Year 11 Student Achievements
Tommy Hodgkins gains a coveted place
in a National Dance Company
KEVICC were delighted to learn that Year 11 student Tommy Hodgkins has been offered
one of only 30 places in the National Youth Dance Company at Sadlers Wells in London.
Tommy was one of over 500 applicants, and has been accepted a year early, aged only
15, with 16 being the usual entry age. In the first regional round, he was unanimously
selected by the panel to be put forward for the national audition. Now he will attend
residencies in the school holidays and then take part in a nationwide tour next summer.
Tommy only started dancing relatively recently, after taking part in a capoeira workshop
in Harbertonford that he still attends. Immediately he knew that he wanted to dance,
and enrolled on the fast-track GCSE Dance course at KEVICC, taking his GCSE in Year 9.
He was then asked to enrol on the fast-track A-level dance course, which he knew would
be a big commitment. However, after seeing the KEVICC annual SPRUNG dance show,
he knew that dance was going to be an essential part of his life. As well as excelling at
contemporary dance, he is also a talented musician, branching out from piano lessons
to include playing the sitar, mbira and tabla, finding excellent local teachers. Joining
such a prestigious national company highlights the amazing artist he is becoming,
and Tommy pays tribute to Susie Reeves-Sharp, dance teacher at KEVICC, who he says
contributed so much to his selection.
Tommy says:
My time at NYDC is the beginning of something for me. In the beginning
you don’t know what you’re about; all you can do is just exist
For approximately three and a half years, I have
attended the Army Cadets in Paignton. This includes
Cenotaph duty, rifle drill, physical training, gorge
scrambling, rock climbing, and visiting places of
interest such as Euro Disney and Dover Castle.
In fact, we do and see much more. I am going on to
do 3 star, which is a higher expressive course. This
includes a week where we cover field knowledge, drill
and physical training. I have been lucky and won a
lot of medals for shooting A2, 2.2 rifles. Our team of
4 won the Roborough Cup, a County shooting event.
I have also come first in cross country for girls under
16. When I leave school I’m going to continue with the
Cadets until I’m 19 and, at present, am considering
joining the Army and pursuing a career as a Medic.
Army Cadet Josie May
Ollie Payne, whohas always beena very talented sportsman,
has been selected for the England under-16 Hockey Team.
Ollie is an outstanding Goalkeeper, and has been selected
on the back of an excellent start to the season playing for
Exeter Universities 1st team.
He took part in a tournament for the West of England and
impressed the selectors of the national side. He now has
to attend an assessment camp at Lilleshall National Sports
Centre, where he hopes to be selected for the playing squad.
Jason Beynon, Head of Year 11
All three students featured on this page spend a great deal of their time out of school
being fully committed to their chosen activity.
As well as the pleasure and sense of achievement their success gives them, they are
an inspiration to others throughout the College.
Hockey goalkeeper Ollie Payne
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