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Firstly,ahugewelcometothenewacademicyear!
Asweallembracethestartofanotheryear,thisbringschangeforeachofus-anewyeargroupfor existing pupils, moving away from home (and even country) for the first time for some of our boarders, transitioning into Year 7 from the Prep School or another school or simply getting to know new friends or colleagues around us - the key is that we all tackle these new challenges together, giving each other support if we need it. I know from many years of personal experience that it is the unique strength of our community which enables us to do this successfully here at Plymouth College and as I myself, embrace my new role as Interim Head, I am committed to leading the school in an inclusive way, taking into consideration the needs and ideas of all members of this very special community.
Senior pupils began the year with an uplifting Start of Year Assembly at Mutley Baptist Church. I was delightedtoappointHeadsofSchool,SeniorPrefects,HouseCaptains,BoardingCaptainsandSports Captains for the new academic year, and I am sure that they will fulfil their roles and responsibilities toaveryhighstandard.
Our Co-Curricular programme began this week. If your child hasn’t yet signed up for all their activity slots, please encourage them to do so. The range of activities on offer give all our pupils a plethora of opportunities to try new things, develop new skills and work with their peers from different year groups-allessentialfortheirpersonaldevelopmentastheyprogressthroughtheschool.
Last Friday, I visited Year 7 pupils at the first of three Whiteworks overnight stays. These annual team building events foster new friendships, develop teamwork skills, and importantly are just simply good fun! Ilookforwardtodroppingintothenexttwo!
Ihopeyouhaveawonderfulweekend.
@PlymColPrepHead
What an incredibly busy and sunny start to the term! The pupils have returned buzzing with excitement for the new academic year and it is difficult not to be inspired by their unwavering positivity. It was such a joy to see their smiling faces as they arrived back at school, looking smart in their uniforms, complete with shiny new pencil cases and an obvious happiness in returning to the classroom. We have been delighted to welcome many new families to our community and we look forwardtoseeingyouagainsoonatoneofourparentevents-moredetailstofollowonthese.
Thesunnyweatherhasenabledustoenjoytheoutdoorspaceandgetplentyoffreshair.Years5and 6 certainly made the most of this whilst out with the Outdoor Explorers Club on Monday. All pupils haveenjoyedtheirvariousPEandGamessessionsunderblueskiesthisweek,whilsttheForestSchool sessionshavebeguninearnest.
Nextweek,IamlookingforwardtomeetingPre-SchoolandReceptionparentswhoareabletoattend myfirstCoffeeMorningoftheacademicyear.MayIalsotakethisopportunitytoremindparentsthat next Tuesday, all pupils will be having their individual photographs taken, so please can all children arrive at school looking smart and in the correct uniform, including their blazers. Also on the topic of uniform, a reminder that sports fixtures commence next week for junior pupils, so please can parents ensurethattheyhavethecorrectkitandequipment.Thanksinadvanceforyourcooperationwiththis.
Let’shopethesunshinecontinuesfortheweekend!
It was a real pleasure to be able to invite Jeremiah into the PrepSchoolassemblyinordertopresentachequefor£1183.97 tothecharity.
As a school, the pupils voted for Jeremiah's Journey as their chosencharityduringthelastschoolyear.Weheldbakesales, tea parties and even came into school in our pyjamas to raise fundsforthisbrilliantlocalcharity.
MrThomas,HeadofPrepsaid:
'The pupils worked really hard last year to come up with ideas and to run events themselves in order to raise money for Jeremiah's Journey. Developing an understanding of charity amongst the pupils really promotes a sense of purpose, compassion and empathy for others and I was delighted with their efforts last year. It is great to support a local charity that does such amazing work and for the pupils to take the lead andownershipofsucheventsisincrediblypowerful.'
In their first history lesson of the year, Year 5 discussed important historical terms and talked through the key words relating to this terms’s topic of the Industrial Revolution and Victorian Britain. They then made some very impressive and beautifully decorated acrostic poems for theword‘Industrial’.Asuperstarttotheyear!
IIn their first DT lesson this week Year 5 have been learning how to use a CAD programme called tinkercad. They will be using this to develop their chocolate boxtraysintheirgraphicsproject.
