Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Prince’s Teaching Institute Award for Holsworthy Community College

  Sun 13 May 2018
  The Science department at Holsworthy Community College is very proud to have achieved the Prince’s Teaching Institute Mark this year. The mark is awarded for undertaking a research project into teaching and learning within your school.

   

  The project the Science department have been undertaking has been based on revision techniques throughout the key stages. The year 2016/17 focused on teaching specific revision techniques to year 7 so that they could develop their own revision toolkit which could be used in later years. We found a significant improvement in this year’s results compared to last year’s, which was encouraging.

   

  At the end of the year I was required to present my findings to other subject teachers in London at the Prince’s Teaching Institute Subject day, and also share my experience of carrying out the project, including any barriers we faced along the way.

   

  The project will continue for the next two years, focusing on key stage 4, which will put more emphasis on students themselves to share their own revision resources and techniques. We look forward to seeing the impact this will have on their exam results.

   

  Mrs Jess Godwin, Science Teacher

  

• Year 7’s First Thoughts on HCC

  Sun 13 May 2018
  I like it at Holsworthy College because we have lessons with different teachers in different rooms. I was worried I might be bullied, but all the students have been really kind and friendly. It’s good that in our mentor groups we have students from all years so we get to know some from Years 8 to 11. My favourite lesson is Art; Miss Urquhart is really nice and I enjoy her lessons.

  Ruby Williams

   

  The best thing about Holsworthy College is football after school. Mr Vanstone and Mr Watkins are awesome! I am playing my first game for the College on Wednesday at a tournament in Okehampton. I was really pleased to be picked for the team. My second favourite lesson is English with Mrs Rollason. She has fun lessons, which makes me want to learn.

  George Wellington

   

  HCC is a great school, everyone is really friendly. I have already made a couple of new friends. The thing I worried about most before coming here was losing my bus pass. So far I have managed to keep hold of it! The school dinners are really good. My favourite so far is the Hunter’s Chicken Hubway – it’s scrumptious! My favourite lesson is PE, but at the moment we are playing netball, which I am not that keen on. Football is my sport and I am looking forward to when we can play that in Year 8, however, the girls’ only session on the MUGA on a Thursday gives me my football fix!

  Abigail Wellington

   

  I really like the Library because there are lots of different genres of books; I love reading. The new design Library is great – I love the colours and the bean bags! My favourite lesson is History. I find it really interesting to learn about what happened long before I was born. At the moment we are studying Medieval times, but my favourite era is the Stone Age. I was worried about getting lost or not being able to find my class, but it’s been really easy – the timetable makes it clear where we have to go. It’s really nice that the College is so spacious and light due to the large windows.

  Holly Trayford

   

  The best lesson for me is Computing. I like Technology and the College has really good facilities. The other lesson I like is Maths – it’s not too easy, but not too hard either. I feel I am learning at the right pace and progressing. I like running so I’m looking forward to athletics in the summer. I wasn’t worried about anything before I came because the 2 day visit we had in July gave me lots of information so I knew what to expect.

  Ryan Towle

   

  Pictured Ruby Williams, Ryan Towle, Abigail Wellington, George Wellington, Holly Trayford

  

• HCC Students selected to play for Cornwall County U14s

  Sun 13 May 2018
  On Sunday 17th September Lucy Storry, Ruby Bryant and Eve Langman, along with several other HCC students, travelled to Truro to take part in the Cornwall County U14s hockey trials.

   

  “We had to be in Truro by 10am, so we had quite an early start for a Sunday! When we got there we warmed up then were tested on different skills so that the coaches could see our strengths with different techniques. We then played two games with us deciding which positions we would play in. I played left wing in both games, switching with defence a bit. After the games we were given a letter with instructions to look on their website, www.cornwallhockey.org, on Monday night to see if we had been selected.

   

  Once Monday at school we all wished each other good luck. I was excited once the evening came and was very happy to see that I, along with Ruby and Eve had been selected!

   

  This means that we will be training on Friday nights, once a month, in Truro from 6pm – 8pm, so that’s going to be a long day!

