National finals, Biennial Review and snow on the moors

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Cadet Biennial Review

This week’s cadets embrace the Biennial Review in what has been described as “WOW”. The scene was set for the Inspecting Officer, two cadets, one from the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the other from the Army. Standing side by side in the school car park to meet the Devon Commandant ACF.

As the Colonel’s car rolled to a stop, the cadets snapped to attention. Their salute and with a nod of approval, the Colonel motioned for them to join him, and together they made their way to the my conference room, where the afternoon’s events would unfold.

Following on from the initial brief, the senior cadet took the lead, launching into a brief that outlined the breadth and depth of activities offered by the Torquay Combined Cadet Force. From the precision of drill exercises to the exhilaration of flight simulations, each activity was described with passion and pride.

With the stage set, it was time for the cadets to shine. The senior cadet seamlessly transitioned into action, guiding the Colonel and his entourage through a series of captivating demonstrations, each highlighting the unique skills and capabilities of the cadets.

First up was drill—a display of precision and discipline as the cadets moved in perfect unison, their movements a testament to hours of practice and dedication. Next came the flight sims, where the Colonel himself had the opportunity to take to the virtual skies, guided by the expert hands of the cadets.

From there, the showcase delved into the cutting-edge world of drones, with the cadets demonstrating their proficiency in piloting and tactical reconnaissance. The adrenaline soared as they transitioned to climbing, tackling the towering walls with confidence and skill.

But the showcase was far from over. With each activity, the cadets continued to impress—from air rifle training to first aid simulations, field craft exercises to paintball shooting, and finally, radio comms training, showcasing their versatility and readiness to face any challenge that came their way.

With the activities complete, the final parade was set. Both sections took a seat to receive presentations from selected cadets. Moving onto the main parade which for two of our senior cadets shocked in receiving promotions to Flight Sergeant and Sergeant Major. The RAF and Army cadets in the year 8 Platoon, received and donned their new berrets. A proud moment for all the hard work they have put in.

As the inspection drew to a close, the Colonel addressed the parade. “WOW,” he declared, his words ringing with genuine admiration. “You’ve showcased not only your skills but also your determination, teamwork, and unwavering commitment to excellence. Torquay CCF can be proud of what you’ve accomplished here today.”

This was a huge day for the Torquay Academy Cadet Force. Thanks goes to all those that helped this work and for those who took part. Amazing cadets working with inspiring staff.

Ten Tors practice

Our students faced four seasons in one day as they hiked across the moors last weekend.  They experienced snow, hail, rain and sunshine during their gruelling weekend.

A Level Photography

Collaboration in Art and Photography within different year groups provides a unique opportunity for students to work together to combine different skill sets and thus come out with brilliant, creative results. A recent photo shoot designed and executed by Freya Boote and Vicky Bulwicka, saw two year 9 dance students Lily Thomas and Daisy Board working with the A Level Photography students, to show off their incredible dancing skills in the drama studio. Lighting and camera settings were crucial in capturing these amazing images. Once again Mrs Lynch was delighted with the results, well done to you all : )

KS3 Art Club

The KS3 Art Clubbers have been busy this half term completing their entries to the recent ‘Abstract Art Challenge’  Mrs Lynch was deighted with the entries which demonstrated a variety of techniques and approaches to art and design. Once again a variety of media was explored, from drawing and painting, to digital art and 3D sculpture. The students showed their usual energy and enthusiasm and encouraged one another throughout the process by commenting on the feed in their Google classroom chat.

Ist prize was awarded to Hattie Gamble for an amazing abstract, multi portrait piece.

 

2nd prize went to Emily Lock for her unique and 3D interactive sculpture.

3rd prize went to Matthew Campan for his very original monochrome painting.

The next challenge has been set, and this is to create a piece of art to enter for the prestigious ‘Royal Academy Summer Show’!!!! We can’t wait to see what our incredibly talented Art Clubbers come up with next.

The Haka!

