School Information
For the last 140 years, Plymouth College has consistently delivered an innovative and creative education whose excellence is unsurpassed anywhere in the city. At Plymouth College, we believe our purpose is to educate, enrich and empower every single one of our pupils in an environment that is intellectually and emotionally stimulating, progressive and adventurous.
First and foremost, Plymouth College is a place of learning. What makes us worth coming for a visit? You will be bowled over by the warmth of our community, a little gem in the heart of the city. We’ve expertise supporting high performing athletes and talented young people in achieving their goals whilst placing self confidence and happiness at the forefront.
Teaching & Learning
Exceptional teaching and support in very small classes help to ensure that every pupil fulfils and often exceeds their academic and intellectual potential. Whether it is developing the confidence of our prep
school pupilsor supporting our Sixth Form pupils through their most important years, we like to think it’s the combination of inspiring, kind and experienced teaching Staff and the close community we have at Plymouth College which means no one goes unnoticed. Pupil successes took many shapes this year, with leavers going on to Engineering at Durham University, Modern and Medieval Languages Robinson College, Cambridge, Physics at Imperial College London and Sport Science at University of Bath.
Boarders
With pupils from all over the world, the two boarding houses are run by an enthusiastic, experienced and friendly team who are responsible for all aspects of boarders’ pastoral welfare. There is also a good mix of
activities at the weekends including ten-pin bowling, ice skating, beach visits, cinema trips, surfing, moorland walking and horse riding. The boarding houses are situated within the main campus in the heart of the School site.
Admission
Admission to the Senior School is based on the School’s own entrance assessments, to include a satisfactory reference from their current school. It is also possible to enter at other points during the
academic programmes.
Scholarships and Bursaries
There are a variety of Scholarships and Awards for Academia, Art, Music, Drama and Sports and High Performance Sports. These are typically awarded for Year 7, 9 and Sixth Form Entry. In addition to scholarships, means tested bursaries are available.
Armed Forces Discount
20% discount is applied to new joiners, for children of Armed Forces personnel. We also welcome CEA applications. Sibling discounts are available.
Sport and Enrichment
Plymouth College also continues to enable top flight sportsmen and women to achieve their goals academically around their sporting commitments. Annabel achieved two A* grades and one A, balancing her academic studies with her sporting commitments (including the Youth Olympics in 2018) to achieve a place to read Medicine at the University of Nottingham. Salvador who after having taken part in a FINA programme in Russia and represented Angola in the Tokyo Olympics, takes up a place at Tampa in the United States. Sixth Former, Aimee, represented South Africa at Tokyo 2020 in the 200m freestyle.
Our excellent music and drama departments work together on largescale productions. The drama department offers drama clubs to all year groups. Both departments work with a number of visiting performers/ practitioners throughout the year; these are usually focused on specific
year groups or examination groups.
Scholarships and Bursaries
Entry into Year 7
There are a number of academic scholarships worth between 10% and 50% of the tuition fee of the College. They are awarded on the results of the Entrance Examination that takes place in March.
There are a limited number of smaller awards for Art, Music and Sport. These are awarded by consideration of a portfolio (Art), an audition (Music) or a submitted sports CV (Sport).
For Junior School children the recommendation of the Headmaster of the Junior School is necessary for these awards – for children joining from other schools a reference will be sought from the relevant school.
Entry into Year 9
There are a small number of extra academic awards of 33% and 50% that are made on the basis of an examination. Members of the College may make an internal application and will also be examined.
There are also Art, Music and Sports awards which may be applied for by new entrants and existing pupils.
Entry into the Sixth Form
A small number of awards of all four types are available for new entrants and existing pupils to help with Sixth Form fees. They are awarded on GCSE results and proven ability in the respective subject (Art, Music or Sport).
Swimming Scholarships
The College has a successful partnership with Plymouth Leander who train in the Plymouth College pool. Scholarships for talented swimmers (of national standard) are available for up to 50% of the fees (this could include boarding fees).
Bursaries
The bursary fund is limited. It is used to help parents of more limited means send children to the College. It is also used to help parents when unforeseen problems might cause a child to leave (e.g. unemployment).
For information on how to apply for a scholarship or bursary please contact the Headmaster’s Secretary on 01752 203245
Address
Open on Google Maps- Address Ford Park
- Borough Plymouth
- Zip/Postal Code PL4 6RN
- Phone: +44 (0)1752 505115
- Fax: +44 (0)1752 505120
- Email: admissions@plymouthcollege.com
- Website: www.plymouthcollege.com
News
Plymouth College achieves national recognition
Plymouth College has been selected as a finalist for The Independent Schools of the Year Award for International Student Experience. Jo Hayward, Head, said: “I am enormously proud of this accomplishment which speaks volumes for every area of the school. Not only does it highlight our fantastic boarding provision but also the total inclusive nature
Table tennis triumph for Plymouth student
A Year 11 student at Plymouth College has won the national JM Rose Bowl competition. Gemma Kerr, representing Plymouth, travelled to Wellingborough for the English League Cup Finals. She was joined by her partner, Rachel Trevorrow, for the doubles competition. The duo topped their group, which put them in the running for the 1st or
Plymouth College swimmers selected for major competitions
Swimmers from Plymouth College have been selected to represent Great Britain in European and World championships. Former College pupil and Plymouth Leander swimmer, Laura Stephens, has been announced as part of the World Championships GB team heading to Gwangju, South Korea in August following her performance at the British Swimming Championships last week. The 25-strong
Plymouth College rugby star selected for England Counties’ U18s
A Sixth Former at Plymouth College has been selected to tour Ireland in April with the England Counties’ Under-18 squad. Seb Tooke was selected as part of the 23-player squad following a national development weekend at Stourbridge RFC, where players gathered together for several days of coaching and selection. The squad will meet on the 18th
Plymouth College U14s enjoy hockey success
Plymouth College’s U14 Girls’ team have been crowned England Hockey Investec Girls Schools U14 Tier 2 Champions. The team were accompanied by coaches Simon Fenwick and Emma Tremaine, and PE teacher Isobel Moore to the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre. Also supporting the team was Mrs Hayward (Interim Head) and Phil Mutlow (Director of Sport),
Plymouth swimmer represents England in France
A swimmer from Plymouth College recently represented England in France at the FFN Golden Tour International Meet. Honey Osrin joined 20 Junior swimmers and 14 members of staff from Swim England, including Robin Armayan, the college’s director of swimming, who also made the trip across to France. Honey swam in five events, capped by the
Plymouth fencer competes in Junior World Cup
A fencer from Plymouth College recently travelled to Crete, Greece, to compete in the last Junior World Cup Competition of the year. Ben Andrews travelled with the GB U20 Men’s team and competed against many of the world’s best fencers in the individual and Team events at Heraklion Greece. In the Individual competition, Ben had
Plymouth College pentathlete selected for GB Youth Olympics team
A Year 11 pentathlete from Plymouth College has been selected to represent Great Britain at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires next month. Annabel Denton will be the female representative in the Great Britain section after coming out on top of the rigorous qualification system. The Youth Olympic Games are the world’s largest multi-sport
Plymouth College appoints new headmaster
Plymouth College has appointed Jonathan Cohen as the next headmaster of Plymouth College. Jonathan has a keen interest in sport, particularly rugby, football, hockey and cricket, having played and coached extensively. His other interests include politics and international affairs, the performing arts and, of course, education. Prior to entering teaching he enjoyed a successful career
Plymouth College tops all-important Value Added league table, for the second year running.
Plymouth College once again topped the league tables in Plymouth and the surrounding area with an increased value added score of 0.34. Headmaster, Jonathan Standen explains; “We were delighted to see how well the school has performed in the DfE League Tables, which were published yesterday. Our A level results were excellent both in terms
Plymouth College boasts 10 Olympians.
