RIDGEWAYreviewThe Newspaper of Ridgeway School Spring 2012

Year 7 student selected to carry Olympic torch Ridgeway School is celebrating the fact that Grace Jordan,

a Year 7 student, will be a torch bearer on 20th May 2012, when the Olympic torch passes through Torquay.

Grace is an exceptional young person and someone completely dedicated to her training! Just twelve years old Grace already competes in Triathlons, is a member of the Plymstock Road runners, came second in the Devon Championships in swimming and trains 7 days a week.

This level of commitment is not only admirable but inspirational. On a personal level, Grace is a quiet young lady who struggled in primary school with low self esteem and confidence. Even when discussing her achievements Grace appears to not quite realise what an amazing individual she is. P.E. teacher, Claire Crowther was so impressed with Grace’s dedication that she nominated her for the honour of carrying the torch. In her submission she said, ‘I would love for Grace to have the opportunity to carry the Olympic torch so that she can have a moment in the spot light where everyone will recognise just how talented she is and to set an example to her fellow Year 7 students. In terms of dedication

Grace would be second to none; an inspirational beacon, just like the torch.” Claire certainly got her wish and Grace will now take her place proudly as part of the select band of torch bearers.

No stone left unturned in the search for exam success

You will see from my article about the Ten Tors event that our students in this group certainly know about support and commitment in difficult times on Dartmoor. The same is true for students across the school when it comes to extra-curricula activity in the performing arts, dance, and sport, where we have had the pleasure of some outstanding performances recently, most notably from those engaged in this year’s main production ‘The Snow Queen’. However, whilst this work is clearly life changing for those involved the greatest challenge for all students, staff and parents is the work we do together to secure great progress and examination success.

As we approach the critical months b e f o r e e n d o f y e a r a n d f i n a l examinations in Key Stage 4 and 5, it is imperative that we all work together with that ‘never give in’ attitude to life and keep focussed on the prize.

Students supported and encouraged by teachers and parents helping to manage revision and their use of time, before, during and after the school day, will be those most likely to succeed. Revision and support sessions have been publicised by teachers working tirelessly with students to secure success. As teachers continue to identify underperformance, opportunities for grade improvement and action intervention, wherever it is needed, the support of parents and eternal optimism from us all will help students cope with the pressure and help them feel more positive about their prospect for success, right through to the final examination. Good luck to all our hard working students and their teachers.

John Didymus (Headteacher)

Message from the HeadTeacher

Congratulations Sarah!Ex Ridgeway student Sarah

Barrow has delighted staff and students at the school with her bronze medal in the 10 metre platform synchronised event at the Diving World Cup event at the new Olympic Aquatic Centre.

Diving for Great Britain, with partner Tonia Crouch, the pair took the bronze medal after heading into the final dive in eighth position. The crowd reaction was enough to suggest the final dive was a stunning effort. Sarah told BBC Sport that, ‘We were shocked. You could see it when we saw the scoreboard. It took me a while to realise it. I saw number two come up and wondered if we were third or fourth, then we heard the crowd and it was just great’.

Whilst at school, Sarah was a delightful and hard-working student. She managed her A Level studies whilst travelling to different venues to represent her country and she even sat one of her exams in Manchester where she was preparing for a diving event.

Teacher Claire Davidson said, ‘Sarah was a quiet, conscientious and completely unassuming student who sat at the back of the class and kept her head down. I once asked her if I could watch her dive and the confidence she exuded as she threw herself off a 10 metre board is something I will never forget. I remember that it moved me to tears’.

As if the third place is not enough, Sarah and her partner are Great Britain’s first ever medallists at the Olympic Aquatic Centre. Can they reproduce this in the Olympics or even do better? The whole school will be behind her.

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Recognition of success is an important feature of Ridgeway School and so the annual presentation of A Level certificates to students who sat the exams last summer was a celebration of achievement.