In PE this week the boys have been learning all about the haka and its place within their dance curriculum. The haka, meaning “dance” in Maori, is more than just a performance; it’s a powerful expression of cultural identity and emotion in Maori culture. Traditionally performed by groups, it involves vigorous movements, rhythmic foot stomping, and chanted words. The haka is most recognised internationally through the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national rugby team, who perform a specific haka called Ka Mate before matches. While often seen as a war dance, haka encompasses a wider range of emotions and purposes, serving as a powerful symbol of Maori culture. The boys learnt about the heritage and history of the haka and its place within today’s sporting environment and thoroughly loved their dance lesson.

History with Miss Essam-Wood

Year 7:

Year 7 have students the Normans in Cycle 1 and then looked at Power throughout Medieval Britain in Cycle 2 which puts them in a fantastic position to study the Tudors in Cycle 3! In this lesson 7Q8 were learning about why Henry VIII decided to conduct the Break from Rome. They studied the four different reasons and then wrote up a short paragraph using the story of why Henry wanted to Break from Rome due to ‘love and personal’ reasons to practice their paragraph structure using PEE (Point, Evidence, Explain). You can see in this lovely example how they collated all the knowledge to formulate a paragraph.

 

We then moved onto the ‘money and power’ reasons where the students colour coded the problems Henry had with the Catholic Church into whether they fit into a ‘money’ reason or a ‘power’ reason. They then explained why leaving the Catholic Church would resolve these problems for Henry. The lesson ended with the students writing a PEE paragraph of what they believe to be the most important reason. Well done 7Q8!

Year 9 Music Technology (Cycle 2)

Mr. Pasternakiewicz’s Year 9 Music Technology class wrapped up an incredible learning cycle 2, exploring the world of Composition for Media. Culminating in a film screening after these students became the composers themselves.

Over the past 8 weeks, this year 9 class delved into the art of sound design and how music and sound effects shape emotions and narratives in film, games and other media. With this knowledge, each student chose a media stimulus – a scene, trailer, or game clip at least a minute long – and embarked on their creative journey.

Students carefully crafted soundtracks that mirrored the moods and energy of their chosen clips, using professional standard tools to create everything from soaring orchestral pieces to tense, atmospheric soundscapes. But music was only half the story. The students meticulously designed sound effects, ensuring every footstep, explosion, and dramatic gasp added depth and realism to their clip.

The journey culminated with the class watching their creations come to life on the big screen in our very own theatre, The Platform. The dedication and attention to detail poured into each project shone through brightly. From the heart-pounding intensity of action sequences to the subtle emotional nuances of quieter moments, their work was nothing short of outstanding. Keep an eye out for our students because these budding sound designers are just getting started!

English with Miss Risk

 

This week, in Miss Risk’s English classroom, 8T7 have been studying and contrasting poems written during World War One.

‘Who’s for the Game?’ written by Jessie Pope is a stirring, patriotic poem which is used as political propaganda to encourage young men to enlist.

‘Dulce et Decorum est.’ is the famous war poet, Wilfred Owen’s, response to ‘Who’s for the Game?’ which gives a visceral account of the horror and pity of war.

Students have looked at: how rhyme and metre affect meaning, how words and language techniques are used for effect and the message that both poets wished to relay to their contemporary audiences.

8T7 always respond well in English but have particularly enjoyed examining these poems and looking at how one text can influence a reader’s interpretation of another.

The accompanying videos show our students reciting lines from both poems.

The students is the videos are : Stanley Austin, Vaughn Heavens, Johnny Sandbrook, Euan Miller and Edi Ferencz Csibi

Miss Risk.

Students of the Week

Year 7 – George Kasparis and Seraphina Rozier

Year 10 – Dan Eales and Poppy Hedworth

 

U16 National Sisters in Sport Shield National Final Day

On Friday, our U16 Netball Academy played against Howard of Effingham School in the South Semi-Finals of the U16 National Sisters in Sport Shield Competition. We played at the Acorn Centre and in the first quarter Team TA came out fighting with a 13-4 win. In the second quarter, the girls continued to find their stride with an 11-3 win. The final score saw Team TA winning the semi-final 47-17 which means that for the first time ever, our girls are through to the National Semi-Finals of the Shield Competition which will take place at Loughborough University on 7th March. We are so proud of our U16 Netball Academy and will let you know how they get on next week.

