Please visit EF Australia website to see relevant programs, offers and pricing information.

Academics

Boarding Life

Language And Culture

Parents

Alumni

Student Stories

School News

Language Learning

New York

Pasadena

Oxford

Stories from our international boarding schools

Chris Nicholls ‹ EF Academy Blog

dots

So, another year begins with a new group of young people arriving at the gates of the school.
A little bit confused, a little bit frightened but full of energy and enthusiasm and ready to meet the teachers and staff who will guide them through their time at EF Academy Torbay, shaping their futures and helping them fulfil their potential to achieve their dreams.
Once we get them signed in and settled it’s off to meet their tutors and fellow tutees who will be some of the most important people they will meet on their first day. To get them working together and just to have a bit of fun we gave them the task of building as tall a tower as they could manage using just paper plates and tape. The best ones were the ones that didn’t fit in the classroom!!
Induction Week can be a real challenge for students who have come so far from home and the ones they love and while we want them to have fun we also want to be sure we get as accurate a picture as possible of their strengths to make sure they have the best fit in terms of their subject choices. This means we give them placement tests and induction interviews with their Pathway Managers.
It’s not long to wait before we are out having fun and this year we really wanted to show off the great setting that the school is in. With this in mind it was off to the beach for team building exercises and a beach BBQ. This was a great chance for them to work together to solve challenges and puzzles with the beautiful coast as their backdrop. Goodrington beach is a stunning location and the perfect place to dip toes in the sea while the BBQ sizzled away.
Torbay was lucky enough to be given the Big Wheel from the London Olympic park which is now based near Torquay Harbor so we all had a birds eye view across the bay. This gave everyone a great chance to relax and chat over a great Devon ice cream before heading off to Torquay Cinema that we had all to ourselves.
As a long week drew to a close we had time for one more get together at school for a fish and chip dinner from a classic chip van. Mark, our Head Teacher, welcomed all the students to the school to great applause before the annual international quiz.
The fun didn’t end there because over the weekend we had the chgance to explore the Bay a little further afield with a ferry trip to Brixham a stunning harbor town just across the sea. Brixham is a classic blend of old and new and a great place to explore and relax. On the way back we stopped off along the coast to visit some of the beaches and coves that make up Torbay to cheers and whoops as we passed the coves that we have named our houses after
 
 
 
 
 
 
The perfect way to end a fantastic week.

So, another year begins with a new group of young people arriving at the gates of the school.

Your future starts today… - EF Academy Blog

Your future starts today… ‹ EF Academy Blog

Your future starts today…

Future starts today

Sailing is a must for us here in Torbay and now the weather has started to warm up we have been running regular sailing sessions for students who want to complete their Royal Yacht Associate level one course.
The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the British national governing body for all forms of boating sport, including dinghy and yacht racing, motor and sail cruising, RIBs and sports boats, powerboat racing, windsurfing, and personal watercraft.
The course is run over two days so student will spend two weekends starting with the basics before taking the boats further out to sea to test their skills and maybe race.
Students sail on the beautiful Teign Estuary between the lovely fishing village of Shaldon and the larger seaside town of Teignmouth.
We sail with Sea Sports Southwest and use Laser sailing boats that are great for learning but are also used in most major championships in this class of boat. They can be sailed singularly or in pairs, which is great for our students because they can buddy up to learn the basics and then when they are feeling brave enough they can go it alone.
None of the students had sailing experience and some had never been in the sea so for us to be able to provide this kind of experience is just amazing.
The course starts with the basics on land so students learn about the different parts of the boat and water safety once this is complete they head out onto the water to learn how to set up the sails and how to do basic turns. This is one of the hardest parts because they have work very closely together using the tiller and main sail at exactly the same time. They also have to remember to duck as well!
The second day of the course is when the fun really begins because students are able to give the boats a good run around and get up some speed. This allows them to do fast turns in the boats and to have a go at racing each other. It is also a great chance to enjoy the amazing scenery and just enjoy being out on the sea.
I grew up by the sea and I cannot imagine having not had the chance to get out on it because of the amazing sense of freedom that it gives. Sailing is a great way to enjoy the sea and a great skill to learn.
<img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-10043" height="225" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/s-300x225.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/s-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/s.jpg 350w" width="300">

