2nd in the world and a very, very busy final week at TA
This is the longest blog post of the year and there are lots of pictures! Below are photos from Sports Day, Sports Awards Evening, SummerFest, CCF gliding, , Year 8 football tour, Year 12 France trip, Year 12 London trip, Years 7-9 activities week, Year 10 work experience and Year 12 work experience.
It has been an incredible year for the school and I am so proud of the achievements of our girls and boys. The academic success of our students is certainly not taken for granted, but it should be the foundation of what every great school does. Our Year 11 and 13 students have worked so hard and I am sure they will achieve great things this summer.
It is hard to summarise the other achievements, but I will try! Our Year 7 students are National Champions in Robotics. Olivia Painter has secured a silver and bronze medal at the Dance World Cup. Kacper Piwowar is a national table tennis champion and is competing in the Student Olympics in Brazil this summer. Our Year 10 netball team competed in the World Student Games, coming 3rd in the plate, and they reached the last eight in the national competition. Our Year 7 and 9 boys teams and Year 8 girls team also reached the last eight in their national football competitions.
We have put on a musical, concerts and shows that showcase how talented so many of our students are. Our Combined Cadet Force has grown and a record number of girls and boys have flown a plane this year. The number of students taking part in the Ten Tors and Duke of Edinburgh Scheme have never been higher. Coasteering and kayaking are new after-school activities that we have introduced this year. Students have competed in the largest rugby tournament in the country and cycled at the Welsh National Velodrome. Our GreenPower racing teams are currently ranked first and third in the county and next year, they will be heading to America to race.
In every area, our girls and boys compete with the very best schools in the country and we keep coming out on top. I could not be more proud of them all and they deserve a restful, safe and happy summer.
Zebra Crossing
Since I joined TA, nine and a half years ago, I, along with our governors, have been pushing for a Zebra Crossing next to our entrance on Barton Road. I have finally received confirmation of the plans and the crossing will be built. I wish the safety of our children was a higher priority for politicians, but I am grateful to our local councillors, Darren Cowell, Steve Darling, Mandy Darling and Cordelia Law who have provided a lot of support.
I am waiting for the final plans of a new 20mph zone on Barton and Cricketfield Roads. I can assure you that I will continue to campaign for safer roads for our children.
Dance World Cup
Olivia Painter has secured a silver and bronze medal at the Dance World Cup. This is just an incredible achievement and we couldn’t be more proud of her. In September Olivia will be travelling to London where she will take up a place as an Advanced Associate at the Royal Ballet School.
Sports Day
This year’s Sports Day saw a number of school records being broken, which is an incredible achievement. Congratulations to the following students:
Year 9:
Eve Cameron – High jump —> 1.40m
Amara Phillips – Shot put —> 7.87m
Amara Philips – Javelin —> 19.4m
Austin White – Hurdles -> 12.13s
Keeley Little – 100m -> 12.40s
Charlie Green – 100m -> 12.28s
Charlie Green – 200m -> 26.6s
Year 8:
Kyle Mortimore – Javelin —> 30.12m
Frankie Skelly – 100m —> 13.12s
Frankie Skelly – 200m—> 30.30s
Frankie Skelly – Hurdles —> 12.43s
Ben Jolly – Hurdles -> 12.03s
Ben Jolly – 200m -> 25.0s
Year 7:
Kaelum Bowness – shot put —> 8.10m
Edi Ferencz-Csibi – Javelin —> 22.7m
Annie Aldous – High jump —> 1.23m
The final results were as follows:
| Girls | Boys | |
| 60m Hurdles Y7 | 1. Frankie Skelly 2. Neeve Thomson 3. Mollie Peters | 1. Tyler Evans 2. Jonny Sandbrook 3. Finley Dawson |
| 60m Hurdles Y8 | 1. Frankie Skelly 2. Kiki Marker 3. Phoebe Smith | 1. Ben Jolly 2. Callum Pile 3. Oscar Mills |
| 60m Hurdles Y9 | 1. Eve Cameron 2. Summer Thompson 3. Ruby Donaldson | 1. Austin White 2. Jaden Morris 3. Connor Howard |
| 100m Y7 | 1. Kayla Hadley 2. Neeve Thomson 3. Annie Aldous | 1. Jamie Tully 2. Stanley Austin 3. Trent Blackmore |
| 100m Y8 | 1. Frankie Skelly 2. Leela Cartwright 3. Farah Ambrose | 1. Ben Jolly 2. Benji Holton 3. Kyle Mortimer |
| 100m Y9 | 1. Keeley Little 2. Eve Cameron 3. Summer Thompson | 1. Charlie Green 2. Jaden Morris 3. Josh Sandeman |
| 200m Y7 | 1. Kayla Hadley 2. Neeve Thomson 3. Ava Mills | 1. Jamie Tully 2. Zakariyah Haridi 3. Leon Snell |
| 200m Y8 | 1. Ben Jolly 2. Toby Waring 3. Charlie Wise | 1. Frankie Skelly 2. Leela Cartwright 3. Kiki Marker |
| 200m Y9 | 1. Charlie Green 2. Josh Sandeman 3. Thomas Thorner | 1. Keeley Little 2. Eve Cameron 3. Brooke Tully |
| Y7 Relay | 1. Brunel 2. Darwin 3. Kitson | 1. Harrison 2. Christie 3. Darwin |
| Y8 Relay | 1. Brunel 2. Nearne 3. Christie | 1. Brunel 2. Christie 3. Darwin |
| Y9 Relay | 1. Christie 2. Harrison 3. Pengelley | 1. Pengelley 2. Brunel 3. Christie |
| Y7 High Jump | 1. Annie Aldous 2. Monica Wonstall 3. Hattie Gamble |
The strangest race of the day? Mr Webber managed to organise the biggest 400m race with his Year 9s…
Sports Awards Evening
SummerFest
The weather wasn’t kind to us this year… It unfortunately meant we couldn’t have our outdoor performances, but there was still lots of fun had outside. Inside saw the return of the Rave Cave – it gets bigger and better every year! The Year 12 music students did a fantastic job of arranging the day for the rest of the school to enjoy. Thank you.
