News
Around 40 year 8 students recently enjoyed a fantastic trip to London over three days and two nights. The lucky pupils visited the Tower of London and took part in a workshop on Elizabethan times and archeaology, HMS Belfast and Tate Modern. During a visit to the Houses of Parliament Mrs Murphy engaged in a debate on funding of the NHS with our local MP Peter Heaton-Jones. The Sea Life Centre and London Dungeons were also on the itinerary, followed by a West End show, The Lion King. On the final day, students visited the Natural History Museum and Science Museum including a visit to the new installation, "Wonderlab", which was amazing. On the journey home, a stop was made at Stonehenge. Some comments from students on the trip.... "I enjoyed the London Dungeons because I've never been and have always wanted to go." Emer. "The thing I most enjoyed about the London trip was my experience in the museums, because I learnt a lot whilst I was there." Sydney. "I really enj...
After the stresses and strains of an extended exam season, year 11 leavers were able to relax and enjoy themselves at the annual Prom. Deputy Head, Mr Horton, was in charge of proceedings, and had arranged a fun-filled evening including a three-course meal, disco and photo booth. As is traditional, Mr Brock took to the decks during the evening, playing a set of quality drum and bass. The pupils arrived at the Barnstaple Hotel in various modes of transport including VW campers, a motor rickshaw and a vintage Ford Capri. Both boys and girls were looking their glamorous and sophisticated best, as their arrival was witnessed by dozens of family and friends. After dinner, it is reported that they danced the evening away and the dancefloor was still heaving when proceedings came to an end at 11pm. Pictured are early arrivals Phoebe Hutchings, Sophie Wilkinson, Mr Horton, Scarlett Rolls and Charlotte Gregory.
The whole school celebrated Sports Day in the sun on June 27th. In the morning every student in the school took part in activities, and for once we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day with no anxieties in the lead-up as to whether we would have to re-arrange. Students who weren't involved with athletics heats took part in rounders, badminton or cycling, then in the afternoon everyone was at the track for finals. The Hockings ice cream van made a welcome appearance again, and Parent Partnership ran a fruit stall.. Students were encouraged to ditch the single use plastic bottle, and instead were offered refills of cool water for their drinking bottles. The music stage featured performances all afternoon by groups and solo artists including year 6/7 band Idol Giants. The event was recorded on video by year 11 pupil, Josh Tucker whose drone buzzed over the field unseen by most. Four school records were beaten, some of which had stood since 1990, and the overall winners were Croyde House.......again! Well ...
A group of seven German exchange students have arrived in Braunton just in time for our mini "heatwave". The students, along with their two teachers, Gudrun Erdmann and Manfred Wulf, are from Sandesneben Gemeinschaftsschule in Northern Germany, which is situated between Hamburg and Lübeck. This is the fourth year that this particular exchange has taken place, and it has proved to be highly successful, giving students the opportunity to put their language skills into practice and learn about another culture. The seven students are spending the week in the homes of their English partners who are all in year 9. So far they have enjoyed a Braunton BBQ and spent a day in school taking part in lessons. Still to look forward to are trips to Exeter, Clovelly, Tintagel, Lynton and Lynmouth before they fly home on Friday 27th May. Then a fortnight later Mr Barfield will be flying out to Hamburg with Braunton Academy students for the return visit.
Pictured: our friends from Germany during their to...
Mrs Popple and a team of volunteers from lower school commemorated Earth Day by planting trees next to the Artificial Grass Pitch. The saplings have been nurtured at the VOLE (vocational outdoor learning environment) over the winter, and include cherry, birch, rowan, blackthorn and hawthorn. In all, ten young trees were planted, and the pupils will continue to check on their welfare during their time at school.
After representing Devon at the South West School's Cross Country Championships last month, Ben Woodlands and Abi Oscroft represented the County in the English Schools' Cross-Country Championships in arctic conditions in Leeds on March 16th. Both athletes did exceptionally well to even finish the course. The Devon team managers looking after the athletes commented that these were quite easily the coldest conditions they had experienced in many years of attending cross-country. A challenging, hilly course, combined with a 30-knot north-easterly wind, snow showers and knee deep mud in places made for a truly epic race. Abi was the 7th Devon runner home in the Junior Girls, while Ben, running against many boys a year older, did very well in 103rd position out of more than 300 runners, helping the County to a very respectable 8th place in the Inter Boys. Both athletes had an experience they will never forget. Image shows Ben (127) and the scale of the competition he was up against.
The end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018 have been busy for Youth Speaks at Braunton Academy. In the Autumn term over 30 students individually auditioned for a place in our intermediate and senior teams, and in December, having chosen our final senior team, two intermediate teams went head to head in the library, for a place in the competition.
On Saturday 3rd of February the intermediate team consisting of Jay Tittle as Chair Person, Nathaniel Rodney-Jones as the Main Speaker and Lucy Beasly as the Vote of Thanks competed for a place in the North Devon final at Grosvenor Church in Barnstaple. Unfortunately, even though their speech on vegetarianism was incredibly strong and moved the audience, they were just pipped to the post, by the Pilton and Park intermediate teams.
