Academy News

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.

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!

George took to the start line at this weekend’s FarmGP Motocross/Enduro charity race, helping to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity.

As the youngest rider on the line, George faced a tough challenge but he certainly wasn’t intimidated. Putting in an impressive performance, he crossed the finish line in first place to take home the win! 

A fantastic achievement and a brilliant way to support such an important cause. Well done, George!

Ella, Year 12, was selected to take part in the National Youth Choir in August, following highly competitive auditions earlier this year.

Ella spent a week on a residential course, working alongside young singers from across the country. The week culminated in a performance by the 200+ strong choir at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on 22 August, with Matthew Quinn as Principal Conductor.

The choir performed a diverse programme of music, including works by Charles Wood, Caroline Shaw and Jacob Collier. They also recorded several pieces for Spotify, which are due to be released early next year.

Ella is currently studying her A-Levels, including Music and this is a fantastic recognition of her talent and dedication.

In her first role as KS4 Dance Captain Evelyn has made a brilliant start to the year alongside the fantastic Oviya. The girls have taken on the responsibility of leading Year 7 Dance Club, they led their first session this week with enthusiasm and positivity providing a fun and inspiring experience for our youngest dancers. 

Both girls continue to demonstrate a wonderful work ethic and we look forward to seeing what they can achieve throughout the year.

We celebrated the successes of our students on Wednesday evening at our annual Presentation Evening. Prizes were awarded for service to the community, for progress and improvement, for compassion, for resilience, and for attitudes to learning, alongside awards for academic excellence and outstanding exam results. 

Students, staff and families were joined by guest speaker Herbie Alexander, who spoke about his journey after leaving Churchill, and the choices which led him to joining drone display company Celestial, touring with Oasis and coming second in Britain’s Got Talent. It was great to welcome Herbie back to Churchill and hear all about his successes, as well as seeing a video of his Britain’s Got Talent experience!