Coombeshead Academy Aspire Spring 2017

A 

S 

P 

I 

R 

E 

Spring 2017 

Inspiring 

Excellence

CONTENTS 

01 

WELCOME 

Inspiring Excellence 

03 

TRUST NEWS 

Working Together 

05 

07 

GREENING COOMBESHEAD 

Looking after our Environment 

SPORT & PE 

Outstanding Achievements 

09 

CAREERS DAY 

Making an Impact 

11 

EXPRESSIVE ARTS 

Leading and Inspiring 

17 

LRC 

Literary Corner 

19 

STEM 

Crescendo Project 

21 

FOOD & NUTRITION 

All Change 

23 

TEMPLER SIXTH FORM 

New Look 

27 

MFL 

Fantastique! 

29 

WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY 

Better then Ever 

33 

CHARITY 

Community Spirit 

35 

MY YEAR 

On Track for Success 

37 

NEW STAFF 

New Faces in Maths 

Editor: Vanessa New 

Design: Lynda Leyman 

Photographs: Jelly Images, Mary 

Hart & Staff contributions

INSPIRING EXCELLENCE 

Welcome to the Spring 2017 edition of the Aspire 

magazine. 

I hope you enjoy reading about all the wonderful 

opportunities available at Coombeshead Academy 

and the incredible successes that take place at the 

school on a daily basis. 

As Headteacher, I am immensely proud of the 

comprehensive education that our children receive 

through the support of our outstanding teachers, 

support staff, our parents and the children themselves. 

We continue to inspire excellence. 

Insiring excellence is not simply a strapline; it is not simply 

something that is seen in some aspects of school life, it is 

demanded of each and every one of us in every corner 

of this great academy. 

We continue to demand high expectations of the 

members of our community to ensure that academic 

outcomes continue to rise, and the young people 

developed within our school system, can ultimately 

leave us with confidence. The experiences that have 

shaped them and their personality will allow them to be 

successful contributors to society in the future. 

Embedded within our values of academic achievement, positive attitude, community, enrichment and endeavour, students 

at Coombeshead Academy experience outstanding teaching. 

Moreover, they invest hugely in both the school and local communities, making a positive contribution from the minute they 

walk through the school gates, from the age of 11 in Year 7. 

I believe passionately in the comprehensive state school system. The education and opportunities on offer at Coombeshead 

easily rival that of any school from any sector, locally and nationally. 

A quote I often use with our students sums up the ethos and aspiration that we hold for every child at our school. 

"Success is never final, failure is never fatal, its courage that counts," 

Should you wish to take the opportunity to visit the school and see what we do, share in those daily successes, and see the 

courage and resilience developed within our students, then please do not hesitate to contact us to arrange a tour at your 

convenience. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this Aspire magazine, which captures the essence of what we stand for at Coombeshead 

Academy. 

Andrew Hulbert Headteacher 

Aspire Magazine | January 2017 1

SCHOOL LIFE

TRUST NEWS 

WELCOME TO EDUCATION SOUTH WEST 

WORKING TOGETHER SO CHILDREN CAN LEAD GREAT LIVES 

We are united by our common desire to give our children the education, opportunities and confidence that will enable 

them to lead great lives. We are convinced in our belief that we can best achieve this by working together. Schools 

rightly have more responsibility and autonomy than ever before, at a time when change has never been faster and 

demands never greater. 

By working together we can provide mutual challenge and support, with the overarching larger organisational umbrella 

to create the stability for each individual school to develop its own identity and thrive. 

We want to be the employer of choice for new teachers. We will recruit the best graduates by offering them outstanding 

initial teacher training, develop the programmes of professional development that we all need to grow, and offer the 

opportunities and programmes that aspiring leaders need to fulfil their ambitions. In short, once you join Education South 

West we want to make sure that you never want to leave. 

Behind the scenes, we will use the economies of scale of the new Trust to gain to best value in our procurement, and 

make the most of our talented support staff to give the most effective support we can to our core purpose of outstanding 

teaching and learning. 

We are very much looking forward to making Education South West the best multi-academy trust in the country. 

Roger Pope 

Executive Principal 

(CEO) 

Matthew Shanks 

Executive Principal 

(Director of Education) 


ACHIEVEMENT 

AWARDS EVENING 2016 

Friends, parents, staff and students gathered for a special evening towards the end of last term to celebrate the success of 

the 2016 leavers. The students received their GCSE and A Level certificates. 

To the splendid accompaniment of our talented musicians and a fine display of Taiko drumming the scene was set for an 

enjoyable evening. 

Alumni Gordon Stevenson, Tamsin Putt and Kerrie Spicer were guests of honour giving some sound advice to the students. 

Tamsin Putt 

Tamsin recounted how, when choosing her A Levels 

she was advised to go with those subjects she enjoyed. 

Disappointed with her grades at the end of the Sixth 

Form, she took a gap year and approached her former 

teachers for help. The staff were amazing even marking 

essays although she was no longer a student at the 

academy – going that extra mile. 

A Levels are not easy! After retaking some examinations, 

she gained a place at York St John University to study 

Physiotherapy. She was awarded the highest mark 

for her dissertation and achieved a First Class Honours 

degree. 

She described how Coombeshead also inspired her 

to have the confidence to travel after a school trip to 

Africa. 

At university she started playing netball and rugby, the 

latter saw her competing at premiership level. Again 

Coombeshead staff 'kick started' this passion. 

She advised the students to take opportunities as they 

come along. Tamsin is now working full time at York 

Hospital as a Physiotherapist. 

Gordon Stevenson 

Gordon recommended that students follow their passion as he 

is now doing. 

Having graduated from Bath Spa University Food Technology, he 

is now in the second term of teacher training and has placements 

at Coombeshead Academy and Teign School. 

4 Aspire Magazine | January 2017

GREENING 

COOMBESHEAD 

Here at Coombeshead Academy we understand 

that students have varied interests and try to offer 

something different to those who may not be sporty 

or who may wish to learn and do something different. 

The Coombeshead Green Team allows students from 

any year group to meet and become involved in 

specific projects that help them to think responsibly 

and care for their surroundings. 

In 2017 we will be focusing our efforts on a waste 

project called ‘WasteWise,’ in conjunction with 

Resources Futures and Devon County Council, to 

increase our recycling rate. Students have launched 

the project and undertaken a waste audit which 

showed room for refinement! 

The Green Team are also helping with assemblies 

and ensuring students ‘make the right choice’ when 

it comes to acting responsibly regarding their litter as 

part of the WasteWise project. 

Future projects include helping to make our grounds 

more environmentally pleasing by planning and 

redeveloping an under used piece of land as a new 

school garden. 

The Green Team will be working with the Devon Wildlife Trust on this 

project which will include wildflower planting and developing animal 

habitats. 

This exciting new extra-curricular group will be involved in 

environmental and sustainability projects on a rolling basis and are 

always welcoming new members! 

The Green Team is part of an academy wide approach through 

Sustainability Lead Zoe Williamson for Education South West and 

Peter Rose Associate Senior Leader (Experiences). 


SPORT & PE 

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN CROSS COUNTRY 

Thursday 10 th November saw Coombeshead Academy take 37 students from Years 7 to 10 to represent the school in the 

South Devon Cross Country championships. The event took place at Stover School; the weather was not on our side! 

Torrential rain and wind featured from when we arrived, until mid-morning, so the students faced a real challenge in these 

conditions. However this did not seem to bother them and they gave it their all anyway. 

The day consisted of six races in total covering the different age groups; Year 7 girls and Year 7 boys, Junior girls and Junior 

boys, Intermediate girls and Intermediate boys. Each race had over 100 participants from the schools in the local area. The 

shortest distance covered on the day was 2 miles and the longest for our older competitors was 3.5 miles. 

