Schools - South Lakes Federation

Appleby Grammar School

Headteacher: Phil Nicholson
Email: admin@appleby.cumbria.sch.uk
Numbers on roll @ September 2022: 373

Appleby Grammar School is set in a stunning rural location and is an academy with high standards and great ambition for all our students. We pride ourselves on our strong family and community ethos. Our curriculum is strong and well balanced, with plenty of choice. We are committed to developing every student’s particular strengths in an environment in which they can thrive.

Cartmel Priory CE School

Headteacher: Sarah Beestone
Email: admin@cartmelprioryschool.co.uk
Numbers on roll @ September 2022: 339

Cartmel Priory Church of England School is a small, rural 11-16 Single Academy Trust which provides a unique secondary school experience in a wonderful location, situated in the beautiful and historic village of Cartmel. We admit the majority of our students from seven primary schools in and around the Cartmel Peninsula.

We are very proud of our school and for the experiences we are able to offer students. We believe strongly that education is about supporting students in a holistic way to develop the wisdom, knowledge and skills to be ready for their adult life. The commitment of all of our staff, both teaching and non-teaching, is a strength of our school and supports us to be able to provide the best possible learning experience for our students. Every child is important in this school and being small means we can truly know every individual in our community.

We have a clearly defined Christian ethos embodied in John 10: 10 “I have come that they may have life, and have life to the full” which is embedded in our philosophy and in our practice, supporting our decision making and school priorities. It is reflected in our commitment to providing a broad and balanced curriculum, including a comprehensive suite of GCSE subjects alongside a very wide range of enrichment opportunities and a well-defined student leadership programme. This enables students to grow and flourish as people. In addition we offer the opportunity to participate in the John Muir Award in Years 7 and 9, taking advantage of our spectacular local environment, alongside biennial trips to Belgium and Germany and an annual ski trip to Austria.

As a consequence of the outstanding pastoral care we offer and our focus on character development, our students demonstrate high standards of behaviour and very positive attitudes to learning.

As a member of the South Lakes Federation we benefit from a wide range of support and quality assurance processes which underpin the professional development of our staff and allow us, as a small school, to continue to be outward facing and at the forefront of educational development.

Our aim is to deliver the highest standards of education whilst developing our students to become life-long learners who remain curious about the world around them and who are highly ambitious for themselves.

Dallam School

Headteacher: Steve Henneberry
Email: enquiries@dallamschool.co.uk
Numbers on roll @ September 2022: 1091

Dallam School is an 11-19 academy offering day and boarding students a place to achieve academically, enjoy a wide range of creative opportunities and develop into responsible and caring individuals.

The school can trace its origins back to Heversham Grammar School, founded in 1613 to “season their tender years with good principles of religion, learning and discipline, which may be as rules and directions to frame a good course of life”. The Grammar School counts a founding father of modern science, William Whewell, amongst its faculty alumni. Milnthorpe School was a post-war secondary modern and then from 1984 the two schools merged and became Dallam School.

The school serves just over 1,000 students and their families and communities. Students come to us from North Lancashire and South Cumbrian towns and villages and often continue from Year 11 into our Sixth Form; a place with high aspirations for all students, many progressing onto some of the UK’s most competitive universities and others staying closer to home to begin their first steps on the career ladder. Our boarding population provides valued diversity to our rural day student population and students from all backgrounds integrate very well into life in the classroom following our curriculum. We celebrate our diverse community, and our boarding students fully embrace life in their new home, exploring the Lake District and those towns and villages on the doorstep.

Many students begin Year 7 carrying with them a sense of the familiar about the school. Inter-school primary sport competitions and subject activity events throughout the year mean that students from our feeder primary schools create a relationship with us before entering through the school gates as Year 7 students.

Dallam School is built on five core values;

Courage (be brave)
Respect (others, self and environment)
Compassion (be kind)
Endeavour (strive for excellence)
Integrity (be honest)

These values we develop in our learners both inside and outside of the classroom. Our values drive our curriculum and visible learner dispositions and the inclusive and innovative ethos of Dallam School creates an inspiring environment in which every student can shine in their own unique way.

At Dallam School, we believe that education empowers students with the knowledge, skills and values they need to build a better future for themselves, their families and their community. At our school, every student develops the confidence and courage to be themselves and has access to opportunities that unlock future success.

We aim to:

encourage the ambitions, talents and rights of every member of our school community
strive for high quality, optimistic and engaging learning and teaching
offer a wide range of opportunities to allow everyone to discover their own unique skillset
instil confidence, resilience and self-belief
understand and embrace the diverse nature of our school community
enable open, honest and respectful communication
welcome creative and innovative thinking
support everyone to have the drive and ambition to be their best
assist everyone to try new things, make mistakes and learn from their experiences
develop global citizens who are prepared for their future destinations
promote good mental and physical health, including active lifestyles, organised sport and outdoor experiences

The SLF provides Dallam School with valued subject networks which allow our teachers and support staff to share best practice and work together to improve outcomes for students in all the South Lakes schools. Working together during INSET opportunities to collaborate on implementing the findings from the latest evidence-based research into the classroom is invaluable. The peer review network also provides Dallam with insights into its areas for development from an unbiased eye – the SLF are a must-have critical friend.