Sailing is a must for us here in Torbay and now the weather has started to warm up we have been running regular sailing sessions for students who want to complete their Royal Yacht Associate level one course. The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the British national governing body for all forms of boating sport, …

Setting sail - EF Academy Blog

Setting sail ‹ EF Academy Blog

Setting sail

Last week we held the first of our annual Enrichment weeks with students taking part in a range of activities and trips including our first Islands project.
In the coming weeks we will highlight some of the great activities students have taken part in but in this post I wanted to outline and explain what Enrichment weeks are and what students did in the most recent week and what we have planned in future weeks.
We began Enrichment weeks last year to give students some time off their normal academic timetable after their assessment weeks so they have a bit of time to relax and unwind whilst also giving them the opportunity to enhance and enrich their academic understanding through co-curricular activities and trips.
This year we devised a program with two days that would link closely to the students’ academic subjects and in some cases help teachers cover important aspects of the student’s courses.
With this in mind the lower school students went out to Dartmoor National Park to carry out important Biology field work. This involved lots of jumping in rivers to collect samples so that they could be recorded before students headed onto the moors to explore the fauna.
Our business students took part in Dragons Den business challenge and our math’s students got stuck into math’s puzzles and project work. We also had a group of students going out to the Broomhill sculpture park in North Devon. This is a huge arts center with a sculpture garden full of weird and wonderful sculptures, some taller than the building itself, to capture the students imagination and inspire them in their lessons.
One of the highlights, and a first for us, was the islands project which involved the entire school. The premise is based around our four school houses who are tasked with creating an island with a government, economy and society that then coexists with the other islands attempting to trade and negotiate with each other over three days culminating in one of the islands taking the top spot as the most successful society.
We also had a group of students who went to Belgium for a poetry and history trip to the battle fields of the First World War visiting the towns of and Ypres and Menepoort.
The students had a great enrichment week with so much going on. Taking the classroom out of the classroom is an increasingly popular teaching methodology and having a week where students can stretch their understanding of their subjects through hands on learning was great to see.

Last week we held the first of our annual Enrichment weeks with students taking part in a range of activities and trips including our first Islands project.

Enrichment week: Taking the class out of the classroom - EF Academy Blog

Enrichment week: Taking the class out of the classroom ‹ EF Academy Blog

Enrichment week: Taking the class out of the classroom

Enrichment week taking class classroom

For the second year in a row EF Academy Torbay have had a successful cross country running season with record numbers competing in the regional final for the Southwest.
The competition was held at Holden Forrest on a lovely sunny but very cold day. Last year we had 3 students get through the national finals which was unfortunately cancelled due to poor weather. This year we have a much stronger team that practice every week often in very challenging conditions so our expectation for numbers through to the national finals was very high going into the competition.
Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. Sometimes the runners are referred to as harriers (dogs). The course, typically 4–12 kilometres (2.5–7.5 mi) long, may include surfaces of grass, and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road. It is both an individual and a team sport; runners are judged on individual times and teams by a points-scoring method. Both men and women of all ages compete in cross country, which usually takes place during autumn and winter, and can include weather conditions of rain, sleet, snow or hail, and a wide range of temperatures.
Cross country is growing in popularity in the UK and particularly among UK schools and it is a big part of the ISA sport calendar, and one that we have placed a lot of emphasis on.
The regional final was on a very difficult course at Holden Forrest which saw runners racing through dirt tracks and through wooded obstacles. There is always an element of risk involved in this type of running but it is also very easy to lose or gain a lead because the course can be up to 12 kilometres.
We entered students in a number of races depending on their age and we had strong runners in all categories and after some very closely fought races the following students made it through to the final in their age groups. Marcela Perches, Daniella Del Rincon Vazquez, Ida Parschat who came first in her race, Alexia Galbany Grau, Elena Vasquez Lorenzo, Jacopo Lussetti, Maxat Abdualiyev. All these students came in the top 7 in their race but in some cases they came in the top 3 and most races had at least 20 racers taking part.
The final is held later in March and we are really hopeful of getting a podium finish.

