Talented young performers from Trust schools have enjoyed success at the annual South Cumbria Music Festival

Pupils from Cambridge Primary School and Chetwynde School scooped an array of prizes for music, speech and performance.

Both choirs from Cambridge School topped their classes with the infant choir securing 83 and the junior choir scoring 84 – both building on last year’s wins in the event at the Coronation Hall in Ulverston.

At Chetwynde School pupils celebrated success across a wide range of categories.

Lily Beth Steele Hock achieved first place in the Piano Solo class for Years 10–12, as well as winning both the SCMF Cup for Poetry and the Bill Shaw Helvellyn Cup for Acting in the Years 10–13 section. Rishan Das gained first place and two second places in Brass Solo classes for Years 7–9, while Dylan Meacock earned two third places in Piano Solos and a second place in Duets. Harrison Rudd also performed strongly, gaining a first, a second and two third places for violin, along with a second and third place for piano.

In speech and drama, Alice Fitzsimmons won the Glen Meay Cup in the ‘Write and Recite’ class for Years 7–9, and Hannah Maguire won the Bronte Cup for her prepared reading of Matilda. Polly Robson also impressed the judges, scoring 83 out of 100 in the Years 7–9 Poetry class.

Younger pupils also enjoyed an excellent festival. Matylda Garbacz won her drama class, while Lucia Thornton achieved a first and a second place in piano. In the Years 4–6 piano class, Edward Roberts won first place, with Brook Li Yung and Arlo Meacock sharing third place. Betsy Parkinson, Archie Newton, Agatha Wrathall and Elijah Meacock also took part in the same class, competing at the festival for the first time.

Katherine Parkinson, Head of Creative Faculty at Chetwynde School, said: “It has been fantastic to see so many of our pupils take part in this year’s festival and perform to such a high standard.

“Their success reflects not only their talent, but also the dedication they have shown in rehearsals and lessons.

“Festivals like this provide invaluable experience, allowing pupils to perform in a professional venue and benefit from expert feedback, which helps them grow in confidence and continue developing their skills.”

Cambridge Primary School Headteacher Jenny Lavery congratulated the pupils and thanked the staff involved for their hard work in preparing them.

“Our pupils were thrilled to return to school with two first places, both with high commendations. They sang their hearts out and listened very carefully to all that Mrs Brown and the adjudicators had to say. We are incredibly proud of their enthusiasm and commitment to learning and performing.”

The South Cumbria Musical Festival was founded in 1976 and has grown over more than four decades into a highly respected and much-anticipated annual event, attracting competitors and audiences from across Cumbria and beyond. Known for its high standards, friendly atmosphere and excellent organisation, the festival gives performers the opportunity to appear on stage in a professional venue and receive constructive feedback from experienced adjudicators, many of whom are internationally recognised in their field.

An experienced education leader will take the helm at Vickerstown Primary School and Brambles Nursery bringing more than 25 years of expertise, energy and vision to the role.

Caroline Vernon will take up the position of Executive Headteacher after the Easter break, having previously worked with the school in an advisory capacity to support school improvement. Her appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the school community as it continues its journey of growth and development.

Caroline has spent more than two decades in education, including successful headships, before moving into education consultancy and school improvement work across the region. Despite stepping away from full-time leadership, she said the opportunity to return to the classroom at Vickerstown was simply too special to turn down.

“I have been working with Vickerstown staff on school improvement in an advisory capacity, but I can see there is so much that we can achieve for the pupils with me being there permanently,” she said.

“I thought I had retired from teaching, but Vickerstown is such an amazing place with so much potential that I just want to be able to work with staff and pupils there and help shape its success.

“The dedication of the team and the enthusiasm of the children make this a school where great things can happen and I’m incredibly excited to be part of that journey.”

Caroline is no stranger to Walney, having started her teaching career at North Walney Primary School, and she has long been committed to improving opportunities for young people locally. In 2011 she founded the Furness Education and Skills Partnership, a charity created to give young people aspirational opportunities to work with employers and develop valuable employability skills.

Welcoming her appointment, Acting CEO of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust Steve Jefferson said he was delighted to have Caroline on the leadership team.

“Caroline already knows the school well and shares our ambition to provide the very best education for every pupil. Her experience, energy and commitment will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen the school and build on the positive work already taking place. We would like to thank Mick Cull for his dedication, professionalism and leadership since the start of term as he returns to Ormsgill Primary School full time.”

Chair of Governors Jenny Crellin said the governing body was pleased to secure such an experienced leader for the school.

