Changing Lives Learning Trust - Spring Newsletter

WE ARE CHANGING LIVES

Dear Parents and Carers,

As I continue to strive to make as much progress as possible in my remaining months towards our vision, I believe the new CEO, whomever that may be, will no doubt read “We are changing lives” and so my introduction to this edition is simple; let’s all remember our focus is to change lives through learning and use this publication as the celebration of all the work across our Trust. Everyone reading this, especially the new CEO, should read each example from our academies, turn the last page and be left with a deep sense of the efforts to give our children a preparation for life that is excelled by no other. This should always be our distinction.

Jonathan Johnson OBE, CEO, Changing Lives Learning Trust

SCHOOL NEWS

As we come to the end of the Spring Term, we are pleased to share with you the latest news and achievements from across our family of seven schools.

ARLECDON SCHOOL

Forest School Visits

The whole school have enjoyed their trips to Forest School. The children especially enjoyed whitling, toasting marshmallows and exploring the woodland.

Farm Visit

The EYFS children recently visited a working farm. They were able to see the cows and calves as well as the feeding and milking areas. They then used the milkshake machine to bring chocolate, strawberry, banana and raspberry white chocolate flavoured milk back to school and they enjoyed this for their afternoon snack.

Road Safety Workshop

KS1 took part in a Pyjama Drama Road Safety Workshop this term. The children learnt to think, stop, look and listen before crossing the roads. They also learnt about different crossings and how to know if it was safe to cross.

Key Stage 2 News

Children in KS2 have been learning about the book ‘The Leopard’s Drum’ and African music. This term, they have been creating music using a variety of instruments. They have also been conducting super fun experiments in science. Year 5 and 6 were learning about digestion and how the food we eat travels through our bodies including all about nutrients. The children loved this practical experiment and showed off all their knowledge from earlier in the topic. Year 3 and 4 talked about the different teeth and how they break down the food at the beginning of the digestive journey.

DEARHAM SCHOOL

Winter Wonderland

Our youngest pupils were in awe of the snow, frost and ice that we saw in February and this fitted in well with their ‘Winter Wonderland’ topic. They loved exploring the grounds to look for signs of winter and even managed to spot a robin! They then looked at where the polar regions are and enjoyed finding out about polar animals.

What have we been reading?

Year 1 read ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch’ and looked for ways to stop the pesky seagulls eating Mr. Grinling’s sandwiches. They amazed us with their fantastic writing skills and challenging vocabulary. Meanwhile, Year 2 explored different feelings through ‘The Colour Monster’ book and came up with some super poems, linking different colours to emotions.

History Topics

In addition to their daily Maths and English lessons, pupils across Key Stage 2 enjoyed being historians and finding out about life in different periods of the past. Year 3 travelled back to Roman times and had great fun making shields and performing various army manoeuvres such as ‘the tortoise’. Year 4 were visited by a Viking from Moorforge and enjoyed being Vikings for the day. They marched to their longboat, examined weaponry and even made some Viking coins.

Year 5 found out about the legacy of Greece and saw how many things in our lives today, originated with these ancient people.

The history of Dearham village was the focus in Year 6 and they used primary sources of evidence such as behaviour books, attendance registers, evacuee logs, newspaper clippings and photographs to find out more about the area in the 1900s. They were shocked to find a picture of the station master and his family and then discovered that there was not only one, but two stations in Dearham at that time.They were horrified by the severity of the punishments at school back then but loved spotting their grandparents’ names in the log books.

Term Highlights

Along with Chinese New Year, inter school sporting events, school discos, Red Nose Day and World Book Day, one of the highlights of this term was the upper Key Stage 2 residential trip to Robinwood. Team building and adventure activities saw the children bring their skills of collaboration, risk taking and resilience to the fore. We are looking forward to an equally exciting Term 3.