However, our senior team made up of Hannah Alexander as a last minute stand in as Chair Person, Scarlett Rolls as the Main Speaker and Cassius Lay as the Vote of Thanks won the competition with their persuasive speech on the future of ...
Is this just fantasy?
Braunton Academy Drama Club recently presented the musical extravaganza "We Will Rock You" on three consecutive evenings to sell-out audiences. Set to the music of rock legends, Queen, it tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world where everyone looks and thinks the same, there is no free thought, and more importantly NO LIVE MUSIC! Gallileo and Scaramouche go in search of creativity using clues hidden in the lyrics of all those rock anthems we know and love so well. Pupils from all five years were represented in the cast and accompanying orchestra, all of whom gave performances they should be proud of. Head of Drama, Ms Ratcliffe, and Head of Music, Miss Cassells worked tirelessly for weeks to bring out the best in our performers.
What will next years show be? We'll have to be patient and wait for the announcement. One thing is for sure though .......... it will once again be hugely enjoyable for audience and performers alike, and the cast will benefit from increase...
The annual collection of items for those less fortunate than ourselves has just taken place. An appeal was sent out to all families for non-perishable items which can be used by the Freedom Centre or distributed to their clients. The Freedom Centre in Barnstaple is a day centre for homeless, disadvantaged and vulnerable people, including those experiencing problems with substance use. As well as cooking a daily lunch, the centre can help with basic skills and employment related advice, housing advice, referrals to hostels and mental health issues. Braunton Academy has a proud record of helping this worthy cause, and this year's appeal brought in some very generous donations from our pupils and their families. Jess Crocker and Finn McAuley of the senior leadership team delivered four large boxes of donated goods to The Freedom Centre on the penultimate day of term.
A brand new sculpture has arrived at school. Created by local sculptor Jonathon Rodney-Jones in collaboration with Braunton Academy's Art and Technology Departments, the forged iron tree is a memorial to a long-serving and well-respected teacher, Olaf Rinvolucri (Head of Technology), who tragically passed away in service almost three years ago.
Wanting to find a fitting memorial for Mr Rinvolucri, the Art Department worked with Jon Rodney-Jones and came up with the idea of tree on which we could hang "fruits" made by pupils and which represent their hopes and aspirations. GCSE Art students attended workshops with the sculptor, during which they designed their own fruit, moulded them in clay and finally cast them in aluminium. The finished fruits will soon be attached to the tree, and the hope is that in the future more and more will be added.
We are indebted to Jon Rodney-Jones who has not only given his time to this project for free, but has also donated many of the materials or sourced t...
GCSE Music students recently organised an "Open mic" evening at Braunton's Saunton Road Studios to showcase musical talent in the school while raising valuable funds for the department to spend on some new equipment. With recent education funding cuts the Music Dept is under increasing pressure to maintain the technical equipment needed for students to be able to study music at GCSE level. This includes computer software which enables students to compose and score their own original music, recording equipment and PA as well as a wide range of instruments. Wear and tear and breakages, which are inevitable when hundreds of students pass through the department every day, mean the Music Department can struggle to provide the best possible resources for our pupils.
Twice yearly concerts, along with revenue from providing refreshments during the interval, go some way to topping up our dwindling budget. The Open Mic evening raised £200 through a door charge and raffle, and approximately 25 stu...
Congratulations to Braunton Academy who are the new champions of the North Devon Secondary Schools Stephens Shield Cross Country Competition.
Braunton Academy entered an incredibly strong cross country team this year and in doing so were rewarded with some fantastic results in each category seen below.
year 7 girls 1st
Year 7 boys 2nd
Year 8 girls 1st
Year 8 boys 1st
Year 9 girls 3rd
Year 9 boys 1st
Year 10/11girls 3rd
Year 10/11 boys 1st
Jamie Frickleton, head of Physical Education said, "Our students have once again been a credit to our Academy and our community. They have performed to their maximum throughout, and they were rewarded with some fantastic individual and team rewards. We have been unlucky runners-up in recent years to some much bigger schools and our students were determined to win this year. Standout performances came from Lillian Clopet in year 7, Abbi Oscroft in year 9, Jack Dutton in year 10 and Joel Kirby in year 1...
The Academy Surf Team recently took part in the North Devon Schools Surfing Championships held at Croyde Bay. In a solid swell and with strong on-shore winds, the team competed in various competitions. These included Tag Team, Environmental Challenge, Girls' Open and Boys' Open. Our young team, made up of pupils from years 7, 8 and 9, worked really hard to make top spot in three of the four disciplines - a fantastic achievement in the face of very stiff competition from five other local schools.
Overall, the event was deemed a fantastic success by contest director Rob Whitney, who said, “This is such an important grass roots event for our young surfers in the area, many of whom were surfing in their very first surf competition. I’m extremely grateful for all the local support in putting on this event and making sure everyone had fun and was safe."
The "Braunton Ten" were worthy winners of the whole event and get to enjoy a free session on the Woolacombe Wave, courtesy ...
On June 5th, the years 9 and 10 athletics team travelled to Exeter to compete in the ESAA Track and Field Cup regional finals. They qualified for this by coming 1st in the round 1 qualifying event last month. The team finished in a very respectable 4th place and in doing so surpassed a long-standing school record at this competition by scoring 358 points. They competed against schools from all over the southwest region which encompasses Hampshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Avon, Gloucestershire, Devon, Cornwall and the Channel Isles. Despite two of our best athletes being injured or absent the team did remarkably well and were a credit to our Academy.