 

Year 7 Boys Football vs Ivybridge

There was an amazing game today in the year 7 county cup v Ivybridge; it is always a great watch when we play each other. A very good first half display from us put us 1-0 up going into half time, a well disciplined second half saw us extend the lead to 2-0 , with Ivybridge scoring in the last few minutes to pile pressure on but we held strong and progress with a 2-1 win. Well done to everyone on a brilliant performance and fighting spirit against a strong Ivybridge side.

Goals – Alfie Mackin x2

Neeve, Farah and Leela Devon Girls Success

Congratulations to our girls Neeve, Farrah and Leela who played in the 1/4 against Somerset for Devon this week. They now progress into the semi final after a dominant performance winning 12-0.

Well done girls.

Year 10 Netball Tournament

The Year 10 Netball Academy took part in a multi school tournament on Wednesday and came an impressive second place overall.

The girls all connected well as a team, working hard from the minute they took to the court.  There was excellent defensive pressure throughout the court from all players, leading to brilliant interceptions and transitions to goal.  They won every match in the morning, winning their pool and progressing on into the Cup tournament.  The standard of play in the Cup was very high, but TA rose to the challenge,  adapted their game and played at an exceptional level.  The whole squad applied pressure to their opposition, forcing errors, gaining turnovers, and connecting play successfully down the court and into the hands of their accurate shooters!  It was a very well contested tournament, resulting in Team TA taking second place in the Cup Tournament.  Well done, girls!

Isabelle Moxham ©, Brooke Tully, Millie Sneap, Ema Kestell, Eve Cameron, Ivy Hodgson-Hunt, Jemimah Jones, Amara Phillips

Coach’s Player: Eve Cameron

Opposition’s Player: Brooke Tully

Governor’s Bronze Certificates

Year 7 – Charlotte Townsend, Calum Carpenter, Frazer Lewis, Darcy Dainton, Marli-Ray Cutajar, Tristan Ellis, Izzie Mildren, Jackson Lane, Edith Mackenzie, Isla May, Frances Roberts, Ayrton Sharp and Giovanni Vaio

Year 8 – Tristan Ellis

Principal’s Gold Certificates

Year 7 – Ebany Fawkes, Cee-Jay Carrington, Sonny Wildy, Phoebe Acton, Lacey-May Loffel, Alex Iftode, Lottie Knight, Jessica Stoyle, Summer Reed, Treesa Telson, Charlie Murray, Gracie Fancourt, Tyler Jackson, Olivia Martin, Eric Montague, Freddy Novis, Logan Payne, Maddie Smith, Leonard Toribio, Harry Evans, Matilda Thorner, Poppy Evely, Dion Maharjan, Daisy-Mae Rees, Jorgie-Jayne Barnett, Charlie Berry, Khalid Al-Ajrami and Jesse Isemede

Year 8 – Archie Somerset and Tyler Evans

Year 9 – Susie Lester and Faye Cassidy

Principal’s Silver Certificates

Year 7 – Tate Reynolds, Corey Davies, Sofia Adamson, Viktoria Simunkova, Jessica Ferguson, Freja-Mae Mcelkenny, Oceana Furse, Jelani Ondo-Chamielec, Alexa McCarthy, Cayden Castle, George Moran, JJ Mitchell, Dylan Drinkwater, Frederick Blagdon, Elise Musgrove and Xanthe Tyson

Year 8 – Oscar McLaughlin, George Evans, Louise Porter, Katie Peryer, Hattie Gamble, Harry Pudney, Lilly-Rose Garbett, Reef Whayman, Leon Snell, Logan Watt, Saskia Cooper, Lacey Redhead, Tanya Neil, Poppy Fieldhouse, Hayden Quadling, Emily Watts-Simpson, Lucie Bowers, Emilia Warner, Lewis Collett and Halle Walker