Rio 2016 It would appear impossible, but Plymouth College population 500, is represented by 10 Olympians at Rio 2016. Plymouth College is world famous for its aquatic programmes, but this year we have more students at the Olympics than any other school in the UK. As someone who repesents Plymouth College, we thought you might
European titles and national medals
National medals for fencers Plymouth College fencers, Ben Andrews and Emma Andrews, have won a silver and bronze medal respectively in the England Youth Fencing Championships. The unrelated pair were competing in the U15 boys’ epee and U15 girls’ epee events, held at the Hertfordshire Sports village in Hatfield. Ben, who has just turned 15,
Myles is Rio bound
Following on from his victory in the British Triathlon Championships in April, Plymouth College Head Boy, Myles Pillage, has been picked as one of two GB pentathlon juniors to join the Olympic Ambition Programme in Rio. The programme is funded by the British Olympic Association and gives athletes from a range of sports, with future
Former student in world rugby tournament
Former Plymouth College student, John Dawe, 23, has been selected for the GB team in the World University Rugby Sevens Championships. John is reading Biomedical Science at Cardiff Metropolitan University and plays for the University in the Welsh Championship League. The team is in the top tier of the University (BUCS) League. John was vice-captain
Double titles for tennis ace
Plymouth College athlete, Pierce Widdecombe, 16, has clinched the top spots in both the U18s’ and Open Men’s events at the Redland Tennis Open in Bristol. Seeded no.1 and no.2 respectively, the talented tennis player claimed the titles after four days of long matches. Pierce beat Tom Batchelor in the U18s’ final and Matthew Story
Talented student to tread the boards at Italia Conti
Plymouth College student, Bailey Cameron, 13, has won a place at the prestigious performing arts school, Italia Conti, in London. The rising star secured his place after going through a series of intense auditions for singing, dancing and acting. He also had to take an academic test. Bailey is no stranger to the stage having
Prep School children inspired by local artist
Budding artists at Plymouth College Preparatory School have let their creative juices flow in a painting session with renowned local artist, Brian Pollard. Brian talked to the Year 2 children about his paintings and showed them how he creates his pictures. Using his style as their inspiration, the children took to their drawing boards and
Prep pupils compete in live cookery show
Pupils at Plymouth College Preparatory School have whipped up a storm in a MasterChef-style cook-off. Hosted by school caterers, Chartwells, ‘On Your Marks’ saw the red team (teacher Mrs Freeman and pupils Beth Scott and Devon Chandler) and the green team (teacher Mr Brook-Houghton and pupils Megan Bishop and Joshua Oliver) given 15-minutes to prepare
European Championships pave the way to Rio and beyond
Plymouth College has consolidated its position as one of the top swimming schools in the country with a formidable set of results at the European Championships. Swimming in the same lane that gave her gold in London 2012, Plymouth College student, Ruta Meilutyte, claimed a European title by taking gold in the 100m breaststroke and
Politics Society hosts EU debate
Plymouth College’s Politics Society opened the floor two MPs to present the arguments for and against staying in the EU. The school is holding a mock referendum in June. First up was the MP for South West Devon, Gary Streeter. Supporting the vote to stay in, he talked about three main areas – freedom and
European Championships for multi-eventers
Plymouth College athletes, Seren Allin (17) and Annabel Denton (12) will represent Great Britain this summer in the European Biathle and Triathle Championships in Portugal. Seren gained her selection for the continuous run/swim/run Biathle team after taking the silver medal at a British Ranking competition. She also picked up a bronze medal in her age
Scholarship opportunities for sports all-rounders
Plymouth College is holding a Sports Scholarship Morning for talented all-round sportsmen and women interested in joining the school in Years 9 or 10 in September 2016. Taking place on Saturday 21st May, the morning will consist of aptitude tests and sports activities. It is open to athletes from schools and clubs across the region.
Year 7 raises more than £5000 for students in Tanzania
For the last five years, Plymouth College Year 7 students have enthusiastically accepted the challenge of raising £700 to sponsor Steven Mautula through school. Steven is a Tanzanian teenager who is supported by The Banana Tree Project, a UK-based charity run by Plymouth College Head of Sixth Form and Head of History, Mr Beavington. Steven has
Engineering boss talks to young entrepreneurs
Karen Friendship, Managing Director of Aldermans Tooling, was the latest guest of the Plymouth College Entrepreneurial Society. A former Plymouth College pupil, Karen talked about her journey from school, through an engineering degree at Bristol, to taking over the helm of the metalwork solutions company at the age of 28. She said that being prepared
Gold for pentathlete in GB International
Plymouth College pentathlete, Myles Pillage, 18, has topped the podium in this year’s GB Youth International in Solihull. Head Boy, Myles, dominated the men’s competition finishing 1st in the fence with 21 victories, before being one of only two athletes to break the two minute barrier in the swimming pool. Competing for Great Britain, he went
Diver tops podium 4 times in Armada Cup
Plymouth College diver, Victoria Vincent, 14, has put the eye injury that kept her away from the sport for nearly 12 months well and truly behind her with 4 gold medals at the Armada Cup. The former British Champion and youngest member of Team England in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, was competing in the Girls’
Procession celebrates Year of the Monkey
Plymouth College celebrated the Chinese New Year ‘Year of the Monkey’ with a colourful and lively procession around the school site. The centre piece of the procession was a giant monkey, made from willow and tissue-paper. The monkey and a variety of smaller lanterns, with good luck messages in Chinese, were made during boarders’ Saturday
European Championships for fencer
Plymouth College performance athlete Catherine Bishop, 16, has been selected for the Great Britain U17 Fencing Team for the European Fencing Championships. The event is being held in Novi Sad, Serbia, at the end of February. Ranked 4th in her age group in the UK for the epeé, Catherine is part of the English cadet
Runner through to national cross country championships
Plymouth College’s Poppy Tank, 18, will represent the South West at the English Schools’ Cross Country Championships. Poppy hopes to beat her impressive 4th place achieved last year at the national event, which this year is being held in Nottingham on 5th March. In a season that has seen her go from strength to strength,
Plymouth College Adding Value!
Plymouth College is the top school in the area for value-added in a Key Stage 5 league table published by the Department for Education. The independent school, which is non-selective, achieved a value-added score of 0.21 for Academic Progress. This is the highest score out of all the schools in the local area, including the
Plymouth College Cadet Commander awarded long service medal
Commander Bill Andrew has been awarded the Cadet Forces Medal in recognition of his long and efficient service to the Royal Navy Combined Cadet Force (CCF). The Cadet Forces Medal has been awarded since 1950 to all Cadet commissioned and non-commissioned officers with 12 years’ service. Bill was presented with his medal by Plymouth College Headmaster, Jonathan Standen. Commander Bill
Swimmers compete around the world
Plymouth College swimmers have had a busy Christmas and New Year winning medals and breaking records around the world. At the English Nationals, Emma England broke her own British Junior Record on her way to becoming an English National Junior Champion. Sam Dailley was a three-time English National Junior Medallist, while Felicity Passon, Jessica Jackson
Lord Mayor hosts politics session
The Plymouth College Politics Society welcomed the Lord Mayor of Plymouth to speak about his role, responsibilities and the changing local political scene. The event attracted an excellent turnout of over 40 students from Years 7 to Upper Sixth. The Lord Mayor talked about his decision to turn to politics, the key topical issues of
Plymouth College Pupils Hear Talk from Fat Face Founder Tim Slade
Fat Face founder, Tim Slade, was the final guest this term of Plymouth College’s Entrepreneurial Society (ESOC). Tim, who spent 18 months in the Police Force before leaving because ‘he didn’t like wearing a tie’, started the business in 1988 with Jules Leaver when they needed money to fund the ski season in Meribel. Named
Plymouth College Hockey Players Progress Through England Pathway System
This season has seen some great success for Plymouth College students in the England Hockey Single System. The Single System has replaced the old country and regional system, and provides the player pathway through to international teams. Will Warnock and Will Ingram have been selected for the JAC squad (Devon county equivalent) which is a great achievement and is
Plymouth College Pupils Awarded Swimming Medals at ESSA
The 58th English Schools Swimming Association National Relay Championships at the London Aquatics Centre saw Plymouth College retain its place as one of the country’s ‘big two’ as far as English schools swimming is concerned. The only school to win a medal in all twelve of the relay events, Plymouth College returned with 12 team
Plymouth College remembers the fallen
Plymouth College Prep and Senior Schools have held Remembrance Services. The Prep School service, held in the school’s chapel, was a mix of hymns, music, prayers and readings. Led by Prep Headmaster, Chris Gatherer, pupils performed a series of pieces telling the story of a soldier killed in the First World War. After the Last
Plymouth College Welcomes Michael Ball to Open Drama Studio
Broadway and West End star, Michael Ball OBE, visited Plymouth College earlier this week to open the school’s new drama room, the Michael Ball Studio. The former pupil, who hasn’t been back to the school since he left 35 years ago, is starring in Mack and Mabel at Plymouth’s Theatre Royal. The Michael Ball Studio
Plymouth College to open its doors for the morning
A Euro café, interactive science displays, musical interludes, drama performances and sport demonstrations are just some of the activities on offer at the Plymouth College Open Morning on Saturday 3 October. The independent school will open its doors at the Senior School at Ford Park from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Visitors will have the
Plymouth College Sport Baccalaureate Student Gets Top Marks
Plymouth College student, Harry Preston, has achieved the highest possible grade of Distinction star/Distinction star/Distinction star (D*D*D*) in the BTEC Extended Diploma in Sport (Outdoor Adventure). Top athlete, Harry, recently won a bronze medal for Great Britain at the European Triathlon Championships in Geneva. He is going to Exeter University to read Exercise and Sports
Plymouth College increases top grades at GCSE
Plymouth College is celebrating its GCSE results this morning after seeing a 9% increase of grades at A*/A, up 19% in the last two years to 49%. A third of students have achieved seven or more A*/A grades with 12% gaining ten or more. Luiza Farache Trajano, has walked away with an outstanding 10A*s. Other
Plymouth College’s A Level and IB Success
Plymouth College is celebrating its A Level results this morning with nearly a third of all grades at A* or A. More than 10% achieved at least 3 A grades each. This year’s top performer is James Douie, who has walked away with an impressive 4 A*s. Paul Vallis is close behind with 3 A*s
Plymouth College Pentathletes Win Podium Places in World Biathle Event
Plymouth College pentathletes Oliver Smart, Annabel Denton and Edward Smart represented Great Britain in the 3rd World Biathle Tour, held under the hot Portuguese sun in Setubal’s Parc Urbano de Albarquel. Other countries competing in the continuous run-swim-run event included Russia, Italy, Belarus and Kazakhstan as well as the host team, Portugal. Oliver Smart won
Plymouth College Achieves Record IB Results
Plymouth College is celebrating after achieving its highest ever results for the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB). With 100% pass rate, the average point score of 34.125 equates to 482 UCAS points, which is the equivalent of more than 4 As at A Level and places the school in the top 20 nationally for IB. Top
Plymouth College students highly commended in national business final
Plymouth College beat off competition from 48 other regional teams to come joint third in the BASE National Business competition run by chartered accountancy body, ICAEW. Tom Little, Paul Vallis, Kevin Vandabona, Sarah Norris, Victoria Stace and Annie Cobbold were given a case study for which they had to come up with a business proposal.