Particular mentions go to Kieran Rattigan (100m) Marcus Barron (1500m) and Jack Dutton (800m) who all won their individual events by a very long way.
Tech staff were so impressed with Jake Hulme's final product in his GCSE course work that they entered it into a Devon wide competition run by the North Devon Manufacturers Association. Jake, from year 11, has been awarded first prize for his surfboard rack and bagged himself a very respectable £100 cheque. The project is part of Jake's Resistant Materials GCSE and features an innovative design reminiscent of a giant ribcage. The design development work in Jake's folder was first class and really clinched the deal.
Jake saw off stiff competition from many other local schools and came first in his category ahead of rival designs from West Buckland and Park school. He attended the awards evening at the Barnstaple Hotel to collect his prize and show off his design to a vast collection of engineering industry professionals.
Jake follows in the footsteps of many former Braunton Academy students whose Technology projects have been recognised in regional and national competitions...
Eleven pupils from year 9 have just returned from a week in Plouescat, Brittany, the twin town of Braunton. They stayed with students from Collège Saint-Joseph, and spent some time at school, but also had lots of fun discovering the region whilst polishing up their spoken French. Accompanied by Miss Ronckier and Mr Fry, the Braunton Academy students proved themselves to be punctual, polite, calm, cheerful and reliable. During the week students enjoyed a Treasure Hunt at the Medieval town of Morlaix and visited the incredible Aquarium at Brest.
We look forward to welcoming students from Plouescat later in the year.
Following on from last June's Challenge Days when the whole of year 7 learnt all about the Greater Horseshoe Bat (see news item from June 2016), students from Braunton Academy attended the grand opening of a bat viewing platform. The platform is situated on top of Braunton Beacon, and was partly funded by the fund-raising efforts at Braunton Academy last summer, when bat-shaped biscuits were sold to pupils and staff. The opening ceremony also included the introduction of a brand new initiative from Braunton Countryside Centre whereby the public are able to follow an interactive map along a special "bat route" and listen to a commentary and bat sounds along the way.
Sadly, the decline of hedgerows and flower meadows in Britain has led to a sharp decrease in bat numbers as their habitat and food source is disappearing. The hope is that the public will make good use of the new and exciting resources at the Countryside Centre (located in the village carpark) and enjoy viewing and hearing bats at ...
Year 7 pupil, Dylan Yeadell, was recently selected to represent Southampton FC at the Mediterranean International Cup 2017 held in Spain. This was a fantastic achievement for Dylan, and he was honoured to walk in the footsteps of previous participants such as Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas and Philippe Coutinho, all huge names in the world of international football. The tounament, one of the most prominent in youth football, featured 250 teams from 40 nations - teams including Manchester Utd., Atletico Bilbao and Real Madrid as well as representatives from the Americas, Australia and the Far East.
Matches were played all around the Costa Brava in front of large and enthusiastic crowds. Southampton progressed through their group round and two further knock-out rounds before being beaten in the semi-final by eventual champions, Real Madrid whose team included the son of a certain Zinedine Zidane!
The football experience was a very new one for Dylan: full size pitches; size 5 footballs; full stadia and ...
Fourteen members of Braunton Academy Choir recently attended a singing workshop at Exeter University led by members of the London Community Gospel Choir. Choirs from around 10 other Devon Secondary schools also attended, and a further workshop for primary schools took place in the afternoon. London Community Gospel Choir was founded in 1981 by the Reverend Bazil Meade who continues as their leader. The choir currently has about 45 members and has performed at prestigious occasions such as Nelson Mandela's visit to London in 1996, as well as alongside many huge music stars such as Eric Clapton, Queen, Madonna and Blur. They recently performed on stage with The 1975 at the 2017 Brit Awards.
Bazil, along with choir members (and incredible singers) Annette and Christina, spoke briefly about the origins of Gospel music, then spoke to the students about the importance of breathing, warming up and using core muscles when singing. After an extensive and enjoyable warm-up, we learnt three songs in three parts, ...
Reception pupils from our feeder primary schools recently spent some time with year 9 Sports Leaders enjoying some new and exciting physical activities in the Academy Sports Hall. The youngsters had loads of fun and learnt many new skills, helped and encouraged by our young leaders. The year 9s did a spectacular job helping the smaller children get the hang of some brand new activites, while giving heaps of encouragement to ensure it was all fun, fun, fun! We even had a fire drill while they were here, and the Sports Leaders quickly and efficiently escorted the reception pupils to the muster area on the Artificial Grass Pitch. That certainly lent some extra excitement to proceedings.
All in all, a fabulous time was had by all; well done to all participants and everyone who helped out. This type of event takes place frequently at Braunton Academy. As well as allowing primary pupils to experience a wider range of sporting equipment and facilities, they also become more familiar with the secondary school envi...
