Dartmouth Academy has been buzzing with exciting visits and activities, creating memorable experiences for pupils of all ages.

Post-16 students have been returning to speak with pupils, offering invaluable insights and mentorship. Their presence has sparked conversations and provided guidance for younger students, fostering a sense of community and support. Year 10 students have had the unique opportunity to work with professional photographer Ali Hooper.

Ali’s expertise has been a fantastic resource, inspiring the students as they refine their photography skills and learn more about the craft.In Early Years, students were treated to a special visit from a Dartmouth Police Community Support Officer (PCSO). The children were thrilled to sit in a police car, hear the siren, and learn about the vital role the police play in the community. This visit was part of a week-long focus on emergency services, teaching students what to do in case of an emergency.

A big thank you goes to Devon and Cornwall Police for their time and engagement with the children.Reception Class had their own adventure with a visit to Dart RNLI. The children spent the morning with the crew, learning about the importance of the RNLI, the types of rescues they conduct, and when to call for help. The children even had the chance to dress up as crew members, ride in the lifeboat, and sit in the tractor named Thomas.

The experience has inspired them to create artwork and write about their visit, showing just how impactful the day was. Student contribution: Sam Clarke, year 10, and Ollie Martin, year 11, work with SLT lead, N Perrott, on Personal Development. When we were assigned to Mrs Perrott we had a meeting and discussed personal development for pupils of Dartmouth Academy.

Instead of putting a plan in place we first asked the pupils what they would most like. They suggested more hands-on sports coaching and so we took over the PE teacher’s dodgeball club at lunchtime. This worked so well that we also started a basket ball club which we run after school.

We enjoy coaching the pupils in their physical fitness and skills but see this as a good opportunity to mentor them and act as positive role models. Not only is it good for the pupils and the school, it is developing our skills for future employment. We recently presented our leadership roles at the first ESW pupil leadership conference.