Students from Tor Bridge High, part of our family of schools, have taken part in the city-wide Learn 2 Live driver safety conference this month.  Learn 2 Live sessions are run every Autumn term across Devon, Somerset, and Cornwall, with over 10,000 young people attending.

The Year 12 Tor Bridge students heard from representatives from the emergency services during the city-wide event, which was aimed at educating teenagers on how to stay safe while driving and as a passenger. 

Learn 2 Live is a road safety partnership including emergency services, local government and some amazing members of the public working together to reduce the number of young people killed and injured on the roads in Devon & Cornwall.

The group took part in interactive activities that simulated the consequences of using a phone while driving, reckless driving, drink and drug driving and being distracted by peers.  They also learned about how wearing a seat belt can save your life. 

The conference concluded with a film of a survivor of a fatal road traffic accident involving a drunk driver.  The survivor is now paraplegic and volunteers a significant amount of his time educating young people about the profound consequences of drink driving.

Road Safety Week this year runs from the 17th to the 23rd of November and centres around raising awareness of the dangers of excess or inappropriate speed and helping people understand why safe speeds are so vital for safe and healthy journeys.

Every year, more than 1700 people die on UK roads and another 30,000 receive serious, life-changing injuries.  This Road Safety Week, the charity Brake is counting the real cost of road crashes.  They are revealing the stories behind the numbers and calling for the very highest standard of care for every road victim.

Tracy Stephenson, Headteacher at Tor Bridge High said:

“I want to say a big thank you to Learn 2 Live and the representatives from the emergency services who came along to talk to our students.  The conference made for a very thought provoking afternoon and I was pleased that the students reflected very seriously on the topics discussed.”

Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust said:

“It’s so important that we do everything we can to ensure our young people are safe when they are starting to become more independent in the world.  I am glad these Tor Bridge students got to hear first hand from the emergency service how to keep safe while on the road.”

Students from All Saints Academy Plymouth (ASAP), part of the Ted Wragg Trust, have embarked on an exciting trip to the capital this month.

90 Year 8 students from the Plymouth School embarked on a trip to London as part of their ASAP pledges.  Launched this year, the pledges are a series of opportunities every All Saints student will have access to as their right as an All Saints student. These include trips and visits, such as Paris, London & New York in 2024/25, to visiting local businesses and Universities across the South West. In addition, students get taught a range of activities from first aid and personal finance, to learning to ride an bike and swimming.

In Year 8, all pupils have the opportunity to visit our capital city. The tour has a real focus on Science, bringing alive the curriculum and helping students to plan for their future successes in the South West.

The group visited the Science Museum in South Kensington.  The museum was founded in 1857 under Bennet Woodcroft from the collection of the Royal Society of Arts and surplus items from the Great Exhibition as part of the South Kensington Museum, together with what is now the Victoria and Albert Museum.

They then went on to the Natural History Museum, which exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history.  The day concluded with an exciting open-top bus tour around London. 

Scott Simpson Horne, Headteacher at All Saints Academy Plymouth said:

“Our pledges are a really exciting part of All Saints’ journey to outstanding education; ensuring every child has access to a range of experience beyond the classroom ensures our pupils get a fully rounded education. I know the students really enjoyed their day in London and took so much away from visiting the museums.  The trip was also a wonderful chance for our students to learn about the landmarks of our vibrant capital city. We look forward to reporting on our Year 7 trip to Paris later this year.

Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust said:

“It’s brilliant to hear that All Saints students recently made the trip up to London.  Ensuring that young people access a wide range of educational and cultural experiences is a key part of attending school and the pledges at All Saints Academy are such a wonderful example of this. I hope the students took a lot away from their day.”

Sixth Form students at Queen Elizabeth’s School, (QE) part of our Trust have participated in a digital surgery with Lord Newby during UK Parliament Week.

Lord Newby is the Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords and has formerly served as a Chief Whip.  He was also Charles Kennedy's Chief of Staff during his period as Leader and he received an OBE in 1990 for his service to politics.

During the digital session, the Crediton students posed Lord Newby a wide range of questions.  They covered topics including the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the government's plans to introduce inheritance tax on farms, and the Liberal Democrats’ proposals to increase numbers of GPs. 

UK Parliament Week encourages schools across the country to explore the value of democracy and how young people can participate in the democratic process.

Ms Paula Smith, Headteacher at Queen Elizabeth’s School said:

“I am very grateful to Lord Newby for taking the time to come and speak to some of our sixth formers this Parliament Week.  I am also proud of the knowledge and enthusiasm our students showed in the session, with Lord Newby commenting that he was highly impressed by their knowledge and engagement.”

Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust said:

“It’s brilliant that QE sixth formers were able to spend some time speaking with Lord Newby this Parliament Week.  It’s so important that young people understand not only the value of our democratic system, but also how they can play a key role in it and it sounds like this session addressed both of these themes perfectly.” 

