NEWSLETTER23rd September 2016 | Issue 15

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD TEACHERI am delighted to welcome back all students to the academy and in particular our new Year 7s. We have had a very successful start to the new academic year with students ready to make the most of their learning opportunities. Thank you to parents for continuing to support us in all respects; ensuring your children are smartly dressed, punctual, equipped and ready for school.

This week we held our Open Evening and I was really grateful to have so many students come back into school to help staff and to show prospective students and their parents around. All our student helpers did a fabulous job and I cannot thank them enough for their positivity, their commitment and their enthusiasm. We were exceptionally proud of them! It was a brilliant evening and our best attended Open Evening to date. There was a lot of very positive comments, particularly regarding how well our students had represented the academy. See inside spread for more.

This week also saw the launch of our new ‘Show my homework’ app to help students and parents understand and manage homework. Homework is such an important part of your child’s extended education, consolidating learning from lessons in school and supporting the next steps. If you haven’t received information about the app or you have any questions, please contact Mrs Madgin (vmadgin@thetauntonacademy.com) who will be happy to help.

We are encouraging students to take responsibility, especially with regard to their learning, so that they achieve beyond their potential. We are rewarding students who complete their homework well, as increased motivation to get into good routines with home learning.

You may have seen our press release at the end of August in the Gazette with the results of our students in the GCSE exams. The academy continues to go from strength to strength and I am very proud of the students and their achievements. I have no doubt that we will build on these results

further over the coming months with our new Year 11s.

Finally, I am delighted to welcome a number of new staff to school. Mr Eddy and Mr Berry join us as Deputy Head teachers and Mrs Dixon and Mrs Huett as Year 7, 8 and 9 Leader and Year 10 and 11 Leader respectively. We also welcome to the teaching staff Ms Wilde (Head of English Faculty), Mr Evemy (Deputy Head of Maths and IT Faculty), Mr Fenton (Maths) and Mr Jessop (PE and Geography). Joining us in our Student Support team are Miss Budd and Mrs Lawton, and Ms Francis joins us as our new Home School Liason Officer. There will be a number of opportunities to meet them and other staff over the coming weeks at various events we are holding, including a ‘Welcome to Key Stage 4’ evening and ‘Meet the Tutor’ evening. More details will follow nearer the time.

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us, via your child’s tutor, if you have any questions.

Mrs J Veal, Head Teacher.

THE TAUNTON ACADEMY OPEN MORNING - 11TH OCTOBER 9AM-11AMPLEASE CONTACT US FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON 01823 348200

SCIENCE Support Every Day - 1.30-2.00 - C101

ENGLISH Homework Support Tuesday - 3.15-4.15 - D109

ART catch up for yr 10&11Every lunch and Monday - Wednesday

3.10-4.10

MUSIC - after school Monday - yr 11 - Tuesday - yr 9

Wednesday - yr 10

DRAMA RehearsalsMonday - Thursday - 3.10-4.30

CATERING & TEXTILES catch up - Tuesday 3.10-3.50 & Wednesday -

3.15-4.30

GRAPHICS & PRODUCT DESIGN catch up Tuesday & Wednesday - 3.15-4.30

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE Catch upTuesday 1.40-2.10 & Wednesday -

3.30-4.30

GENERAL ATTENDANCE catch-upMonday-Thursday 3.10-4.10 - DaVinci

Computer Room

Wednesday lunch - Band/OrchestraThursday lunch - ChoirFriday lunch - Senior Vocal Group

CU - Tuesday 1.40-2.10 &

PRAYERS & Communion

CLUBS & ACTIVITIES @ THE TAUNTON ACADEMY(Sports Clubs are listed separately)

Wednesday 3.30-5.00

LRC

Wednesday 1.40-2.10Chaplaincy

DRAMA CLUBMonday 1.40-2.10

Thursday 1.40-2.10B005

Friday 1.40-2.10 for Lower School

COMPUTER PROGRAMMING CLUB

Monday 3.30-5.00

ICT CLUBFriday 1.40-2.10

Wednesday 21.9.16 - 19-10-163:15-4:30

ENGLISH NEWSSome of the new Year 7s have been settling into secondary school English with a group work descriptive writing task to design and present their own planets. Here are some photos of their work.

Congratulations to all last year’s Year 7 Tutor Award winners. They are pictured left to right: Katie, Morgan, Chanise, Emily and Lewis.

HOCKEY NEWSYear 11s first hockey match of the season was against Heathfield School. They played some fantastic hockey and battled throughout to stop Heathfield from continuously scoring goals. Ruth had a great game as goalkeeper. Neave and Louise were strong in defence with Robyn, Anna and Emma Jayne finding good opportunities to attack with the ball. Final score: 6-1 to Heathfield.

