Staff at Newbarns Primary and Nursery School are mastering Makaton to support pupils with learning and communication difficulties.

A team of 16 staff have started learning Level 1 of the programme, which uses signs, symbols and speech to help understanding.

They are being led by specialist Sign Makaton tutor Karen Baxter in group sessions at the school on Rising Side in Barrow.

Deputy Headteacher Victoria Fitzgibbons said staff had been enthusiastic to learn the system for the benefit of the pupils and had picked up sentences even after the first session.

“Last year we looked at visuals as a communication method and this is the next step to enhance our signing language,” she said.

“Some of our children haven’t got any other method of communication and this gives them a voice.

“It has already had a really big impact after just a couple of weeks with staff signing to children in the classroom and corridors with our signs of the week.

“It is a simple system as you do not have to sign every word for pupils to get the gist of what you are saying. Television programmes such as Mr Tumble use this system so it will really enhance the pupils’ learning experience.”

The workshops have started at Level 1 and include teaching staff and staff from the Hive – the school’s provision for children with additional needs – as well as the nursery.

As the staff progress to the next level of learning, another cohort will start with the aim to ensure all staff eventually have an understanding of Makaton. The staff are also sharing a Monday Makaton on social media so children, staff and parents can start to pick up words and phrases.

Newbarns Primary and Nursery School is part of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust.

“When we do events across the Trust the aim is that our children will be able to talk to children in other schools who also use Makaton,” said Mrs Fitzgibbons.

ENDS

More than 50 pupils from South Walney Infant and Nursery School braved the rainy weather to enjoy time at the Allotment Soup project this month.

The Year 2 pupils took part in a bioblitz workshop to identify as many species of plants, animals and other organisms as possible.

The workshops aim to introduce people to a range of ecological interventions which promote sustainability, build resilience and encourage biodiversity.

Representatives from project leaders Art Gene then visited school for a drawing workshop with the pupils based on what they had seen and the children enjoyed a day of outdoor learning on rotation.

The school is an associate member of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust.

Experienced education campaigner Dame Julia Cleverdon was among several special guests who visited Ormsgill Primary and Nursery School this week.

She hosted a meeting of headteachers, Westmorland and Furness Council representatives and those from wider education as part of a project to listen to the challenges facing school leaders.

Dame Julia was invited to lead the meeting drawing on her expertise to offer an insight into how to tackle educational disadvantage.

The meeting was organised by Team Barrow, which is a dynamic partnership between central government, Westmorland and Furness Council and BAE Systems.

It is aimed at enabling Barrow to be a new “powerhouse for the north”, revitalising the town as a place where people choose to live, work, and thrive.

Headteacher Mick Cull said: “We were delighted to be asked to host this meeting, which included some very influential people. We discussed the challenges facing schools in Barrow and ways to work together to try to find practical ways to improve the outcomes for young people in the area.”

South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust Chair Phil Huck has presented Trust Clerk and Head of Governance Lesley Millard with a special award in recognition of her work to support SCMAT.

Presenting the award at the latest board meeting, he said Lesley’s professionalism in her role was valued by all the Trustees, especially because SCMAT was a recently established Trust and she had helped to keep everything on track. Lesley said it was a lovely surprise to receive recognition from SCMAT. 

“I have enjoyed working with the Trust from its beginnings which is an exciting time for governance professionals; providing advice and guidance ensuring the Trust is compliant and effective,” she said. “Working with the SCMAT Trust Board and central team highlights why I love my job; working with a team who are passionate about the lives of young people locally.”

Chewynde pupil Polly Robson has used her creative talents to support a charity event.

The Year 8 pupil held a stall at a special fundraiser at Hawcoat Park for the Tigerlily Trust, which offers support for bereaved parents.

She sold 56 bracelets at the event, donating £1 for each sold to raise much-needed funds for the charity and made a £10 donation of her own – totalling £66.

The total is still rising with another £7 donated via social media and sales continue.

Polly said: “I wanted to help a charity by making my bracelets and we found the event online and thought it was a good charity to support because it is very small. I’m very proud because I did not think I would make that much money for the charity and people said it was a lovely thing to do. I like making jewellery because it is very calming and you can sit down and do it after a long day and it helps you to relax. In future I’d like to continue making and selling my jewellery while travelling the world.”

Headteacher Steve Jefferson said: “We are really impressed with Polly who is not only using her talent to turn her crafting hobby into a little business but is using it for the good of others.

“She is a fantastic student and embodies the values of respect, responsibility and resilience that we try to instil in pupils across our school. Well done Polly!”

The latest Head Boy and Head Girl of Vickerstown Primary School to be elected in a pupil-led vote have been announced.