Niamh Iddon and Kelis Rabley from Year 7 finished in the top 10 in their race so they now go forward to represent Devon in 

the Cross Country Championships. Mason Joint and Ollie Pead, also representing Year 7, finished in the top10 and have also 

been selected to represent Devon. 

Cerys Addy and Olivia Brooking from Year 9 represented us in the Junior girls finishing in 8th and 12th place. Tiago Ford and 

Jake Dan, also in Year 9 representing the boys, came in the top 15. All four now go through to also represent Devon in January 

2017 at the championships. The Year 9 competitors ran a total distance of 3 miles on the day. 

Special mention must go to Khara Mitchell who finished just outside the top 15 and also to Year 10 student Ben Schafer. He 

was in 6th place all the way round until he pulled his quadriceps and sadly did not finish. 

A brilliant effort by each and every student – they are a credit to the school. 

YEAR 8 RUGBY CHAMPIONS 

Coombeshead Academy’s Year 8 rugby team attended a 

tournament for the independent schools in the area, so it was 

a real honour for Coombeshead to be invited. 

They came up against many good rugby schools with a very 

proud tradition of success, some of which have players on 

sports scholarships for rugby. The tournament was going to be 

a challenge! 

The team had had a fantastic season and they wanted that 

momentum to continue; they certainly did not disappoint. 

Our results against the following schools were: 

• St John's of Exeter: winners 15-0 

• Shebbear College: draw 10-10 

• Stover A: winners 10-5 

• Stover B: winners 25-0 

• Churston Ferrers Grammar School: 25 – 5 

• Final vs. Plymouth College: winners 20 - 0 

6 Aspire Magazine | January 2017 

The team played with incredible passion and skill. No one 

player has been singled out for recognition as the whole 

team was incredible!

GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAMME 

LAUNCHED 

November saw the launch of the PE 

Gifted and Talented programme at 

Coombeshead. 

Earlier in the year students applied for a 

position on the elite athlete programme 

based on their sporting performance, both 

in and outside everyday school life. 

The applications received demonstrated 

the great strength and depth of the 

academy's elite athletes. Showing success 

in team games, their individual talents also 

shone through. 

The students selected included athletes 

from county up to international level 

across a range of sports, from water polo 

to football,from dancing to the martial arts. 

The aim of the programme is to further 

develop these young athletes and establish 

a framework to provide the foundation 

they need to become elite senior players in 

their sport. The following schedule illustrates 

some of the focus workshops already in 

place. 

Working with the Youth Sports Trust, it is 

proposed to create tailored programmes 

for elite athletes. There are also additional 

dates for opportunities to attend to 

professional fixtures to watch senior elite 

athletes first hand. 

Date Focus Venue 

23 rd November Performance analysis for improvement - J.Tripcony Sports Hall 2 

2 nd December Reaching your gools - Olympian Annie Vernon Sports Hall 2 

17 th January 2017 Energy Systems in Sport Sports Hall 1 

20 th February Sports Nutrition - Dr Burt Bond PE1 

14 th March How to be elite - Royal Ballet school Aesthetics studio 

23 rd March Sports Development - Exeter University visit Exeter University 


ENRICHMENT 

COOMBESHEAD CAREERS 

On the 1 st December Coombeshead Academy launched 

its first Careers Day. The day focused on building up the 

skills and knowledge to help our young people make 

informed decisions about their futures and allow them to 

develop the skills to succeed in the world of work. 

All year groups were off timetable to take part in a 

programme of activities designed to challenge, engage 

and inspire. 

Year 7 spent their day developing skills in Languages, 

Geography and Food Technology. They baked 

magdalenas, investigated air miles, learnt some Spanish, 

looked at careers in the catering industry and how 

languages are useful. 

Year 8 considered their GCSE options and also worked 

in groups refining different models of wind powered 

cars. This allowed them to practise key skills such as 

product development and the application of skills from 

Technology, Science and Mathematics. 

Year 9 examined the wide variety of careers in the NHS and 


DAY MAKES AN IMPACT 

had the opportunity to question two visiting paramedics. 

They also started to develop their qualifications' portfolio 

by gaining a First Aid certificate. 

A real Business Challenge faced Year 10 students. It was 

so encouraging to see young people really engaging 

with the task; the outcomes were impressive. Huge 

congratulations to all the students and the members of 

staff working with them. 

Year 11 students looked at their future pathways Post 

16, be they vocational or A Level. They listened to a 

motivational seminar from Floyd Woodrow's excellence 

group that challenged them to think about where they 

want to be and how they might get there. 

Years 12 and 13 focused on Employability & Team Building 

with workshops run by the Army Outreach Team. Year 13 

students used study workshops to look at applications in 

the workplace. 

All in all it was a great day. Many thanks to the staff and 

students involved. 

CAREERS 



A BRILLIANT COUPLE OF DAYS 

Our trip with the Performing Arts class to the Pineapple Dance studio in London was amazing. We met with a Dance Captain 

and started to learn the dance to Revolting children. I found this challenging as we only had a short amount of time to learn 

it but never the less I tried my best. We ran it a few times and moved onto our next dance which was a salsa routine. This 

was very sassy and quick. I had never done salsa before so it was an experience. Overall, the dances and experience were 

insane! 

Bozena Bond Year 12 

The London trip was an amazing opportunity for us to experience. Watching professional shows helped us realise that this is 

what we want to do as a career. We were very fortunate to have a Q&A with some of the cast of Kinky Boots which gave us 

an insight into the industry we want to work in. 

Sofia Robbins Year 13 

Every year the trip to London is renowned for being a brilliant couple of days, with this year being just the same! I thoroughly 

enjoyed London; we were extremely lucky to go and watch three incredible musicals and experience a theatre workshop. 

Being able to do things like this at our age is incredible and we are all so lucky that Miss Rogers has many West End connections, 

enabling us to get cheap tickets and an actual West End show experience. I would recommend it to anyone! 

Callum Beavis Year 13 

I found this trip not only fun, interesting and a great way of bonding with new friends, but I also found it helped my Performing 

Arts in ways I didn’t think it would. Watching the three West End shows helped me gain a further understanding of what it takes 

to be in these shows and the calibre of the cast no matter what role. My favourite part of the trip was the Pineapple Dance 

workshop as we got to meet the Matilda Dance Captain and learnt dances from the show. I definitely recommend this trip 

to students and can’t wait till next year! 

Courtney Simmonds Year 12. 


SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES 

….A BEWITCHING MACBETH 

Coombeshead Academy received many congratulations on a ‘fantastic production’ from David Brook, Shakespeare Schools 

Festival Director. 

The students performed their interpretation of Macbeth at the Exeter Phoenix Theatre on the 15 th November. 

He highlighted the things that made the group stand out and how they had so wowed the audience, helping to make this 

Shakespeare Schools Festival night an evening to remember. 

This was a stunning and truly unique version of Macbeth, told through movement and dance. 

The cast really captured the emotional journey that the characters go through with the quality of their movement. He particularly 

loved the use of ensemble dance sequences to highlight key moments. These were done with an outstanding sense of unity 

which had the audience captivated. 

As the audience saw Lady Macbeth’s increasing frustration with Macbeth, and her growing madness as she tries to wash away 

the guilt, there were some beautiful moments used by the whole cast to embody her frustration, each executed with clarity 

and confidence. 

The production was bursting with creative ideas. The image of ravens around Lady Macbeth, the eerie chant “a drum, a drum”, 

and the fight scenes, were shown with violence and very precise, elegant choreography. 

The performance was brought to a thrilling climax as the audience saw how the witches consumed Macbeth’s thoughts, 

ending in an emotional, stark and powerful battle sequence. 

The whole cast were so focused throughout. They performed with pace which kept the audience on the edge of their seats 

as the chilling atmosphere built up. 

This was a collaborative, energetic, and powerful production. 

“It's a significant achievement to do something as difficult and aspirational as perform one of Shakespeare's plays on a 

professional stage. Everyone who has taken part should be so proud of themselves.” 