Students from Sidmouth College, part of our Trust family of schools, have taken part in the Geographical Association's WorldWide Quiz this month.

A group of Year 10 GCSE Geography students took on the best geographers in the region in a very competitive quiz, with their team finishing third overall.  The format involved a ‘University Challenge’ style quiz for multiple teams of three students, with eight rounds of eight questions.  

The Geography Department at Sidmouth College aims to inspire the future generation to feel confident in forming opinions about our planet and encourage them to live sustainably through teaching them about people, places and processes and the intrinsic links that exist between them.  

The Geographical Association (GA) is the subject association for teachers of Geography, their mission is to further geographical knowledge and understanding through education. 

Mrs Lisa Whitworth, Headteacher at Sidmouth College said:

“Many congratulations to our super Geography team for placing third in the recent quiz by the Geographical Association.  At Sidmouth College we are always looking for new and different educational opportunities to offer our young people and it was great to see our students competing with their peers in this tough competition.”

Moria Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust said:

"Everyone at the Ted Wragg Trust is so proud of the Sidmouth students for the enthusiasm and determination they have displayed while taking part in the WorldWide Quiz.  Their curiosity and teamwork have truly shone through, proving that learning can be both fun and enlightening!"

Students and staff at Lipson Co-operative Academy, part of our Trust have had a brilliant day at the National Marine Aquarium as part of their STEMfest week.

The STEMfest week was designed by the National Marine Aquarium for children in Years 3 to 9 and they provided a variety of activities to inspire and engage them, including analysing ecological surveys, doing scientific drawings and participating in virtual reality sessions.

30 Year 8 students from Lipson Co-operative Academy went along to learn all about how scientists work in the marine environment and how their findings help to develop theories, such as natural selection.  They took a deep dive into the theory of evolution, learning things that Charles Darwin himself did not know.

They also took part in a workshop using a dice-based game to help them better understand Darwin’s finch theory and covered concepts such as speciation and adaptation.

Students were also posed a variety of questions to ponder during their time at the aquarium, including:

 How many different species are in the NMA's Great Barrier Reef exhibit?
Why do sharks have different shaped teeth?
What does it feel like to live in a rockpool?

Each day ended with an interactive show designed to leave everyone excited to explore local habitats and take action to protect them.  An amazing interactive show was delivered to the students in front of the huge Eddystone tank, which filled in the gap between Darwin’s theory and the most up-to-date thinking on DNA –  providing 165 years of learning in 20 minutes!

 Mr Martin Brook, Headteacher at Lipson Co-operative Academy said:

“STEMfest week at the National Marine Aquarium was absolutely brilliant.  It clearly ignited curiosity, interest and enjoyment in all the students that went along.  Seeing the relationship between empirical evidence and  theories helps students think critically and these important thinking skills can be applied in many areas of study.”

Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust said:

“It’s great to hear that Lipson students took so much away from the STEMfest week at the aquarium and I know the whole community is so grateful to them for holding this brilliant event annually.  STEM professions are central to the economy and lots of the jobs of the future will be in those areas, getting young people interested in them in a fun way can only be a positive thing.”

Cranbrook Education Campus, (CEC) part of our Trust has welcomed a new therapy dog this term.

Her in-school training commenced with visits during the summer holidays to familiarise herself with the environment followed by some shorter sessions meeting staff and finally in the final week of the last half-term, 'Meet Aurora' sessions with each individual class. 

Aurora, who is staff member Mrs Edingham's 4-year-old cockapoo, has officially started her role as a therapy dog in the primary phase of CEC.  Following her basic training, Aurora is currently enrolled in the PAWS Therapy Dog Training Programme and is making superb progress. 

All pupils were highly engaged and listened beautifully to either a story or a poem along with Aurora.  They also asked lots of thoughtful questions about her role within the school. 

This half term, Aurora will be starting small group interventions with some pupils.  These will include sessions for those with cynophobia, a fear of dogs, as well as some for pastoral and academic support reasons. 

 Krisha Gandhi, Head of Primary & Senior Deputy Head of Campus, at Cranbrook Education Campus said:

"We are all delighted to welcome Aurora on to the team!  The presence of a therapy dog in school doesn’t just bring joy to pupils and staff—it helps to create a calming atmosphere.  Mrs Edingham was exceptionally proud that all pupils followed the four-step interaction plan, which outlines Aurora’s role and how to approach and pet her, with such diligence and kindness.” 

 Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust said:

“I am delighted that most Ted Wragg schools now have a therapy dog.  They offer more than comfort, they contribute to an atmosphere that means pupils feel safe, valued and understood.

“Research has shown that a therapy dog in a primary school setting can bring a number of benefits for both pupils, families and staff.  They have the ability to boost mood, reduce stress and enhance focus, creating a happier, more supportive environment for learning!”