Pupils accept challenge to be the best they can be

Each year, Cumbria Education Trust (CET) celebrates Be The Best You Can Be Week which gives young people the opportunity to push, challenge and express themselves in as many ways as possible – academically, physically, mentally and socially – while encompassing the multi-academy trust’s core values of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience.

Castle Carrock pupils on their fell walk (Image: Cumbria Education Trust)

This year, pupils took the lead on planning and organising events with lots of creative initiatives to nurture the environment, bolster communities and be active.

There was a huge focus on pupils looking after their local environment, including litter picks and planting wildflowers to encourage and protect bees at Workington’s Northside Primary School.

Newtown Primary School children jump to it (Image: Cumbria Education Trust)

Petteril Bank School in Carlisle held a community clean-up day and Yewdale Primary School created posters for the local area to encourage others to plant trees to support more oxygen production.

Tebay Primary School in Eden planted their own vegetables to become more sustainable and Brampton’s William Howard School held a Big Summer Book Swap to encourage the sharing of books and reducing waste.

Workington Academy organised a clean up in their community (Image: Cumbria Education Trust)

Workington Academy held a community afternoon tea for locals and Longtown Primary School ventured out to local businesses to deliver positive affirmation cards, which encouraged lots of smiles.

Carlisle’s Newtown Primary School choir performed in the ‘Around the World in 80 Minutes’ concert at Harraby Theatre.

Three cheers for Hensingham Primary children (Image: Cumbria Education Trust)

Caldew Lea Primary School visited a local care home to sit and chat with the residents and Hensingham Primary School in Whitehaven held a Friendship Bench competition, with children designing a bench to encourage positive relationships – the winning design will be turned into a real bench.

All of the 13 schools succeeded in the CET Mile challenge, designed to get children and staff active.

William Howard School taking on the CET Mile (Image: Cumbria Education Trust)

Castle Carrock Primary School, near Brampton, hiked up Talkin Fell, completing challenges along the way. Yanwath Primary School in Eden completed six laps of the school field and The Whitehaven Academy held lots of energising activities, including a whole-school sports day and a dance workshop.

Nic Tweddle, CET Assistant Headteacher and Student Events Lead, said: “Students across CET fully embraced our Be The Best You Can Be Week.

“We are incredibly proud of our student leaders who planned and organised a range of events, many of which have involved their local communities. The collaboration of students across CET to make this such a success has been inspiring.”