CET Newsletters
Summer 2026
CET Newsletters
Welcome
As we reach the end of another academic year, I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone across Cumbria Education Trust for their continued commitment, dedication and support.
This year has been one of significant achievement. In September, we held our CET@10 event at The Garden at Eden, to look back over the past ten years and also forward to the next ten. Across our schools, we have seen pupils flourish, colleagues grow in their roles and communities come together to create the very best opportunities for children and young people. From excellent inspection outcomes and strong academic results to inspiring enrichment opportunities and innovative professional development, there is much to celebrate.
What continues to make CET special is the strength of our people. Every day, colleagues across our schools and central teams work together to ensure that children remain at the heart of every decision we make. Through collaboration, shared expertise and a relentless focus on improvement, we continue to make a positive difference to the lives of the families we serve.
This newsletter highlights just some of the successes, stories and developments from across the Trust during the summer term. While it is impossible to capture everything that has been achieved, I hope it provides a snapshot of the incredible work taking place across our schools.
As we look ahead to the new academic year, we do so with confidence, ambition and a clear sense of purpose. Together, we will continue to build on our successes, strengthen our partnerships and ensure every child has the opportunity to be the best they can be.
I wish all our pupils, families, staff, governors and partners a restful and enjoyable summer break.
Lorrayne Hughes OBE
Chief Executive
Cumbria Education Trust
Growth Across Cumbria Education Trust
At Cumbria Education Trust, we believe that growth is about far more than numbers. It is about creating stronger opportunities for children, developing our people and building sustainable partnerships that benefit the communities we serve.
Over the past year, we have continued to strengthen our Trust through collaboration, shared expertise and a commitment to continuous improvement. By working together across our family of schools, we are able to provide greater opportunities for pupils, invest in staff development and deliver high quality support where it is needed most.
As our reputation continues to grow, more schools are exploring the benefits of partnership within CET. We are proud that our approach remains firmly rooted in relationships, local identity and school improvement. Every school within our Trust retains its unique character while benefiting from the collective strength, expertise and support of the wider organisation.
Our growth enables us to invest further in education, people and facilities. Whether through leadership development, specialist support, capital improvements or enhanced opportunities for pupils, a stronger Trust creates greater capacity to make a lasting difference.
As we look ahead, we remain ambitious for the future. Our focus continues to be on delivering exceptional education, supporting our communities and ensuring that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, can thrive.
Together, we are building a Trust that is stronger, more resilient and better equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities of the years ahead.
Governance Update
Local Advisory Boards (LABs)
Welcomes
We welcome new LAB Chairs for Kirkby Stephen Grammar School and Hensingham LABs on an interim basis. Kirkby Stephen Grammar School LAB welcomed Ray Olive (who is also one of our Trustees). Hensingham LAB is delighted to welcome Ian Hick as its new Chair, who also serves as Chair of The Whitehaven Academy LAB. Thank you to both for your support to the LABs.
Goodbyes
We say goodbye to Jeff O’Neill, whose term of office comes to an end as a Trustee for CET. Jeff has also been Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for the last 4½ years. We also say goodbye to Paul Forshaw, who has been Chair of Queen Katherine School LAB (and the Governing Board before that) since 2021 and steered the LAB through joining CET and a very successful Ofsted inspection.
CET Annual Governance Conference, 22nd April 2026
This year’s CET Annual Governance Conference brought together Governors, Trustees, Members and school leaders from across the Trust for an evening of collaboration, reflection and forward thinking.
With strong representation from schools across Cumbria, the conference once again provided an important platform to explore the evolving role of governance and its direct impact on outcomes for young people.
The conference opened with a fantastic student performance from William Howard School, showcasing the talent, confidence and creativity of CET pupils. The performance was a powerful reminder of the purpose behind governance, ensuring every child has access to the very best opportunities and experiences.
Lorrayne Hughes OBE, Chief Executive, welcomed delegates and set the tone for the evening, reinforcing the Trust’s commitment to its vision of “Every Child Achieving and Thriving.” Her address highlighted the importance of strong, informed governance working in partnership with leadership to drive continuous improvement across all schools.
The conference featured an inspiring line-up of keynote speakers, each offering valuable insight into key priorities across the education sector.