Braunton Drama Club recently performed their latest show, Treasure Island, over three evenings and a matinée. The play, based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, is an adventure on the high seas and a deserted island, culminating in the discovery of buried treasure. A crew of fearsome pirates, led by Long John Silver (Scarlett Rolls) called for more rum, yo-ho-hoed and brandished their swords and muskets, accompanied by the school orchestra. Drama Club stalwart, Ryan Hill, played the part of Smollett with haughty aplomb, while the part of Jack Hawkins was played by year 7 Oliver Argyle, and year 8 Holly Pitches in alternate shows. The set was painted by the Art Club, and included a treasure map backdrop, giant coconut palms and the ship's deck. With an excellent score arranged by Head of Music, Miss Cassells, the music and singing were very impressive. The entire production was masterminded and directed by Head of Drama, Miss Ratcliffe, who received bouquets from the cast as a measure of their ...
Congratulations to our Under 13s boys and girls volleyball teams who represented Braunton Academy and the North Devon School Sports Partnership at the annual Devon School Games in Torbay on Wednesday 1st March.
Both teams had an immaculate record, winning every group game and knockout on the way to winning both 1st place and Gold. It was a truly impressive display of top class volleyball from Braunton Academy again, tand a successful defence of our title as Devon champions.
Under 13's Girls
Tallis Perry, Marla Martin, Daisy Wilton, Ellie Davis & Charlie Donovan
Under 13's Boys
Daniel Huggins, Archie Craig, Ritchie Lyall & Daniel Redstone
Year 10 Braunton Academy student, Scarlett Rolls was recently interviewed by Lauren Harris for the Exeter-based Express and Echo newspaper. The transcript/link follows:-
An Ilfracombe teenager has credited the North Devon theatre scene for making her the confident and talented person she is today.
Scarlett Rolls is 15 and first got into theatre when she joined Make the Move.
Scarlett said: "I was nine years old. At first I just wanted to learn to dance. After only a few weeks I was attending every class that was available to me. From acro to circus, tap, ballet, drama and even roller skating.
Read more at http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/scarlett-rolls-15-credits-north-devon-s-theatres-for-helping-build-the-person-she-is-today/story-30155741-detail/story.html#M8HJVXWpbPcMOdwG.99
Congratulations to our year 7 & 8 Indoor Athletics teams today who came 1st in the North Devon schools indoor Athletics championships held at the North Devon leisure centre.
The team, comprising 14 boys and girls, had to compete in the 6 lap relay race, 4 lap relay race, 2 lap relay race, obstacle relay, standing triple jump, standing long jump, vertical jump, speed bounce and standing shot put. Each and every one of them excelled and was a credit to our academy.
We have now qualified to represent North Devon in the Devon County Indoor Athletics Championships to be held at the the Life Centre in Plymouth on Thursday 23rd February 2017.
We would like to thank Adrian Avery, North Devon school games organiser, and PETROC sports student volunteers for running and administering the competition, and we look forward to representing North Devon in Plymouth next month.
The Technology Department welcomed for the second year running the Young Engineers Association, represented by Nigel Moore, an Aeronautical engineer, and Shawn Brown, a renewable energy engineer. They presented an engaging challenge to both year 7 & 8 pupils. A selection of pupils from both years were invited to create highly efficient wind turbine blades, and see who could generate the highest milliwatt output. They then had to develop the chassis and body shape for an electric car - which of course then needed to be raced.
Much excitement and fun was had by all, but despite the lighthearted nature of the event, the pupils also found out about the more serious career possibilities in the huge field of engineering.
South Molton Rotary Club recently challenged pupils to construct a vehicle that can travel in a straight line along a set course under its own power. Eighteen pupils from year 9 accepted the challenge, and worked in teams of three to design and make their entries. Some ingenious designing was evident, and also excellent team-working skills. After each team demonstrated their design and presented their plans, a winning team and runner-up team were selected by the Rotary Club representatives. Congratulations to Team Hydroblast and Team Ecomachine who all received a cash prize.
Braunton Academy was recently awarded Champion status by the National Citizen Service in recognition of the school's service towards promoting the NCS Experience to young people aged 15 to 17. "Your school has been instrumental in supporting our regional recruitment team in the following areas," said NCS Manager, Natalie Archer, "Involving NCS in assemblies; reinforcing the NCS message; identifying and supporting students who might benefit; briefing staff; facilitating NCS hosted activities; communicating the message to parents and pupils; supporting participating students and celebrating their successes". In a ceremony involving representatives of the National Citizen Service, a plaque and certificate were presented to Mr Cammack, Mr Parsons and the student leadership team.
Our Year 7 boys' Football team has triumphed in the North Devon Schools Football Championship. They faced Park School in a very tough final which went to extra time and then penalties. The Braunton team won by the narrowest margins in the penalty shoot-out to take the trophy. Well done to all the boys involved, and to their coach, Mr Ovey. We are all very proud of you!
The annual Prizegiving Ceremony recently took place at Barnstaple Hotel. Former pupils, their parents and Academy staff came together to celebrate the many achievements of those who left us in July. As well as awards in all subject areas, other prizes were also given to recognise service to the school and community, excellent attendance, endeavour in the face of adversity, and more. It's always a pleasure to meet the year 12s again, and see how much they have matured in the months since they took their GCSEs. Guest Speaker for the evening was former pupil, Dan Shapland, who was with us from 2004 until 2009. Dan, having completed his law degree, is now working in Westminster in the parliamentary office of our local MP, Peter Heaton-Jones. He gave pupils some really good advice on getting through the next five years in education or employment, then handed out the cups and trophies to the lucky recipients. Pictured are Lee Oliver and Charlie Edge who were joint winners of the Physical Education Cup.