John Ruskin School

Headteacher: Peter Blackburn
Email: admin@jrs.org.uk
Numbers on roll @ September 2022: 244

John Ruskin School is an 11-16 community school with 244 students on roll situated in the picturesque village of Coniston in the heart of The Lake District. The school offers a unique educational experience in a stunning location. Our size is our strength, creating a caring learning community that feels like an extended family. Membership of the South Lakes Federation allows us to maintain all the support, school improvement and challenge you would expect in a much larger school, whilst preserving our personal relationships with our students and families.

We offer the full range of GCSEs – often in class sizes smaller than the national average – and this means students at all key stages receive regular personal attention and feedback. We know the strengths of our students and we know how to help them improve – just like a family.

At John Ruskin School, we value individuals and create young adults who have the skills and qualities they need for the world of work. Through events like the Fell Race and The Great JRS Picnic, we instil the importance of taking part and trying your best. We offer a range of activities for those interested in the outdoors. Year 7 benefit from our annual residential and in school, experience an environmental technology course; Year 8 take part in our canoe day on Coniston water. Currently, all our Year 9 aim to achieve the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award, taking full advantage of our natural setting.

Opportunities for students inside and outside the classroom are varied – whether it’s studying a Modern Foreign Language on our biennial French trip; discovering the X-Factor at the annual Rock Night; testing the brain cells during a Top of The Form quiz; experiencing RSC live streaming events or exploring the geography of a local beach, students at John Ruskin School are challenged personally and academically.

Our school is a vibrant learning community where every child is known by name – we pride ourselves in creating a sense of belonging where all children can thrive. The final part of our school vision: ‘Be You’ underpins all we do to create the citizens of tomorrow.

Kirkbie Kendal School

Headteacher: Mark Harris
Email: info@kksa.co.uk
Numbers on roll @ September 2022: 1079

Kirkbie Kendal School is a stand alone 11 – 18 academy with around 1000 students on roll. Our published intake is 168 in each year group with a large proportion of these students going on to join us in the sixth form.

We are proud to serve the community of Kendal and the surrounding villages and we know our students and their families well.

Kirkbie Kendal School has a long and proud history dating back to 1525 which has left us a legacy of some magnificent buildings but also some traditional core values which underpin all that we do at KKS.

Care: Our students are happy, well supported and aspirational. Caring for each other, having staff who know them as individuals leads to confident and well-rounded students who achieve excellent results.

Courtesy: Our students show courtesy and respect to each other, to other cultures and societies and are open minded to the opportunities this brings. With this courtesy comes a strong school community that is open-minded and outward-looking.

Consideration: Our students are considerate of the impact their actions and choices have on others and the wider community. Positive choices can make a real impact on other people and the environment. Our students are active citizens who take responsibility and whose consideration of others leads to them raising money for charity and volunteering both in and out of school.

Hard Work: Success in all aspects of life is achieved through hard work. Our students learn to understand that showing resilience, persevering, being up for a challenge leads to the road to success. This is reflected in the achievements that we see from our students on stage, in art, in the sporting domain and in their academic life.

The Power of Education: We believe in the power of education to change lives and communities for the better.

Membership of the SLF: Kirkbie Kendal School were founding members of the SLF. We strongly value the power of collaboration to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of our students.

Ulverston Victoria High School

Headteacher: Matthew Hardwick
Email: enquiries@uvhs.uk
Numbers on roll @ September 2022: 1349

Ulverston Victoria High School is a large 11-18 school at the heart of the Ulverston community, surrounded by fells and beaches on the scenic Furness Peninsula. Our students of all abilities and backgrounds come from the town and surrounding villages.

UVHS is a school that retains the traditional values and standards that have characterised successful schools through time which are coupled with a desire to explore innovative new practices in education. There is a focus on holistic education; however, there is the aspiration, drive and support for all students to achieve the best examination outcome.

The ethos of the school is rooted in Victoria Values which are agreed and upheld by all our students, staff and parents. We also Pledge to offer students activities and challenges which will enhance their characters and seek to create aspiration for our students to be “well rounded” citizens. There are opportunities to be involved in a myriad of extracurricular activities, foreign and domestic trips and visits and academic enrichment activities.

Sporting success is an important part of the UVHS ethos, as is the inclusivity for all to take part in the wide range of sports offered. Likewise, Performing Arts is valued and supported both in the curriculum and outside. Music at UVHS is exceptional with over three hundred children taking music lessons. The taught curriculum offers varied opportunities, allowing students to study technology and the arts as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.