   

  We have been given several dates for competitions too, which will be exciting.”

  Lucy Storry

  

• Great Prizes to be won at HCC

  Sun 13 May 2018
  The Holsworthy Community College PE department’s bi-annual Spain trip will again be taking place in June next year.

   

  To try and raise some funds for additional activities for the group whilst they are there, a raffle of prizes is being organised, with each student going on the trip being asked to try and sell at least 20 tickets at £1 each.

   

  We have some amazing prizes on offer:

   

  Lots of chocolate, a scarf, 9 piece mug/straw and lid set, Dartington Crystal, body wash, beer glasses, lots of wine (red/white/rose), headphones, Waitrose dining mugs, marzipan memo pad, travel kit for men, wine and chocolate gift pack, woman’s gift packs, candle, Prosecco, makeover portfolio, ice cream set, John Deere toy, Diggerland voucher, free family swim at 1610, cake and coffee vouchers x 6 at Filter Through coffee lounge, £20 for Mole Valley Farmers, £10 Mole Valley Farmer voucher, £25 Holsworthy Golf Club restaurant voucher, Plymouth Argyle Gnome, £20 Fat Face gift card, 2 x adult carvery meals at the Bickford Arms at Brandis Corner, 2 x meals at the Crown and Sceptre, £10 Waitrose gift card, £10 voucher for The Hair Shop, Tamar shooting ground taster session to the value of £40, £50 John Lewis/Waitrose voucher, £20 Next voucher, 4 people to have a round of golf at Holsworthy Golf club, The Green Dragon Inn x 2 persons for a traditional Sunday carvery.

  We have also had an Exeter City Football Club shirt, signed by the players, which is being auctioned by silent bids, with a minimum bid of £40. This fantastic prize has been donated by Ryan Bewes.

  If you would like to bid on the shirt please either email svanstone@hcc.devon.sch.uk or hand in a written bid, in a sealed envelope for the attention of Mr Vanstone by Friday 20th October.

  We would like to thank everyone for their very generous donations.

  Pictured Ryan Bewes

  

• HCC Summer School Success

  Sun 13 May 2018
  This year twenty pupils who joined Holsworthy Community College this September were invited to participate in the HCC Summer School. This ran for one week from 21st to 25th August, with Literacy and Numeracy sessions in the mornings, followed by outdoor pursuit sessions with Outdoor Adventure in Widemouth Bay and Bude in the afternoon.

  It was rewarding to see how much confidence and resilience the pupils gained over the week in the engaging Literacy and Numeracy activities as well as the afternoon sessions which consisted of:-

   

  Day 1. Teambuilding at Outdoor Adventure on the cliffs at Bude

  Day 2. Canoeing in threes on the canal at Bude

  Day 3. Body boarding at Widemouth Bay

  Day 4. Kayaking in pairs in Bude

  Day 5. Climbing and abseiling on Maer cliffs

   

  The enthusiasm and full participation of the pupils ensured a very successful week, with Miss Horn and Mr Kerslake thoroughly enjoying the fun outdoor activities too.

  Miss Horn delivered engaging Literacy sessions, culminating in the superb ‘5 Senses at the Beach’ poems, Mrs Curry created active Maths Olympics with fun Numeracy sessions on the Astroturf, Mr Kerslake supported in his role as Teaching Assistant.

   

  Mrs Storry – Senior Assistant Headteacher

  

• Holsworthy pupils perform well in new GCSEs

  Sun 13 May 2018
  Holsworthy Community College pupils coped well with the new more demanding GCSEs this year. The new 9-4 equivalent measure to last year’s A*-C in English was 74% and in Maths 67%. It is very pleasing that 25% of pupils gained 3 A*/A or more which is an indicator for our Higher Attainers. Over a third, 37%, of all Year 11 pupils gained at least one A*/A grade.