FLIMBY SCHOOL

First Aid Training

Our Year 3 and 4 children recently completed first aid training, where they learned CPR skills, what to do in an emergency and how to put someone in the recovery position. The training was provided by Flat Stan Workshops and the children all received certificates to celebrate their newly learnt knowledge.

Book Shop Visit

In January, a group of children visited Hills book store to celebrate being fantastic readers at home and each child was able to choose a book of their choice to keep. The children take part in ‘strive for 5’ where they aim to read at home each school night. Keep up the good work everyone!

Police Visit

Police officers from Workington Police Station recently visited the school to talk to our Mini Police group. The children had the amazing opportunity to get inside a police car and look at all of the equipment that the police have to use within the community. The Mini Police also handed out road safety leaflets which they had made themselves to encourage families in the school yard to drive safe.

Musician Visit

We welcomed Molly Warburton into school this term to inspire the children with music and learn about different careers in the music industry. All of the children loved listening to her songs and the visit even inspired some of the children to develop their passion in music.

QUEEN ELIZABETH GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Awards Evening

It has been another busy term which started with our wonderful Year 13 Awards Evening. We were joined by Melissa Williams, an ex-student who is now a TV producer and presented last year’s leavers with their exam certificates and she was able to share in their other successes.

Mock Interviews

It is so wonderful to see the difference that inspirational people from our community can have on our children and we were extremely grateful to local employers who visited in January to do ‘mock interviews’ with our Year 11 and Sixth Form students.

Student Performances

Our Music and Drama teams worked tirelessly with students to produce our musical, Grease, in February. Our PE and Dance team also worked exceptionally hard to produce our dance evening where all students in Year 7 and 8 were offered the chance to perform, in addition to students developing their own pieces across the board. The students had an amazing time and the standard was excellent.

York Visit

All our Year 8 students visited York as part of their History studies, exploring York Minster and discovering the history of the city. We also entered the Rotary Young Chef competition and one of our students has progressed to the regional round.

Outward Bound

Our Year 12 students who are going to Zambia in the summer had a wonderful opportunity to practise their skills (including teamwork) with their outward bound weekend.

PE Competitions

We are also very grateful for the work our PE team does in entering competitions across the county and ensuring children can take part. Students across school have competed in badminton, hockey, cross-country, netball, football, rugby and basketball to name a few. A highlight was seeing our Y8 boys make it to the North West Regional finals in hockey. Congratulations also to our equestrian team with a student finishing first in the 70cm class at a recent competition.

Music & Drama Festival

We also want to pay tribute to all the wonderful successes of students outside school in events such as the Carlisle Music and Drama Festival. We have seen many students enter this year, often performing in the evening and in many cases winning the cup for their class. They should be extremely proud of themselves.

ST BEES VILLAGE SCHOOL

EYFS News

Science Fair

EYFS have successfully planted a further five apple and plum sapling trees in the mini orchard. These arrived just in time for our World Book Day P4C (Philosophy for Children) enquiry around our whole school story “What Did The Tree See?” by Charlotte Guillain. Children in EYFS have recently been engaged in outdoor learning - reaping the benefits of the spring weather. We used magnifiers and iPads to examine, identify and record spring changes and many signs of new life in our school grounds (we have some budding photographers). We used binoculars to spot and monitor birds visiting the school grounds to discover a nesting robin and our resident wood pigeons who are busy nest building. We climbed trees to see “What our trees could possibly see, hear and feel” as well as use our sketching skills to sketch a “our trees view.” We are looking forward to helping our nature corridors flourish this year!

Foodbank News

We welcomed Stuart from the North Lakes Foodbank to school to deliver an assembly on the important work that they do support our local community. He shared with us how we can all do our bit to support this crucial service which currently supports over 7000 people a year, requiring 60 tonnes of food which all come from donations. More information about their work can be found here: www.thefoodbank.org.uk

Girls’ Football

We were proud to be able to field two teams at a recent girls’ football tournament at Lakes College. Both teams represented the school brilliantly, with one of our teams also finishing second overall!

