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Churchill Academy & Sixth Form

Academy News

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  • Tessa Munt MP Attends Student Leadership Conference

    Published 02/10/26

    The Academy's student leadership conference brought together students from the House Councils, Eco schools and Subject Ambassadors for a day of reflection, collaboration and inspiration, with the morning focused on building skills and the afternoon on hearing from a leader in public life. 

    The day began with Mr Hildrew formally launching the conference and speaking to students about what leadership means. 

    Students then took part in a series of team building activities designed to develop communication, trust and problem-solving. These activities gave students the chance to see how effective teams depend on a range of strengths, and to practise leading as well as following.

    The morning continued with a creative group task, in which teams combined their ideas to produce a joint piece of work. This required planning, negotiation and compromise, and it was pleasing to see so many students taking the initiative, encouraging and celebrating each other's contributions. The finished results showed real imagination and a strong sense of teamwork.

    In the afternoon, students were joined by our local MP, Tessa Munt, who spoke about leadership and her experiences of being a Member of Parliament. She gave students an insight into the responsibilities of representing the community, the challenges of making decisions that affect others, and the importance of listening to the people you serve. Students had the opportunity to ask questions, and their thoughtful, confident contributions reflected the ideas they had explored throughout the day.

    Tessa Munt also held a student youth surgery with Miss Hockin at lunchtime and it was very well attended.  Students wanted to talk about the issues with bus timetables, roadworks affecting their punctuality and where they can attend Sixth Form, alongside the issues in the environment.  Also discussed were the opportunities for local people to get jobs and more opportunities to study different subjects in line with the new announcement.  

    The room is always buzzing with enthusiasm when Tessa comes to visit and hopefully we'll be able to offer another trip to Parliament for those interested during this academic year. 

    Getting involved in youth politics is available to all so please speak with Miss Hockin, Leader of Learning for History and Politics, or Ms North, Student Leadership Coordinator, if you are interested. 

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  • Our Dance Star of the Week is Isabelle

    Published 02/10/26

    Isabelle has settled into her role as KS3 Dance Captain brilliantly, she demonstrates excellent leadership skills both in lessons and in extra curricular activities such as in the Year 9 Dance Company and in our Dance Live! rehearsals.

    Isabelle maintains a positive and conscientious attitude at all times making her a fantastic asset to the dance department.

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  • Academy Sports Rundown: 2nd October 2026

    Published 02/10/26

    It was a quieter week for sports this week with our Open Evening and INSET day, however that didn’t stop our KS3 teams securing a few more victories. 

    KS3 Girls Football Victorious Afternoon Against Priory

    Our Year 7, 8 & 9 Girls Football teams faced Priory this week to kickstart their season. It was a fantastic afternoon, with ALL of our teams coming away with the victory.  With plenty of upcoming games, we can’t wait to see how our girls get on! 

    KS3 Girls Netball Victorious Afternoon Against Sidcot

    Our Year 7, 8 & 9 Girls Netball teams had their first match of the season against Sidcot this week. Each of our teams played excellently, with everybody’s skills improving throughout the games and they ALL secured victories. The final scores were:

    Year 7: 8-3, Player’s of the Match were awarded to Holly & Poppy

    Year 8: 6-3, Player of the Match was awarded to Issy

    Year 9: 12-4, Player’s of the Match were awarded to Arianna & Annie

    Sidcot’s staff noted that all of our students played with a really positive attitude, we couldn’t be prouder of our players, well done! 

     

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  • Year 7’s First House Competition of the Year!

    Published 02/10/26

    Year 7 are up and running with their first House competition of the year. Teamwork, tactics and great communication were to the fore, as students from our five houses took to the field in the autumnal sunshine for a game of Gutterball. 

    Working in House teams, students were challenged to move their golf ball thirty metres using lengths of plastic guttering. A dropped ball meant a trip back to the start line, so teams had to balance speed with steady hands to be successful. Ten minutes of practice were followed by two inter-house races, where points were on offer for all teams that completed the course. 

    After three keenly contested races, the points were tallied to reveal the final placings below!

    1st =  Windsor and Lancaster with 10 points

    3rd = Tudor and Stuart with 9 points

    5th    Hanover with 8 points                                                                                                                             

    Well done to all involved, keep an eye out for the next House competition to get involved in. 