It is always a pleasure to welcome back those young people who have been with us for around seven years and then moved on to pastures new. Most were about to return to universities across the country including Oxford, Bristol, Cardiff, Lancaster and Plymouth just to name a few whilst others are now in work or training.

Proud parents, who were and still are, an integral part of their son’s or daughter’s success, shared

in the limelight as the students were presented with the certificates that they had worked so hard for. Staged at the Elfordleigh Hotel, this is a more light-hearted celebration and so students were brought to the podium accompanied by a range of pithy and humorous remarks written by their former tutors.

Apart from the presentation, this is an opportunity for them to renew acquaintances and share stories about university and the new world of work. The conversations went on well into the evening reflecting the close knit community that was established throughout their school years. Well done to everyone.

Ridgeway students take home the trophies at Police Cadet Awards Proud friends and relations gathered at Harewood House to applaud their sons and

daughters who were honoured at this year’s police cadet passing out parade. Conspicuous amongst them were ten students from Ridgeway School, many of whom were presented with specific awards and trophies.

The parade, clearly drilled within an inch of their lives, marched in to be inspected by Chief Superintendant Andy Bickley before receiving their awards. He also made the closing speech and emphasised the hard work, commitment and dedication of the cadets and spoke warmly of the work they do in the community.

The prestigious and coveted shields were presented by Superintendent John Green to Melissa Temlett for being the Most Improved Cadet, Kirsty Swift for being Best Cadet Overall in the Plymouth East Cadets and Zoe Carter for being Plympton Community Council’s Best Community Cadet. All three also won Gold attendance awards.

Alex Druce won the award for the Best Dressed Cadet and Lindsay Chaplin won the Cadet with Most Potential award. They also won Gold Attendance awards. Charlotte Trickey won the Attendance and Leavers’ Award. James Sturt won the Silver Attendance award.

Passing out certificates were presented to Rhys Hannon, James Temlett and Dale Cotter.

Whilst all the students were extremely proud of their achievements and awards, they would all agree that none of this would have been possible if it weren’t for the work of PCSOs Elaine Hesketh and Lee Edmonds who give up so much of their time to train, advise and mentor the cadets. As Sergeant Paul Laity said in his opening speech, the people of Plympton have much to thank the cadets for as they go about their work in the local community. Well done to everyone.

Enigmatic. Eccentric. Entertaining: Alex Scarrow. Who would have thought that an office-worker, turned games-designer would have become an award winning writer? Winner of the Red House Older Readers award, Alex Scarrow has awed and entranced teenagers for around the last eight years. His hybrid of science-fiction, action and adventure is a captivating combination.

For the ‘Up close and personal’ meeting the Year 9 students were ushered into the hall and introduced to what appeared to be a man lying on the stage! The rock-guitarist, gone graphic designer, gone teen-fiction writer, was not what you would normally expect. His informal style and quirky persona was an instant hit. He took us through the concept of his series, ‘Time Riders’, a novel with not one, but three protagonists. Liam O’Connor who should have died at sea in 1912. Maddy Carter who should have died on a plane in 2010, and Sal Vikram who should have died in a fire in 2029. Moments before death, they were mysteriously approached by someone who said, ‘Take my hand . . .’

After an electric performance of his first two chapters, we were invited to the library for a chance to talk to Alex in person. Despite a few nerves and some initial shyness, students Sam Braganza, Rhiannon Hughes and Ashleigh Ingram took the plunge and had a chat with him.

Inspired and refreshed we returned to Ridgeway with a renewed enthusiasm and an eagerness to both read and write our own super sagas.

What a guy!

High quality A Level success recognised at annual presentation of certificates

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Ferry port plays host to student art competition

This year, the Plympton Rotary Club held their annual students art exhibition at the Brittany Ferries passenger terminal. Normally, the exhibition is held at Plymouth Airport but closure of that facility has meant a change of venue. Brittany Ferries passenger terminal will give the art work great exposure and the winners will be chosen by public vote.

