Ten Tors Success, Car Racing and South Devon Champions!
Ten Tors
Our Ten Tors Training started back in October last year with five Teams being entered into the challenge. 3 cadet teams and 2 school teams all worked incredibly hard to complete the event. Weather permitting, all the teams took part in a rigorous training program of map reading, food and water management, physical endurance to name a few.
We missed a couple of opportunities to train as the weather systems were against us and for safety reasons we stayed off the moor.
Midway through the training we again took on the Brecons for a change of scenery. Day one was a gruelling 15 mile walk. The following day was a canal walk to a pickup point and home.
As we progressed through the Ten Tors Training it was clear that the 35 and 45 teams were getting into the spirit of the challenge. With the start date looming, regular kit checks and even more walking, the teams were finally set.
Arriving at Okehampton on Thursday morning 0500hrs allowed the advance party to set up camp. Thanks to the student volunteers who made the process a lot smoother. The treat of the day was settling down to a well deserved cooked breakfast.
Back at school, our students posed for the first of many photos prior to the hour long journey to Okehampton. The size of the event hit them as soon as they got out of the minibus. Full of energy, we settled down to mapping and route cards.
In all, 2400 youngsters aged between 14 and 19 took part in Ten Tors, with a further 300 youngsters with physical or educational needs taking part in the Jubilee Challenge.
Friday night was the first time we had our own dedicated camp chef. Sgt Simon Thacker from our cadet training team took on the task and by far exceeded all expectations. Thank you for the amazing food which certainly gave our teams the best nutritional advantage.
Saturday 0500hrs came around very fast. Up and breakfast followed by a final kit check, always an anxious time but thankfully the pre preparation meant we were ready to go. All fed and watered, another opportunity for a photo session. Once complete we headed to the start line. The cloud base low with some light drizzle rain made for a wet start to the day.
The cannon blast set the Go. They were finally off. High spirits and full of energy.
As the morning melted into the afternoon, monitoring the teams online, it was clear that all teams set out to complete the challenge ahead.
The teams camped down for the night on the Moor. They all passed the point of our expectations and were camped further on in their routes than ever before. The positive attitude of the teams ensured they had set themselves up for a great start for Sunday morning. Unfortunately, we had a few team members drop out through injuries which meant that they could not go on.
Sunday morning was an anxious time for the staff, eagerly awaiting the first ping from the trackers which allowed us to see them moving. Thankfully all teams understood the “get up early” brief which gave them the best chance of getting to the finish line.
Unfortunately, as the morning progressed we had three teams drop. No particular reasons, but all accept that they took part in an amazing event and are keen to get training for next year.
For the first time, Torquay Academy CCF cadets placed two teams. The first ever TA Cadet 35 Miles team romped over the finish line in a very respectable time. This was shortly followed by the school all-girls team who again set a very high standard of finishing time, showcased by some pink hats. Such a brilliant example of our young ones achieving.
On behalf of the teams we would like to thank the parents for the support during the training and for being at the finish line. The students have learnt so many new skills and personal achievements.
Thank you also to our event parent helper, Tony Jackson and so many of our staff for all their continued training and support.
Greenpower Race
On Sunday, our fresh new Greenpower team set off for Goodwood for their first-ever race. They had worked long and hard over the winter months, completely rebuilding their cars. After a very early (3:30am!) start we arrived and unpacked in preparation for the year 9’s first ever experience on a race track. Practice began and we soon had our first problems of the day, forcing both cars to return early for some rapid repairs before heading back out. Luckily all of the challenges were ironed out before the actual racing began.
When the first real event started, we performed well, maintaining our place towards the front of the 88 car field. The well-rehearsed driver changes went as planned and as we passed the hour mark we still looked strong. Bindon, being driven by the year 10 team, maintained their pace and managed to finish race 1 in 4th place whilst year 9s car, Pugh, ran out of energy right at the end, dropping them to a still respectable 14th place.
So, they dusted themselves down, ate some lunch and then took to the grid ready for the start of the second 90 minute race. This time we tried to back off a little at the start of the race to retain some energy for the finish. As time wore on, we looked particularly strong, holding 1st and 3rd positions as we reached 75 minutes. However, the field was very strong, as it always is at Goodwood and we were caught on the final lap meaning we finished race 2 in an amazing 2nd and 4th place!
The team are looking forward to seeing if they can improve on this when they head to RAF Chivenor on May 21st.
Mrs Aplin’s Maths Classes
Both of Mrs Aplin’s Year 11 classes are spending the next few weeks consolidating, revisiting and revising key concepts for their Maths exams.
11Q4 and 11T5 start their lessons with an extended Do Now, to practise retrieval skills and more basic AO1 style questions. We then work together to deconstruct a 3,4 or even 5 mark question. You can see some examples in the photos attached.
Both classes have worked really hard all year and I am sure they’ll be very successful in their upcoming exams. I am so proud of them all and they should be immensely proud of their achievements and progress too.