Ruth Brock, SSF Chief Executive 


DELIGHTING AUDIENCES 

MUSIC NEWS 

SCHOLARSHIP 

There are currently 12 students on the scholarship scheme all receiving subsidised instrumental 

lessons for learning an orchestral instrument. 

THE BUSHELL YOUTH COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA 

Tuesday 27th September saw the launch of Coombeshead Academy’s new Devon Music 

Hub funded initiative to bring together more local Teignbridge musicians. The department 

ran a full day of workshops which was attended by over 70 pupils from a number of local 

schools. These included: 

COOMBESHEAD ACADEMY 

• Teign School 

• Blackpool Church of England Primary School 

• Chudleigh Primary School 

• Canada Hill Primary School 

• Rydon Primary School 

• Ipplepen Primary School 

• Doddiscombsleigh Primary School 

The children worked with four local peripatetic musicians developing their instrumental skills. 

They all came together at the end of the day to showcase the progress that had been made 

with a performance of two pieces of music. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience. 

The funding received by the Music Department means that any local young musician can 

attend free group lessons on a Tuesday evening, between 4.00pm and 5.00pm, working with 

local professional musicians. These free development sessions run alongside the orchestral 

rehearsals, the focus being that every young musician who attends will become a member 

of the orchestra once they are ready. There are 60 young local musicians who attend every 

Tuesday for both the development sessions and orchestra rehearsal. 

To celebrate the success of the new orchestra initiative, Coombeshead held a concert on 

Tuesday 13th December, at which there were 200 local young musicians who had been 

working on whole class violin tuition. The event culminated in over 250 young musicians 

from the Teignbridge area performing together. 

THE BUSHELL VOICES 

As part of the Devon Music Education Hub Singing Strategy, the Music Department has 

begun hosting a Teignbridge transition choir at school. The aim is to focus on delivering an 

engaging and welcoming choir, to bring singing and music to local young people and help 

them meet like-minded others to work towards the same goal. 

Bushell Voices rehearse on a Wednesday evening between 4.00pm and 5.00pm at 

Coombeshead Academy. The choir is run by vocal specialist Kate Graham. An experienced 

educator, she has worked extensively in both primary and secondary music education. 

One of her current roles is working for the South West Music School as a vocal mentor. The 

repertoire is decided by the young people as they learn about voice production, harmony 

singing and working together to produce the best sound they can.

RYDON FOLK GIG 

In December, Coombeshead Academy Folk Group were invited to perform at Rydon Primary School Christmas Fayre. 

The students performed a 30-minute set of old classic and contemporary folk songs. They were very well received with 

members of the public saying what a great performance they had given. 

Rydon Primary School were also very impressed 

and have asked the Folk Group back to perform 

at their summer fete. 

A big thank you to the performers from the folk 

group and the commitment they continue to 

show. The students involved were: 

Jasmine Thorne, Andrew Duncan, Harrison Moss, 

Jack Hughes, Toby Maddicott, Benjamin Pead, 

Ryan Thorne and Ellis Rattue. 

A BUSY SCHEDULE 2016 -17 

1. Sixth Formers perform at the Newton Abbot Annual Charity Ball at 

the Grand Hotel, Torquay in October. 

2. Coombeshead Academy Music Department showcase 

performances in Newton Abbot Town Centre in November. 

3. Off-site educational visits: 

Post 16 London trip: enhancing students’ understanding of assessment 

components. Students watched performances of Les Miserables 

and The Phantom of the Opera (set works for A Level Music), a 

performance from the Czech National Opera and experienced a 

Gamelan workshop. 

Opera trip: A Level Music and BTEC Performing Arts attend an 

educational performance of Don Giovanni: Behind the Curtain. 

4. Performances since September 2016: 

• TAIKO performance in Paignton 

• BTEC Post 16 Assessment Evening 

• BTEC Performing Arts Panto 

• Performance at Rydon Primary School 

• Christmas Concert 

5. Forthcoming events: 

• Spring Concert 

• Various BTEC assessment evening performances 

• Christian Aid Walk 

• Devon County Show 

• Babbacombe Variety Show 

• Summer show – High School Musical 

• Performances at local primary school summer fetes.

THELMA HULBERT GALLERY 

Year 11 Art and Design students visited the Thelma Hulbert Gallery to view the recent Eduardo 

Paolozzi Exhibition and take part in practical art workshops for their GCSE coursework studies. 

Students learnt a great deal on this trip about Paolozzi's life as an artist, his style and ways of 

working as the original British Pop Artist using sweet wrappers, magazines and everyday objects 

in his work. 

This was followed up with a very successful print workshop in school run by Double Elephant print 

workshops. 

FROM SILVER TO SILICON 

Coombeshead Photography Department both hosted and ran a free workshop for Devon teachers earlier on in the Autumn 

Term. 

The workshop was well attended with over 15 teachers from as far away as Lyme Regis, Tavistock and Bideford. A wide range 

of taster workshops were on offer throughout the day from experimental darkroom practice, to the creative use of apps, 

Photoshop, studio lighting in the classroom and large format printing. 

Leading the various workshops were Coombeshead teachers Sam Eyre and Charlotte Eggleton, accompanied by Hugh 

Childs from Bedminster Down School and Chas Halsey from Focal Point. 

Representatives were there from Epson to showcase and demonstrate scanning and printing equipment. Teachers increased 

their skills base and created a wide range of work finding the day both 'refreshing and truly inspirational'. 

Future events like this are planned and are part of a larger project titled Art Machina. 

ART MACHINA 

Coombeshead Academy Art Department is leading the way in digital art development in schools and is now working with 

Daisi in leading and running a digital arts based project for young people, teachers and artists across the South West. 

Art Machina will provide training, workshops and the sharing of best practice for digital arts making over the next two years 

through a series of projects, workshop and CPD for teachers. The project will culminate in a Digital Arts festival in 2018. 


AN INSPIRATIONAL INSIGHT 

Flossy and Jim are local illustrators from Brixham having trained 

at the University of Plymouth, both with a BA (Hons) Degree in 

Illustration and Visual Communications. Since trading as 'Flossy 

and Jim Ltd' in May 2013, they have built an extensive portfolio 

of work including illustrations for children's books, cook books, 

phone apps, educational tools, crafting materials, cartoons and 

food packaging! 

Flossy and Jim came to Coombeshead Academy in October 

to run a workshop and do a presentation with a group of 

budding A Level Digital Illustration students. Their talk about 

the growth of their business over the years was exhilarating and 

engaging. They gave tips and advice on building a business 

and how to produce a professional portfolio. The students found 

the experience of meeting a working artist encouraging and 

inspirational, 

‘It was really great to meet someone making a living from digital 

Illustration’ 

Jemima Weir Year 13 Digital Illustration student. 



LRC 

LITERARY ROUND UP 

Coombeshead Academy submitted a 500 word story from every 

student in Years 7, 8 and 9 in the Autumn Term as part of the BBC Radio 

2's 500 words. 

A similar competition was run in school and the winner was Megan 

Lear. The top entries are now displayed in the English corridor. 

Budding journalists in Year 8 kept a creative journal for half a term 

to experiment with different types of 

creative writing. Students then brought 

them in and shared some of their work. 

In Year 7 students had a choice of tasks 

to help them to find out more about 

Shakespeare last half term. Some 

wrote modern versions of their favourite 

play; some created an Elizabethan 

version of Vogue, others created a 

Shakespearean Quiz Book to be sold at 

The Globe! 

IMPRESSING THE JUDGES 

On 22 nd of November, Coombeshead Academy took 

five teams to compete in the Newton Abbot Rotary Club 

Youth Speaks Competition. 

This competition gives young people the opportunity to 

debate topics which they feel strongly about, developing 

their confidence, public speaking and presentation skills. 

