Young Voices, Big Impact: Dartmouth Academy Pupils to Form Youth Council

Pupils at Dartmouth Academy have taken an active role in shaping the future of their town, following a recent invitation to speak at a Dartmouth Town Council meeting. 

This exciting opportunity came as a result of Councillor Dawn Shepherd’s visit to the school earlier this term, where she met with pupil representatives to hear their views.

During the meeting, Year 9 pupils shared powerful, well-prepared speeches outlining what young people in Dartmouth feel would improve life for them in the community. Topics ranged from access to youth activities and safe spaces, to environmental improvements and transport concerns.

The students, supported in their preparation by Assistant Principal Nicola Perrott, gathered feedback from across the school community to ensure their speeches reflected the voices of their peers. Their mature and thoughtful contributions were praised by councillors and local community representatives alike.

The school plans to continue building on this relationship with the Town Council, ensuring young voices remain a key part of community decision-making and are looking to establish a formal youth council going forward.

Paul Girardot, Principal at Dartmouth Academy, said:

“We are incredibly proud of our pupils for speaking so confidently and passionately about the issues that matter to them. Engaging with the Town Council in this way is a brilliant example of youth leadership and civic responsibility in action.”

Matthew Shanks, CEO at Education South West, said:

“This kind of experience is invaluable for our young people. It empowers them to become active citizens who understand that their voice matters. Dartmouth Academy is doing excellent work to connect students to their wider community and prepare them for the future.”

 

 

Young Voices, Big Impact: Dartmouth Academy Pupils to Form Youth Council Pupils at Dartmouth Academy have taken an active role in shaping the future of their town, following a recent invitation to speak at a Dartmouth Town Council meeting.  This exciting opportunity came as a result of Councillor Dawn Shepherd’s visit to the school earlier this term, where she met with pupil representatives to hear their views. During the meeting, Year 9 pupils shared powerful, well-prepared speeches outlining what young people in Dartmouth feel would improve life for them in the community. Topics ranged from access to youth activities and safe spaces, to environmental improvements and transport concerns. The students, supported in their preparation by Assistant Principal Nicola Perrott, gathered feedback from across the school community to ensure their speeches reflected the voices of their peers. Their mature and thoughtful contributions were praised by councillors and local community representatives alike. The school plans to continue building on this relationship with the Town Council, ensuring young voices remain a key part of community decision-making and are looking to establish a formal youth council going forward. Paul Girardot, Principal at Dartmouth Academy, said: “We are incredibly proud of our pupils for speaking so confidently and passionately about the issues that matter to them. Engaging with the Town Council in this way is a brilliant example of youth leadership and civic responsibility in action.” Matthew Shanks, CEO at Education South West, said: “This kind of experience is invaluable for our young people. It empowers them to become active citizens who understand that their voice matters. Dartmouth Academy is doing excellent work to connect students to their wider community and prepare them for the future.”    

Dartmouth Academy Attendance Surgery - School Support and Snacks

Dartmouth Academy Attendance Surgery - School Support and Snacks

Setting Sail for Success: Dartmouth Pupils Take on Life-Changing Voyage

Fifteen Year 9  pupils from Dartmouth Academy have returned from an unforgettable sailing voyage aboard ‘Prolific’, a 60-foot yacht, after a week of teamwork, adventure, and learning at sea.

Departing from Southampton, the students spent five days living and working together onboard. What began as a group of individual friendships quickly transformed into a united and confident team, impressing the crew with their maturity, enthusiasm, and teamwork.

The voyage was made possible thanks to the continued and generous support of the Royal Dart Youth Sailing Trust, which fully funds these valuable opportunities for Dartmouth Academy pupils.

The Prolific crew echoed this praise, describing the pupils as “an excellent group who were a joy to have on board”. Staff noted how quickly the pupils grew into a cohesive, supportive team – demonstrating resilience, empathy, and curiosity throughout the voyage.

This voyage is part of Dartmouth Academy’s wider commitment to real-world learning, character development, and partnership with the local community to offer every young person opportunities that go beyond the classroom.

Paul Girardot, Principal at Dartmouth Academy, said:

"It was an incredible experience to see our pupils thrive outside the classroom, building friendships, learning new skills, and gaining self-confidence. They represented the school beautifully and we are so proud of them."

Matthew Shanks, CEO at Education South West said:

"This is what education is truly about, opening doors and expanding horizons. Opportunities like this empower young people with lifelong skills and memories. We are incredibly proud of the students and thankful to the Royal Dart Youth Sailing Trust for making this possible."

