Talented Chetwynde School pupils showed their skills in science, technology, engineering and maths to be crowned champions of the annual Top of the Form competition.

They triumphed in the inter-school contest including academic and practical challenges, which is organised by higher apprentices, graduates, and high potentials from BAE Systems Submarines.

Pupils from the Rating Lane school, which is part of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, teamed up for the event to tackle quick fire rounds in the biggest STEM-based event of the year.

Chetwynde’s Head of Faculty for Science and Design & Technology Sunetra Berry said it the pupils had worked together with older students supporting and encouraging the younger ones to answer questions confidently. 

“The competition serves to identify the best of the best across local schools, using a series of very difficult questions from interpreting diagrams of extrusion processes, to working out anagrams of chemical symbols,” she said.

“Students completed a practical challenge to demonstrate their effective team work and maths and computing questions were particularly challenging.

“Our students coped with all the pressures together and have made our school very proud, yet again. Our thanks to all the people involved in BAE Systems to make this a really enjoyable and memorable event.”

The winning team included: Year 11s Jake Edgley and Hargun Ghuman, Year 10s Liam Crawshaw and Nathan Lee-Cheong, Year 9s Sophie Ackred and Mahiya Mohan, Year 8s Milan Nair and Oliver Wielkopolski and Year 7s Oliver Lee and Rafferty Johnston.

It is the fourth time Chetwynde School has won the competition.

A popular multi-academy trust has reached capacity for entry this academic year after a fourth school announced plans to join in September 2023.

Governors at Victoria Infant and Nursery School voted to academise and join the South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, which is led by Furness College.

The 220-pupil school on Oxford Street, which is rated Good by Ofsted, is now scheduled to join the Trust alongside Newbarns Primary and Nursery School, South Walney Junior School and Cambridge Primary School. They will join current members Chetywnde, Ormsgill and Vickerstown schools.

Victoria Infant and Nursery School Headteacher Lindsay Grayless said the decision had been taken following a series of in-depth meetings with staff from the local multi-academy trusts in the best interests of the pupils, who are aged 3 to 7.

“We carefully considered the direction of our wonderful school and believe this will be greatly enhanced by working in partnership with the SCMAT and the support it will bring across all aspects of life at Victoria Infant and Nursery School. The Trust was formed with a vision that fits well with our own aims and ethos to inspire all children to be the best they can be and puts us at the forefront of decision making for our school.

“The staff at SCMAT really understand our school, its ethos, individuality and connection with the community, and have a real willingness in supporting us to achieve our aims.

“With three more schools joining this year, we can go through this process of academisation together.”

Cumbria County Council has been informed and there will now be meetings with the Department for Education and informal discussions with stakeholders prior to starting the formal consultation and application process.

SCMAT Chief Executive Professor Andrew Wren said he was delighted to achieve a full complement of schools in the Trust’s second year.

“Victoria Infant and Nursery School is a fantastic school with a headteacher who is fully committed to bringing about positive improvements for the good of her pupils and staff. I was set a maximum intake of four schools in 2023 by my board and could only dream of reaching this target but local governors, heads and staff are recognising the progress we are making with our current member schools and have approached me because they want to be a part of our Trust.

“We are now inviting expressions of interest from schools who are looking to academise in future and are happy to visit to talk about our work.”

For further information about joining the South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, visit the website www.scmat.org.uk

ENDS