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CET News

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

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Year 6 Strategy Planning: Strengthening Outcomes Through Collaboration

31st March 2025

Representations from across all 12 primary schools in Cumbria Education Trust recently gathered for a dedicated Year 6 strategy planning day, reinforcing their commitment to improving outcomes for children. Held once per term, these sessions provide an essential opportunity to reflect on current strategies, refine approaches, and ensure every child receives the best possible support as they prepare for their SATs and beyond. Led by Allison Kenyon, School Improvement Lead and directed by Matt Butler, Director of Primary Improvement and Professional Development, various sessions were held to focus on key areas including writing moderation, refining test techniques, and enhancing accessibility for all learners. Each school has a bespoke school improvement plan, driven by data and tailored to its unique requirements

World Book Day 2025

26th March 2025

From the moment the school doors opened, students arrived dressed as beloved literary characters, bringing a vibrant mix of classic heroes, fairy-tale figures, and modern favourites to life. The enthusiasm was infectious, with staff joining in the fun, sparking conversations about books and encouraging students to explore new stories. The day was a resounding success, showing our children’s love of books and storytelling that will continue to inspire their minds long after the event. Whether through dressing up, listening to stories, or writing their own, our pupils demonstrated the power of books in connecting us all. Thank you to everyone who made World Book Day such a memorable occasion. Keep reading, keep imagining, and let the magic of books take

From Sixth Form to Cambridge: Unlock Your Future with Us!

26th March 2025

Got your trial results? Thinking about your options for September? Join a Sixth Form where ambition meets opportunity – discover what WCSF can offer you this September! At WCSF, we take pride in offering outstanding academic and career pathways, ensuring our students are well-prepared for the future. We are proud to celebrate Preston Keeler, who has secured an offer to study Mathematics at the University of Cambridge—a reflection of the outstanding teaching and support at WCSF. Preston commented: “The facilities at WCSF enabled me to achieve my dreams of studying at Cambridge, a place I have always wanted to study. “The teaching has been excellent and pushed me to be the best I can be. I have had outstanding support

Year 2 Skills Showcase in the Sun!

21st March 2025

CET Year 2 Multi-Skills Festival 2025 On Wednesday 19th March 2025, Cumbria Education Trust (CET) hosted its Year 2 Multi-Skills Festival at Workington Academy, bringing together students from our CET primary schools for a dynamic day of sport, teamwork, and fun. Pupils from 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 took part in a variety of sporting activities, including Trampolining, Ball Skills, Dodgeball, Basketball, Obstacle Courses and Dance. Supporting them throughout the day were our Year 9 Sports Leaders from The Whitehaven Academy, William Howard School, and Workington Academy, who played a key role

Year 8 Pi Day

17th March 2025

On Friday 14th March, better known as Pi Day (3.14 in the American date format), Year 8 students from across Cumbria Education Trust’s secondary schools gathered at The Queen Katherine School (QKS) for an exciting day of mathematical challenges. A total of 11 teams, representing five secondary schools, took part in the competition: Kirkby Stephen Grammar School (KSGS): Team Emonds, Team Green, and Team Mango The Queen Katherine School: QKS Girls and Queenie Yummi Pi The Whitehaven Academy (TWA): The Pi-ineers and The Mega Mathematicians William Howard School (WHS): Algebra Avengers and Fibonacci Force Workington Academy (WA): A Good Day to Pi Hard and Pi Hard with a Vengeance The teams tackled six rounds of challenging maths problems, including a

Castle Park and Stramongate Join CET

10th March 2025

Joint statement between Cumbria Education Trust, Castle Park School and Stramongate Primary School Cumbria Education Trust (CET) is delighted to announce the expansion of its family of schools with the official addition of Castle Park School and Stramongate Primary School, both located in Kendal. This exciting development strengthens the Trust’s commitment to delivering high-quality education and supporting children to be the best they can be across Cumbria. The inclusion of these two schools represents a significant step in CET’s commitment to improving educational outcomes for young people. Each school brings its own strengths and a shared passion for excellence in teaching and learning, further enriching the Trust’s growing network of schools. Ross Knaggs, Headteacher at Castle Park School, commented: “CET

Internet Safety Day 2025

12th February 2025

‘Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams online’ was the theme of this year’s Safer Internet Day, marked by all CET schools. Each school focused on how to protect ourselves online and where to go to for support – with all activities tailored to different ages. There was a winner for each year group, and you can see who won below! Primary Schools Early Years children helped Smartie the Penguin make good choices about which games to play and advised him who to tell if he needs help. Petteril Bank School scooped first prize with their beautifully sung song, and the giant model of Smartie was a great addition! In Key Stage 1, the children recreated

CET Year 6 Maths Challenge 2025

11th February 2025

On Friday 7th February, students from all of Cumbria Education Trust’s primary schools attended the CET Year 6 Maths Challenge, held at William Howard School. Designed by Mr McAree, CET’s Maths School Improvement Lead, the challenge was split into five rounds of mathematical problems to solve. The pupils were split into teams of four and each came up with their own team name and slogan. Newtown Number Knights and Number Ninjas were some of the creative team names, along with slogans such as ‘We will never be divided! and ‘The Bros are back in town – Multiply, Divide, Add, Subtract’. You can see all of the team names and slogans below. With only three points between the top three places,

Building a Culture of Positive Behaviour

11th February 2025

Written by Tom Martell, Director of Strategy and Operations The school improvement team started this year by focusing on three common priorities across our schools: positive behaviour, reading and activating hard thinking. Behaviour was a particular focus during the autumn term, to create a disruption-free learning environment, so here we share some reflections on this work. Starting with a highlight, according to teachers’ responses to survey items from the National Behaviour Survey, poor behaviour in lessons is much less common in CET schools than shown in a typical school nationally. However, there is still more room for improvement. Every pupil deserves disruption-free learning and our staff also deserve to work without misbehaviour getting in the way. Digging into the

Thinking Hard: Giving Teachers the Tools to Develop their Lessons

10th February 2025

Written by Matt Butler, Director of Primary Improvement and Professional Development Cumbria Education Trust has invested in teacher’s professional development in partnership with One World, an international education consultancy, working in multiple countries, as well as several of the UK’s largest school trusts. Our collaboration with One World has been focused on enhancing how teachers approach lesson planning and delivery. One World began working with Yanwath Primary School (YAN) in October 2024, introducing know/show charts – a tool that has transformed how teachers structure their lessons. Sarah Davies, Headteacher at YAN, reflected on the project: “The work with One World has enabled leaders and teaching staff to carefully consider what pupils need to know and show, so that gaps in