This week, our French and Spanish students took their food-based vocabulary to the next level by stepping into the kitchen and cooking up some delicious traditional dishes from French and Spanish cuisine.
From homemade meatballs in rich tomato sauce to Parisian crepes, the dishes looked – and smelled – absolutely amazing! It was a fantastic, hands-on way for students to bring their language learning to life.
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We are proud to announce the new House Captains for 2025/26!
Introducing…
Tudor: Noah and Wendy
Hanover: Doug and Nino
Windsor: Meg and Isaac
Lancaster: Will and Rowan
Stuart: Maddie and April
House Captains play a vital role in student leadership at the Academy, focusing on leading and directing to make a positive impact across the entire school community.
Their responsibilities include managing House Councils, supporting younger students and leading whole-school events throughout the year.
Our newly appointed House Captains have already made a fantastic start, playing a key role in helping our new Year 7 students settle in during their induction days this week.
We look forward to seeing their leadership grow as they continue to inspire, guide, and support their peers in the year ahead.
Well done to all our new House Captains!
Victoria has demonstrated a true gift for choreography throughout her dance lessons this year. She works consistently hard and has a constant determination to improve.
Her progress this year has been fantastic to see, well done!
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The 2025 Academy Music Festival was a massive hit, bringing together students, staff and the upcoming Year 7 students for three unforgettable days of music and sunshine.
Throughout the festival, audiences were treated to an incredible variety of performances, showcasing the talent and hard work of our students and staff. From bands and ensembles to solo performances, every act lit up the stage. A special highlight, as always, was the staff band, which proved to be a student favourite once again with Mr Hildrew rocking the guitar!
We’re already counting down the days until next year’s festival!
Mrs Coman headed to London on Friday 20th June 2025 to attend the Fish Hero Teacher Awards and Conference, held at the historic Fishmongers’ Hall. The event celebrated six years of Churchill Academy & Sixth Form being part of the Fish in Schools Hero programme, a national initiative that brings fish education into classrooms, giving pupils the opportunity to prepare, cook and taste fish.
There were 200 teachers from across the UK who were recognised for their inspiring work encouraging young people to learn about fish, healthy eating, sustainability, and even career opportunities in the seafood sector.
The programme, funded by the Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust, and delivered by the Food Teachers Centre, supports schools by providing free fish deliveries, hands-on teacher training, classroom resources and exciting pupil masterclasses.
Through their involvement, our students have gained valuable cooking skills and confidence, with many now expressing a desire to eat and cook more fish. Team Food is proud to be part of this amazing programme, which has opened up new learning opportunities for our students and helped them experience ingredients they may not have otherwise tried.
The conference also featured expert talks on the importance of food education, sustainability and how fish support both public health and the UK economy.
For more about the programme, visit: https://foodteacherscentre.co.uk/fish-heroes/
A group of high-attaining Year 11 students experienced a day at Oxford University this week.
Working with Exeter College, students learned about life at university, choosing the right options, student finance and the application process. They met with current students and talked to them about their experience, before taking a tour of the beautiful college buildings and grounds and sampling lunch in Hall.
After lunch, students took on the challenge of an academic taster session led by doctoral students from the college. STEM students learned about Geology, and Humanities students had their preconceptions tested in a thought-provoking session on Law and Philosophy.
The day concluded with a tour of Magdalen College, with the manicured lawns, dreaming spires, peaceful cloisters and the deer park providing an awe-inspiring backdrop to the conversations about university life and study.
Students returned to Churchill inspired by the day to think about their next steps beyond school, what and where they might want to study, and thoroughly impressed by their visit to the world-leading institution.
Huge congratulations to everyone who took part in this year’s Trek—whether you walked, volunteered, or helped behind the scenes, your contribution made the day a real success.
This year’s Trek was not only a test of endurance and teamwork, but also a vital opportunity to rack up those all-important house points as we head toward the end of the school year. With every point counting toward the house cup, the competition was fierce!
After an incredible effort from all houses, here are the final results:
1st Place: Tudor – 3500 points
2nd Place: Stuart – 3338 points
3rd Place: Hanover – 3307 points
4th Place: Lancaster – 2886 points
5th Place: Windsor – 2806 points
Well done to Tudor House for taking the trek top spot this year—and to everyone else for showing such great spirit and determination. The race for the overall House Championship continues... who will emerge as the 2025 champion? Watch this space!
Earlier this term, the Student Art Council launched a creative competition to capture a photograph of a place or space that represents your personal "tranquil oasis."