Head of Art, Stuart Stephens said, ‘The show was, as always, very well subscribed to with artwork from both primary and secondary schools. The Rotary Club are brilliantly supportive and provide certificates to all and prizes for the winners in each of the age categories. The event was well attended and many parents and teachers commented that the standard of work was even higher than in previous years’.

The work of ten Ridgeway students made it through to the final public display which was displayed for two weeks. Our successful students are: Fiona Turner, Sophie Becks, Amy Bruford, Hannah McArthur, Amy Blackler, Charlotte Gosling, Katherine House, Jess Danby, Sam Braganza and Nial Bradley. Congratulations to all!

It was a great honour and privilege to attend the Plymouth Duke of Edinburgh awards’ evening at the Guild Hall on the 26th March 2012. For the first time in the history of the award at Ridgeway School we had students achieve success at Bronze, Silver and Gold level. Brother and sister, Tom and Hannah Willis, were the proud recipients of their Gold awards and will be presented with their medals at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace later in the year.

The students who achieved their award have put countless hours of work into their

volunteer, physical and skill elements not to mention completing two expeditions in areas including the south west coastal path, Dartmoor and Exmoor. Mr Strachan was so proud of all those who completed their award and attended the awards evening hosted by the mayor. Don’t forget it still isn’t too late for all those who haven’t completed their award, just log onto the edofe (www.dofe.co.uk) and complete your sections. I am looking forward to the next Bronze, Silver and Gold entrants to complete their awards and see the many adventures they will have on their journey.

Golden touch at the Duke of Edinburgh awards ceremony

Master chefs feel the heat in the kitchen

The heat was on in Ridgeway’s Technology class rooms as the Year 11 Catering students were given 2 ½ hours to produce a 2 course meal from a country of their choice. The activity formed part of the assessment for GCSE Catering, a course which sees students study the Hospitality industry, with particular emphasis on food.

A week of excellence saw 12 students a day producing some of the finest food that Ridgeway has seen cooked. Each candidate decided what to cook after choosing a country whose food they wanted to produce. They then spent weeks deliberating, planning and practising their final dishes. The task was to cook a 2 course meal, either a starter and main meal or a main meal and a dessert. Each dish had to represent the essence of that country or contain many of the ingredients for which it is famous.

There were a wide variety of countries chosen, from France to the USA, Slovenia to Brazil and many others. However, they all had one thing in common, the food that was produced was superb in every case. Students also demonstrated an amazing array of talents by filleting fish, boning chickens, making their own pasty, baking bread and even producing meringues from scratch.

All of this was done with just 30 minutes preparation time and 2 hours cooking. The food then had to be presented in an attractive way. The vast majority of finished articles wouldn’t have looked out of place on a restaurant table.

All that was left was to have their food tasted and judges by Miss Zimmerman and Mr Tinkler. This far from arduous task saw the dishes checked for flavour, texture and appearance. Once completed students discovered that all their hard work had been worth it as many received scores that would be equivalent to an A* and some even achieved the magical score of 40 out of 40.

To produce food under that sort of pressure is impressive, but to produce dishes of such exceptional quality is nothing short of remarkable.

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Getting to the heart of physicsWe all know bats and dolphins can hear frequencies beyond our

human hearing, but did you know that we can use this so called ultrasound to look inside the human body? Express Diagnostics, based at the Tamar Science Park, were kind enough to allow the Year 13 Physics group at Ridgeway School, to use the ultrasonic scanners and learn about the theory of the scans. One of the male sonographers was happy to let us see his healthy heart in great detail, using state of the art equipment. Safe to use, unlike X-rays, ultrasound allows the company to look at aspects of the heart in incredible detail. With a special Doppler scan, one can even see the flow of blood into and out of the heart, by colouring the flow red or blue, with the clever software available.

