10 Years of Impact
September 2025 signals ten years since Cumbria Education Trust (CET) was established – and what a decade it has been for the Trust. Starting with just three schools, the Trust now has twelve primary schools and five secondary schools. From Brampton to Kendal, the Trust’s community spreads far and wide across Cumbria with over 6,500 pupils, 1000 staff and 150 governors.
CET has always had one key focus – that every decision made is for the benefit of our pupils. It has been a journey of school improvement, staff development, pupil enrichment and community building. We have had many accolades over the past ten years with numerous school, student and staff awards – recognising the dedication of prioritising our children’s success, not just academically, but socially, emotionally and physically.
Whilst not the only measure of success, our Ofsted record is impressive. Nine schools that were previously judged ‘Inadequate’ or ‘Requires Improvement’ are now thriving with ‘Good’ or better ratings. Before joining the Trust, none of the schools had any aspect rated as ‘Outstanding’. Today, the picture is very different, with many now achieving multiple ‘Outstanding’ judgements.
CET’s Ofsted Record of Achievement, as of September 2025
Looking ahead, the Trust has set out its ambition for the next decade: to go ‘From Good to Great’. Building on the significant progress already achieved, the Trust aims to drive further excellence across all areas. Leaders have made clear that success will not lead to complacency; instead, the Trust will continue to evaluate performance, analyse data and use evidence-based decision-making to sustain and accelerate improvement across all schools.
Using evidence-based methodologies, CET believes that the best schools are led by the best leaders. To ensure collaboration and consistency, the Headteacher from each school is part of the Senior Leadership Team, with every school having a voice in key decisions made. The Trust partners with expert consultancies who work with all leaders across the Trust to ensure support, guidance and best practice is always shared, nurtured and implemented.
Aligned with the Trust’s leadership vision, the CET Trust Services team is made up of ten dedicated departments, all focused on one goal: supporting schools. Our Data, Estates, Finance, Governance, HR, IT, Marketing, Operations, Safeguarding and SEN teams work together to ensure each school operates efficiently, meets its strategic goals, and provides the best possible environment for pupils and staff to thrive.
Partnering with others is a key driver for CET, as we firmly believe that working together delivers the best outcomes. The Trust collaborates closely with Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council to support young people beyond CET schools. Our wider partnerships and sponsorships also play an invaluable role in what we can offer, and we are committed to strengthening this collaboration into the future. A good example is our growing relationship with the University of Cumbria, soon to be formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding.
Professor Julie Mennell, Vice Chancellor at the University of Cumbria, commented, “It has been fantastic to see the growth and development of CET during the last ten years, which speaks volumes for the calibre and commitment of CET’s leadership and staff. The University of Cumbria is excited to strengthen the partnership between our two organisations further to support both organisations to do the very best we can to support our young people to achieve and thrive. We look forward to sharing more of our plans shortly.”
To celebrate this milestone, CET hosted the CET@10 event, featuring musical and drama performances, keynote speakers, award recognition, and stories of collaboration from across its schools. The Trust’s journey over the past decade is a testament to the dedication of its pupils, staff, governors, families, and wider communities.
Lorrayne Hughes, Chief Executive, commented, “Ten years ago, I was asked to support schools in Cumbria and to consider setting up a trust. I didn’t know what it would involve, but I knew children and communities needed support. Today, CET has grown to seventeen schools, built a committed community of staff, governors, and partners, and transformed lives through education. Our ambition is not just to be good, but to be great – ensuring excellence every day for every child, with inclusion and the magic of childhood at the heart of all we do. The past ten years are a story of shared success, and the next ten will be no different.”
As we look to the next decade, CET moves from a Trust defined by challenge to one defined by impact. Our focus remains on what happens in classrooms, ensuring every child receives the support and experiences they deserve every day. We will deepen collaboration across schools, share our expertise generously, and anchor every decision in the best interests of young people. By strengthening both our schools and the wider system, we will achieve results no single school could generate alone, building a future of shared success for Cumbria’s children.
Ten Year Impact Report
A look at each school’s achievements over the past year
Each school within the Trust has improved in many ways – from refurbishments and financial stability to academic success and award recognition.
