Chetwynde School has been celebrating the season in style with a series of shows and events in the run up to Christmas.

Pupils from Year 10 penned and performed a new pantomime of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves showcasing it to the school.

Meanwhile Years 3 to 7 teamed up for A Very Merry Chetwynde Christmas with singing, dancing and music and there were two nativities – A Miracle in Town by kindergarten and reception and A Twinkly Nativity by Years 1 and 2.

Katherine Parkinson, who is Head of Faculty for Creative Arts & PE at Chetwynde, said they wanted to give pupils right through the school a chance to get involved in the festive events.

“The Year 10’s pantomime is part of their performing arts GCSE. They have to devise a play, write the script and perform it and we also have a pupil who is on the technical pathway who does all the light and sound for the show.

“At Chetwynde we want to give as many year groups as possible the opportunity to sing, play instruments and perform right from primary through to secondary so they can progress their skills. They have a chance to do Trinity rock and pop exams as well as musical theatre and drama.”

“The primary pupils absolutely loved seeing the Year 10 panto saying it was better than a professional production and they are already inspired about performing their own when they are in secondary.”

She said the children were also enjoying the annual Laps for Lapland fundraiser, which has been taking place in PE lessons with children completing laps of the field to more than 1300 miles in aid of Barrow Foodbank.

In addition to the events in school, Year 6 took their singing voices to the community when they performed carols and Christmas songs at the Roundhouse on Walney and for the residents of Abbey Meadow.

Chetwynde School, which is part of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, has announced it will put on two musicals next year with secondary students performing Legally Blonde and the primary pupils starring in Moana.

Year 11 Imogen Jones and Year 9 Derryn Wearing have been selected to share the lead role of Elle while Gray Sutherland is Warner and Damon Schofield will play Emmett in Legally Blonde. Tickets will go on sale in February.

ENDS

Congratulations to Chetwynde School student Thomas Colquhoun who was welcomed to the UK Youth Parliament at the Houses of Parliament in London this week.

The aspiring politician met MP for Barrow and Furness Michelle Scrogham and other Cumbria representatives after successfully campaigning for a seat earlier this year.

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.

Thomas’s two-year role with the Westmorland and Furness Youth Parliament will include work to raise awareness of keeping children safe on social media and the impact on their mental health.

The representatives have also pledged to 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.

Thomas said he is looking forward to giving young people a voice in politics.

Head of Humanities at Chetwynde School Sian Huck who supported Thomas to put himself forward for the campaign said he was a passionate campaigner.

“Everyone is really proud of Thomas’s achievements and excited about the opportunities for positive change this will bring for him and our young people.”

High-flying pupils at Chetwynde School have triumphed in a prestigious national computing competition backed by Oxford University.

Seven students achieved a gold award in the Bebras Challenge organised by the Raspberry Pi Foundation putting them in the top ten percent of students nationally.

The challenge is a series of problems known as Bebras tasks based on informatics and computational thinking.

Pupils from across Year 7 and 8 in the school sat the challenge with seven securing top marks placing up with the best in the country.

Stefan Olphert, who is Head of Mathematics and Computing at Chetwynde School, said it was an outstanding performance and the pupils should be really proud of their achievements.

“The challenges were complex and required a high level of knowledge of programming and coding as well as dedication and strong focus in exam-like conditions.

“Congratulations to all the students who took part, in particular those who achieved the gold award showing exceptional problem-solving skills.”

Those achieving gold were Kye Turner, Ava Dunseath, Jake Brown, James Bartlett, Matthew Silk, Harrison Rudd and Nikhil Nair.

Kye, who achieved the highest marks placing him best in school, said he had enjoyed the competition.

“It was difficult but I enjoyed it because it was something different,” he said.

Mr Olphert thanked fellow Chetwynde staff Sheila Coull and Kiera Peifer for their help supporting pupils for the challenge.

Chetwynde Headteacher Steve Jefferson said everyone in the school, which is part of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, was really impressed with the results.

“The success of our students in this competition reflects the high standard of education and the supportive learning environment at Chetwynde School,” he said.

“We are really proud to give our students opportunities outside of classroom learning to showcase their skills.”

A new partnership between South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust and the University of Cumbria launches today to boost recruitment to primary teaching.

Places will be offered for selected applicants who want to train as primary teachers at Chetwynde School in Barrow.

They will study for a one-year University of Cumbria Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) which will also give them Qualified Teacher Status, ratified by University of Warwick, enabling them to pursue a teaching career.

The Initial Teacher Training programme will start at the school on Rating Lane in September 2025 with applications open now and placements across the Trust.

Andrew Wren, CEO of SCMAT and a professor of practice at the University of Cumbria, said the Trust was committed to a model of ‘growing our own’ to increase continuity of staff and provide a talented workforce for the benefit of all its pupils.