 

 

Setting Sail for Success: Dartmouth Pupils Take on Life-Changing Voyage Fifteen Year 9  pupils from Dartmouth Academy have returned from an unforgettable sailing voyage aboard ‘Prolific’, a 60-foot yacht, after a week of teamwork, adventure, and learning at sea. Departing from Southampton, the students spent five days living and working together onboard. What began as a group of individual friendships quickly transformed into a united and confident team, impressing the crew with their maturity, enthusiasm, and teamwork. The voyage was made possible thanks to the continued and generous support of the Royal Dart Youth Sailing Trust, which fully funds these valuable opportunities for Dartmouth Academy pupils. The Prolific crew echoed this praise, describing the pupils as “an excellent group who were a joy to have on board”. Staff noted how quickly the pupils grew into a cohesive, supportive team – demonstrating resilience, empathy, and curiosity throughout the voyage. This voyage is part of Dartmouth Academy’s wider commitment to real-world learning, character development, and partnership with the local community to offer every young person opportunities that go beyond the classroom. Paul Girardot, Principal at Dartmouth Academy, said: "It was an incredible experience to see our pupils thrive outside the classroom, building friendships, learning new skills, and gaining self-confidence. They represented the school beautifully and we are so proud of them." Matthew Shanks, CEO at Education South West said: "This is what education is truly about, opening doors and expanding horizons. Opportunities like this empower young people with lifelong skills and memories. We are incredibly proud of the students and thankful to the Royal Dart Youth Sailing Trust for making this possible."    

Dart Harbour Funds Lifesaving Swimming Lessons for Local Schools 

 

Dartmouth Academy, Dart Harbour and Dartmouth Indoor Pool Trust (DIPT) are delighted to announce a transformative new partnership, ensuring that every primary pupil in Dartmouth and Stoke Fleming will receive regular high-quality swimming lessons for the next five years. 

This exciting initiative follows a successful pilot programme launched in Autumn 2024 by DIPT in collaboration with Dartmouth Academy, Stoke Fleming and St John's Primary schools. This saw outstanding progress with the majority of participating children being able to swim at least 25 metres – the national curriculum benchmark for primary school leavers.

With this secured funding from Dart Harbour, swim lessons will again be embedded in the curriculum with a focus on developing swimming proficiency and delivering essential water safety education. The aim is to ensure that all our local children are confident and competent in the water – a crucial skill for a coastal town.

This collaboration also strengthens the sustainability of the indoor pool by increasing its use as a community asset, ensuring it remains a safe and accessible space for learning and wellbeing whilst also equipping pupils with vital skills to stay safe in Dartmouth's river and in the sea.

Education South West, the trust which Dartmouth Academy and Stoke Fleming Primary School are part of, has stressed its gratitude to the Dart Harbour Authority and DIPT for their generous support, which will make a lasting difference to young people in the community.  

Paul Britton, Harbour Master and CEO, said:

“We are very excited by this new partnership.  As a not-for-profit trust port we manage the Dart on behalf of the community, so helping to provide swimming lessons for local children will encourage a whole new generation to learn to enjoy our beautiful river safely.” 

Craig Davidson, Chair of Dartmouth Indoor Pool Trust, the charity responsible for managing this valuable community asset for Dartmouth and the surrounding villages, added:

"It has been an important aim of ours to see swimming classes restart after the Covid pandemic. To make it happen we funded the pilot scheme earlier this year. With huge pressure on school budgets the offer of long term funding by Dart Harbour is simply fantastic." 

Chris Harrison, Headteacher at Stoke Fleming Primary, said: 

“The children had a fantastic time and it is great that we are able to offer them swimming lessons again. This is vital given the potential dangers of where we live. The full one-hour sessions meant that they had a really good chunk of time in the pool.”

Sue Manley, Trustee of DIPT and former PE teacher, added:

“Swimming is a life skill that once learnt is never forgotten. For some children it was their first experience of being in a pool and having swim lessons. It is just brilliant to see the children’s delight when they first manage to swim a width.”