Physics teacher and Assistant Headteacher, Adrian Mawson commented, ‘We are reminded of 2 things by such visits. One, is the ways in which technology and science has changed the quality and length of our lives, the second is the importance of keeping the heart healthy by our lifestyle. The visit also enabled Y13 to visualise in a fresh and real way, one of the modules in the A2 Physics specification’.

Eleven budding Year 9 scientists were delighted to be chosen to take part in the Men in White science event at the Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth. They learnt about how real scientists carry out research into the genetic components of diseases such as diabetes. They visited working cellular biology laboratories where they were able to get hands on experience of techniques such as cell culturing, centrifugation, DNA extraction. They also took part in an analysis of mutant fruit flies under the microscope!

It was a fascinating day for students and teachers alike, demonstrating the practical application of some of the things we learn about in science lessons. The students were a credit to the school, getting fully involved and asking a range of perceptive questions. I have no doubt it will have spark further interest in careers of a science nature.

Visit to Peninsula Medical School expands understanding of science

Students almost find the key to success in Babcock ChallengeThree lucky Year 10 students were chosen

to form the team to compete in the inaugural Babcock Marine Engineering Apprenticeship Challenge at the Royal Devonport Dockyard.

The team competed in five challenges that involved: fixing metal plates, modelling a chimney flue, electrical fitting, assembling pipe-work and replacing part of a ship’s gearbox. They were particularly impressive in the pipe-work challenge; they smashed the previous best time for putting the pipes together, without reference to a diagram, by over a minute. James McArthur, Zach Wall and Will Cray worked

exceptionally well together, communicating clearly and discussing strategies as they went along.

After the challenges there was a tie for 1st place between Ridgeway and Torbridge High. James stepped forward to complete the final and deciding challenge with confidence. It involved electrical fitting, which he completed with precision. All that was left was the lottery of finding the right key to open a control lock.

Unfortunately, James had to try every single key before he found the right fit. The student from Torbridge High was lucky, stumbling upon the key very quickly and so Ridgeway were denied the glory of 1st place and the huge, shiny trophy. It was, nonetheless, an impressive performance by the boys.

We were then treated to a tour of the dockyard which included seeing the, recently launched,

Diamond Jubilee lifeboat, made to mark the Queen’s celebrations and only completed the previous week.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and one of the boys said, ‘It gave me different ideas and career choices and which apprenticeship to choose’. Another team member said, ‘I now know what qualifications I need to apply for an apprenticeship at Babcock’.

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newsBirdman gives flying lessons to students

It is not often that you see the school field deserted by birdlife and hear seagulls frantically screaming at a distance. On the odd occasion this happens, you know something unusual is taking place.

The unusual event was the arrival of the Yorkshire based Ben Potter, self styled birdman and owner of twenty seven birds of prey. On his visit to the school he not only brought with him six birds but also a wealth of stories that kept his various audiences fully entertained. Students were in awe of the Bald Eagle, Sea Eagle, Ruppells Griffins Vulture, White Headed Vulture, Hooded Vulture and the peculiarly named, Cara Cara. As well as school talks and agricultural shows Ben’s birds are involved in pest control, ensuring that livestock remain disease free and some television work.

Enthralled Year 8, 9, 10 and 12 students watched the incredible flying displays put on by these magnificent and, sometimes, huge creatures. Sensitively trained by Ben, the birds responded to his commands as he explained the history behind them. One of the high spots was the opportunity for some students to get the birds to land on their outstretched and heavily gloved arms. Not for the faint hearted as some of the birds weighed in at 12 pounds and had a six foot wingspan. The look on the faces of some students was a picture of apprehension if not fear.

There is no doubt that when it comes to lessons outside the classroom, this one is at the top of the list.

A group of five Year 9 students were chosen as the Ridgeway team to take part in The Great Egg Race, an annual competition for schools across the South West. A total of 17 teams arrived in the Main Hall of Plymouth University for the challenge, which is different every year.

