House Competitions
Welcome to Our House System
At Braunton Academy, we believe in fostering a sense of community, teamwork, and healthy competition among our students. Our House System is a cornerstone of this philosophy, designed to enhance the educational experience and personal development of every student.
Our Houses
We have four vibrant houses, each named after beautiful local beaches, reflecting our connection to the stunning North Devon coastline:
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Woolacombe (blue)
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Saunton (red)
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Croyde (yellow)
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Putsborough (green)
Why We Have a House System
The House System at Braunton Academy serves several important purposes:
Building Community: By dividing the school into smaller communities, students can form closer bonds with their peers and adults. This sense of belonging helps create a supportive and inclusive environment.
Encouraging Participation: The house system encourages students to participate in a wide range of activities, from sports and arts to academic competitions. This involvement helps students discover and develop their talents and interests.
Promoting Healthy Competition: Friendly competition between houses motivates students to strive for excellence in all areas of school life. It teaches them the value of hard work, perseverance, and teamwork.
Fostering Leadership: Each house is led by Student Leaders who are responsible for organising events and activities. This provides valuable leadership opportunities and helps students develop important skills such as organisation, communication, and responsibility.
Benefits of the House System
The House System offers numerous benefits to our students:
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Enhanced Social Skills: By interacting with students from different year groups, students develop strong social skills and learn to work collaboratively.
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Increased School Spirit: House events and competitions foster a sense of pride and loyalty towards one’s house, contributing to a positive school culture.
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Personal Growth: Participation in house activities helps students build confidence, resilience, and a sense of achievement.
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Academic and Extracurricular Balance: The House System encourages a balanced approach to school life, promoting both academic excellence and extracurricular involvement.
Join the Fun!
Whether you’re competing in a sports day, participating in a quiz, or showcasing your talents in a house performance, there’s always something exciting happening in the House System at Braunton Academy. We invite all students to get involved, support their house, and make the most of their time at our school.
Kind Regards
Jamie Frickleton
Assistant Vice Principal - Inclusion
What a day of sporting performances from our students again this year! The energy was electric, and the spirit of competition was alive and well across the field. From the first race to the final relay, our students gave it their all, showcasing not only their athletic abilities but also their determination, teamwork, and school pride.
A massive thank you goes out to all the parents, carers, and supporters who came along to cheer from the sidelines. Your encouragement means the world to our students. And an extra special shout-out to the brave staff who laced up their trainers and joined in the fun by competing in a race – you were brilliant!
Thank you also to the ladies from Live Well in Braunton who opened up the Community Garden, selling tea, coffee, biscuits and plants raising funds for the continuing work on the garden. The plants were very popular with the students.
🏆 House Results
After a day packed with thrilling events and close finishes, the final standings were:
🥇 Putsborough 🟢
🥈 Croyde 🟡
🥉 Woolacombe 🔵
4th Saunton 🔴
Congratulations to Putsborough for taking the top spot this year!
🥇 Record-Breaking Performances
This year saw some truly outstanding achievements, with several school records being smashed across the year groups:
Year 7
Kush – 1500m: 5.02 minutes
Year 8
Perrin – 200m: 25.4 seconds
Perrin – High Jump: 1.63m
Year 9
Quentin – 100m: 10.6 seconds
Dylan – 300m: 38.6 seconds
Amelie – 100m: 12.1 seconds
Amelie – High Jump: 1.49m
Year 10
Albie – High Jump: 1.70m
Tyler – Shot Put: 12.39m
Tyler – Discus: 36.19m
Maddie – 200m: 24.86 seconds
Maddie – 300m: 42.7 seconds
These incredible performances are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students. We couldn’t be prouder!
💬 Final Thoughts
Sports Day is always a highlight of the school year, and 2025 was no exception. It was a day filled with laughter, encouragement, and unforgettable moments. Thank you once again to everyone who made it such a success – we can’t wait to do it all again next year!
The annual Welly Wanging Competition took place on 4th June 2025, bringing together students and staff for a fun-filled lunchtime of friendly rivalry, laughter and impressive welly-throwing skills!
This year, several students and two staff stepped up to the challenge, each aiming to hurl their welly the furthest and earn points for their house.
Participants
We were thrilled to see enthusiastic participations from Ruby, Emilee and Chelsea from year 9, and Ruben and Harry from year 10.
Results
After a series of impressive throws, the final house standings were:-
1st Saunton earning 50 points
2nd Woolacombe earning 30 points
3rd Croyde earning 20 points
4th Putsborough earning 0 points
Top Welly Wanger
The highlight of the day was Ruben (year 10) who was crowned Top Welly Wanger with a spectacular throw of 22.9 metres! His Technique and power were unmatched, earning him well-deserved applause from the crowd.
Thank you to everyone who participated and supported the event. We're already looking forward to next year's competition!
