My Walney School

Experiences of the Walney School Community

Foreword- Mr Richardson

I am immensely proud to serve the Walney community as Headteacher. Ours is a community that deserves the very best for its children and families and we strive to provide that in everything we do in our school.

I have now been a part of this school community for almost seven years and during that time have been delighted to see the dedication of staff, the hard work of students and the strong community sense amongst our families develop outstanding opportunities for young people during their five years with us.

The combination of high quality teaching, outstanding careers guidance, strong pastoral care for everyone and a sense of belonging to a very special community sits at the heart of ensuring that everyone within our school is:

Proud of our achievements

Proud of our school and

Proud of our community

I hope that you enjoy reading more about what it means to students, staff and our external partners to be a part of our learning community. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions or would like to know more about our school and the opportunities that will be offered to you and your child.

2 Students

Preston Gaitskell and Kayleigh Roberts

My first day in Outdoor Education was amazing! We all went to the beach and found all sorts of things, such as massive rock piles that may have been monuments for a lost relative (maybe), all kinds of different wildlife like crabs, shrimps, fish and even jellyfish.

I really like Outdoor Education because we all get to do really fun activities. Here are just a few activities we have done so far: nature walks, beach inspections, anti-litter campaigns and a survey of the school grounds. It’s grand.

Preston Gaitskell

At first, I thought it was going to be hard starting secondary school and I was worried that I would get bullied. But, it wasn’t what I expected at all. The teachers here are really agreeable and so are the pupils. I have been made to feel very welcome and I have really enjoyed my time here so far.

There is a variety of subjects, such as Outdoor Education and Vocabulary and Culture, which I have never studied before. We are also taught the Walney Ways, which are basically golden rules and skills that you will need for when you leave school. Some of Walney Ways are resilience, self-motivation and curiosity.

Kayleigh Roberts

Lana Shand

During my time at Walney School, the maths department helped me gain confidence in my maths. Before starting Walney school I really struggled with maths and didn’t enjoy it. However, since I started Walney I drastically improved and found the lessons so much fun. I have even gone on to do maths at A-Level.

The starters really helped to build my confidence. As I entered the room it felt like a non-judgemental safe space and I understood the task fully. I could work through the starters with my friends and I felt more comfortable to grow. The constant practice of the consolidation lessons and the homework provided me with lots of feedback, giving me re-assurance that I was improving. Being able to write on the desk during the lessons, meant that I was not scared about making mistakes. Sir encouraged us to take good quality notes and this really helped with revision and for us to take pride in our learning. I would recommend Walney School to help you with your maths.

Alex Stephens

My name is Alex Stephens, and recently I became a senior student. In this position, I’m being given many opportunities to help out, mainly with the new Year 7s this year, who are a delight to work with. I worked with a team of senior students prior to the Summer holiday on preparing and assembling packs to go home to them, because our school wanted to give them a taste of the Walney Ways, and some tasks to keep them occupied. We have also set up a rota of senior students to supervise breaks and lunch, and talk with the year 7s to ensure they feel welcome and included. Each senior student works with a form, and gets to know them, which is a lot of fun! Senior students are responsible and mature, and assist to make sure things run smoothly in school, and that our younger students feel involved. Already our school feels a great sense of pride having these students here, and I hope they will enjoy their experience as much as I have.

Caitlin Lockrie

Whilst the majority of my year group were at home during the Lockdown, I had to come into school with my siblings due to my parents both being key workers. In spite of the early mornings it was a good experience. We worked with staff in the pupil support area and in the mornings we were expected to work through our home learning. But as soon as lunch started, we were able to have some fun. The staff even took us down to the beach and we collected shells, played dodgeball on the sand and even played with one of the teacher’s dogs! So, overall coming into school whilst most of my peers were most likely asleep, was a really positive experience.

During my time at Walney School I have received so much help from so many teachers. I used to have a lot of trouble with my spelling, but English teachers have supported me in improving. In fact, they have supported and encouraged me so much that I won a short story competition for under 18s. However, teachers at Walney School haven’t just supported me academically. I’ve always had difficulties working in teams as I can be quite the control freak. But now, after all of the support I’ve have been given, I can con- fidently work with my peers.

Finally, I’d like to mention the support I received with my work experience. I looked around for places to go for my week’s work experience, but I couldn’t find anyone who was able to take me. After a week or two I gave up and went to talk to two teachers who found the perfect placement for me at CANDO FM. The Coronavirus pandemic caused our work experience week to be cancelled. Buit with my new found confidence I pushed to go and organised my own work experience in my own time. I now go to CANDO FM once a week to work with the brilliant people there and learn skills that can help me achieve my future goals.

