Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain

Extra Curricular Activities at the Thomas Deacon Academy

A major part of school life at the Thomas Deacon Academy is that every child has the opportunity to participate in an extra-curricular activity of their choice. Across all college areas exists the opportunity to experience a broad range of activities that engage and benefit the holistic development of our students, harnessing life skills that will stay with them long after they leave school.

Activities include sport, catering for both competitive and leisure pursuits. The Sports Department prides itself on its agenda to drive participation and excellence in sport, with focus sports team training twice a week with international coaches, pursuing a high quality competitive fixtures calendar against many public and local schools. 

The Academies specialisms in Maths and Science are supported by ESTEAM and the Lego League Club. Students with a talent for music, drama and dance can tread the boards in a school production by the Arts College, or be a part of the school concert band or choir.

Those students with a love for the outdoors and adventure can experience the Duke of Edinburgh Award at Bronze, Silver and Gold level, completing expeditions in the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales and the Snowdon National Park. The Duke of Edinburgh Award symbolises the Thomas Deacon Academy ethos, allowing students to experience adventure, learn new skills, be an individual or part of a team, serving the community.  

The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) at TDA offers students from Year 9 the opportunity to experience army life through Army Cadets or the Royal Air Force section. Students learn teamwork, leadership, resourcefulness, self reliance and responsibility qualities.  Experiences include army squadron summer camps and air flights with our links with Wittering RAF base.   Students can also gain a BTEC qualification in Public Services from Year 11 onwards.

Year 8 students are involved in an EXPLORERS programme, an activity programme that allows students to select and experience three clubs from a variety of twenty activities over the academic year, ranging from First Aid, Gardening Club, Mountain Biking, Climbing, Jewellery making, Digital Photography, Trampoline club, Skate Boarding, DJ Club and Ice skating to name a few, providing students with the opportunity to be creative and to try something new and discover where there passions lie.

Activities available at the Thomas Deacon Academy include:

• Mountain Biking
• Show Choir
• Amplify
• Badminton
• RAF
• Kayaking
• Inter College Sports
• ESTEAM
• Dodgeball
• Climbing
• Drama
• GCSE Science Clinic
• CCF
• Boxing
• Fitness Suite
• Chemistry Club
• TOM Newspaper
• DofE
• Skate Boarding
• Table Tennis