Head Boy Lewis, Head Girl Hope and their deputies Jake and Ella-Mae were presented with their badges this week by MP for Barrow and Furness Michelle Scrogham.

Pupils had put themselves forward for the positions, written a speech and the class had two votes each.

Year 6 teacher Correen Watt, who organised the voting and presentation, said they were delighted to welcome Michelle along to make the presentation.

“This is the second year that our pupils have led the selection process with the MP presenting the badges and I hope that it becomes a new tradition for our school.

“Listening to Michelle was really inspirational for our pupils in their new leadership roles.”

Michelle Scrogham MP also enjoyed a tour of the school, which is part of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, led by the school council members.

“I’ve been really impressed by your focus in the classrooms when I’ve been having a look around,” she told the pupils.

“It’s great to see that you have a school council and leaders that you voted for and that will represent your interests in your time at school.

“Hopefully I can do as good a job for my constituents as I know that they will do for you.”

Michelle added: “I want to thank Vickerstown Primary School for inviting me. It was an absolute honour to present these awards, and all the children were an absolute credit to the school.”

Prefects were also announced in the special assembly and Violet received her certificate as Sports Captain with Leo as her deputy.

Pupils are cooking up a storm in new kitchen facilities funded by Chetwynde School’s Parent Teacher Association.

The PTA has donated £3,000 for the fit-out of the new facility in the school’s state-of-the-art design and technology building.

Among the first pupils to use the equipment are those taking part in the school’s link up with the Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food initiative.

The ten-week programme dubbed ’10 Lessons to Save Your Life’ teaches young people how to cook from scratch with practical advice on skills such as chopping and frying, as well as nutritional information.

Chetwynde teacher Hayley Halliwell, who is Phase 3 lead at the school, said they had successfully applied to join the pilot, which is backed by the University of Leeds.

“The new facilities are fantastic and ensure we can not only deliver the Jamie Oliver programme for Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils but it has also been used by other departments across the school to bring lessons to life,” she said.

In science pupils created a yeast reaction while the English department made flatbreads – or Injera –  which is the staple diet of the main character in the story Boy 87 that they are studying.

Pam Green, chair of the Chetwynde PTA, said the team was delighted to see the kitchen in action.

“We asked the headteacher what his priorities were this year and how we could help and he mentioned the Jamie Oliver academy,” she said.

“We are delighted to support the school and fund the kitchen facilities that will be widely used and help pupils to cook healthy meals, mastering easy recipes that will benefit them throughout their lives.”

The Ministry of Food project starts this term and includes personalised videos with Jamie Oliver’s teenage son Buddy, recipe sheets and lesson plans as well as information on sustainability and where food comes from.

Headteacher Steve Jefferson said: “We are very grateful to our wonderful PTA and everyone who has donated to make this excting project happen, including our site team that installed the kitchen and members of staff who drove the idea forward for the benefit of all our pupils.”

Chetwynde is part of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust and a finalist for secondary school of the year in the Cumbria Education Awards Golden Apples.

ENDS

Staff and pupils from South Walney Junior and Ormsgill schools brought the vibrant cultures of the continent to the classroom for European Day of Languages.

At South Walney each year group chose a different country – Year 3 France, Year 4 Italy, Year 5 Belgium and Year 6 Spain – and challenged themselves learning new vocabulary and trying foods associated with the country.

Pupils were tasked with making traditional dishes from their countries with paella, waffles, pizza, croissants and pain au chocolat on the menu.

There were also creative challenges with Year 5 painting in the style of Belgian artist Rene Magritte and Year 4 learning about life in ancient Rome and having their photo taken with a backdrop of the Colosseum.

Year 6 at Ormsgill School mastered saying ‘hello’ in ten different languages, learnt about European countries and flags, tried traditional French pastries and learnt some key phrases in French.

The children at South Walney Juniors were joined by specialist modern foreign languages teacher Paul Vaughan, from Chetwynde School, who is teaching French to key stage 2 pupils across the primary schools in South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust.

He led Year 3 in learning French children’s song ‘Savez-vous planter les choux?‘, which is a very popular nursery rhyme in French speaking countries. He also taught Italian and Spanish to the children.

“It was a special day and pupils thoroughly engaged with the tasks because they were able to see languages being used for a purpose,” he said.

“Learning a second language at such a young age has a huge and positive impact on a pupil’s communication and interpersonal skills. It is exciting to witness this first-hand and be part of their linguistic learning journey.”

South Walney Junior School Headteacher Zena Lines said everyone had entered into the spirit of the day, which is hosted annually.

“It is such a fun way to introduce pupils not only to speaking and singing in new languages but also to create and try new foods, which always goes down well with our children.”

South Walney Junior School and Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School are both part of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust.