Ellis and Josh, both in Year 11 and members of the Bristol Bears Rugby Academy, had an exciting opportunity on Saturday as they were invited to serve as ball technicians for the Bristol Bears’ Premiership match against Northampton Saints. Their involvement offered a behind-the-scenes look at top-level rugby and provided a valuable opportunity for their rugby growth.
This year’s Churchill Academy & Sixth Form Christmas Concerts were nothing short of magical. From the moment families and guests arrived at the Academy, transformed with twinkling lights, Christmas trees, snow-kissed decorations, and even a cheerful visit from Santa, the stage was set for an evening that truly captured the spirit of the season.
The warmth and excitement in the room were unmistakable as our student hosts welcomed everyone with humour, festive sparkle, and an infectious energy that carried throughout the entire evening. What followed was a joyful celebration of the arts, showcasing the incredible dedication, teamwork, and talent of our students across Music and Performing Arts.
Although the two nights featured a wide variety of ensembles and performers, what stood out above all was the shared sense of community.
From the youngest performers to the most seasoned musicians, students supported one another beautifully, cheering each other on, celebrating every moment, and filling the space with genuine camaraderie. As harmonies soared, instruments shone, and the smiles of performers lit up the stage brighter than the fairy lights behind them, the audience was treated to a wonderful reminder of the power of young people working together.
The Academy itself added to the festive atmosphere, adorned with beautifully crafted decorations, festive treats and even a light sprinkle of snow. Parents, carers, families, and members of our local community filled the hall, their applause and encouragement creating a feeling of togetherness that made the evening truly special.
One of the night’s most heart-warming moments came when the audience was invited to join in singing with our brilliant Junior Choirs, a joyful reminder that Christmas is about connection. Voices of all ages blended together, filling the hall with warmth, nostalgia, and festive cheer.
As the concerts drew to a close, our hosts shared heartfelt thanks to the Music Department, the Performing Arts Faculty, our dedicated staff team, and the wider community whose enthusiasm and support make events like this possible. Their gratitude, however, was loudest when directed to the students themselves, whose commitment and creativity brought the entire evening to life.
With snow still drifting and Santa waving his final goodbyes, the night ended exactly as it began - with laughter, music, and a shared celebration of everything that makes Churchill such a vibrant and special place.
From all of us at Churchill Academy & Sixth Form:
Merry Christmas, and thank you for helping us make this concert a wonderful celebration of our community.
Freya has really impressed the entire Dance department this year with her continuous positive attitude and hard work for her coursework.
Freya has made a significant effort to seek feedback from teachers and to improve her work. We cannot wait to see her finished piece. Well done!
On Thursday evening, Churchill Dance students took to the stage to celebrate their hard work over the past few months. The Years 10, 11 and 12 BTEC Dance students showcased their coursework pieces to a packed audience. They recreated professional repertoire such as 'Revelations' by Alvin Ailey and 'Dust' By Akram Khan, as well as performing work they had choreographed themselves, showing originality and creativity alongside their impressive technical skills.
Our fantastic Year 7 and 8 Dance clubs brought a sense of joy and fun with their upbeat performances, and our Year 9 Dance Company stunned the audience with a creative, thought-provoking piece.
A huge congratulations to all students involved; you all made the Dance Department very proud.
Year 9 students have been cooking up some fantastic sweet and savoury palmiers this week, showcasing both creativity and skill in the kitchen. From crisp, buttery layers to inventive flavour combinations, the class demonstrated great technique and enthusiasm. Their delicious results were a testament to their growing confidence and passion for cooking.
Five students proudly graduated from the Junior Chef Academy this week at MOD Abbey Wood, representing the largest group from any school to take part. The students were fantastic throughout the evening, acting as true ambassadors for the academy.
Each student worked alongside a volunteer chef to prepare a course for the event, and just like in a professional kitchen, they presented their dishes to diners, and with confidence. Guests, including Mrs Ives and Mrs Coman, enjoyed a delicious four-course meal showcasing the students’ hard work and talent.
At the end of the evening, the graduates were awarded certificates, glass awards, and their own chef’s whites. Matt Lord from Compass Catering presented the awards and offered valuable support to the project, helping to make the celebration a memorable success.
This year’s Careers Convention saw 50 employers, colleges, universities and training providers visit the Academy to talk to our students and inspire them about their future careers and education pathways.
Spread across the Academy Hall, Lancaster and Stuart Wells, the event was jam packed with excited students making the most of their opportunity to talk to such incredible professionals - one visitor even had a robot dog with them to impress our students!
Throughout the evening we had a range of talks from easyJet, Lighthouse Schools Partnership and Thatchers Cider giving our students a fantastic opportunity to hear all about their career and education options after school.
We want to thank every single person who attended and to our incredible providers who made the 2025 Careers Convention one to remember!
If you attended the evening, our careers team would love your feedback on your evening at the Academy, use the QR codes below to tell us what you thought!
Parent Feedback:
Student Feedback:
Each episode is created and presented by our students, offering behind-the-scenes insights, interviews and creative discussions from across Drama, Dance and Music.
Episode 1 is out now with special guest, Mr Buckley, to talk all things Legally Blonde: The Musical, life in the Performing Arts department and top tips on acting on a stage.
