Perfect effort, PSHE day, sixth form evening and hummus

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Perfect 1 score for their Mindset for Learning in Cycle 1

To achieve a perfect effort score of 1 is an incredible achievement.  Each of the following students achieved a top effort grade from every one of their teachers for their mindset for learning. I am very proud of their efforts and they deserve many congratulations.

Year 7 – Mia Keenan

Year 8 – Fin Gaisford, Anya Page-Dove, Ava Sams

Year 9 – Lucia Aguado-Georgian, Toby Leaver, Rebecca Lovegrove, Katie Packer, Elisha Perrow, Katie Taylor

Year 10 – Noah Handford

Year 11- Lottie Denning, , Daisy Poole-Crampton

Not in photo Aisa Kana, Katie Taylor

PSHE Day 2

Our second PSHE day of the year saw year 7 focus on online safety and the impact of social media. Students looked at how it impacts our body image, how identities can be stolen and how getting ‘like’ on social media can impact emotional health. Students also learned how to protect themselves from fraud. The year 7 students also looked at how important sleep was to both their mental and physical health. The meaning of ‘family’ and that people have different family arrangements were also explored. Relationships were also a feature of the ‘unwritten rules’ topic which looked at how we conduct ourselves within relationships and what is acceptable and unacceptable. Students also looked at how important it is that we are all different and that we should appreciate these differences. We ended the day with a session on why people may choose to carry and knife and the dangers associated with this and we looked at strategies to ensure students stay ‘knife free’.

The issues connected to knife crime and youth violence was also the topic of the theatre production which was put on for the years 8, 9 and 10.

Year 8 students looked at a varied range of topics, from the problems associated with alcohol, how to avoid the lure of gambling, the impact of cyberbullying and also how life online does not reflect reality. The ‘parenting’ topic looked at the consequences of being a parent and the qualities of a good parent. ‘Relationship values’ reflected on what is important in our close personal relationships and the importance of effective communication within relationships. Two doctors from Torbay hospital showed students how to ‘restart a heart’

Year 9 students started the day with the theatre production and then took part in a range of sessions based around relationships including domestic abuse and also online safety (how to protect your online identity and what is meant by ‘money mule). Students also looked at the meaning of credit and debit. Students also had a session on using careerpilot which is an online tool giving careers advice.

Year 10 students looked at how lifestyle choices and strategies impact health and effective learning. How to have a lasting relationship and ways to resolve an argument were investigated along with issues relating to first time sex. The impact inappropriate social media accounts can have on future career opportunities was included and this was reinforced by Lauren Barrett who is a travel blogger. Students looked at the impact the use of cannabis can have on their lives and also their employment rights.

Year 11 spent most of their day in subject areas although they had an hour session on how to revise effectively.  We hosted a large number of local employers on Thursday who ran mock interviews for our year 11 students. Each student had a 10-15 minute session replicating what they would experience in a job interview. There were over 160 interviews and the feedback from the employers was phenomenal. They were highly complimentary about our students and very impressed by how well they came across. A couple of employers said they would hire the student on the spot if they applied for a job with them!

Many of the students were a little nervous about the interviews, but they courageously went through to meet the employers, shake hands and look them in the eye. Afterwards, every single student was buzzing about their success. We were so proud of them!

Year 12 students went to the ‘Learn2live’ sessions at the ERC. The organisation aims to improve the safety of students on the roads and while car driving. Year 13 students completed their UCAS applications and so are preparing themselves for their next steps after leaving us.

Moorish CEO Visit

We were delighted to welcome Julie Waddell, founder and CEO of Moorish, to speak to our year 9 girls on Wednesday. Julie joined us through the Speakers for Schools organisation and gave us a wonderful talk about her life and the business she set up. She talked about how she came up with an innovative idea for smoked hummus (a new idea in the market), how she developed it in the light of feedback from customers and supermarkets, and how she plans to develop the brand in the future. The girls enjoyed hearing from a successful CEO and were certainly inspired by her story. They had lots of interesting questions to ask!

Afterwards, Julie said, “it was a really enjoyable session and the students are a credit to your school”. We hope to put on many similar talks like this in the future.

Sixth Form open evening

We were delighted to welcome so many Year 11 students on Thursday evening to our Sixth Form open evening.  Mrs Hosking welcomed students and parents in The Platform with an introduction to life in the Sixth Form and to give further information about choosing their options. There was then an opportunity to meet all of the sixth form teachers in the main school where they were able to find out more about each subject.

Bird boxes

These are a small selection of some of the top notch, super stylish bird boxes completed today by our Year 10 GCSE Product Design students.

Team TA Sports Roundup

Trampoline

This week we took 12 girls to Taunton to take part in our first Regional Trampoline Gymnastics competition. The girls have been working hard for weeks to perfect their routine and were looking forward to displaying their skills on the day.  All students performed in a team and got some lovely feedback from the judges. Next year our aim will be to place in the top 3 as these teams will move on to the next round in London.   Well done girls, you did us proud!