Plymouth College’s Young Actress to Tread the Boards at Italia Conti
Plymouth College Preparatory School pupil, Mathilde Ellis, 10, from Yelverton has won a place at the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Arts in London. For her audition, Year 6 pupil Mathilde did a ballet dance – she trains with Nicola Costin who also teaches at the Prep School – and sang ‘When will my life
Plymouth College Pre-Prep Pupils Win Medals in National Athletics
Two young athletes from Plymouth College Preparatory School have won medals at the national IAPS (Independent Association of Prep Schools) Athletics Championships held at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham. Competing in the U12 category, Abagael Black took gold in the 200m. She achieved a personal best (PB) of 28.67 in the heat and beat it again to
Plymouth College Receive Call-ups to European Pentathlon Championships
After a series of selection events in Britain, Ireland and Germany, four Plymouth College athletes have been selected for the European Championships this summer. Kerenza Bryson, 16, and Myles Pillage, 17, (both GB) will compete in the Youth A European Pentathlon Championships in the Czech Republic 8-12 July. No strangers to international competitions, Kerenza won
Plymouth College Pupil Offered Brit School Place
Plymouth College pupil, Sid McLaren, 16, has won a place at the iconic school for performing arts and technology, the Brit School. Based in Croydon, the school has seen stars such as Adele, Jesse J, Ashley Madekwe and Leona Lewis pass through its doors. Out of 500 applicants and 100 auditionees, Sid was offered one
Plymouth College awarded World Academy of Sport status for IB
Plymouth College is one of only two schools in the UK and one of 11 in the world to be given accreditation that allows its national-level athletes to study the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) over up to four years. The school has a global reputation for high-performance sports programmes with swimmers, modern pentathletes, fencers and
Plymouth College Rugby Player Selected for Devon Development Programme
Plymouth College rugby player, Alex Smith, 14, has been selected for the Developing Players Programme at the Devon School of Rugby (SoR). Alex won his place after playing for West Devon in a county-wide tournament involving 130 boys. The Year 9 pupil, who plays in the hooker position, is one of only three boys to
Plymouth College Pupils Win International Language Cup for linguists
Plymouth College modern foreign language (MFL) students have won the Challenge Piccolo Cup for French in the Vocab Express Global Challenge. More than 30,000 students from 200 schools around the world logged on to the online learning application to test their vocabulary knowledge in order to score points towards their individual scoreboard and school league
Plymouth College Diver selected for European Games
A fourth Plymouth College athlete has been selected to compete in the inaugural European Games in June. Diver, Natasha MacManus, 17, will compete for Ireland in the 1m and 3m springboard events as well as the 10m platform. She will join Great Britain swimmers Joe Hulme, Tom Fannon and Laura Stephens at the event in
Plymouth College’s Georgina is British Triathlon Champion
Plymouth College Modern Pentathlon scholar, Georgina Mitchell, has taken the U15 title in the British Triathlon Championships. The talented multi-eventer was 40 points clear of the second-placed athlete in the shoot, swim and combined (run/shoot) competition. Taking place in Solihull, the U17 girls’ team – Jessica Manning (8th), Seren Allin (10th) and Catherine Bishop (12th)
Plymouth College Pupils Win British Youth Fencing Titles
Two fencers from Plymouth College have won titles at the British Youth Fencing Championships. Tia Simms Lymn has won the U16 Epeé with Ben Andrews taking the top spot in the U14 Epeé. This is the fifth consecutive year that Tia has taken her age group title. Ben has finished in at least the top
Plymouth College Prep Fencer Achieves National Success
Plymouth College Preparatory School pupil, Abagael Black, 11, has won the national U11 girls’ IAPS Fencing Championships for the second year running. Competing against some of the top young fencers in the country, Abagael took the title in a convincing 10-0 win in the final. Abagael’s IAPS success comes close on the heels of claiming
Plymouth College Prep School to open its doors for the week
Plymouth College Preparatory School is holding an Open Doors Week Monday 1 to Friday 5 June. Visitors can call in any time between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and see the school in action on a normal day. During the visit they will be taken on a tour as well as meet the Headmaster and
Plymouth College’s Biathle World Tour Call-Ups
Four Plymouth College athletes have been selected to represent Great Britain in the Biathle World Cup Tour this summer. Jessica Manning (14), Edward Smart (13), Oliver Smart (12) and Annabel Denton (11) won their places on the British team after meeting the qualifying time in their respective age categories in the South West Biathle Championships
Plymouth College cricketers beat MCC
Plymouth College’s 1st XI match against MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) brought rare sunshine and a real sense of optimism that they could beat the oldest and most prestigious cricket club in the world. Batting first, MCC were under immediate pressure from Ben Pearson and Tom Dinnis resulting in the early breakthroughs Plymouth College were searching
Plymouth College’s trio of Oxbridge offers
Paul Vallis, Sy Khanh Nguyen and James Douie have been offered places at the University of Cambridge. All three Plymouth College sixth formers will read engineering – Paul at King’s College, Khanh at Trinity Hall and James at Jesus College. Paul is currently studying for A Levels in Economics and Business, Further Maths and Physics.
Plymouth College welcomes new Headmaster
Independent school, Plymouth College, has welcomed Jonathan Standen as its new Headmaster at the start of term today. Mr Standen has taken over the headship from Dr Simon Wormleighton who has retired after nine years. With a degree in Ancient History and History, Mr Standen previously spent eight years at the helm of grammar school,
Plymouth College Student for Royal College of Music
Plymouth College student, Annabel Kennedy, 18, has been offered a place to read Vocal Studies at the Royal College of Music. The mezzo-soprano will take up her place on the Bachelor of Music degree course at the prestigious South Kensington conservatoire in the autumn. As one of the top music institutions in the world, the
Plymouth College Pupils Get England Call-Up
Plymouth College swimmers, Laura Stephens, 15, and Tegan Drew, 14, will swim for England in an international competition in Italy in May. The girls, who are both British National Swimming Champions and swim for Plymouth Leander, have been selected by England Programmes for the Standard Energy International Meet. They will compete against swimmers from four
Plymouth pupil achieves high scores in national mathematics challenge
Fardeen Gafoor, 11, from Plymouth College Preparatory School has been presented with a bronze award by The Mathematical Association in this year’s Primary Mathematics Challenge (PMC). The prestigious honour demonstrates his achievement as one of the best young mathematicians in the UK. The first stage of the challenge took place in November 2014 when
Plymouth College Entrepreneurial Society speakers talk about trust and integrity
Neil Stallard and James Brent work in very different sectors but brought common themes of trust and integrity to their Plymouth College Entrepreneurial Society (ESOC) talks. The aim of ESOC is to bring business and economics alive for students and to promote enterprise and leadership in them. Speakers so far have included Levi Roots, Tim
Plymouth College Year 7s sponsor school children in Tanzania
Plymouth College’s Year 7s have raised more than £1800 to sponsor children in Tanzania so that they can go to school. Stephen has been supported by the money the Year 7s have raised through the Banana Tree project for the last four years. As well as school, boarding and exam fees, donations cover costs for
Plymouth College Pupil Selected for South West Girls’ Rugby Team
Grace Atwill, 15, has been selected for the South West of England U15 girls’ rugby team. The Plymouth College pupil gained her place after a successful trials day where she was assessed on her skills, fitness and game play. A member of Exeter Saracens, the no.10 fly half has played for Devon for the last
Plymouth College students sail through to national business final
Business-savvy students from Plymouth College beat off competition from five other teams to win the West Yorkshire heat of the BASE National Business competition run by chartered accountancy body, ICAEW. The Plymouth College pupils impressed the judges with their insight and teamwork when taking on the role of ICAEW Chartered Accountants for the regional heat
Plymouth College Business students take on Dragons’ Den challenge
Business and Economics students from Plymouth College have been putting classroom theory in to practice with help from a leading snack food firm. Plymouth-based Burts Chips, producers of hand-cooked British potato chips, tasked the Year 10 pupils with designing a range of crisps with a Rugby World Cup theme. Enthused by a visit to Burts’
Plymouth College prep school raises nearly £1000 for St Luke’s
Raffles, stalls and concert collections are just some of the ways Plymouth College Preparatory School has raised £949.47 for St Luke’s Hospice. The fund-raising was the idea of Year 6 pupil, Finn Brooker, who wanted to raise the money in memory of his father. Finn presented the cheque to Nina Wearne from St Luke’s in
Plymouth College tops A Level table
The latest figures from the Department for Education show that Plymouth College has topped a city-wide league table for Key Stage 5. Plymouth College, which is non-selective, achieved an average point score of 224.2 at A Level. This is the highest average point score out of all the schools in Plymouth, including the three grammar
Plymouth College’s Tia wins gold in Pan American Fencing Championships
Plymouth College’s Tia Simms-Lymn, 15, who fences for Jamaica, has won the Pan American U17 Epeé Championships in Toronto. In a tough pool, she won three of her five fights and was seeded 7th going into the knockout phase. In her last 16 fight she overcame Catalina Leiva of Chile 15-6. In the quarter finals
Plymouth billionaire talks business with students
Plymouth entrepreneur and billionaire, Chris Dawson, is the latest guest of the Plymouth College Entrepreneurial Society. The former market trader, who founded the ever expanding The Range stores, spent an hour dipping in and out of his rags to riches story and hosting a Q&A session with the students. The hugely engaging businessman told the