    A special thank you to our Year 11 House Captains and Year 10 Student Leaders who helped organise, encourage and support the Year 7 teams.

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  • Open Evening 2026: Our Busiest Yet!

    Published 02/10/26

    Open Evening 2026 was our busiest yet, with more than 400 families visiting Churchill Academy & Sixth Form to discover everything we have to offer.

    Families were welcomed by our House Captains and student tour guides, who helped visitors explore the Academy and experience what life at Churchill is all about.

    There was plenty to see and do across the evening. Our Science Department had families getting involved in Chemistry and Biology experiments, whilst Design Technology showcased student work and gave visitors the chance to make their own keyrings.

    Food Technology was a particular favourite, with homemade bread, dehydrated fruit, popcorn and candy floss on offer. Our PE Department hosted a range of activities, including the challenge to beat Mr Matthews at netball by scoring more than six baskets in 30 seconds!

    Visitors could also enjoy language games with our Student Language Leaders, explore fascinating activities in Humanities, take part in challenges in Maths and IT, and see students creating artwork live in Art.

    Our Music Department gave families the chance to try instruments including African drums, guitars, keyboards and orchestral marimba, as well as experience music production.

    The Academy Hall showcased our wide range of extracurricular opportunities, including chess, Warhammer, Magic: The Gathering, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Student Leadership and our Mental Health Support Team.

    The evening also saw a fantastic showcase of talent from our Performing Arts Department, with singers in the recording studio, dancers rehearsing their Dance Live! piece and the cast of Oliver! beginning their first rehearsal.

    It was wonderful to welcome so many families and to showcase the incredible talents, opportunities and experiences that make Churchill Academy & Sixth Form special.

    Thank you to everyone who joined us — we hope you enjoyed the evening as much as we did!

    Secondary School Applications

    Applications should be made through your local council. The closing date for all secondary school applications is 11:59pm on 31 October 2026.

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  • Oliver! Rehearsals – Important Information

    Published 02/10/26

    Our Oliver! rehearsals are now well underway, and we are really excited about how the show is beginning to take shape!

    Please remember that the rehearsal schedule is subject to change as the production develops. We will always give as much notice as possible. Important updates will be shared through the school newsletter, but the Oliver Google Classroom will always have the most up-to-date rehearsal information, so students should check this regularly.

    Attendance really matters. Oliver! is a huge team effort and every cast member has an important part to play. We therefore ask that every effort is made to attend all rehearsals students are called for. We understand that unavoidable circumstances can arise, but regular attendance is essential to keep the production moving forward.

    Sixth Form Open Evening – Wednesday 14th October

    Our Sixth Form Open Evening takes place from 5.00pm–8.00pm. Some Oliver! students may be required to attend for rehearsal or performance purposes. Exact details will be confirmed on Google Classroom, including which students are needed and when.

    Performance Dates – Please Save the Dates!

    Oliver! will be performed from 13th–16th January 2027.

    Parents and carers should make a note of these dates now and plan accordingly. We will confirm which cast will perform at each performance before the October half term, so families will have plenty of notice to make arrangements.

    Thank you for your fantastic support so far. The enthusiasm and commitment from the students has been brilliant, and we cannot wait to see Oliver! come together!

     

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  • Students Hike 30km for Bronze DofE Expedition

    Published 30/09/26

    This week, 65 of our Year 11 students completed their Bronze expedition which had been postponed in the July heatwave. 


    All 65 started the hike in North Wootton, camped in Rodney Stoke, before finishing up back at the Academy the following day.  Students covered at least 30KM across difficult terrain whilst carrying their full kits, being fully self sufficient for 48 hours! 

    We want to say a massive well done to all of our DofE students who have shown real determination, resilience and hard work over the course of their Bronze award.

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  • Churchill Alumni Lillie’s Stem Cell Donor Experience

    Published 25/09/26

    Churchill Alumni Lillie, has recently spoken about her experience of becoming a stem cell donor, an important process in helping to save patients who are suffering from blood cancer. 

    Lillie has always had a passion for helping others and went on to join Avon & Somerset Police after leaving the Academy, but she wanted to take helping others even further. 