Please see the link below for further information on the event and more photos:
Cumbria Education Trust Annual Governance Conference 2026 – Cumbria Education Trust
The CET Education Model: Built Together, For Every Child
Over the past year, we have been developing a shared Education Model – one that has grown from professional conversations and a collective commitment to doing right by every pupil.
Our model is built upon what we already do as a trust and points to where we can take our school improvement work together, as one team. What follows is a summary of how it is structured and what it means for all of us.
It Starts With an Ambitious Goal
At the top of the model sits ‘90.5’ – our single, sector-leading goal. It is more than a target; it is the fullest expression of our mission to transform lives through education. It means 90% of pupils reaching the expected standard at KS2, a progress score of +0.5 at KS4 and KS5, and zero gaps between groups of children. Every layer of the model below it exists to make this a reality.
Two Mantras That Shape How We Work
Underpinning the goal are two mantras that guide our approach. “What will it take?” is our strategy mantra – a call to action that keeps us solution-focused, challenges us to be bold, and pushes us to realign our resources to what matters most. “100%” is our delivery mantra – a commitment to rigour and high expectations in everything we do, from the way we implement strategies to how we meet the needs of our most vulnerable pupils. As we often say: it ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it.
Three Opportunities to Focus Our Effort
Building on those mantras, the model identifies three strategic opportunities – the areas where we know we can make the greatest difference. At their heart is a simple belief: that maximising the quality and quantity of interactions between pupils and teachers is what drives outcomes.
Preparing Pupils to Learn recognises that if children are not present, settled, and ready to engage, even the best teaching cannot have its full impact. We invest deliberately in attendance, behaviour, and addressing vulnerabilities.
Preparing Staff to Teach reflects our belief that great outcomes depend on great teaching – and that teaching moments should always be considered, deliberate, and planned with precision. We invest in professional development, instructional coaching, high-quality curriculum materials, and the intelligent use of assessment data.
Maximising Learning Time is a commitment to using every available minute purposefully – through efficient routines, smart timetabling, and extending learning beyond the school day where it matters most.
Nine Big Bets: The Moves That Will Make the Difference
Within each opportunity, the model drills down further into our ‘Big Bets’ – the nine specific, high-impact initiatives we believe will unlock the path to 90.5. These are our multi-year focus, with yearly priorities drawn from them and shaped by each school’s own self-evaluation.
Preparing Pupils to Learn:
- Securing School Engagement
- Securing Foundational Learning
- Addressing Vulnerabilities
Preparing Staff to Teach:
- Shifting from Teaching to Learning
- Intensifying Intellectual Preparation
- Embedding Deliberate Practice
Maximising Learning Time:
- Maximising In-Lesson Time
- Leveraging Curriculum Time
- Extending Time for Learning
Four Pillars: How We Amplify Our Work as a Trust
We know that working together we can achieve more than any of us could alone – and we do that deliberately. The model is strengthened by four pillars that amplify the work of each individual school across our trust:
Staff Culture binds us together as a trust with common expectations of ourselves and each other. It creates a predictability to our individual approaches and actions which allows us to work with each other confidently, with trust.
Improvement Cycles embed a disciplined, evidence-informed approach to school improvement that keeps us focused on what is working and drives us to act on what is not.
Intelligent Alignment means that as a trust we pool our expertise, resources, and knowledge so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Enhanced Support ensures that schools and staff are never working in isolation – we invest in the structures and relationships that mean help is always available when it is needed.
The Foundations Everything Rests On
Beneath everything sit two core foundational elements that make the whole model possible. Exceptional Leadership and Governance provide the strategic direction, accountability, and decision-making that keeps our schools on course. Sector-Leading Trust Services ensures that every school has access to the operational support, expertise, and infrastructure it needs to thrive. Without these foundations, the model simply could not stand – they are the bedrock on which everything else is built.
As a trust, we look forward to continuing this journey together, growing and improving as we go.
Ofsted Update
Ofsted Peer Inspection Programme
We are delighted to share that ten colleagues from across Cumbria Education Trust have recently completed the Ofsted Peer Inspection Programme, following an intensive five-day training period delivered alongside serving Ofsted inspectors.