Year 5 and 6 visited St Bees School to celebrate Science Week. They were in awe as they explored the fascinating world of scientific experiments. Pupils were captivated by mixing acid and metal strips to make loud popping noises, furthering their knowledge of chemical reactions. They also had a go at burning various substances to see how fireworks get their colours and sparkles. One of the most enthralling activities was when they interacted with a Van De Graaff generator which made their hair stand on end!

Art and Design Topic

As part of their Art and Design topic, Year 5 made some moving books. Once they were finished, they came to Year 1 to read them to us. It was lovely to see how much both Year 1 and Year 5 enjoyed this experience.

World Book Day

On Thursday 7th March, we celebrated World Book Day. The whole school completed activities linked to our whole school book ‘What did the tree see?’ by Charlotte Guillain. We were able to celebrate and explore fiction, non-fiction and poetry books. In assembly, children were able to explain the importance of books and suggested many interesting places where reading can take place. Many children chose to dress up as their favourite book character, with others opting for comfort in their pyjamas. Year 6 explored the history of their local area, whilst Year 2 took their reading outside and listened to the sounds of nature. Year 3 and Year 5 teamed together to create stories for each other, which were then shared at the end of the day. EYFS went outside in our orchard area and planted some new trees, with Year 4 enjoying writing their own stories.

THORNHILL SCHOOL

Judo

The children were presented with their Judo belts in assembly recently.

Mon, the junior judo grade system means “gate” in Japanese, and there are three per belt. The belts are in the order, from lowest to highest, white, red, yellow, orange, green, blue and brown. Judo grading systems aim to reward and acknowledge achievement and the attainment of knowledge.

Janice Knight, former British International and Commonwealth Champion has been coaching the children in breakfast club with support from the British Judo’s together fund. Janice has been able to offer extended classes for longer periods and the children have worked towards grade promotions and learning the judo moral code of courage, courtesy, friendship, honesty, honour, modesty, respect and self-control.

This Girl Can

Our KS2 girls had a wonderful experience at the ‘This Girl Can’ event at Whitehaven Academy. The aim of the event was to inspire and empower girls to believe in themselves and try anything.

Every single girl joined in the activities and had a fabulous time dancing, playing rugby, doing athletics and judo. They arrived back at school with big smiles whilst sharing their experiences.

KS2 Build- A – Bridge

Kier Construction came in to work with class 4 this term. The focus was bridge building and they were tasked with designing and constructing a bridge which would span a certain distance and withstand a certain weight. Spaghetti and marshmallows were the building materials and one bridge managed to withhold 6.7kg.

Thornhill Gladiators

On Friday 26th January our years 3 and 4 pupils had a lot of fun during their football tournament, despite the cold day. We won some games and finished with a penalty shoot out in the quarter finals!

It was very exciting for all. We lost out in the semi finals but came home very proud of ourselves. Well done Thornhill Gladiators!

WEST LAKES ACADEMY

Lego League

Dance Live

Mrs Williamson and a group of Year 7s went to Lakes College to take part in the First Lego League regional finals. The First Lego League is a global STEM programme and robotics competition for young people to think critically about real-world problems and understand how engineering and technology can be part of the solution and develop key skills.

After tough competition from all the schools taking part, especially the group from Coventry who set off at 3am to get there, WLA were crowned the overall winners and move onto the next stage of the competition in Harrogate – Great Britain National Final 2024. Good luck WLA!

World Book Day

We are thrilled to share the news that earlier this term our Dance Live team travelled to Blackpool for the regional heats of the performing arts competition and were awarded 1st place. The competition sees students compete with choreographed routines to the backdrop of a giant digital screen with pupils showcasing a range of skills from dance, performance and offstage technical skills to creative design.

The team will now progress to the national final in Portsmouth in April. Good luck to everyone involved!

