Academy Trust
Achievement for all
We cannot cover all the activities at the College but on this and the archive pages we give you a flavour of the range of things that the students and staff have been involved in at the College.
Consult the page below and term menu right.
Students Have Afternoon Tea at
Downing Street
As part of the BBC School Report Day, 10 students interviewed Alistair Darling on the Recession at Number 11 Downing Street. The students questioned the current Chancellor of the Exchequer on matters such as recession, unemployment and redundancy. As well as this the students got a tour of Downing Street and had lunch there. It turned out to be a truly memorable day.
Grease Spectacular
A spectacular production of Grease at the College left audiences shouting for more. A stunning showcase of great talent made sure it was a production to remember.
The cast was over 50 strong with Regan Meadowcroft and Holly Quilter reprising the roles of the famous lovebirds Danny and Sandy. The production was full of high energy performances and great musical numbers backed by some superb student musicians.
Mrs Wright, Head of Drama Department said, "It's fantastic to hear the crowds leaving singing the songs of the show. The students have worked really hard in the time scale they had for this production. So many people have been involved but i must give particular thanks toall those backstage who made the show possible and the musicians who were fabulous."
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Russian Dance and Accordion Group Concert
Two visiting Russian ensembles visited the College to perform at a group concert. The two visiting groups were the Yaroslavl Dans-Capella (dance company and choreography ensemble led by Lyubov Smirnova and Maria Drabovskaya) and the Yaroslavichi Bayan and Accordian Orchestra (conducted by Vladimir Druzhkov).
The visiting groups were guests of the Exeter Children’s Orchestra, who previously had visited Yaroslavl in July 2010, which includes several students from the College. The link between the orchestra and Yaroslavl has been in existence since 1990 when the orchestra first visited Yaroslavl, which included our very own Mr Turner, who attended this visit as a student member of the orchestra.
200 people filled the Main Hall to watch the high standard of music and dance performed. Mr Turner and Julian Ashwin (Year 13) performed three pieces in the concert on the Balalaikas, one of which was accompanied by the conductor of the Accordion Group and the final piece involving many Russian musicians performing a well know Russian folk song ‘The Cresent Moon is Shining’.
Mr Turner presented the group leader, Olga Sokolova - Head of School Number One in Yaroslavl, with a Dartington Crystal paperweight as a memento of their visit to the College.
NFL Superstar Cecil Martin Inspires Students
Former NFL Player, Cecil Martin, visited the College to inspire our students to achieve their full potential. The former Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers player spent the whole day at the College visiting various groups of students.
INSPIRING YOUNG ATHLETES
Cecil visited GCSE PE students to give them advice on becoming athletes and
what it was like for himself at their age. The class then were able to ask Cecil questions on his career, playing style, training regime and memorable moments. One student asked; “What was the hardest ‘hit’ you ever took?”
Mr Thompson, Head of PE, asked; “Could you tell us what a normal daily regime is like for an American Footballer?”
DOWN TO BUSINESS
Cecil also took time out to visit an As Level Business Studies Class.
He talked to the class about starting a business and what qualities you
need to take into account when starting or joining a business.
He also spoke about how important an intangible asset to a company is.
WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE!
Before breaking for Lunch Cecil had time to drop by Miss Draper’s English Class who are currently studying American Football as part of their non-fiction work. The students had a series of questions for Cecil who answered them in his charismatic and enthusiastic way.
THE RAPTORS
“What are we having? FUN!”
“How do we play? HARD!”
After a well earned lunch break Cecil took to the field as he coached the Exmouth Raptors alongside Coach Rooksby. Cecil firstly put the kitted team though a gruelling fitness warm-up followed by a contact 4 v 4 game.
After a couple of interviews with local press Cecil took to the field once more with some of the younger Raptors in a game of ‘Flag Football’.
COACHES COMMENT
“It’s been an honour and delight to have someone of Cecil’s calibre here at the College. The students have learnt so much from their day with him. The slogan of the Olympics was to ‘inspire a generation’ and this seems exactly what Cecil has done here today. I wish to thank Cecil for giving up his time and on behalf of the College I wish to thank him.” Coach Rooksby.
POST-16 ASSEMBLY
“Is today a good day or a great day?”
Cecil started his day at the Post-16 Assembly where he gave an inspiring and heart felt speech to a packed Telfer Centre.
The talk, based on motivation and academic success, focused on achieving potential and reaching for your goal.
Cecil reiterated how he succeeded in becoming a professional American Footballer and also how he graduated from the College of Wisconsin.