As part of the programme, participants took part in both shadow and sign-off inspections, gaining valuable first-hand insight into the evidence base that underpins Ofsted judgements.
This is a fantastic achievement and one that brings real benefits to our trust and the wider sector. The programme sharpens leaders’ strategic thinking, strengthens our quality assurance work, and reflects our collective commitment to sector growth – with CET colleagues now contributing directly to the national inspection process and bringing that learning back into our schools. It also helps build a genuine, collaborative relationship between CET and Ofsted, rooted in shared values and a commitment to improving outcomes for the children and young people we serve.
A huge well done to each of the ten colleagues who stepped up to take on this challenge – we look forward to seeing the positive impact of their involvement across our schools in the months ahead.
Ofsted Inspection Outcomes
We’re delighted to share some excellent news from across the trust this term, with three of our schools receiving very positive Ofsted inspection reports.
Yanwath Primary School has received a very positive Ofsted inspection report. Inspectors awarded three areas a Strong standard – Attendance & Behaviour, Inclusion, and Leadership & Governance – and four areas the Expected standard. The report praised the school’s calm and focused learning environment, its highly inclusive approach to supporting pupils, and the excellent outcomes achieved in reading, writing and mathematics.
Petteril Bank School has also received a very positive Ofsted inspection report, with inspectors recognising the significant progress made by the school and acknowledging that leaders have completely turned around its fortunes. The report highlights the safe, supportive and nurturing environment created for pupils, with particular praise for behaviour and attitudes and strong improvements in attendance. One area – Attendance & Behaviour – was awarded a Strong standard, with the remaining areas at Expected standard. This is a fantastic reflection of the dedication and professionalism of the staff team at Petteril Bank, supported by colleagues across the trust.
The Queen Katherine School is celebrating an excellent Ofsted inspection report, with inspectors awarding five areas a Strong standard and two areas the Expected standard. The report recognised the school’s inclusive culture, ambitious vision and commitment to ensuring every pupil succeeds, with inspectors praising the welcoming environment where pupils feel happy, safe and valued. Particular strengths highlighted include the broad and ambitious curriculum, strong attendance and behaviour, high-quality sixth form provision, and the wide range of opportunities available to pupils both inside and outside the classroom. Inspectors also praised the leadership of the school and the support provided through Cumbria Education Trust, recognising the shared ambition for pupils to flourish academically and personally.
These results reflect the hard work and dedication of staff, leaders and pupils at each school, and we’d like to congratulate everyone involved. Well done to all three schools for this fantastic achievement.
Every Minute Matters: Why Attendance Is Everyone’s Business
Across the country, getting children into school has become one of the defining challenges of the decade. Here is why our Trust is bucking the trend – and why every one of us has a part to play.
There is a number that should stop us in our tracks. Nationally, almost one in five pupils is now persistently absent – missing a tenth or more of their schooling. Before the pandemic that figure was around one in ten. The Department for Education’s figures this year put secondary attendance at roughly 92% and primary at around 95%, and in February the government’s schools white paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, set a national ambition of 94%+ attendance and 20 million more school days attended each year by 2028/29. Attendance, in other words, has moved to the very top of the national agenda.
Behind the percentages are children. A pupil who attends “just” 90% of the time isn’t doing fine – by the national definition they are persistently absent, and over a year they will have missed almost four weeks of lessons. Multiply that across a key stage and the gaps in knowledge, confidence and friendship become hard to close. Attendance is the thread that ties everything else together: it is a learning issue, a wellbeing issue, and a safeguarding issue, because a child we cannot see is a child we cannot protect.
So why are we different?
At Cumbria Education Trust, attendance sits above both national and local averages – in our primary schools and our secondary schools alike. That is not luck, and it is not a single dramatic intervention. It is the product of a clear, shared strategy and a culture in which coming to school is the expectation, not the daily decision.
Our approach is deliberately consistent across the Trust while leaving room for each school to know its own families. We align on the things that matter – early, kind, persistent contact home; rigorous use of data to spot patterns before they become problems; and a relentless focus on making every classroom somewhere children want to be. The national guidance puts it simply: good attendance is a learned behaviour, woven into the ethos of a school. That is exactly what we are building.
Attendance is everyone’s job
Here is the part that matters most, because it applies to every single person reading this. Strong attendance is never the work of one team. It is built in a thousand small moments:
- The receptionist or office colleague whose warm “good to see you back” tells a child they were missed.
- The site and catering teams whose welcome makes the school feel safe and ready from the gate onwards.
- The teaching assistant who notices a child going quiet, or a Monday-morning pattern emerging.
- The teacher whose lesson is so worth being in that staying home was never an option.
- The pastoral and attendance teams who make the difficult call, and keep making it.
- The leader who protects the time and resource that lets all of the above happen.
Every greeting, every phone call, every brilliant lesson is an attendance strategy. When a child believes they belong, they come.
If you have ever asked a returning pupil how they are and meant it, you are already part of this.
Generous beyond our own gates
Our expertise in attendance is increasingly recognised well beyond CET. Our Director of Secondary Improvement holds a national appointment as one of only nine RISE Regional Advisers for the DfE’s Behaviour and Attendance Hubs programme, providing strategic oversight, quality assurance and challenge across the North West and Yorkshire & Humber — currently a caseload of eleven lead schools and twenty-two partner schools, supported by a regional network he established to help schools learn from one another.
Closer to home, Workington Academy is itself a RISE hub lead school, sharing its practice directly with other Cumbrian schools and recently hosting an open day attended by around nineteen schools from across the region. It is a source of real pride that the approaches developed in our own corridors are now helping pupils we will never teach.
The ask
The white paper has set the country a stretching target. We are already on the right side of it – but the moment we treat that as “job done” is the moment it slips. So the ask is simple: keep doing the small things, every day. Notice. Welcome. Follow up. Make your part of the school somewhere children cannot wait to get to.
Because every minute really does matter – and every one of us makes the difference.
Learning Provision
SEND Reform
You may have noticed several announcements in the news about how the government’s proposal for SEND reform is progressing and we wanted to share with you what our school teams are doing to prepare for the changes.
These changes are still under consultation and development, with many details not yet finalised, but we have been meeting regularly with the school SENCOs to ensure that we are up to date with developments, the timelines for change, preparing for these changes and planning for further development through our Inclusion strategy, including strengthening our support offer in line with the new guidance.
We have partnered with a training provider, Be Ready, to secure high quality specialist training for our staff, building on the partnership training already in place through Ambition Institute. Our support staff are currently working hard to complete Ambition’s TA training modules and all of our support staff will have completed this early in the Autumn term.
What do the reforms mean for parents of children with SEND?
You may have heard rumours of ‘fewer EHCPs in mainstream schools’ and ‘Schools to create ISPs (Individual Support Plans) for all’. The systems are definitely changing and personally, we are optimistic that these changes will create a more inclusive, fairer and stable system which strengthens collaboration between education, health and social care.
EHCPs will have written, consistent ‘packages of support’ across the country removing discrepancies and postcode lotteries as to what support is written on these plans.
ISPs will make it clearer to parents as to what provision and resource the school is allocating to their child’s plan.
‘Experts at Hand’ will secure a local team of professionals to deliver advice and support to schools and families. We are working in partnership with our LAs to strengthen the local support offer and build additional capacity to deliver specialist support in a timely manner.
The funding investment of the Inclusion Mainstream Grant (IMG) will stabilise school funding and enable us to better plan for inclusive classrooms, staff training and accessible tools year on year.
However, we firmly believe that our most important partners in this journey of change, are our families. If you have any queries, questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your school SENCO or Sue Newstead, Director of Learning Provision and they will do their best to answer these as honestly as possible with the information available.
Safeguarding - Aligning Forces: Stronger Together
Our great safeguarding teams are the quiet heroes ensuring our classrooms remain safe, nurturing spaces where children can thrive.
Student safety and wellbeing are the absolute foundations of everything we do at CET. To ensure our practices remain at the highest possible standard, our Designated Safeguarding Leads and Link LAB Members joined forces on 9th June 2026 for an intensive, collaborative safeguarding meeting. We reflected on the incredible work happening across our trust, shining a well-deserved spotlight on the dedicated staff who champion our core values every single day.
