Touching base, Cricketfield Road and Callum at Wembley

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Touching Base Mornings

It has been lovely to welcome back students this week who haven’t been in school since March.  Students have been coming into The Platform in small groups where I have met with them along with either Mr Jones or Miss Risk, Mrs Watling as well as English, Maths and Science leaders.  This is a picture of them playing a game of Head and Tails!

We gave each student a pack of TA Lovehearts and a postcard, where I wrote the following to the:

I cannot remember a stranger time during my life. I know the past few months will have been challenging on so many different levels. We are, as humans, social animals and creatures of habit and the coronavirus has had a significant impact upon all of our lives in many different ways; irrespective of what challenges we have faced it would’ve had, somehow, a detrimental impact upon us. There are some members of our school community who are grieving the loss of loved ones, others who have faced a significant period of not being able to leave the home and all of us have not been able to see friends and family in the way we normally would.

We have missed you all tremendously and the school has felt a very empty place over the past few months. I have been so impressed with how diligently so many of you have worked each and every day, I really cannot underestimate the dedication and self-discipline undertaking this work has required. Keep it up!
I hope that the summer holiday will provide an opportunity, as the shutdown rules are relaxed, for you to reconnect with friends and family. I am very much looking forward to welcoming you back in September where we are hoping that the government’s ambition for the school to be reopened as normal will be realised.

Stay safe

Cricketfield Road

I am delighted that we, in partnership with Barton Cricket Club, have taken on the lease for the Cricketfield Road pitches.  This will enable our students to have access to even greater facilities throughout the year.

A virtual transition

This week we should have been welcoming our new Year 7s and their parents into school.  Each week since half term we have been sending a Google Form (similar to the ones we use for Homelearning) to each of our new students.  As part of this virtual transition, each week students are given a tour of a different part of the school and they are introduced to a different part of what it means to be a TA student.  I am looking forward to meeting all of our new students properly in September.

All Day School

The students have been back on the climbing wall again this week.  They have also been learning some marching skills under the watchful eye of our CCF lead Sergeant Cawood.

Students of the week

Congratulations to Year 7 Student of the Week: Summer Connolly for her fantastic attitude towards everything. Raffle Winner: Josh Spencer for outstanding work in English

Congratulations to Year 8 Student of the Week – Shania Blades

Congratulations to Year 9 Student of the Week – Ben Eales

Congratulations to Year 10 Students of the Week – Jude Rockey, Kacper Tatarynowicz, Graham Mitchell, Felix Houghton and Sean Andrews

A busy week

Katie Harris has been turning her hand to many different things this week!

Callum scores at Wembley

Ex-student Callum Morton played at Wembley in the League 2 playoff finals this week for Northampton Town against Exeter (he is currently on loan from West Bromich Albion).  How did he get on?  Northampton Town 4 – 0; Callum scored a goal as well being awarded the Man of the Match trophy.  It was an incredible performance.   It followed another amazing performance where he scored twice away from home against Cheltenham in the semi-finals to help them overcome a two-goal deficit.

What did he do the next day to celebrate?  He visited a lifelong fan Chris McDonald, who has cerebral palsy and is deaf, to give him a signed pair of boots.  I could not be more proud in every respect.

In September 2015 I wrote the following in my blog: Year 11 had a 180 mile round trip having to travel to Penryn College for their game. TA started slowly and found themselves 1-0 down due to a Penryn College goal. What happened next can only be described as one of the best, if not the best individual performances both Mr Grinsill and Mr Hogg have seen in schools’ football. Striker Callum Morton delivered a master class in not only how to score goals but how to play as a lone striker. Callum then scored five goals in the space of 40 mins before being substituted. Each one of his goals was so different and showed finishing well beyond his years. It was a strong team performance as well and eventually saw TA running out 6-4 winners.

Planning for September

On Thursday the government released its guidance for schools with regards to opening in September.  Their commitment is for all students to return in September.  We are working hard to get our plans ready to ensure that all of our boys and girls are able to continue with their education in a safe manner.  I hope to be in a position to send details home during the final week of term.