Cameron Linney and Abigail Hebden-Bundy Magistrates Court Mock Trial Competition

I’m Cameron and I took part in the mock court trial against other schools across Cumbria. I loved every minute of it, I had a great experience. My favourite part was being able to stand up in front of the judges and the other competitors and play my role as I never thought I would have the confidence to do that before. I would definitely recommend it and would definitely do it again.

I’m Abi, I took part in the Mock trial competition last year. My favourite part of the process was working with others in my year group as a team and how we all helped each other to gain in confidence to compete against the other schools. I liked that this was a different experience and I’m grateful we had the opportunity to take part. Since completing the competition, I have been successful in joining the police cadets where I am able to use some of the skills I learnt during the Mock Trial competition.

Sophie Mellen

My name is Sophie Mellen and I’ve been at Walney School from year 7 to year 11, where I have just finished my last year in March 2020. I went to St. Columba’s primary school, so I know what it feels like having to decide and pick the right secondary school for myself. What I can tell you about my experience is that Walney School was by far the most welcoming and friendly secondary school that I went round when deciding in year 6.

Walney school offers many different opportunities, whether that's trying new subjects or activities you didn't know about or knew you liked, or even getting the opportunity to represent your school in different extra-curricular events plus even going on trips away. I took advantage of as many things Walney school offered me as possible for example, a trip called the Infinity Festival which was a science event hosted by Professor Brian Cox. I also went to Italy skiing for a week and there was the numerous career events which helped many students with their future career paths.

Overall Walney School are amazing at looking after their students and making their school life better, they always drive their students to do the very best they can. I have gained success throughout my time at Walney school whether that's from competing in netball and football games or going on to be Deputy Head Girl. This has all helped me with my future path now as I will be starting my apprenticeship with BAE Systems as a Technician-Site and Facilities. I couldn't have done this without the help and support of the Walney School staff for pushing me to go for it and even helping me get the brilliant grades to secure this position. I hope this has helped you make your decision easier.

Kirsty Lamb

My time at Walney School was filled with fantastic experiences and opportunities. Although I enjoyed most subjects, the main thing I enjoyed was PE. The PE teachers at the time provided a range of sports both during lessons and in extracurricular activities. I have amazing memories of travelling all over the north of England competing in a number of sports, in particular Athletics. My PE teachers encouraged me to follow my passion and think about what type of career I could have in sport. I attended Barrow 6th form College and went on the St Martins College (Lancaster University) to train to become a PE teacher. I even came back to Walney School as part of my teacher training and got to work alongside some of my old teachers! I have now been a PE teacher for 13 years and am so grateful for the staff who supported me and the opportunities I had while I attended Walney School.

Corey Brookshaw and Daniel Murphy-Cuthbertson

At Walney School we have a link to a school in Tanzania (Chabruma Secondary School). Last year, when we were in Year 8, both schools worked together, doing activities linked to the UN’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development and it was a huge success.

In our Vocabulary and Culture lessons we received a video from their school telling us about their culture and way of life. So, in return, me and my friend Daniel worked together on a two minute video to send to Tanzania. In the video we showed our school and our lessons, including some examples of our P.E. lessons where we played football and catch in a little 15 second clip. Then we moved to an art lesson, showing some year 7s working with their teacher on drawing techniques. Shortly after we moved to drama and got a sneak peek of the students practising The Conga for a future performance. After that we rounded it off and said thank you for joining us. The students in Tanzania watched our film with their teacher and it is currently on the Walney School website, so you can watch it too!

Overall, making the video was a great opportunity and a great example of something we can put on our CVs when we leave school and apply for jobs. To the younger people we simply say get involved if the chance comes along! It’s a great thing to do and we really enjoyed it. To the people at Chubruma high school we hoped you enjoyed watching our video as much as we did making it and watching yours.

Litter Picking in the Community

Last year while I was in year 8, my year group and I got an amazing opportunity to take part in a community litter pick in our Vocabulary and Culture lessons. During the lesson we walked around the school and the area around our school. We did the activity with partners and we each had one job. One person held the bag and the other had the job of using the litter picker. After a few minutes we would swap jobs so that then everyone had a turn doing everything.

The litter pick helped our school, our community and our local environment. Here at Walney School it is important for us to keep our local community clean and to help the environment because we have the huge responsibility of being near the sea. We must play our part in stopping any further plastic pollution or litter making it into the sea. At our school we have something called the Walney Ways which are seven characteristics we aspire to have when we leave Walney School in year eleven. The day we went litter picking I feel that I worked on being communicative with my partner and my class but also, my self-awareness as it was fun but very important to play my part in helping the environment and the community.