CCF RAF Air Cadets gliding experience
Our air cadets had yet another amazing experience; one that not many schools in the country would be able to provide, when they went gliding at RAF Little Rissington in the Cotswolds. Flying Officer Adams accompanied 9 of our air cadets for a 12 noon briefing at the air base with 632 VGS (Volunteer Gliding Squadron). The squadron, made up entirely of volunteers, normally operate from RAF Ternhill but for a week they were carrying out gliding at RAF Little Rissington.
The briefing involved the cadets observing a safety video and then they practised egress (exit) procedures from the cockpit. To enable this, the RAF staff use a cockpit simulator and the students wore dummy parachute packs. The cadets had to demonstrate a safe egress procedure before they were able to glide. In addition, they had to show that they would be able to pull a parachute D ring with enough force to open a parachute in the event of an emergency. They demonstrated this by pulling on wall-mounted scales.
After a final check of the paperwork and a nervous wait over lunch, the gliding team, pilots and ground crew, collected the cadets and drove them to the launch area on the runway. The first two cadets to buckle up were Cadet Lance Corporal Butler and Cadet Davies. One of our newest cadets, Cadet Harrison Davies, in a short space of time has already flown in a Chinook helicopter at the recent air cadet muster at RAF Benson and now gliding to add to his experiences. This highlights the extent of the opportunities our students can get with the CCF. Experiences that many would never experience in their lives!
Once Cadet Davies got airborne and gliding the VGS ground crew quickly got the next cadet airborne. Cadets and Mr Adams were staggered by the near vertical take offs! One of the staff said that the closest comparison is a rollercoaster. Each cadet flew for approximately 20 minutes, either in two flights or as in Cadets Moncrieff and Burton’s experience they flew for a sustained 20 minutes, thus getting more airtime. There was some debate on who got the best deal – the cadets who went up twice said they enjoyed getting the exciting take off twice, whilst the other two said they got more time in the air! A debate that continued for much of their 4 hour journey home!
All cadets said that it had been a thrilling experience that was unlike anything they had ever done before. Mr Adams agreed, having also got the opportunity to glide! The cadets even got the chance to take control of the gliders, enhancing the experience even more. Having been informed by the staff sergeant that they had now all achieved their blue gliding wings badge the cadets left the base at 6.00pm. After a well earned McDonald’s dinner they headed home satisfied and happy with another amazing experience that will live long in their memories.
Well done to Cadet Corporal Heidi Wright, Cadet Corporal James Lovell, Cadet Lance Corporal Vensan Crushcov, Cadet Lance Corporal Noah Butler, and Cadets Jack Hicks, Rose Phillips, Finn Moncrieff, Harrison Davies, and Karl Burton. Additional praise to them as the VGS team said that they had been the most helpful cadets they had all week!
Year 8 preseason football tour to Wolves
Our Year 8 team spent a couple of days in the Midlands this week getting ready for the start of next season. They had a wonderful time away together, made great memories and will be better prepared for another season.
Year 12 Music trip to France
Following all their hard work organising our wettest Summer Fest yet, our sixth form music students enjoyed a well deserved break in London and Nimes.
An enjoyable day in the capital exploring the cultural delights of Leicester Square and Camden
was followed by two days in the South of France in the sun soaked Roman city of Nimes to see the Artic Monkeys following their Glastonbury headline performance.
If a European jaunt and world class music was not cool enough. The night was made all the more special by the stunning location – a Roman Amphithéâtre.
After a dinner of snails we made our way to the venue to be
treated to an amazing performance of Artic Monkeys greatest hits including 505, Are you mine and I bet that you look good on the dancefloor… a perfect night under the stars.
It has been a real pleasure to spend the week with these students – what an amazing way to see the holidays in.
Year 12 Geography trip to London
Year 7 activities week
Year 8 activities week
Year 9 activities week
In school activities
Year 10 work experience
Year 12 Work Experience
As part of their Post-16 curriculum, our year 12 students spent this week in their chosen work experience placements. This experience helps students to gain transferable skills that will be hugely beneficial to them when making choices about their future career path or when writing their personal statements in September. Our students attended an array of placements in industries such as law, marine engineering, metocean data collection, education and hospitality. The week was a huge success, with students gaining a helpful insight into the reality of working life and many receiving amazing references from their employers!
Rotary Environmental Poster Competition -23 “Litter” campaign
A number of our students entered this competition and I am thrilled to announce that we had some winners. There were a phenomenal 297 entries for the competition and the battle for the highest awards was very tight indeed. Hattie Gamble was the winner in the Year 7 competition and won herself £100 as well as winning the school £100. Lexi Waller in Year 9 won the ‘special mention’ award and won herself £50. A prize giving ceremony and an exhibition of all the competition posters is being held at the Livermead House Hotel, Torquay on Monday 17 July at 6pm.
Harley Sneap
TA Netball Awards
TA Netball Academy had their annual awards in the Platform this week. There was so much to celebrate in terms of both individual and team successes, with a record number of players being selected for club performance teams, County and Bath Netball pathways as well as a record number of girls joining and committing to TA Netball Academy.
A huge thank you goes out to the PE teachers and netball coaches who have put their time in to coaching, umpiring and taking our girls away on netball tournaments, trips and tours. We can’t wait to see what the next netball season will bring!
