where they gained a deeper understanding of a range of disabilities and, importantly, how individuals are supported and integrated into the workplace.Students engaged thoughtfully and respectfully throughout the visit, asking insightful questions, participating in activities and demonstrating a genuine interest in the experiences of others. Their conduct was exemplary, and they were a true credit to the Academy.
¡Feliz Año Nuevo!
Our Spanish Club recently celebrated the Chinese New Year with a thrilling treasure hunt! Students had to follow clues in Spanish to track down each animal of the Chinese zodiac. Well done to everyone who took part - you showed off your language skills and teamwork!
Supporting our Students with Mr Penrice
TA is very proud of the support given to our students who are Looked After Children. This has been recognised on many occasions, and we are now able to provide additional tutoring and mentoring for some of these students, particularly those preparing for the upcoming GCSEs.
The attainment for Looked After Children at the end of Key Stage 4 is half that of all children and Looked After Children also have a higher prevalence of SEND.
In order to close this gap TA offers support with 1-2-1 tutoring on a weekly basis and the children follow a planned structure to support the work they are doing in lessons. Question level analysis enables the tutoring to be tailored to meet the needs of the children. The sessions also allow time to develop positive relationships that help improve confidence in the subject matter and improve attendance
Examples of recent support included a review of Dickens ’ A Christmas Carol
We have also been able to extend this programme to include some of our SEND students who need additional support with attendance. Again, the focus has been for those children in Year 11.
Sessions have focused on achieving sufficient marks in the first half of their exams, with extension tasks to support the higher-grade material.
Gold for Esmie
Last weekend, Esmie Riggs in Year 9 competed at the Somerset Jiu Jitsu Open and competed in the juvenile blue belt bracket (-52 kg). Esmie fought a 16 year-old in a best of 3 and won the first by submission, lost the second by submission and won the third by submission which ultimately led to Esmie coming away with the gold. Well done Esmie!
english with mrs O'Brien
9T8 have done exceptionally well this week, getting back into the swing of things after the half-term break and exploring the plot and context of one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, Hamlet. They have been learning many key concepts, including Elizabethan values, supernatural, purgatory and what it means to be a Shakespearean Tragic Hero. Pupils will use this contextual knowledge as a basis for when we start reading (and performing!) the play next week. Well done as always year 9, keep up the great work!
Students of the Week
Year 7 - Zara Isemede & Troy O’Shea
Year 9 - Dion Maharjan, Lily Hubbard and Jessica Ferguson
Year 8 netball BEAT Torquay Girls Grammar School
Our Year 8 netball academy travelled to TGGS on Tuesday. The A team took to the court against Grammar A with confidence and established control early on. They applied strong defensive pressure to create early turnovers, and their movement through court was well timed with quick transitions from defence to attack. The shooters demonstrated great accuracy and confidence under the post, converting consistently and rewarding the hard work of those feeding the circle. The team worked hard to maintain the level of intensity throughout the match, with relentless pressure and controlled possession, and went on to claim a well-deserved 24-6 win.— a fantastic team performance built on focus, teamwork and consistency.
Opposition's Player of the Match: Eva Thompson
Players' Player of the Match: Abigail Harkin
Coach's Player of the Match: Ela Uven
Dee Davies, Milly Skelly, Zenna Venter, Mimi Skelly, Eva Thompson(C), Ella Uven, Mia Kost, Abigail Harkin
The B team also produced a strong performance in what proved to be a closely contested match. It took a little time to settle into their rhythm, but once they found their flow, their confidence grew. They adapted their style of play well, focusing on maintaining possession, and defended tirelessly to challenge every pass and contest every ball. The match remained tight throughout, with both teams battling hard. Despite narrowly losing by just two goals, the B team should be incredibly proud of their resilience, adaptability and the progress shown across the game.
Opposition's Player of the Match: Achara Edmund
Players' Player of the Match: Achara Edmund
Coach's Player of the Match: Myah Bishop
Chloe Eales, Josie Cotton, Bella Stevenson, Myah Bishop(C), Achara Edmund, Rhia Holding, Lottie Forrester
Year 7 Netball Vs Torquay Girls Grammar School
The Year 7 A & B squads headed to Torquay Girls Grammar School to get some match play, and to work on different combinations. The opposition were strong, with many experienced players on their side, but our squads embraced it with confidence and determination.