Natasha Robinson, Year Nine

Dr Amy Whitehead

My memories of being a student at Walney school are full of laughs, sports, and great people. Being from the close knit community of Walney Island allowed me to start a secondary school feeling safe and supported from day one. Some of my teachers had taught my older brothers and even my parents!! From the moment I started Walney I was signed up to the football team, netball team, hockey team, tennis team…. any sport they did, I was on the team. Sport was something that taught me about motivation, discipline and team cohesion and I think that’s something I’ve always carried with me. Some stand out memories; the school trip we attended to France in year 8, where we didn’t actually speak a word of French but enjoying stuffing our faces with crepes and Nutella and laughing at the men on the beach wearing Speedo’s! Kayaking in the Sea (down the road) and nearly drowning because the waves were so big, and I think Mr Pouncemby called it ‘character building’.

The teachers of Walney school gave me the constant support and encouragement that I needed to progress into A-Levels, degree on onwards. To be honest, I did find my studies difficult at times, lacking confidence in some areas such as Maths, Science, and English, however, my teachers always seemed to have the utmost confidence in my abilities, which I think gave me the assurance to go on to do further study. Since leaving school, I went onto to do A-Levels, a degree in Sport Psychology, a masters in Sport and Exercise Psychology and a PhD in Sport Psychology.

I’m now an Associate Professor at Liverpool John Moores University, which I could never have imagined as a 16-year-old leaving school. My job involves teaching 18 plus year olds about Sport Psychology and conducting research in the areas of sport and exercise psychology, in addition to working as a sport psychology consultant with athletes and coaches. Through my work and research, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel and work in some great countries such as America, Australia, Zambia, Russia, Canada, Norway, Sweden etc. I support organisations like the English and Scottish Football Association, the Rugby Football League Association and UK Coaching, to develop their coaches and athletes.

Walney is definitely a special and unique place. It’s somewhere that I will always call home and even though I have lived away from Walney for the last 16 years, it’s a place that I am proud to return to visit friends and family and reminisce about how lucky we were to study at such a great school, full of loyal, supportive and committed teachers who want the best for every single student

Rebecca May Pearce

My name is Rebecca May Pearce and I left Walney School in 2019, successfully passing all my GCSEs. I was never the person to attain outstanding grades, and I struggled immensely with maths and science throughout my entire 5 years attending the school. However, the teachers and staff are incredibly helpful, caring and dedicated, assisting all their students to achieve their goals to the best of their ability. This is done by holding extra lessons, private lessons in small groups- or for me, even being tutored 1 to 1 to help give me the extra boost of confidence I needed.

The school is also amazing at helping you set up for your future- from planning your own CV, to holding events that will give you all the right key skills and experiences for a great start to your future career. They hold Career Fairs for people who still have little idea of what they want to be and where they want to go. I was one of those people. I found that these were extremely interesting, and they showed me what kind of opportunities are at my doorstep waiting for me- some of which I was completely oblivious to! One thing that really stands out with this school, is how encouraging the teachers are, wanting you to get involved. Whether it is an after-school club, to the programmes that they will advertise throughout your entire school life such as the army, the NCS programme or even trips away to colleges or universities.

Every opportunity the school offers you is varied, from the astonishing shows that they produce, to STEM groups, different sporting activities, incredible art work or even writing clubs that help you improve and find something that you enjoy and grow to be extremely passionate about. I have never seen another school that is comparable in terms of what Walney School has to offer, and how they go about making the local community better as a whole.

All of the teachers and staff will have high expectations for each individual to prepare them for working life, such as being punctual and on time. They even sure that your top button is done up and your tie is straight. This may not seem like much but when getting ready to go into your first job interview, you remember these little things and pick up the good habits early.

Finally, after 5 years of hard work and dedication, I am now in a full-time business admin apprenticeship with Brown and Murray Legal Services, working towards completing my level 2 at Furness college. After this I want to go on to complete the level 3 course- and then, hopefully, a successful career once I am fully qualified. There are so many amazing and different career paths you can take now, and Walney School will definitely help with your future decision making. Therefore, I highly recommend being part of their re- markable achievements.

Elliott Stockdale A former Head Boy of Walney School, I left in 2017 having achieved some of the best academic results in the area. With 2 Grade 9s, 1 Grade 8, and 7 A*’s at GCSE, I was a firm believer in the “proud of our achievements, proud of our school, proud of our community” culture at Walney. I have since gone on to achieve 4 A*’s at A Level at Barrow Sixth Form College and I am now studying economics at the University of Cambridge. This academic achievement, along with international sporting accolades, has seen me recognised as a finalist at the 2020 British Education Awards and I am now working with some of the best young talent from around the world. With an aim to break into the Wall Street banking elite, a goal with origins from my time at Walney, I still carry myself with the academic and life skills developed at school — an example of what one can achieve at Walney School.

