1 Head teacher’s message The recent Celebraon Assemblies were a pleasure to be a part of. It was inspiring to see so many students' achievements celebrated across the year groups. Congratulaons to everyone who received an award or had an achievement acknowledged. One story that I think is parcularly praiseworthy is Mat Mormer's success in being selected to go to Yale University in the USA where he will have the chance to compete for a place at one of America's most presgious universies. It is crunch-me for students in Years 11, 12 and 13 as exams are rapidly approaching. As a college, we believe that we have a duty to give students the very best chance to succeed. Each year we look to build on previous years' successes and develop new and innovave ways to give students an addional advantage. This year, for instance, we have built in extra mock exams, intensive revision days and extra classes of English and Maths for students who are not there yet. We have invested in GCSEPod, a high quality revision tool whereby students can download pod casts of thousands of topics they might need to revise. Throughout, we aim to provide parents with as much informaon as we can so you can play an acve role in supporng your son / daughter. Sir Clive Woodward, who lead the English Rugby team to win the World Cup in 2003, famously said: “Winning the Rugby world cup was not about doing one thing 100% beer, but about doing 100 things 1% beer”. The same principle applies to all our students, whether they are approaching their final exams or an assessment in Year 7. The queson I would encourage is: what small things can I improve each week? It might be in Geography I will learn three case studies, in French I will master the past tense, in Science I will pracce three 6- mark quesons. Focusing on the smaller parts that add up to bigger successes is a posive way to approach improvement. Marn Smith - Head teacher The Update The Axe Valley Community College Newsletter: Friday 24th April 2015 - Issue 12 Diary Dates: 29th April - Year 10 Parent’s evening 12th May - Year 8 Parent’s evening 22nd May - Chamber Music Recital 22nd May - 1st June - Half Term 10th June - PSHE Day 25th June - Summer Concert 8th-11th July - Bugsy Malone 16th July - Caribbean Evening 21st & 22nd July - Acvity Days Sixth form award winners at their Celebraon Assembly
Transcript
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Head teacher’s message
The recent Celebration Assemblies were a pleasure to be a part of. It was inspiring to see so many students' achievements celebrated across the year groups. Congratulations to everyone who received an award or had an achievement acknowledged. One story that I think is particularly praiseworthy is Mat Mortimer's success in being selected to go to Yale University in the USA where he will have the chance to compete for a place at one of America's most prestigious universities.
It is crunch-time for students in Years 11, 12 and 13 as exams are rapidly approaching. As a college, we believe that we have a duty to give students the very best chance to succeed. Each year we look to build on previous years' successes and develop new and innovative ways to give students an additional advantage. This year, for instance, we have built in extra mock exams, intensive revision days and extra classes of English and Maths for students who are not there yet. We have invested in GCSEPod, a high quality revision tool whereby students can download pod casts of thousands of topics they might need to revise. Throughout, we aim to provide parents with as much information as we can so you can play an active role in supporting your son / daughter.
Sir Clive Woodward, who lead the English Rugby team to win the World Cup in 2003, famously said: “Winning the Rugby world cup was not about doing one thing 100% better, but about doing 100 things 1% better”. The same principle applies to all our students, whether they are approaching their final exams or an assessment in Year 7. The question I would encourage is: what small things can I improve each week? It might be in Geography I will learn three case studies, in French I will master the past tense, in Science I will practice three 6-mark questions. Focusing on the smaller parts that add up to bigger successes is a positive way to approach improvement.
Martin Smith - Head teacher
The Update
The Axe Valley Community College Newsletter: Friday 24th April 2015 - Issue 12
Diary Dates:
29th April - Year 10 Parent’s evening 12th May - Year 8 Parent’s evening 22nd May - Chamber Music Recital
22nd May - 1st June - Half Term 10th June - PSHE Day
25th June - Summer Concert 8th-11th July - Bugsy Malone 16th July - Caribbean Evening
21st & 22nd July - Activity Days
Sixth form award winners at their Celebration Assembly
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Celebration Assemblies
Year 7
I have been extremely impressed with the progress and achievements of my year group in the Spring term and it was an absolute delight to present so many certificates, prizes and rewards in our end of term celebration assembly.
Congratulations to Ben Churchill who won the Head of Year award and to Jess Holmes for winning the Deputy Head award. Simon Herbert and Jess Holmes won the highest point score achievement awards.