Plymouth College’s Senior Awards Hosts Special Guest
Surgeon Commander is special guest at awards evening Surgeon Commander, Anthony Lambert OBE, was the special guest at Plymouth College’s Senior Awards Evening, held at Plymouth Guildhall. The independent school’s annual prize-giving event recognises and celebrates the academic and extra-curricular achievements of senior pupils. Former Plymouth College pupil, Anthony, works in the Ministry of Defence
Plymouth College’s Victory in English Schools Swimming Championships
Nine medals and four records in English Schools Swimming Championships Plymouth College once again cemented their position as one of Europe’s leading swimming specialist schools with outstanding results from the 57th English Schools Swimming Association Relay Championships at the London Aquatics Centre – a venue which holds so many happy memories for the College, with
Plymouth College Welcomes Tim Martin
Wetherspoons founder hosts second business talk Plymouth College’s Entrepreneurial Society has continued its programme of top-class speakers with a visit by Wetherspoons founder and MD, Tim Martin. The business leader talked about how he built up the pub chain, which now has more than 920 outlets in Britain, and how he has a rolling schedule
Plymouth College Student Takes Commonwealth Fencing Silver
Plymouth College fencer, Tia Simms-Lymn, has taken the silver medal in the Commonwealth Fencing Championships at just 15 years old. Winning Jamaica’s first ever Commonwealth fencing medal, Tia was one of more than 300 fencers from 20 Commonwealth countries taking part in the competition in Scotland. Tia’s event, Women’s Epeé, had a field of 53.
Plymouth College Students Get Business Advice From Levi Roots
Singing to Nelson Mandela, appearing on Dragons’ Den and Jamaican Ginger Cake were just some of the things discussed when Reggae Reggae Sauce creator, Levi Roots, met Plymouth College Year 10 business students. In Plymouth for a meeting with Burts Chips, who produce Reggae Reggae Grove Cut Crisps, Levi took time out of his busy
Plymouth College Cricketer Travels to India for Specialist Coaching
Plymouth College cricketer, Tom Dinnis, 17, has spent half term in Mumbai at an invitational elite cricket camp. Tom, who plays for Cornwall, was one of only five to be invited on the tour run in association with Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. The aim of the camp, held at the Indian Cricket Academy, was to
Plymouth College Sporting News
Talented hockey player selected for England Futures Cup Plymouth College pupil, Abigail Ingram, 15, has been selected to the Wessex Leopards U16 squad for the England Hockey Futures Cup. The tournament pits the best U16 players in the country against each other and offers the opportunity for selection to the full England Trials. Following on
Plymouth College’s Victoria Vincent Wins ASA Award
National aquatics award for diver Plymouth College’s Victoria Vincent 13, has been honoured with an Outstanding Achievement Award by the Amateur Swimming Association. The inaugural Awards ceremony was held in Birmingham to celebrate the commitment and achievement of those involved in aquatics. Fellow Plymouth diver, Matthew Dixon, also received an Award. Victoria, who trains with
Plymouth College’s Sailing Brothers
Regional sailing squad for brothers Plymouth College pupils, Alex (Year 8) and Bertie Ratsey (Year 9) have been selected for the RS Feva S/SW Zone RYA Race Training Squad. The boys made the team after competing in qualification regattas in Torbay and at the Olympic Sailing venue in Weymouth. The South/South West squad is made
Plymouth College Promotes Excellence In Business
Plymouth College’s reputation for leading the way in business education has taken two more endorsements with a Young Enterprise Centre of Excellence accolade and the launch of the Entrepreneurial Society. The Young Enterprise award is given to organisations that make a high-quality enterprise and entrepreneurship contribution to students through courses and initiatives. Plymouth College has
Plymouth College To Open Its Doors For The Morning
A Euro café, interactive science displays, musical interludes, drama performances and sport demonstrations are just some of the activities on offer at the Plymouth College Open Morning on Saturday 4 October. The independent school will open its doors at the Senior School at Ford Park from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Visitors will have the
Plymouth College Pupil In Wimbledon Final
Wimbledon final for tennis star Plymouth College pupil, Pierce Widdecombe, 14, is delighted to have made a final and a semi-final in his first outing at Wimbledon. The talented player was competing in the HSBC U14 Road to Wimbledon tournament, the largest junior grass court event in the country. In the doubles competition, Pierce and
Plymouth College’s Sporting Success
Outstanding summer of international sport for Plymouth College Plymouth College athletes have had a phenomenal couple of months with eight medals won from twelve representations across five international events. A further nine medals have been secured by former pupils. In senior events, Charlotte Atkinson (Isle of Man), Geoff Butler (Cayman Islands) and Jamila Lunkuse (Uganda)
Plymouth College’s Ruta Celebrates GCSE Success
Olympic and World Champion swimmer, Ruta Meilutyte, 17, has added six GCSEs to her portfolio of achievements. The Plymouth College pupil, who is part of the school’s elite athlete programme, was going to wait until she had finished competing at the European Swimming Championships to find out her results but the temptation was too great!
Plymouth College increases top grades at GCSE
Plymouth College is celebrating its GCSE results this morning after seeing a 10% increase of grades at A*/A. Over a quarter of students have achieved seven or more top grades with six of these gaining ten or more. James North, Matthew Singh-Benning and Megan Thompson have all walked away with an outstanding 7A*s and 4As
Plymouth College Students Wins Medal
European medals for Prep pupil from Plymouth College Plymouth College Preparatory School’s, Oliver Smart, 11, from Millbrook in South East Cornwall, has returned from the European Biathlete Championships and World Cup Tour in Setubal, Portugal, with a gold and silver medal. Representing Great Britain, Oliver, who starts at Plymouth College’s Senior School in a couple
Plymouth College’s IB And A Level Success
The percentage of A* grades at A Level achieved by Plymouth College students has doubled since this time last year, with a third of all grades at A* or A. More than a quarter of students have achieved at least AAB. This year’s top performers are Dominic Day and Peter Miller, who have both walked
Plymouth College Linguist Takes Speaking Title
Plymouth College pupil, Claire Tinmanee, 14, has won the Key Stage 4 category of a regional languages competition. Claire took the non-native title in the Routes into Languages MFL Speaking Competition, held at the University of Bath. With the most finalists from any school, Luc Dewulf, 17, was runner up in the Key Stage 5
Plymouth College Athletes To Compete In National Championships
Four Plymouth College pupils have been selected to represent Devon at the English Schools Athletics Championships. The event is being held in Birmingham 11th-12th July and will feature the top young athletes in the country. Poppy Tank, 16, will run the 800m. She secured her spot after winning the Devon and South West titles. Devon
Plymouth College Pupil Joins Commonwealth Games Diving Team
Plymouth College’s diving sensation, Victoria Vincent, has secured a spot on the England Diving Team at the Commonwealth Games despite her young age. The 13 year old was initially left off the squad because of her age even though she won the senior 10m title at the recent British Diving Championships. After a successful appeal
Plymouth College Pupil Joins National Youth Theatre
Plymouth College Sixth Former, Phoebe Hirst, 18, has won a place at the National Youth Theatre (NYT). The rigorous audition process involved a 3-hour session of ensemble work followed by an individual audition. Nearly 5000 young people auditioned but less than 600 got in. Phoebe will attend a two-week course in London in August. She
Plymouth College Swimmer Wins Senior British Diving Title
At just 13 years old, Plymouth College’s Victoria Vincent has won the 10m platform event at the senior British Diving Championships. It is thought that she is the youngest ever winner of a senior British title, beating Tom Daley by six months. Victoria, who is part of the school’s elite athlete family and trains with
Plymouth College Swimmer heading to Tokyo
Plymouth College swimmer, Shauna Lee, 18, is joining five of Britain’s brightest swimming prospects in Tokyo next week as part of a development squad with an eye on the 2020 Olympics. The Sixth Former, who swims for Plymouth Leander, will compete for Great Britain in the Japan Open. Freestyler, Shauna, hopes that this will open
Plymouth College Pupil Selected For GB Underwater Hockey Team
Plymouth College pupil, Douglas Samuels, 15, has been selected for the U19 Great Britain Octopush team. As well as the World Alternative Games in Newport in August this year, the talented underwater hockey player will compete at the World Age Group Championships in Spain in 2015. Douglas has been playing Octopush since he was 7
Plymouth College Sixth Formers Extend Their Education With Project
Four Plymouth College Sixth Formers are the school’s first pupils to complete an independent study qualification that will give them a head start at university. Dominic Day, Lucy Palmer, Maisie Boyers and Tsengel Enkhbat have undertaken the AS-Level, Extended Project, in addition to their A Levels. The qualification, which offers up to an A* grade,
Plymouth College’s Kerenza Bryson Wins Gold For GB
Plymouth College multi-eventer, Kerenza Bryson, has won team gold for Great Britain at the World Youth A Modern Pentathlon Championships in Hungary. Along with GB team-mates Francesca Summers and Eilidh Prise, Kerenza edged Italy into the silver and Japan into the bronze medal positions at the championships staged in Budapest. “It was an amazing achievement
Plymouth College Commonwealth Games Call-ups for Swimmers
Three Plymouth College swimmers and three OPMs have been chosen to swim for their nations in this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Geoff Butler, 18, will swim for the Caymen Islands, Charlotte Atkinson, 17, for the Isle of Man while Olympian, Jamila Lunkuse (pictured), 17, will swim for Uganda. All three are part of the
Plymouth College Students in Evita!