Arthur S (Year 2) who took up the reading challenge and decided to work his way through his new Pokémon novel collection in as many locations as possible. These included: on a steam train, by the pool in Spain,ontheCremyllferry,underatree,andinthe“mosthauntedpubin Britain”.
FantasticEffort1
Year 1 came back to school full of enthusiasm. Ollie F enjoyed sharing a collage diary of his adventures during his summer break and Year 1 can solve problems bysolvingdifferentchallengestodeveloptheirskillsinsequences.
ThisincredibleoilpaintingistheworkofWilliamHinYear 5 who worked for three hours to create this Bob Ross inspiredlandscape.
WestartEnglishlessonswith10minutesofquiet reading, where each child is enjoying their personal choice of reading book. It is wonderful to see our pupils engaging with the world of books!
Year 10 Geography class recreated the UK coastline from memory, then adding texture for relief(height). They did all this whilst looking at theirpartner. This technique installs trust, mistakes, smiles and improvements. Team Geography in the making!
This week’s recommended read is HeartstopperbyAliceOseman.
Heartstopper is a graphic novel series thatfollowsYear10boyCharlieSpring from the moment he meets “Rugby Lad”NickNelson.CharlieandNick discover their unlikely friendship might besomethingmoreastheynavigate school and young love in the first instalment of this coming-of-age series.
Alice Oseman originally released her story on Tumblr as a “Webcomic” before becoming published and has now sold well over 8 million copies, with the book series being made into ahugelysuccessfulNetflixadaptation. Diveintothewonderfulworldofyoung love and self-discovery with this uplifting read. Heartstopper Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4 can be borrowed from the PlymouthCollegelibrarynow!
TheLibraryandEnglishteam
GabrielTandBenedictTtookon the summer reading challenge over the holidays. They tried to complete every category and some they even managed to complete a couple of times. Here they are below collecting theircertificates!
Upper Sixth Deputy Head Girl, Kaia P compiled this beautifully presented piece of research work on Samuel TaylorColeridge.
TheHistorydepartmentisexcitedtolaunchaguidedreadingchallenge foryears7to11.AllpupilsinYears7to11whowouldliketotakepartare invited to speak to their history teacher to request a copy of the challengefortheiryeargroup. Thisinvolvesaselectionofextractsfrom well-respected historians and some accompanying written tasks. The expectation is that those children choosing to take part would complete no more than two extracts per half-term, with the whole challenge taking as long as is necessary. All extracts relate to either current or previous historical study, and are age appropriate. Upon completion of each task, each pupil will receive a merit, with a further reward at the end of the full challenge. All pupils across the year groups who complete the full challenge will be entered into a draw for aprizeattheendoftheacademicyear.Goodluckandhappyreading!
Year10GCSEDTpupilshavehadagreattimeintheirlessonsthisweek developing their practical skills to support their exam knowledge of timbers. This week they have been marking, measuring, cutting and chisellingcomponentsforlightingproduct.
Year8hadaSTEMchallengeintheirdtlessonthisweektoconstruct the tallest spaghetti tower using limited resources as part of the international‘marshmallowchallenge’ They worked in teams with a time limit and learnt about triangulation to enforce their structures. Well done to the winning teamEliza,HarveyandSamuel.Futureengineersinthemaking.
PupilsdiveintoanexcitinglessononhowtheUnitedNationsworks. This week some pupils were given the opportunity to have an intriguinglessonabouthowtheUNworks. The lesson allowed our pupils to see how the global organisation bringscountriestogethertotackleimportantissues. They even had an opportunity to come up with their own resolutions toglobalproblems.
This year, pupils in Years 10 - U6 are being given the opportunity to participate in the Arts Award during the Friday Art Enrichment sessions.
This is a nationally recognised qualification and pupils can specialise in either Art, Music or Drama. We will be working towards the Bronze Award this academic year. This award develops young people’s artistic abilities alongside their research and communication skills. This level involves them in the arts as creators and audience members,andencouragesthemtotaketheir firststepstowardsleadershipbysharingtheir learningwithothers.
This qualification develops knowledge and creativity alongside reflective practice, problem-solving skills and confidence. Pupils will complete a portfolio as their Arts Award journey progresses, explaining what they've seen,doneandlearnedalongtheway.
