News, Press and PR

At the Bourne Academy we are extremely proud to announce that our Girls Active Leader Squad (GALS) as part of our ACE enrichment club initiative has been awarded as the winners of the Girls Active and Young Change maker Awards 2021 by Youth Sport Trust.

The GALS programme strives to encourage and empathise the importance of physical activity for inspired like-minded girls. The GALS have been so busy after forming just this year participating in a range of team building sports to encourage confidence and teamwork including football, netball and shortly launching the rugby team.

We believe this is very well deserved for the team, the energy from our girls during the ceremony was fantastic to watch as they listened and appreciated some very inspiring stories from the hard work all the nominees have been doing within their schools and communities. There were some great female role models involved in the ceremony which we hope will motivate our girls to continue to develop what they have achieved so far.

Emma Timlett, teacher of P.E and GALS coach shared her thoughtful words: ‘’It was a great evening celebrating women in sport, and we hope our GALS have been motivated to continue to participate and encourage others to join! They thoroughly deserve to be celebrated for their continuous hard work and energy. We are so proud.’’

The Bourne Academy, an all ability state-funded secondary Academy sponsored by Canford School, is delighted with how our students have adapted to the challenges of this year.  Their perseverance and hard work should be commended and we congratulate them on their results and their commitment to their onward destinations:  36% of students going to University have gained a place at a Russell Group Institution. 

Particular mention should go to:

• Hayley Mann who achieved 3 A*’s and an A in her EPQ.  She has secured a place at the University of Southampton to study Philosophy and Politics
• Haydn Meaden who achieved 3 A*’s.  He has secured a place at the University of Southampton to study Law
• Melanie Casagrande Rodrigues Jorge who achieved 3 A*’s.  She has secured a place at the University of Plymouth to study Biomedical Science
• Finn Bolton who was successful in gaining the highly sought after Cobham Higher Apprenticeship. 

Mark Avoth, Principal, said ‘This has been an unbelievably tough year for our Year 13’s – they have had so much to endure during the pandemic and we just want to say how extremely proud we are of them.  They have proved themselves to be mature, self-motivated individuals who have worked tirelessly to ensure the best possible future outcomes for themselves.  Our teachers also deserve huge credit for the enormous amount of work they have put into implementing another new system.  My thanks to them for ensuring that our students have the best and fairest outcomes this year.’

Mr Dean Taafe, Head of Sixth Form, said ‘I don’t think anyone could argue that the experience of the 2021 cohort has been very different from many that have gone before. The pandemic has provided a unique set of educational challenges that I wholeheartedly believe our students have risen to, showing a level of maturity, independence and reliance that will stand them in good stead for the future.  They have developed new skills enabling them to adapt to a constantly evolving challenge and I am extremely proud of them all.’

For more information about The Bourne Academy, anyone is welcome to attend the Academy’s annual Open Evening on Wednesday 29 September 2021, 6.00pm-8.00pm.  Morning Tours may be available in October – more information to follow.  Please enquire at the Academy for further details.

The exceptional achievements of The Bourne Academy were celebrated today as they were awarded the prestigious BTEC Award for School of the Year 2021.

With specialisms in Engineering & Design, the School of the Year 2021 encourages creativity across all aspects of learning - and the pandemic hasn’t stopped that creativity from flourishing. This dedicated teaching team and learners streamed six lockdown concerts as well as a two-hour Performing Arts Awards evening, a Christmas concert and a live drama performance in 2020 to give students the opportunities to perform in a meaningful way to an audience. The Academy also runs a yearly apprenticeship application day for students interested in a career in Engineering. They can apply for roles, take mock telephone interviews and work with a careers advisor to ensure they get the Engineering work experience outside of the academy to support them in both their qualification and BTEC inspired career. Media and Sporting creativity have also flourished during this time.  Quality of learning and teaching is at the very heart of this school’s success. Their talented and committed staff haven’t waivered from this mission despite the huge challenges of the past 12 months. 