Plymouth College pupil, Alasdair Lambie, 11 and Plymouth College Preparatory School pupil, Poppy Vernon, 11, will be part of the cast of Evita when the powerful musical starts its run at Plymouth’s Theatre Royal next week. Alasdair and Poppy made the cut after attending auditions at Plymkids. Both are members of the musical theatre company
Plymouth College’s Tia Wins Two British Fencing Titles
Fresh from her silver medal at the Wratislava Challenge in Poland, Plymouth College fencer, Tia Simms Lymn, 15, has been crowned both the U16 Epeé and U16 Foil champion in the British Youth Fencing Championships. Held in Sheffield, it is one of the biggest events on the fencing calendar with about 1000 athletes from around
Plymouth Pentathlete takes International Title
Plymouth College elite athlete, Myles Pillage, 16, has beaten the top competitors from 12 nations to win a Modern Pentathlon Youth International in Birmingham. Representing Great Britain in Youth B Boys, Myles swam close to the youth world record with a time of 1.54.8 – the world record is 1.54.4. He also won the combined
Plymouth College Headmaster to Retire
Plymouth College Headmaster, Dr Simon Wormleighton, has announced his intention to retire at the end of the next academic year. He will have been at the school nine years when he leaves at the end of August 2015. Dr Wormleighton, 56, joined Plymouth College just after the merger with St Dunstan’s Abbey. Since he took
Plymouth College Fencer Wins Silver in Poland
Top fencer, Tia Simms-Lymn, 14, has won a silver medal at the Wratislavia Challenge 2014. The Challenge is the biggest U15 fencing tournament in the world, attracting more than 2000 fencers to the city of Wroclaw in Poland. Fencers from 31 countries took part this year. The competition includes foil, epeé and sabre at U15,
Plymouth Multi-evening and Fencing Success
The Modern Pentathlon and Fencing Academy has had a successful week with national and regional success across a range of disciplines. Kerrie Johnson, 15, took the U17 title in the Irish Epeé Championships in Dublin last weekend. Tim Andrews, 16, came second in the boys’ event. Up in London, Benjamin Andrews, 12, won the latest
Plymouth CollegeTeachers Splash!
Plymouth College staff took to the diving boards in their own version of ITV’s Splash! to raise money for Sport Relief and the British Heart Foundation. With GB divers and Plymouth College pupils, Francesca Del Celo, 17, and Victoria Vincent, 12, showing them how it’s done, a group of brave volunteers performed their best tucks,
Plymouth Students Set for Cambridge!
Two Plymouth College sixth formers have received conditional offers to study at the University of Cambridge. Hettie Burrows, 18, will read Land Economy at Murray Edwards College. She is currently working towards A Levels in History, English and Economics. A Senior Prefect, Hettie first came to Plymouth College in Reception Class at the Prep School.
Business Students Take on Dragons’ Den Snack Challenge
Business and Economics students from Plymouth College have been putting classroom theory in to practice with help from a leading snack food firm. Plymouth-based Burts Chips, producers of hand-cooked British potato chips, tasked the Year 10 pupils with creating a business plan for the launch of a brand new fried snack range with seaweed as
Plymouth Pupil 14, U20 Fencing Debut
Plymouth College fencer, Tia Simms-Lymn, 14, has made her U20 debut in a World Cup tournament in Gothenburg. Tia won four of her six fights and in a world-class field of 189, she finished 86th. Although representing Jamaica, Tia is allowed under European Fencing Confederation rules to have a European U17 ranking. At the moment
Plymouth Year 7s Raise Funds for Tanzanian Boy
Plymouth College Year 7s have been working hard over the last three months to raise the funds to allow a boy in Tanzania to go to school. Stephen Mautula is a young teenager in Mwanza, Tanzania, who has spent time living on the streets and in orphanages. The Year 7s linked up with The Banana
Plymouth Procession celebrates Year of the Horse
Plymouth College celebrated the Chinese ‘Year of the Horse’ with a colourful and lively procession around the school site. Students carried a giant horse made from willow and tissue-paper, and a variety of red lanterns with good luck messages in Chinese. The procession was supported by the Samba Band led by Dr Christian Taylor, with
Plymouth Pupil has Thriving Clothing Business
Budding entrepreneur, Joe Andrews, 16, is putting his GCSE business studies into practice with his on-line clothing company, In Apparel. The Year 11 Plymouth College pupil set up the firm, which sells t-shirts and streetwear, last summer with his brother Matt, 19. The boys run their thriving business from the family home in Fowey, Cornwall.
Plymouth Student’s Equestrian Triumph in Kenya
Talented Plymouth College athlete, Coral Hays, 14, has won the young riders competition at the Horse of the Year Show in Nairobi, Kenya. This was Coral’s first competition riding on her new horse, Walvis Bay. She won the two-round 1.10m event on six faults, achieving a clear round in the second round. Coral took part
Plymouth Swimming Star is Sports Personality of the Year
Plymouth College pupil, Ruta Meilutyte, 16, has been named Sports Personality of the Year in the Herald Sports Awards. Ruta was announced the winner at a glittering ceremony at Plymouth Pavilions, which was attended by more than 400 people and was hosted by Sydney Olympic rowing gold medallist, Ben Hunt-Davis. After achieving Olympic gold for
Plymouth is Top Swimming school in the country…again!