POCKET PARK OPENINGThe press and local dignitaries attended the grand opening of Pocket Park in Blackthorne Gardens, which was completely renovated over the summer with the help of our Year 9 and 10 students.

The pictures show: Cllr Marcia Hill, Community Liaison Officer Jane Hare, Sam Onion Falmouth College landscape graduate and silver medal winner at Chelsea, Nick Tomlinson of the Somerset Wildlife Trust.

ZAZA BAZAAR VISITWorld cuisine was on the agenda for our Year 11 Catering students when they visited Za Za Bazaar at Bristol Harbourside. Inspired by the night markets of Asia, this is said to be the biggest restaurant in the UK and can cater for up to 1000 diners in one sitting!

CLUBSWe run a wide variety of lunchtime and after school clubs; ranging from music, chess cooking and computing. Here is a handy list of what we have on offer.

TAUNTON MP VISITOur local MP Rebecca Pow visited the academy on Friday to catch up with a group of students who met her in the House of Commons last year. Last November some of our Year 9s watched her make a speech in the chamber and to have a tour of the historic building, as part of the Children’s Commissioner’s Take Over Challenge. She was so pleased to see them again, after being invited for a return tour by Mrs Veal.

The Takeover Challenge is an annual national event led by the Children’s Commissioner, offering children and young people the chance to work with adults and get involved in decision-making.

Ms Pow said: ‘’It was good to see them all again, I remember them being a credit to the academy when they came to visit Parliament. I can’t believe they are all only 13 as they were so mature and sensible and genuinely interested in their visit to the House of Commons!’’

After a tour of the school she added: “It’s great to see The Taunton Academy making huge improvements with its new leadership team and Head teacher. They have achieved a lot in a short

space of time and I am extremely impressed.’’

Photo shows left to right Mrs Parsley, Aleks Oledzka, Emma Whetnall, Rebecca Pow MP, Abby Robertson, Georgia Louis, Mrs Veal.

LIBRARY NEWSThe school has been working with Priorswood Library to swap ideas and to build links with the local community. It is proving successful on both sides and the students really enjoy it. They recently helped to promote the Summer Reading Scheme and the Big Friendly Read, which was very well received.

Pictured: student librarians Olivia Davis, Gabriel Councill, Steven Smith, Oliver Sampson, Jay Biddle, Zoe Holland and Adam Denslow.

Mrs Veal gave two talks during the evening, focusing on the three key points that she would look for in a school for her daughter, who goes into Y7 next year. She said she would want to know her child was safe, happy and had opportunities to make excellent progress and outlined how all those things were true of the Taunton Academy.

Progress - Exception progress and achievement, Stretch and Challenge at all levels, broad and balanced curriculum with small classes

Happy - Exceptional enjoyment and engagement through high quality teaching and learning, superb facilities and excellent links with the Outstanding Richard Huish College.

YEAR 7 HISTORY TRIP TO CHEPSTOW CASTLE Year 7 students had a blood thirsty day at Chepstow Castle at the end of last term. The sun shone and the students had great fun exploring the castle, finding the medieval garderobe (toilet), great tower and gatehouse. They then had to decide how they would have attacked the castle, which they attempted with gusto - those within the castle would certainly have been killed! Throughout the day they showed great subject knowledge and were complemented by castle staff and other visitors on their politeness, good manners and hard work.

RAFFLE PRIZE WINNERCongratulations to Ms Adam for winning the raffle hamper from open evening.

FUTURE CHEF COMPETITION‘’Can you cook a main meal for two people in less than an hour and then present it well for a cost of less than £5.00?’’

We are running a cooking competition which will be open to all students in Years 8-10. Every Wednesday for an hour after school, students will learn to plan and cook a main meal for two, decide what recipes they will use and provide the ingredients. This won’t cost more than £5. After practising cooking main meals theywill then compete against other students to win a competition on Wednesday 21st October.

OPEN EVENING

We had an extremely successful Open Evening for prospective new parents last Thursday.

It was a wonderful opportunity for us to show the community some of the good things that go on at the academy. The positive comments were flowing: parents and children were so enthusiastic about what they did, what they saw and about the conversations they had with our teachers and students.

Safe - Outstanding care and support, Excellent relationships, Effective transition programme

I had a wonderful tour with one of your Prefects. He is an amazing young man; the academy can be very proud of its students.

It has been a brilliant evening. It is clear the staff and students have excellent relationships.

The staff are so friendly and welcoming.