   

  Sam Quance, Adam Dunn and Linus Carey achieved the new exceptional performance Grade 9 in Maths and in English Shannon Sutton-Watson and Susannah Leigh gained this accolade. Susannah Leigh also gained an 8 in Maths with another 5 A*/As in other subjects. Linus Carey achieved another 4 A*s and 3 As in his remaining subjects with straight 7s in English. Sam Quance also earned 4 A*s, 2As and 7s in English (7 is equivalent to an A). In English and Maths the grades were based on written examinations only.

   

  Charlotte Prime achieved straight 8s in English Language and English Literature, 5A*s, 2 As and a B in GCSE Further Maths taken in an after school class with one of her As being in after school RE. Tegan Tyzack gained 5 A*s, and 8 and a 7 in English and Maths respectively. Hattie Oliver’s hard work was rewarded with 7s in English Language and Maths plus 4A*s and 2As in her remaining subjects. James Barriball gained an 8 in Maths, a 7 in English Literature with 4 As and an A* plus a B in Further Maths. Dan Dunmore was rewarded with an 8 in Maths, a B in Further Maths, a 6 in English Literature and 4As plus an A* also.

   

  In the exams retaining the A*-G grading this year there were strong performances as ever. With over a third of pupils taking three separate science to examination level there was the usual 100% A*-C pass rate with 60% of those who took a Triple Science gained A* or A. For the One Science GCSE 82.4% have gained A*-C, which is an increase from last year. In Computer Science the pass mark was 73% A*-C with over 30% of students achieving an A*/A grade. In French the pass rate was 83% and in German 77% A*-C. Geography gained 77%, History 60% and RE was an impressive 88% A*-C. Art gained 76%, GCSE Sport Studies 74% and Music 100% A*-C.

   

  Our students with Special Educational Needs gained good results and it is encouraging that even with challenging GCSE courses they achieved well.

   

  Congratulations to all of our pupils, we wish them all the best with their next steps in life we are proud of their achievements.

  

• Activity Days 2017

  Sun 13 May 2018
  On Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th July HCC embarked on the ambitious task of taking over 90% of pupils out of school, with the remainder being involved in various in-school fun activities. Here are a small selection of accounts.

   

  Furniture Making on Activities Day

  12 students in Years 7 to 10 have been making contemporary wooden furniture following Mr Rowe’s own design. Students have worked in small teams with Mr Rowe, Mr Caudle and Miss Urquhart constructing separate sections of the seating design. Half of the materials were kindly donated from the PTFA and this matched the College’s funding.

  This activities day enabled students to use their technology skills in marking out, drilling, and fitting the various components together, to produce some contemporary furniture for student use.

  Miss Urquhart

   

  Camel Trail Cycle

  On the first of the activities days, one trip out was to Wadebridge, where we hired bikes and helmets and enjoyed a beautiful sun baked cycle along the Camel Trail to Padstow. It was a real team event and we all made it to Padstow to lock our bikes up in good time. We took a moment out to sit and enjoy the stunning sea view and sea breeze when we arrived. Then we took a short walk into Padstow harbour, which was bustling with summer activity. From a Cornish Male Choir to luxury yachts and ice cream, pasty and fudge shops galore. Students had some time to enjoy the town and then we all enjoyed well-earned fish and chips sat on the harbour slipway. We were lucky with the weather until...the return cycle ride, where we progressively cycled into strong winds and the biggest raindrops we have seen. Saturated, we arrived back in Wadebridge still smiling and having had a super day. Well done everyone involved, we had a great day.

  Mrs Bloxham, Mrs Woodhead, Mrs Curry and Mr Schnaar

   

  Cricket Trip

  Day 1

  On Monday 17th of July we went on a trip to Nottingham (Trent Bridge) to watch the cricket match England vs South Africa. We started travelling at ten to five in the morning, it took us five hours to get to Nottingham (plus some stops along the way). Once we had got there we parked up and went over to watch the cricket. England were batting and the South Africans were amazing fielders and unfortunately got all of our team out. After the cricket we went to Nottingham Forest football club and then on to Notts County football club, the oldest football club in the world, where we went onto the pitch. The absolute highlight was then meeting the England cricket team with lots of us getting pictures and selfies with James Anderson, Stuart Broad and the England captain Joe Root. After that we checked into our hostel and then had tea at Wetherspoons. We then went on to play crazy golf. It was a very hectic day, but one I will remember for a long time.