The task was to construct a self-powered vehicle to carry a Cadbury’s Creme Egg across a 2.5m long course which comprised various surfaces, ranging from sand to large rocks and included a water obstacle. A vast selection of resources was provided in the centre of the hall from which the vehicle had to be built. After the initial briefing teachers would have 40 minutes to support their team before being exiled to the back of the room. In true Scrapheap Challenge style, a keen eye was required to scavenge key items which would be vital to a successful design. After a quick brainstorming session, obtaining a suitable set of wheels was set as priority along with the motors to power them.

After a scavenging session, the students had laid their hands on a very scarce set of four matching wheels and a handful of motors from which a working drive system could be manufactured. Then they set to work on perfecting a design, but all too quickly the

teachers were dragged away and the students left to continue the build. Our team, along with many others, struggled for some time with finding a way to effectively connect the motors to the wheels as the axles and driveshafts were incompatible. This was until the organisers revealed a supply of flexible connectors which revolutionised many designs.

When the teachers were allowed back with 30 minutes build-time remaining, a frantic

flurry of cable ties, sellotape and soldering left us with a vehicle, which although lacking in looks, was the only all-wheel drive vehicle in the field.

By the time it came to Ridgeway’s first run, only 4 teams had cleared the first sand section and Kingsbridge had their two teams in a healthy lead, having reached the last rocky area. They had clearly also put getting the right wheels for the job at the top of their list. Our first run was promising showing, clearing sections one and two before veering right and hitting the side barrier. Thinking the chassis was too flexible, two steel rods were taped to the underside for extra strength. With Kingsbridge still out in front, and the remaining teams floundering in the sand, Ridgeway were currently standing 4th position. With the speed and agility of a startled gazelle, our freshly modified eggmobile leapt from the start and skipped across the sand, plastic sheet, and gravel. Slowing only slightly as it ploughed, valiantly, through the water, our 4x4 finally met its match at the rocks and came to a halt.

The final run had secured Ridgeway third place, and trophies for the school and the five team members. A thoroughly enjoyable and very rewarding day was had by all.

Forensics’ workshop allows students to find out who they areThirteen year nine students accompanied by Miss Robbins and Mrs Pyke attended a forensics workshop run by the University of Plymouth

on Thursday 15th March. Our host, Carolyn, was very dynamic. She had worked personally with the scientist who, twenty eight years ago, had accidentally discovered that DNA patterns between different family members were similar. She passionately told stories of how the first maternity case allowed a mother to be reunited with her son, and how the first criminal case proved that a suspect was not a double murderer.

Carolyn set the students a challenge to identify the suspect in a murder scene, using a technique called electrophoresis. This technique is used by specialist police investigation teams to separate the different length DNA strands and find a match to the suspects DNA. Students were even lucky enough to have the opportunity to extract their own DNA. Each pupil came back with their own ‘mini me’, a small amount of their own DNA in a vial around their neck.

Egg race is not an ‘eggsact’ science

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Nowhere

I am going to tell you a story. If you think you can take it, stay...but if you jump when the toast pops out of the toaster, you might want to leave.

It was a cold, blustery evening when I decided to go for a walk on the beach just down from my house; there are 2 houses on my street, mine and an empty dark house that is always in the corner of your eye, no matter where you are. I carefully ambled down the cobbled path to the shingle beach where I spotted a white, floating figure by the shore. I thought ‘you only live once’; so I followed it.

I am Emily Spence, although that’s not my real name. I’m a detective working for the Pinkerton Agency. I have been investigating white floating figures; many have reported seeing them but we just don’t know what they are. A young woman reported seeing a white figure cross the road while a lorry was coming and then it just disappeared. Poof. Gone. Never to be seen again. The mysterious thing is, people keep disappearing while the white figures are appearing, as if replacing the folks that have disappeared.