Dave Butt, a former long-serving teacher and Assistant Head at the school, sadly died earlier this year. He was instrumental in setting up the Amigos Kira Farm educational trip, along with Phil Pugsley (Amigos), Simon Barnes (Pilton Academy) and Nick Langmead (Braunton Academy), which has been such a great success over these past 7 years or so, giving North Devon students a true taste of how we in the west can best help development in Uganda, one of the poorest countries in the world. Dave was also a fully committed member of his community, having sat on the council for several years, been on the organising committee of the Green Man Festival, worked tirelessly to raise funds for the Children's Hospice Southwest, and served as Chairman of his beloved Barnstaple Rugby Club up until his sad demise. On the recent visit to Kira Farm by a group of Braunton and Barnstaple students, a coffee tree was planted in Dave's honour, as he was an enthusiastic coffee drinker. His tree now stands alongside the cocoa t...
Four year eleven students have just returned from a life-changing trip to Uganda. Over half-term, and a couple of days either side, intrepid adventurers Harriet, Olisha, Mia and Archie spent 12 days experiencing real life in Uganda, including the incredible work of Amigos Worldwide, a charity based just up the road in Barnstaple. They joined 16 other students from Pilton Academy and Petroc for this chance in a lifetime. All the students had to raise almost £2,000 for the trip; this was done in a variety of ways including sponsored runs and walks, and cake baking. In Uganda, students were based at Kira Farm, just north of Kampala, a training centre where 40 young people from all over Uganda have the opportunity to learn sustainable farming, building, carpentry, tailoring and hairdressing during their one year stay. At the end of the year, trainees are hopefully well prepared and equipped to set up their own business, seek gainful employment or share their new knowledge with others in their villages. Nort...
Braunton Academy student and Kingsley School Judo Club member Mark Wild was selected to represent England Judo at the 2016 UK School Games held at Loughborough University over the weekend. Mark was alongside 1,600 athletes across 12 sports, seven of which include disability disciplines, at the four-day spectacular which is supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust.
The event, that aims to replicate the experience of a major sporting event like an Olympic and Paralympic or Commonwealth Games, will have spectacular opening and closing ceremonies an athletes’ village and a full education programme that gives the competing athletes a unique insight into the world of elite sport.
The Games have provided a springboard for many of today’s biggest names in sport. Previous competitors include Paralympic gold medallists Ellie Simmonds, Hannah Cockroft and Jonnie Peacock along with GB sprinter Adam Gemili, heptathlete Katrina Johnson-Thompson,...
The hotly anticipated Braunton Academy Sports Personality of the Year 2016 winner has been announced. The whole school participates in the voting, and candidates are nominated by the PE Department or tutors. From a strong field of six finalists, representing the various sports of volleyball, swimming, rugby, athletics and football, the overall winner was India Martin. Among India's achievements in the past year are: achieving personal bests on the way to winning six gold medals in all of her six events in Devon Swim contests; qualifying for the 100m freestyle at the English Nationals; Surf Lifesaving silver medallist for the sea swim; representing the region in 5 separate swimming events. Well done, India. May you continue to go from strength to strength in the pool. We are very proud of your achievements so far.
It was with heavy hearts that students and parents in the audience said farewell to Mrs Turnbull, Head of Music, at the recent concert. Mrs Turnbull has been at the school since 1998 and has organised many, many concerts in which students have had the opportunity to show off their musical talents. She has also led the school orchestra in accompaniment to many a Drama Club show, including Billy Elliott, Peter Pan, The Lark and numerous others. For her final Summer Concert, eleven former members of the school orchestra surprised Mrs Turnbull in an emotional reunion which she'll never forget. They all brought along their instruments, including cellos, bassoon, flutes, clarinets, trumpet and trombone, and joined the orchestra in playing three pieces during the concert. Several of the surprise guests also gave a boost to the choir in singing their favourite song "Vois Sur Ton Chemin". The plan was initiated by Mrs Boulton and Ms Ratcliffe, and involved subterfuge on a grand scale as the secret musici...
Year 11 students marked the end of their time here at Braunton Academy with the annual Prom. This year saw a change of venue, with the celebrations taking place at The Barnstaple Hotel, and also the introduction of a more formal style. A two-course meal was served in the Arlington Suite, with students sitting in groups of ten or twelve, followed by a disco. As usual, everyone scrubbed up really well, and the array of colour and style was stupendous. Luckily, the weather was bright, if rather breezy, which made for some fantastic photographic opportunities for friends and family who crowded outside the hotel to view the arrivals. The final chance for this year group to be together will be at the Annual Presentation of Prizes and Awards in November. Until then, all of us at Braunton Academy wish all the leavers our very best wishes for the future.
