Year 8 pupils from Chetwynde School marked Refugee Week by stepping into the shoes of an asylum seeker at the Escape to Safety exhibition.

The exhibition, hosted by Furness Multi-Cultural Community Forum & Youth Club at the Cooke’s Studios in Barrow, took students and staff on a journey to simulate aspects of the modern refugee experience.

It started in their homelands and ended in accommodation in the UK showing how they seek safety from war and persecution.

Pupils wore a headset and held travel documents as they passed through the rooms to help them hear, feel, see and come to understand more about what these journeys can entail.

Sian Huck Head of Humanities at Chetwynde School, which is part of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, said it was a very thought-provoking interactive experience and included a citizenship test.

“It was an excellent opportunity for students to develop a deeper understanding of asylum seekers, to challenge misconceptions and misinformation and to help our communities build connections and welcome for the newly arrived,” she said.

“It was followed a workshop which gave students the opportunity to talk to people with real life experience of such events who live in our community.

“The thoughtful questions students asked during the activities show how this visit has enabled them to reflect upon their own feelings about refugees and the impact of war.”

More than 200 pupils from schools across South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust performed as one at the first cross-Trust music concert on World Music Day today.

Children from Chetwynde, Ormsgill, Cambridge, South Walney Juniors, Newbarns and Greengate Juniors joined the singalong hosted by Chetwynde School.

They sang songs from popular music and the shows including Consider Yourself from Oliver, assembly favourite Power In Me, Down Low from the musical Rock Bottom, You Found Me, A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay and Disney’s Moana Medley. 

Chetwynde student Imogen Jones inspired the pupils with a spectacular solo performance before the finale brought all the pupils together singing the uplifting Samba Carnival song – complete with dance moves.

Katherine Parkinson, head of creative faculty at Chetwynde School, said the idea had come from members of the Trust’s professional network for music.

“It is World Music Day that’s why we picked this date,” she said, “Pupils are taking part from a variety of year groups ranging from Year 3 to Year 6 and it is the first event for the new music group formed across our MAT schools.

“We wanted to do something to bring all our schools together and celebrate music and performance and showcase the talent across the Trust to inspire everyone and we have done just that. It has been absolutely brilliant to hear everyone sing their hearts out today.”

Poetry-loving pupils will visit a living monument to one of the greatest writers in history after winning a national award.

The Poetry by Heart Special Contribution Award, which celebrates the achievements of children from South Walney Junior School, will be presented at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London next month.

It recognises the school’s work over the past three years to increase the profile of poetry at the school in an inclusive way through after-school clubs and competitions.

Pupils Max Fullard and Ellie Jeffrey have now been invited on an expenses-paid trip to the capital to receive the accolade.

South Walney Junior School Deputy Headteacher Michelle Banks said the school felt honoured to be recognised for its role in instilling a love of words in the children.

“Through the Poetry by Heart competition, not only have we increased the profile of poetry substantially through reading and learning it in school, but we have also given our children a rare opportunity to develop their personal confidence, self-esteem and resilience.

“We have done this in a context of shared enjoyment, warm relationships – and lots of laughter,” she said.

Children who took part in the Poetry by Heart competition selected, memorised, practised and performed their piece in front of other pupils, families and friends last term before their entries were submitted.

Headteacher Zena Lines said they were also inspired and encouraged by a past pupil Eleanor Boyd who was a national finalist in the contest in 2022.

“To see them perform the poems rather than just say them and for many of them to step out of their comfort zone was inspiring,” she said. “The opportunity to study classical poetry this year too, poetry they would never come across gave them new skills.”

The project was supported by Joan Stark who volunteered to help out in the weekly school sessions.

“Because of our physical isolation from other parts of the country, our children have restricted access to the arts in all their forms and cultural diversity. We are not discouraged and the staff aim to expand the children’s horizons in as many ways as possible,” she said.

“Michelle has led the programme with enthusiasm and passion, inspiring, energising and persuading the children to take part, and to persevere to overcome their feelings of nervousness, anxiety, and sometimes, inferiority.

“Everyone was accepted and valued, and when someone was struggling, the others were eager to help.”

Talented swimmers from Chetwynde were a splash hit bringing home a trophy when they competed in a national finals for a record 28th time.

The four pupils – Isabelle Tyson, Norah Graham, William Brough and Archie Williams – raced in the 28th National ESSA Primary Team Championships at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre.

Head of Primary Reece Edwards, who took the children to the event in Sheffield, said it had been a brilliant competition and they were very pleased to come home with the President’s Cup, awarded for being the fastest state school in their heats.