Girls’ Rugby

Miss Cowper, our Literacy Coordinator has been leading our activities to support World Book Day this term. The book fair was set up for students in the lead up to World Book Day and the area was inundated with students at break times to make purchases, discuss favourite books and give recommendations to others.

This was followed by an amazing World Book Day where staff dressed as iconic characters from a variety of wellknown stories. Students were excited to ask staff about their characters and their favourite books. All students were given a £1 book token to spend.

The Year 7 girls were in action in their first ever rugby tournament at Penrith recently. For many of the girls this was their first experience ever of playing rugby. The students came out winners over all in the festival, what an incredible start. The Year 7s were back in action again later on that week, along with our Year 9 team in the Rugby League tournament at St Benedict’s School. Both teams went unbeaten in both of their respective competitions and have now qualified for the national stages from each of their competitions. Well done to all students involved and many thanks to our PE staff for supporting our students in these competitions and fixtures.

ONE CUMBRIA UPDATE

Successful Redesignation!

We are delighted that One Cumbria Teaching School Hub has been successfully redesignated as the Teaching School Hub for the whole of Cumbria. We are looking forward to developing the golden thread of teacher development over the next four years. This means we will continue to work with Initial Teacher Trainees, Early Career Teachers, Early Career Mentors, Middle Leaders and Senior Leaders in schools across Cumbria. We aim to develop school staff to be the most effective teachers and leaders that they can be in order to improve outcomes for all.

We have welcomed a new member of staff to the team. Fiona Davidson is the Teaching School Hub Manager and is responsible for the administration and business aspects of the Hub. Fiona has a wealth of experience working in schools and has already improved processes and procedures!

Spotlight on National Professional Qualifications.

One Cumbria Teaching School Hub supports teachers in our schools through delivering National Professional Qualifications.

Many teachers and staff in the trust are studying for a qualification to help them to develop as leaders. The qualifications cover a wide range of themes, from Leading Behaviour and Culture to Leading Teaching, Senior Leadership, Headship and Executive Leadership.

If you would like to read more about this you can find more information here:

National Professional Qualifications - One Cumbria | Cumbria teaching School Hub | Teaching School Hub | Teaching Jobs Cumbria

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Erol Slater

What is your current role and what does this entail?

Facilities Manager at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School. I have a range of responsibilities from maintaining the fabrication of the buildings at QEGS, overseeing all aspects of health and safety, building projects, legal compliances and making sure the school is a safe and secure place for all our students, staff and service users.

What has been your career path to get here?

After working for years in IT and Retail Management, I fancied a change and joined William Howard School, in Brampton, as their Site Supervisor. I found I really enjoyed the role and became more interested in the facilities management side of the job. I have worked in various schools in the area since then, in senior roles and have worked on various projects, from refurbishments at Richard Rose to large scale electrical installation at UCC.

What

does a typical day look like for you?

Manic! You never know what you’ll walk into each day! From storm damage from the night before, to a leaking pipe that has flooded a classroom over a weekend, no day is the same! If I am having a disaster free morning, I will complete a site security walk, to check the grounds and buildings are free of any hazards, damage, or trespass. After completing the morning security check, I tend to look at any jobs that have been emailed to Estates and start to plan out the day. I often have site visits from contractors and suppliers, so I will check my diary to see who is visiting the school that day. Once a week we will test our fire alarm systems before the majority of staff and students arrive, making sure each call point is tested to a list we work off and reporting any defects to our fire engineers immediately. I like to touch base with the Site guys Stu and Cliff, each morning, to see if there is anything they need and to discuss the work plan for that day.

There is vast amount of planned and reactive maintenance scheduled over the year and chasing up contractors, negotiating best value/contract renewals and scheduling future works is a big part of the role. Most days will include planning and problem-solving, as well as meeting with a wide variety of our colleagues to talk about any issues or ideas they want to share.

What is your favourite thing about your role?