Congratulations to our tutor group winners too: Louise Tyne (7RS), Casey Phillips (7DW), Robin Ellis (7CM), Alex Ball (7NC) and Kimberley Wood (7MBR).
We almost met our target of having an award for every student in the year group and we are aiming for this by our next celebration assembly at the end of this year.
It should be a good Summer term and we are all looking forward to the upcoming Outdoor pursuits residential in May.
Mr T Davies - Head of Year 7
Year 8
The Year 8 celebration assembly was a great success. Thank you to Mr Jevons and the Year 8 Steel Band for providing such great music for the event.
Congratulations to Jack Speers who won the Head of Year award and to Rebecca Smart for winning the Deputy Head award. Both students have worked hard to stay on or above target and work consistently hard across the curriculum.
Congratulations to our tutor group winners too : Jemma Hoare (8TM), Georgia Windsor (8NFL), Enjiely Durias (8MG, Bradley Croton (8NB) and Josh Targett (8SMP).
There was also a pleasing amount of students who could be rewarded for 100% attendance - well done to them for their resilience and commitment to school.
Miss E Sloman - Head of Year 8
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Year 9
Year 9 Celebration assembly opened with a speech about the danger of comparing yourself to others and how it is far more beneficial to work on producing the best version of you. Chloe and Lucy opened the assembly singing ‘Hold back the River’ by James Bey, this is the second time in a row that Chloe has performed but a debut for Lucy.
The tutors each chose a tutee that they felt had stood out this year, the winners were Aiden Herbert, Jay Catley, Martine Tucker Vincent, Alistair Herbert and Megan Searle. It is with real regret that we said goodbye to one of our tutor team Miss Fell, I know that her tutor group will miss her after Easter.
Maths and English intervention prizes were won by Brandon Marsh, Cammy Sinclair, Josh D’Albertanson, Clare Daubney, Katlin Vaughan and Amy Rosling were thoroughly deserved.
When I read out all of the mentions from the staff listing stars of their subjects it was great to see the majority of the year group standing, now it is down to the remaining students to step up and join the rest of their year group.
The prize for having the most Vivos went to Katie Richards and Jed Holmes who manage to juggle their school work with busy schedules and extracurricular activities and do it with a good attitude. Homework prizes went to Erin Moles (who seems to have a long standing record) and Anne Cruzado. The remaining raffle
prizes went to Barnaby Dare, Sam Herridge, Isla Featherstone, Kayley Langworthy and Anne Cruzado.
The Assistant Head Teacher award went to Stuart Johnson for accruing a phenomenal amount of points and I awarded my Head of Year award to Megan Searle who works diligently and manages school and extra-curricular activities without a fuss.
The assembly was completed by a beautiful rendition of Taylor Swift’s Blank Space performed by Brooke Williams and Nicole Barker.
Miss K Mandy - Head of Year 9
Celebration Assemblies
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Celebration Assemblies
Year 10
The year 10's celebrated an outstanding set of achievements during the spring term. The praise that they received from their subject teachers were just rewards for all the hard work that they have been putting in.
Awards were presented to Connor Ingarfield, Danni Somerville, Alex Wadey and Vicky Lamprill for progress and achievement. The Head of Year Award was given to Georgina Aswell for her contribution to hard work and Mrs Jenkins presented her Assistant Head Award to Annabelle Tessier-Dalwood.
Congratulations to our tutor group winners too: Billy Long (10IL), Danny Sommerville (10SD), Cameron Chapman (10MF), Lewis Franklin (10EB) and Sam Slade (10ESM).
Well done Year 10s keep up the hard work.
Mr J Scott - Head of Year 10
Year 11
Celebration assembly was once again a great way to award high achieving and hardworking students. The event was also used to give out Mock Result Grades to all Year 11 students whose exams have now started.
The following prizes were awarded:
Assistant Head Teacher Award – Goncalo Silva
Year Leader Award – Chris Pritchard
Tutor Awards – SMC – Niamh Guppy, NG – Haydn Hancock, STP – Ryan Loveridge, - SS – Bethany Hill and LM – Pete Smith
Over 40 students were awarded 100% attendance certificates and Achievement Awards were given to Beth Hill, Jack Pulman, Alice Cann, Annie Harris and Chloe Ogden.
Many thanks to all that took part.