Whether by luck or judgement, the PE department's choice of date for sports day turned out to be inspired. The sun shone all day, but there was just enough cool breeze and light cloud cover to keep us all comfortable. The whole day was widely thought to be one of the best sports days in memory by pupils and staff alike. For the third year running (no pun intended), Croyde House accrued the most points at the end of the day and were announced champions. Croyde Sports Captains, Charlie Davey-James and David Robinson received the shield from Mr. Cammack to rapturous applause from students.
GCSE exams are finally over and we have said goodbye to our year 11s. Following the final maths exam, students gathered in the arena behind Isaac Hall where they signed each others' shirts (something of a tradition at school), enjoyed hot dogs and burgers and said their goodbyes and thankyous to the teaching staff. Mr. Cammack spoke to the group, wishing them all the best of luck for their future education and employment. It's always a poignant moment for students and staff alike as we reflect on the past five years and marvel at how 150 small and timid eleven year olds have grown and developed into bright and promising young adults, eager to take their place in the grown-up world. Best wishes to all, and we look forward to seeing them at the prom next week.
Gifted and Talented pupils from years 7 and 8 recently took part in a two day workshop in which they looked at the art of Tiki Heads and Gargoyles. Tikis originated in Maori culture in New Zealand, and are evident all over the South Pacific, famously so on Easter Island, where they are known as Moai. On day 1 pupils produced stunning designs using chalk pastels, and also mini Tikis from air-drying clay. On day 2, Buckfastleigh-based sculptor, Anne-Marie Moss, worked with the group. Each pupil made a Tiki head of their own design from a thermblock, more commonly used in house-building as load-bearing concrete insulation. It was quite strenuous and dusty work, but the results are stunning. All the Tikis will soon find a permanent home in the quad garden. Huge thanks to Anne-Marie Moss and Mrs Bateman who organised the event.
Year 7 pupils recently spent two days immersed in all things bat-related. On what are known as "Challenge Days", pupils are periodically off timetable and have the opportunity to learn new skills. A representative from the Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project came to talk to year 7 about their work protecting bat habitats, fundraising for bats, and developing bat-friendly environments. Pupils then split into smaller groups to work on specific tasks. Some went into the workshop to make wooden bat boxes which were later installed in the tall trees by the athletics track; some made a variety of bat-shaped biscuits which were later sold within school to raise money for the Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project; some developed a dance performance to show the role of bats in the food chain; some designed and made costumes for the dance performance (two of which are shown in the accompanying picture); some dug a pond at the VOLE and undertook other environmental work to encourage insects and therefore bats to...
We were delighted to welcome local author, Victoria Eveleigh, to the school today to talk about her work and sign her books. Mrs Eveleigh lives on Exmoor where she farms Devon Red cattle, Exmoor longhorn sheep and Exmoor ponies, and gave an interesting and entertaining talk to a selection of year 7 pupils, along with some year 6 girls from Caen Primary. Mrs Eveleigh has published several highly acclaimed novels for young people, all of which feature her beloved ponies. They include the "Joe" series, and the "Katy" series, the most recent of which, "Katy's Pony Summer" was published by Orion Books just two weeks ago. The pupils heard how Mrs Eveleigh spent her childhood in London, but came to Exmoor occasionally to stay with her grandmother. There she fell in love with the countryside and dreamt of one day being able to live on Exmoor and keep lots of animals. Luckily for her, this dream eventually became reality when she met a farmer and started a family with him; they now li...
A cheque made out to Cancer Research UK has been passed on to Claire Jefferies from North Devon Relay for Life. The cheque for £270 was handed over by Mr Cammack along with the Head girl and boy, to Claire and fellow Team 20 members. The money was raised on non-uniform day at the end of Spring Term, and will be used by Cancer Research UK for their pioneering work into finding a cure for all types of cancer. The North Devon Relay for Life will take place at Barnstaple Rugby Club from noon on Saturday 23rd July until noon on Sunday 24th July 2016.
Miss Ronckier and Mr Ludley recently accompanied ten year 9 pupils on an exchange visit to Braunton's twin town, Plouescat, in Brittany. For our students it was the opportunity to develop their French and their confidence in their linguistic and interpersonal skills, to discover another culture and realise they could spend a week in a foreign country with a family they had never met before and be fine.
Our pupils all stayed with year 9s from St. Joseph's Catholic School and their families. Although the weather did not always give of its best, there were plenty of activities arranged to keep everyone busy, including horseriding, tree top climbing, cycling, a trip to an amusement park, local sightseeing and a boat cruise. The mayor of Plouescat hosted an evening reception and buffet, a Pot de l'Amitié.
Our ten students were praised by their hosts and partners for the quality of their French, their politeness and behaviour. Their partners are now more excited than ever to come ...
Members of the Braunton Academy Drama Club are at a loss this week, wondering how to fill all the hours they have previously spent rehearsing their recent play. As well as the pantomime, Drama Club puts on a large production each year at around this time. Previous shows have included Billy Elliot, West Side Story, A Man For All Seasons and Peter Pan. This year was a foray into the frozen wastes of Narnia; the play, an adaptation by Adrian Mitchell of C S Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The play is also crammed full of original songs by Shaun Davey. You are probably familiar with the story of four siblings evacuated from London during World War ll, and their accidental discovery of a land under the spell of a wicked witch, and where it is always winter, but Christmas never arrives. The children join forces with Aslan the lion to overthrow the witch and bring spring and summer back to Narnia, to the delight of all the creatures who live there.