Plymouth College is the top swimming school in the country for the seventh year running, after winning six out of twelve titles in the English Schools’ Swimming Association Relays. The national event, held at Crystal Palace, saw some of the top young swimmers in England compete. The school took the top spot in the junior
Plymouth Cadet Force Earn Lord-Lieutenant Awards
Three members of Plymouth College’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF) have each received a Lord-Lieutenant of Devon award for their service and commitment to cadet forces. Captain David Green, Lt Zoe Boyle and Cadet Coxwain Henry Loxdale all attended the ceremony held at Plymouth City Council and received their awards in front of 150 assembled dignitaries,
Plymouth at ESSA Regional Relay Championships 2013
Plymouth College will once again defend their position as England’s leading swimming school later this year having emerged from the recent English Schools’ Swimming Association Regional Relay Championships victorious in seven of the twelve events. The region consists of schools coming together from Devon, Dorset, Cornwall, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Avon and Somerset. A venture to Crystal
Plymouth’s Ella Faces ‘Ultimate Challenge’ in TV Programme
Plymouth College pupil, Ella Ellis, 14, has had the time of her life filming CITV game show, Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge. Set on the Napoleonic Fortress of the title off the West Coast of France, the show sees teams of teenagers take on a series of adventurous challenges in a quest to win a pot
Plymouth take Bronze in National Competition
The Plymouth College girls’ fencing team have taken third place in the European Cadets Epée tournament in Klagenfurt, Austria. Kerenza Bryson, Tia Simms-Lymn and May Yuen were competing against the top young fencers from 25 nations including Austria, Belarus, Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and USA. In the
Plymouth College A Level Success
Plymouth College has published another great set of A Level results this morning. One in eight pupils have achieved at least three A grades with more than a quarter securing AAB or better. The pass rate remains strong at 98%. Top performer was Emma Pearson with an impressive four A*s followed by Deputy Head Boy,
Plymouth College Students Hit The Mark With GCSE Success
Students at Plymouth College are celebrating after receiving their GCSE results. Top performer was James Douie with 11 A*s. Close on his heels were Kevin Vandabona with 10A*s and 1 A, Harry McEleny with 9A*s and 1 A, Paul Vallis with 8A*s and 2As and Annabel Norris with 7A*s and 3As. Incredibly, Kevin and Paul
Plymouth College Outstanding IB Results
Plymouth College is celebrating its third set of International Baccalaureate (IB) results. This year’s top performing student was Maddalena Ardissino, an elite swimming scholar who swims internationally for Italy. Her score of 43 IB points is equivalent to 676 UCAS points or, in A level language, four A* and 1 A grades. Maddalena easily met
Plymough College – European medals for Kerenza
Plymouth College Modern Pentathlete, Kerenza Bryson, 14, has won a silver medal and a bronze medal for Great Britain in the European Youth B Pentathlon Championships. Taking place in Belarus, Kerenza's 11th place helped the Great Britain team secure second place in the main competition and third in the team relay. As well as her
Plymouth College Gold medal for budding thespians
Talented actresses, Nada Khalil and Hettie Burrows, both 17, have been awarded their DUO Acting LAMDA Gold Medals (grade 8). Trained by June Pick, the girls achieved distinction and have gained valuable UCAS points. For their exam, Nada and Hettie performed three contrasting scenes from plays from different periods. They chose the tragedy 'Antigone' by
Australian cricketer calls in to Plymouth College
Former Australian Test cricket player, Damien Martyn, has visitedPlymouthCollegeto say hello to some of the school's budding players. Damien, who retired from cricket in 2010, has been in theUKto take part in a charity match organised by Shane Warne and Liz Hurley. Now a businessman and cricket commentator, he returns to theUKin a few weeks
Plymouth College Six swimmers to represent English Schools at world event
The 24-strong English Schools swimming team to feature at the 2013 ISF World Schools Games in Brasilia in November was announced this week – and a quarter of the team come from Plymouth College. Through the six athletes selected – Ruta Meilutyte, Hazal Sarikaya, Grace Vertigans, Jack Smith, Harry Ackland and Jack Burton – Plymouth
Plymouth College pupil wins Seven golds and a silver for Jamila in African Swimming Championships
Plymouth College elite swimmer and Olympian, Jamila Lunkuse, 16, has won seven gold and one silver medals at the Confederation of Africa Swimming Championships held in Zambia. Competing for Uganda, Jamila took on the top swimmers in her age group from across Africa to win the 50m breaststroke (competition record), 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke, 100m
Plymouth College GCSE Historians reflect on the Great War 99 years on
Thirty Plymouth College Historians visited the key sites and memorials of the First World War in a very moving but fascinating three-day trip to France just before the start of term. Starting at the site where John McCrae wrote "In Flanders' Fields", the GCSE students explored the muddy trench network at Sanctuary Wood still pot-marked
Plymouth College – Amy riding high in national dressage competition!
Plymouth College pupil, Amy Searle, 13, secured two top three finishes as part of a Cornish team competing at the National Pony Society Dressage Championships. The team of four, Hoskin's Hotshots, secured reserve team honours in the preliminary competition and third in the novice final against an international field. Riding part-bred Connemara, Ferdinand, this was
Plymouth College National quarter-finals for basketball team
Plymouth College’s senior basketball team are through to the quarter-finals of the Dynamik National Schools Competition after a nail-biting win over Churston Ferrers in the South West final. The fast-paced match was hotly contested with strong play on both sides but went in Plymouth’s favour with a final score of 59-58 when Churston Ferrers missed
Plymouth School birds have place to nest thanks to granddad
The grounds of Plymouth College Preparatory School will be alive with the sound of birds this summer thanks to the arrival of new nesting boxes. The boxes were made by the Granddad of Year 3 pupil, Olivia Tinney. With the boxes now up throughout the school grounds, pupils and staff are bringing in bird seed
Plymouth College National final for business students
Plymouth College sixth formers have made it through to the national final of BASE – a business, accounting and skills education competition. Harry Cobbold, Katie Davies-Gregory, Oliver Foster, Nada Khalil, Phoebe Hirst and Megan Jones qualified for the national event after beating 15 other schools in the regional final. Held in Exeter, the team had
Plymouth College pupil Zac makes England U20 Counties’ squad
Promising rugby prospect, Zac Cinnamond, 18, has made it into the England U20 Counties’ squad. The prop forward from Bere Alston was selected after taking part in an England development weekend at Easter. Zac was part of a South West squad that took on the North, the Midlands and the South East. The top 22
Plymouth College Glowing Inspection Report
"The quality of pupils' achievement and learning is excellent"; "The contribution of curricular and extra-curricular provision is excellent"; "Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent"; "The contribution of arrangements for pastoral care is excellent"… Plymouth College has been awarded a string of 'excellents' in a glowing inspection report by the Independent Schools Inspectorate
Plymouth College Karting team make regional final!
For the second year running a Plymouth College team has made it through to the regional final of the British Karting Championships. Held in Exeter the A team – Harry Cobbold, Wesley Foster and Will Ford – scored 115 out of 120 points to come out on top in the semi-final. Growing in popularity after
Plymouth College Swimmer to compete in Bermuda
Plymouth College swimmer, Sidonie McLaren, 13, has been selected to swim for the Isle of Wight in the 2013 Island Games in July. Sid will travel to Bermuda for the international event which sees 25 different islands compete in 14 sports. The inter-island games started in 1985 with the intention of bringing together a number
Plymouth College Tudor Day
Dressed as kings, queens, noblemen and peasants, Year 4 have spent the day finding out what it was like to live in Tudor times. Spending the morning making pomanders out of oranges and cloves and drawing Tudor portraits, the children cooked pottage for their lunch. In the afternoon they learned some traditional Tudor dances, which
Plymouth College Modern Pentathlon
Three Plymouth College athletes have been selected to represent Great Britain in a multi-nation modern pentathlon event next weekend. Kelcey Pillage (Youth A girls), Kerenza Bryson (Youth B girls) and Myles Pillage (Youth B boys) will compete against athletes from Hungary, France, Germany and Japan to name just a few. They received their call-ups after
Plymouth College British Diving Championships
Plymouth College pupil and Olympic bronze medallist, Tom Daley, 18, has retained his 10m title in the British Diving Championships. Although struggling with a chest infection, Tom was more than 125 points clear of his nearest rival in the event held at Plymouth Life Centre. He quickly got into his stride, closing the competition on
Plymouth College – AS Tudor History Adventure
Plymouth College Lower Sixth historians have just returned from a 3-day Tudor History study trip in London with a wealth of new knowledge, a greater awareness of the source material available and a refreshed enthusiasm for all things Tudor. Day one saw students examining the Tudor Exhibition at the National Art Gallery off Trafalgar Square
Plymouth College House drama searches for the Holy Grail…
The theme for this year's House Drama was 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'. As usual, the four Houses were randomly allocated portions of the script on which to base their fifteen minute performance. Houses were also asked to produce a pre-recorded advert. As is the custom, no staff were allowed to assist: direction and
Plymouth College Boarders ‘go potty’ for weekend activity
A group of thirty boarders enjoyed an afternoon at the Clay Art studio on Plymouth's Barbican during one of their weekly Sunday activities. They selected items from a range of clay mugs and plates to decorate with paints, using stencils, sponges, stamps and free hand designs. The finished items were fired and glazed by the
Plymouth College – IB students bring ‘Karneval’ to Prep School
Mask-making, games and singing were just some of the fun activities undertaken by Year 6 when Sixth Form International Baccalaureate students from the Senior School hosted a Karneval day at Plymouth College Preparatory School. Dressed in carnival costumes, the children celebrated the mid-winter festival with a mixture of learning and fun activities. As well as
Danish school hopes to emulate Plymouth College sports programme
Staff from a school in Denmark have visited Plymouth College to gain some insight into running an elite sports programme. Vestervangskolen in Esbjerg, Denmark, has been awarded elite sport status with swimming as one of its target sports. The Danish school has an exchange programme with West Exe Technology College who organised the visit to
Plymouth College – Devon finals for girls’ cricket team
Plymouth College's U13 girls' cricket team have reached the Devon final of the Lady Taverners Indoor Cricket Competition by winning the Plymouth group of the competition against Stoke Damerel Community College and Plymstock School. Up against Stoke Damerel first, Plymouth College scored 98-7 with Abbie Ingram, Laura Cosby, Tommy Eyston and Alice Simmonds all contributing.