Netball

Netball club this week was at TGGS. We thought it would be nice to have a friendly fixture against them and trial some different combinations. It was lovely to be able to get two year 7 teams, two year 8 teams and some year 9s out on court. Some girls had never played in a match before so it was a fantastic opportunity to allow them to get some experience in representing TA. The girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves and it was a lovely atmosphere. We are so pleased to have so many girls attending the club at the moment. Anyone who would like to join netball we have training Tuesday 3-4 and our outside coach Kate runs a late session from 4-5:30. All are welcome and we look forward to seeing some new faces soon.

 Year 8 Rugby

The year 8 rugby team have played some outstanding rugby of late. They have had two fixtures in quick succession. The first was against Newton Abbot College at home where the boys were up against a well-organised team who play together regularly both at school and at club level. The game was evenly matched with both teams scoring early tries. TA through the powerful running of Steve Fitzpatrick, Tommy Aldous, Harry Clarke and Charlie Stevens and NAC through their forward pack and their very talented full back. An evenly balanced game saw half time arrive with the score at 20-20. Each side making inroads with the ball in hand. NAC edged ahead through their full back, once again crossing the try line after seemingly beating every TA defender, twice! Charlie Stevens them gathered the ball on the half way line and switched on the after burners to leave NAC defenders grasping at thin air. Raw pace and gutsy determination saw him cross for his second of the game. The game ended with NAC winning by one try. On another day it could quite easily have swung in our favour. A great performance with some wonderful rugby, from both sides, played on our home turf, in true rugby spirit.

Next up were TBGS away, a tricky opponent as they are well organised, good at the break down and again play regularly with each other both at school and club level. The boys didn’t start well and conceded an early try through a lack of defending and missed tackles. They spent much of the first half defending as TBGS worked the ball from wing to wing very well exposing any chinks in the TA defensive armour. Four tries down at half time the boys rallied round and we decided to change the game plan and keep it much more simple. The next 10 minutes of play saw TA dominate with ball in hand and were camped on TBGS line only for a stray pass to go wayward and the pressure was relieved with TBGS clearing their lines. The grammar school ran in a couple of late tries to seal a comfortable win. Most notable were the introduction of Kieren Taylor and Ollie Clarke of year 7 who stepped up and played for the year 8s. Both had great games and we look forward to their contributions going forward. A good performance all round with some juggling of positions not helping the fluidity of the attack and defensive structures. The boys are improving week after week and with games coming up this side of Christmas and with the 7s season not far round the corner the year 8 rugby is progressing well. Please keep turning up to training whatever the weather, as training is always on regardless.

Year 9 Rugby

We travelled to a rather damp Paignton Community and Sports College this week where the BTEC boys lead the warm-up before convincingly beating Paignton 10 -27. The TA boys were really robust on the day and played in the true spirit of the game. Hard and fair. Not one penalty against us for poor discipline. The usual suspects Cameron, Marcus, Euan and Josh Furze all lead the charge but more impressive was the way the rest of the team reacted and supported them. Our defensive efforts against some very substantial Paignton drives was second to none, keeping them out drive after drive. Other strong performances from Ollie Laker who attacked really well and Cody Lidster who attacked and organised defensive lines made it impossible for Paignton to secure any scores for much of the second half. Oliver Waring who has recently taken on the role of Scrum half, dug out and distributed plenty of decent ball for our backs to use.

Well done boys on your first-ever victory over PCSC and playing so well as a team.

Students of the Week

Students of the week with me this week are: Ava Sams, Klaudia Krupska, Ana Maria Banica, Mia Keenan, Alfie Sams, Cameron Smith, Archie Hughes

Principal Certificates

Principal Bronze: Nisha Cosslett, Maja Davies, Sam Cooper, Finley Herbert

House Stars of the Week

Year 7

Brunel –  Kieran Taylor

Christie – Skinner, Riley

Darwin – Samuel Stimpson

Fawcett – Chadwick, Aidan

Harrison – Michalina Jarosz

Kitson – Bond, Daisy

Nearne – Sophie Brown

Pengelly – Ollis SIllis

Year 8

Brunel –  Oliver White

Christie – Jasmine Huxtable

Darwin –

Fawcett – Jones, Georgia

Harrison – Sophie Caton

Kitson – Summer Mansell

Nearne – Windsor, Hailie

Pengelly – Melissa Arscott

Year 9

Brunel – George Wollacott

Christie – Perrow, Elisha

Darwin –  Kieren-Lei Flay

Fawcett –

Harrison – Alfie Summerfield

Kitson – Kelsey Hawkins

Nearne – Toby Clark

Pengelly – Corbyn Gardner

Homework Stars of the Week

Year 7

Brunel –  Jasmine Evans

Christie –  Fry, Cleo

Darwin – Roberta Bankes-Fay

Fawcett – Gibbings, Daisy

Harrison –  Ryan Hooper

Kitson – Hollomby, Harry

Nearne – Fairhurst, Maddy

Pengelly –  Clara Gooderham

Year 8

Brunel –

Christie – Stevie Wright

Darwin –

Fawcett – Thomson-Wade, Darcy

Harrison – Orlando Tuci

Kitson – Cole Shobbrook

Nearne – Painter, Olivia

Pengelly – Felicity Chapman

Year 9

Brunel – Elizabeth Cameron

Christie – Cayford, Grace

Darwin – West, Scarlet

Fawcett –

Harrison – Caitlin Kirby

Kitson – Maddison Harvey

Nearne – Lee, Lily-Grace

Pengelly – Sam Foley