EF Academy Torbay have had a successful cross country running season with record numbers competing in the regional final for the Southwest.

EF Academy Torbay get through to national cross country final - EF Academy Blog

EF Academy Torbay get through to national cross country final ‹ EF Academy Blog

EF Academy Torbay get through to national cross country final

Ef academy torbay get national cross country final

Students at Torbay are learning all manner of skills that many of them would never have expected to have been involved in but which may add real value to their lives. Clubs at Torbay are not just about having fun they are about being able to develop interests and skills that will remain part of their lives and in some cases may just be their passion or even their careers. This is a snap shot of a clubs night in Torbay.
Photography, or click club, is held twice a week now because the attendance was so high and because everyone got so involved in the longer projects that the teacher sets. The club is run by a professional photographer but to the surprise of many it’s not necessarily about learning what a lens is or how the camera works. We of course learn about this but we are set projects each week and are often sent off around school or the local area with a brief to complete. Projects have included ‘mini me’, portraits, light and shade. All of this will culminate in a photography exhibition which will be held before the Christmas break
Torbay has always had a strong connection to music and we have great student bands that have performed at a number of whole school events. We are now able to produce our own music and we have help from a professional music producer and some fantastic equipment. This is much more difficult that we imagined but it’s a fascinating process to be involved in with great rewards when you hear the end result. Our aim is to put together 3 songs with multiple instruments to produce them, record them and to put them onto CD for sale in the school.
In all of the clubs we have in school we are learning valuable skills and developing real passions and interests and this is what really makes us individuals and it can add real value to our university applications.

Clubs at Torbay are not just about having fun they are about being able to develop interests and skills that will remain part of their lives.

EF Academy Torbay – A walk around at clubs time - EF Academy Blog

EF Academy Torbay – A walk around at clubs time ‹ EF Academy Blog

EF Academy Torbay – A walk around at clubs time

Ef academ torbay walk around clubs time

CAS has grown in school now that A level are taking it as part of their program. This means that there are armies of volunteers for fund raising days and lots of students asking ‘does it count of CAS?’
One of the key elements for CAS is the Active section and it is important that some of this is both physically and mentally challenging which is why all CAS students will take part in a program of outdoor activities designed to do just this. This program has started with a favorite in Devon called Coasteering. This involves steering your self along the coastline either by swimming or climbing with the aim of reaching a finishing point. To do this you often have to climb up cliffs and often have to jump off them into the sea. Sounds frightening, well it is. But EF Torbay have been using a fantastic outdoor education provider for a long time and their trained staff are really great and know the coast around here so well.
The first task is to get suited up with a wet suit, life jacket and helmet before we are given a safety talk by the guides. For all of us this is a first and for some even swimming in the sea is a new experience so if the aim is to challenge us it really does. The sea is freezing here even in the summer but it only takes a few minutes before the suit starts to warm you up. Because of the life jacket you kind of float around rather than swim but we remain in a tight group and head further out following the coast. Our first challenge is to climb up a small cliff and to walk along the cliff to reach a small high point. This is not easy and a few of us fall off which is fine because we fall into the sea but then have to swim back to start again.
We do this in and out of the water and along the cliff for a little while longer until we eventually reach a much higher point sticking out of the cliff. We know what’s coming. We are going to be jumping off which looks ok from the bottom but very different from the top. It is a frightening height and looking down makes you wonder if you can do it. You need to convince yourself and this is not always easy.
This is such a challenge both physically and mentally because it can be cold and it often takes a lot of strength to climb the cliffs not to mention the mental strength to jump off them. But CAS is all about challenging yourself and that’s exactly what this does.