Mr G Horn - Head of Year 11
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Student Update
THE GREAT SCHOOL COOK OFF COMPETITION 2015
Before Easter Poppy Burrough in year 10 represented TAVCC at the Great School Cook Off competition. Organised by Exeter College and sponsored by Stage Coach, Poppy had to produce a two course meal for two people in 1 hour 15 minutes.
Seven other Devon schools attended and the competition was fierce with some outstanding results! Poppy received a certificate, county bus pass and a cash prize for her efforts.
The final is at the Exeter Festival of Food and Drink this Friday, where the two finalists will cook in front of a live audience. Regardless of not getting through, Poppy really did represent TAVCC exceptionally well and despite her obvious nerves remained calm under pressure producing an amazing meal. The feedback she got from the Exeter College lecturers was very positive and complimentary.
Poppy said, “It was hard work choosing a recipe that looked and tasted amazing and I had to do a lot of practicing at home. On the day I was terrified, only the lecturers and students were allowed in the kitchen and so it really did feel like a competition!”
Unlike the exams that students complete in school, Poppy didn’t have to do any tidying up as she went along. Sincere thanks to Poppy’s Mum and Danni for helping us to clear the kitchen while the judging was taking place! Women in Construction
On Thursday 16th April three Year 9 girls took part in the Exeter College Women in Construction Event held at the Exeter College’s Construction Training Centre at Sowton, Exeter.
It was a unique event, aimed at introducing girls to the employment opportunities within the construction industry and highlighting some of the careers that they can aim for in the sector such as architecture, civil engineering, quantity surveying, plumbing, carpentry, electrical installation and many more.
The day consisted of a mixture of presentations by industry professionals from the NPS Group, who are an Award winning property design and management company with a regional office based in Exeter, and a series of practical workshops. The girls, Victoria Storey, Amelia Speers and Courtney Hartnell, had a really enjoyable and inspiring day.
THE MENU:
Jerk chicken with Rice and Beans,
glazed corn, salad and a yogurt dip.
Lemon meringue with a crunchy
biscuit base.
Using glazes, rag-rolling and sponging to create different paint effects.
Using carpentry skills to create a picture frame.
Perfecting their trowel techniques to
build a brick wall.
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Many thanks for all students and parents for being so generous in helping to raise money for the Lymphoma Charity in support of Amber. We had a fantastic response to the balloon race and managed to sell over 350 balloons. Many thanks to Mia Hales, Abbi Hodder, Poppy Tooze and Louise Tyne who blew up the balloons during the morning. The balloons thankfully took to the sky after being released by Amber and began their journey across the channel to France. 5 tickets were returned from France. The furthest being sent back from La Chappelle-Naude which is 669 miles away!
This balloon belonged to Jake Richardson from Seaton. He will be sent his prize of £25.
Alongside the balloon launch, we had boys being waxed and girls being soaked by buckets of water. There were lots of cakes donated also and sold at lunchtime.
The day was one I was pleased to get out of the way due to being sponsored by parents to come dressed as a lady. I thought I looked OK but many students disagreed!
A special thanks also must go to the Year 11 students that helped organise the day and also the Year 11 students that did a sponsored walk during their holiday from Seaton to Lyme. The funds will be going to an excellent charity and all your support is much appreciated. We are still waiting for some money to come in before releasing a final total but at present we have raised well over £500.
Mr G Horn - Head of Year 11
Lymphoma Fundraiser
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Sixth Form Celebration Assemblies
Pictured above are Year 13 Award holders, nominated by their subject teachers or tutors for good work, progress or commitment.
Sutton Trust Success
Huge congratulations to Mat Mortimer who has been successful with the Sutton Trust Programme – following his recent attendance at LSE he has been selected to go to Yale University in USA for a week.
Comic Con There and Back again
It was an early start at 4:45am on a cold Saturday morning, when we all gathered at the school car park dressed most unusually, We had Storm troopers, a Joker, Assassins, Wizards and a couple of Wallies and many more in our company.
When we arrived at the NEC and queued to
enter to Comic Con we were greeted by a Platoon of Storm troopers and many other classic characters. As we entered the hall Tom Broderick especially excited to see the vast quantities of memorabilia on display.
From there onwards everybody got involved in the hyped atmosphere, some posed for photos or had their photo taken with cast members from the walking dead whilst others searched for lost memorabilia from the past.
Overall it was a fantastic day and everybody had a great time; some people were hard to find at the end of the day especially Wally and Wanda. In the end there just was not enough hours in the day to do everything that we wanted to do and the trip will definitely have to run again next year.