  Day 2

  As there was no cricket we had a tour around Nottingham, went shopping and went to the fair. We also travelled home.

  Day 3

  On day 3, we went to Bude to play cricket. In the first innings we got 98 and Bude got 80. In the second innings we got 90 and they got 63, so overall we won which completed a great 3 days!

  Ethan Broad

   

  Flambards

  A great day, in spite of the long journey to Helston. Students and staff had a fun-filled day at Flambards.

  Students ran around madly excited, got soaked on the log flume and now have the claim to fame that they have ridden the most southerly rollercoaster in Britain, ‘The Hornet’, a fact that our own Mr Hosie is extremely proud to share with all!

  There were other rides that spun, threw, chucked and whirled everyone around, which were very popular. We also found some time to sample some history in the Victorian Village and the Blitz exhibition.

  Our students were a credit to the school, and their families, and we enjoyed seeing their excitement throughout the day!

  Plymouth Sea Cruise

  Mrs Rollason, Miss Johns, Mrs Cobbledick, Mrs Blacher, Mr Shears, Mrs Walsh and Miss O'Brien took 44 pupils to Plymouth for a 'harbour cruise' off the Barbican with 'Plymouth Boat Trips'. The weather was beautiful and the cruise was really interesting; the Captain commentated on the geography and history of the area, and landmarks, over a loudspeaker as we sailed along. The students were absolutely brilliant and the staff on the boat commented that our students were very well behaved; they made us proud, as usual. We then went up to the Barbican Leisure Park and had lunch in one of the restaurants. We split up and everyone chose their favourite out of: Nando's, Pizza Hut, Frankie and Benny's, Chiquito or Pizza Express. We got back on the bus just as the rain, thunder and lightning hit Plymouth, and were back in time for the buses! Just!

   

  Bowling and Cinema

  Mrs Rollason, Miss Johns, Mrs Blacher, Mr Hosie, Miss O'Brien, Mrs Cobbledick and Miss Bate, took 45 pupils bowling in Bude at Harlequinn’s Leisure. The pupils all played competitive games and then had an early lunch before we drove to the Rebel Cinema to see Despicable Me 3 - which was brilliant. The cinema gave all the pupils free popcorn and a drink. Mr Hosie regretted getting salty popcorn and resolved to have sweet next time. Luckily, he had a Mr Juicey carton to quench his thirst! The students seemed to enjoy the private showing of the film. It was excellent having the cinema to ourselves. The pupils were an absolute delight to spend the day with.

   

  Horse Riding

  We spent 2 days at La Rocco riding stables with 2 groups of pupils as part of the activity days. We all had a brilliant time! The students didn't just ride, but got stuck in with mucking out, grooming, feeding, tack cleaning and general pony care. We had a variety of riding abilities in each group, some having ridden a lot and some not at all. The novices, by the end of their riding session, all managed a rising trot. The more experienced riders, as well as helping the novices, got a chance to canter and jump. Well done particularly to Jade for some great determination in getting her horse to jump and Rosie for her amazing platting. All the students were brilliant, very enthusiastic and well-mannered. The staff at the riding stables commented on how lovely they were and a pleasure to have. A big thank you to everyone at La Rocco for making our days their so enjoyable. Kymble Eldridge, Emily Horn and Clare Heard

   

  Masterchef Challenge

  Some ambitious menus were created on Wednesday the 19th July by students opting to take the HCC Masterchef Challenge.

  Cakes were made, vegetables chopped, cream whisked, chocolate melted, soup blitzed, salads dressed and all dishes finally assembled for judging.

  It was an incredibly close call with the judges finally deciding that the sweet potato soup starter followed by the grilled miso salmon with rice noodles by Drew Williams was the winner. Olliy Inkpen and Eloise Warren jointly won second prize with their cheese stuffed burgers and chocolate cheesecake, which was amazing. Lydia Girdler was third with an enterprising dish of coca-cola chicken, which was fantastic, followed by a strawberry shortcake.