Miss Ratcliffe, Miss Armstrong and Mrs Gallimor...
Sports Leaders from year 9 were once again given the opportunity to show off the leadership skills they have learnt. On March 8th reception pupils from our feeder primary schools came to the Academy to take part in a Multi-skills Festival. It must have been quite daunting for them to be in such a huge school amongst much bigger children, but they soon overcame their nerves and enjoyed trying out new sporting activities. All the little ones worked really hard all morning, and the year 9s proved themselves to be fantastic leaders and facilitators, demonstrating various techniques and encouraging the younger ones. Visiting staff were impressed by the sports leaders' communication skills and patience.
On the 19th January a Swimming Gala was held at Ilfracombe pool for the Braunton Learning Community Primary Schools. It was a fantastic event and the atmosphere was brilliant with children cheering each other on right to the finish line whether they were first or last. The event ran really smoothly thanks to Jo Fogarty from Caen School and her impeccable organisation, ably supported by a team of year 9 Sports Leaders from Braunton Academy. This all girl team had the job of making sure all the pupils got to the poolside for their events as quickly as possible; quite a task amongst all the noise of children cheering enthusiastically. It was also quite a complicated role and the pupils needed to be on their toes to make sure no one missed their event. Our young leaders did a great job, and as a result the Gala ran very smoothly. It was a really enjoyable day for participants and spectators alike, especially for those from Caen School, the overall winner.
Braunton Academy Drama Club has a long and rich history of performing pantomimes. In the past we have enjoyed productions of many plays, including Humpty Dumpty, Snow White and The Dragon of Wantley. This year, the chosen script was Hansel and Gretel; I'm sure everyone is familiar with the tale of two hungry children who stumble across a house made of sweets and are captured by a wicked witch, but this production was much, much more, incorporating a good-hearted pantomime dame, a pair of do-gooding sweethearts, an evil wizard, a greedy landowner and his two bumbling henchmen/girls. With a supporting ensemble of village folk, dancers and singers, there was the chance for all of our budding thespians and theatrical technicians to be part of the production. Mention must be made of year 11 pupil and Drama Club stalwart, Alfred Alexander, who played a fantastic dame, sporting several crazy costumes and wigs, and received a very favourable response from the audience on both show nights.
D...
Representatives from local charity Encompass SouthWest were overwhelmed by the scale of the school's donation to their Christmas appeal. This year we asked pupils and parents to give generously to elderly members of the North Devon community who are living alone and often in isolated rural locations. Donations of food items, Christmas luxuries and everyday necessities were packed into festively wrapped shoeboxes. Most tutor groups collected items to complete a shoebox, and some boxes were donated by individuals and families. A typical box contained various tinned goods, chocolates, fruit cake, warm gloves or hat and a toiletry item. Pets were not forgotten, and dog or cat treats were added to many boxes. In all the school piled over 50 boxes into the car that came from Encompass to make the pick up.
A Contraption Challenge - Heath Robinson style - was set by the Rotary Club of South Molton. How hard can it be? As it turned out, very hard! The Technology Department's most talented year 9 pupils were put into four teams and given the challenge to make a marble roll around all corners of a cube, using the most creative and ingenious methods possible. The real challenge was to get everybody working together to meet the tricky problem-solving brief. Pupils were given a day in the workshops and nothing but piles of recycled materials to achieve their goal. After much head-scratching and plan-changing, final testing on the day saw two of the teams create contraptions good enough to be put forward for the grand final.
Creme Brulée Team: Jessica Swinton, Joel Kirby, Hannah Webster & Josh Tucker. Arcadians Team: Timmy Moore, Dan Gray, Alice Hood, Emma-Louise England & Amber Bradley.
Both teams spent their own time during lunch breaks refining their contrap...
Year 9 pupils Harry Shaddick and Jack Robinson recently received awards from the Encephalitis Society in recognition of their fundraising efforts. The boys took the initiative in raising money in memory of their Design Technology teacher, Olaf Rinvolucri, who died last February after contracting encephalitis. They each ran, kayaked then cycled in a triathlon of their own design, supported along the way by their parents. Firstly they ran the 3½ miles from their homes in Braunton to Crow Point, then kayaked across the estuary to Bideford, which added another 5 miles. Lastly, they switched to bicycles and travelled back the 15 miles to Braunton with pedal power.
Between them, the two boys raised £247.50, a brilliant effort. The boys should be very proud of themselves; we at school are very proud of them.
More than 50 runners represented Braunton Academy in the North Devon Scools Cross Country Championship which was held at West Buckland School on 3rd December. About 40 students from across the region competed in each of the six races, the top-placed fifteen runners gaining provisional qualification for the North Devon Schools cross country team. The Braunton team did extremely well, with thirteen pupils placed in the top 15 of their respective races, including six top five positions.
Pictured are Joe Hill, Callum Hill and Sean Duffield who were all placed in the top 15 of the Year 7 boys' race.
Former pupils, their parents, staff and governers gathered at the Barnstaple Hotel on Thursday 26th November for the annual presentation of awards and prizes. Alison Jenkins, a former pupil who is now Head of Human Resources in a multi national corporation, spoke to the pupils about her career and how she got to land such an exciting job which takes her all over the world. She also presented all the trophies and GCSE certificates to our leavers.
