News & Events

On Friday 28th November Mrs Doyle and Mrs Blackmore took 50 year 8 pupils to Plymouth to have a fun filled session with the Plymouth Raiders team. We arrived at Pavilions and didn’t waste any time as we were straight on court for a high quality training session with the Raiders’ coaches and players. Pretty quickly we were developing our basketball skills and and getting put through our paces physically.

After the training session we went to the media room where we awaited the Raiders team. The question and answer session went far too quickly as we still had lots of questions. However, the players needed to get back on court to prepare for their game. No time to stop as 54 pizzas, 54 cookies and ice cream and 54 cans had to be handed out and then eaten before the game!!!

Back on court side to watch the very exciting and close game against Manchester Giants. The Raiders mascot Foxy kept us entertained, as did the cheerleaders – at times the teachers thought they were at a party and not a basketball game; The atmosphere was amazing. Sadly, Raiders lost the game but this was soon forgotten when we were all back on court collecting selfies and autographs.

A great time with a really great group of students!

Mrs Doyle

This weekend Emily Morley, aged 15, in Year 11, went to Saltash in Cornwall to compete in the Final League Championship event for U18 Karate black belts.  Emily was the youngest competitor and the only female. She had a great event, taking on all the older male competitors and came away with a gold and silver medal.

Congratulations Emily! What a success!

On Tuesday 25th November over 300 pupils from local primary schools joined us at Tavistock College to watch an exciting and engaging show called ‘Fire and Ice’ presented by the Science department.

Mr Smith and Mr Allen gave pupils the chance to see first-hand what happens when you cool a banana to -196 degrees Celsius and at what speed you can launch a methane rocket.

The show consisted of 2 parts: ice and fire. Pupils were shocked and excited to see a range of experiments which used liquid nitrogen, a very cold chemical, to freeze flowers, tennis balls and rubber – they could then be shattered with a hammer! Pupils even had the chance to eat quick-frozen ice cream: chocolate milk mixed with the liquid nitrogen.

The liquid nitrogen boiled at room temperature, giving the stage and audience a spooky feel.

Then came the fire – Mr Smith demonstrated what happens when metals burn in oxygen and this was followed with demonstrations of burning ethanol, coloured metal solutions and the Thermit reaction – so hot it can melt through cars!

Just when the audience thought they had seen enough, the duo went on to burn sweets – making jelly babies scream and angel delight fireballs!

The finale of the show was the most shocking and loud! Pupils made sure they covered their ears as Mr Smith lit balloons filled with hydrogen – a very explosive gas, followed with the pair firing rockets filled with methane.

By the end of the show all pupils were in agreement that they had had a great time, but also learnt some things about Science and reactions. Here’s to another great show next year!