Plymouth College battle to Daily Mail Vase semi-final
Plymouth College 12, Tiffin School 5 Plymouth College First XV displayed great grit and determination to overcome quality opponents and atrocious conditions on the way to booking a place in the last 4 of a competition that originally had over 240 teams vying for a place in the Twickenham final. In relentless rain and on
Plymouth College Procession celebrates the Year of the Snake
Plymouth College celebrated the Chinese ‘Year of the Snake’ with a colourful and noisy procession around the school site. Students carried a giant snake made from willow and tissue-paper, and a variety of red lanterns with good luck messages in Chinese. This year the procession was supported by a Chinese dragon and the Samba Band,
Plymouth College U9 boys win St Petroc’s cross country
Plymouth College Preparatory School's U9 boys' team came out on top in the St Petroc's Cross Country Championships. After driving through torrential rain on the way to Bude, the sun came out. The wind was cold but it was a good day for a run. The U9 boys' team came first out of the 100
Plymouth College win Devon U18 Sevens’ title
Plymouth College came away from a gruelling day of rugby Sevens at the Devon U18 tournament, winning all six of their pool and knockout fixtures. Pool victories were achieved against Petroc, Tavistock College and Exeter School, meaning Plymouth were drawn against Shebbear College in the quarter-final. A secure 31-10 victory meant a semi-final against Blundell’s
Plymouth College AS Tudor History adventure
Plymouth College Lower Sixth historians have just returned from a 3-day Tudor History study trip in London with a wealth of new knowledge, a greater awareness of the source material available and a refreshed enthusiasm for all things Tudor. Day one saw students examining the Tudor Exhibition at the National Art Gallery off Trafalgar Square
Plymouth College Hockey player coaches next generation
Plymouth College pupil, Emma Dorian-Kemp, 14, is helping to coach the next generation of hockey players as part of her bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. A talented player herself, Emma is working as a volunteer at Plymouth Hockey Club where she is coaching the U10 and U9 teams. The Year 10 pupil has already completed
Plymouth College OBE honour for former pupil
Former Plymouth College pupil, Surgeon Commander Anthony Lambert, has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list for his work with injured servicemen. A surgeon at Derriford Hospital, Cdr Lambert has done several tours of duty in Afghanistan. However, his support of injured servicemen goes beyond his regular duties. He is involved in
Plymouth College – Swimming medals for Harry in Rio
Plymouth College elite swimmer, Harry Ackland, 16, has returned triumphant from Rio after winning four medals for Great Britain. Identified as a strong potential for the Rio 2016 Olympics, the triple British Champion was selected for the Great Britain team to compete in the Brazilian School Games as part of the partnership between the two
Plymouth College is Proud of World Champion Ruta
World gold for Ruta! Plymouth College swimming sensation, Ruta Meilutyte, 15, can add ‘World Champion’ to her Olympic title after winning the 50m breaststroke in the World Short Course Swimming Championships. Ruta proved her Olympic triumph in the 100m breaststroke was not just a one-off when she won the prelims and the semi-final in Istanbul
Plymouth College is top swimming school for a sixth time
The Plymouth College swimming team has clinched six out of twelve English Schools Swimming Association titles making it the top school in the country for the sixth year running. Held in Coventry, Plymouth College also broke four records. Plymouth College came out on top in the Intermediate Girls’ Freestyle Relay (new record), Intermediate Girls’ Medley
Plymouth College School of the Year!
Plymouth College has won two awards at the prestigious Telegraph/Aviva School Sports Matters Awards 2012. With more than 500 entries nation-wide and ten trophies up-for-grabs, the school won Independent School of the Year while Tom Daley won Male Pupil of the Year. Ruta Meilutyte was Commended in Female Pupil of the Year. Plymouth College was
Plymouth College Reading event for Latin scholars
Plymouth College’s Classics department have hosted a Latin reading event. Pupils from the school were joined by Latin scholars from Devonport High School for Girls and Devonport High School for Boys. Plymouth College’s team were Henry Loxdale, Olivia Adams, Kevin Vandabona, Annabel Norris and Emil Agobiani. They read passages in Latin from a speech by
Plymouth College students win British Triathlon Championships
Kerenza Bryson and Myles Pillage, both aged 14, have been crowned Youth C Girls and Youth C Boys British Triathlon Champions respectively. Held in Soilhul, they both beat the top multi-eventers in the country to take the titles in the run, swim, shoot event. Winning the shoot and the swim, Myles scored 3630 points while
Tom makes it two Olympic medals for Plymouth College!
Tom Daley, 18, fulfilled his dream of winning an Olympic medal when he clinched bronze in the individual 10m platform final in London 2012 this evening. Tom is the second Plymouth College pupil to win an Olympic medal after Ruta Meilutyte, 15, sensationally won gold in the 100m breaststroke last week. Tom had a shaky
Plymouth College – Golden Girl
Ruta is Plymouth College’s golden girl! The world is in awe after seeing Plymouth College pupil and top swimmer, Ruta Meilutyte, 15, claim Olympic gold in the 100m breaststroke last night. The Lithuania sensation was visibly shocked to beat a world-class line up of experienced athletes. With her times steadily improving since she came to
Plymouth College pupils – One in four gain seven or more top GCSEs
There is much to celebrate at Plymouth College this morning with 25% of pupils gaining at least seven A* or A grades at GCSE. Seven have clinched at least ten top grades, including Hettie Burrows, Phoebe Hirst and Nada Khalil who have all walked away with 10 A*s and 1 A each. Jake Lunn (Pictured
Plymouth College success at African Swimming Championships
Swimmers bring back medal haul from African Swimming Championships Two Plymouth College swimmers, Emma de Jager, 11, and Jamila Lunkuse, 15, have won nine medals and one trophy between them at the Cana Zone 3 and 4 African Swimming Championships held in Mozambique. Fourteen African nations took part in the prestigious competition. Plymouth College Preparatory
Plymouth College athlete meets Dame Kelly Holmes
Earlier this month Plymouth College sports scholar, Tia Simms Lymn, 13, met Dame Kelly Holmes at a business breakfast event hosted by the Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust (FTCT). The aim of the event was to raise awareness of the grants which FTCT provides, to support the children of people working in the UK fashion
Plymouth College – Rock guitarist mentors young musicians
Budding rock stars got to team up with the real thing yesterday when former Boomtown Rats lead guitarist, Garry Roberts, hosted a guitar workshop at Plymouth College. Famous for hits ‘I don’t like Mondays’ and ‘Rat Trap’, Garry still tours with fellow band member and drummer, Simon Crowe. Taking a break from performing, Garry spent
Plymouth College – Tom takes World Series title with gold in Mexico
Plymouth College pupil and star diver, Tom Daley, has clinched the gold medal and series title in the final leg of the Diving World Series in Mexico. Tom, 17, previously secured silver medals in the first three stages of the competition in Dubai, Beijing and Moscow. A personal best performance including a 10 for his
Plymouth College – Tia is British Fencing Champion for 2nd year running
Plymouth College fencer, Tia Simms Lymn, 13, has taken the U14 Girls’ Epeé title at the British Youth Fencing Championships. She was third in the Foil event. The U12 Epeé and Foil champion last year, Tia was joined on the 2012 podium by fellow pupil, Kerenza Bryson, who took third place in the U14 Girls’
Plymouth College – Swimmers bring back medal haul from African Swimming Championships
Two Plymouth College swimmers, Emma de Jager, 11, and Jamila Lunkuse, 15, have won nine medals and one trophy between them at the Cana Zone 3 and 4 African Swimming Championships held in Mozambique. Fourteen African nations took part in the prestigious competition. Plymouth College Preparatory School pupil, Emma, was swimming for Zambia and clinched
Plymouth College – British Tetrathlon Champion
Plymouth College Modern Pentathlon scholar, Kerenza Bryson, 13, has been crowned the Youth C Girl British Tetrathlon Champion. Competing at the run, swim, shoot, fence event in Solihul, Kerenza was equal first in the shoot and second in the run, accruing 3944 points. She also won the team event with fellow Plymouth College pupils Chloe
Plymouth College – Records and selections at British Swimming Championships
Plymouth College swimmers have returned from the British Swimming Championships with a clutch of national records and international selections. Ruta Meilutyte, 14, won the 100m Breaststroke Guest Final (non-British athletes) in 1:07.30, the third fastest female time in the world this year. Already selected to swim for Lithuania in the Olympics, she broke the Lithuanian
Plymouth College triumph in British School Fencing Championships
Two fencing teams from Plymouth College have taken gold and silver in the U13 British Schools Fencing Championships. Held at Brunel University, Year 8 pupils Tia Simms Lymn, Kerenza Bryson and Chloe Campbell-Hamilton took the top spot, narrowly beating the school’s Year 7 team Alice Simmonds, Catherine Bishop and Annie Crocker. Both teams had notable
Plymouth College sixth former makes national business competition final
Plymouth College sixth former, Olly Foster, has made it through to the national final of Schools’ Brightest Business Brain. The competition has been organised by TARGETevents in partnership with Royal Bank of Scotland. To qualify for the final, Olly had to complete a series of online problem-solving business tests. Gaining the 6th highest score in
Plymouth College celebrates Chinese New Year in style!