“South Cumbria is entering a phase of growth and investment, particularly Barrow, and collectively our community is working to ensure that the infrastructure, including building the skills and future professionals, that our area needs is in place across many fields, including education.

“The Trust has been looking to provide high-quality Initial Teacher Education to potential trainees, with a focus on primary education.

“A partnership with University of Cumbria, with which there are already many links through the growing presence of the university in the town and new campus opening next year, is seen to be a natural and mutually beneficial step.”

Dr Ruth Harrison-Palmer, Director of the Institute of Education, Arts and Society at the University of Cumbria, said: “We are a university for and from Cumbria, proudly working with educators, employers, businesses and many more to increase and meet the need for higher-level skills across many sectors in Barrow and beyond, and working to raise the participation in higher education locally.

“It is our mission to equip our learners and communities, enabling them to thrive for generations to come. Our work in and for Barrow includes this new partnership with South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, which is an example of our strategic plan and intent to create inclusive and accessible opportunities and progression routes through to higher education.

“We are particularly proud of our service to the education sector and workforce via our strong partnerships with schools, networks and settings along with our long-established Initial Teacher Education which is judged to be ‘good’ by Ofsted. Our trainees ‘benefit from well-structured curriculums’ and via our ITE are ‘very well prepared’ for their future careers.”

Head of Chetwynde Steve Jefferson said he wants to hear from any graduates over the age of 21 who are thinking of becoming a teacher, have a passion for education, enjoy a challenge and who put children and their needs first.

“We welcome this collaboration which opens up fresh opportunities for people to enter the profession.

“School-led teacher training opportunities are an invaluable way for us to develop staff for the future to ensure our pupils get the best possible all-round education. I have seen first-hand the amazing skills that people can bring to the classroom through initiatives such as this.

“Chetwynde School is the only all-through school in the area and, while placements are in primary, the chosen candidates will benefit from all the expertise staff across our entire school and Trust can bring.”

The places are non-salaried places and are funded through student loans with a guaranteed interview at the end of the course.

Kind-hearted pupils and staff from Chetwynde School have gifted around 40 Christmas shoeboxes to Barrow AFC as part of an initiative to bring festive cheer to disadvantaged children in the area.

The shoeboxes, filled with gifts and essential items, will be distributed to local families in need during the holiday season.

James Crayston, Phase Lead for Year 8 and Year 9 at Chetwynde, and Reece Edwards, Head of Primary, presented the shoeboxes to the Holker Street club.

The donation is the latest step in the growing partnership between Chetwynde School and Barrow AFC, which has strengthened significantly over the past few years.

Mr Crayston said the project helps to instil a strong sense of community and compassion in pupils in line with the school’s values of respect, responsibility and resilience.

“This shoebox initiative is a fantastic example of how we can make a tangible difference to those in need. Our ongoing partnership with Barrow AFC has created incredible opportunities for our students, and it’s a privilege to continue building that relationship through initiatives like this.”

Last month, over 200 Chetwynde students were among pupils from across South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust who cheered Barrow to victory in the Lancashire Cup Final.

Barrow AFC triumphed over Burnley FC in a thrilling penalty shootout involving former Chetwynde pupil now Bluebirds’ goalkeeper Wyll Stanway.

Mr Edwards said it had left a lasting impression.

“From providing unforgettable experiences like attending the Lancashire Cup Final to supporting local children through this shoebox initiative, the relationship continues to benefit both the school and the community,” he said. “It’s inspiring to see how this connection encourages our students to engage with their community and make a positive impact,” he said.

The shoeboxes, lovingly prepared by students, parents, and staff, contained a mix of toys, school supplies, toiletries, and winter essentials.

Dave Pointer, Retail and Ticket Office Manager at Barrow AFC, thanked the school for their support.

“The shoeboxes will bring so much joy to local children this Christmas. The partnership we’ve built with Chetwynde is truly special, and it’s amazing to see what we can achieve together for the community.”

Talented pupil Oscar Hart is celebrating after winning the annual Lalita Patel Poetry Competition at South Walney Junior School.

The award was established in 1993 by Walney newsagent Rajesh Patel in memory of his mum who was a big believer in education and died at the age of 39.

The family ran their shop just opposite the school on Amphitrite Street, where Tesco is now situated.

Mr Patel, who now lives in Birmingham, returns every year to present a prize to present the trophy and books to a pupil who has shown the greatest achievement in poetry during the year.

Oscar’s poem The Tweeting Bird is set on the battlefield in wartime and captures the silence after soldiers surrender.

Deputy Headteacher Michelle Banks said the standard was very high again this year and congratulated Oscar and all the runners up.

“The Patel family are 100 per cent committed to education and supporting the school and the pupils love competing for the poetry prize.

“They choose their own style and theme and submit it then we have an assembly with family of the winners present – so if they see their parents when they walk in they know they have won a prize.”

The school, which is part of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, has a strong focus on writing and also performing poetry and takes part in the national Poetry by Heart competition.