Across both teams, there was a real emphasis on spreading the court effectively, creating space to drive onto the ball and making smart passing decisions to maintain possession. It was fantastic to see the girls working hard on this, and as the matches progressed, the timing of drives improved, and players showed growing awareness of when to hold, when to release, and when to reset. There were some lovely, fluid channels of play as the ball moved through the court, culminating in some well-earned goals.
Defensively, both squads were relentless; pressure was applied, with players working tirelessly to contest every ball. Numerous turnovers were won, and the opposition’s flow was consistently disrupted through the defensive determination.
Although we did not manage to secure a win, it is great to see just how much progress these squads have made in recent months. It is incredibly exciting to watch their development; there is so much potential within this group, and plenty more to come.
Squad: Evie Voisey, Indie Kenyon, Izzy Beer, Isabella Hughes, Ayda Snell, Zara Isemede, Ella Austin ©, Katie Hornbrook, Dolly Peart, Amelia Drew, Amelia Garvey, Ava Medway ©,Lucy Stevens, Maddison Pearse
Opposition's Players of the Match: Zara Isemede & Amelia Drew
Players' Player of the Match: Ayda Snell & Indie Kenyon
Coach's Players of the Match: Ava Medway & Indie Kenyon
Year 7 Boys Football
On Wednesday our boys played a strong Braunton school in the county cup, the game was really even with both sides showing good moments. The breakthrough came with a well-deserved finish from Ronni, who was leading the line so well. A second followed from a lovely free kick from Eli.
Just before the break, Ronni again got onto the end of a cross to extend the lead. Braunton did score just before half-time to go in at half-time 3-1.
In the second half, Braunton pushed hard to get back into it, but our defence and Harry in goal dealt with the pressure really well. The game ended when two lovely counterattacks resulted in another goal for Eli, and Harley put away the final goal.
Next up is St Peter’s in the ¼ final in a couple of weeks.
Year 8 boys
Plymstock were the visitors on Tuesday for our lads in the county cup. A slow start for us and many missed chances caused frustration early on. We eventually went 1-0 up after a penalty from Archie but that stayed the same to half time.
The second half we were more ourselves and two neat finishes from Teddy and Oscar settled us down, a further individual goal from Thach secured the victory and puts us in the hat for the next round.
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U13 & U15 Girls Torbay Tournament
House stars of the week
Year 7
Brunel - Ludo Mudge
Christie - James Rackley
Darwin - Angel Bassett
Fawcett - Faith Jelly
Harrison - Sophie Brookes
Kitson - Churchill Issac
Nearne - Aisha Kennedy
Pengelly - Izzy Beer
Year 8
Brunel - Leo Watson-Cox
Christie - Rhia Holding
Darwin - Nevaeh Piri-Sadigh
Fawcett - Macie Gay
Harrison -
Kitson - Alfie Carpenter
Nearne - Liv Andrews
Pengelly - Pandora Ferguson
Year 9
Brunel - Treesa Telson
Christie - Esmie Riggs
Darwin - Charlotte Townsend
Fawcett - Summer Dockrey
Harrison - Jackson Lane
Kitson - Toryn Bond
Nearne - Finley Bratcher
Pengelly - Thalia Dunsmore
Homework Stars of the Week
Year 7
Brunel - Layla Selley-Dillon
Christie - Luca Chadwick
Darwin - Marlie Cousell
Fawcett - Tyler Coslett
Harrison -
Kitson - Daniel Ibell
Nearne - David Ujj
Pengelly - Sam Vesely
Year 8
Brunel - Alex Nicholson
Christie - Eva Thompson
Darwin - Alex Oleksy
Fawcett - Joel Cotton
Harrison -
Kitson - Poppy Cosh
Nearne - Theo Mason
Pengelly - Willow Waugh
Year 9
Brunel - Eric Montague
Christie - Seren Chadwick
Darwin - Ebany Fawkes
Fawcett - Emelia Wood
Harrison - Isla Coish
Kitson - Oscar Deegan
Nearne - Ben Cowie
Pengelly - Hollie Bassett
university offers this week
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