The two Year 8 teams debated the value of video 

games to modern society and whether the UK should 

invest in nuclear power. The boys all worked incredibly 

hard and impressed the judges who commended 

them for speaking about such sophisticated topics with 

confidence and clarity. 

Our three senior teams debated the representation of 

women in advertising, whether the burkha should be 

banned and whether we should stop funding panda 

conservation. All three teams handled these sensitive 

topics confidently, engaging the audience and answering 

questions with ease. The competition was won by Ethan Pearce, 

Victoria Witts and Jake Corbett who titled their discussion on 

conservation “Pandamonium Pandemic”. 

They beat teams from Stover School and Newton Abbot College. 

We now look forward to competing in the regional heats in the 

spring. 


READING MILLIONAIRES 

Jacob Gordon is our first Millionaire Word Reader for the Autumn 

Term. 

However, there are students who will be collecting their ‘Millionaire’ 

badges in the New Year as the following leader list shows. 

Jacob Gordon 8 1,476,595 

Leo Forsyth-Snell 8 957,538 

Liberty Evans 8 918,236 

Amber McGinnis 8 781,916 

Eddie Meanley 8 705,197 

Keira Gordon 8 678,008 

Crystal Roper 8 660,019 

Denning, Todd 8 589,318 

Milly Hansford 8 501,302 

Rebecca Turner 8 460,981 

A GOOD MOVE 

Ryan McNulty was a full-time student at Coombeshead 

Academy until 2016, following A Level courses in Computer 

Science and Digital Art plus EDCL at Level 3. 

At the beginning of Year 13 he decided to use his skills in a 

different way having volunteered in the Library and Learning 

Resources Centre(LRC) for six months. 

Now formally employed in the LRC, Ryan is learning on 

the job in that as part of his apprenticeship this year he is 

studying Level 2 Business, working through the modules 

independently. Level 3 will follow on. 

He says overall it was a good move to take up the post in the 

LRC. He enjoys the calm working environment and is using 

his IT skills to support Mrs Betts! 

Ryan’s duties include assisting with Accelerated Reader, 

sourcing new stock, cataloguing, labelling, data processing 

for House Awards, maintaining the work stations and helping 

with displays. 

Other student supporters, on a voluntary basis, include Year 

13 student Emma Taylor (pictured with Ryan) who has been 

supporting the LRC from Year 10. Year 12 students Daisy 

Boyd and Naomi Osmond also help out with homework club 

after school on Thursdays and Fridays. 

AR 

Millionaires 

Mrs Betts, LRC Manager, commented, "The students 

are invaluable; 100% reliable and a real asset to our 

learning community." 

NEW BOOKS IN STOCK 

In the Learning Resource Centre we are always trying to update and make additions to our stock, particularly the reading 

books for the Accelerated Reader scheme. Some of the latest additions are currently on display. 

Lunchtimes are always busy in the LRC - a space where students can read and relax but also challenge their friends to a 

game of chess or Connect 4! 


STEM 

Coombeshead Academy has been selected as the UK 

partner school for a European research project studying 

future global climate change. 

CRESCENDO is a European Union Horizon 2020 Research and 

Innovation project that encompasses 25 Institutions across 

Europe, including the UK Met Office and the University of 

Exeter. The project aims to significantly improve the main 

European models used to predict climate change over the 

coming century. 

The project has initiated the CRESCENDO Schools initiative, 

with an aim to engage schools in the science of climate 

change and to work with these schools on the dissemination 

and communication of the latest scientific findings in the 

field. 

Dr Mike Morley, Deputy Team Leader of Science at 

Coombeshead, who co-ordinated the school's bid to 

be involved, said: "We're delighted to be involved in the 

CRESCENDO project – it's not every day that students get 

such an amazing opportunity to really engage with cuttingedge 

scientific research!" 

In joining the CRESCENDO Schools' initiative, Coombeshead 

Academy becomes one of only three schools in Europe, 

together with one in each of Sweden and France, to be 

working directly with scientists in the project. Over the course 

of the next year students, teachers and researchers will work 

together to develop a range of material that can be used 

to share the project's findings with the wider community. 

The CRESCENDO project coordinator, Professor Colin Jones, 

based at the Met Office in Exeter, said “We are thrilled to 

be partnering with students from Coombeshead Academy 

and look forward to developing new and exciting material 

to both increase awareness of climate change amongst 

students and also increase knowledge of the underpinning 

science involved in climate change research”. 

Year 12 student, Freya Vickridge, said: "We have to realise 

the threat climate change poses to our way of life. Educating 

people about what we know, and how we come to know 

this, is the only way to have a real impact on policy." 

Naomi Winter, also in Year 12 added: "The human impacts 

of climate change are going to be huge over my lifetime. 

Helping people to understand what’s at stake is really 

important to me." 

CRESCENDO is a European Union Horizon 2020 Project 

funded under grant agreement No 641816. 

For further information on CRESCENDO, please visit http:// 

crescendoproject.eu/ 

As the project leader for CRESCENDO,Professor Colin Jones 

visited Coombeshead in December to give a presentation 

to the students on the Science of Climate Change. 


YEAR 8 

MASTERCLASS 

…from the students’ perspective. 

In December we visited the 

University of Plymouth to attend 

a Maths Master class where 

we looked at patterns, made 

predictions about them and tested 

our mathematical predictions. 

We played a version of the TV show 

‘Only Connect’ by having to sort 

sets of numbers based on the rules 

that described them. 

For example describe the number 

sequence: 1, 4, 9, 16 … 

We also played a game of ‘frogs’: 

What is the smallest number of moves (slides and leaps over a single frog) in order to get the frogs on the 

left to swap places with the frogs on the right? 

“We really enjoyed the day especially as we learned how to use mathematical rules to describe as well 

as to predict and test the rules. Dr Sharp was very informative and had some interesting challenges for us. 

Because of today we would consider wanting to go to university. 

It was great to have the opportunity to look around the campus and get a taste of university life.” 

Curtis, Sam and Harriet (Year 8) 

For more info see http://nrich.maths.org/1246 

MATHEMATICS 

ENTERPRISING 

STUDENTS 

PITCHING IT JUST RIGHT! 

Years 10 and 13 students visited Plymouth University in November to participate in a Sustainable Business Conference. They 

were put into groups with other students from schools in the local area and given their brief for the day. 

This was to create products from waste material from a local Cornish company called Celtic & Co, formerly The Original 

UGG Company, in order to reduce waste that, at present, ends up on as landfill. 

In doing this the company can maximise profits but also reduce its carbon footprint. The waste material in question was the 

leftover material from the soles of Celtic suede boots (UGG style). 

The groups had to pitch their products to a panel of judges and identify the purpose of the product, its target market, 

potential % waste reduction and other key factors. 

Coombeshead Academy were very successful in that they were members of the three teams who won their heats in the 

semi-final and also formed part of the team who won overall with their products. The successful products were foot shaped 

photo frames, a buoyancy aid and a shoe rack designed for the elderly. The shoe rack was the overall winner which earnt 

the team £15 in Amazon vouchers each. 

Our students were amazing and their success was very well deserved. 


FOOD FOR THOUGHT 


ALL CHANGE 

2016/17 has seen a big change in the Food 

curriculum for both GCSE and A Level 

choice. Students will no longer be able to 

choose Food Technology or Catering but 

will instead be able to opt for a new GCSE 

in Food Preparation and Nutrition. 

This is a significant change with Food moving 

away from the Design and Technology 

curriculum and becoming an individual 

subject in its own right that amalgamates 

the best aspects of the existing Catering 

and Food Technology specifications. 

At GCSE the course will require students to 

use a variety of practical cooking techniques 

to prepare and cook food, whilst gaining 

an understanding of the scientific principles 

behind food and nutrition. It allows students 

to release their creative flair by learning and 

adapting existing recipes in order to modify 

and improve their nutritional profile and 

sensory properties. This culminates in a three 

hour practical examination in Year 11 to 

showcase students’ technical skills. 