Workbooks featured belong to Katie Williams, Hailie Windsor and Noel Joshy.
Hospitality and Catering
We were delighted to have Alan Tilley, CEO from Turning Heads (our local charity), visit Torquay Academy to cook with our students in year 10 and 11. The task was to focus on budgeting (very pertinent in the cost of living crisis)
Each group was given a food bag costing £3.00 which contained ingredients to produce a tasty vegetarian dish. They then had to prepare, cook and then present the dish to all the other students. We all enjoyed tasting a variety of vegetarian dishes that were low in fat and price. Thank you so much to Alan and Sasha from Turning Heads for coming into TA.
South Devon Champions
On Wednesday year 11 became South Devon Champions after a convincing 3-0 win over Torquay Boys Grammar School. The final was played in front of fans at Devon County FA. The victory was a fitting end for the team as some will be moving on after the exams. The goals came from Zac Rowland- Steele, Will Green and Kieran Dale.
This team has been incredibly successful over the last few years and Mr Grinsill would like to thank the team for all their hat work and commitment over the last three years. It has been a pleasure to work with them all and some fantastic memories have been created.
Good luck in your exams, boys!
U13 and U14 Netball Academy
On Wednesday, the U13 and U14 Netball Academies played in a local Devon netball tournament against three other schools and proved that all of their training over the season had paid off.
U13
The U13 Netball Academy had a strong start, beating the first Churston side 5-1, with impressive shooting and centre court play from Frankie Skelly and Chloe German. Their second game also resulted in a win, with our girls beating Kingsbridge School 8-2 after several turnovers were made by our strong defensive pair, Larna Waller and Maisie Sandercock.
For their third game, the girls faced a strong second Churston side and whilst it was a close game up until half-time, with the score being 4-4, the girls eventually lost 8-4.
However, their final game showed our girls grit and determination to finish on a high as they took the win against KEVICS School and produced an impressive 8-2 win. Congratulations to Frankie Skelly who was voted player of the tournament.
U13 Netball Academy: Frankie Skelly, Ellie Farthing, Chloe German, Phoebe Smith, Kelsey Drew, Maisie Sandercock, Larna Waller and Ashleigh Evans
U14
The U14 Netball Academy had a clean sweep in their tournament. Consistent shooting and well-executed set plays ensured that the girls won all of their games against Churston, Kingsbridge and KEVIC School. Each individual left everything out on court and represented Team TA to a high standard. Congratulations to Jemimah Jones who was voted player of the tournament.
U14 Netball Academy: Isabelle Moxham, Amara Phillips, Jemimah Jones, Lydia Bevan, Eve Cameron, Katie Rowe, Maisy Green, Ema Kestell
Governor’s Silver Certificates
Year 7 – George Evans, Riain Leal, Lilly-Rose Garbett, Charlotte Holmes-Vittles and Sean Canham
Governor’s Bronze Certificates
Year 7 – Kiara Ujj
Principal’s Gold Certificates
Year 7 – Ellie-May Jackson, Lily Drake, Benjamin Nicholson, Oliver Ayres, Teddy Watson, Alfie Speed, Oscar Rogers, Lily Thomas, Harry Pitman, Molly Longthorpe, Kordian Wisnik, Robyn Higgins, Harry McCarthy, Scarlett Hill, Lewis Collett, Millie Russell, Isabella Allen, Katie Peryer, and Anastasiia Tukilush
Year 8 – Laurentiu Mihai, Kiki Marker, Grace Halsey and Abigail Hytche
Year 9 – Amelia Rogers, Wojcjech Tabaczuk, Jacob Crago-Gould, Phoebe Denbow and Gideon Prowse
Principal’s Silver Certificates
Year 7 – Luke Smith-Harding, Oliver Ayres, Ellie-May Jackson, Theo Beresford, Euan Miller, Melissa Page, Will Wrathall, Alexa Lyons, Cody Burton, Sophia Peryer, Imogen Clifford, Sunny Weedon, Finlay Clark, Ashton Lynch, Alesha Black-Matthews, Vinnie Frankum, Tom Weaver, Neeve Thomson, Honor Dawson, Ruby Fitzgerald, Lee Stevens, Dolly Gagg, Toby Howell, Mollie Peters, Emily Kenny, Poppy Sanderson, James Beer, Ivan Masliakovas, Ella Weeks, Holly Nunn, Mia Hawkes, Finley Dawson and Finley O’Leary-Black