Last Friday, pupils were introduced to the structure of the programme. The Music and Drama pupils then worked with Mrs Eglinton to brainstorm ideas for performances, whilst the Art pupils worked on mixed-media introductorypagesfortheirportfolios.
On Thursday 14th September, The Art Department gave pupils studying A Level Art and Photography in the Lower and Upper Sixth the opportunity to visit the Sculpture Gardens at the Broomhill Estate in Barnstaple. The sculptureexhibitionhasbeenactiveforover25 years and showcases approximately 150 pieces from established and emerging artists throughout the gardens. The exhibition is divided into two gardens; the first exhibits a mixture of permanent installations alongside sculpture available for sale. The second sits in the lower river meadows, showcasing The National Sculpture Prize, now in its eleventh year. The trip provided pupils with the opportunity to gather first-hand contextual information and source imagery for their A Levelcourseworkunits.
During the visit, pupils were encouraged to experiment with different ways of photographing the artworks, including the use of handmade viewfinders, coloured lenses and mirrored prisms. They also undertook some observational drawings of the sculptures using pastels and charcoal. The collection of sculptures on display were really inspiring and it was great to see the pupils immersing themselvesinthecreativetasks.
This week, Years 5 - 8 Printmaking Club had a busy and productivefirstsessionusinggeliprintingplatestocreatenew signage for the Art Department. The pupils used different textures and a limited colour palette to produce some dynamicletterdesigns.
This week’s ‘Photographer of the Moment’ is Sophie A in the Lower Sixth. Sophie has producedthisboldintroductorypageforher Lower Sixth coursework project showing structures from around the school site representingthewordURBAN.
New and existing boarders were welcomed back with a surprise ice cream van visit afterawholeboardinggameofcapturethe
MrWesley'smagicalmysterytourofPlymouth(includingaboatrideandicecreams).
WelldonetoLilyIwhohaswon the Under 15s Girls Super 8 League Batter and Bowler of the season! Also in Cricket Megan H has been awarded Bowler of the Year for Devon Women’s Cricket League with 20 wickets and best figures of 6-7. Massive Congratulations tobothMeganandLily.
Followingonfromhertwogold medals from Sofia, Bulgaria in May, OPM Kerenza Bryson finished third at the Pentathlon World Championships in Bath She now qualifies for the Paris Olympics2024.
After the fencing qualification, in the women’s event, Kerenza went from strength to strength with three wins in the bonus round, winning the fencing disciplineoverall.
Ultimately, Kerenza was the stand-outperformanceforthe GB girls, after a strong day across the five disciplines. She secured a bronze medal and an all-important qualification quota for Paris 2024. Team GB women also secured a silverteammedal.
Well done and good luck Kerenza.
AsuccessfultriptoWestCornwallwithtwo wins against Truro College and Wellington School. Many thanks to YHA Penzance for hostingus.
Oliver H won Gold for Team GB and became JuniorEuropeanChampion.
MassivecongratulationstoOliverforhisincredible achievement in becoming the Junior European Champion in diving after winning Gold in the European Junior Dive Championships in Croatia overthesummer.
"The Youth Talent Programme (YTP) is the first step on the Talent pathway designed to meet the needs of identified, talented English athletes/para athletes aged between 16 and18yearsofageandtheircoaches.
Theprogrammefocusesondevelopingadualcareerforthe athlete/para athlete through fulfilling their potential within the sport and also in their education and employability." EnglandAthletics
Nubia E-S was encouraged to apply for a place on the programme by her coach and has successfully beaten many other talented applicants to earn a place. This latest achievement is a significant milestone in Nubia's quest to ultimately compete in the Commonwealth and Olympic Games and she should be congratulated. We look forward toseeingherprogress.
ItwasthefirstfixtureoftheyearfortheGirls’1stteam,away atExeterSchool.Itwasareallycloseandcompetitivefixture whichfinished2-0toExeter.
Ahighlightwashavinganumberofplayersmakingtheir1st team debuts, including some Year 10 pupils - the first time Year 10s have been selected for the 1st team. We look forwardtoseeinghowtheteamgetsonthisterm.