At A Level a brand new diploma will be 

offered. This is an exciting new course that will 

allow learners to gain a wealth of knowledge 

about Food Science and Nutrition. They 

will have the opportunity to learn about 

the relationship between the human body 

and food, as well as developing practical 

skills, linked to experimental work, and the 

cooking and preparation of food. There is a 

strong emphasis on practical work, making 

this an ideal choice for learners who prefer 

to learn by doing. 

We believe that food is a vital life skill that 

will enable students to feed themselves and 

others affordably and nutritiously, now and 

later in life. 

Mr Thomas and Mr Harding see the changes 

as very positive and are looking forward to 

working with students to create new and 

exciting products. Both have been very 

encouraged by the number of past students 

that have taken their studies further into the 

catering industry as well as at university. 

(Pictured left: 

ex student Gordon Stevenson). 


WELCOME 

TO THE NEW LOOK 


Our branding has changed and is now used on the Templer Sixth Form website, 

prospectus and in advertising campaigns. 

These changes have coincided with the creation of Education South West. 

TV JOURNALIST 

FOR A DAY 

A group of Sixth Form students were lucky 

enough to experience what a day as 

a TV journalist might be like, courtesy of 

Marjon The University of St Mark & St John 

in Plymouth. 

Students worked together in groups to 

prepare a news item, put the script on 

an autocue and then film an outside 

broadcast before seeing it all pulled 

together by the studio team. 

Year 12 student Daisy Boyd said “It was 

interesting to see how a news report is put 

together, and I enjoyed being in charge 

of sound. Playing a part in developing 

the story helped me with my journalism 

and writing skills.” 

So be on the lookout for some 

Coombeshead students as future news 

journalists, producers and newsreaders! 

VOLUNTEERING REWARDS 

Coombeshead students have been rewarded for their volunteering through the 

Vinspired organisation. 

Certificates were issued in the 

Autumn Term for 30 and 50 

hours of volunteering. 

Opportunities for volunteering 

include supporting students 

within departments at 

school and being student 

ambassadors on taster days. 

This is an important part of 

a Sixth Form student's life at 

Coombeshead, helping to 

develop their interpersonal 

skills. 

Congratulations and keep up 

the good work!

INSPIRING AND THOUGHT 

PROVOKING 

In mid November Coombeshead students Years 12 and 13 attended 

the eagerly anticipated annual Exeter Cathedral’s Sixth Form Debate, 

now in its fourth year. 

This year’s debate chaired by the Reverend Kate Botley, from the 

popular television show Gogglebox, covered a number of topics; the 

role of news media as the Fourth Estate, media representations of 

minority groups, the position of religion in society today, the impact of 

grammar schools and calls for prison welfare reforms. 

The issue of whether gender can be understood biologically, or as a 

social construct, sparked particular interest and debate across all 

schools, as did the fallout of Brexit and the election of Donald Trump 

to presidency in the US. Special mention goes to the following students 

for posing thought provoking questions that stimulated a range of 

fascinating conversation: 

• Salwa Zayer asked, "Do UK citizens have a lawful responsibility to 

provide welfare to economic migrants from other countries? And 

at what point does this responsibility end?" 

• Ethan Heppell asked, "Does social justice campaigning and hate 

speech legislation threaten to stifle the principle of freedom of 

speech, especially on university campuses today?" 

• Josh Ford asked, "To what extent have political debates become 

about a cult of personality rather than rigorous philosophical 

discourse?" 

SOCIOLOGY IN ACTION 

After a rainy 5am start to the day and 

a six hour journey to central London, 

Ethan Heppell and Salwa Zayer 

took part in a cutting-edge day of 

Sociology, exploring social inequality, 

crime, education, identity and more. 

Speakers at the event included 

Professor Danny Dorling from Oxford 

University, a social geographer who 

explored the theme of social inequality 

and examined the effects of growing 

up and living in very unequal countries. 

Chris Greer, from City University London, then detailed various sources 

of knowledge about crime (official statistics, media representations, 

personal experience, amongst others) to help students consider the 

nature and extent of the crime problem, and the challenges facing 

policy makers who are required to provide solutions. 

Baroness Lawrence OBE, who became a campaigner after the murder 

of her son Stephen in a racist attack, engaged in a passionate discussion 

about recent reforms of the police service and police relations in inner 

city areas. 

Pamela Cox, Professor of Sociology and Social History at the University 

of Essex, discussed the changing nature of gender roles within the 

family and society. She focused particularly on the reasons behind the 

continuing pay gap between men and women in the workplace. 

Finally, the polarizing and always controversial, Peter Hitchens took to 

the stage. A prolific journalist, author and recipient of the Orwell Prize for 

political journalism, Hitchens pulled no punches in outlining how he thinks 

successive governmental drives for equality have destroyed quality in 

state schools. He then set out how he feels this disaster can be undone. 

His delivery and response to the largely working class cohort of students 

of various ethnicities was met with a good deal of vitriol and after a back 

and forth between speaker and the 800 or so students, Hitchens decided 

to leave the stage without completing his talk! 

Students left the event suitably fired up and inspired to further examine 

just how powerful and impacting sociological and political debate can 

be when theory and data meet the real world! 



ALWAYS BELIEVE IN 

YOURSELF… 

Having been at Coombeshead Academy since the start 

of Year 7 I never even thought about going anywhere 

else for Sixth Form. I felt comfortable there and knew I 

would be supported throughout my A Levels. 

Teachers at Coombeshead do not just care about the 

grades that you achieve, they also care about each 

and every student as an individual. Someone is always 

on hand to offer advice and support which is important 

as A Levels are definitely a time when that is needed. 

Having decided I wanted to study Law at University 

I put myself under a lot of pressure to make sure this 

happened. The teachers really shared that pressure with 

me; I felt that they wanted me to go and achieve my 

goal just as much as I did. Without their support I am sure 

it would have been easier to give up. 

On A Level results day my first choice university had not 

provided me with an answer. Both Mr Whiffen and Mr 

Shanks were on hand straight away to contact them 

and find out what was happening. They spoke with me 

constantly throughout the day while I waited for the 

university's decision and was thankfully accepted. After 

leaving school the teachers still care, and they always 

want to know how you are getting on and what you are 

doing. 

On graduating with a First Class Honours from the University 

of Westminster, I went on to gain a Masters in Professional 

Legal Practice with Distinction from the University of 

Bristol. I am now working with a well-respected law firm in 

the South West. Coombeshead taught me to never give 

up and always aim high. Without that I would not have 

achieved what I have in the years since leaving school. 

My advice would be to always believe in yourself, only 

you know what you are really capable of; don't let the 

doubts or doubters get the better of you, A Levels are 

not easy but you can do it. 

Alice Darch 

INSPIRING OTHERS 

Lizzie Foster-Turner (nee Holden) left Coombeshead Sixth 

Form in 2012 to study Illustration at Plymouth University 

and has enjoyed success in her field, having her work 

published. 

She returned to work with Sixth Form artists and illustrators 

on their A Level project work last term helping them to 

understand typography. Describing changes in the 

school Lizzie commented on the new facilities and how 

fabulous they are. 

In the future she would like to expand her existing 

Illustration business and be involved in encouraging 

creativity. 

The Art staff are very grateful to Lizzie for giving up her 

time to come back to Coombeshead and run such a 

useful and engaging workshop for current students. 


POST 16 ALUMNI 

Kerrie Spicer 

Kerrie said she was a dedicated student, a 

bit of a ‘boffin’ in her own words. She was 

on the Student Council, volunteered and 

was lethal with a hockey stick. 

Based at College House for her time in the 

Sixth Form, she took Biology, Chemistry, 

Physics and Psychology and studied 

Podiatry at the University of Plymouth. 