Prizes are awarded annually in all academic subjects, and there are also many other presentations for service to the school and community, outstanding overall achievement, greatest progress, great endeavour in the face of adversity and more. A new award was presented this year in honour of Olaf Rinvolucri, our former Head of Technology, who tragically passed away earlier this year. The trophy is for Innovation in Technology and was presented in this, its inaugural year, by Olaf's wife, Lucy. Mr Holmes gave a moving speech about the immense influence Mr Rin...
19 students from year 7 have been learning and practising new songs throughout October and November, as part of North Devon Outreach workshop's autumn initiative. On November 14th they joined singers from many other local schools for a fabulous performance in Exeter Cathedral. Congratulations to all involved.
Thanks to Hurricane Barney, the Primary Tag Rugby Festival was postponed, but finally took place on 24th. November. The day was rather chilly and damp, but balmy compared to the high winds we endured the previous week. Teams from all the Primary Schools in the Braunton Learning Community competed in an intense tournament on the artificial grass pitch, and it was great to see some of our former pupils, now Physical Education students at Petroc, assisting with officiating duties. After a hard fought competition with plenty of exemplary sportsmanship in evidence, Marwood School's team came out victorious, with the team from Caen School in a close second place.
Huge congratulations to all the participants and umpires.
Year 9 students visited Hamburg, Germany from 5th to 12th November.
After a rather stressful journey involving all manner of coaches, planes, hotels, trains and automobiles we were finally met by our hosts on Friday afternoon (28 hours after departing from Braunton Academy!) 18 pupils accompanied by Mr Barfield, Mrs Hill and Mr Ludley spent an action-packed week near to the exciting Northern German city of Hamburg. Everyone stayed with a host family for the week and, after some initial apprehension, had a great time and built some lasting friendships on only the 2nd Braunton-Sandesneben exchange. Highlights included the Miniaturwunderland, the Marienkirche in Lübeck, the tons of marzipan and who could forget our famous victory in the football tournament!? We look forward to welcoming our friends from the Sandesneben community school back to Braunton in July to show them the wonderful sights and sounds of North Devon.
Mr Barfield
Braunton Academy last week participated in the English Schools Cross-Country Cup 1st Round in Taunton, for the first time in over a decade. This is a national schools competition and we were competing against fifteen other schools from the South West region, from Exeter to Bristol. Due to a clash with a netball competition in which many year 7s were taking part, the Junior Girls were under-strength. However, with expert guidance on the day from Mrs Sheppard, herself an accomplished Cross-Country runner, the team finished a creditable 7th.
Both boys teams qualified for the Regional Finals which will be held on Saturday November 7th in Sherborne. The inter-boys finished second while the Junior Boys qualified in first place winning by a massive twenty point margin! Both teams are looking forward to attempting to qualify for the National Finals in Bedford in December.
Meanwhile, the next outing for our Cross Country runners will be the Stephen's Shield on 21st. Octobe...
During the second week of term we have been playing host to five Nepalese teachers who have come to the UK to speak with our students about their life in Nepal and the effects of the recent earthquake. The teachers were here visiting Devon and on an exchange organised by Braunton Academy with 4 other local secondary schools; Bideford College, South Molton College, Chulmleigh and Pilton.
The partnership is funded by the British Council through an initiative called Connecting Classrooms which aims to allow staff and students to experience and connect with cultures and traditions from other parts of the world we live in. The teachers provided the school with a token of love (souvenirs from Nepal) for the school as well as one for the teachers involved in the exchange. Mr Langmead, the lead teacher in the exchange programme, took the visitors around the academy for a tour and they dropped into lessons to speak with students and see the difference between classrooms here in the UK and in Nepal...
The coveted PE Department award, Sports Personality of the Year, was won this year by Ellie Austin. Ellie's extensive list of sporting achievements impressed the pupils and staff, all of whom were given the chance to vote in this annual competition. Ellie's sport is volleyball, and she was part of the U16 squad from Croyde Beach Volleyball Academy which won the Indoor National Volleyball Championships, also being voted their most valuable player. She is also a cadet in the England volleyball squad. Ellie has also achieved great things in Beach Volleyball this year, being voted junior Player of the Year (U17), winner of the Junior Tour (U19) and selected for the England squad. She represents the Southwest at U16 level, and is funded by Sport Aid. Ellie is a gifted and promising athlete, and we all look forward to seeing her future achievements.
Runners-up in the contest were Milly Wordley and Joel Kirby. Milly has represented Barnstaple, Exeter, Southwest Girls and Great Britain in W...
The Primary Braunton Learning Community took part in a grand Volleyball Festival on Croyde Beach on June 24th. 170 pupils representing all our feeder primary schools battled it out in pairs over 5 divisions on a glorious sunny day. The event was organised by Denise Austin of the Academy of Beach Sports, with support from Braunton Academy sport volunteers. At the end of a fantastic day, pairs from Caen and Kingsacre came head to head in the grand final. A very close fought match saw Caen inch ahead in the third set to claim victory. Congratulations to all the participants.