Plympton Academy R E V I E W SUMMER EDITION 2019 Mayflower Artist Workshops Students join preparations for next years commerations FIND MORE EXCITING NEWS INSIDE! Message from the Principal s we head towards the summer recess this edition of our Review once again STUDENTS highlights for me just how busy all of our students are. CELEBRATE AFrom recycling batteries and learning about global issues in geography to remembering D-Day and visiting Cambridge for a Hidden END OF YEAR Histories residential in history or taking part in the preparations for Mayflower 400 in art, the WITH PROM - students (and staff) have been busier than ever over the past term. As with every year the final half term is a With the exam season finished for another time to say goodbye to another Year 11 year we have said fond farewells to our Year group. 13 students and to some of our Year 11 With some students going on to either students who are not returning to our Sixth college or apprenticeships, but with the Form. We wish all of them the brightest of majority staying with us to study with us futures and look forward to celebrating with in the 6th Form, it has been a challenging them on results day in August. year for them and so many have shown I wish all of our students a well-earned great resilience and worked hard towards rest over the summer recess and look forward their exams. They have earned their to welcoming them back on 4th September extended holiday and they started this by (Year 7 and Year 12) and on 5th September celebrating Prom which is always one of (all year groups).■ the highlights of the academic year. They Lisa Boorman, Principal arrived in style, with some coming in Plympton Academy sports cars, limos and even a tank. Moorland Road ‘From recycling batteries and We are extremely proud of this group Plympton of young adults and wish them all the best Plymouth learning about global issues in in the future. PL7 2RS ■ geography to remembering Mr Yates, Head of Year 11 telephone - 01752 338373 D-Day, the students (and email - [email protected] ‘We are extremely proud website - www.plympton.academy staff) have been busier than ever over the past term’ of this group of young adults and wish them all the best in the future’ Plympton Academy R E V I E W | 3 Plympton Academy Update New Build Update Full demolition now all but complete s you can see from the ‘Staff who will be moving standard school design, the specific needs of (picture below) BAM the Academy are met if at all possible within contractors have all but into the new block and into government funding constraints. finished demolishing the specialist rooms have recently We should start to see the new building older sections of the visited a very similar school emerge from the ground over the summer AAcademy estate. Work has been delayed by recess.■ the discovery of buried asbestos on the site in Illfracombe built under the within the old art block (now fully removed) same Priority Schools Build YEAR 13 LEAVERS - and the need to wait for birds to flee a nest in Plympton Academy said farewell to the Year one of the buildings, but the full demolition is Programme scheme to look 13 students on 20th June which coincided now all but complete. at similar rooms and start to with the last exam. The delays had put the scheme behind by plan’ Students were welcomed back by 10 weeks, but work has been re-programmed their teachers for a BBQ to celebrate their and BAM advise that the delivery date for successes and share stories about their the new main Academy building is back on Programme scheme to look at similar rooms aspirations. track and that the building will be available to and start to plan. Katie Kerr, the Assistant Principal with us from September 2020 (handover due in The Principal, Business Director and Site Responsibility for the 6th Form said, “I am so August 2020). Manager meet monthly with the government proud of the students for all the work they Staff who will be moving into the new department funding the scheme (the ESFA) have put in towards their exams. All there is to block and into specialist rooms have recently and contractor BAM for progress reports do now is to ensure they enjoy their summer visited a very similar school in Illfracombe and to discuss building layout and finish whilst getting ready for their next steps. We built under the same Priority Schools Build details to try and ensure that, whilst this is a look forward to seeing them on results day.”