She graduated in 2009 and was unsure as 

to where to go next. 

Kerrie ended up in London and worked at 

Guys and St. Thomas’s Hospital, at that time 

as a ‘general dogsbody’. 

She was persistent and moved around 

hospitals. At Great Ormond Street she saw 

complex surgical procedures on club feet 

and hip operations. 

She worked at Barts and The Royal Free 

Hospital and experienced working with 

amputee rehabilitation at Lambeth 

Community Hospital with soldiers returning 

from Afghanistan. 

Kerrie also worked with diabetic and 

meningitis patients. Her research has been 

published in three medical journals. 

With a young daughter she now works 

at Torbay Hospital and has completed a 

second Masters Degree in Pharmacy and 

Pharmacology. 

She is now undertaking a PhD in microbial 

resistance but is mindful of the great 

support she had whilst at school at the start 

of her academic journey. 


MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES 

BACK TO PEN AND PAPER 

This term students in Year 7 French have started writing 

letters to students of their age who live in Brittany, France. 

The students are really enjoying this penpal experience 

as they are forming new friendships across the English 

Channel; it makes language learning much more real! 

Here are some comments that illustrate their positive 

feedback: 

• We are lucky to get to communicate with people 

from another country – we learnt a lot from them. 

• It is a fun way to practise French! 

• My penfriend has the same interests as me, perfect 

match! 

• It is also cool to know that we are helping the French 

students improve their English. 

• Fantastique! 


IN AT THE DEEP END BUT SWIMMING 

This year the Modern Foreign Languages department have 

had several new Language Leaders. 

Their first term was very busy as they settled into their new roles. 

Thankfully, the Year 11 students did an excellent job in training 

the new Year 8 recruits, giving them plenty of tips on how to 

be a successful Language Leaders! 

They were thrown in at the deep end in September with 

having to organise and help out with teaching lots of different 

languages to our Year 7 students as part of our European Day 

of Languages celebrations. 

They have also taken over from the Year 11 students in running 

primary workshops, leading their first event in November. They 

used several different strategies to teach the colours in French 

to primary pupils from various different schools. 

The primary pupils thoroughly enjoyed themselves and all went 

home with a certificate and some lovely colour-by-numbers 

pictures that they had completed. 

Later in the Autumn Term the Language Leaders ran a stall at 

the Christmas Fayre. 

To win the many prizes on offer, all the students and staff 

had to do was to stick a big, curly moustache on Mr Hulbert! 

Intrigued? 

The photo says it all! 

BOOK YOUR PLACE ON AN EXCHANGE 

In Modern Foreign Languages we are already really busy organizing our Exchange trips to France and Spain in the 

Spring term of 2017. 

Our students are already very excited at the prospect of meeting their exchange partners. 

Do not worry if you have missed this year's trips, we will be visiting again in 2018. Watch this space! 

LUNCH CLUB 

Students have been visiting different countries at the new lunch club 'Around the World in 30 Lunchtimes'. Brazil, Japan, 

Egypt, Germany... are some of the places we have visited so far so our passports are getting filled very quickly. 

In the New Year we plan to visit Bangladesh, South Africa, China, Algeria... and many more countries. 

Come and join us on this journey. 


WORKING IN THE 

COMMUNITY 

SUPPORTING 

INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING 

Coombeshead Academy is extremely committed to initial teacher training. We have 

excellent and long established relationships with Exeter University, Plymouth University, 

Marjons and Devon Secondary Teacher Training Group (based at our College House 

site). We play an active role in the recruitment of trainee teachers and our staff are 

regularly asked to take part in the selection process. 

This term we have welcomed eight students in English, Mathematics, Modern Foreign 

Languages, Drama and PE, who have worked alongside our staff to develop the skills 

and experiences necessary to become successful, independent teachers. 

Each student teacher is assigned a subject specialist mentor. He/she works in conjunction with the training provider to ensure 

that the trainee has a positive impact on our students and their progress, as well as learning about the complexities of 

developing high standards of teaching within their subject specialism. 

We have found that the benefits, for our staff and students, of working with trainees is very positive. New entrants to the 

teaching profession bring with them fresh ideas, new subject expertise and the opportunity to work with staff from local 

universities. 

We receive very positive feedback from the trainees about their experiences at Coombeshead. One of our students fed 

back at the end of their placement this term: 

"Coombeshead is such a fantastic school. I have been made to feel so welcome and have learnt so much from my subject 

mentor and other specialist staff. The students are just brilliant. I am really looking forward to putting into practice what I have 

learnt here in my second placement." 

If you know anyone who is interested in initial teacher training and would like more information about routes into teaching, 

then please get in touch so I can assist with selecting the most appropriate course for you. 

Suzannah Wharf 

Deputy Headteacher, Teaching 

AN AMAZING TIME 

On Monday 7th November nearly 60 girls from primary 

schools across the Schools Sports Partnership attended 

the Year 3 - 6 girls only football event on Coombeshead 

Academy’s all weather pitch. 

Young Leaders from Coombeshead helped take the girls 

through their paces in a range of skill drills for the first half of 

the two hour session. 

In the second half the girls were split into teams for friendly 

Year 3/4 and 5/6 tournaments, where they were coached 

and introduced to some simple tactics. 

Despite the cold all the girls had an amazing time. The 

parents and staff who stayed to watch saw them grow in 

confidence and develop their skills across the course of the 

evening. 

Thank you to all those who attended on the night and of 

course to the Young Leaders who gave up their time to help. 


PRIMARY LIAISON BETTER THAN EVER 

The Primary Liaison programme at Coombeshead Academy has stepped up yet another level this year 

with more events, workshops, taster sessions and, above all, more primary children and schools involved 

than ever before. 

One term in and the programme has been action packed, heralding another busy year of opportunities 

for our primary children. 

Primary Liaison continues to play a key role in helping children to bridge the gap from primary to secondary 

school. The children have honed their mathematical skills, enhanced their creative writing abilities, learnt 

to apply themselves differently in a workshop or photography darkroom, become inquisitive about their 

historical past and excelled in the sporting, theatrical and musical arena. 

This only scratches the surface of the activities that hundreds of primary children have been involved in this 

year so far. Look out 2017 – there is much more to come! 

PRIMARY LIAISON 

CHALLENGING MATHS 

WORLD WAR 2 

DETECTIVES 

The History Department welcomed pupils from our local 

primary schools last term to work as detectives. Their 

challenge was to use evidence to solve the mystery of 

an evacuee during World War Two. 

Using their investigative skills, the pupils worked in teams 

to find out about the life of an evacuee and complete 

an official report. 

They then had to imagine that they were an evacuee 

and think about which ten items they would pack 

for their journey. All were incredibly enthusiastic and 

hardworking - a pleasure to invite into school. 

The Maths staff have got to know many Year 5 and 6 

Mathematicians this term, and between us all we have 

solved lots of puzzles! 

Our regular fortnightly Year 5 sessions here at Coombeshead 

have brought in pupils from Ipplepen, Bradley Barton, 

Decoy, St Joseph’s and Wolborough to be involved in some 

challenging Maths. Together we have explored how many 

grains of rice King Cyrus of Persia needed to pay the wise 

man to teach him how to play chess and how many colours 

Captain Cook needed to take with him to colour in the maps 

that he made, solving a few other puzzles along the way. 

Maths staff have also been out to other feeder primary 

schools as part of our outreach programme, again providing 

opportunities to engage with some great Year 5 pupils. 

They managed to solve the following problem; how many 

different ways are there to climb 14 steps if you can take one 

or two steps at a time? 

And finally... Year 6 pupils had fun here last term solving 

problems from the UKMT Junior Team Challenge as part of 

the ongoing primary liaison programme. 