Congratulations to everyone who entered the Easter Egg Decorating House Competition. There were some fantastic entries and great fun was had by all. Well done Saunton House for their winning entry.
Here are the winners.
Saunton House Winner and 1st place overall
Croyde House Winner and 2nd place overall
Woolacombe House Winner and 3rd place overall
Putsborough House Winner and 4th place overall
In the run up to World Book Day (Thursday 6th March), Miss Rockey ran a Treasure Hunt across the school, where students had to find the answers to 15 book-related questions and hand in their completed sheets for a chance to win a Waterstones book voucher.
Emily in Year 8 was picked as the winner, also securing more house points for Woolacombe!
Well done.
A fantastic turn out for the House Pancake Races 2025! There was some tough competition in the Year 7 race with Saunton ploughing through with a win, even trying to beat the others with a fifth person on their four-person team! Some over enthusiastic flipping from the Croyde team in the Year 8 race meant that the Tech Department are putting in a request for a new frying pan to replace the handle-less one we returned! A clear win for Putsborough though!
A lot of dropped pancakes in the Year 9 race allowed Woolacombe to sail through to win, although I'm not sure how Mrs Craig sneaked into a team!
Finally, after a lot of persuasion with chocolate for the prize, we got the Year 10 teams to take part with Woolacombe again coming away with success.
Well done to everyone who took part and thanks for the encouragement from the spectators, lots of fun!
Results:
Year 7
1st Saunton
2nd Croyde
3rd Putsborough
4th Woolacombe
Year 8
1st Putsborough
2nd Croyde
3rd Woolacombe
4th Saunton
Year 9
1st Woolacombe
2nd Croyde
3rd Saunton
4th Putsborough
Y10
1st Woolacombe
2nd Putsborough
3rd Saunton
4th Croyde
This week, we held the much-anticipated 'House Keepy Uppies' competition, and it was a fantastic display of skill and coordination. With 54 enthusiastic entries, the event was a great success, highlighting the talent within our student body and staff.
The competition was fierce, but a few individuals stood out with their remarkable performances. Here are the winners:
Year 7: Jack from Saunton House, with an impressive 127 keepy uppies.
Year 8: Harley from Saunton House, achieving 20 keepy uppies.
Year 9: Chester from Croyde House.
Year 10: Ruben from Saunton House.
Year 11: Tom from Woolacombe House, with an astounding 301 keepy uppies.
Staff: Mr. Twohig from Woolacombe House, with an impressive 245 keepy uppies.
The winning house was Woolacombe. Congratulations to them.
The event was a wonderful opportunity for students and staff to showcase their football skills and enjoy some friendly competition. The atmosphere was electric, with cheers and encouragement from spectators adding to the excitement.
Congratulations to all the participants for their efforts and to the winners for their outstanding performances. We look forward to more such events that bring our school community together and celebrate our diverse talents.
After the success of our Halloween Book Quiz last term, we held a Christmas Book Quiz! 28 students and 4 staff members took part, representing our Houses and answering questions on Christmas books and films. It was a very close call, but Saunton stole the crown once more scoring 20.5/22 and winning the Christmas goodie bags!
Well done to Austin, Kitty, Emilia, Clodagh, Flo, Bella, Ruby and Mrs Nolan!
The festive spirit was in full swing this December with our annual Christmas Cake House Competition. The event showcased the incredible creativity and baking skills of our students, making it a delightful highlight of the season.
We are thrilled to announce the joint winners of this year's competition: Neve from Putsborough, Harry from Woolacombe, and Coco from Saunton. Their stunning cake creations impressed the judges and earned them top honours.
As a result of their fantastic efforts, points will be awarded to Putsborough, Woolacombe, and Saunton Houses. Congratulations to Neve, Harry, and Coco for their outstanding work.
Well done. Your hard work and festive spirit truly shone through.
Today, our school hosted a thrilling Halloween Book Quiz that had students buzzing with excitement! The event was a fantastic blend of fun and learning, with students grouped by their houses to compete in a series of challenging rounds.
The quiz featured questions on horror and gothic literature, testing the students’ knowledge of spooky stories and classic tales. Additionally, there was a TV and movie round that added an extra layer of excitement.
All the groups performed exceptionally well, showcasing their impressive knowledge and teamwork. However, it was Saunton House that emerged victorious, claiming the top spot with their outstanding performance!
The winning team received prize bags filled with goodies, including: Halloween bookmarks, a sticker, a badge, a Halloween pen and sweets.
The smiles on the winners’ faces were priceless as they proudly held their prize bags. Check out the attached pictures to see the happy winners and their spooky prizes!
The Halloween Book Quiz was a huge success, filled with laughter, learning, and a bit of friendly competition. Congratulations to all the participants for their hard work and enthusiasm, and a special shoutout to Saunton House for their well-deserved win!
Stay tuned for more exciting house events.
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