TheNationalSchoolsEquestrianAssociation(NSEA)runs a range of inter-school horse riding competitions. The events include show jumping (70cm upwards), dressage (Preliminary tests upwards) and Crosscountry/Eventing(70cmupwards).
Thisterm'seventsare:
Saturday 23rd September - Dressage regional qualifiers @BictonArena
Sunday1stOctober-Showjumping@BictonArena
Sunday 5th November - Eventer's Challenge @ Pontispool
Sunday 19th November - Eventer's Challenge @ Bicton Arena
There are other events slightly further afield which pupils are eligible to compete in too, if they wish. Entries need to be made and paid for online by parents, but in order foryourson/daughtertotakepartinanyeventthisyear on their own horse or pony, they will firstly need to be registeredwiththeNSEAbyMissTremaine.
Please email etremaine@plymouthcollege with both the rider's and horse's details, giving permission for theridertoberegistered.
Plymouth College progressed to the second round of the 2023-24 Under 18 competition with a 24-7 victory over Torquay Boys Grammar School. Plymouth took their time to settle, but were first on the scoreboard when sustained build up work in attack enabled outside half, Leighton S to score wideout on the right. There were two further well worked scores in the first-half, allowing Plymouth to reachhalf-time17pointsup.
Thesecond-halfwasadifferentaffair,withTorquay applying pressure and enjoying large periods of territorial advantage. However, Plymouth were able to weather the storm and when Torquay lost possession in the Plymouth 22, a long range counter-attack resulted in a try for Charlie W who ran hard to receive the scoring pass from Angus H. Torquay kept battling however, and received reward for their efforts when they finally breached the Plymouth defence with the last play of the game.
Scorers: Tries:LeightonS-2;TomB,CharlieW. Conversions:LeightonS-2
An excellent start to the new CCF year with 63 cadets on parade in glorious sunshine, Navy, Army, RAF and a recruits section of over 30 new students. The afternoon of activities for the recruits consisted of: issue of their new uniforms, rifle introduction, drill, briefing of standardsandtheCountryCode.
We are proud to announce that we have been awarded a coveted EcoSchoolsGreenFlagAward.
Thanks to the amazing work of Mrs.Paice, Mrs.Plant and our pupils the school has been awarded an internationalaccreditation.
This award recognises their amazing work in making our school more environmentallyfriendlyandraisesecoawarenessacrosstheschool.
This is a testament to our school’s commitmenttowardssustainabilityand creatingagreenerfuture.
Amassivethankyoutoourdedicated pupils and staff without them this achievement would not have been possible.
Whiteworks is Plymouth College's outward bound house and is situated outside Princetown. For the first 3 Fridaysofterm,wetakeupeachtutorgroupinturntospendanafternoonandnight.Itisasuperchancefor allthepupilstobondasateamandgettoknoweachother.
We left school after break and drove the mini buses up to Burrator Reservoir. The Year 7s then had a very pleasant walk to Whiteworks in lovely sunshine with the Outdoor Education team and the tutors, including somegamesontheway.TheYear7sevenmadetheirownpackedlunchesbeforeleavingschool.
At Whiteworks, there were many team building activities; with everyone helping to cook the evening meal togetherbeforethenightadventures. Itwasthentimeforlightsoutinthebunkrooms.
FantasticstartYear7!
Further to our letter sent out at the end of last term with regards to the merging of the PFA Committees we would like to invite you all to a shared Meeting on Monday 25th September 2023 at 6pm. This will be held in the Old Gym in the Main Building of the school. Please complete the Google Form below to let us know if you are able to come so that we can make sure we have enough refreshments for everyone. This meeting will give you a chance to meet other parents from across the school community and find out how we envisage the joint committee moving forward. We will welcome ideas as well as volunteers to assistwiththistask.Wewillalsohavetimetodiscussupcomingeventstogether.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd6FZgn2TZxXHUF7a7yZOPEM3MoJ4ONdsOvHcRHUCrzQTckB A/viewform
Forthosethatmayhavemissedtheoriginalletterpleaseseebelowtoremindyourselfastohowwehave cometothisdecision.
It is hard to believe that it has been two school years since the Prep and Senior Schools have joined together on one site. The Plymouth College family has become more united by shared spaces and events, as well as the connections being forged between pupils young and older. We as the two current Friends Associations have worked more collaboratively supporting each other’s events and coming to realisewecouldbestrongertogethermovingforward.