YEAR 10 THEATRE IN EDUCATION 

PRIMARY TOURING SHOW 

‘BRIAN THE CHRISTMAS TREE’ 

CHRISTMAS MAGIC 

The Year 10 Coombeshead Academy 

Theatre in Education company toured 

around local primary schools with the 

production of ‘Brian the Christmas Tree’ 

towards the end of last term. 

They visited Ipplepen, Abbotskerswell, 

Denbury, All Saint’s Marsh, St Michaels, St 

Josephs, Bovey Tracey and Canada Hill 

primary schools between the 8th to 13th 

December. 

This year’s Christmas show was based 

around a group of Christmas trees all eager 

to be chosen for Christmas, apart from Brian 

who really does not want to be a Christmas 

tree at all! The play witnesses the Christmas 

trees trying to encourage Brian that being 

a Christmas tree is the best vocation in the 

world. The piece included lots of music, 

movement and encouraged plenty of 

audience participation. Three students from 

each school joined us on stage for energetic 

renditions of the Macarena for each 

performance. 

The students produced an excellent 

performance containing much humour 

which was received with great enthusiasm 

from their audiences. 

A huge well done to all those involved! 

Meriel Hughes (Drama Teacher) 


CAST COMMENTS 

Megan Badcock: “It was really nice to be involved – 

the end result is heart-warming.” 

Tom Fraser: “I enjoyed taking part in the touring show 

once again. It’s a great opportunity and what fun I had 

taking part.” 

Louise Williams Raahauge: “I loved performing with 

an audience of children and it’s a great opportunity. 

Would love to do it again.” 

Felicity Voice: “I loved performing with an audience of 

children and we all adapted to the different staging 

in each school. I feel the play also helped with our 

confidence. 

Sophie Moore: “It has been beneficial for both us and 

the children as we have made new friends and learnt 

new drama skills and techniques. The children learnt 

important skills in a fun, enjoyable way which they 

won’t forget.” 

Jess Cainey: “I loved performing in front of all the 

children. I think we adapted to the different areas really 

well. I would love to do it again.” 

Talia Powell & Talia Thorne: “I enjoyed interacting with 

the children and being able to multi-role!” 

Lea Brown : “It was really nice to work all together and 

everyone gets on well with each other.” 

Kayley Wales: “I really enjoyed playing three different 

characters and I had a lot of fun doing the dances.” 

Other cast members were: Charlie Baker, Jack Riley, 

James Parnell and Bliss Kessel 

Staff: Meriel Hughes (teacher), Tristan Smith (technician), 

Johanna Regan (SCITT Drama) 

“I just wanted to pass on our thanks to your staff and 

students for a wonderful production of Brian the 

Christmas Tree. Our children really enjoyed it and 

were seen re-enacting it in the playground - obviously 

inspired! All involved had clearly worked hard and 

represented your school brilliantly whilst here. 

We look forward to the next one!” 

Mrs LM Kerswell (Year 5/6 teacher) 

Abbotskerswell Primary School 

"We just wanted to pass on our congratulations 

for a stunning performance of "Brian the 

Christmas Tree". Yet again your students 

surprised us with their confidence, charisma 

and stage presence and it was an absolute 

pleasure to watch all of our children enjoy 

their performance today. 

Thank you for the opportunity and please 

pass on our thanks to all the children and 

staff involved - it was a great boost to all our 

Christmas performances and bought some 

cheer to us all! 

The team at Bovey Tracey Primary School 

"I just wanted to thank your talented students 

for putting on a wonderful performance of 

'Brian the Christmas Tree'. Your students 

captivated the audience both staff and 

children from Foundation all the way to Year 6. 

They did this with such few props, bringing the 

performance to life with their inspiring acting, 

humour and wonderful dance routines and 

singing. Our whole school were lent forward 

engrossed from beginning to end. 

Your staff have done an amazing job! 

I am truly grateful for such a wonderful 

experience for our whole school." 

Jodie Sharman Year 6 teacher 

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

CHARITY 

COMMUNITY OUTREACH 

As part of their charity fund raising, a group of Year 9 students were nominated by their fellow students to represent the year 

group at an event, on two consecutive days in December, at the Homeless in Teignbridge (HITS) food bank, Bradley Lane 

Newton Abbot. 

The students spent a busy morning working together as a group with other HITS volunteers to pack festive food parcels. The 

hampers, which are gratefully received by many local families at this time of the year, were then delivered by HITS in time for 

the festive period. 

Alongside this event, Year 9 had been donating and collecting food to fill their own hampers in the run up to Christmas. 

Head of Year Mrs Marsh said " I am very grateful for and proud of all the hard work and contributions from Year 9 students 

and pleased that the students have demonstrated enthusiasm to become actively involved in such a worthwhile community 

event." 

Headteacher Andy Hulbert was interviewed subsequently on Radio Devon about the Year 9 students' charity drive to help 

those for whom Christmas can be a struggle - the focus being on community spirit. 

28 Aspire Magazine |January 2017

COOMBESHEAD ACADEMY CHAMPION 

SCHOOL STATEMENT 

NCS 

The National Citizen Service(NCS) is the largest and fastest growing youth movement across the UK. 

It enables young people aged 16 & 17 to: 

• meet new people 

• experience new challenges 

• develop key skills 

• make positive contributions to their local community. 

NCS in Devon this year: 

• over 890 young people participated 

• raised over £14,600 for local causes 

• over 28,800 hours completed by young people to support and develop their local community. 

The above would not be possible without the support schools, such as Coombeshead Academy, provide in raising awareness 

about the NCS programme. 

Champion School Status 

• A total of 87 institutes across Devon were eligible to receive this award, and Coombeshead Academy is one of the 34 

nominated and awarded Champion School status. 

• Schools awarded Champion School status is our way of saying thank you to all at Coombeshead Academy for the 

support and encouragement you and your staff provide in enabling young people to find out about and access the 

programme. 

“NCS is an experience you really don't want to miss. If you're 16 to 17 years old, this is your chance to embark on exhilarating 

challenges, make your mark, and build skills for work and life. To find out more, please visit: www.ncsyes.co.uk”. 

Representatives from NCS, Natalie Archer, Sam Dymond and Ollie Bolwell came in to meet the students involved and present 

the school it's award. 

The students involved were from Year 12, Daisy Boyd, James Peck, Naomi Osmond and from Year 13, Maisie Stephens 

Daisy described some of the charity events the group had been involved in. They had raised funds, over £200, through a cake 

sale and sponsored walk in fancy dress, from Newton Abbot to Paignton in the summer. The group were variously dressed as 

Batman, The Joker, an elephant and a tennis player. 

The monies raised went to Rowcroft Hospice and PATH (Plymouth Access to Housing). With the support of the CO-OP, who 

were very helpful, they put together ten self-belief bags containing some essential supplies and notes written by the students. 

Working through Young Devon they also provided blankets for the Hospice. 

Pictured is Head teacher Andrew Hulbert receiving the award on behalf of the students on 14 th December.

MY FIRST TERM 

SO PROUD 

So my first term as a new Head of Year has come to an end 

and what a term it has been. I have had the pleasure of 

welcoming and working with the new Year 7 cohort. 

We began together on the 4th September, the first day for 

Year 7 at Coombeshead Academy. The many nervous and 

worried faces in the morning wore big beaming smiles by the 

end of the day. 

Year 7 have already achieved many amazing things in the 

14 weeks of being at the academy. Everyone has made new 

friends and had the chance to try a variety of different things, 

from the range of clubs available to representing the school 

in Sport and Music, the Give it a Go programme and taking 

part in Careers Day. 

We have been to Camp – an overnight residential at 

Hannahs Seale Hayne, with team building and fun activities, 

not forgetting songs around the camp fire. 

The students have raised £191 during our Charity Day 

supporting Cancer Research Kids and Teens. Amber Beasley 

34 Aspire Magazine |January 2017 

shaved off her hair for charity and raised a further £300 for the 

same charity. 