  Well done to all the entrants, who delivered some fantastic dishes, all of which the judges could have happily polished off!

   

  Thank you to all the staff and pupils who made the trips and activities so much fun and memorable!

   

  

• Thank you Mr Fitzsimmons

  Sun 13 May 2018
  On Tuesday 11th July we said our ‘official’ goodbye to Executive Head Teacher, Mr Fitzsimmons. Staff, governors, PTFA members and educational leaders gathered together to thank Mr Fitzsimmons for his service to the College. A mosaic was unveiled in recognition of his time at HCC, with a fun addition of ‘DF woz ‘ere 2003-2017’ (there was a slight hitch with the unveiling!). The mosaic was completed by Mrs Bloxham and her Year 9 Art group. A big thank you to our canteen staff for laying on a wonderful cream tea, but mostly thank you to Mr Fitzsimmons for all he has done for the College. Mrs Williams takes over as Head of School at HCC in September, with Mr Chapman, the Executive Headteacher of the Okehampton Federation offering additional support until formation of the proposed MAT in January 2018.

   

  Mrs Williams paid testament to Mr Fitzsimmons’ time at HCC by reading the following:

   

  “Holsworthy Community College staff, students and governors would like to thank David Fitzsimmons for all of his hard work and services as our Executive Head. His ‘sphere of influence’ has extended far and wide and we have all benefitted from his leadership. He has led and supported our federated primary schools of Black Torrington, Bradford and Bridgerule and tried hard to keep others open in these financially challenging times. In doing so, he has shown a tireless commitment to the education of our children from 4-16 years.

   

  In January 2003, Dave started his headship role at Holsworthy Community College, and during the last fourteen years he has made a huge contribution to this school and served his community well. He has led HCC and our primary schools through ten Ofsted inspections with an eleventh one now overdue and too many local authority visits to mention!

   

  However, I believe the snapshot that Ofsted takes is very narrow view. ‘Holsworthy Community College’ ‘The Big School’, ‘The College’, ‘Holsworthy Technology Community College’, and now often abbreviated to simply HCC, are just a handful of the names our school might be referred to. At the heart of our school has always been a leader who has passionately believed in providing the best comprehensive education possible. Over the years we have seen approximately two thousand students progress through Year 11 and out into the community, many of whom return to share with us their news and stories even after they have walked out of those blue front gates. You know you have been in a school a long time, when the children of the students that you taught are now at your school and with Dave being our Executive Head of Holsworthy Federation, this has happened to him earlier, than if we had waited for the children to have arrived here.

   

  Dave has changed many aspects of the school for the better. When we show parents around our school, who attended themselves, they always comment on how much has changed. A great number of improvements have taken place. For example, the new and improved Technology rooms, the new Science labs, new Staff room, Learning Hub, Reception and MUGA floodlights, all of which have been built or massively modernised under Dave’s care. There is not a single classroom in Sanctuary and Stanlake that has not changed. Dave, thank you for enabling all of these changes.

   

  As a teacher, Dave is a linguist and has always championed Modern Foreign Languages’ cause, demonstrated last week in his column for ‘View from the Bridge’ as well as over numerous years when he taught German. He has also been integral in the appraisal process of all of our staff and since 2012 has carried out over 400 lesson learning walks and appraisals. Dave has been our Principal and has been in charge and employed over 90% of all staff. In that respect if a place can be defined by its people, Dave has created HCC as it is today.

   

  It is not just in our locality that Dave has had an influence. For a number of years, he has been supporting colleagues far and wide. He was on the Devon Association of Secondary Heads (DASH) Executive for many years and was Chair of DASH from 2008-12. He was also a prominent Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Council member, where he was Chair of the Funding Committee and latterly Honorary Treasurer. Therefore, it is not really a surprise that he will continue to work in education by supporting other Heads and senior leaders as part of the ASCL Membership Support Team, both on the Helpline and as a Field Officer in the South West.