Ben Wickenen - Year 12
Sixth Form
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College Notices Attendance
Congratulations to all the student’s that achieved 100% attendance over the last half term. Check the notice boards to see if your name is on there.
Mr Otty’s Tutor Group (9AO) had the most students with 100% attendance – 18. A little reward is on its way.
Mrs S Steggall - Attendance
Governor News
At the meeting of the Governing Body at the end of last term, governors said a fond farewell to Mrs Carol Simpson, who has been a governor at the College since 2002. During her time as governor Mrs Simpson has made a significant contribution to the college and the work of governors. Amongst other things she has served as Vice Chair, Chair of the Curriculum, Learning and Teaching Committee, and the Safeguarding representative. Her expertise and enthusiasm will be much missed.
As a small token of appreciation, Mrs Simpson was presented with some flowers and some
gardening tokens - reflecting one of her other many interests. Active Kids—Sainsbury’s tokens
Please remember to collect your Active Kids vouchers if your are shopping in Sainsbury's. We have until Friday 8th May to collect as many vouchers as possible. It is a wonderful opportunity to get new equipment for the college, so please ask your neighbours and friends too!
Vouchers are being collected on reception where there is an Active kids box.
Many thanks.
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eSafety Advice Trolling BE AWARE OF TROLLING:
There’s been a huge amount of media attention over recent months in the UK and further afield of online troll attacks on celebrities and sportsmen and women – such as Noel Edmunds and Tom Daly.
Older male teenagers are the most likely to be affected by trolling, according to research but younger school children can be equally vulnerable.
Trolling can affect your child’s mental and physical health, so it’s important to understand how a troll operates and what you can do to beat them.
HOW TO PREVENT TROLLING:
Increase your child’s online confidence by showing them the advantages of using the Internet and social networking sites. Be frank and open about the negative side of
Internet use too.
Be aware that trolling can also take place when using smartphones, laptops and tablets. Show your child how to set security and privacy settings
If you are unsure about your child’s use of a social networking site, then join it yourself first and explore the functions.
Set computer guidelines in the household by establishing some ground rules and agree to beat the trolls. There is safety in numbers so get everyone involved.
Relocate all computers into the family living area – that way you can carefully monitor any unusual activity.
Talk to other parents about trolling and share tips and advice together.
(Source: www.knowthenet.org.uk )
Additional eSafety guidance can be found on the weblinks listed on:
http://axevalley.devon.sch.uk/parent/esafety/
GCSEPod has landed
Do you want to improve your grades and/our give your revision a boost? GCSEPod could help you with this.
To aid you with your studies and revision pro-gramme GCSEpod has over 3,500 2-5 minute podcasts on topics matched to the examination syllabus for you GCSE subjects.
You can easily login through FROG, links can be found on the website (use your network login username and password).
Podcasts can be watched online or downloaded to be watched later either on your computer, tablet or smartphone.
Podcasts are short (2-5 minute) bitesize and have been written by experienced teachers and examiners.
It works on all computers, common tablets and smartphones.
Students that have already used this in other schools have gone on to secure good GCSE re-sults.
Activity Days We all look forward to Activity Days at the end of term. Activity Days are designed to provide all students with exciting opportunities to try something new and have lots of fun. It is a great way to celebrate the end of the school year.
Activity Days are also about having experiences with students from other year groups and spending time with staff members that you may not have worked with before. There is a fantastic range of activities on offer this year, covering cultural, sporting, creative and scientific events. We hope there is something here for everyone’s taste. We have also included activities to suit different budgets and in every case we have worked hard to provide the best value deal we can.
Choosing an activity: Activity days booklets will be sent to students next week and unlike previous years, this year students will need to arrange their online payment for their choice of activity to secure a place.
Online payments will open on: 4th May 2015 for Years 7 and 8 7th May 2015 for Years 9 and 10
Free activities will also be booked via the same online method to secure a place by giving consent and not a payment.
Any parents that do not have online access must have registered with Mrs Lowe in the finance office. Cash or cheque payments will NOT be accepted, except by prior arrangement.
Restrictions: We reserve the right to withdraw a student if we judge that they have demonstrated poor behaviour this year and represent a risk to the safety and wellbeing of other students. This applies particularly in the case of activities involving an overnight stay.