Helping people - understanding what we can and can not do on our site can be overwhelming and I enjoy being able to help staff understand what is expected of us, especially on the health and safety side of things. I also love seeing a plan come together (to quote the great Hannibal Smith) from planning how we will achieve something, putting it together and then seeing the finished results!

What career would you choose if weren’t doing this?

I really enjoyed teaching IT to older learners in a previous life, so probably doing something similar to that, or a car mechanic.

Can you share a recent accomplishment or success story from your work?

I have really enjoyed meeting the HODs and discussing what their department needs and what we can improve for the future. It’s been a great way to introduce myself and to meet staff and to get to know them and their departments better.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I am a massive petrolhead and love working on cars in my garage, I have recently restored a MK2 MX5 and saved it from the scrapyard! Spending as much time as I can with my awesome 6-year-old daughter and I love rock music, so live music/gigs, basketball (watching more these days!) I try to get to as many Newcastle Eagles games as I can.

MEET OUR TRUSTEES

Janice Allen

Changing Lives Learning Trust

Please tell us about yourself and your career background:

I have been a teacher and school leader in Manchester, Salford and Rochdale for 25 years. I was a Headteacher of a large Secondary School in Rochdale for 8 of those. I left my role in 2023 to support schools to build strong community partnerships and connections with charities and local organisations. I believe that schools play a central role in communities and that local partnerships can bring a lot of possibilities to our education.

I’ve got two boys aged 21 and 19 and I live in North Manchester.

What is your current role and what does this entail?

My role now is freelance so it is very different to having worked in schools for the past 25 years. I am currently involved in a number of projects that are looking at reducing youth violence, gender-based violence and ensuring race equality in schools. This means that I am working with charities and going into schools so that we can provide additional support in these areas. I’m also working to improve education provision for children who are in custody and children who are in Alternative Provision. I also work for the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights UK in developing their education material and through this we hope to inspire the next generation of change makers to make a difference to their communities. I’ve been really fortunate to work in the areas which put children at the heart of their practice and seek to find solutions for difficult problems.

What inspired you to become a Trustee, and what motivates you to serve in this role?

I am a Trustee of two charities: Your Trust which works across Rochdale to deliver their cultural and health services and Early Break which is a substance misuse charity working across Greater Manchester and Blackburn. I really enjoy this voluntary work because it gives me the chance to see the way different organisations run. I’m also a Chair of Governors of a school in a MAT in Manchester.

What interested me about becoming a Trustee at this Multi-Academy Trust was I like the fact that we are trying to make sure we have schools that are different and bespoke to each specific community. I like the way that the leadership team at Changing Lives Learning Trust talk about education and putting children at the heart as it fits with what I believe in. It was a big

MEET OUR TRUSTEES

Janice Allen

Changing Lives Learning Trust

commitment to join because of the distance from where I am based but after speaking to Jonathan Johnson and listening to the team’s ambitions it made sense to see if I could support and learn as a Trustee.

What skills or experience do you bring to this role that will benefit the Trust?

I have a wealth of experience in school improvement and have always worked in schools which are judged to be based in ‘disadvantaged areas.’ I dislike that language of ‘disadvantaged areas’. It doesn’t look at the strengths of the community, families and groups and I’ve demonstrated in my practice how, if schools work alongside their local partners, they can harness the ‘possibility’ so that children and families thrive and flourish. I think in education we tend to look at things through a negative model and if we were to look for the strengths, we would all be a lot better.

I still undertake some school improvement in schools but my work with children and families who may find school difficult has helped me to have a broader picture as well in terms of what ‘could work better.’ My work with statutory services working alongside charitable organisations has also given me experience of how to address really difficult issues when there’s no money. I think my work as a Trustee in two charities has helped me with this.

What do you think are the main challenges facing the future of education, and how do plan to address them as a Trustee?