Questions were reeling in my head about where these entities might have come from. I decided to take a walk around Pinkerton to clear my mind and consider how I might find more information about the white figures. As I walked through shiny double doors of the Pinkerton Agency, the grand maple trees, their golden leaves swirling to the ground like a ship sinking in water, drew my attention. The trees seemed to be breathing. I had set off across the leaf littered path, notepad in hand, when I spotted a woman dressed in white robes running through the trees, turning now and again almost as if she knew I saw her. I decided to see where she was going, so I followed her. I slowly made my way through

the golden trees; I crouched under a tree trunk whilst contemplating why I was wearing high heels. I was weaving through some trees when I saw a group of people in white cloaks. I was concealed behind some branches, when a man with a hoarse voice began saying;

‘We are doing well, but we need to…..’ then, CRASHHHHH! Something fell to the ground. I scarpered. I scrambled back up to the main path, tripping over many rocks and sticks on the way. It was dark and blustery now and I was hiking down the cobbled path on the way to the beach when I saw the figure. I carried on walking towards the shape; then it disappeared. I turned and there it was, towering over me, breathing deeply. It just stood there at first, looking at me. Its expression was blank, but the eyes were desperate. It tapped me on the shoulder, and then I blacked out.

When I awoke, I felt nothing. I was hovering in a never ending white corridor, the kind you see in dreams; maybe I was in heaven? I gazed down at my body and realised, I was all in white. My garments were white. My skin was white. My mind was blank; whiteness engulfed me.

I felt compelled to touch another human…

Ridgeway PTA needs you. Can you help?The Ridgeway PTA are a body of volunteers including parents and school staff who work throughout the year on both raising additional

funds to help out the school with more equipment and at the same time organise events on a more social level to enable the school to more integrate with the wider Plympton community. You will have seen us working hard at events inside the school like supporting the school productions by running refreshments for them, to running the Christmas Fair, to running school barn dances and regular bingo sessions, which have become a good promoter of the schools image, with the more senior members of our community. On a wider canvas we have represented the school by running stalls at all the local carnivals and fetes from Colebrook to Ridgeway to the annual Ram Roast.

Our fund raising over the whole year raises a small but useful sum for us to invest in the school and in the last year we have spent over £3,500 on books, musical instruments, sports equipment and compasses for Duke of Edinburgh and Ten Tors.

None of this is possible without the voluntary support the PTA gives, but we are a small number of people and can only do so much. We need everybody’s help to do more. If each parent gave only 1 hour of their time to help us, per year, we could raise so much more to help the school. We want and need your help.

If you would like to get in touch with us, we can be contacted via the school email system at PTA@ridgeway.plymouth.school.uk. Or come and talk to us at any of the events we are at. Finally if you want to know what we are up to – the PTA has a page that can be found via the school website. Whatever way you find us we look forward to talking and working with you.

David Trace Chair Ridgeway PTA

Geography fieldtrip provides window on the worldThe outdoor classroom is provides a different learning environment and few are as

interesting or as fruitful as a visit for all Year 8 students to Paignton Zoo Environmental Park for the Key Stage 3 Geography fieldwork. Year 8 have recently been studying a module called ‘Ecosystems’ which focuses closely on plant and animal adaptations, tropical rainforest environments and worldwide issues such as deforestation.

The day at Paignton Zoo expanded on their school based learning and provided an opportunity to experience these environments first hand. Activities included detailed tours of the Reptile Tropics and Desert House areas and a lecture about how plants and animals have adapted to survive different conditions.

Geography teacher, Mr Strachan, said, ‘This was a great learning experience for the students and both days were a huge success. Students fully enjoyed their time exploring different environments and seeing all the animals. Some favourites were the Golden Lion Tamarins, Sumatran Tigers, Asian and African Elephants, Hyacinthine Macaws and the Rhinoceros’.

Alongside all the events that take place inside and outside school, we would like to feature students’ written work in the Ridgeway Review. Below is a short story written by Year 8 student Emily Roach which she hopes you will enjoy.