On-site Activities will include: Art in the Open, 3D Computer Modelling, Creative Writing and Drama, Soccer School, Science Special, Fun Fashion, Rock School and BBQ Cookery outdoors.
Off-site there will be something for everyone including: Jurassic Walks, Axe Estuary Wetlands, Skatepark in Weymouth, Beauty & Pampering, Crealy & Laser tag, Camping at Trill Farm, Symondsbury Estate Bike Trail, Splashdown, Bowling & Dry Skiing, Segway Safari and Archery at Escot, Horse Riding Adventure and Quadbikes and Paintball at Escot
Further afield we have some exciting trips planned including Surf's Up in Cornwall, a London visit with a day out at Thorpe Park, surfing and mountain biking at Bude Outdoor Adventure Centre and the Ardeche trip to France.
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TAVCC PTFA Update
PTFA Jumble Sale and Book Sale
After being cancelled in March through lack of jumble, this certainly wasn’t a problem this time! There was so much stuff—thank you to everyone who generously donated an incredible amount of jumble.
The sale raised just over £530 and 50% of this amount will be donated to Year 9’s chosen charity which is The Project that cares for the mental health issues of local young people. The other 50% will be used to support clubs and activities at the college.
The Book Sale held on the same day also had a huge amount of stock much of which came from the school library and raised £60.
The Grizzly Presentation Evening
Back in March members of the PTFA and students and teachers of the Music Hive collected litter at the Grizzly race in Seaton. Organised by the Axe Valley Runners, the Grizzly was attended by nearly 2,000 runners and raised fantastic £32,000 which it donated to the many local charitable organisations that participated in the event.
PTFA chair Celia Diepenbroek and Kate Pemberton attended the Presentation Evening to receive a cheque for £500 plus an additional £100 from one of the landowners across whose land the course is run.
Volunteers for forthcoming events
The Music Hive and Drama Department will be putting on various events this term that will be supported by the PTFA with refreshments and raffles. If you would like to help the PTFA at one or a few of these events please let us know by emailing Kate at:
The PTFA subsidises, wholly or partly, all the clubs at TAVCC so that every student can participate in these enriching activities. To contribute towards these costs we would like to ask parents to make a donation via our local giving donation page. Even a small donation will make a difference, please donate via:
www.localgiving.com/charity/tavccptfa
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ASPIRE Update
Languages in action - Arabic Celebration Event The Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies recently marked its ‘Languages in Action’ collaboration with the Axe Valley Community College ASPIRE team with a celebration event that took place on Thursday 26th March.
High-achieving ASPIRE students in years 7, 8 and 9 have been studying basic classes in ‘Mastering Arabic’ over a 10-week period as an after-school language option. These sessions culminated in a special celebratory event at Exeter University on the Streatham campus, based in the Forum and IAIS building.
The Celebratory event involved a final interactive classroom session, a tour of the campus, an Arabic lunch provided by local restaurant Mashawi, a certificate presentation by Elaine Davies (Assistant College Manager
Education) and an Arabic-themed exhibition in the Forum Street. Current students studying Arabic were able to discuss their courses and year abroad travel experiences throughout the day with the students.
This project was supported by Fatima Rawan (IAIS Lecturer), Giorgia Ferrari (IAIS, PhD TAFL student), SSIS Outreach staff and Arabic-speaking undergraduate students, who supported the weekly sessions with us in school.
“The best part of the course was learning about the wonderful language and culture of the Arabic people” Alexandra Wilson-Newman 8MG
“I loved the language Arabic and the people were so friendly, I also loved trying the Arabic food which was delicious. My favourite part of the course was playing bingo after we had learnt the Arabic numbers” Isabelle Coman – 7DW
THG Music
ASPIRE Music students were welcomed to Thelma Hulbert Gallery this week. They joined artist Michael Fairfax to create sound instruments from cherry wood. They created ear harps in the natural form of the wood, whittling the branches to create their instrument which they then played and heard by putting them to their ears.
You can see from the student’s comments that the day was enjoyed by all.
“It was a really fun workshop! I enjoyed every minute”
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“It made me think about the tone of the notes and how the wood changed the sound as I put it to my ear.”
“Michael ran a great workshop which helped me to explore music in a new and unusual way.”
The sound instruments together with sound recordings, videos and paper lines will be included in Part 2 of this exhibition (23 May – 20 June) when the students can see their own works exhibited alongside those of the artists and other community groups and visitors.