The response was fantastic. We received a range of stunning, thoughtful, and deeply personal entries. With so many incredible submissions, choosing a winner is no easy task... so we’re asking you to help decide!
Thank you to everyone who entered, and good luck to all our finalists!
Voting will close on Tuesday 24th June at 3pm.
This week, our athletics teams travelled to Exeter for the Regional English Schools Athletics Finals.
Our Junior Boys team delivered an outstanding performance, securing 2nd place with a total of 354 points, just six points shy of the winning team. A truly amazing result and a testament to their hard work and determination.
The Inter Boys team also put in a solid effort, finishing 6th overall. Their commitment and team spirit were evident throughout the day.
A special mention goes to our Inter Girls team, who claimed an impressive 3rd place! This is a particularly proud moment, as they only narrowly made it through the previous heats. Their achievement speaks volumes about their efforts.
A big congratulations to all our athletes, you represented the school with pride and performed brilliantly on a regional stage!
Get Ready to Shine: Auditions for Our Whole School Musical ‘Legally Blonde’ Are Almost Here!
With less than three months until auditions for our next spectacular Whole School Musical, ‘Legally Blonde’, we’re thrilled to share audition materials early so you can start practising over the summer! Whether you’re dreaming of a leading role or want to be part of the vibrant ensemble, this is your chance to shine on stage.
What You Need to Know:
Auditions kick off on Tuesday, 9th September with multiple stages to find the perfect fit for every performer.
If you’re shortlisted for a main role, you’ll be invited back for a callback where you’ll receive your solo song. These callback details will be posted in the Performing Arts Faculty following the first audition round.
There’s something for everyone — from featured roles to ensemble parts — and we’re excited to announce that there will be two full casts!
Performances will light up the stage from 24th to 26th February 2026, with rehearsals held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Don’t worry, early rehearsals will be light, easing everyone in gently and you will certainly not be needed for all rehearsals
Plus, mark your calendars for our Sunday rehearsals on 15th and 22nd February 2026 — a perfect opportunity to bring the magic to life!
More opportunities to get involved will follow after the summer break, including information for those interested in joining the Dance Teams and Technical Teams.
We’re buzzing with excitement about this incredible production — featuring a stunning set, a fantastic venue, and the amazing talent of our Churchill Academy community. Whether you’re a performer, a dancer, or a tech whiz, this is your moment to be part of something truly special.
Get ready, start practicing, and prepare to make your mark on the stage!
Stage 1 - (Links included)
Audition - Singing 1 - Tuesday 9th September & Wednesday 10th September.
Choose ONE from the list and you must use the link:
Serious (0.56-2.01)
Legally Blonde (2.04-end of song). You can choose a partner to help sing this as Elle.
Legally Blonde (Remix) (0.00-1.04)
OMG (0.00-1.12)
This week, we were thrilled to welcome artist Steve Burden to the Academy. Steve’s work explores themes of ancestry and heritage, with his latest project inspired by his discovery of a connection to 11th-century Norman aristocracy through DNA research. This revelation sparked his interest in land ownership and the origins of the class system - ideas that underpin his striking body of work.
Steve conducted engaging workshops with our Year 10 Art students, as well as with Year 12 Art, Textiles and Photography students. The sessions focused on self-portraits and personal or contextual environments, encouraging students to reflect on their own identity and surroundings.
Using a combination of photography, paint, knives and scrapers, students layered media to create powerful and expressive artwork. The results were incredible, with students thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to experiment with new techniques and materials.
A huge thank you to Steve for sharing his time and expertise with us!
To learn more about Steve’s work, check out his website here.
This week, we were delighted to welcome back Churchill alumna Sophie, who visited to speak with our Year 12 students about apprenticeships — what they are, how they work and the incredible opportunities they can offer.
Sophie, who attended the Academy from 2016 to 2024, is now a Project Manager Apprentice at Jacobs Engineering. From early on, she knew university wasn’t the right path for her, and she’s since found success and fulfilment through the apprenticeship route.
Currently, Sophie is working on a major project with the Submarine Delivery Agency (SSNA), contributing to the development of the next fleet of submarines, set to launch in the late 2030s.
In her words: “An apprenticeship is a paid job with training and a qualification… Paid to learn!”
Her talk was both informative and inspirational, leaving our Year 12 students with a clearer understanding of alternative career pathways and the confidence to explore all their post-18 options.
A huge thank you to Sophie for taking time out of her working day to visit us.