Here are some highlights:
Caldew Lea Primary School
In 2024, CLPS received best Ofsted result to date, with three ‘Good’ and two ‘Outstanding’ judgements.
In 2025, they achieved above-average attainment in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Year 1 Phonics.
Castle Carrock Primary School
In 2023, CC received best Ofsted result to date, with three ‘Good’ and two ‘Outstanding’ judgements.
70% of pupils achieved Expected Standard in each of Reading, Writing and Maths. The school also had above average attainment in Early Years, Year 1 Phonics and the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check in 2025.
Castle Park School
Year 4 pupils achieved an average of 3 marks higher than students nationally achieved out of 25 in their Multiplication Tables Check in 2025.
98% of parents surveyed would recommend Castle Park School.
Hensingham Primary School
93% of Year 1 pupils met the phonics threshold – a result which is well above national average.
Nominated for ‘Best Specialist Provider’ at the Golden Apple Awards 2025 (winner not yet announced).
Longtown Primary School
Nominated ‘Best Primary School’ at the Golden Apple Awards 2025 (winner not yet announced).
In 2025, received an ungraded inspection result stating that, “the school may have improved significantly across all areas”. The last inspection in May 2019 rated the school as ‘Good’, therefore, based off the inspector’s comments, it is likely each of the ‘Good’ ratings would be upgraded to ‘Outstanding’ in a graded inspection.
Newtown Primary School
In 2025, they received best Ofsted result to date, with three ‘Good’ and two ‘Outstanding’ judgements.
Year 4 pupils exceeded the national average for Multiplication Tables Check fluency measure by around 10% in 2025.
Northside Primary School
Year 4 pupils did better than students nationally in the Multiplication Tables Check, and showed anther year-on-year increase in 2025.
In 2024/2025, pupils ranked 1st out of 21 similar schools in the DfE attendance reports.
Petteril Bank School
100% of pupils scored full marks in the Multiplication Tables Check in 2025.
Nominated for ‘Best Early Years Provider’ at the Golden Apple Awards 2025 (winner not yet announced).
Stramongate Primary School
88% of pupils of Year 6 pupils achieved Expected Standard in Maths, backed up by strong Reading and Writing results in 2025.
100% of parents who completed the Ofsted Parent View survey agreed that their ‘child is happy at this school’.
Tebay Primary School
An impressive 80% of pupils achieved Expected Standard in each of Reading, Writing and Maths in 2025.
In 2024/2025, pupils ranked 2nd out of 21 similar schools in the DfE attendance reports.
Yanwath Primary School
Nominated ‘Best Primary School’ at the Golden Apple Awards 2025 (winner not yet announced) and won ‘Best Primary School’ in 2022.
100% of pupils achieved Expected Standard in each of Reading, Writing and Maths in 2025.
Yewdale Primary School
In 2025, pupils achieved above national average attainment in each of Early Years Foundation Stage, Year 1 Phonics, Multiplication tables check and Key Stage 2 SATs results. This included a 32% year-on-year increase in the percentage of students.
Kirkby Stephen Grammar School
In 2025, 86% of student achieved a 4+ in English and 70% achieving a 5+. Both these figures are around 10% above national average.
Recognised in Spring 2025 for outstanding attendance, achieving top 25% nationally and top 10% among similar schools.
The Queen Katherine School
In 2025, 35% of all A-Level entries were awarded an A* or A grade.
Nominated for ‘Best Industry Engagement’ at the Golden Apple Awards 2025 (winner not yet announced).
The Whitehaven Academy
In 2024/2025, the school’s progress 8 scores place it among the top ten schools nationwide for improvement.
Nominated for ‘Best Secondary School’, ‘Best Apprentice/Graduate’ and ‘Best Support Staff’ at the Golden Apple Awards 2025 (winner not yet announced).
William Howard School
Nominated for ‘Best Secondary School’ and ‘Best Support Staff’ at the Golden Apple Awards 2025 (winner not yet announced).
In 2025, WHS achieved their highest average GCSE attainment since before the pandemic, with a year-on-year rise of around a third of a grade per entry.
Workington Academy
The average GCSE attainment increased again from 2024, when student progress had been a third of a grade higher than it was in 2019.
Nominated for ‘Best Teaching Professional’ at the Golden Apple Awards 2025 (winner not yet announced).