He told the students of his three key ethics which are, hard work, focus and perseverance.
“He made me sit up, wake up and realise what I can achieve.” said one student.
“I was inspired myself.” Mr Brown, Head of Computing.
Dancers from Motionhouse Dance Company came to Exmouth Community College to work with our GCSE and A Level Dancers alongside trainee teachers from Exeter University on Friday 12th October. It was a highly creative and physically challenging day for all, and the results were fantastic. All the pupils were motivated and have learned some repertoire from the company's professional work 'Perfect'. This will support their future practical work in the lead up to their performance exams. The day was the first collaboration between Exmouth Community College and students on the Exeter University PGCE course. Giorgio, from Motionhouse, said, "It's been very inspiring to see so much talent, focus and commitment to dance as an art form from so many young dancers."
Motionhouse Dance Company work with College Dancers
Judo Star & Sky Sports Mentor Tom Reed inspires students
Tom spent one hour working on the theory side of being a young leader and talking to the group about his career and future Olympic goals. Tom did a practical session working on team skills and then taught the students some very special Judo moves.
The final session was spent with a year 8 group and Tom focussed on building confidence and social skills.
Tom said, “The students of Exmouth Community College were a real pleasure to work with. I want to help make the students I meet become enthusiastic and passionate about sport and encourage them to perhaps try more unusual sports such as judo that are not on the school curriculum. I hope my own story of transforming from a child who wasn’t interested in sport into a member of Team GB will resonate with the students I meet and help them understand that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.”
On Monday the 5th of November Sky Sports mentor Tom Reed (current UK Judo champion and in top 10 in Europe) visited the College to work with the year 9 Leadership Group. These students were selected by PE staff and will go on to lead primary school activities
later in the year.
Art Adventurers Return Safe and Sound: mission achieved!
Mrs Honour and Mrs Carter accompanied students to New York at Half Term to view the great art on display in the city. However, they were confronted with hurricane Sandy which caused devastation to the eastern seaboard of the United States and massive flood damage to parts of the city of New York! Much of the city was without power and parts of it were severely damaged by the wind with thousands made homeless. Despite this, the group returned safely on Thursday last week after what can only be described as an eventful trip!
Mr Alexander said, “I would like to thank Mrs Carter and Mrs Honour for their outstanding leadership during a difficult time. Their example was an inspiration to the students whose behaviour and attitude were a great credit to them. I am very proud of all of them. I would also like to particularly thank Mr Honour for his excellent co-ordination of events; my secretary Mrs Proctor for giving up so much of her holiday and Mr Powis for his work on the website during this period.”
Another Adventure:
Marrakech & Mountains
Twelve students, accompanied by Mr Stanier and Mrs Sharland, visited Morocco during October half term to experience a different culture and to develop trekking skills. The group travelled out of the tourist capital, Marrakech, over the High Atlas mountains and south to the Jebel Sahro range. The group took a five day trek through the range led by Mohammed, an experienced Moroccan mountain guide, and accompanied by a mule team. The group took the opportunity to get involved in all of the camp tasks and formed a strong relationship with the Berber staff giving them an authentic insight into a very different way of life. The challenging trek took in some steep mountain terrain but it was with a great sense of achievement that the group descended from the peaks on the fifth day.
The mountain experience was enhanced by a stay in a "Gite D'etape" in a remote village in the High Atlas where the group received a traditional welcome, complete with hammam (traditional steam bath) and henna designs, from a local family.
Two days in Marrakech to end the trip provided a real culture shock but the group all enjoyed haggling in the souks and experiencing the bustle of the city by night.
The group were highly praised by the in-country staff for their help and involvement and they impressed UK guide, Tim Harrop, with their outstanding leadership skills. Mr Stanier said, "The group were a credit to the College.
“Some of the skills they developed and displayed will be valuable to them in the future. I hope the trip has encouraged the students to think about travelling more responsibly and the value that can be gained from grasping new and challenging experiences with enthusiasm."
Several students took the opportunity to develop their learning skills by spending a day at Hawkridge Bird of Prey centre. The students explored the world of the birds from preparing their food to learning how to fly the birds. Falconry skills were developed and by the end of the day were competent in dealing with the birds on their own.
Birds of Prey Make for a Memorable Day
Two of our work experience students who are studying the LANTRA qualification in Falconry showed the group how to care for the birds during flight and how to handle them safely. Our thanks go to Hawkridge owners Richard and Sharon for a wonderful day which will certainly be one of those experiences in life you never forget.
See a selection of special items below or select from the menu. Visit the Photo Gallery