One of the key elements for CAS is the Active section which challenges you both physically and mentally challenging, like jumping off a cliff.

“You want me to jump off a cliff?” - EF Academy Blog

“You want me to jump off a cliff?” ‹ EF Academy Blog

“You want me to jump off a cliff?”

Want jump off cliff

Torbay students from across the school enjoyed a fantastic day trip to the Beautiful historic fishing town of Brixham on Saturday but instead of getting there by bus we had a ferry all to ourselves. We met at school on a lovely sunny day with a warm glow around us and began the walk down to Torquay harbor. Around 60 students joined the trip but we also had lots of the school staff with us and in true Torbay style they had their children and dogs with them. Chris and Claire brought Amelie their beautiful 1 year old daughter, Tina the law teacher brought her daughter while Wendy brought her daughter Katie and her lovely dog. We got onto the ferry and the captain introduced himself and told us what we would be doing.
We set off following the coast towards Teignmouth and past the cliff top hotel the Imperial. The coastline is so stunning and the captain explained that in the layers of cliff we could see millions of years and that some of the outcrops and islands are the result of years of erosion. Lots of people had come out to fish along the coast and we waved as we passed them and it seemed the sun had made everyone really happy. We then cut straight across the bay because Brixham was on the other side. As we sailed across we saw lots of birds like Cormorants and Gulls and you could see fish swimming in the water. We the passed along the coast passed Paignton and its Victorian pier and rows of traditional beach huts. What was striking was the difference in the type of rock along the coast near Paignton because its bright red rather than the silver gray near Torquay.
Many of the students had never been on a ferry like this and it was amazing seeing so many different ships and boats around the bay. It shows how important the sea is in this area of the UK. As we approached Brixham this was also our first thought because the harbor was full of traditional fishing boats or trawlers as they are called. It’s a beautiful town and it is so obviously Devon in every way. It has a long history and fishing has always been at its heart.
We got of the ferry and then walked along the harbor past lobster pots and fishing nets into the town. The first thing we noticed was a huge 16th Century pirate ship which was amazing. It even had a pirate dressed up stood on the front shaking his sword, only in Devon. It was a lovely day so lots of people were walking around and it was market day and lots of stalls were selling food and arts so we all had a good luck around. We went off in little groups and some had lunch and of course an ice cream and sat along the harbor wall watching people with their crabbing lines catching crabs.
We all had a great day and it was a great experience to to go on a boat and be out on the sea which for many is very unusual. This is such a great part of the UK and it was great to see it in this way.

Some students from EF Academy Torbay were able to enjoy their weekend by going on a ferry trip to explore Torquay and the surroundings.