Plymouth College celebrated the Chinese New Year in style with a colourful lantern procession around the school grounds. The lanterns were made in after-school club, Art Extra. To honour the Year of the Dragon, pupils and staff created a large dragon from willow rods covered with coloured tissue paper. Taking five months to design and
Plymouth College – Fencer represents England in Paris
Plymouth College fencer, Tia Simms Lymn, 12, has just returned from Paris where she competed for the U15 England fencing team in an international foil competition. Competing against 20 nations, Tia was one of the youngest competitors to take part. This was the first international call-up for the reigning British U12 foil and epeé champion.
Plymouth College teacher visits David Cameron
Plymouth College Economics and Business Studies teacher, Jonathan Shields, travelled to Downing Street last week to meet the Prime Minister, David Cameron. A finalist in the 2010 National Teaching Awards, Jonathan, from Linkinhorne, was invited as part of the celebrations for the 2011 event. Also Head of Sixth Form and International Baccalaureate Diploma Co-ordinator, Jonathan
Plymouth College Business teacher meets David Cameron
Plymouth College Economics and Business Studies teacher, Jonathan Shields, travelled to Downing Street last week to meet the Prime Minister, David Cameron. A finalist in the 2010 National Teaching Awards, Jonathan, from Linkinhorne, was invited as part of the celebrations for the 2011 event. Also Head of Sixth Form and International Baccalaureate Diploma Co-ordinator, Jonathan
America’s Cup brought to life by former Plymouth College pupil
The America’s Cup director of media production, Gary Lovejoy, took time out of his busy schedule in the run-up to the prestigious event being held in Plymouth to talk to sixth formers at his former school, Plymouth College. With a mission to open up the world of sailing to as many people as possible, Gary
Plymouth College staff member honoured with MBE
Plymouth College outdoor activities manager, David Compton, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme (D of E) and charity work in The Gambia. David, who has worked at the school for 36 years and taught geography until 2007, started his D of E
Plymouth College singing star to perform at Wembley
Classical vocalist, Poppy Mills, 14, has beaten thousands of competitors to be selected as a soloist to perform at a concert at Wembley Arena in February. The Plymouth College music scholar and winner of Plymouth’s Got Talent, will take to the stage at Wembley for ‘Voice in a Million’, an organization which works with young
Harriet takes team silver Royal Windsor Horse Show
Talented Plymouth College athlete, Harriet Mitchell, 12 from Liskeard, has helped the South West Tetrathlon team to win a silver medal at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. The prestigious show is the largest outdoor equestrian event in the UK, with over 3000 horses and ponies taking part in more than 250 jumping, showing, and carriage
UK social enterprise event success for birdfeeder
Hot on the heels of claiming the England prize in the Young Person’s Social Enterprise of the Year category, Plymouth College company Ecovation has taken the runners-up spot in the UK final of the Social Enterprise Awards. Held as part of Voice 11 (the UK’s biggest social enterprise event) at the O2 Arena, Ecovation was
Harriet to compete at Royal Windsor Horse Show
A talented athlete from Plymouth College has been selected for the South West Tetrathlon team for the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May. Harriet Mitchell, 12, from Liskeard and a member of East Cornwall Hunt Pony Club, secured her place on the regional team after winning the 15/16 South West area Pony Club Tetrathlon winter
Swimmers win gold medals for England
Competing against the top swimmers from Wales, Ireland and Scotland, Joe Patching and Oliver Leonard picked up seven gold medals for England between them. Sixth former, Joe, won the 100m backstroke and 200m backstroke, setting new senior competition records for both. He was also part of the senior relay teams that took the champions’ titles
First XV reach Daily Mail Cup quarter final
Despite losing in the next round to formidable reigning champions, Whitgift School, the team have had a phenomenal season winning 17 out of 18 competitive matches. Boasting an England U18 player in Henry Slade, who achieved great acclaim for his performance in a recent England match against Italy, the 1st XV were Rugby World’s ‘Team
German department brings ‘Karneval’ to Prep School
Dressed in carnival costumes, the children celebrated the mid-winter festival with a mixture of learning and fun activities. As well as mask-making for a carnival-procession finale, the children got to grips with the language through learning a traditional song, playing games and taking part in a quiz. Year 10 and Sixth Form IB students helped
Natasha and Katie go bananas!
The Banana Tree Project was set up in 2006 by Plymouth College Head of History, Ed Beavington, when he was teaching in the African country. Plymouth College Year 7 pupils have taken on the challenge of raising £500 so that teenage orphan, Asha Hassan, can continue her secondary school studies. She gained a C grade
Year 7s bring book characters to life
During their English lessons, the pupils were offered some fun activities such as a quiz and a ‘Where’s Wally?’ game, which took over the whole Library. The highlight of the day was the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. The Year 7s were joined by Year 10 drama students dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland. Even
Great Britain call-up for modern pentathlete
Alice competed for Great Britain against 31 Youth A and Youth B athletes from across Europe in the Modern Pentathlon Youth International event held in Gloucester. She finished 12th overall and achieved PBs in the swim and the combined run/shoot event, and won 50% of her fencing fights. Alice’s strong performance has led to a
Medals for Jamila in African swimming competition
Competing in Botswana against eleven African nations, Jamila, 14, triumphed in both the 50 and 100 breast, and came second in the 50 fly, 50 free and 100 free. The Year 9 pupil, who boards at the school, previously represented her country in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October and the World Swimming Championships
Ten fencers qualify for nationals
In the U12 girls’ category, Tia Simms-Lymn came first with Prep School pupils, Catherine Bishop and Alice Simmonds, in second and third. Charity Brifaut and Tim Andrews took 3rd place in the U14 girls’ and boys’ sections. Katie Davies-Gregory was third and Alice Rogers sixth in the U16 girls, while Megan Woodrow and Rebecca Razey
Tom clinches place on England squad
The U16 Devon vice captain spent half term at a training camp in Abingdon and hopes to be chosen for the U16 first team, who will play Italy and Wales in April. “Knowing I’ve made it to the England squad is an amazing feeling”, said Tom. “I’ve always dreamed of getting this far and after
Bobby and Robin sing their way to National Youth Choir
The boys were successful after singing two songs each at auditions in Bristol and London last term. Robin sang songs from Mary Poppins and Sweeney Todd, while Bobby sang Handel’s ‘Silent Worship’ and ‘Consider yourself’ from Oliver. Between 20,000 and 30,000 young people apply each year for the prestigious choir. First on the agenda is
Dance and speech trophy haul for Ben
Following a number of wins in the Plymouth Speech and Drama Festival in the autumn, Ben walked away with more silverware at the Saltash Festival this term. He came 1st in the U14 Prose Speaking class, reciting James Reeves’ The Sea and claimed another 1st place in the U14 Prose Reading, with an extract from
Plymouth College pupil clinches place on England squad
Rising rugby star, Tom Mumford, 16, has secured a place on the U16 England rugby squad. The Plymouth College hooker came to the attention of England selectors when he captained the U16 South West team in a tournament between the North, the Midlands and the South East. The U16 Devon vice-captain will spend half term
Leading business teacher is shortlisted for award
Also Head of Sixth Form and International Baccalaureate Diploma Co-ordinator, Jonathan is best known for being the driving force behind the school’s phenomenal success in business competitions. Since joining the school ten years ago he has steered pupils to victory in nine national and 53 regional competitions including the top spots in Young Enterprise, Make
1st XV captain gains Oxbridge offer
The talented rugby player needs to gain three A grades at A Level to take up his place in October – he is currently studying Biology, Maths, Chemistry and Economics. Phil recently led the 1st XV through their most successful season in 30 years, winning the Devon Cup and all Saturday fixtures, losing out only
British records and selections at British Swimming Championships
Calum Jarvis and David Gregory have been selected to compete in the European Junior Championships in Prague in July, while Sam Straughan and Grant Halsall have been selected for the European Youth Olympics Festival in Tempere, Finland the same month. Grant Halsall’s selection came after he broke an impressive three British records in the 100m
More gold medals for Achieng
Named Kenya’s ‘Most Promising Female Athlete’ earlier this year, Achieng adds her latest medals to her two golds won at the African Senior Swimming Championships just before Christmas. Achieng has been part of the Plymouth College/Plymouth Leander elite swimming programme for two years. In other swimming news, Jonathan Hill recently took part in the Senior
Stockbroker qualification on offer at Plymouth College
The Economics and Business department at Plymouth College is adding another qualification to its portfolio – the Securities and Investment Institute’s ‘Introduction to Investment Foundation’ Certificate. The qualification, which has to be passed to become a professional stockbroker, complements the Economics and Business Studies A-level and the Financial Studies Diploma already run at the school.
Eight national relay titles for swimmers
The team broke five of the English Schools’ records bringing the total Plymouth College holds to six. In some of the races, the records were first broken in the heats and then again in the finals, and the intermediate girls swam inside the record for the senior girls!
Plymouth College is Proud of World Champion Ruta
World gold for Ruta! Plymouth College swimming sensation, Ruta Meilutyte, 15, can add ‘World Champion’ to her Olympic title after winning the 50m breaststroke in the World Short Course Swimming Championships. Ruta proved her Olympic triumph in the 100m breaststroke was not just a one-off when she won the prelims and the semi-final in Istanbul