Year 9 – Adam Sadlik, Harry Newman, Summer Lawford, Amelia Rose, Oliver Welsh, Halayna Hussain, Connie Kinghorn, Ashleigh Evans, Lottie Roberts, Grace Gibbings, Toby Waring, Indy Evans and Laurentiu Mihai

Principal’s Bronze Certificates

Year 7 – Summer Dockrey, Isabelle Leech, Tay Biagott, Tyler-Joseph Broadley, Ayden Quarshie and Joshua Lucas

Year 8 – Leah Hollis, Finley Corderoy, Alesha Black-Matthews, Brandon Callow, Faith Stevens, Tom Weaver, Kaelum Bowness, Evan Ciavarella, Harry McCarthy, Ethan Tomlins, Jamie Tully, Macie Robinson, Kordian Wisnik, Harry Lee, George Jeffs, Ella Weeks, Finlay Clark, Keane O’Neill and Evie Ford

Year 9 – Lena Galazkiewicz, Nataliya Spasova, Kiki Marker, Benjamin Jolly, Nya Bettridge, Ella Randall, Hamish Herring, Alana Livermore, Charlie Wise, Isabella Bentley, Bailey Heaward, Ashleigh Evans, Amelia Wisniewska, William Candy, Emma Giles, Imogen Symonds, Liam Anthony, Barnaby George, Shannon Clark, Olly Whitred, Abigail Yau, Oscar Mills, Brodie Reddish, Scarlett Finley-Squires, Kaiden Mclaren, Harrison Richards, Hallie Davies, Lexi Jessup, Lauren Tanton, Leonardo Marcheggiani, Layla Broadway, Cody Cave, Demi Minty, Harry Paull, Mikolaj Piasecki, Connor Dean and Aliviya Lawrence

House Students of the Week

Year 7

Christie – Haydon Coatesworth

Darwin – Immy Shaw

Fawcett – Gabriela Piasta

Harrison – Bonnie Stacey

Kitson – Namna John

Nearne – Casey Clark

Pengelly – Jenson Tandy

Year 8

Brunel – Will Wrathall

Christie – Paul Blades

Darwin – Olivia Pope

Fawcett – Ellie Simpson

Kitson – Keane O’Neill

Pengelly – Holly Nunn

Year 9

Brunel – Nataliya Spasova

Christie – Mikolaj Piasecki

Darwin – Tegan Ross

Fawcett – Miley Soby

Kitson – Louis Tillen

Nearne – Nancy Brown

Homework Students of the Week

Year 7

Christie – Oliver Withers

Darwin – Charlotte Townsend

Fawcett – Emilia Wood

Harrison – Mason Maxwell

Nearne -Billy Marshall

Pengelly – Mia Wilkins

Year 8

Brunel – Logan Clatworthy

Christie – Oscar Rogers

Darwin – Lauren Harbutt

Fawcett – Jenson Gorin

Harrison – Archie Harman

Kitson – Ollie Martin

Pengelly – Ethan Lewis

Year 9

Brunel – Bailey Heaward

Christie – Olivia Fordrey

Darwin – Charlie Burton

Fawcett – Nevin Vithayathil

Kitson – Susie Lester

Nearne – Oscar Mills

Pengelly – Oliver McHugh

University Offers this Week

 

Katie Bowyer	University of Bristol	English
Ashly Joseph	Middlesex University	Healthcare Science (Cardiac Physiology)
Riccardo Iordache	University of Bristol	Cancer Biology & Immunology
Kai Fowler	University of Exeter	Criminology

 

Sparx Leaderboards

Sparx Levelled Up

Congratulations to these students for achieving a new level in their Sparx this week! Certificates and badges will be awarded at the end of every cycle.

Tassomai Leaderboards