Year 8 – Scarlett Finley-Squires, Harry Newman, Indy Evans, Isabella Bentley, Toby Waring, Liam Anthony, Mikolaj Piasecki, Nataliya Spasova, Ethan Anyon, Barnaby George and Benjamin Jolly
Year 9 – Amelia Rogers, Phoebe Denbow, Jacob Crago-Gould, Ema Kestell, Ryan Williams, Gideon Prowse, Daytona Vickers, Lydia Bevan, Harry Taylor, Brooke Tully, Benjamin Watts, George Scrimgeour, Isaac Knowles, Oliver Jones, Joe Taylor, Poppii Marshall, Jamie John Palmer, Laila Heavens, Jessica Mitchell, William Jackson, Amber Dicken and Ollie Coleman
Principal’s Bronze Certificates
Year 7 – Logan Clatworthy, Bali Mudge, Emily Cowan, Elliott Baines, Emir Zorel, Gustaw Adamczak, Sienna Welsh, Monica Wanstall, Cohen Andrews, Ruby Chamberlain, Allanna Butler, Caleb Harford-Brown, Ollie Payne-Stanbury, Lewis Allington, Benjamin Davies-Miles, Ellie Simpson, Bella Pomweville, Ellie Bowden, Dylan Matthews, Mason Findlay-Peers, Niamh Yelland, Archie Harman, Oscar Spurle, Archie Norcott, Brooke Birchall, Harry Hutchings, Erin Glancy, Callie Stock, Heidi Bowers, Annie Aldous, Aiden Hooper, Max Warner, Jonathan Siuchninski, Bella Kendal, and Noah Kirby
Year 8 – Benjamin Jolly, Phoenix Furse, Halle Wotton, Lucas Chappell, Anna Pearn, Lola Benney, Sophia Burnham, Harry Paull, Alba Fogarty, Kelsey Drew, Larna Waller, Chloe Burton, Abigail Yau, Dylan Parker, Joselyn Full, Edwards Evers and Millie-Ann Wigston
Year 9 – Jaccob Tripp, Lydia Bevan, Poppii Marshall, Joe Taylor, Harry Taylor, Erin Wiseall, George Scrimgeour, Amber Dickin, William Jackson, Jayden Trevelyan, Darcy Reece, Olivia Wilson, Norbert Tomsia, Ben Charters, Daisy Faulkner, Nebil Zorel, Lewis Watt, Jessica Nicholson, William Denega, Alfie Jeneway, Cerys Lowe, Harvey Cooper, Ava Shobbrook, Leigha Smith, George Peart, Sophie Nicholson, Bayley Woodger, Amara Phillips, Callum Jackson, Isabelle Moxham, Shelby Spencer, Emma Matthews, Sara Santos Martins, Lucas Berry, Liam Trapp, Orlando Maric, Oliver Los, Jemimah Jones, Dylan Breslan, Billy Botten, Naomi Redmond, Grace Milloy, Seth Margetts, Oscar Hughes, Charlie Grimley, James Hutt, Charlie Green, Zack Shaw, James Billingham, Katie Rowe, Simon Drost, Ruby Bovey, Letoja Hoxha and Faith Batham
Students of the Week
Year 7 – William Wrathall and Maria Nihtyanova
Year 9 – Madison Findlay-Peers and Oliver Dension
Year 10 – Mya Sharpe, Jasmine Evans and Joe Hosking
Year 11 – Kiela Weaver-Snarey and Kieran Dale
House Students of the Week
Year 7
Brunel – Olivia Stewart
Christie – Bella Horton
Darwin – Daisy Borad
Fawcett – Sean Canham
Harrison – Kordian Wisnik
Kitson – Annie Aldous
Nearne – Hayden Quadling
Pengelly – Isabella Allen
Year 8
Christie – Amelia Lawton
Darwin – Ellie Farthing
Fawcett – Alana Livermore
Kitson – Nikkita Hookway
Nearne – Olivia Mae Franke
Pengelly – Lucy McMahon
Year 9
Brunel – Noah Tyson
Christie – Harry Taylor
Darwin – Alfie Jeneway
Fawcett – Owen Ingram
Kitson – Laila Heavens
Nearne – Noah Butler
Pengelly – Anthony Hewitt
Homework Students of the Week
Year 7
Brunel – Monica Wanstall
Christie – Cody Burton
Fawcett – Aleta Stojic
Harrison – Archie Harman
Kitson – Tristan Ellis
Nearne – Evan Ciavarella
Pengelly – Noah Kirby
Year 8
Brunel –
Christie – Hallie Davies
Darwin – Ruby Sellick
Fawcett – Harrison Harkin
Kitson – Chloe Burton
Nearne – Nancy Brown
Pengelly – Serina James
Year 9
Christie – Amara Phillips
Fawcett – Emily Banks
Kitson – Aliyah Smith
Nearne – Madi Chandler
Pengelly – Erin Bond
Sparx Leaderboards
Tassomai Leaderboards
Accelerated Reader Leaderboards
Reading Plus
Power Up!
Congratulations to Amy Rogers who has completed the PowerUp literacy program. Amy is only the second student to ever achieve this award and has had to work very hard through different levels of Word Study, Grammar and Comprehension in order to complete PowerUp.