Tothatendwewouldliketoadviseyouallthatoverthenextschoolyearwewillformallymergetocreate a new slightly larger committee that represents the whole school community. It has been agreed by the current committees that as the Prep School PFA is already a registered charity that we will make the necessary legal adjustments to our mems and articles and include the whole school into our terms of reference. Both sides will have some retained funds to spend in their previous dedicated areas and then movingforwardwewillraisemoneyanddonatetotheschoolinanequitableway.
We plan to send out a formal notice of a meeting in the Autumn Term with planned committee positions and proposal forms and we hope a good number of you will be able to attend to help create the committee.
The Parents and Friends Associations are an integral part of the Plymouth College Family, to enhance the children's experience during their time here, as well as bolstering our special community. It is only possible to carry out events and raise money for special projects if you support the committee, so we really hope you will support this transition by attending the meeting and supporting our events in the future.Asmanyofyouwillbeaware,theFriendsAssociationhasraisedtensofthousandsofpoundsover theyears,soitisavitalresourcetothepupilsaswellastheschool. If you would like any further information, please feel free to discuss it with any of the current committee members on either of the email addresses below or feel free to contact us via reception. Also, if you think you could dedicate some time or expertise to the merger or moving forward, we would really love to hear fromyou!WewishyouallalovelySummerholiday.Here'stoanexciting2023/24SchoolYear.
YoursSincerely
MelissaBurnett SarahSelwyn ChairofPrepSchoolFriendsAssociation ChairoftheSeniorSchoolFriendsAssociation pfasecpcps@gmail.com seniorschoolPA@gmail.com
DearParents,
As we prepare for the new school year, we're excited about helping your children have their best season yet. We believe that parents are key and vital partners, in ensuring that children gain the most from what we offer as a school.
To support you, we have arranged for all our parents to have free access to some extremely useful webinars specificallydesignedforparents. Please may we ask you to join us for four, practical, insightful, and impacting sessions which will support you in supportingyourchild?
MrMutlow-AssistantHeadCo-curricularandDirectorofSport
Let'shelpoutchildrenhavetheirbestseasonyet.Parentsarekeyandvitalpartnersinensuringthatchildrengainthe mostfromthiscomingschoolyear.
ParentsjoinusforFOURFREEpractical,insightfulandimpactfulsessionsthatwillsupportyouinhelpingyourchildget themostoutofwhatourschooloffers.
ThesessionswillbeledbyRichardShorter,whohasworkedwithparentsoftopUKsportngorganisations.
Richard will also be joined by four guests from the sports sports world, Emily Scarratt, England Rugby star, will be the firstguest.
Signupusingthesuppliedlinktoensureyoudon'tmissout.
FAQ’s
Q:Canstaffjointhesessions?
A: Absolutely! Staff members are more than welcome to participate in the sessions.Theyneedtoregisterusingthesamelinkprovidedforparents.
Q:Canparentsjoinafterthefirstsession?
A:Yes,eachsessionisdesignedasastand-aloneevent,allowingparentsto join the series at any point. They simply need to register using the provided link.
Q:Willthesessionsbeavailableoncatch-up?
A: Yes, all sessions will be available on catch-up. We will email the link to access the recorded sessions to all parents after each event. However, we encourage parents to attend the live events whenever possible, as the interactive experience is highly valuable. (Don't forget to mark those dates inyourcalendar!)
Q:Howlongwilltherecordingsbeavailable?
A: The recordings will remain accessible to schools for the entire school year.Thisresourceisintendedtosupportparentsthroughouttheyear,even iftheycomeacrossspecificissuesinthesummertermthatwerediscussed duringthesessions.
http://eepurl.com/iwf2fQ
Thesessiondatesareasfollows:
September14th,8-9pm
October12th,8-9pm
November9th,
7-7:45pmStaffCPD
8-9pmParentsession
December7th,8-9pm
PLYMOUTH COLLEGE
Ford Park, Devon, PL4 6RN
T: +44(0)1752 505100
ADMISSIONS
T: +44(0)1752 505100
Email: admissions@plymouthcollege.com
