CET News

Celebrating our successes

CET News

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CET@10 Event – Celebrating 10 Years of Cumbria Education Trust

Cumbria Education Trust (CET) proudly marked ten years of educational excellence with a special celebration, CET@10, held at The Garden at Eden. The event recognised the journey of each school and the impact the Trust has had on pupils, families, and communities across Cumbria. Founded in 2015 with just three schools, CET has since grown into a thriving network of twelve primary and five secondary schools, supporting over 6,500 pupils, 1,000 staff, and 150 governors. CET@10 showcased this decade of achievement and innovation, with a programme that placed students firmly at the heart of the celebration. The evening began with a performance by William Howard School’s orchestra, welcoming over 300 guests – including award-winning pupils, their families, staff, governors, key

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Cumbria Education Trust: 10 Years of Impact

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

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Northside Primary School Continues to Shine in Ofsted Inspection

Northside Primary School is celebrating after its most recent Ofsted inspection confirmed it remains a ‘Good’ school. Inspectors praised the school’s high standards, strong pastoral care, and commitment to pupils’ personal and academic success. The inspection, carried out on 1st July 2025, concluded that the school has “taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.” The published report is filled with positive reflections about the school’s work, with inspectors highlighting: “The school has high expectations for pupils’ social and academic achievement. Pupils achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).” “The pastoral support for pupils is a strength of the school.” “Pupils are central to the decisions that trust and school leaders make.”

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Welcome to our ITT Trainee Teachers 2025-2026!

A brand-new academic year has begun, and Cumbria Education Trust (CET), in partnership with Ambition Institute, has welcomed its latest cohort of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) trainees to both internal CET schools and local partner schools. The new trainees began their ITT journey with a comprehensive five-day induction programme designed to provide a solid foundation for a successful teaching career. The week kicked off with a warm welcome and an introduction to the Trust, led by Dr Jo Daulby, ITT Lead, followed by an overview of the ITT programme. Across the week, trainees engaged in a series of focused clinics covering core aspects of teaching, including: Classroom culture and behaviour – creating conditions for learning, presenting emotional consistency, setting and

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Starting the Year Strong – INSET Day 2025

Yesterday, we welcomed back colleagues from across Cumbria Education Trust (CET) for a day of collaboration, reflection and focus on the year ahead. Our mission this year is clear: From Good to Great. At CET, we exist to advance education for public benefit. We want every student and staff member to Be the Best They Can Be, guided by our values of Respect, Resilience and Responsibility, with inclusion at the heart of our strategy. This year’s INSET expanded on our new hub model, bringing together schools from the Northern, Southern and Western areas to strengthen relationships across our Trust. Following a welcome introduction, each hub explored the Trust Improvement Plan (TIP), aligning staff in shared goals and priorities for the

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Celebrating GCSE Results Day 2025

Following the success of our A Level students last week, we are delighted to welcome back our GCSE students across all five of our secondary schools to celebrate their exam results. Finishing their mandatory educational journey, our Year 11 students have worked hard to achieve their GCSE results, opening up their future prospects as they move into Sixth Form, or other educational options. Des Bird, CET Director of Secondary Improvement, commented, “Receiving GCSE results is always a significant milestone for our students, and it is wonderful to see their hard work and commitment rewarded. I would like to thank all of our staff for their dedication to providing high-quality teaching and learning throughout the years. I look forward to seeing

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Case Study: Inclusion in Practice

Inclusion in Practice is a Department for Education (DfE) initiative which runs alongside the work of the Expert Advisory Group for Inclusion, an independent advisory group providing expert advice to government on how to improve mainstream education for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The work is supported by CST, Ambition Institute and a range of leaders across the education system, including Cumbria Education Trust.  Tom Rees, Chair of the DfE’s Expert Advisory Group for Inclusion, explained, “Inclusive education is a national priority – and a shared responsibility. While there are many challenges within the SEND system, schools and teachers across the country work every day to create environments where all children can succeed. “As I

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A Day to Celebrate: A Level Results Day 2025

Students across all five of our secondary schools are celebrating their A Level results today, marking another year of academic excellence and personal achievement. Our Year 13 students have shown resilience, determination and ambition throughout their educational journey – with many achieving the grades needed to secure places at their chosen universities, competitive apprenticeships, and exciting career opportunities. Des Bird, CET Director of Secondary Improvement, commented, “We are incredibly proud of all our students and the staff who have supported them. These results are a testament to their hard work and the high-quality teaching across our schools. Whether our students are heading to university, apprenticeships or straight into employment, they have proven they are ready for the next stage of

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A Night of Student Excellence and Recognition: Inaugural CET Student Excellence Awards

Quick Links The Winners Highlights Video Event Photographs Photobooth Photos A night of celebration, inspiration and pride took centre stage at the Cumbria Education Trust (CET) Student Excellence Awards, held on Thursday 10th July. The inaugural event, held at The Garden at Eden, recognised and honoured students who have gone above and beyond in demonstrating CET’s values. A central feature of this year’s CET Be the Best You Can Be Week, the evening saw 136 students from across all of CET’s 17 schools, celebrated for their incredible achievements, not just for academic success, but for their resilience, leadership, kindness, and contributions to school and community life. The evening recognised eight category winners from each school who were nominated for embodying

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Be the Best You Can Be Week 2025

Each year, we celebrate Be The Best You Can Be Week, as part of Cumbria Education Trust’s endeavour to create a stimulating environment in which our students can thrive. The purpose of this week is to give students and pupils in all schools across CET the opportunity to push, challenge and express themselves in as many different ways as possible – academically, physically, mentally and socially – while encompassing our CET core values of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience. Everyone focused on the following areas:  Be the best you can be by helping others  Be the best you can be by helping the environment  Be the best you can be by challenging yourself  Be the best you can be in your

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