I could write a long list about the challenges but it might come across as a big moan! I think if we were to put children and education at the heart of policy making then we might be able to find answers. Ultimately, we have to listen and provide space for local communities to

play a part in education in a way that benefits everyone. As a Trustee, I hope to spend time in each of the schools learning a lot more about the areas they serve and how they have developed their curriculum so that I can really help the Senior Leadership Team look for possibilities that may not be currently apparent.

What do you like to do in your

spare time?

Since I left being a Head, I’ve found I have the time to do more things of a weekend and of an evening. I’ve also become a lot less active as well – as a Headteacher I would be walking around the school all day every day – now I’m in my car going to and from meetings or sat at my desk. I’m trying then to get a bit more active and appreciating the outdoors and trying to go for walks. I do love reading and read all sorts but equally love watching a decent series on TV. I do a lot of voluntary work with the charities I’m working with but also spend a lot of time with my friends and family. I wish I could be more exciting and answer this question telling you I am a deep-sea diver or similar – but I’m pretty boring and just enjoy being with people.

BETT CONFERENCE Exploring the Future of Education: Highlights from the BETT Conference 2024

On Thursday 25th January 2024, Tracey Shackley, Chief Operations Officer and Laura Watson, Chief Finance Officer, attended the BETT conference held at the ExCeL London as guests of Computeam Ltd, the Trust’s IT Service provider. The BETT conference is the biggest education technology exhibition in the world and is an opportunity to bring together educators, technologists, and thought leaders from around the globe to delve into the latest trends shaping the future of learning.

Below are some of the most compelling insights and developments they have taken from this event:

Empowering Educators with AI:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionise education, offering unprecedented opportunities to personalise learning experiences and streamline administrative tasks. At BETT 2024, numerous exhibitors showcased AI-driven tools designed to assist educators in creating adaptive curricula, providing targeted interventions, and automating routine administrative tasks. From virtual tutors to AI-powered grading systems, the possibilities seem limitless in transforming how we teach and learn.

Immersive Learning Experiences:

Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies stole the spotlight at BETT 2024, offering immersive learning experiences that transcend traditional boundaries. Attendees had the chance to explore interactive simulations, virtual field trips, and augmented reality textbooks that bring learning to life in ways previously unimaginable. These immersive technologies have the potential to engage students on a whole new level, fostering deeper understanding and sparking curiosity across diverse subjects.

BETT CONFERENCE

Exploring the Future of Education: Highlights from the BETT Conference 2024

Digital Citizenship and Wellbeing:

With the growing prevalence of digital technologies in education, conversations around digital citizenship and student wellbeing took centre stage at BETT 2024. Presenters emphasised the importance of fostering responsible digital behaviours, critical thinking skills, and mindful tech usage among students. Additionally, exhibitors showcased innovative solutions aimed at promoting mental health and wellbeing in the digital age, including mindfulness apps, online counselling platforms, and digital detox programs.

Equity and Inclusion in EdTech:

As we navigate the digital transformation of education, it is essential to ensure that technology serves as a catalyst for equity and inclusion, rather than exacerbating existing disparities. At BETT 2024, there was a concerted effort to address issues of accessibility, diversity, and inclusion within the EdTech landscape. From inclusive design principles to initiatives promoting digital literacy in underserved communities, stakeholders emphasised the need to build a more equitable future for all learners.

Collaboration and Community Building:

Perhaps most inspiring was the sense of collaboration and community that permeated throughout the conference. Educators, edtech developers, policymakers, and students came together to share ideas, best practices, and innovative solutions for tackling the challenges facing education in the 21st century. The spirit of collaboration underscores the collective commitment to harnessing technology for the betterment of education, ensuring that every learner has the opportunity to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

In conclusion, BETT 2024 offered a glimpse into the exciting future of education, where technology serves as a powerful tool for empowerment, engagement, and equity. As we reflect on the insights gained and connections made at this year’s conference, we continue to work together towards building a more inclusive, innovative, and equitable education system for generations to come.