EMS
ASPIRE maths students in years 8 and 10 attended a day of workshops each on Wednesday 15th and Saturday 18th April. The day looked at the maths behind magic tricks and students had the chance to work alongside Ben Sparks from Bath University as they tackled the algebra used within each problem. Students enjoyed the day and came home to perform the tricks on their family and friends.
Reminders: ASPIRE 1-1 Coaching
The next ASPIRE 1-1 coaching event will be held in the Sixth Form Centre on Monday 27th April from 4pm to 6pm. Please remember to see me if you haven’t booked your appointment with your coach.
Year 11 – Tutoring Exeter University
Last Q and A session with Year 11 students in room R1 at 3.30pm – 4.30pm on Wednesday 29th April.
Year 10 – Tutoring Exeter University
First date for the Year 10 tutoring scheme with Exeter University will take place in room R1 on Tuesday 28th April at 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Year 7 wood turning event
Year 7 Art ASPIRE students have been invited to attend an event with Axminster Tools and Machinery on Tuesday 28th April from 4pm to 6pm at their training centre on Millway Rise. Please remember to return completed SOE3 forms to reception for my attention.
Mrs Slade - ASPIRE Co-ordinator
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REACH Tours and Talks - The Deer Park Hotel
At the end of term REACH students were treated to a tour of the Deer Park Hotel and a careers talk with Managing Director, Mark Godfrey and Hotel Manager, John Jones. After seing the communal rooms, restaurant and kitchen the students were shown the new bridal suite under construction in a tree-house in the grounds, as well as the stunning gardens, kitchen garden and outdoor kitchen loggia.
Mark and John told us all about their experiences in the hotel business whilst making the most delicious pizzas for us all in the wood fired oven.
Their incredible energy and enthusiasm for the future of the hotel was extremely infectious and inspiring. As you can see from their comments the students had a fantastic time.
Jenny “I came on the trip because I want to work with food when I’m older and I’m doing food as a GCSE which I’m really looking forward to. So it was great to see the kitchen and to have the amazing pizzas. Thanks” William “It was so much fun, I want to work there!” Ella “It was amazing! The pizza was great and the man was so lovely. I want to go back again soon. Helga “It was fun, you could smell the fresh air, you could feed the chickens, everyone could eat pizza and see how it was cooked as well. Everyone should go there.”
Josh “The whole experience was amazing” Ryan “Fantastic friendly staff, great atmosphere, good environment and good pizza” Elana “I loved the pizza and the man was very bubbly and I liked the dog Sparky and the other man who was the manager was lovely too!” Zach “I thought the tour was super and I really want to be a chef.”
Thank you to all at Deer Park for making us feel so welcome and inspiring our students.
Trill Farm
The first REACH tour of the Summer term turned out to be a spectacular summer’s day. Owner and Entrepreneur Romy Fraser talked to the students about her vision for the farm as an organic co-operative bringing together a collection of small farming and related businesses that can work
REACH Update
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together and benefit from each other's experience and shared business costs and issues as well as work independently in their specialisation.
After hearing a little about Romy’s career journey starting with her fantastically successful Neal’s Yard Remedies that produces natural and organic soaps, cosmetics, perfumes and health products, that led to her buying the farm, we were then given a tour of a variety of different businesses operating at the farm.
Chris Onions - Resident Chef who treated us to some of his Birch leaf and sap cordial - refreshing and delicious!
Jake Hancock - Livestock farmer introduced us to some of his animals, the cows bred for their beef, sheep for meat as well as for their fleece and Romeo the horse.
Ash Wheeler - Grower, manages a series of poly tunnels and vegetable beds growing predominantly salads and herbs for the on site kitchen as well as for many local restaurants and hotels.
Gail McGarva - Traditional boat builder. Gail has brought her beautiful boat, a 38ft Bantry Bay gig, to one of the barns at Trill Farm which she is using as her workshop to lovingly restore this very special vessel.
Everyone at Trill Farm is so passionate about what they do. The students were infected with their enthusiasm and impressed by the variety and complexity of their careers.
Thank you so much to everyone at Trill Farm for giving us this opportunity to see and explore the realities of organic farming and rural businesses.
A special thank you also to Jolyon Chesworth who organised the tour and looked after our group so well.