Some students have become Community representatives for 

their tutor group and will now go on to represent the Year 

group on Student Councils. 

Several students have also been successful in their application 

for the Sport and PE Gifted and Talented Academy and have 

already worked with Olympian Annie Vernon. 

The term finished with the Christmas Celebration Assembly 

where many students won different awards within tutor 

groups for attendance and epraise. 

The special Head of Year Awards went to Rosie Arnold 

and Daniel Branch for their exceptional effort, organisation, 

punctuality and attitude towards school. 

As Head of Year 7 I could not be more proud of the students 

after our first term together and am now looking forward 

to what the rest of the year might hold for us. Well done to 

everyone!

MAISIE WILSON 

Maisie came to Coombeshead from Rydon Primary 

School as she ‘fancied a change’. She already 

knew three girls from her football team WBB Girls so 

although she was the only student from her primary 

school she felt comfortable with that. 

She recalls how important a tour around the school 

with Mr Whiffen in the summer was in helping to 

make her decision about secondary education. 

Maisie is very sporty and besides winter training with 

WBB Girls’ football team, she also plays rugby at 

school. In addition, she belongs to 1st Kingsteignton 

Guides. 

During her first term, the Coombeshead football 

team for whom she also plays, have had some 

great matches, coming third recently in a local 

tournament. 

The best thing so far has been meeting new friends. 

Maisie was Student of the Month for December – 

nominated for hard work and effort; PE is definitely 

her favourite subject. 

Looking ahead Maisie very much enjoys school and 

is looking forward to Enrichment Week next summer. 

OLIVER TAYLOR 

Oliver Taylor started his first term as Student of the 

Month in September for being a good student in 

Camp at Hannahs Seale Hayne and his polite attitude. 

His reason for coming to Coombeshead was largely 

down to his ‘gut feeling’ having visited other local 

schools with his twin brother Thomas. 

Oliver is involved with the 1st Highweek Scouts and is 

a competent guitarist, having just achieved Grade 6. 

Overall, he has had a good term. The teachers are 

nice and friendly, firm but fair! 

Music and Design Technology are favourite subjects, 

the latter taught by Mr Kidwell, who is also his form 

tutor, He has achieved high marks in Science topping 

his group. 

When I first came to Coombeshead Academy I had butterflies. I was really excited and nervous about coming into a brand 

new school, a lot bigger school compared to my old primary school (Decoy Primary School). 

So a week or two went past and I eventually started to comfortably settle in at a nice pace. One day when I was enjoying 

my Music lesson, a woman came through the door and asked if she could borrow me, so I went out and she told me I was 

Student of the Month. 

I felt amazing; I was speechless. It showed me that I had already made a great start to school and that I was exceeding well. 

My hard work was paying off which I was really glad about and my teachers recognised my hard work. I told my teachers I 

was Student of the Month and they said it didn’t really surprise them. 

The nicest comment was from one my Technology teachers, Mrs Horton. 

She said” It doesn’t surprise me because you are polite and keen to learn and your endeavour is great” which I was really 

touched by and happy about. 

It just shows that if you work hard it can pay off and will be noticed by teachers. I have settled in greatly at Coombeshead – 

really well because of nice teachers and a happy atmosphere. 

Oliver Taylor 


MY YEAR GROUP 

ON TRACK FOR SUCCESS 

Year 11 have made a fantastic start to their important year as 

they approach their GCSE examinations. 

The year started with a record number of applications to 

be prefects. Mrs Rogers, Head of Year, Ms Chappell and 

Mr Hulbert, along with Chair of Governors, Lyndsey Yelland, 

interviewed the candidates and appointed Head Girl Alice 

Lentern, Head Boy Ethan Pearce, Deputy Head Girl Maddie 

Stevens and Deputy Head Boy Tyler Joint. 

Thirteen Heads of House were also appointed and a further 

35 students appointed as prefects. These students have 

risen to the challenge and are running lunchtime clubs and 

supporting the Academy in Open Evenings and attending 

Governor’s meetings amongst their duties. 

After that positive start to the year, 50 Year 11 students 

visited Plymouth University for an Open Day. Here they opted 

to attend a selection of different degree course lectures 

ranging from Geography, Illustration, and Marine Biology to 

name but a few. 

To get them in the examination mind frame, Year 11 

recently completed their PPE examinations. These are mock 

examinations taken under the same conditions as the actual 

GCSE examinations this coming summer. 

Students have been helped by their tutors with examination 

revision techniques, writing revision timetables and time 

management. So far, teachers have reported good results 

from Year 11 and are very positive about this summer’s results. 

To support Year 11 students in their path to success this year, 

intervention sessions have begun. Twice a week, in tutor 

36 Aspire Magazine | January 2017 

time, they work together in subject groups on completing/ 

upgrading their work and then graduating from that subject 

to another to really give them the best chance of success. 

In addition to this provision, most subject areas are offering 

catch up sessions after school and at lunchtimes; Year 11 

have embraced this help and support and are very keen to 

excel. 

Thursday 24 th November saw Year 11 and parents and carers 

come in to The Templer 6th @ Coombeshead Open Evening. 

The event started with a presentation by the Sixth Form team 

and Year 12 and 13 students in the Study Café. The best 

attended for several years, there was standing room only 

with the Study Café ‘fit to burst!’ 

Being in Year 11 is all about looking to the future so, in early 

December, students were ‘Year 12 for a Day’ as part of a 

whole school Careers Day. Students selected five Post 16 

taster lessons including Criminology, Psychology, Animal 

Care, Maritime Engineering, Digital Illustration and Sociology 

as well as the choice of subjects they do now in Year 11. 

They used the Study Café, Post 16 teaching rooms and had 

a chance to experience the vibe in the Sixth Form Centre. 

The following week they had a chance to visit the Templer 

6th @ Teign as part of the collaborative arrangements within 

the Trust at Post 16 so that they will be informed and prepared 

if some of their subject choices are taught there. 

Exciting times - go Year 11! 

Mrs Rogers, Head of Year.

NEW STAFF 

NEW FACES IN MATHS 

Curriculum Team Leader Faye Robertson welcomed three 

new member of staff to the Maths department this year. 

Our first impression of Coombeshead Academy was of 

clean, bright, modern buildings with an angry owl plastered 

everywhere. The start was intense; new timetable, new 

systems, learning names, but most difficult of all was 

getting used to being the new teacher again after years 

of familiarity. 

It has been challenging but fun to meet some of the 

characters at Combeshead along the way. The other main 

impression though is the huge positivity and support that 

we have received from everyone - from the Headteacher 

to the cleaners. Everyone has made us feel very welcome. 

Our highlights from the first term: 

• Christmas lights in the staffroom in November 

• Year 7 Camp; it was really rewarding to see my ‘quiet’ 

tutor group coming out of their shells and take part 

in various activities including Laser tag and building 

camp fires 

• Mr Rose in the reward points bidding assembly 

desperately trying to get Year 10 interested in a red 

bike horn 

• Borrowing Mr Balsdon’s football boots, twice, and a tie 

once… for a Leeds fan he only has red ties? Secret 

LFC supporter! 

• Playing keyboard in the first rehearsal for High School 

Musical 

• Taking twelve Year 10 students on an eight hour round 

trip to Warwick to watch the amazing Ben Sparks and 

others 

• Rocking to the Beatles on the way to the Maths 

Masterclass in Plymouth 

• The Year 10 Business day, watching their faces light up 

when they realised that being on social media was 

actually being encouraged 

• The amazing food – Brazilian spinach and chicken 

curry! 

32 Aspire Magazine |January 2017

Coombeshead Academy 

Coombeshead Academy: Coombeshead Road, Newton Abbot, TQ12 1PT 

Tel: 01626 201800. email: welcome@coombeshead.com 

www.coombeshead.com 

www.educationsouthwest.org.uk

Coombeshead Academy Aspire Spring 2017

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