The meeting served as a powerful forum for leaders to share experiences, exchange vital resources and for LAB Members to build direct contact networks. Key insights included presentations on the value of face-to-face CPD, belonging and connectedness, getting the basics right for strong outcomes, hurtful and kind words, working constructively and proactively with designated LAB Members, Harmful Sexual Behaviours, diversity, affluent neglect, bullying and so very much more.
While the forum provided a welcome space for energy, connection, and engaging collaborative activities, the underlying current of the meeting remained profoundly serious. Safeguarding leaves no room for complacency, and this rigorous, shared focus is precisely the kind of practice required to close critical gaps for our most vulnerable young people. By dissecting complex challenges and uniting our expertise, we ensure that no child falls through the cracks and that our ultimate safety net remains unbreakable.
It is clear from the presentations that vigilance, compassion, and swift action form a fail-proof framework for our young people and their families. By aligning the strategic oversight of our governors with the operational expertise of our frontline DSLs, we continue to build a robust network of safety around every child.
Schools Update
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Student Events & Leadership
2026 CET Innovate Final
The 2026 CET Innovate Final was held at The Whitehaven Academy on Thursday 2nd July – marking the culmination of our annual trust-wide CET Innovate Competition.
This inspiring initiative challenges students to develop innovative, world-changing ideas and products designed to support a current national or global problem.
At the final, winning teams from each CET school came together to pitch their projects to a panel of judges, competing for the title of CET Innovate Champions 2026.
Each team arrived well-prepared with display boards, prototypes, rehearsed presentations, and even branded merchandise. The quality of work on display and the confidence shown by all participants were truly impressive.
All students were a joy to watch, and each were a credit to themselves, their staff and school!
The standard of competition was incredibly high, and every student who represented their school did so with pride and professionalism. Not only did they deliver outstanding presentations, but they also showed genuine support and enthusiasm for one another’s ideas – demonstrating true CET collaborative spirit and our trust values of respect, responsibility, and resilience.
After a closely contested competition and a challenging judging process, we are delighted to announce this year’s winners. The final decisions were made by our distinguished judging panel, consisting of: George Beveridge, Chair of the CET Trust Board, Nick Polmear, CET Chair of Members, Matt Butler, Director of Primary Improvement and Professional Development, and Des Bird, Director of Secondary Improvement.
Primary Winner: Brain Lift Innovations, Petteril Bank School
Second Place: The Best Buddies, Hensingham Primary School
Third Place: Safe Net Innovators, Longtown Primary School
Secondary Winner: Sure Solve, William Howard School
Second Place: Plastic to Plants, Queen Katherine School
Third Place: The Food Waste Fixers, Kirkby Stephen Grammar School
Congratulations to our winning teams from Petteril Bank School and William Howard School, and a huge thank you to everyone across the trust who contributed to this year’s CET Innovate project – from class-level competitions to the final event.
CET Student Leadership
On Monday 15th June, CET welcomed students from across the Trust for our Student Leadership Day.
It was excellent to have representatives from every CET school in attendance, and it was inspiring to see our students working collaboratively, engaging purposefully, and sharing their ideas so effectively.
Throughout the day, students made valuable contributions towards our upcoming “Be the Best You Can Be” Week, finalising their plans to bring back to their schools. They also explored the vision and values underpinning the role of a CET Student Leader and worked in mixed school groups to propose and present ideas for future school, community, hub and trust-wide projects. Their input will play an important role in shaping student leadership across CET in the year ahead.
All of the students who attended were outstanding ambassadors for their schools and our Trust.
Students also brought real ambition to thinking about next year, generating ideas including a CET Student Community Council, peer teaching between primary and secondary students, joint community events, and a CET Eco Council. These will help shape our Trust-wide student leadership offer going forward, alongside the developing Primary Passport and our longer-term vision for a three-tier enrichment offer spanning school, hub and trust-wide activity.
Thank you to the staff and school communities who make this work possible and to our brilliant students, who continue to rise to every opportunity.
Staffing Highlights
Strengthening Leadership to Support Every School
As we finalise our Education Model, we reaffirm our ambition to be a Trust where every school delivers strong outcomes, inclusive provision, and high expectations for every child.
