CET News

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CET News

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

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Shaping Our Future 2024 – Book Your Space!

12th July 2024

Following last year’s successful event, Cumbria Education Trust is delighted to invite educators, leaders and decision-makers to attend the Shaping Our Future 2024 conference. Scheduled for Thursday 19th September 2024 from 3.30pm to 7pm at Halston, Carlisle, this event is to bring the education industry together, join us as we drive change and reform for the benefit of our young people. In collaboration with Cumberland Council, Westmorland and Furness Council and the WELL Project, we are proud to welcome a line-up of nationally recognised guest speakers: Sir Ian Bauckham CBE, Chief Regulator, Ofqual Leora Cruddas CBE, Chief Executive, Confederation of School Trusts Luke Sparkes, Chief Executive, Dixons Academies Trust Jonathan Smart, Regional Director, Ofsted These influential figures, alongside keynote speakers

New Catering Contract

8th July 2024

We are thrilled to announce that, starting in September, we will be partnering with a new catering supplier, Aspens, to provide healthy, delicious and varied meal options for our staff and students. About Aspens Following a detailed tender process, Aspens were chosen to be our catering partner. They are committed to providing delicious home-cooked food each day and they cater to individual dietary requirements. Aspens states, “We want everyone who eats with us to look forward to their mealtimes, love what they have to eat and then have the energy for everything else that the day has to offer. We don’t just provide food, we play our part to educate children and raise awareness about nutrition, food and where it comes from so that

Workington Academy Wellbeing Festival

5th July 2024

Workington Academy is throwing open its door to the community and hosting its first wellbeing festival. The free event, on Thursday 11th July, is set to be one of the biggest of its kind in the county. More than 35 agencies have signed up to be part of the afternoon, alongside special guest, charity fundraiser Andy Airey, of Three Dads Walking fame. The aim is to promote wellbeing and increase awareness of different agencies, services and clubs that are on offer for all ages. Katie Kinrade, Assistant Headteacher at Workington Academy, said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for all local families, not just those with children at Workington Academy, to learn about the support available in our community. The invitation

CET Year 4 Sports Day!

27th June 2024

The weather gods must have found out that Cumbria Education Trust (CET) were planning a sports day as the sun made a rare appearance! On Tuesday 18th June, all ten primary schools from CET gathered for the annual ‘Be The Best You Can Be’ Sports Day. Held at Copeland Stadium in Whitehaven, over 200 Year 4 pupils engaged in various activities such as mini-Olympics, tag rugby, and dance. Year 9 Sports Leaders and Student Ambassadors from CET’s three secondary schools – The Whitehaven Academy, William Howard School, and Workington Academy – facilitated the events, providing fantastic leadership, support and encouragement to the younger participants throughout the day. Usman from Hensingham Primary School commented, “I had lots of fun, and my

Thank a Teacher Day 2024

19th June 2024

Today, we celebrate the incredible teachers and staff who inspire, motivate, and shape the future of our young people. To all of our staff – thank you for your dedication, patience and passion. You make a difference in more ways than you know and your hard work and commitment do not go unnoticed. We are lucky to have such fabulous people leading our young people and giving them opportunities that they will remember forever. Thank you!

OBE For Chief Executive

15th June 2024

The leader and passionate driving force behind Cumbria Education Trust (CET), Lorrayne Hughes, Chief Executive, has been awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours, for her services to education. Lorrayne has led the Trust since its inception in 2015. CET is now responsible for the education of more than 5,000 young people, aged 2 to 18, across the county. We have been recognised in recent years for our strong track record on school improvement and the professional development of teachers and school leaders. Lorrayne said: “I am delighted to have been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours; it is great acknowledgement of all that we have achieved at Cumbria Education Trust. “It has been my honour to serve so

Hensingham Primary School Receive ‘Good’ Ofsted!

6th June 2024

Hensingham Primary School (HEN), part of CET, recently received a visit from Ofsted and has officially been rated as a Good school across all categories. This is the first inspection that HEN has had since joining CET. The previous inspection was deemed inadequate overall so we are very proud to be able to showcase the journey HEN has been on. The school has been focusing on school improvement, attendance, behaviour and the curriculum, which has been recognised by the Ofsted inspectors. One comment the inspectors made was that “pupils are happy and proud to belong to their school” and that it is “welcoming and friendly”. The inspectors recognised that “the school expects all pupils to succeed academically” and that HEN

Superhero Sara!

9th May 2024

Over the last five years, several of CET’s schools have worked closely with Cash For Kids (CFK), a charity that supports children and young people affected by poverty, abuse, neglect, life-limiting illness and those who have additional needs. Sara Oldham, Fundraising Executive, spearheads the fundraising in Cumbria and works closely with Caldew Lea Primary School, Newtown Primary School, Petteril Bank School and Yewdale Primary School. Sara is an incredible woman; she works closely with our parents, our schools and the communities around them, to ensure every child received the help and support they need. Over the last five years, she has contributed to raising around £30,000 for our schools along with resources donated such as food vouchers for families in

Exciting London West End Opportunity!

3rd May 2024

Recently, Carlisle dance school, Razzamataz, starred in a performance on London’s West End. Two sixth form students from William Howard School, Dylan Rhodes and Elizabeth Cowell, was lucky enough to be part of the Razzamataz Theatre Schools gala performance. Dylan said, “I’ve been going to Razzamataz in Carlisle since 2015 and now I help out in drama classes for younger, intermediate groups.” At the Shaftsbury Theatre, the senior group performed a dance piece from the musical Wicked. The hit comedy musical Mrs Doubtfire is currently running at the Shaftsbury Theatre and Dylan commented, “The boys’ dressing room was normally used by one of the professional cast, so it was exciting to be in the same space.” Before their evening performance,

Annual Governance Conference 2024

30th April 2024

In an endeavour to continue our commitment to educational excellence, more than 70 Members, Trustees, Local Advisory Board (LAB) members and school leaders attended CET’s Annual Governance Conference. Held on Thursday 25th April at the University of Cumbria, this event provided a forum for collaborative discussions, strategic planning and the sharing of best practice. Each year, this conference aims to increase the effectiveness of our already well-established governance framework, through shared insights and collective efforts. The event began with a vibrant performance from Workington Academy’s Performing Arts students, offering a delightful preview of their upcoming production, ‘Seussical the Musical’. Following this, Des Bird, Director of Secondary Improvement, welcomed the attendees with a short introduction outlining the Trust’s strategic vision and