Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Future Opportunities Evening

  Mon 31 Oct 2022

  5.30pm – 7.00pm

   

  Our annual Careers Fair called Future Opportunities Evening is a fantastic event to investigate your career journey in a positive way.  We are delighted to host a vast array of local, regional employers, training providers and post 16 Further Education and Higher Education establishments.

   

  The aim of the evening is to enable pupils and their parents/carers to find out more about specific occupations and possible career paths, as well as further and higher education opportunities.

    

  This event is ideal for:

   

  Year 7 & 8– it helps pupils develop and link ideas about preparation, exploration of professions and different industries.

   

  Year 9 – explore ideas for your future career pathways as in Spring next year there will be GCSE options to be chosen and this career fair encourages the first steps of that all-important journey towards finding the job, profession and life that will make them happy.

   

  Year 10 – Looking into their options for Work experience and Post 16 and exploring whether that will be A levels, T Levels, Vocational, International Baccalaureate or an apprenticeships

   

  Year 11 – Ideal for looking for an Apprenticeship employer or deciding about their next steps.

   

  Parents and Carers – For supporting your young person or for adults interested in their own career progression or changing careers.

   

  Organisations currently booked and list is growing:

  Active Torridge Ltd

  Army

  Arts University Plymouth

  Berrys Business Services Ltd

  Bideford College

  Bluesoup

  Bond Oxborough Phillips

  Brend Hotels

  Callywith College

  CMTG Group (Beran Instruments/Helitune)

  Duchy College/Bicton College/Cornwall College

  Eurofins ETC

  Evolve Care Group

  Exeter College

  Faculty of Health - Plymouth

  Greenfield Engineering

  Group Training and Development

  Jayne Poole Photography John Walker – Independent Careers Advisor

  Kingsley School

  Krempel

  Lely Center Holsworthy

  Lineal Software Solutions

  NSSW

  Queen Elizabeth's 6th Form Petroc College

  Royal Navy / Royal Marines

  Shebbear College

  Skern Training and Skills

  TCi (GB) Ltd

  The Northam Care Trust

  The Plough Arts Centre

  Torridge District Council

  Torrington Dental Practice

  West Buckland School

   

  If you are part of a business or organisation that would like to be at our event to advertise and celebrate your industry or perhaps you are looking to develop your future workforce with apprenticeships, please do get in touch Mrs Leonard Careers & Employer Engagement Officer, lleonard@gts.devon.sch.uk

• Star Chef Challenge for Year 7,8 & 9

  Fri 21 Oct 2022

  Get your Autumn food fix this half term by having a go at Miss Fisher’s Star Chef Challenge. Eight tasty recipes for you to try out and send Ms Fisher an email with pictures of any recipes you try, and you will receive a ‘start chef’ badge when you return to school.

   

  Let’s get cooking!

  

• GTS Alumni visit Year 11

  Thu 20 Oct 2022

  Great to welcome back GTS Alumni who are now at Bideford Sixth Form. Last week, Bideford College's Sixth Form, Kaye French (Head of Sixth Form) and Kimberley Gilby (Sixth Form Manager) visited Year 11 in assembly time to invite them all to their open evening taking place on Thursday 1st December 4.30pm - 7.00pm. For more details about the evening , please see their website https://www.sixthform.bidefordcollege.uk/

   

  All of our Alumni spoke about their experiences so far and the support they have received. The key message is go and visit, do your research so you can make a more informed decision about what you want to do when you leave GTS.

   

  We hope to see some of our Alumni again at our Future Opportunities Evening on Tuesday 15th November 5.30pm - 7.00pm where Bideford College will be having a stand. So do come along and visit and have a chat about what is on offer.

• Podcast Episode 5 Available Now – Amazing Apprenticeships

  Thu 20 Oct 2022

  For this week's Parent Perspective Podcast, Amazing Apprenticeships have created a visual resource to help every parent get their child’s creativity and curiosity flowing!

   

  Encouraging pupils to think about what their future might look like; the attachment is designed to help them develop their own ideas and explore opportunities.

   

  Look at the attached and tune into the latest of podcast ‘The Parent Perspective Podcast. Episode 5: Focus on your future.

   

  #ParentPerspective #podcast #apprenticeships #nextsteps #earlycareers

  

• All shipshape as Year 10 Catering classes take on the Royal Navy Challenge

  Wed 19 Oct 2022

  Two-year 10 catering classes took on the Royal Navy Catering challenge under the watchful eye of two Royal Navy chefs this week.

   

  The pupils were under orders to produce meatballs and pasta with a chocolate brownie dessert against the clock. They had to think about their presentation skills, keep their stations tidy and cleared up in a set amount of time.

   

  It was great to see pupils so engaged in the task, working as a team and apart from doing a great job presenting their food, they had to do all of this under the pressure of competition and time.

   

  We are grateful to the chefs for coming in and giving an insight into life in the Royal Navy and the opportunities available.

   

  https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers

  Local Armed Forces Recruitment Office: Fountain House, Western Way, Exeter EX21 2DQ

  Tele 01392 271533

  Open Daily 9.00am – 5.30pm Monday to Friday.

   

  

• Appledore Book Festival with Bali Rai

  Thu 06 Oct 2022

  Top author Bali Rai loves coming back to GTS with Appledore Book Festival - He’s written over 55 books, find them in the library

  Today it was great to introduce Bali to Year 7 and we talked about feeding our ‘zombie brains’

  Moderating screen time and choosing to read is proven to be better for our health

  Bali’s work with Booktrust reinforces how important it is to increase social skills; flexing imagination through reading and writing

  Choose from the Barrington Stoke titles – these are gritty high interest stories with contemporary and historical context

  Happy Reading!

  

• Transport – TORR8

  Tue 04 Oct 2022

  Due to ongoing issues with access through the road closure between Stibb Cross and Powlers Piece we will need to amend the timings on the route with effect from tomorrow morning. Stops between Stibb cross and Powlers Piece cannot be accessed, so will need to get to either Parkham or Stibb Cross.

   

  The rest of the route will run with the following times;

   

  Parkham 07:50,

  Saltrens 08:05,

  Monkleigh 08:10,

  Frithlestock 08:14

  Stibb Cross 08:25.

   

  Please be mindful these times could vary slightly. The driver will keep pupils informed of any further changes. These arrangements will be in place until the 18^th October unless work is completed ahead of schedule. We apologise for any inconvenience, we were assured access would be okay, but this has not been the case. Devon County Council School transport.

• Appledore Book Festival with Lisa Williamson

  Tue 04 Oct 2022

  A terrific author session with Lisa Williamson this morning with Appledore Book Festival

  Lisa spoke about her school life, then how she started writing after a career in acting and the theatre

  (look out for Lisa in television advertising roles)

  When she was working for the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) an idea formed for writing her first book

  The Art of Being Normal went on to win the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for best older fiction

  We have all of Lisa’s books here in GTS library

  As she’s one of our most popular authors you can reserve a book now!

  “Year 9 pupils asked so many interesting and intelligent questions” said Lisa

  Each question gained a ticket in the pencil case of dreams

  Peter Knott was the winner of a personalised copy

  Lisa revealed that she is writing a new book so I’m adding it to our wish list

  It was great to meet Lisa and thank you Year 9 for making her so welcome at GTS