Ferry trip around beautiful Torbay - EF Academy Blog

Ferry trip around beautiful Torbay ‹ EF Academy Blog

Ferry trip around beautiful Torbay

Ferry trip around beautiful torbay

Today we went to the town of Totnes. It is said that Totnes is a really small town but I found plenty of interesting things and had one of my most unforgettable experiences there.
At 9:30 in the morning our Summer Prep. group met at the school canteen.  It seemed that everyone was excited about our tour because it was the first opportunity for us to go out of Torbay.
And I got my first train tickets in Britain!
It was crowded at the train station when we got there by taxi. The waiting was not boring because it was the first time that I met lots of British people. The train station is so different from my country,China; it is just like the station in the Harry Potter movies. For example, a red-and-yellow colour theme, with the rest room beside. I believe everyone has fascinating stories here.
After a long journey – most of that waiting, we arrived at Totnes. When we walked on the way to the High Street in the town, we met a family who were selling biscuits for charity.
We showed a great interest in helping them.  Almost eveyone bought a lovely cake.  At the same time their family members said ‘thank you’ to us and pointed out the way to go into the middle of the town. That was my first impression of the residents here – they are really friendly and warm-hearted.
The town was is really nice and interesting. There was a market in the square where,  you could see so many interesting things – old Chinese spoons, pocket watches and also colorful hand-made carpets. People in the market were patient. They spoke really slowly to me and explained the price and the things I wanted to buy. I found out that lots of people in the market knew each other. That might be because there aren’t many people living here. They talked to each other in a lighthearted way, just as they might if meeting by accident on a Sunday morning.
I bought a few items in the market: I bought a dragon ornament and  a blue mask with gold colour around for the children in hour host family, and a hand-made bookmark for myself.  The vendors are also very creative; there were lots of very beautiful things made by hand.
Then we went to the river in the town, the River Dart. It was a really beautiful river. My classmates, however, showed more interest in the lane just beside the river. I agree that the sights there were amazing.
There was also a surprising thing when we came back from the river. Although Callum told us there would be a British traditonal dance at 2 o’clock, when I saw them, I couldn’t stop laughing. Well, the dance brought us back to the 15th Century, with the man in the middle who was really funny and had a kind of ability to make everyone laugh.It made me feel as though I was in an old movie with Santa Claus!
The tour must be one of the most unforgettable experiences in my life. It provided a chance for us to feel another aspect of British culture.  I couldn’t believe I talked to so many people in this short period. People here are really polite. They may not be as outgoing as people in Torquay but they are patient and friendly as well. Thanks teachers for giving us a chance to go to Totnes, such a lovely town!

One of the perks of living in Torquay, in the UK, and studying at EF Academy Torbay are all the nearby trips you can do to other towns such as Totnes.

EF Academy Torbay trip to Totnes - EF Academy Blog

EF Academy Torbay trip to Totnes ‹ EF Academy Blog

EF Academy Torbay trip to Totnes

Ef academy torbay trip tones

The first week of the new 2015-2016 school year, was always going to be busy with hundreds of new students coming through the doors here at EF Academy Torbay. The one thing you can be sure of is that the staff will do everything they can to help you feel at home straight away (in the photos bellow you can see our new students bonding with their class mates thorough the means of the marshmallow challenge the idea is to build the biggest free standing tower with just the marshmallows and spaghetti.) the students also received Police talks and got a chance to go bowling on their first day.
In the following days the students did tests and got to know their tutors. Friday was particularly exciting with the school holding a freshers fair to allow students to see and taste a huge verity of clubs and get to meet the owners of some of the local venues they can use free of charge with their student card. This is a new kind of event for the school but we really wanted to create a ‘uni’ style introduction to the schools clubs, venues and local places of interest. It was also a chance for students to get connected with mobile phones because we had local phone shops coming in. We also had someone from the local bus company help students get set up with transport passes. Students also received their EF Academy goodies like hoodies and T shirts, but only if the signed up for clubs and weekend activities.
In the evening we were lucky enough to have a ‘traditional’ fish and chip van come into school which provided all the students and staff with a free dinner it was the perfect Devon way to end a very enjoyable but busy first week at EF Academy Torbay .

Our private international boarding school, EF Academy Torbay, welcomed students from all over the world during our Induction Week.

EF Academy Torbay induction week 2015 - EF Academy Blog

EF Academy Torbay induction week 2015 ‹ EF Academy Blog

EF Academy Torbay induction week 2015

Ef academy torbay induction week 2015

Its been a long cold winter and the weather, including heavy snow has put pay to many of our outdoor activities but finally signs of spring of popping up and we can finally get out and enjoy the amazing natural environment we have in Torbay and SouthDevon.
With that in mind we have has regular sailing sessions over the last two weeks, more about this to come, and we have just started another round of outdoor activities which will include kayaking, rock climbing and coasteering.
We Kayak off the stunning Goodrington Beach with its amazing coastline and cliffs that surround the Bay. It’s a great place to kayak because its sheltered and easy to explore the coastline and further out to sea. If your lucky you can see some of the amazing marine life we have in the area including dolphins, seals and a variety of sea birds. Most of these animals tend to visit out sea’s later in the summer but we were visited by Cormorants which is the UK’s largest sea bird.
Once kitted out with wet suits, helmets and life jackets we grabbed out kayaks and made our way out to sea. It takes a little while to get into a rhythm and the waves are bigger closer to the beach so you have to paddle hard to get out.
Once you have done this though its easy going to paddle where ever you want to go. The crew from the school give clear boundaries and  the safety boat is always on hand to make sure we are ok.
Some of the students love racing so we had a few sprints but many simply like being able to explore what’s around them because of the sense of freedom that it gives.
We are so blessed in Torbay to have such stunning coastline and to be able to get out to enjoy it. For many of the students doing anything like this is utterly new so we really make the most if it including sailing where students are learning from the basics all the way up to being able to sail on their own in group races.
Its been a long cold winter and the weather, including heavy snow has put pay to many of our outdoor activities but finally signs of spring of popping up and we can finally get out and enjoy the amazing natural environment we have in Torbay and SouthDevon.
 
