Tavistock College

Academy in Tavistock, Devon, England

Tavistock College

Address

Crowndale Rd

Tavistock

Devon

PL19 8DD

England

Information
Type| Academy
Motto| Together: we care, we challenge, we excel
Established| 1552
Local authority| Devon County Council
Trust| Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust
Department for Education URN| 145336 Tables
Ofsted| Reports
Chair| Mandy Govier
Principal| Tristan Forster[1]
Staff| 300
Gender| Coeducational
Age| 11 to 18
Enrolment| approx. 1800
Houses|  Hawks Tor

Kitty Tor

Hound Tor

Hay Tor

Fox Tor
Colour(s)| Red, White, Black
Publication| In Focus
Website| www.tavistockcollege.org

Tavistock College is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Tavistock, Devon, England. It had (as of April 2020) approximately 1800 pupils. The schools draws pupils from a catchment area of about 20 km (12 mi) radius.

The college has links with Japan, Uganda, Spain, Ukraine, Swaziland, Peru, France and India through which staff exchanges and pupil visits and projects take place.[2]

## Success

[edit]

In 2013 a Japanese teacher won the so-called teachers' Oscar for secondary school teacher of the year.[3]

## Ofsted Reviews

[edit]

In early 2010 the school received a "notice to improve" from Ofsted, the national school inspection agency.[4] After a failure to improve, the school was placed into special measures in September 2011 and underwent a change in head teacher fairly soon after. The result of the changes made by school leadership led to an improvement in grades in the next years GCSEs. Following the success in 2012 and 2013, the school came out of special measures and has been progressing well.[5]

## History

[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2019)

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Tavistock grammar school was founded in 1552. In the 1930s it stood "on the Plymouth road, a modern block with splendid playing fields" but was later moved to the current site to allow for expansion as Tavistock and surrounding areas grew in population.[6]

The college motto was traditionally “Crescit sub pondere virtus” (Virtue flourishes under a burden); this is also the motto of the Earl of Denbigh. However the school motto was changed to ‘Together: we care, we challenge, we excel’.

Previously a community school administered by Devon County Council, in January 2018 Tavistock College converted to academy status. The school is now sponsored by the Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust.

## Curriculum

[edit]

In 1996 Tavistock College began requiring year 7 and 8 students to take courses about the Japanese language, the first school in England to have such a requirement.[7]

## Other activities

[edit]

Since 2006 the college has organised concerts locally under the name of ParkLife; a ParkLife festival was held in 2007 and 2008.[8]

Tavistock College regularly takes pupils to remote regions of the world on expeditions with companies such as Camps International [9]

The college has also participated in fundraising activities and community tasks such as dog shows, the school sports day, local athletics competitions hosted on the extensive track and PE facilities.

## Sports

[edit]

Over £1.1m has been invested in new sporting facilities - an all-weather pitch, competition standard athletics track, and a football pitch development comprising seven pitches over the past years. The college Rugby and Football teams all extensively utilise these facilities as well as allowing local clubs such as Tavistock FC to train on the Astro on a regular basis. The track and other athletics facilities are regularly used for athletics clubs and for hosting competitions.

Most years the college engages in school “Sports Tours” with the Rugby, Football and netball teams to foreign destinations such as France, Italy or America where the teams compete over multiple tournaments during the trip.

## Notable former pupils

[edit]

