Exeter Road 01626 774091 Mill Lane 01626 772320

Teignmouth Community School Newsletter October 2012 edition

www.teignmouth.devon.sch.uk

On 2 October the Catering training kitchen at Teignmouth

Community School, which has already benefitted a large

number of students, was officially opened by Michael

Caines MBE whose career has led him to be trained and

work alongside some of the most renowned chefs. Michael

was born and grew up in Exeter and remains very much the

local boy with business interests in Exeter, Bristol as well as

other parts of the country, and has achieved 2 Michelin

stars along the way.

During his visit Michael met and talked to all the catering

students and immediately put them at their ease. They

were preparing canapés for the guests and the menu

included some mouth-watering delights: Moroccan

Chicken kebabs, Venison burger, Spinach & Ricotta pin

wheels, Empadillas, Champagne Jelly and Chocolate

truffles.

Michael addressed students and guests from the local

community in the school‟s Arts Centre talking about how his

career and business interests have developed, some

through very difficult times, and encouraged all the

students to study hard to achieve their goals.

The development of a truly amazing training kitchen, led by

Catering teacher Doug Rayment, has put Catering at TCS

on the map. Many students have benefitted from the

facility and several have just become full time students at

the Michael Caines Academy in Exeter, with more students

this year hoping to follow. As a direct result of the facilities,

and staff firing the enthusiasm of school students, some

have been offered work placements, mentoring

opportunities and possible apprenticeships at local top

restaurants and hotels.

School Principal Tony Gray said: “I am delighted that

catering training at our school has become so successful.

With the leadership of Doug Rayment, who has

considerable experience in the catering industry, we have

achieved a unique facility which we are sure will help many

future top chefs start their catering careers as well as

improving life skills to promote good health.”

Top Chef Opens Catering Suite

2 www.teignmouth.devon.sch.uk

It was an interesting if frustrating start to the year with the debacle of the

English GCSE results affecting the expected results of over 45,000 students

across the country. Here the numbers of students whose grades which were

adversely affected appears to have been about 40 with nearly half of these

achieving a grade D instead of a grade C. Grade boundaries were changed

by the examination boards just two weeks before the publication of results,

hugely favouring those who took the exam in January rather than June.

Like many Headteachers and governors I have written in protest to the

boards and Ofqual but as yet there is no indication that the original

boundaries will be restored. The outcome of a legal challenge is eagerly

awaited. However, despite this setback GCSE results remained high; 98%

gained 5A*-C with 58% including English and Maths and the value added to

each student amongst the top 10 schools in the South West. At A level

outstanding results led to one of the highest entries to Higher Education for

many years, despite the introduction of tuition fees this year. The range of

courses they have been accepted for ranges from Politics at Bristol, Medicine

at Peninsular and Sports Science at Gloucester. I would like to take this

opportunity to congratulate them and their families and wish them all the

very best in the future.

Perhaps the most exciting developments of the Year so far have been the

formal opening of the new catering facility and the start of the Exeter City

Football Academy. In early October Michael Caines, MBE opened the

catering facility and gave an invited audience of local businesses, directors

and students an inspirational address charting his meteoric rise and how he

overcame setbacks along the way. The positivity he displayed and his

powerful message of aspiration and determination will be remembered for a

long time by all present. At the same time, the newly formed Exeter City

Academy team have been learning that the standard of football necessary to

compete against Chelsea, Watford, Tottenham and Birmingham City requires

similar qualities as those Michael was describing. So far they have yet to

record their first victory but look magnificent in their Exeter City kit.

I am very pleased to report that the new Year 7 students have settled in

well, perhaps a result of their early entry into the school in July, rather than

September. This development has been thoroughly reviewed this year with

parents, students and staff at this school and feeder schools being asked for

their opinion of the early transition. The response has been overwhelmingly

positive, although two primary schools have pointed to problems they face

with children who are going to schools other than Teignmouth Community

School. These comments will be addressed in the next round of transition in

2013.

TERM DATES

AUTUMN TERM 2012:

Half Term 29 Oct-2 Nov

Term Ends 20 December

Review Day 21 December

SPRING TERM 2013

Non-student Day 7 January

Term Starts 8 January

Half Term 18-22 Feb

Term Ends 27 March

Review Day 28 March

SUMMER TERM 2013

Term Starts 15 April

Non-student Day 19 April

May Day 6 May

Half Term 27-31 May

Review Day 27 June

Non-student Day 28 June

Term Ends 23 July

CONCERTS & EVENTS

Sixth Form Open Evening in Arts Centre

6-8pm Thu 15 Nov

Year 7 Mathematics Parents‟ Workshop

3.30-5pm Tue 20 Nov

GCSE Awards Evening

7-9pm Thu 22 Nov

Exeter Road Christmas Concert in Arts

Centre 7-9pm Wed 12 Dec

Mill Lane Christmas Concert in Arts Centre

7-8pm Thu 13 Dec

BTEC Music Showcase

7-8pm Tue 18 Dec

from the Principal

Mr A P Gray BA Hons, MEd

Community Readers Wanted

at Mill Lane!

