The Dorcan Academy choir had a festive lunch , thanks to Miss Durston, after performing at five school events over the past two weeks. They sang at the GCSE presentation evening, carolled at St Paul’s Church and Ashbury Lodge Care Home, and participated in more formal performances during the school Christmas Concert and Carol Service. Great job to the choir for demonstrating outstanding courage, resilience, and commitment!

Thank you too to Miss Durston for leading the choir.

On Tuesday 3rd December, students and staff from The Dorcan Academy’s music department had the privilege of visiting St. Paul’s Church to perform carols for a group of senior community members. The choir was exceptional, showcasing impressive confidence both in their singing and in delivering public speeches about themselves. We are excited to continue spreading the festive spirit at our Christmas events.

The Dorcan Academy was delighted to attend the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s GCSE Music Set Works Concert this week. At the concert, students enjoyed a selection of pieces, including their GCSE set work, “Badinerie” by Bach. All students modelled The Dorcan Academy character virtues and were a true credit to the school, displaying impeccable conduct throughout.

The Year 10 Geography students had an exciting day exploring Bristol Harbourside investigating whether the redevelopment has been a success. Students visited several sites carrying out footfall surveys and environmental quality surveys. Some found the surveys challenging as they had to guess which age group people belonged to. Finally, they all headed to Cabot Circus to buy some lunch and experience a case study from their GCSE course. 

Year 7 Geography students had fun investigating the structure of sand dunes on Brean Beach and the number of tourists visiting Burnham-on-Sea. Students were also given a lesson on the role of Sea Walls as a coastal defence. Many students ended the day with a well-earned ice cream. 

We are delighted that Jasmine Roux-Nel in Year 10 won the Silver medal in sparring and Bronze in patterns in the World Taekwondo Championships in Croatia last weekend. This is an incredible achievement – well done Jasmine. We are all very proud of you.

We are proud to announce that Logan Rutherford in Year 10 took part in the Taekwondo world championships in Croatia and won a Silver medal in Patterns as well as becoming a World champion gold medallist in sparring and team sparring. This is a result of dedication and hard work and a passion for the sport. Well done Logan!!

Year 7 have been learning about our Dorcan character virtues through drama improvisation workshops led by Mr Roke and ably assisted by Miss Durston. Students’ participation was excellent with high numbers agreeing to perform and even better, volunteering to do so! Staff also got involved, jumping high over ‘imaginary balls’, supporting groups to develop their pieces and encouraging students to adopt a ‘have a go’ attitude. Mrs Burnett is to be commended for her spectacular performance with Mr Roke on stage with the hilarious pen slip. (Don’t ask!!!!) 🙂 Well done all.

Talking about Transition at The Dorcan Academy

Expert trainers from Talk The Talk came into school on Thursday 5^th September to work with our new Year 7 students.

Oracy-based activities and strategies were used to help students develop greater self-confidence and resilience. The half day workshop was packed full of engaging activities to promote students’ confidence, self‑esteem and help build relationships with their new peers. By the end of the day all students had developed in confidence to speak in front of their peers – it was inspirational to watch. ‘Talk About Transition’ has supported our students for a number of years to make a successful transition from primary to secondary school.

Below is some of the positive feedback received from the trainers about our Year 7 students:

The students were superb. They were very confident, bright and engaged pupils. As it was the start of their new term, I would have fully expected some nerves but, in general, they were extremely excited about starting their new school. I was so impressed with their willingness and genuine want to participate in every task. ‘Talk About A New Friend’ went particularly well, with every student delivering fantastic introductions without a single pushback. Their wishes stood out to me as unique and attention-grabbing. My personal favourites were the wish for teleportation and the wish for a block of cheese ‘because I am hungry!’ Our experience at the school was fantastic, with really kind and organised staff – so thank you for looking after us so well! I was impressed with the standard of the student’s answers in ‘Talk About Setting Goals’ with thought-out and mature responses.

The students were excellent on all fronts. They were engaged from the outset, behaviour was exceptional, and they were, truly, very supportive of one another. I think you have a fantastic year group.

School was lovely – really welcoming, appreciative and supportive.

Another great day at Dorcan Academy. Both groups were well supported by enthusiastic staff and were clearly appreciated by pupils. At the end of each workshop, I had the less confident pupils approach me and thank me, saying they wouldn’t have guessed I struggled with confidence as a teenager (something I reveal early on in the workshop). A really rewarding day, with students visibly growing in confidence as the workshop progressed.

This was my first visit to Dorcan Academy and what a great first visit it was. Both 7FRA and 7OS1 worked well as we progressed throughout the activities. The respect for the space and each other was evident. The staff were encouraging and supportive throughout the day and I felt very well looked after. It was clear that some students found themselves really pushing way out of their comfort zones, in a very short space of time – which is extremely encouraging to see. Very engaging and supportive Year 7s.

To learn more about Talk The Talk’s work, visit them at: www.talkthetalkuk.org

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