“We are so proud of the swimmers who continued our long tradition of not only representing Chetwynde School at this prestigious national event but maintaining our track record of success in the prizes. The pupils enjoyed a fantastic experience and showed great teamwork when competing.”

Chetwynde was the only school to reach the finals for a consecutive 28th year after qualifying through the North West division.

More than 220 pupils from schools across South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust will come together to perform as a group at the first cross-Trust music concert.

Children from Chetwynde, Ormsgill, Vickerstown, Cambridge, South Walney Juniors, Newbarns and Greengate Juniors will join the singalong hosted by Chetwynde School.

They will perform songs from popular music and the shows including Consider Yourself from Oliver, assembly favourite Power In Me, the Wellerman sea shanty, and Disney’s Moana Medley. 

The finale will bring all the pupiils together singing the uplifting Samba Carnival song.

Katherine Parkinson, head of creative faculty at Chetwynde School, said the idea had come from members of the Trust’s professional network for music.

“It is World Music Day on June 21st that’s why we picked this date,” she said, “Pupils are taking part from a variety of year groups ranging from Year 3 to Year 6 and it will be the first event for the new music group formed across our MAT schools.

“We wanted to do something to bring all our schools together and celebrate music and performance and showcase the talent across the Trust to inspire everyone.”

A huge congratulations to Chetwynde Year 3 pupil Brook-Li for making it into the Kanzen Karate England Squad.

Talented Brook-Li’s 18-month Karate journey so far has been swift On her first grading she double graded to Red belt, skipping Orange belt. She has since graded two more times to Green belt and now Purple.

Karate has well over 100 years of history and she trains in two areas, Kata (set routine) and Kumite (fighting).

During Brook-Li’s weekly training at Barrow Budokan, her Senseis – Derek Shields and his daughter Natalie Woodburn – saw promise in her ability so they asked if she would like to attend trials for the England squad.

Brook-Li decided to go and she managed to get in both the Kata and Kumite squads to represent England. Selections were tough as they had to prove themselves in front of 3x World Champion Christine Pullan.

Brook-Li will now continue to train hard and enter her first national competition in September. Her long term goal is to get an invitation to the World Championships in Sweden 2025.

Hundreds of young book enthusiasts shared their love of reading with their favourite authors when the Ormsgill Book Festival took place in Barrow this week.

Pupils from ten primary schools heard from leading children’s authors Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Jennifer Killick. They also took part in draw-a-long workshops with illustrator Fiona Woodcock and enjoyed tales from popular storyteller Dan Worsley.

The event, held at Ormsgill Primary School, is in its sixth year and has been organised by assistant headteacher Laura Reid.

Author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce shared stories of his own primary school days and impressed the pupils with magic before reading excerpts from his latest book The Wonder Brothers, set in Blackpool.

“Laura is a force of nature getting this organised and we are really excited to be here,” he said. “It’s important that the children know a book is created by people like them and that whole world is open to them.

“You need great words to be a great chef or a great surgeon or a great mum or dad, not necessarily just to be a writer,” he said.

Frank’s work is well-known to the pupils and he has amassed young fans across the world with 12 best-selling books as well as writing the only words the Queen ever acted in the Platinum Jubilee Paddington sketch.

“I want to bring a sense of fun and I hope it makes the pupils think that books and fun go together and they see books as something of a shared experience.”

Children’s novelist Jennifer Killick, who penned the Alex Sparrow books as well as junior horror including the DreadWood series, took the pupils on a journey through one of her books – Crater Lake.

She talked to the children about school trips as a setting for stories and challenged them to write their own adventures.

“Being an author is a wonderful job,” she told them. “I can write stories and make people feel happy or scared or all sorts of emotions.”

Pupils from schools in South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust were among those taking part in the festival.

Darcey from Year 5 at Newbarns Primary and Nursery School said it had definitely made her want to read more.

“This was one of the best experiences of my life and I couldn’t imagine meeting these authors in a million years,” she said.

Organiser Laura Reid said the authors had been keen to attend.

“We have been trying to get them for a few years but this time the dates all aligned and we are over the moon to welcome them,” she said.

“Frank is a national treasure and had the children enthralled with his storytelling and Jennifer brings some creepiness to her books, which they love.

“With Fiona and Dan completing the line-up we were able to offer workshops for all ages from reception right through to Year 6. It has been a packed day, we also had comic art sessions with Sim Leech who does the Comic Potential project.”

The event was supported bookseller Sam Read of Grasmere as well as by Barrow Town Council, TI Accountancy, accountants JF Hornby, BAE Systems and Nuclear Transport Solutions who donated from £500 to £2,500 for speakers.