Do you love reading?

Are you passionate about helping young people in Teignmouth?

If so, come and help us to give our young people

the best chance of success by reading with them in school.

For further details contact:

Tessa.masterman@teignmouth.devon.sch.uk

3 Exeter Road 01626 774091 Mill Lane 01626 772320

Parent Director Vacancy

Football

The newly formed Exeter City Academy is now well established at Teignmouth Community School, with a few matches

played. The team played host to Oxford United which was the first of many fixtures to be played against professional clubs

including Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Birmingham City.

The game began at a frantic pace with both teams working hard to take control. As the 1st half settled down, the home

team began to gain the upper hand with the dominant Frank Hayden in defence and Jonny Duringer in midfield, edging the

physical battle, they started to show some good touches when in possession, with neat interplay between Duringer, Joe

Jordan and Billy Leymen. Harry Gorton who was playing in a wide left forward position, was a constant threat with his pace

and power. Despite our team‟s dominance, Oxford remained a threat on the break with their powerful front man that

troubled the home team‟s centre half partnership of Hayden and Josh Burfitt.

The breakthrough for our team came in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Our hard working skipper Jake Ramday

received the ball with his back to goal with an Oxford defender in close attendance. With close control and quick movement,

he twisted and turned to find himself in space inside the penalty area. Ramday fired the ball across the goal which the

keeper parried only for Gorton to be on hand to tap in the rebound. The goal certainly inspired Oxford to work hard, and as

the second half progressed Oxford gained more possession and forced the local team back-line to retreat further towards

their own goal. Our team‟s back four, and in particular Frank Hayden, defended heroically, working hard to keep Oxford at

bay. The constant pressure looked likely to pay off for Oxford, and on the 86th minute the equaliser finally came. A deep

ball in from the left was headed into the back of the net by an Oxford United centre half who had been moved forward in an

attempt to get something from the game, a move that paid off well for the Oxford United

management team.

The game finished 1v1 and the spoils where shared. Overall team manager and programme leader

Dean Coppard was full of praise for his team‟s performance if not the result; “The players worked

very hard and at times played some nice football. There are things to develop but it‟s a long

season and a long two years. With the staff and facilities we have available, the players will

certainly be given every opportunity to become better footballers both tactically and technically” .

After four years in post as both a school Governor for Teignmouth Community College and then a Director for Teignmouth

Community School, Patricia Sandford has resigned following a successful application for a teaching position outside the

county.

Andrew Flanagan, the parent of a Year 7 student has recently contacted the board and expressed an interest to stand.

Andrew is a chartered accountant with KPMG in Exeter and he has previously been a Governor at Cockwood Primary school.

If any other parent would like to apply for the vacancy, please contact:

Manda Stone, Clerk to Directors, on 01626 774091 or manda.stone@teignmouth.devon.sch.uk by Friday 9 November and

supply a brief CV to accompany the application. You will be invited to meet with Martyn Cox, our Chair of Directors, and he

will talk you through the requirements of the post. We will then hold an election and results will be published via the

student mail system.

4 www.teignmouth.devon.sch.uk

An Illustrious Training Day

Students from both TCS Exeter Road & Mill Lane were part of a large number

of cadets from TS Canonteign who undertook seamanship training with the

Royal Navy on board HMS Illustrious at Portsmouth during the summer

break. The star of the day who performed brilliantly for his age was Robert

Sear (a Mill Lane student) who shone at all tasks

The Cadets took part in a number of tasks which related to the theme of

safety at sea, these included firefighting, damage control, the use of

immersion suits and life rafts, first aid and humanitarian assistance. The day

also included a full tour of the ship, a fun tug of war on the flight deck and

lunch in the aircraft hanger.

The Officer in Charge of TS Canonteign, Royal Navy Warrant Officer 1st Class

Ian Hurst said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for our Cadets to get a real

taste of Royal Navy training and life on a British warship: you only had to

look at the smiles on the faces of those taking part to know what a success

the day was. Our thanks go to all the crew involved and particularly Lieutenant Lee Godwin Royal Navy, our ship liaison

Officer for arranging for our Cadets to attend.”

If you are interested in joining as a Cadet or Adult Instructor contact Ian Hurst on 07951944675.