* Graham Dawe, rugby union player[10]
* Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, actress/model, came from a nearby farm; she is known for Transformers: Dark of the Moon[11]
* Seth Lakeman, folk musician[12]
* Sam Sills, cyclist[13]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Tavistock College web site.
2. ^ "The College". Tavistock College website. Tavistock College. Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 28 June 2007.
3. ^ Devon teacher wins 'Oscar' for Japanese lessons BBC News, 20 October 2013
4. ^ "Ofsted tells college it must improve". Tavistock Today. 12 February 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
5. ^ Ofsted Reports on Tavistock College Multi-Academy Trust https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/23/145336
6. ^ Mee, A.. ed. The King's England: Devon London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1938, p. 415
7. ^ Haughton, Emma (30 September 1997). "Symbols of Success". The Guardian. \- Clipping from Newspapers.com
8. ^ "Parklife Party Homepage". Parklife website. Retrieved 28 June 2007.
9. ^ Camps International - Ethical Journeys with Impact https://www.campsinternational.com/
10. ^ "Dawe makes a daring descent!". Tavistock Times Gazzette. 12 February 2004. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
11. ^ Milligan, Lauren (17 May 2010). "Rosie Huntington-Whiteley". Vogue UK. Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
12. ^ Timms, Katie. "Celebrities and famous faces you didn't know went to school in Plymouth". Plymouth Live. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
13. ^ Kendall, Aaron (10 March 2016). "Sam Sills sets sail towards Olympic shores". Tavistock Times Gazette. Retrieved 5 August 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Ofsted report on Tavistock College
* "Tavistock College aims for swift improvements and rising standards" Press Release from Devon County Council, 26 March 2010

* v
* t
* e

Schools in Devon (including Plymouth and Torbay)

Primary schools|

* Dartmouth Academy
* Hyde Park Junior School
* Marine Academy Plymouth
* St Budeaux CE Primary Academy
* Salisbury Road Primary School
* Teignmouth Community School

Secondary schools|

* All Saints CE Academy
* Atlantic Academy
* Axe Valley Academy
* Bideford College
* Braunton Academy
* Brixham College
* Chulmleigh College
* Clyst Vale Community College
* Coombe Dean School
* Coombeshead Academy
* Cullompton Community College
* Dartmouth Academy
* Dawlish College
* Eggbuckland Community College
* Exmouth Community College
* Great Torrington School
* Hele's School
* Holsworthy Community College
* Honiton Community College
* The Ilfracombe Academy
* Isca Academy
* Ivybridge Community College
* King Edward VI Community College
* The King's School
* Kingsbridge Community College
* Lipson Co-operative Academy
* Marine Academy Plymouth
* Newton Abbot College
* Notre Dame RC School
* Okehampton College
* Paignton Academy
* The Park Community School
* Pilton Community College
* Plympton Academy
* Plymstock School
* Queen Elizabeth's School
* St Boniface's Catholic College
* St Cuthbert Mayne School
* St James School
* St Luke's CE School
* St Peter's CE Aided School
* Sidmouth College
* Sir John Hunt Community Sports College
* South Dartmoor Community College
* South Devon UTC
* South Molton Community College
* The Spires College
* Stoke Damerel Community College
* Tavistock College
* Teign School
* Teignmouth Community School
* Tor Bridge High
* Torquay Academy
* Tiverton High School
* Uffculme School
* UTC Plymouth
* West Exe School

Grammar schools|

* Churston Ferrers Grammar School
* Colyton Grammar School
* Devonport High School for Boys
* Devonport High School for Girls
* Plymouth High School for Girls
* Torquay Boys' Grammar School
* Torquay Girls' Grammar School

Independent schools|

* Blundell's School
* Exeter Cathedral School
* Exeter School
* Kingsley School
* The Maynard School
* Mount Kelly School
* Plymouth College
* St Wilfrid's School
* Sands School
* Shebbear College
* Trinity School
* West Buckland School

Special education|

* Longcause Community Special School
* Oakwood Court College

Sixth forms & further education|

* Bicton College
* City College Plymouth
* Exeter College
* Exeter Mathematics School
* Petroc
* South Devon College

Defunct schools|

* Allhallows College
* Bramdean School
* Convent of the Assumption
* Devon Studio School
* Edgehill College
* Exeter Tutorial College
* Grenville College
* Hele's Grammar School
* Kelly College
* Mount House School
* Mount Radford School
* Mount St Mary's Convent School
* Plymouth Grammar School
* Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
* The Small School
* Southway Community College
* St. Hilda's School
* Stokelake Residential School
* Sutton High School
* United Services College

50°32′30″N 4°09′17″W﻿ / ﻿50.54157°N 4.15461°W﻿ / 50.54157; -4.15461

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* ISNI

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