Staff and pupils are celebrating after their schools were awarded a prestigious national award for excellence in science.

Greengate Junior School and Ramsden Infant and Nursery School, both in Barrow, have received the Primary Science Quality Mark in recognition of their commitment to quality science teaching and learning.

The award is given to schools who develop science leadership, ensuring teachers have the knowledge, capability and support they need to transform science education and shape future generations.

Science leader Dawn Ditchfield, who worked with Sharon Rampton at Ramsden Infants on the joint initiative, said everyone was delighted to receive the award, which is backed by the University of Hertfordshire.

“We have worked very hard to continuously improve the science curriculum across our schools for the benefit of our pupils and instil an understanding of how science underpins so much of their daily lives. This project gave us the opportunity to come together as federated schools and look to the future of science across both sites. 

“The panel said it was very impressed by the high quality of the submission, it could see our commitment to leading science and had clearly had a positive impact on teaching and learning.”

Helen Sizer, co-director of the Primary Science Quality Mark, said the award powers the potential of all children to see the relevance and importance of science in their lives, now and in the future. 

“Schools that have achieved a Primary Science Quality Mark have demonstrated a significant commitment to science leadership, teaching and learning and the profile and quality of science in each accredited school is very high. Science subject leaders, their colleagues, headteachers, children, parents and governors should be very proud.”

Both schools have applied to join South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust in the next academic year.

Pupils explored the world from their classroom as part of the first South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust Multicultural Day.

They took a journey across dozens of countries including Italy, India, Egypt, Lithuania, Nigeria, Japan and Afghanistan.

The children selected the countries to learn more about the heritage and culture of pupils and their families who are now part of the school.

Children at Chetwynde, Ormsgill, Vickerstown, South Walney Juniors, Cambridge and Newbarns schools all took part in the event along with Ramsden Infant School which enjoyed a week-long celebration of the school’s diversity.

They enjoyed traditional dances, international cuisine, learnt greetings in different languages and took part in crafts linked to the countries.

Pupils at Ormsgill had their passport stamped in each country, those at Newbarns opted to celebrate the culture of Ukraine dressing in yellow and blue while South Walney Juniors took a trip to Japan.

Headteacher of Newbarns Primary and Nursery School Gary Birkett said it had been a brilliant day with visitors who taught Ukrainian games, music and songs.

“Pupils made paper dolls, created paintings and tried different foods from Ukraine and we ended the day with a special assembly.

“We chose to celebrate Ukraine because we are fortunate to have people who come from Ukraine in our school.

“We also recognised and celebrated the fact we have children and staff from The Philippines, Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria and other countries, who all add to our proud British culture,” he said.

The event was organised by members of the Trust’s modern foreign languages network group to promote a love of languages.

Ormsgill Primary and Nursery School Assistant Headteacher Jessica Corless, who is part of the group, said the event had been a huge success.

“The children whose country was represented felt very special and were very excited and proud for their friends to learn about their country,” she said. “Overall, there was a wonderful atmosphere around the schools with the sights, sounds and smells of so many countries conveyed in such an engaging way to our pupils. We hope it will now become an annual event.”

A Chetwynde School student has taken the first step to his dream career in politics after being appointed a deputy member of the Westmorland and Furness Youth Parliament.

Thomas Colquhoun successfully campaigned for his seat and was voted in by other pupils from schools around Furness.

He said he was looking forward to working with a ‘brilliant team’ of other members and deputies and to be the voice of change for young people across this area.

“I thought why not apply for it as I want to be a politician,” he said. “I feel rather proud that my campaign was a big success and gratitude to the supporters who voted for me in the election.

“I hope to make free speech more than just a dream. People want to speak their minds but don’t have the power to. I wish people could speak their minds more freely and more frequently.

“We can have a respectful discussion and at the same time disagree with each other but the purpose of that is that we don’t have to hide our opinions.”

The Youth Parliament is a non-Party political body where 11–18-year-olds represent the views of the area’s young people at a regional and national level. His role in office will be two years when he will work with the others on issues including raising awareness of keeping children safe on social media and the impact on their mental health.

They will also highlight awareness around autism and neuro-divergence in schools, promote Road safety for young people in particular distraction of phones and headphones and champion careers in the tech industry.

Head of Humanities at Chetwynde School Sian Huck who supported Thomas to put himself forward for the campaign said everyone was really proud of his achievement.

“Thomas had to write a manifesto and deliver a speech via Teams to try and gain votes from schools around Furness. He did a brilliant job speaking passionately about giving young people a voice in politics.”