Work Experience Launch Evening – Thu 25 October 2012

In order to help raise money for Ten Tors training this year, a charity letterbox walk has been put out on Dartmoor for the

general public to enjoy. Called „TCS Personalities‟, each of the 18 boxes includes rubber stamps that are hand-carved

caricatures of staff members.

For just £2.50, this is a cheap day out for the whole family and will take you around an interesting and picturesque area of

Dartmoor. The fundraising will also help us to provide the training necessary for Ten Tors to continue it‟s success of

previous years. To take part you will need Clue sheets which are available on ParentPay for £2.50 – pupils can collect the

sheets, maps and starter stamp to take home.

Adam Horne who has organised the walk explains: “I‟ve been an avid letterboxer since I was a child; it really is a great way

to get out in the countryside and adds an extra dimension to simply walking. All people need for this walk is appropriate

clothing, a compass, an ink pad and cards/book to take the stamps (a map is provided with the clue sheet). I‟ve designed

the walk to be family friendly – my parents have completed the route and they‟re in their late sixties so it‟s accessible to all

ages.”

For further details, contact Adam Horne at: adam.horne@teignmouth.devon.sch.uk. The walk is available from the end of

October until the end of February.

Charity Dartmoor Letterbox Walk for Ten Tors

Work Experience launch evening for Year 10 students and parents is on

Thursday 25 October in the Auditorium, at 7pm.

During the evening, families will hear from a group of last year‟s students

about „How it was for us‟, and there will be the opportunity to talk to em-

ployers to gain more information about the placements that could be on

offer.

A pack of really useful information about work experience will be given to

each student on the evening, and posted to those who do not attend.

Although work experience week is not until 1-5 July 2013, early planning is essential to ensure a placement is available that

is of interest to each student.

5 Exeter Road 01626 774091 Mill Lane 01626 772320

Pirates in Smugglers Cove

Miss Sampson took a

group of Year 1 and 2

children from Mill Lane

on a trip to Smuggler‟s

Cove in Shaldon, as

part their study for

their Pirates topic.

They listened to and

told pirate stories,

looked at the history

of Smuggler's Cove,

sketched some of the

scenery, took a ferry ride and discussed all of the different senses they were using on the beach to help them write a story

with a familiar setting when they got back to school.

Roald Dahl Dress-up Day at Mill Lane

A few weeks ago Mill Lane held a Roald Dahl dress-up day with all the children

encouraged to come to school dressed as a character from a Roald Dahl book.

The characters

included The BFG,

Matilda, Willy

Wonka, James

from James and

the Giant Peach

and The Witches.

During the day

t h e c h i l d r en

learned about the

author and heard

some of his

stories.

Work Experience Opportunities

A wide variety of opportunities to suit all interests

6 www.teignmouth.devon.sch.uk

Parent Pay Update

A reminder that the online Parent Pay service is up and running for dinner money, trips and school

uniform.

If you have not yet registered at www.parentpay.com and require a login and password then please

contact the school Finance Office. Once set up you are able to top-up your child‟s dinner money

account and view their food purchases. Extra payment options are added as trips for your child become available.

A link to the online uniform shop is also accessible via Parent Pay or direct from the TCS website.

Please also contact the Finance Office if you wish to set a daily dinner money spending limit for your child.

Book Buzz

There has been a real buzz

around the library recently as

our current Year 7 students

h a v e b een g i v en t h e

opportunity to choose their own book to keep from a list of 17

titles suitable for 11 year olds.

BOOK BUZZ is a new scheme that schools can buy into which

replaces the popular national scheme BOOKED UP which ran

successfully for 5 years.

The new scheme has been bought into by TCS because both the

English Department and Library Staff feel strongly that it helps

us to develop a whole school reading culture as it encourages

reading for pleasure, and independent book choice. It also

provides an opportunity for parents to discuss the selection prior

to children making up their own minds about which book they

want.

It will be lovely to see the excitement and enthusiasm that BOOK

BUZZ generates, continue for this group of Year 7‟s when the

books arrive later in the Autumn Term.

CAL Gardeners

A small group of CAL students have helped to

rejuvenate a patch of land with the intention to turn it

into a horticulture and green woodworking area, for

the students in CAL to then use.

The students have worked hard to achieve a lot in a

short amount of time, and extra credit must go to

them for helping to design the area.

The same group of students has helped to start clearing an area up at „The Nest‟. Small but important progress has been

made through pruning back brambles and putting in a fence.

Thanks to a generous donation of

Lavender plants from Jack‟s Patch

Garden Centre in Bishopsteignton,

students have also planted some of

these in a new bed on the Principal‟s Lawn with the rest to be

planted in CAL‟s horticultural plot.

