Sparkling!

The school held two sparkling Awards Celebrations earlier this month to recognise the many achievements of the past year. The theme for the events was 'rising to a challenge' and both guest speakers - former student Marie Barnes and David Wells from Plymouth Diocese - reflected on different ways to achieve this. Headteacher Fiona Hutchings recognised many students and staff who had risen to challenges over the past year and awarded the first Rising to The Challenge Award to those staff behind the school's Christrian musical drama 'Seven Last Words', which was premiered last Easter.

The Key Stage 3 Awards Celebration saw a host of students receive 'Head, Heart, Hands' awards from their Houses whilst others were recognised for their work by subjects. Key Stage 3 students were also the winners of major whole school awards, with Jade Abbot receiving the Megan Humphrey Award for Sporting Endeavour and Lucy Fowell gaining one of the special Sisters of Notre Dame awards. She received the Marie Rose Julie Billiart Award for Commitment to Women's Place in Society. Another Sisters of Notre Dame Award, the Dorothy Stang Award for Care of the Environment, went to Rachel Bailey-Lewis, Martha Harvey, Emily Trevarthen, Sophie Tucker and Paris Westmore for winning the local Go4Set eco challenge.

As well as 'Head, Heart, Hands' and subject awards, Key Stage 4 and 5 students were also recognised for their examination success with many students returning to collect certificates. Amongst the school awards, The Father Keith Mitchell Award for Communication went to Talia Winn and the Claire Payne Award for Vocational Studies to Lauren Marshall. Of the Sisters of Notre Dame awards, the Mary Linscott Award for Education went to Kirsty Nicholls and the Francoise Blin de Bourdon award for Friendship to Mary Buckley. The Maria Antoniazzi Good Samaritan Award went to a group who raised funds to go to Tanzania and work on a range of local community projects. They were staff member Helen Ambrose and students Eleanor Duggan, Devon King, Lizzie Berna, Miriam Jarvis and Charlotte Donoghue.