   

  Under Dave’s direction so many wonderful experiences have happened for our students, whether this be for them to reach their academic potential, enabling students to visit different cultures, participate in sport at a high level, competing and winning against schools four times our size, or see and be part of new and exciting adventures. To quote one of Dave’s favourite educationalists, Sir John Jones, in his book ‘The Magic Weaving Business: Finding the Heart of Learning and Teaching’ “An individual has to know, understand, be passionate about and live their moral purpose.” Dave does this every week and his weekly newsletter in ‘View from the Bridge’ this will be a hard act for me to follow as the new Head of School. Dave’s voice and thoughts are clearly articulated and he models to everyone his actions and beliefs; even with this newsletter he shares website links and seeks to encourage all of us to be part of the politics that inform and shape education.”

   

  

• Holsworthy Community College 2017 Prom

  Sun 13 May 2018
  Although the sky was overcast and windy, it didn’t dampen the spirits of the 125 students attending the annual Year 11 Prom, which was held at The Falcon, Bude. Arrivals started at 5.40pm and finished at 7.20pm. The impromptu traffic lights at Stratton were a worry, but the majority kept to their scheduled arrival times.

   

  Transport arrivals varied, and included a jet ski on a trailer, tractors, a Landrover, an old fashioned fire engine, a stretch limo and a horse and carriage.

   

  Various awards were given during the evening – best hair of the night, best tie, best make-up and best mode of transport – large, medium and small. Prom Queen was Lucy Poole and Prom King was Max McDonald. The two tiered prom cake, which was cut by the King and Queen, was made by Heidi Horn – thank you so much, it was amazing!

   

  I would like to say a big thank you to the following people: the Prom Committee for making the evening such a success, the Falcon for letting us use their premises, Karen’s covers, Launceston, for decorating the chairs, Leanne Alton for the balloon arch and to Harley-Jo for taking such beautiful photos of the night.

  Miss Johns

  

• Year 9 Road Safety Awareness Day

  Sun 13 May 2018
  On Thursday 29th June we once again ran our annual Road Safety Awareness Day.

  Organised by Emma Gliddon, Year 9 received invaluable education on the effects of drink and drugs and anti-social behaviour from Holsworthy Neighbourhood Police Team. They spent time talking to the students about how their behaviour can impact others negatively and how alcohol and drugs affect you both mentally and physically. They also tried out ‘beer goggles’ to simulate the effect of alcohol and how your perceptions change. Unfortunately when consuming alcohol these changes come on more subtly, so you may not be aware of the full impact, thinking you are more capable than you actually are.

   

  There was also a session by the Devon Air Ambulance. They talked about their work and how invaluable it is when we live in a rural area. They also talked about how they fundraise and how much it costs to operate each year, as it is a charity and receives no government contributions to run. This was really enlightening and something which we can easily take for granted.

   

  Students also spent time with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue, who showed some pretty graphic videos. Shock tactics are sometimes the best way to make people sit up and take these issues seriously. Thinking this will never happen to me doesn't always work!

   

  The day culminated with a demonstration by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue and PCSO Rowe. Students were talked through the procedures the emergency services follow once they receive a 999 call about a road traffic collision. The casualty, this year Kai Trivett, was eventually lifted from the vehicle, once it had been made safe and the roof had been cut off. The various steps were explained to students. The experience of being in the vehicle when this was all going on around him was a little scary for Kai.

   

  The message of the day is an important one and one which has been delivered by Emma for the last 11 years. The day was launched following a spate of fatal accidents affecting some ex HCC students. This had a huge impact on Emma and many others at the time and unfortunately still impacts many even now.

  It is testament to Emma and those that deliver these sessions that since this educational day was established we have not lost any ex pupils in road accidents.

   

  A huge thank you to the emergency services who gave up their time this year and all the previous years and a huge thank you also to Emma and her team for their professional approach and provision of yet another excellent road safety day.

   

  A video of part of the demonstration is available on the College Facebook page.