<img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-10015" height="168" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/GPTempDownload-300x168.png" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/GPTempDownload-300x168.png 300w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/GPTempDownload.png 350w" width="300">

Its been a long cold winter and the weather, including heavy snow has put pay to many of our outdoor activities but finally signs of spring of popping up and we can finally get out and enjoy the amazing natural environment we have in Torbay and SouthDevon. With that in mind we have has regular …

Summer’s here and EF Academy Torbay students hit the beach for kayaking - EF Academy Blog

Summer’s here and EF Academy Torbay students hit the beach for kayaking ‹ EF Academy Blog

Summer’s here and EF Academy Torbay students hit the beach for kayaking

Summer ef academy torbay students hit beach kayaking

Last week was a first for our school because we took our lower school students to a university and careers fair. Normally this is the reserve of our IB and A Level students whose university applications are looming but we are placing greater emphasis on giving our younger students an earlier introduction to the university application process and we want  them to be inspired and informed at the start of their time with us.
The event was held at the Ashton Gate Football stadium in Bristol and present were some of the best universities in the country including the top five of Oxford, Cambridge, The London School of Economics and University College London. Also present were many Russel Group Universities including the University of Manchester and Liverpool.
This was not just about universities because some of the UK’s biggest companies also set out their stalls to attract young talent including Rolls Royce and JPMorgan Chase.
We arrived to find students from schools across the country all eager to have as look around and to have the chance to talk to admissions teams and prospective employees so armed with a venue guide our students set off to explore and to meet with admissions teams.
This wasn’t your average careers and University event with nothing but stalls it had some really interesting virtual stalls and a great virtual engineering stand where students could spray body parts from cars and Airplanes.
As well as this there was an extensive seminar program with talks about Oxbridge applications, student finance and career options. Students also had the chance to try out the latest in career finding computer software and it has come a long way in being able to match student’s aspirations with their abilities and current academic programs.
This was a great venue to hold event like this with views over the football pitch. It’s recently had a huge refurbishment with fantastic facilities. The students had great options for food as well with food stalls and a café in the stadium and many really enjoyed the chance to see the football pitch. What was so great was seeing so many international students mixing with British students from across the region all sharing the same aspirations and all eager to get stuck in.
This was a fantastic opportunity for our younger students to get a taste of what they can aim for in their immediate futures and will really give them the chance to see how the university process works and what employers are looking for.

Last week was a first for our school because we took our lower school students to a university and careers fair.