7 Exeter Road 01626 774091 Mill Lane 01626 772320

Bronze Medal at the Robot Olympics

At the end of last term, students from both the Mill Lane and Exeter

Road took part in the Robot Olympics at Callington College, the

students from Mill Lane had a little training over the weeks leading

up to the event, but unfortunately due to the fire in the Tech

department they hadn‟t used the equipment for some time.

They all entered into the spirit of the day and took part in a range

of activities including archery and the 400 metres and all involved

took part encompassing the spirit of the games, with our students

taking home a bronze medal.

Life Saving ‘Nippers’ gain medals

Over the summer a small group of our students have been learning life saving skills and about beach safety with the Dawlish

Warren Life Saving Club „Nippers‟, where they have each achieved different levels of qualifications.

The club teams of Nippers went to Portreath in Cornwall for the SLSGB National Nipper Championships and also to

Woolacombe to take part in the David Smith Memorial Nipper Carnival. The Nippers had great fun at both events and are

looking forward to taking part in even more next year. The students and their achieved levels at beach safety are:

Cameron Dann 9JIH – level 3 Frankie Dart 7LW – level 3 Jack Morgan-Richards 7KEM – level 3

Jordan Hellier 7KEM – level 3 Immogen Creasor 7NXF – level 2

These students will also be awarded some merit points for contribution out of school.

Our Nippers have been supported by a great group of volunteers from Dawlish Warren life Saving Club which includes

Joseph Jones in 11CES who has given up lots of his time to support them as well as being a member of the Youths Life

Saving Club himself. He was given a volunteers award at the Nippers presentation and has achieved numerous other awards

over the summer.

Pictures courtesy of Pinnacle Photography Ltd

8 www.teignmouth.devon.sch.uk

Sixth Form Enrichment Activities

Sixth Form Enrichment was quite spectacular last year with over 40

students achieving a gold Achievement Award for completing their

Enrichment Programme, achieving excellent attendance and

submitting their paperwork. This year the programme is even bigger

and better giving students opportunities to enrich their lives by

undertaking Voluntary Work, Employability Skills, Life Skills and a

Fundraising Team Event over the course of the year.

Life Skills include Self Defence, Getting Fit in the new school gym,

learning how to sign for the deaf, Yoga and Relaxation to help with

concentration and stresses of sixth form life, Practical Skills,

Apprentice-style Team Working and Cooking at the Alice Cross

Centre. There will also be a one-off chance to design and create a

large mosaic for The Cave at Eastcliff, working with local artist

Michelle Greenwood-Brown.

Students have a choice of different types of Voluntary Work from

helping in charity shops, helping the older generation get on line,

assisting teachers, working in pre-schools, and helping at

organisations such as Shaldon Zoo, Catteries and Drop in centres.

The Team Event is an opportunity for form groups to raise funds for a

local charity and learn how to work as a team to achieve the best

result. Last year 6KW raised over £1000 for Make a Wish and 6SEA

over £500 for Help the Heroes.

Employability is new this year aiming to get students ready for work;

they will be creating or updating CVs, generating letters of

application, learning how to apply for jobs and develop interview

skills, including a mock interview for each student.

Enrichment is invaluable to students to help with broadening

knowledge, skills, help with confidence and self-worth especially when

meeting new people who are not connected with school and family.

The experiences have helped students writing CVs, attending

interviews and applying to universities.

We are grateful to all the people involved in helping make this a great

success to include the local charities and tutors bought in to deliver

the sessions. The enrichment programme has made a big impact on

Teignmouth by students working with the community and the

community working with our students.

South Devon Schools

Boys Rugby

Under 13 Rugby 7s

Teignmouth remained unbeaten throughout

the tournament apart from conceding one

debatable try against Newton Abbot. This

lead to Teignmouth and Newton Abbot being

tied at the top with 17 points, forcing the

placings to be decided on tries scored. Final

Standings:

1 – Newton Abbot (17)

2 – Teignmouth (17)

3 – Coombeshead (13)

4 – Dawlish

5 – KEVICC

6 – Paignton

7 - Westlands

Highest points scorer: Jordan Willey 28

Under 14 Rugby 10s

Cup finishing positions:

1 - Coombeshead

2 - TBGS

3 - Teignmouth

4 - KEVICC

5 - Kingsbridge

6 - Brixham

Highest point scorer:

Jason Jervis 22 points

Won 2 Drew 1 Lost 2

Under 16 Rugby 10s

Cup finishing positions:

1 - Teignmouth

2 - Coombeshead

3 - Torquay Boys Grammar

4 - Teign

5 - Trinity

Highest point scorer:

Joe Simmonds 31 points

Won 3 Lost 1