This will be achieved through shared principles, aligned practice, and intelligent support. To deliver this consistently across all our schools, we are strengthening our Executive Team from September 2026. Our revised structure brings clearer accountability, greater focus, and enhanced expertise, ensuring we provide the right support where it matters most.
Our Executive Leadership from September 2026
Des Bird – Director of Education: Standards and Intervention
Leading trust-wide standards, Des will oversee performance monitoring, Ofsted readiness, and rapid school improvement. He will work closely with our new schools and those requiring additional support, ensuring timely and effective intervention so every school meets our expectations.
Matt Butler – Director of Education: Schools
Matt will provide strategic oversight of school performance and leadership across both Primary and Secondary phases. Working with Headteachers, he will ensure schools are well-led, sustainable, and delivering the Trust’s Education Model, while strengthening leadership development and succession across the Trust.
Sue Newstead – Director of Education: Inclusion and Personal Development
Sue will lead inclusion, SEND, safeguarding, Personal Development and pupil wellbeing. Her focus is to ensure every child, especially the most vulnerable, can access high-quality education within safe, supportive, and ambitious school environments.
Tom Martell – Director of Education: School Improvement
Tom will lead the Trust Improvement Plan, bringing together curriculum, teaching, and Professional Development. His work will ensure school improvement is consistent, evidence-led, and builds long-term capacity across all schools.
What This Means
This revised structure will strengthen our ability to deliver consistently strong outcomes across all schools, providing targeted support where it is needed most. We will develop confident, effective leaders at every level whilst ensuring inclusive, high-quality education for every child.
By aligning our leadership to our Education Model, we are building a Trust that is ambitious, inclusive, and sustainable, one where every child can thrive.
Employee Spotlight: Allison Kenyon
Tell us a little about your career journey and what brought you to CET?
I began my career in Lancashire, working across two local authorities, spending the majority of my time in Blackburn with Darwen. The schools I worked in were characterised by high numbers of EAL pupils and those facing disadvantage. It was an incredible experience to work within such a diverse community and it sparked my passion for ensuring strong outcomes for every child, alongside providing an exceptional school experience.
In 2016, I moved to Cumbria to be closer to my family. That same year, my daughter Emma (now 21) began her CET journey at William Howard School. When seeking a role in Cumbria, I was drawn to Yewdale Primary School – one of the first schools to join the then William Howard Trust. I was particularly attracted by the collaborative ethos, my awareness of the trust’s work, and the opportunity to grow within a developing academy trust.
What has impressed you most about CET so far?
The career development opportunities within CET are second to none. Over the past ten years, I have completed three NPQs, progressing from middle leadership through to headship. During this time, I have also transitioned from being a class teacher to becoming a headteacher and an Ofsted Peer Inspector – opportunities I could only have dreamed of back in 2016.
What continues to inspire me is the energy and passion of colleagues across the trust, alongside the shared drive to improve schools for the benefit of every single pupil. As I approach my tenth year working for CET in September, I feel incredibly proud to be part of such a committed and forward-thinking organisation.
What achievements from this year make you most proud?
This year marks my first headship within the trust, and I am incredibly proud to lead Yanwath Primary School. The staff team are exceptionally talented and dedicated, striving every day to provide the very best for our pupils. They have welcomed me with open arms, and I am deeply grateful for their commitment to the Yanwath community.
Highlights of the year include the school’s incredible Ofsted report and being named Primary School of the Year. However, what makes me most proud is the difference we make for each individual pupil – supporting their achievements and growth day by day.
What are your priorities for the year ahead?
Our priority is to build our work this year by further enriching our curriculum. We aim to provide an even wider range of opportunities for our children, including diverse educational visits, clubs, visitors, and opportunities for personal development.
We are also committed to ensuring that our curriculum continues to support children effectively as they transition to the next phase of their education. This includes embedding knowledge securely and continuing to celebrate and strengthen our reading culture.
How would you describe your leadership style?
I would describe my leadership style as collaborative. I thrive on the ideas and expertise of my team and work to shape these into a shared strategic vision for the school. I recognise that I am at my best when supporting others; I take great pride in supporting the growth of my team – both individually and collectively.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work and do you have a favourite quote that inspires you?