Ellie Lowden Being a part of the Walney School community has definitely put me through my paces, from attempting to learn Pythagoras’ Theorem to revising poems for English until I was miming Ozymandias around the house! However, I always had a great support system of teachers around the school, who helped me at my dark- est and most troubled times. In my last year at Walney School, I made sure I was putting in as much effort as I could, whilst taking some time off for myself. I found this was important to ensure I was not too stressed for my exams. In Augues, I received my GCSE results. The five years I spent working hard in all my subjects had paid off. I received three grade 5s, two grade 6s and a grade &. To say I was proud would be an understatement. However, I was also proud of how the teachers put every inch of effort to make sure I was achieving those grades. Recently I started at Furness College, where I am studying Catering and Hospitality. I am really enjoying learning again, as my Food Technology lessons were amazing, expecially when we were hands-on in the kitchen. Someday in the future I have aspirations to open up my own bakery. I believe this will be an amazing opportunity, as I get to live my dream and hopefully bring a smile to someone’s face with a cannoli or make the finest cake for a special occasion. Walney School has taught me to never give up on my aspirations and has helped me overcome my exam stress. My hope for all the students is that they will dream big for the future. If you continue to put effort into your lessons, you can begin the next phase of your life knowing you were prepared beforehand for the exciting path laid out for you.

Sam Rowlands

My name is Sam Rowlands. I started Walney School in September 2015 in Year 7, and finished Year 11 in March 2020. It was a strange way to end the year, without any exams or time to say goodbye properly. During my time at Walney School, I played the drums as a member of the ‘Stargazers’ music group. We played at various events, and recorded a song in a music studio.

I had a lot of support from the teachers and teaching assistants at Walney School. I had support in some of my lessons, helping me to understand and keep track of what work I needed to do. I also spent time in the pupil support department, catching up with homework and getting some extra tuition in maths and Eng- lish. Mr Card listened if I had any problems with anything, and helped to get things sorted for me.

In Year 10, I was offered an extended work placement at Molyneux Auto Service in Dalton. I was able to have a full day on a Wednesday off school, and spent my day in the garage. Working as a mechanic was my dream job, and I was really happy to be there. When it came to half-term holidays, I still wanted to work at the garage, so I asked if I could go in. Eventually I started spending more and more time there during the holidays. When it came to college open days and having taster sessions for different courses, I always knew I would be choosing motor vehicle me- chanics. I applied to Furness College and was accepted onto the course to start in September 2020.

When school finished early due to Covid-19, I wondered what I would do to fill my time before college started. Thankfully I was able to continue volunteering at the garage, and worked Monday to Friday. When it came to the end of summer, I was offered a paid position as a trainee mechanic, alongside my college placement. I have now started college on the Level 2 motor vehicle course.

I am very grateful to the staff at Walney School for all of their support, and for arranging the extended work placement for me, which has now resulted in paid employment.

Izzy Rodger

To summarise the community at Walney School, it is chock full of character; with both the teachers and the students exuding a profound sense of individuality. Throughout my time at Walney School, I found the teachers to be highly supportive; using excellent measure to promote both academic and sporting excellence. Similarly, I found my fellow students to be admirable; with the vast majority following the Walney School philosophy, often referred to as the ‘Walney Ways’.

For Key Stage 3, Walney School provides a wonderful environment for personal growth; with many opportunities being given to experience a variety of different aspects of life. For example, it is typical for Year 7 to be taken on camping trips; wherein they may establish a better relationship with their form teacher and fellow students.

For Key Stage 4, Walney School acts as a great facility wherein students may develop their discipline and flourish academically. Whilst I was in year 10, my maths Teacher nominated me to take part in a Maths masterclass at Lancaster University; which allowed me to experience a slight taste of undergraduate mathematics at an early stage in our academic careers.

Looking back on my time at Walney School, there is three main memories which come to mind; although there is many more which I could discuss.

First is the trip to the Sandcastle in Blackpool at the end of year 7 with my fellow students, as a reward for good behaviour throughout the year. This experience motivated me to keep working hard.

Second is my participation in the GSK Industrial Cadets Programme in year 8, enabled by my physics teacher. This experience allowed me to discover my love for physics, which I continue to foster in the present day.

Third is the maths revision sessions run by the Head of Maths in years 10 and 11, which made learning maths fun.

My time at Walney School also helped prepare me for life at Sixth Form, where I was accepted onto the Honours Programme as a result of my exceptional grades across the GCSE curriculum; a performance which I credit partially to the great support which my teachers provided me.

Currently, I am studying in my second year at Barrow Sixth Form College. Having just completed my research project on the potential application of thorium to nuclear power, I now shift my focus to preparing for the entrance exam for Cambridge University; where I aspire to study the physical natural sciences at an undergraduate level.

GCSE Design Technology & Photography work

14 Parents

Kerry Stockdale I have been employed as Project Support Officer with Inspiring Barrow, Cumbria CVS since August 2018. My role is to support the delivery of bespoke after school programmes designed to help young people in our community improve their confidence, resilience, teamwork, communication and leadership skills. Programmes include the Year 5 History Detectives, Year 6, 7 and 8 Kickstart programmes and a Year 6 mentoring programme that offers 1:1 support prior to pupils’ transition to secondary school.

I am a ‘Walneyite’ through and through. I have lived on Walney Island all my life and am passionate about the area and its people. I can often be found walking the Walney coastline. As a young girl, I attended Vickerstown School and later became Head Girl at Walney School before commencing an apprenticeship as an Instrument Technician with Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering Ltd. I later became an Instrument Mechanic Team Leader at BNFL, Sel- lafield, where I met my husband David.

My career took a different path after having children. I retrained as a teaching assistant and was fortunate enough to be offered a post within the Learning Support Unit at Walney School, then became Engagement Centre Coordinator and Head of Year.

Our three children all attended Walney School and have taken different pathways to further their careers. Karlie graduated in Law from Northumbria University and is now employed at Sellafield as a Quality Engi- neer. Jake left Walney School and headed to BAE Systems where he has completed an apprenticeship as a Designer. Jake continues to study towards an Engineering degree supported by BAE Systems. Elliott completed his studies at Walney School and went on to pursue his education at Barrow Sixth Form College. Elliott is now studying Economics at Queens College, Cambridge.

Although I left my position at Walney School in 2018 I am a regular visitor to school, supporting young people through my ongoing work with the Inspiring Barrow team.

Sara Hill

For the last five years Walney School has supported and challenged both of my children amazingly. My son has recently left and entered sixth form college prepared, confident, and academically ready. My daughter still attends and is developing into a happy and confident young lady. As a teacher myself I am aware of the pressures on children today, however Walney has made this time an enjoyable experience, with many opportunities to take part in and learn new skills. The teaching staff have been continuously supportive and approachable, enabling them to overcome any struggles and develop academically, in a safe and ‘fun’ environment. The maths department particularly supported my son, with excellent teaching strategies and after school interventions, taking him from a 5 to a secure 7 at GCSE.

Over the years I have received feedback in many forms; personal discussions with staff, certificates, reports, letters and more. I have always felt welcome as a parent at Walney and have been confident every step of the way; I have always known that my children are safe and getting on both academically and emo- tionally. I would particularly like to thank the teachers for the support and encouragement given to my daughter through ‘lockdown’, she received constant positive feedback and communication with her teachers. The work set was challenging but accessible and the teachers were always available for support when required.

From a professional view, as a maths SLE, I have found working alongside the maths department incredibly interesting – working on the transition between primary and secondary school has shown the caring ethos of Walney secondary and their desire to keep moving forward – the children come first!

Helen Atkinson

What I love about Walney School is how easily the transition process went for both my sons. The care and support they received from all the teachrs was second to none.

The variety of subjects to choose from is fantastic. The variety of subjects to chose from is fantastic, Mat- thew, my eldest, has found a niche in Performing Arts and was in the school productions of Mary Poppins & We Will Rock You, as well as the Christmas Show and he loves it ! They were all amazing shows with the staff & Sstudents putting their all into it.

My youngest son, Jack, started his Walney School journey in September 2020 and has absolutely loved it, despite the current testing times ! He has made new friends and been welcomed with open arms by the teachers and he loves the support network from the Senior Students.

We have always been kept in the loop regarding the children through the Parentmail and EduLink apps.

Walney is a wonderful school and both my sons have been very happy.

Kerry Wilkinson

The transition our children undertake from year 6 primary to a secondary school is one we as parents do not take lightly. It is a daunting experience for our children and the leap is ginormous.

When my husband and I were looking for the perfect school for our son, we went to every school from Walney to Ulverston and it was a scary experience for me as a mother. Entering Walney school wasn’t like any other, it was warm, welcoming and friendly.

We needed a school that was going to be able to deliver a certain level of care, as our son has special needs. He has Down Syndrome and we were advised we may need a special needs school. We knew our son’s abilities and that Walney school was perfect for him. The special needs department has been re- markable. The staff have been like friends to me and we can count on them to care for Enzo’s every need.

Enzo is currently in year 10 and thriving with a wonderful set of friends which he also sees outside of school. He has managed a visit to France/Paris, when a care plan was put in place for his safety. Our son loves music and instruments, he is also in the drama club and has taken to the stage in many of the school shows. We are so proud.

Enzo has a one to one where needed and spends time spread between classes with all of his friends and some within the pupil support department, which is fabulous.

As a parent my fear was like most, I just want him to be happy and feel part of a unit with his peers and not be singled out due to his educational needs. I wanted him to thrive and do what the other children did as much as practicable, but with adjustments when needed. We wanted Enzo to see his own personal improvements and achieve no matter how small. Walney school have helped me with this desire for Enzo. Coming into his last two years of school they have worked very hard at seeking exams that may be appro- priate and realistic for him. We are thrilled as you can imagine.

Enzo’s development has exceeded our initial expectations and he is continuing to shine, this is a team effort but mainly down to the amazing network within the school. The communication we have received from the school has been exemplary throughout his time here.

If I could share one bit of comfort with any parent searching for the perfect school for their child, yes definitely look around to find what feels right for you. I can honestly say I would recommend Walney school to anybody. It has made the secondary school experience for us a pleasure and we look forward to year 11.

18 Community

Jack Baines and Joan Smith

Hello all! We are Jack Baines and Joan Smith and we have been invited to the Walney School OAPs dinner every year. This fantastic community event allows us to meet with our friends from around the island and enjoy a Christmas dinner served to us by the students of Walney School. The Year 7 and Senior Students do a brilliant job of serving the 3 course dinner and they are always keen to bring us extra things when we ask. We enjoy the raffle and the bingo, although they have the worst bingo caller in the world (Mr Cubiss)! The raffle has loads of prizes too and no one goes home empty handed. We always finish with a sing song and a dance if we are “in the mood”. We really feel part of the Walney School community and we are looking forward to our invitation coming through the door this year.

Godfrey Owen

Proud to be part of the Walney School community.

I am very proud to be able to support Walney School and have enjoyed playing a small part in our development over the last 3 years. I am the school’s Enterprise Advisor, a voluntary role that supports the school’s senior management team with careers education.

I have been really impressed with the progress the school has made in increasing the employability of students in the time I have supported the school. Over that time, the school has listened to the students and parents, and worked hard to provide a range of events, inputs and resources that are useful and effective.

Futures Fridays is a regular event that has developed quite a reputation amongst employers as being a fun and useful event to be involved in. It is distinctive in that it provides young people with a real insight into different career choices, and importantly, tries to show that there are many different journeys people take to achieve a great job that meets their aspirations. The day is inspiring for students and employers alike.

The Employability Passport is also a really innovative approach to helping students track their own development during their time at school and understand all the employment skills they are developing over and above their exam results. As an employer, I know that young people who understand their own strengths, preferences and development areas are a very attractive candidate to recruit.

I am very excited about the future vision for the school, and keen to support Walney School to develop further in being a great springboard for Walney young people.

Godfrey Owen Chief Executive Brathay Trust

Sabine Skae, The Dock Museum

I was delighted when Walney School contacted the Dock Museum to arrange a visit for the entire Year 7 group.

Walney School were the first secondary school to experience a ‘Discover the Museum’ tour. This is a tour that we’ve successfully offered to primary schools for the last three years.

In order to adapt the Discover the Museum for Year 7 students we worked with Walney School on joint lesson planning. We jointly created a tour that would be interactive, allowing students to ask questions of the Dock Museum members of staff and also to investigate the museum’s artefacts for themselves. Year 7 students had to go around the museum and find objects that interested them, researching the object and reporting back on their findings. Parents were also invited to join us at the end of the ses- sion, making the event a very enjoyable family experience.

We plan to employ an Education Officer in 2021 and we’re hoping to establish more links with secondary schools and to work collaboratively again on improving our existing tours and creating new ones in a COVID-secure way.

Sabine Skae Collections and Exhibitions Manager The Dock Museum

Clare Paling, St Mary’s Hospice

We are lucky to have the support of the community we care for and within that community, Walney School are a pleasure to deal with. Often in fundraising we find ourselves asking for schools, community groups and businesses to support our cause, but Walney School took the initiative themselves, dedicating time and resources to encourage the students to learn about the hospice and plan what they could do to help. The school are proactive in their approach and recognise how their students will benefit from fundraising for St Mary’s, developing their team work, problem solving and communication skills, as well as empathy and community awareness. In return we have received wonderful donations and were able to engage with the students at various stages of their fundraising projects. It was amazing to see students empowered to make decisions, confident to use their creativity and get a real buzz from doing something that would genuinely help other people. Such a positive experience can only help us to build our support with a new generation, something that is invaluable to us. We look forward to developing the partnership between Walney School and St Mary’s Hospice as we continue on our mission to make a difference when it matters most.

Paul Slater

It has been an absolute delight to become a part of the Walney School Community over the last 12 months as the new CEO for the Academy Trust. Whenever I visit the school, I am always struck by not only the wonderful behaviour of our students there, but also their camaraderie, their support for one another and their humour whilst working. This became most apparent when I was fortunate enough to be involved with the Futures Friday work that the school runs and was able to explain my role to students and talk to them about the wonderful opportunities within education that they could all access in their futures. Not only were they attentive and interested, but they asked some wonderfully intriguing questions – clearly something they do in other lessons to aid their own learning.

Walney School believes in children and wants all students to achieve their best in all aspects of life – within school, within the community and within the workplace. The support given is clear and the celebration of students who are striving to achieve the heady targets and expectations placed on them is simply wonderful – from tweets about their successes through to the Awards Ceremony at the Forum. Walney cares, Walney supports, Walney believes.