You can watch the video versions on our YouTube channel or listen on Spotify—just search Churchill Academy Performing Arts Podcast or follow the links shared on our website and social media. We hope you enjoy tuning in!
Watch the first episode here!
Congratulations to Elsie, who is our Dance Star of the Week.
Elsie showed real team spirit recently when she stepped in at the last minute to help the Year 8 Dance Club when another student had an injury. She had to learn the choreography at record speed and was determined to support her dance partners by practising at home to ensure she was confident with the routine. We are really impressed with her dedication and bravery in taking this on at the last minute.
We are really looking forward to seeing Elsie perform in our Dance Showcase next week. Well done!
This week, the Academy sent a team of A Level Physicists to take part in an enjoyable and successful day at the ‘KS5 Physics Challenge’ hosted by the Exeter Maths School. Our students joined 25 teams from schools across the South West to take part in the friendly three-round competition.
Round one focused on estimation, asking how many AAA batteries would be needed to power a Jumbo Jet.
Round two focused on practical work, teams had to use their knowledge and skills to find out physical constants with just a torch battery, a spring and a ruler.
Round three was the ‘very hard questions’ round, which included questions such as “how many springs are needed to launch a person at the speed of sound?”
Our students Sam B, Zak, Thomas and Sam W represented the Academy with a great show of ingenuity, mathematical ability, teamwork and collaboration. Everyone had a stimulating day and we are looking forward to returning next year!
Our Humanities department is heading back to Berlin for a history trip of a
lifetime. Highlights will include visiting the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, an underground tour of the Berlin Wall tunnels, the DDR museum and a guided tour of the Reichstag and Bundestag.
The trip will take place during the October half term in 2026 and is open to our current Year 12 Humanities students and our Year 11 students who are planning to study A Level History at our Sixth Form next year.
The price is estimated at £500. However, it is subject to change depending on flight prices at the time of booking.
To secure your spot on the trip, a £250 deposit will be required via ParentPay and spaces are confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis. The trip is available on ParentPay now, so don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity!
For further information, please speak to Miss Hockin or email churchill@churchill-academy.org.
A double feature for sports this week as we give you the rundown on the last two weeks of sport at the Academy. With plenty of rugby, football, netball, hockey and athletics, it has been an action-packed fortnight. Check out how we’ve got on below:
Year 9 U14s Rugby team progresses to the next round of the Somerset Cup
Last week, our U14 Rugby team continued their cup run in a tough game against a strong Norton Hill team. Despite tricky conditions, the team rounded out the game with a final score of 14 - 31 to Churchill. The team now progresses to the next round of the Somerset Cup. Well done!
KS4 Hockey win the first game in Round 1 of the hockey tournament
Our KS4 Hockey team faced Clevedon School for the first round of this term's tournament. It was an excellent game, with both teams putting up strong players. Churchill took the first victory of the tournament, with a 3-1 final score. The Player of the Match award was given to Isis for her skills. Well done!
Year 7 & 8 Netball face Clevedon in an exciting afternoon
It was an exciting afternoon for our Years 7 and 8 netball teams last week as they headed to Clevedon School. Our Year 7 team put their newfound skills to the test, beating Clevedon 5-4 in a tight game.
Year 8 had a tough first quarter but had a strong comeback, staying neck and neck with Clevedon throughout the rest of the game. Ultimately, Clevedon got the final point to secure the win, but it was a great game with lots learnt. Well done!
KS4 Hockey girls smash both games in Round 2 of the tournament
Our KS4 Hockey team were back again for the next round in their tournament, this time facing Gordano School, St Katherine's and Backwell School. It was a brilliant afternoon with the girls showcasing their hockey skills by winning two out of three games and drawing the final game. Well done!
Year 7 & 8 Athletics Team progress in the South Indoor Athletics Competition
Our Athletics team have highlighted their talent once again after spending the afternoon taking part in the semi-finals of the South Indoor Athletics competition.
Our Year 7 girls absolutely smashed it, winning first place in all events. Our Year 8 boys came in a close second, with our Year 8 girls and Year 7 boys rounding out third. Every student put on a fabulous performance and the top three have qualified for the next round.
Year 9 Netball teams take part in the North Somerset Netball tournament
The Academy took two teams who faced a tough, well-drilled opposition at the North Somerset Netball tournament this week. Both of our teams took some wins, draws and losses but thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to represent the Academy in a tournament format.
Player of the Match was joint between Millie and Immy for the green team and Frankie was awarded for the orange team. Well done, everyone!
Year 10 Rugby sail through to the Quarter Finals
Our year 10 Rugby team are through to the quarter finals of the County Cup, following an impressive 41-29 victory against local rivals Backwell. Having lost to them in a friendly match last term, the boys proved they had learned valuable lessons in a much improved performance in which they scored 7 tries. Ralph Allen School awaits in the next round, with a place in the semi final up for grabs!
This week they gained valuable game time when Winscombe RFC kindly hosted nine Somerset teams for the annual tournament. The boys lost out to the odd try against St Kaths and Backwell, drew with Gordano, and defeated Clevedon 26-10 - their first victory against Clevedon. Training will continue next week, ready for the resumption of the Cup fixture in January. We wish them all the best!