Talented pupils from Chetwynde School will perform the musical We Will Rock You to a sell-out audience tonight – after a two-year delay.

The pupils, who range from Year 5 to Year 11, were due to perform the hit show in March 2020 when the country went into lockdown.

Head of Performing Arts Katherine Parkinson said they had now double cast the roles on different nights to ensure the show will go on and to give more pupils the opportunity to be involved.

“In September 2021 we were finally able to start rehearsing again but in the 18 months in between cast members had finished school and left, or had changed year groups so we had to recast many parts and re-rehearse the whole show,” she said.

“Students have rehearsed twice weekly since September and 3 or 4 times per week since Christmas with myself, Head of Performing arts and drama teacher Colynne Hicks and dance assistant Ellyse Rochford.”

The leading role of Gallileo played by Year 11 student Noel Mallon and Scaramouche is played by Year 10 student Phoebe Lever.

Senior students have taken the main roles with primary children performing as the chorus.

The school will also perform for other schools on the last day, including Vickerstown and Ormsgill who are due to join the SCMAT in September.

Pupils are going the extra mile to show their support for the people of Ukraine by completing 1434 miles marking the distance from Barrow to Kyiv.

The Chetwynde pupils, who range from age 3 to 16, are this week dressing in the country’s colours of blue and yellow to complete the challenge.

They will raise much-needed funds for two charities to support disadvantaged children in Ukraine by running or walking around the Rating Lane school grounds.

Chetwynde Deputy Headteacher Louise Hinton, who is co-ordinating the fundraiser, said the pupils had been learning about the situation in Ukraine and came up with the idea.

“Every pupil from kindergarten to Year 11 is getting involved in this challenge because they have seen what is happening and they want to help other families and children who are affected by the conflict.

“On the first day, the primary school completed a total of 359 miles with our older pupils helping them on the circuits of the school and we will continue this week until we reach the target.”

The school, which is part of the South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust (SCMAT), raised £160 through a recent bake sale and is also holding a raffle and has asked local businesses to donate prizes to the school office.

Other schools due to join SCMAT in September are also joining the fundraising efforts. Vickerstown School is holding a Break the Rules Day this Friday with staff and pupils wearing non-uniform in blue and yellow to raise money for Ukraine charities.

Meanwhile Year 6 pupils at Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School are holding an Easter raffle in school with all money raised going to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine appeal. The school also has the Ukrainian flag flying outside school as a show of support for the Ukrainian people.

Pupils from 17 primary schools across Furness have enjoyed a new swimming competition backed by the South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust

The Year 3 to 6 pupils took part in the Primary MegaMAT Games Swimming Gala at Barrow Leisure Centre organised by Chetwynde School.

Winners medals were handed out to pupils from schools including Holy Family, Yarlside, Parkside, Lindal and Marton, Dane Ghyll, Victoria Academy, Low Furness, Newbarns, Pennington, St Mary’s Ulverston and Chetwynde.

Organiser Katy Costa, who is the Head of Key Stage 2 at Chetwynde, said the event had been extremely well supported by the schools and their parents.

“Parents have said to me that it is so good to see their children taking part in competitive sport after such a long absence and the children have swum brilliantly.

“We are lucky at Chetwynde to have regular access to the pool at Barrow Leisure Centre and it was fantastic for our pupils to share it with their friends from other schools.”

The Primary MegaMAT games is a full calendar of multi-sports competitions including hockey, netball, swimming and a host of other sports. It is organised by Chetwynde, which joined the Furness College-led SCMAT in September last year.

Winners of the Swimming Gala were presented with their prizes by SCMAT CEO and Executive Headteacher Professor Andrew Wren in the sports hall following the event.

“It has been wonderful to witness this gala with competitors full of passion and enthusiasm for swimming and generally everyone having a fantastic time through sport,” he said.

“This event was open to all primary schools across the area and I am delighted to see so many taking part in a competition that celebrates achievement and ambition.”

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

Year 3/4 Girls Freestyle

1^st Isabelle Tyson- Chetwynde

2^nd Neive Green- Yarlside

3^rd Isabelle Coward- Parkside

Year 3/4 Boys Freestyle 

1^st Ollie Swarbrick- Yarlside

2^nd Dylan Morgan- Parkside

3^rd William Brough- Chetwynde 

Year 3/4 Girls backstroke

1^st Pacie Locke- Chetwynde 

2^nd Norah Graham- Chetwynde

3^rd Isabelle Coward- Parkside

Year 3/4 Boys backstroke 

1^st Archie Williams- Chetwynde

2^nd Henry Loebell- Dane Ghyll

3^rd Rhys Sneesby- Victoria Academy

Year 5/6 Girls Freestyle

1^st Elecktra Muncaster- Chetwynde

2^nd Eleanor A- Yarlside

3^rd Ashton- Lindal & Marton

Year 5/6 Boys Freestyle

1^st Declan- Holy Family

2^nd Joshua Caine – Chetwynde

3^rd Jack Long- Parkside

Year 5/6 Girls Backstroke 

1^st Eleanor- Yarlside

2^nd Elecktra Muncaster- Chetwynde

3^rd Lois Mahoney- Low Furness

Year 5/6 Boys Backstroke

1^st Alfie Leahy- Newbarns

2^nd  Kayden Smith – Pennington 

3rd- Finlay – St Marys 

Year 3/4 Freestyle Relay

1^st Chetwynde

2^nd Yarlside

3^rd Dane Ghyll

Year 3/4 Medley Relay 

1^st Chetwynde

2^nd Parkside

3^rd Yarlside

Year 5/6 Freestyle Relay

1^st Chetwynde

2^nd Low Furness

3^rd Parkside

Year 5/6 Medley Relay

1^st Chetwynde

2^nd Low Furness

3^rd Parkside

Members of the public are invited to find out more about plans for Ormsgill Primary School to join the South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, which is led by Furness College.

A public consultation meeting will be held at the school on Thursday 24th March from 5pm to 6.30pm with a presentation and panel question and answer session about the proposal to academise.

It will be led by Ormsgill Primary School Headteacher Mick Cull with Professor Andrew Wren, who is Executive Head Teacher and CEO of the Trust, alongside Director of Marketing and Communications Kathryn Kittley.

Mick urged members of the community to come along to find out what the proposal would mean for the school and share their own views.

“We have a very supportive board of governors, who voted unanimously in favour of the proposal to join South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, and SCMAT leaders have also met with our staff and answered questions about the plan. The feeling is very positive with everyone seeing the opportunities this will bring for pupils and staff.

“We have had a few questions about how this might change the identity of the school but there are no plans for a name change, quite the opposite, we are very proud of our place in the community as Ormsgill School and it will stay that way.

“We now want to hear from parents, residents and others connected with our fantastic school and explain how we see our successful and vibrant learning community going from strength to strength by working in partnership with schools and Furness College under the SCMAT.”

People can ask questions in person at the event or post them via a form on the school’s website to be asked at the meeting. The MAT Trustees met and resolved in principle to accept the school into the SCMAT and a formal application has been submitted.

If all goes ahead, Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School will join the SCMAT in September 2022 alongside Vickerstown School, which has this week had its application approved by the Secretary of State for Education. They will join Chetwynde School, which was the founding member of the SCMAT when it launched in September 2021.

To ask a question regarding the proposal for Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School joining the South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, please complete the following form:

https://forms.gle/EpZZWVuUZD6EMY7WA