CET News

Celebrating our successes

CET News

You will find all of CET’s latest news stories below.

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INSET Day – April 2024

16th April 2024

Before welcoming all of our pupils back to school today, staff from all 13 of our schools, along with the CET Central Services Team, came together yesterday for an engaging and informative INSET day. Spread across four of our schools, our staff partook in a series of sessions, specifically tailored to each group. From teaching staff, learning provision, HR, Finance, IT and much more, each session was designed to start collaborative discussions and share best practices, all to benefit our young people. Our secondary schools each attended their own school. At Workington Academy (WA), Lorrayne Hughes, Chief Executive, welcomed the teaching staff before they split into subject-specific groups. The Whitehaven Academy (TWA) and William Howard School (WHS) followed the same

Jo Wins Outstanding Teacher Award

28th March 2024

It is with great pride that we announce that Jo Fowler, Business, Creative Media & Computing Curriculum Lead at The Whitehaven Academy (TWA), won an Outstanding Teacher Award at the National Cyber Security Centre’s annual Cyber Security Education Ecosystem Conference. Jo, nominated by IN4 Group as their CyberFirst partner to represent teachers in the North West of England, has been recognized for her exceptional contributions to the field of cybersecurity education. The conference, held over two days at The Queens Hotel in Leeds, brought together key stakeholders from academic, commercial, government, and teaching communities. It featured a diverse range of formats, including talks, workshops, panel sessions, and hands-on practical sessions, encouraging collaboration and relationship-building within the cybersecurity education space. One of

Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion

27th March 2024

CET Secondary Schools Safeguarding Awareness Week In a world where diversity should be celebrated, not just tolerated, our youth are leading the charge in understanding, appreciating, and advocating for equality. Last week, all CET secondary schools took part in Safeguarding Awareness Week, where students from The Whitehaven Academy (TWA), William Howard School (WHS) and Workington Academy (WA) delved into the characteristics of the 2010 Equality Act. The characteristics safeguarded by the Equality Act—age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership (in employment only), pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation— were researched by our students, as they focused on learning about these characteristics and why they are important to protect and celebrate. Under the banner of

Celebrating Our NPQ Success

21st March 2024

Cumbria Education Trust (CET) proudly celebrated the success of all participants who have recently and successfully completed their National Professional Qualification (NPQ) with CET and Ambition Institute, at their inaugural NPQ Celebration Event on Thursday 14th March 2024. Held at the Castle Inn, Bassenthwaite, in partnership with Ambition Institute, CET recognised the achievements of all participants who have passed an NPQ with CET to date, which includes educational professionals working in schools and institutions right across Cumbria and the north west of England. The event highlighted the dedication, expertise and impact that these qualifications have made, in both the personal and professional development of our educational staff and their link to sustained school improvement and positive outcomes for young people. The

Cumbria’s First Girls Empower Event

18th March 2024

In an exciting display of inspiration, Year 9 girls from The Whitehaven Academy (TWA), William Howard School (WHS) and Workington Academy (WA), alongside representatives from 12 other schools, came together on Thursday 29th February, for Cumbria’s inaugural Girls Empower event. Organized by IN4, this initiative aimed to ignite a passion for computing careers among young women. The event was a fantastic opportunity for the girls to explore a career in technology. They eagerly embraced a variety of challenges, ranging from deciphering cryptic codes to embarking on simulated cyber heists, all designed to test their problem-solving skills and technical prowess. One of the highlights of the day was the ‘Patient 0’ challenge, where the girls scoured the internet for clues in

Year 2 Show Off Their Skills!

14th March 2024

CET Year 2 Multi-Skills Festival 2024 On Wednesday 6th March 2024, Cumbria Education Trust (CET) held a Year 2 Multi-Skills Festival at Workington Academy, bringing together our ten primary schools for a day of energetic competition and camaraderie. This event showcased and gave our Year 2 children the opportunity to experience a diverse array of sports and activities including Trampolining, Ball Skills, Bench Ball, Football, Obstacle Courses, Yoga, and Dance. Castle Carrock Primary School, Caldew Lea Primary School, Hensingham Primary School, Longtown Primary School, Newtown Primary School, Northside Primary School, Petteril Bank School, Tebay Primary School, Yanwath Primary School, and Yewdale Primary School all came together to enjoy a day of sporting activities. They split into teams and took turns

New Alternative Provision School Approved

13th March 2024

Cumbria Education Trust becomes a beacon of inclusivity with the approval of a new Alternative Provision School In a significant stride towards creating a more inclusive educational landscape, Cumbria Education Trust (CET) has been approved to open an Alternative Provision School in Carlisle. The vision is to cater to the needs of 11–16-year-olds who require an alternative curriculum, specialised support, and a conducive environment for their educational journey. The journey began in 2022, and after navigating a rigorous Department For Education (DfE) application process, CET received the long-awaited confirmation of success on 6th March 2024. The initiative, in collaboration with Cumberland Council, aims to serve not only CET schools but all secondary schools in the area, highlighting the commitment to

CET Leadership Event 3 – Nurturing Leadership Culture

11th March 2024

On Thursday 7th March 2024, over 50 Cumbria Education Trust (CET) leaders attended the third CET Leadership Event, held at the Castle Inn Hotel in Bassenthwaite. This event, led by Matt Butler, Director of Primary School Improvement and Professional Development, explored leadership at CET and discussed its ongoing efforts to shape and refine the leadership ethos within the organisation. Joined by Mark Gregory, Regional Director at One World, Matt welcomed the attendees before delving into crucial conversations about the development of the leadership culture at CET. Following this, the group began to reflect on the best practices achieved so far and drew on valuable feedback gathered from the last Leadership Event. This provided great insights into CET’s leadership culture and

Teaching Internships at William Howard School

11th March 2024

If you’re currently studying for a degree in Maths, Physics, Computing, Chemistry, MFL or a related subject, you could carry out a Teaching Internship, which would help you understand what it’s really like to be in a classroom. The paid Teaching Internship Programme, which is delivered by Cumbria Education Trust, will provide you with an immersive and exciting school experience, over a 3-week period (Monday 24th June to Friday 12th July 2024) at William Howard School, Brampton. During the programme, you will get a feel of day-to-day school life and experiences could include: shadowing experienced teachers and observing lessons jointly planning and delivering lessons one to one guidance from excellent classroom teachers opportunities to network with qualified subject specialists. As

Permanent Headteacher Announced for William Howard School

1st March 2024

Following a thorough national recruitment process, Ms Kath Pigdon has been appointed as the permanent Headteacher for William Howard School (WHS). Ms Pigdon moved to WHS, part of Cumbria Education Trust (CET), in 2009 as an Assistant Headteacher and was promoted to Deputy Headteacher in 2014. She has most recently undertaken the role of Headteacher on an interim basis. Having held a senior leadership position both at the school and with CET, she brings a wealth of experience, dedication, and a passion for developing and implementing the school’s Strategic Improvement Plan. Alongside her school role, she has led the Trust’s positive behaviour group and co-led leadership development for teaching staff. Des Bird, Director of Secondary Improvement, commented, “We are confident