“Caroline has a strong track record of success and her passion for improving outcomes for children is clear to everyone who works with her.”

“She has built strong relationships with staff and pupils and governors are confident that her leadership will help Vickerstown Primary School and Brambles Nursery continue on the path to success.”

She will be supported in her role by Deputy Headteacher Fern Hayes and the school’s senior leadership team.

A talented pupil from Chetwynde School has successfully secured a highly competitive national grant from Trinity College London to support her music studies.

Year 10 pupil Lily Scaife has been awarded £300 from the Trinity College London Music & Drama Access Fund, a national initiative designed to help young people overcome barriers to accessing music and drama qualifications.

The grant will enable Lily to begin working towards her graded singing examinations, helping to fund lessons, exam fees and the resources needed to continue her musical development.

Lily, who is an active member of the school’s Senior Singing Club, said she was thrilled to begin Trinity’s graded singing exams at school.

“Music makes me happy – I don’t think I could do homework or artwork without it because I always have my headphones on. I feel very excited to start singing lessons as a step towards something to do with performing arts in the future.”

Lily recently impressed audiences with her performance as Schlomo in the school’s production of Fame The Musical, where she both sang and played piano.

Nicole Vergel de Dios, Music and Voice Teacher at Chetwynde School, who nominated Lily for the award, said her commitment to the performing arts made her an outstanding candidate.

“Lily has a lot of talent. She’s a self-taught pianist with a fantastic voice and a really good ear, especially for improvisation and picking things up quickly. From the start I could tell she listens to a wide range of music, which is a great sign of her musicality and potential.

“For a show, most students work their way up through the ensemble, but Lily stepped straight into a main role, which is really impressive.

“I wanted her to be able to access the next stage of her music education if she chooses to pursue it and this grant will really help.”

Katherine Parkinson, Head of Creative Faculty at Chetwynde School, which is part of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, said the whole community was proud of Lily’s achievement.

“Lily has shown real passion for singing and performance. Opportunities like this can make a huge difference to young performers and we are delighted to see her taking the next step in her musical journey.”

School staff and pupils are urging the local community to get behind an upcoming production of Fame the Musical as they prepare to bring the high-energy show to the stage.

Chetwynde School’s version of the hit show comes at a challenging time for the performing arts in Barrow, following the closure of The Forum theatre.

Head of Creative Faculty Katherine Parkinson said it means support for talented young people performers is more important than ever.

“These pupils dream of careers on the stage and have been working incredibly hard on this production of Fame the Musical,” she said.

“At a time when opportunities to experience live theatre in Barrow are more limited this is a chance for our community to come together and show that the performing arts still matter here.

“We want, above anything, to see a full audience for them to showcase their amazing talent, reward their dedication and give them the unforgettable experience of performing to a packed audience.”

Tickets for the show on Wednesday 11th March and Thursday 12th March in the school’s theatre are still available but the pupils are all hoping to play to a full house.

Year 11 pupil Gray Sutherland, who plays the central character of Nick Piazza, is in his final Chetwynde production before he progresses to Kendal College to study Performing Arts. 

“It’s full of life and everybody’s so dedicated to the show. We’ve put loads of effort into it and I’m excited about the performance.”

Mia Purcell who is jointly cast in the character of Serena also encouraged people to come along.

“It’s a super entertaining production with great music, catchy songs and really cool dances with jumps and cartwheels.”

Set in a New York High School for the Performing Arts, Fame follows a group of students as they pursue their ambitions while navigating the pressures of training, friendship and growing up. Several principal roles have been double cast, giving even more pupils the opportunity to take to the stage.

The role of Carmen will be performed by Year 10 students Derryn Wearing and Cailtin Bailey. Serena will be played by Amelie Crabtree (Year 8) and Mia Purcell (Year 9), while Schlomo will be portrayed by Damon Schofield (Year 9) and Lily Scaife (Year 10). Miss Sherman will be brought to life by Marla Currie (Year 9) and Hannah Maguire (Year 10).

Pupils said they selected Fame because the show not only includes the opportunity to act and sing but also features vibrant dance numbers and live instruments played on stage, giving young musicians a chance to shine.

The production has been an effort from the whole-school, which is part of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust. Year 8 pupils have created striking backdrops depicting the New York skyline while Year 11 student Daniel Silk has worked on the technical side of the show, shadowing Governor Chris Parkinson to develop lighting effects and manage sound.

The show is 90 minutes and includes an interval. Tickets are available here: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/FYZD