■ 4 | Plympton Academy R E V I E W Plympton Academy Update Plympton BATTERIES FOR Academy Friends RECYCLING - Staff and students at Plympton Academy are celebrating their first collection of Donation supports cost of newest batteries for recycling. The school only started collecting old Academy minibus batteries in February, but have already submitted 7kgs for recycling! The school now hosts a used battery collection point Plympton Academy is delighted to have Alan Hocking. Thank you to all members of for the recycling company Valpak. received a donation of £5,000 from Plympton the Parent Teacher's Association for your hard Joshua Tucker said, “We collected a Academy Friends (formerly the Parent Teacher work in raising this sum to support the cost of lot of batteries and are hoping to collect Association) to support the cost of the newest the minibus. even more this time. People can bring Plympton Academy minibus (obtained on The current Parent Teacher Association batteries into the school reception to help contract hire from October 2018). (PTA) committee is very keen to involve more us recycle. It is important we all do our bit The minibus is used to support our daily parents in the work of the PTA in supporting to help the planet.” minibus service bringing students in from the school. A meeting with parents, to Thomas Rios Willis said, “We should around the city, but is also used extensively for explain the work of the PTA and to try and recycle the batteries because otherwise trips and visits and for sporting fixtures. This involve more individual parents, is planned they will just go into landfill and can cause very welcome donation will help pay for the for September with a provisional date of 19th serious pollution. Batteries contain lots of lease/hire costs for the coming year. September at 5pm in the Morpurgo Studios toxic chemicals so need to be recycled The (picture below) shows current PTA theatre. properly.” Chairman, Jason Brockman, presenting a Please try and come along if you would Teacher Martin Edmonds said, cheque to Plympton Academy site manager, like to get more involved with the Academy.■ “Plympton Academy is committed to supporting our students to help the environment. As well as recycling batteries we are trying to reduce the amount of plastic we use and students have planted a number of trees around the school site.”■ A WELCOMED DONATION: Jason Brockman, PTA Chairman, presenting cheque to Alan Hocking, Plympton Academy Site Manager Plympton Academy R E V I E W | 5 Year Groups Coppafeel! Year 9 students attend event hosted by fantastic charity uring our Semester 3 Week ‘Sarah passionately explained we can support Coppafeel in the future.■ 10, Year 9 were lucky Mrs Turner, Head of Year 9 enough to attend an event her story to us, to help us hosted by the fantastic understand how important it YEAR 10 ASPIRATIONS DAY - charity Coppafeel. Our is for both men and women, On 26th June, Year 10 took part in an Dhost was Sarah a 'Boobette' from Somerset. aspirational look to the future day. Activities Sarah explained to us the history of the charity girls and boys to check their ranged from post 16 taster lessons, guest Coppafeel and its founder Kristin Hallenga, boobs or pecks regularly’ presentations from a wide range of speakers and how Sarah became involved in the charity. including the military, City College and Sarah is a volunteer and talked us through to remind us what we need to do, and to apprenticeships specialists. Some students her own very personal and moving story of help us spread the word about regular self- took part in a tour of City College and others how she had been diagnosed with breast examination. We were then introduced to the were involved in offsite team building activities. cancer at a very young age. Sarah discussed work of local volunteers and fundraisers and The students really engaged with the day and her journey from diagnosis to treatment to her the phenomenal job they do in supporting were appreciative of the chance to sample recent check-ups. Sarah passionately explained Coppafeel and how we could support the potential future opportunities that exist for her story to us, to help us understand how charity. them beyond their GCSE’s. Mrs Kerr, Mrs important it is for both men and women, We can't thank Sarah enough for her Arkell and Mr Strachan were very impressed girls and boys to check their boobs or pecks inspirational presentation and we hope that by their attitude during the day.■ regularly. Sarah encouraged us to sign up to the free text reminder service by texting 'BOOBS' to 70300. Sarah showed us some fantastic celebrity endorsed videos of how to check yourself, and brought us a range of stickers, self-check cards and resources 6 | Plympton Academy R E V I E W Year Groups Bronze Duke of YEAR 8 - Since January students of Year 8 have been working incredibly hard to instil a new Year 8 culture - one that promotes Edinburgh Award random acts of kindness and celebrating their achievements, no matter how small! The 175 students have blown Miss Luke and Mrs Puleston away, along with their tutors, with all their kindness and Expedition moments to be proud of.