Ian Hunt—Law
The students immediately warmed to Ian whose enthusiasm for law was so infectious. He asked them why they were interested in law as a career. Kelly wants “to make things better in the world”, Ellie likes History and English and thinks it would be a great challenge for her and Kieran likes arguing! All great reasons.
Ian stressed that to make good lawyers there are some skills that the students should start developing such as touch typing, speed reading, multi-tasking (reading and listening at the same time), reading upside down, public speaking, reasoning (thinking on your feet) and empathy. Few of these important skills are reflected in GCSE grades yet will help a student to become a successful lawyer.
Ian also explained the various pathways for achieving a career in law. In addition to the traditional University method there is also the option to become a legal apprentice after GCSEs or after A-levels or alternatively there is the route of the legal executive where you can “earn as you learn”. If anyone would like more information please ask Mr Holland for the booklets.
A big thank you to Ian for coming to talk to us and sharing his practical advice. Amanda Taylor—Mental Heath care
Mrs Taylor's presentation was full of really interesting details about the pathways into Mental Health as well as the many different careers that branched of it. We demonstrated the entanglement of support systems by using a ball of wool-a physical way of showing how support networks function ( in a fun way. )
We had our eyes opened to the challenges of working in the NHS whilst being told of anecdotes of amazing job satisfaction. I would highly recommend
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people to watch out for her next talk as Mrs Taylor delivers a really engaging presentation, I will definitely be going to her next one!
Thank you so much for coming to college to talk to us we really appreciate your time.
REACH specialist workshops
On Tuesday 14th April Year 9 REACH students had a study skills workshop on the topic of “Memory and Mnemonics”. At the end of the session the students gave excellent feedback with the most useful points being, the use of flashcards, the creation of a mental journey to remember difficult lists such as the periodic table and to avoid multi-tasking when trying to study.
Year 10 and 11 students had the “Ace your Exams” workshop, focussed on revision tips and preparing for exams. It may seem obvious but the way to plan revision effectively was one of the issues the students found most useful, as well as using mind maps for recording information. The presenter stressed how important it is to use practise papers, get them marked and to learn from mistakes.
Notes from these two workshops will be sent to students as a reminder of the most important points.
Forthcoming events: Wednesday 29th April - 1.30pm in T2 - Please note the changed time! Suzanne Ley—Springboard and Amy Ward from Jamie’s Italian Careers talk and Food demonstration
Wed 6th May - 3.30pm Conference room Maggi Green - Image and Presentation workshop
Wednesday 13th May—3.30pm Visit to Axminster Tools and Machinery and careers talk with Jane Boulton and Hayley Styles. Friday 15th May - 1.30pm REACH Year 9 & 10 visit to Trill Farm
Mrs K Pemberton - REACH Co-ordinator
Fun Competition—Results!! Kieran Butcher 7DW was the only person to
answer correctly—well done! Jack Cambridge 7RS was the next closest
so he wins the 2nd bar. Please collect your prizes in Reception.
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Devon U12 Girls Football Finals
On Wednesday 18th March the Year 7 girls football team (Casey Phillips, Kimberley Wood, Ellie King, Devon Ellis, Caitlin Minshull, Isobel Coman, Molly Clinch and Min Dack (GK)) attended the Devon U12 Football finals (having qualified as East Devon Champions in January)
It was a beautiful spring day with plenty of sunshine to keep us all happy!
There were seven teams in total from across Devon taking part in the finals (all winners in their own right from their own area tournaments).
Due to the absence of star striker Poppy Hill two late comers were drafted in (Amy Hoare and Jessie Holmes) to help strengthen the side. As games were played for 12 minutes one way and unfortunately The Axe Valley girls ended up playing 'uphill' for 4 of their 6 games the extra players were put to good use to help save tired legs!
Although the girls didn't win their games there
was no lack of effort and hard work on the pitch and two games were lost 1-0 within the last minute of the match, with another 2 being drawn 1-1. The girls were by no means out classed.
It was a pleasure to accompany the girls and see them enjoy their games under the skilful eyes of their 6th form coaches Emma, Annabelle and Rosie.
Training will continue on Monday lunch times during the summer term.
Sports Update
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PE DEPARTMENT FIXTURES
SUMMER 2015 Competitions will only be upheld if enough students commit
regularly to training at lunch/after school
Date Students Activity DETAILS
WEDS 6TH MAY 2015
Yrs 8-11 GIRLS & BOYS Selected on potential represent East Devon