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Primary activities run by Ridgeway’s young leaders The Plympton family primary schools

proved that they too share the Olympic and Paralympic values this week. The three schools that competed all showed an abundance of determination, team spirit and friendship.

The students from Plympton St. Maurice, Chaddlewood and Woodford took part in 8 activities led by Ridgeway’s young leaders. Our young leaders were outstanding on the day;

they were enthusiastic and helpful and they helped to ensure that everyone had a great time.

All three schools excelled in different areas; Woodford School won the shuttle relay with 106 points; Woodford School and St. Maurice tied in the speed bounce challenge with 198 points each; and Chaddlewood won with 193 points in the target throw challenge. The day was won overall though by St. Maurice thanks to a whopping score in the goal roll of 625 points,

Well done to everyone who took part—it was a fantastic day.

On a beautifully warm Sunday afternoon, the school’s under 13 sevens’ squad set off on their journey to take part in one of the most prestigious rugby sevens’ event of the year.

Arriving at the Holiday Inn near Slough, it was discovered that Mr O’Sullivan had found the ideal overnight resting place. The rooms were air conditioned, peaceful and everyone enjoyed a comfortable night’s sleep ahead of the games the next day.

It was a baptism of fire for the first seven players to be selected. The first match was against Wimbledon College who were overall winners of this national championship in 2010 and with a long history of success at under 13 level in this competition. By the end of the second half, the Ridgeway team had to concede defeat to an immensely well organised, strong and lightning quick team. However, Ridgeway could hold their heads high at the final whistle and with the deserved satisfaction of scoring the last try of the game, a brilliant solo effort from Elliot Nicholls.

Ridgeway’s performance in the second game can only be described as magnificent. Playing against Orleans Park, our team extraordinarily found themselves 19-0 down at the interval. What were the odds on them experiencing victory? None! And yet Orleans Park were unable to score a point in the second half and Ridgeway scored four converted trys through Elliot Nicholls (2), Liam Weir and Stan Lane. Liam Weir magnificently converted all four.

In the squad’s final game, Ridgeway were unable to repeat the winning form and lost to another formidable team in Lindcroft School. Again, Ridgeway rallied strongly towards the end of the game with captain, Liam Weir, again leading by example with two barnstorming runs, each ending with a try.

P.E. teacher, Steve Body added, ‘The squad gained much valuable experience from exposure to this illustrious competition. They proved themselves to be excellent sporting ambassadors for the school and they should be a team worth watching in the future’.

Under 13s acquit themselves well in Rosslyn Park sevens

After some impressive results in the local rounds of the competition, Ridgeway U13 girls’ tag rugby team went to Torbay to play in the Devon Winter Games which is a county level competition.

An impressive opening ceremony echoed the Olympic and Paralympic games and the competition also held to the same values of determination, friendship and sportsmanship. Olympic gold medallist Michaela Breeze was on hand to give a motivational speech and also to award medals after the events.

With two pools of seven teams the event was an epic display of skill, stamina and determination. Ridgeway went on to beat five teams in their pool, only losing by one try to Uffculme School. This meant that we entered the cup competition in 2nd place. We then played QECC and at full time the scores were level; after extra time the scores were

also level! With nerves jangling we won the coin toss to restart the game in the ‘golden try’ stages. Much to our relief this try came quickly.

Having only lost one game in the tournament thus far, the girls were not fazed when we realised that we were to face Uffculme School again in the final. Unfortunately, our winning streak was not to continue. The game was extremely physical and there was unfortunately some dubious refereeing but, at the end of the game, our girls were gracious in defeat (again by one try). Two teams go through to the Regional competition though so we are looking forward to our next meeting!

Miss Crowther said, ‘On a personal note: I just want to say congratulations to our girls, they played outstandingly all day and behaved impeccably. It is a pleasure to be able to coach you’.