Beth Curl

I first became involved with Walney School in 2014 when the school joined the QKS MAT family of schools. I was immediately impressed with the new Head John Richardson's enthusiasm, warm personality and drive to provide the best opportunities for all the young people in his care.

I enjoy being part of the Walney Community and in the last year, three particular events stick in my mind. I attended the Walney Learner Conference and joined students, staff and local employers in exploring the Walney Ways, a set of values and behaviours that will enable our young people to thrive and make the most of their opportunities.

At the Learner Conference I heard about the school's initiative to increase outdoor learning, a great way to increase wellbeing and develop learning skills. As a keen gardener I was delighted to collect up some young tree saplings for planting in the school grounds. I am looking forward to visiting and seeing how they are growing. I was also hugely proud to hear that a Walney Student had been shortlisted for the Royal Horticultural Society’s School Gardener competition.

In Autumn 2019 I attended the Awards evening; it was wonderful to see so many accomplished young people celebrating their achievements at Walney School, and to watch many fine performances of music, song and dance.

In the six years of my association with Walney School, I have seen the school develop and go from strength to strength under the strong leadership of John Richardson and his team. This is a school to be proud of - staff will make sure your child is happy and flourishes and builds the skills they need for life, further study and work.

Tony Sinton

I have had the immense pleasure to have been the Chair of The Walney School Governing Body since 2014. The main role of the school’s governors is to hold the leadership of the school to account. we do this by receiving reports of the school’s progress and asking searching questions. We observe the workings of the school first hand by visits to the school; each department in the school has a governor linked to it. We also take opportunities to get involved in the work of the school by attending school performances, prize giving, parents evenings, open evenings, staff training sessions and many of the other events that make school life so vibrant. I have spoken to students at the Walney Learner Conferences and “Futures Friday” events. I have also addressed students and their parents at the school’s prize giving ceremony. Other governors have helped some students with their reading and shown an active interest in supporting students with aspects of their learning. We never cease to be impressed by the immense energy and enthusiasm of the school’s leadership team, and all the staff. Their commitment to the students is wonderful.

The role of governors is not to manage or lead the school, that is the responsibility of the headteacher and his leadership team. But we do work closely with them to support them in bringing about school improvement where we can. As somebody who has lived in Barrow all his working life, who has raised his children as Barrovians and worked in a number of Barrow schools as a teacher and school leader it is fantastic to see the massive strides forward that Walney School has made over recent years. It is a delight now to visit the school. On any visit we meet happy students who are developing increasing confidence in themselves and their abilities. It is not just a cliché that Walney School students are proud of their school and their community, they truly are, and with good reason.

It is sad that one of the implications of the Covid-19 virus is that visits to school are now kept to a minimum. I will miss those visits. More importantly though it makes it harder for parents and prospective parents to get a real feel for what the school is achieving. The students and their teachers are by far the best advertisement for the school, when you talk to them and see them in action. I am sure that Mr Richardson will do all he can to give you that experience in a number of innovative ways, to give you as full an experience of the school as possible. I am also confident that Mr Richardson and his team will be only too happy to answer any questions that you have for them.

In my time working in education I have visited many schools all over the country, you quickly get a feel for the experiences students receive. School is not all about academic achievement, although that is of course important, it is about developing confidence in students and nurturing in them the desire and ability to be life-long learners, able to contribute strongly to their community and the world. My children are grown up now, but if I had any at the stage when they would be moving to secondary school I would be more than happy for them to attend Walney School.

23 Staff

Mrs Magee

My name is Mrs Magee and I am Head of Year 7 and teacher of MFL here at Walney School. I have been a member of the Walney School community for 8 years and every one of those years has been different! I have a passion for ensuring good quality pastoral care, and make it my focus for every single student in my care to have a safe, enjoyable and supportive experience here at Walney School. I have been very fortunate to have spent 5 years of my time moving through the school with one year group, sharing their experiences through the whole spectrum of secondary school life. I have now re- turned to my roots and bring this experience to work solely with year 7 for the last 3 years to develop a supportive, engaging and inclusive transition period for students in years 5 – 7. Working with our wonderful local primaries is an immense pleasure; I very much enjoy working with my primary colleagues and meeting our fantastic future students through the teaching of French and delivering transition topics. To be able to continue to work with these students as they begin their secondary school career, is a real privi- lege. My favourite thing about Walney School isn’t the place (although we do have a beautiful island!) or the content of our curriculum, it’s the people. Every single person in our school is part of one team – they are there to support every individual in whatever way they need it. Our students can expect to receive high quality pastoral care, high quality education and to leave us as well rounded, successful individuals because of our staff, students and local partners.