Lower School University and Careers Fair in Bristol - EF Academy Blog

Lower School University and Careers Fair in Bristol ‹ EF Academy Blog

Lower School University and Careers Fair in Bristol

Lower school university careers fair bristol

What a term it has been. We have had so much going on from day one it’s hard to know where to start so I guess the beginning is the best place.
As always, we opened the doors this year to lots of expectant faces – some looking calm, some a little nervous, but all excited about the year ahead. Once the students met their tutors and got the paperwork out the way it was time for a bit of fun with beach games and rides on Torbay’s gorgeous English Riviera Wheel. This was before the annual fish and chip supper and the Head Masters welcome quiz.
<h3>1. Student Life</h3>
Student Life got off to a great start with our Student Life Fair where students had a chance to see all the school clubs available with a chance to try a few things out like climbing on an indoor climbing wall, grab a camera for a quick Clik Club project or grab some house goodies from the house stalls. They could also sign up for the huge selection of trips we have available in our two enrichment weeks including Thorpe Park, exploring London media, art in Barcelona, Skiing in Poland, or a trip to Disneyland Paris.
A new school year needs a welcome party and this year we planned a garden party at the Allerdale residence because of its fantastic garden and dance floor. Unfortunately, the great British weather had a word or two to say about that and the heavens opened all day long, so the garden party became a big party for the Houses. No one seemed to mind and everyone had a great night.
<h3>2. Clubs</h3>
Our clubs program this year has really stepped up with a number of new clubs including Book Club and Music Production. What’s been amazing is the number of students participating so much so that we have had to add a number of extra nights to the <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/efacademynews/clubs-profile-japanese-cooking-culture/">Japanese Cooking and Culture</a>, Robotics, and <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/efacademynews/clubs-profile-click-club/">Clik Club</a> meetings.
IB students have ticked the learning outside the classroom box in CAS with weekly outdoor education lessons including coasteering and kayaking sessions. But we wouldn’t want this kind of fun to be exclusive so we have had weekly sailing sessions on the nearby river Teign and our increasingly popular weekly rock climbing club. Students on the Duke of Edinburgh Award have also embraced the great outdoors across the border in Wales where we spent three days hiking across the Black Mountains.
<h3>3. Academics</h3>
Academically, the term got started straight away and this year we have welcomed a number of new teachers. This has coincided with the introduction of new subjects, including History and Global Politics which has brought a great balance to our curriculum.
Academics here aren’t all about classrooms and textbooks and we have had some great academic trips already including trips to the theatre at Exeter University and the Grayson Perry exhibition in London at the Tate. Science students have visited the Science museum We The Curious in Bristol and our Math’s students have competed in the UK Math’s challenge with several making it through to the national final.
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RzUbN-Wpu-Y" width="560"></iframe></center>
<h3>4. Sports</h3>
Our sports department have had a great year already with students competing for a winning in national championships in badminton and swimming which was again held at the Olympic swimming pool in London. Our football team has held their own in the southwest league and we have much more to come in sport including cross country nationals and a southwest tennis qualification.
<h3>5. Weekend Trips</h3>
We have had some fantastic weekend trips and managed to go a little further afield this year. As well as the usual trips to nearby Bournemouth and Bristol we have also had <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/efacademynews/ef-academ-torbay-trip-stonehenge-salisbury/">Saturday trips to Stonehenge</a> and London. Lots more to come here including Birmingham, Cardiff, Alton Towers and a second trip to London.
<h3>6. Local Happenings</h3>
When students haven’t been on trips or been sailing they have had some great things to do including Torquay Starbucks opening exclusively to our students on Friday nights and Torquay Cinema showing the hottest releases again just for our students on Saturdays.
<h3>7. House Competitions</h3>
Last year saw the start of our House System pitting Elberry, Saltern, Oyster, and Anstey against each other in a <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/efacademynews/ef-academy-torbay-house-football-cup/">range of competitions</a> and this term we have had some very close fought competitions but amazingly Elberry have managed to win in the Bake Off, Debate, and Talent Show. In our Sports Day held at Exeter Arena, Anstey managed a great win with some fantastic results in short and long distance runs.
 
<hr>
 
It has been an incredible term with so much going on both inside and outside of the classroom but one of the things I am most of is the amazing response our students have had to the charity days we have held because we have raised a staggering £1000 for Children in Need and the Macmillan Cancer charity. This says a lot about our school and the attitude we foster in our students.

What a term it has been. We have had so much going on from day one it’s hard to know where to start so I guess the beginning is the best place. As always, we opened the doors this year to lots of expectant faces – some looking calm, some a little nervous, but all …

Topics

Chris Nicholls

All posts from Chris Nicholls