Under 13 girls’ tag rugby team qualify for regional final

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The new £45 million sports complex at Marjon played host to this year’s South West Rowing Finals, an increasingly popular and prestigious rowing event. Ridgeway School selected a strong squad of 6 male and 6 female students who achieved the highest results at the recent City championships. The standard was incredibly high with over 70 schools and rowing clubs in attendance. There were national and regional squad performers competing alongside our students. Former Ridgeway student

Lewis Todd, who has a work placement at Plymstock School and reached national status with his rowing and Ryan Adler, supported the running of the event.

Our students were exemplary during the day and all put in commendable performances. Blue Bugler in Year 7 came 2nd in Devon and 3rd overall in the South West. Demi Rossouw in Post 16 came 2nd in Devon and 3rd in the South West. Other notable successes were Year 8 student Tom Honeywill who came 7th overall and Luke Millar in Year 10 who came 8th.

‘Had a nice day dear? It’s been lovely here’.

Hardly a weekend or day walk seem to go by during this year’s training for the Ten Tors event when this has not been said to team members, on their return from the moors, by parents and family. Unfortunately, the response from our intrepid team members is not usually as positive.

The weather experienced high on Dartmoor, can be considerably different from that experienced below the cloud base in Plymouth and this year has provided a great example of this regrettable fact. Our teams, and those of DHSG with whom we work closely to train, have suffered all weathers from warm sunshine to windswept sleet, snow and driving rain as well as frozen tents and boots. We have had great highs and for some children significant lows as they battle mile after mile, through the awful weather with full rucksacks over rough and unforgiving ground, often knee deep in bog.

Teamwork has been exemplary, indeed, probably the best many of us have seen from Ridgeway teams. Children who are struggling with tired legs, blisters and the onset of exhaustion are being readily supported and

looked after by team members, some of whom think nothing of carrying far more than their share of kit to ensure the team arrive safely and together at their destination. Laughter and singing can often be heard by our vigilant, staff watching from a distance as well as upset and tears from those finding the challenge of Dartmoor something of a struggle.

Team manager and headteacher, Mr Didymus, said, ‘This is no walk in the park. The Ten Tors Challenge requires determination, resilience, fitness and outstanding teamwork. When teams get lost in the mist and cold driving rain they have to be able to keep themselves safe, stay together and get back on track. This is what makes the Ten Tors training so important and full of key skills for life’.

As we approach the final team selection ready for the event in May it is worth remembering, as I remind students from day one, that whilst selection for the team of six is the objective, the biggest prize is the experience and knowledge gained from participating in the training. This will, without doubt, make our students more focussed and able to meet life’s challenges and make them infinitely more employable.

Under 13 girls’ tag rugby team give good account of themselves at regional finalsHaving qualified for the Girls’ Under 13

Regional Tag Rugby finals through our second place at the County Finals, our team was delighted to be greeted by Catherine Spencer, the England Ladies’ captain on arrival at Hornets RFC in Weston-Super-Mare.

Thirteen teams had qualified for the event and were split into two pools; it was at this stage that we realised, with mixed feelings, that Uffculme school were in the other pool.

From the first game, the standard was incredible, much tougher than we had previously encountered. We lost our first two games but then, having found our rhythm, we won the next two. Our last game was against Liskeard who were a very close match to us and the game ended in a draw. Unlike the county finals, only the top team from each pool went through. Penair School in Truro went through from our pool and Uffculmbe went through from the other.

We decided to stay to watch the final and Penair were pleased, and a little surprised, to find that they suddenly had some more avid supporters. It was a physical game but our girls spurred Penair on. When the final whistle blew, Penair were the victors and Ridgeway decided that it had been a amazing day and well worth the trip.

Miss Crowther said, ‘Our girls were a credit to the school as always and they played outstandingly. I have enjoyed every minute coaching you and am a little sorry that the season is over. There is always next year though’.

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