Dart Harbour Funds Lifesaving Swimming Lessons for Local Schools    Dartmouth Academy, Dart Harbour and Dartmouth Indoor Pool Trust (DIPT) are delighted to announce a transformative new partnership, ensuring that every primary pupil in Dartmouth and Stoke Fleming will receive regular high-quality swimming lessons for the next five years.  This exciting initiative follows a successful pilot programme launched in Autumn 2024 by DIPT in collaboration with Dartmouth Academy, Stoke Fleming and St John's Primary schools. This saw outstanding progress with the majority of participating children being able to swim at least 25 metres – the national curriculum benchmark for primary school leavers. With this secured funding from Dart Harbour, swim lessons will again be embedded in the curriculum with a focus on developing swimming proficiency and delivering essential water safety education. The aim is to ensure that all our local children are confident and competent in the water – a crucial skill for a coastal town. This collaboration also strengthens the sustainability of the indoor pool by increasing its use as a community asset, ensuring it remains a safe and accessible space for learning and wellbeing whilst also equipping pupils with vital skills to stay safe in Dartmouth's river and in the sea. Education South West, the trust which Dartmouth Academy and Stoke Fleming Primary School are part of, has stressed its gratitude to the Dart Harbour Authority and DIPT for their generous support, which will make a lasting difference to young people in the community.   Paul Britton, Harbour Master and CEO, said: “We are very excited by this new partnership.  As a not-for-profit trust port we manage the Dart on behalf of the community, so helping to provide swimming lessons for local children will encourage a whole new generation to learn to enjoy our beautiful river safely.”  Craig Davidson, Chair of Dartmouth Indoor Pool Trust, the charity responsible for managing this valuable community asset for Dartmouth and the surrounding villages, added: "It has been an important aim of ours to see swimming classes restart after the Covid pandemic. To make it happen we funded the pilot scheme earlier this year. With huge pressure on school budgets the offer of long term funding by Dart Harbour is simply fantastic."  Chris Harrison, Headteacher at Stoke Fleming Primary, said:  “The children had a fantastic time and it is great that we are able to offer them swimming lessons again. This is vital given the potential dangers of where we live. The full one-hour sessions meant that they had a really good chunk of time in the pool.” Sue Manley, Trustee of DIPT and former PE teacher, added: “Swimming is a life skill that once learnt is never forgotten. For some children it was their first experience of being in a pool and having swim lessons. It is just brilliant to see the children’s delight when they first manage to swim a width.”

Young Voices, Bright Ideas: Dartmouth Pupils Share Hopes for Their Community

Pupils at Dartmouth Academy have been given the chance to have their voices heard in a meaningful way thanks to a new partnership with Dartmouth Community Chest.

In a thought-provoking session pupils from Years 7 to 11 sat down with Dawn Shepherd, local community advocate and representative of Dartmouth Town Council, to discuss what they value about living in and around Dartmouth and what they hope can be improved.

The session, facilitated by Dartmouth Academy assistant headteacher, Nicola Perrott, invited pupils to engage in open, aspirational conversation about the future of their town. After sharing her role in the community and council, Dawn encouraged the pupils to think boldly and creatively about what could make Dartmouth an even better place to live and grow up.

Ideas from the pupils ranged from more youth focused events and environmental initiatives, to improvements in public spaces and transport. Dawn promised to take their thoughts seriously and committed to meeting with the group again to explore how some of their suggestions could be taken forward in collaboration with local organisations.

This ongoing partnership marks the beginning of a wider initiative to strengthen links between young people and local decision makers, giving pupils the confidence and platform to become active participants in the future of their town.

Paul Girardot, principal at Dartmouth Academy, said:

"It was fantastic to see our pupils engaging so thoughtfully with real issues in their community. We are proud to be a school that encourages pupil voice and community connection. This is how we build confident, compassionate citizens."

Matthew Shanks, CEO at Education South West, said:

“Creating opportunities for students to connect with and shape their local communities is a powerful part of Education South West’s mission to transform lives through education. We’re delighted to see Dartmouth Academy leading by example.”

Young Voices, Bright Ideas: Dartmouth Pupils Share Hopes for Their Community Pupils at Dartmouth Academy have been given the chance to have their voices heard in a meaningful way thanks to a new partnership with Dartmouth Community Chest. In a thought-provoking session pupils from Years 7 to 11 sat down with Dawn Shepherd, local community advocate and representative of Dartmouth Town Council, to discuss what they value about living in and around Dartmouth and what they hope can be improved. The session, facilitated by Dartmouth Academy assistant headteacher, Nicola Perrott, invited pupils to engage in open, aspirational conversation about the future of their town. After sharing her role in the community and council, Dawn encouraged the pupils to think boldly and creatively about what could make Dartmouth an even better place to live and grow up. Ideas from the pupils ranged from more youth focused events and environmental initiatives, to improvements in public spaces and transport. Dawn promised to take their thoughts seriously and committed to meeting with the group again to explore how some of their suggestions could be taken forward in collaboration with local organisations. This ongoing partnership marks the beginning of a wider initiative to strengthen links between young people and local decision makers, giving pupils the confidence and platform to become active participants in the future of their town. Paul Girardot, principal at Dartmouth Academy, said: "It was fantastic to see our pupils engaging so thoughtfully with real issues in their community. We are proud to be a school that encourages pupil voice and community connection. This is how we build confident, compassionate citizens." Matthew Shanks, CEO at Education South West, said: “Creating opportunities for students to connect with and shape their local communities is a powerful part of Education South West’s mission to transform lives through education. We’re delighted to see Dartmouth Academy leading by example.”