    “Around 2,000 people in the UK are waiting for a stem cell transplant, whilst only 7% of eligible people are registered as potential donors. Becoming a stem cell donor felt like an opportunity to give somebody a second chance at life.”

    Lillie has written a wonderful piece for Avon & Somerset Police about the experience, and the importance of becoming a stem cell donor. You can read the piece here.

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  • Oliver! Cast List Announcement – Consider Yourself Part of the Family!

    Published 25/09/26

    Consider yourself one of us!

    What an incredible four days of auditions we have had for our KS3 production of Oliver! Students from Years 7, 8 and 9 absolutely blew us away with their talent, confidence and enthusiasm and we really couldn’t ask for anything more!

    The standard was exceptionally high and we are so proud of every single student who walked through the audition room door. The future of Performing Arts at Churchill is most certainly bright, and judging by what we have seen this week, there is food, glorious food… for thought when it comes to the amount of talent coming through!

    A huge thank you must go to our fantastic Senior Student Leadership Team, led by Performing Arts Captains Ceci Brumby and Katelyn Troskie. They have worked brilliantly throughout the audition process and faced some incredibly difficult casting decisions. Their maturity, leadership and support for our younger performers has been outstanding.

    And now… the cast list is up!

    We are delighted that every student who auditioned has been cast in the show. Every one of them showed that they deserve to be part of this production, and we cannot wait to see this company grow together. The Churchill Performing Arts family just keeps getting bigger — so consider yourself well and truly at home!

    All cast members will be invited to join the Oliver! Google Classroom, where rehearsal schedules and important information will be posted. Please make sure you accept the invitation.

    Our first rehearsal takes place during Open Evening on Wednesday 30th September. Not everyone will be required, so cast members should check Google Classroom carefully to find out whether they are needed.

    Congratulations again to everyone who auditioned. You were brave, brilliant and a credit to the department. Who will buy into this year’s musical? We certainly have — and we cannot wait to get started!

    Keep an eye on @performingartschurchill on Instagram for rehearsal updates, photos and plenty more Oliver! news.

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  • Academy Sports Rundown: 25th September 2026

    Published 25/09/26

    We have had a fantastic start to the 2026/27 year already, check out how we got on below:

    KS4 Hockey Start Strong Against Sidcot

    Our KS4 Hockey team had an excellent start to the season winning their first match against Sidcot 6-1. It was Scarlet and Maiya’s debut match for the Academy, and what a match it was! 

    Isis was named player of the match for her three goals scored, with Molly, Katie and Milly each scoring a goal as well. Well done!

    U16 Girls Football’s Pre Season Victory

    Our U16 Girls Football team travelled to Millfield for a preseason game ahead of the start of the Somerset Cup.  Millfield started strong, scoring a goal in the first minute however that didn’t stop our students who managed to bring it home with a 5-1 victory.  

    Lois scored a hat trick and Amy put the final two goals in the net, whilst Mary and Anya’s defensive wall at the back proved impossible for Millfield to get past.  Up next, the Somerset Cup!

    Year 9 Boys Rugby Kick Off Season In Style

    Our Year 9 Boys Rugby team kicked off the season in superb style with a victory against Crisipin. It was a thrilling match, with Churchill dominating the field, bringing the final score to 59-22. What a way to start the season!

     

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  • Four Students Join Junior Chef Academy

    Published 25/09/26

    A huge well done to Lola, Meadow, Ethan and Freddy on securing a place in the 10-week Junior Chef Academy Programme!

    With 78 applicants competing for just 16 places, selected through their written application statements, our four students truly stood out.

    During their practical session, they put their culinary skills to the test by making bread dough, fresh rolls and pizzas. They were fantastic ambassadors for the academy and represented Team Food brilliantly.

    The programme is led by Chef Matt Lord from Compass Group at City of Bristol College.

    Congratulations to you all, what a fantastic achievement!

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  • Our Dance Star of the Week is Sophie

    Published 25/09/26

    Sophie has joined Churchill at Sixth Form and made a fantastic first impression in Performing Arts already. She has started the course with positivity, a strong work ethic and lovely dance technique. 

    Sophie has immersed herself fully into Sixth Form and successfully auditioned for our 2027 Dance Live! Piece, getting cast as one of the main roles. Incredible!

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