Year 10 have been getting creative with a range of recording and mark making techniques and have made a great start to their GCSE course. https://www.instagram.com/p/CUuqV2kNaO4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/pumpkins-galore-ghoul-bad-ugly-6096920

Music News... Singing Exams Congratulations to both Sophie Stagg and Jessie Hampson, who have now passed their Grade 2 LCM Pop Music Vocals exams, recorded, both with distinctions - Sophie 86/100 and Jessie 89/100. Other successes for recent leavers include: Keira McDougall LCM MT3 85 (D). Ruby King LCM PMV5 Leisure Play 85 (D). Upcoming exams Good luck to Sophie and Jessie who are now working towards Grade 3 PMV Leisure Play exams and also to Lucy Kelly who is taking her Grade 5 MT exam this term. Instrumental Exams Congratulations to Zivah Fouche who recently gained a Merit in her Grade 6 Clarinet.

We hope everyone has a restful and enjoyable half term break!

A Short Story by a Year 11 Pupil This was written in timed exam conditions of 45 minutes. In this time, he had to create an imaginative idea, plan how to structure and control the story, and then write it. ---------- I woke up to the world falling apart. Paintings and empty cups and little model aeroplanes were crashing to the floor as I threw open the shutter to the dim light of dawn. The floorboards were creaking and shifting under my feet, then a window shattered behind me and all I could hear was a piercing ringing that penetrated deep into my skull, but I could still feel the air in my lungs vibrating. A sharp stab of pain in my left foot jolted me out of my stunned stupor and I realised that this was an earthquake. Immediately, as I had trained myself to do, I yanked open the large drawer in my reinforced bedframe, thankfully not jamming it, then threw myself inside, closed the drawer (with difficulty) and locked it in place with two sturdy steel catches. I had barely a second to catch my breath before I heard a colossal crash and felt myself falling. I came to a sudden stop, knocking what little air I had out of my lungs and thwacking my head against the steel frame. I lay there, dazed, for a few minutes – or maybe a few hours – I could not tell. It felt like I had broken every bone in my body, and a tentative touch to my forehead came away covered in something warm and sticky. At least everything was quiet, and the shaking had stopped. Coming to my senses, I felt around the bedframe I was in to find a torch, a radio, several bottles of water, some preserved food and some spare batteries strapped to the wall, which I had placed here specifically for this situation. I turned on the torch so that I could see and took a swig of water, then realised I had forgotten to pack my medical supplies that I would use to bandage my forehead. I cursed myself for this seemingly obvious oversight. Instead, I reached for the radio, extended the antenna, tuned it to the emergency bandwidth and asked, 'Hello? Is anyone there? I need some help'. The radio replied ... with static.

Whilst there are no GCSE results league tables again this year, the Government has released comparison tables showing school percentages for entering pupils for the rigorous 'EBacc' range of subjects. We are delighted to be at the top of the table in the county for non-selective schools! In the last seven years, we have consistently been in the top three in the county and we think our results speak for themselves. It did not 'just happen' and represents sheer hard work from pupils, teachers, parents and support staff. It also reflects the fact that whilst this school is in the middle of a community that might be small in size, it is one which has a big heart and soul. Well done everyone! https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/schools-by-type/2021?for=secondary&step=default&table=schools®ion=878&geographic=la&tab=list