At GTS we believe that our unique atmosphere and ethos provides an environment in which our pupils can learn, grow, and flourish. The school sits at the heart of our local community meeting the diverse needs of the young people and families we serve.

Mr Bloodworth, Headteacher

We are a fully inclusive, progressive school that welcomes pupils from all over North Devon and beyond. We believe that every child has strengths and qualities that need to be nurtured for them to succeed academically and in life. Our ethos is to ensure that all pupils are able to make outstanding progress in their learning and personal development during their journey with us.

Our Mission Statement

All the staff at GTS want our pupils to: Have their Dreams, Believe in themselves and Achieve.

DREAM BELIEVE ACHIEVE

Our Vision

GTS is committed to being a fully inclusive, safe school that educates in a holistic manner and promotes the wider personal development of every young person, equipping them to be global citizens. It will maximise pupil potential through providing opportunities, raising aspirations, and driving academic attainment.

Our Values

The core purpose of Great Torrington School is to create an inclusive community of successful learners. Our school community is built around a set of core values that shape our decisions and interactions.

• Respect - To enable pupils to establish social and personal relationships based on respect, understanding and co-operation.
• Relationships – To foster in our pupils an awareness to show tolerance and care towards others and develop the ability to create and sustain healthy relationships throughout their lives.
• Resilience – To encourage resilience in our pupils, through challenge, support, opportunities, and guidance. Giving meaning and enjoyment to the pupils’ present learning experience and to encourage self-motivation, a passion for learning and the ability to adapt to change throughout life.
• Health - To encourage all pupils to adopt a healthy lifestyle through the many activities offered at GTS.
• Opportunity - To provide equal opportunities for development for all members of the school community that will develop their skills and personal qualities.
• Responsibility - To prepare pupils to be responsible citizens within the community and to give them the flexibility and skills to meet the demands of a rapidly changing society.

Pupils and staff at Great Torrington School are celebrating after receiving a prestigious Artsmark Gold Award.

Artsmark is the only creative quality standard for schools, accredited by Arts Council England. It supports them to develop and celebrate arts and cultural education across the whole curriculum, bringing learning to life for children and young people.

We are thrilled to share the feedback we received from our assessors with you:

'During your second Artsmark journey, stakeholders at Great Torrington School have sustained and developed your strong arts provision. You have sought to create opportunity, where previously there has been paucity of experience for some students; and have increased cultural capital, particularly for those young people who are disadvantaged. The expressive arts have been an important vehicle for your ethos of personal development, supporting the emotional wellbeing of the whole school community, especially as part of your post-pandemic recovery curriculum.

Targeted interventions such as art therapy via an Art Intervention Mentoring (AIM) project have had positive effects on vulnerable pupils, affording them space to explore and process feelings and to develop resilience and good mental health.

Students' learning is being enriched through the provision and increased uptake of an enhanced array of interesting arts clubs (such as choir, GTS Rocks and your musical theatre production of Legally Blonde), and your offer of education visits and residentials to arts and culture venues.

The wider participation of staff with various roles and responsibilities across the school has enabled students to see the importance of the arts and has further enhanced positive relationships between staff and students.

Your young people enjoy regular opportunities to showcase their work in productions, exhibitions, recitals, competitions, in local publications and through your longstanding partnership with National Theatre Connections, resulting in increased engagement; boosting students' self-confidence; and raising their profile of the arts with parents and the community'.

Our thanks to Mark Pluckrose and all the teachers and staff who are committed to making the learning opportunities so varied here at Great Torrington School.