In recent years the Sixth Form has doubled in size, with slightly more than half of its students coming from surrounding schools. The offer is traditional and academic in profile, with such subjects as Physics and Maths having large uptakes and good outcomes. It is also possible to study languages at A Level, at a time when numbers are falling across the country. The vast majority of Sixth Form students go onto Higher Education to study “good degrees” or become Higher Level Apprentices.

The parents of students of all ages like the warmth of the pastoral support and that UVHS strives to cater for all abilities. Whilst encouraging students to aim for Oxbridge entrance, for instance, UVHS is also truly inclusive holding the award of Inclusion Gold and the Special Needs provision is seen as a centre of excellence in the county.

UVHS is a reflective school: always seeking to improve. focusing on enhancing the learning experience by concentrating on teaching and learning in the classroom.

The Lakes School

Headteacher: Sharon Rainey
Email: admin@lakes.cumbria.sch.uk
Numbers on roll @ September 2022: 475

The Lakes School is a Secondary comprehensive community school. The age range of pupils is 11 to 18 (School Years 7 to 13 inc.).

We are set in the heart of the Lake District and have a strong relationship with the local community. Our students’ backgrounds range from those who are local ‘born and bred’, with parents who also attended the school, to those who have relocated from elsewhere in the country and even further afield.

We are a welcoming, inclusive school and provide an enriching curriculum. We encourage and empower all students, whatever their ability, to challenge themselves to fulfil their individual potential and ambitions.

We are proud to work hard with a child centred focus, aiming to ensure that all of our students achieve their best in a safe and secure environment, make a positive contribution to their community and thrive in later life.

Queen Elizabeth School

Executive Headteacher: Cathy O’Neill
Email: office@qes.org.uk
Numbers on roll @ September 2022: 1186

QES is a Values-led 11-18 comprehensive school with a long history of Scholarship and Care, a Charter granted to us in 1591 by the then Queen.

Since then, there have been many iterations of our school, from being a performing arts and language college to our current status as the founding school in the Lunesdale Learning Trust, opening our sister school, QEStudio in 2017. Around 256 children join us in Year 7 every year from Cumbria, Yorkshire and Lancashire with large numbers continuing their education in our Trust through to 18.

Most significantly, we are founded on our ten Core Values which underpin and inform the life and work of our community: Respecting traditions & the past; Working hard and doing your best; Being decent to people; Being friendly, polite, and courteous; Looking out for other people; Getting involved; Respecting the environment; Thinking of others less fortunate; Encouraging global citizenship; Understanding life is about more than money or material things.

Our aim is to develop young people who are independently minded critical thinkers who will leave QES with the ability to use both their intellect and their compassion in making decisions in the wider world

We are committed to a broad education in the deepest sense and with a strong emphasis on personal development, pastoral care and support alongside a diverse range of extra-curricular activities.

University of Cumbria

Email: enquirycentre@cumbria.ac.uk

Formed in 2007, the University of Cumbria has a 150-year history through its legacy institutions. With a strong academic reputation in education, healthcare and visual and performing arts, the university has also introduced a suite of science programmes, supported by a £1.5m investment.

Friendly and compact campus communities foster supportive learning environments and award-winning student support generates student satisfaction. The university prides itself on its career-focused degrees – six months after graduating, 97% of students find employment or continue to further studies.

Settlebeck School

Headteacher: Sarah Campbell
Email: admin@settlebeck.org
Numbers on roll @ September 2022: 208

Settlebeck School is a very small fully comprehensive 11-16 mixed school, in Sedbergh, serving a wide rural area from Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales, to the town of Kendal and many villages and hamlets in between. We are a thriving community that promotes the highest levels of academic and personal achievement for our students.

Kendal College

Principal: Kelvin Nash
Email: hello@kendal.ac.uk

Kendal College is a further education college situated in Kendal on the edge of the Lake District National Park and is the leading training provider in the South Lakes. The College specialises in Further and Higher Education, as well as training for businesses at all levels, including apprenticeships and NVQ training, sales, marketing, management, finance and business training.

Queen Elizabeth Studio School

Executive Headteacher: Cathy O’Neill
Email: info@qesstudio.org.uk
Numbers on roll @ September 2022: 338

QEStudio is a 14-18 Studio School offering a range of vocational, creative and technical pathways.

We have a new state of the art building offering a professional learning environment on the Lunesdale Learning Trust site in Kirkby Lonsdale. Alongside their specialisms students study a range of courses and we work closely with our professional partners to help develop a young person’s skills and their readiness for the next stage of their lives, whether that be the world of work, apprenticeships, or further education.

Co-located with shared staffing and facilities across the Lunesdale Learning Trust, we share a celebration of diversity in all its forms, a parity of esteem for the technical, vocational, creative, practical and academic, a commitment to our locality, and, above all, a shared sense of the moral purpose of education.

QEStudio shares the ten Core Values of QES and we are part of the long history of our founder school. The vast majority of our pupils join us from Year 9 in QES and together we share an understanding of the transformative power of education, relentlessly supporting individuals in the most contemporary iteration of scholarship and care.