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and making the most of opportunities to relax and recharge in the beautiful Cumbrian countryside. I have a cocker spaniel called Max, and we spend a lot of time walking together in our local area. My daughter, Emma, is the goalkeeper for Carlisle United Ladies FC, so weekends are often spent proudly cheering her on from the sidelines.
My family also has an apartment in Spain, and I feel most at home in the Spanish sunshine – a place you will often find me during the summer holidays.
A quote that inspires my approach to leadership and education is:
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
Staff Leaver: Sarah Ledger
Dear CET
After 28 years at William Howard and nearly 40 years in teaching, I’m retiring.
I joined William Howard in 1998 as a part-time English teacher and spent nearly a decade shuffling about in my flip flops in the English – later English and Media – department. As well as teaching English at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 throughout my career, I taught BTEC and A Level Media between 2000 and 2016. Some of my happiest memories of working at WHS are making films and participating in creative ventures with students. Activity Films – which grew from the Activities Week projects at the end of each summer term – won Osprey Film Awards for such gems as To Brampton with Love and The Solway Spaceman. In 2013, The Lantern, a period short film shot on location in Cumbria won an RTS award.
In 2008, I took on my biggest challenge and was appointed as (then) Head of Standards for Years 10 and 11. The job title – but not the job – changed and I have been Director of Learning ever since.
The role has brought me into close contact with students, families and the wider community. A great source of pride is seeing how brilliantly our students achieve out there in the wide world. Often, it’s the ones I know have faced the toughest times through their teenage years that confirm to me the importance of positive educational experiences and consistent pastoral support.
There are too many colleagues to mention by name, but I’d like to thank Lorrayne Hughes who gave me the initial opportunity to work as a pastoral leader. It was an opportunity which changed my life and career in a way I’d never expected.
I’d also like to thank all the Student Managers past and present I have worked with over the years. They are the unsung heroes of the school. Their dedication, empathy and attention to detail are a lifeline for the students they work with and contribute to an environment where learning comes first.
And to the rest of you who’ve worked with me, put up with me and had hysterics – in one form and another – with me, thank you, goodbye and hold the line!
Sarah
Director of Learning
William Howard School
Professional Development
NPQ Update
This year we have continued to build on all previous successes and have delivered the NPQ SENCO and Leading Literacy programmes.
As some of our NPQ programmes approach completion, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to all participants for their hard work, dedication and commitment throughout their learning journey. A particular congratulations goes to our first NPQ SENCO cohort, who have now completed their assessments. We look forward to receiving your results in August. A special thank you goes to Cate Floyd (Deputy Director of Primary Education) and Sue Newstead (Director of Learning Provision) for their delivery of this NPQ SENCO programme and for the support they have provided throughout the course. While some programmes are concluding, our May 2025 NPQ SENCO, November 2025 NPQ SENCO and November 2025 NPQ Leading Literacy cohorts continue their learning journey. We thank participants for their ongoing commitment and look forward to supporting them through the remainder of their programmes. We would also like to express gratitude to all of our facilitators for their time, expertise and support. Their dedication and guidance have played a vital role in the success of each programme. To everyone preparing for their assessments in the coming weeks and months, we wish you the very best of luck and every success in achieving your goals. For more information about our NPQ provision and upcoming programmes, please visit our website.
Celebrating Our 2025–2026 ITT Cohort
As the academic year draws to a close, we are proud to celebrate the achievements of our 2025–2026 Initial Teacher Training (ITT) cohort.
Over the course of the year, our trainees have demonstrated resilience, professionalism, and a genuine commitment to making a difference in the lives of young people.
It has been a privilege to watch them grow in confidence and expertise as they have developed their practice across our schools. We are excited to see them take the next steps in their teaching careers and know they will make a valuable contribution to the profession.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all CET and partner schools for their ongoing support of the programme. In particular, we are incredibly grateful to the caring and diligent school mentors who have generously shared their time, expertise, and encouragement throughout the year. Their guidance has played a vital role in helping our trainees thrive.
Thank you also to everyone involved in delivering and supporting the programme. The success of this year’s cohort is a testament to the collaborative effort and commitment of our entire ITT community.
We wish all our trainees every success and happiness as they begin their careers in education.
Find out more about our ITT programme here.