David Mastrocola – Head of Visual & Performing Arts said: “We are so pleased that the opportunities and work that students have done over the past year have been recognised by Pearson in winning this award. In normal circumstances, The Performing Arts Department would hold over 15 events a year which are very popular and well attended by parents, staff and the local community. In the past year the students and staff have managed to place many of those events online, which have been streamed to the local community to enjoy. The vocational aspect of the BTEC Performing Arts courses mean that the students are well prepared for their futures. The past year has presented a new set of challenges which staff and students have overcome and have led to a whole new skill set being developed. We are extremally proud”.

The Bourne Academy’s hard work and dedication was celebrated at the 11th anniversary of Pearson’s annual BTEC Awards hosted online on 7^th July 2021. 

The ceremony was co-hosted by presenter of the United View, YouTube influencer and BTEC alumnus and ambassador, Flex and sports presenter and events host, Gemma Care. 19 category award winners were celebrated from around the UK and internationally in subjects such as Health and Social Care, Performing Arts, Engineering, IT, Business and Sport. 

BTEC alumni including Academy Award-winning producer and Head of Film and Animation at ScreenSkills Gareth Ellis-Unwin, entrepreneur and founder of SB.TV Jamal Edwards MBE, and award-winning actress Lucy Fallon were among those also presenting awards.

Cindy Rampersaud Senior Vice President for BTEC and Apprenticeships at Pearson, said: “2021 has been another extraordinary year for our BTEC learners, tutors, teachers, colleges and schools and I am delighted that today we are able to come together and celebrate this year’s winners - and all of the individuals who will be awarded a BTEC qualification this year. The hard work and commitment demonstrated by our award winners, all of whom have achieved great things during a time of unprecedented disruption, is extraordinary and I am proud we are able to celebrate their achievements.”   

During the ceremony hosted on YouTube, Pearson also announced the winners of the 2021 Showstopper Challenge, a competition that gives BTEC performers the opportunity to showcase their talents. The audience were treated to performances from:   

• Bishop Challoner Catholic College
• Jackie Palmer Academy
• Clevedon School
• D16 Performing Arts College

Nearly a million learners across the globe completed BTEC courses over the past year; the career-focused qualifications are a vital route for those pursuing careers in sectors such as IT, business, the creative industries, healthcare, engineering, construction and future industries.  This is especially important in the current context as the UK responds to the global pandemic and looks to kickstart projects to speed economic recovery. 

Jonathan Ledger, Skills Specialist at The Department for International Trade commented:

“I must emphasise the importance of BTEC as a career-focused type of qualification and that for me is key.  This is all about delivering the right skills to the right people at the right time in the right way and BTEC qualifications do just that. For me, BTEC qualifications are a game changer. They change lives and they help people improve and contribute to business and society in a big way.

A huge congratulations once again to all the winners and all of the nominees.”

Independent Education have written a wonderful article covering the 10 Year partnership & sponsorship between Canford School & The Bourne Academy, read it here.

The Bourne Academy is delighted to have completed a 6040 mile virtual journey to partner, Osiligi Obaya Primary School in  Kenya. Staff and Students have travelled this distance by walking, running, cycling, inline skating, rowing, playing football and Pokémon go, swimming and skateboarding.

In light of National Lockdown and worldwide travel restrictions, The Bourne Academy launched a virtual challenge to make the journey from Bournemouth to its partner school in Kenya. The aim was for staff and students, to clock up the 6040 mileage from Hadow Road, Bournemouth to the Osiligi Obaya School in Kenya, using any mode of sustainable transport they wish.

Those taking part have not only completed the virtual journey, taking them through 12 countries in Europe and Africa, but they have also travelled so far over the target mileage that they could have also made it to South Africa…

‘Osiligi’ means hope, and the hope for this project is to bring us all a little closer together in a time when the world feels very disconnected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mark Avoth, Principal, commented: ‘We are so proud of everyone who has taken part in the virtual challenge. This journey has been so inspiring to our community and encouraged our students to get out and exercise during the second lockdown. The project has also kept our partner school, Osiligi Obaya, in the forefront of our minds during the pandemic and we are extremely grateful to everyone who has contributed to this massive group effort’.