Mr Hastings

I am a teacher in the Computing Department. Here you cover all the skills you need to be a proficient and successful user of Information Technology. We have you covered whether you want to be a brilliant Computer Scientist or Engineer or if you just want to be totally confident using a computer for regular daily tasks such as making presentations or using basic documents. You’ll experience working on spreadsheets, developing programs, learning about how computers actually work and you’ll develop your logical thinking skills to help you solve problems. From the technical side you’ll learn about CPUs, binary, structured programming. From the Information Tech- nology side we learn about research and creative skills, and from the Digital Literacy side we cover e-safety – vital for keeping ourselves safe in our increasingly digital world. If you wish to go further, you can continue on to our GCSE Computer Science course where we go into even more depth and become proper computing experts!

Mrs Niblo As Assistant Headteacher, my Walney School is a really happy, exciting place to work. One of the main things that I love about Walney is that nothing stands still here; we are always looking to make things better for our students and to support them in becoming the best young people they can be.

To this end, I have been involved in developing the 'Walney Ways' at our school over the past two years. These skills underpin our teaching in all subject areas and we are seeing more and more of our students growing into young adults who are well equipped for life and the world of work.

Our absolute commitment to promoting these qualities in our students can also be seen through the am- bitious Key Stage 3 curriculum we have developed. Alongside the traditional subject areas, we have also introduced new subjects to provide our young people with learning experiences that will prepare them for life:

Outdoor Education sees our Year 7 students discovering, exploring and conserving our local area. Reg- ular trips to the beach and lots of time spent outdoors builds our students’ awareness of local and global issues, whilst building their resilience and communication skills.

Vocabulary and Culture lessons focus on developing our students’ language and literacy skills, whilst promoting an appreciation of our locality and the wider world. Trips to the Dock Museum and shared projects with our partner school in Tanzania bring learning in this subject to life and encourage wider thinking and curiosity.

Social Enterprise lessons teach students about businesses and charities that are changing the world for the better and encourage our students to understand how they can create positive social change. Last year’s social enterprise students amazed us by raising a significant amount of money for St Mary’s Hospice, a measure of how considerate and self-motivated our students are.

I feel very privileged to work at Walney School and I genuinely look forward to coming to school every morning to work alongside my talented colleagues and students. What's more, I also know that something every day will make me smile. More often than not, this is thanks to our brilliant students and the things they say or do: a witty remark, a thoughtful response to a question, a kind word, an achievement of some sort. It is all of these things that make Walney a great place to be and that make this job so incredibly rewarding.

Mr Cubiss

My name is Mr Cubiss and I a Deputy Headteacher at Walney School.

I lead many aspects of school but for this I want to start with a few words about the work of my pastoral team during the recent lockdown. As a team we worked throughout lockdown and we made sure that we served the community as best we could. What started out as a small job delivering our Magic Breakfast became a weekly operation where cereal, bagels, porridge and other food stuffs were delivered to our families most in need of financial support. So many things were delivered that we had to use the school van. When students lacked the resources to download or print lesson materials, we printed them and delivered them to their door to ensure they could still do their work. We telephoned and visited our most vulnerable families every week and checked they were safe and to see if they needed anything. My pastoral team did a fantastic job and they are continuing to give the same level of help to our students now that school has reopened.

I am the Designated Safeguarding Lead at Walney School and I lead on all areas of school life concerned with keeping our students safe, happy and well. This includes leading the pastoral team to support students who have mental health problems, those who find school a struggle, and those who are perhaps simply having an off day because of a problem. We liaise closely with our families to help resolve any issues that students have which may affect their learning or wellbeing. We support our students to develop resilience so that they attend school and learn well in lessons.

Myself and the pastoral team work closely with members of our wider community who can support our students. This includes the Furness Inclusion Team, community police officers, Women’s Community Mat- ters, Brathay Trust, Springmount Community Centre, Social Services, Food bank, Action for Children (0- 19) provision, SAFFA (Self harm), CAMHS, Families Matter (Counselling for families), Inspiring Barrow.

Mr Costa

I am truly lucky to work at Walney School no one day is the same. Walney School is a warm and welcoming environment the students are friendly and the teaching staff are supportive. I work in the Technology department. We have two large workshops with a variety of machines, tools and a classroom with our own computer suite. One of our well used machines in the Technology Department is the laser cutter, this is a fascinating piece of kit. It is magical to watch the laser cutter in action as it cuts out your designs. We are currently in the process of purchasing a 3D printer which will bring our Technology Department right into the 21st century!

In year 7 students learn about health and safety in the work shop and get to develop their creativity skills, drawing techniques, marking out, drilling, sanding and cutting skills using different types of saws and tools to make a Wood bot and a Keyring.

Year 8 students do a graphic product outcome (food packaging) and an engineering structure STEM outcome. Students study logo design, work of other designers, suitable and sustainable materials, product modelling learn how to use the laser cutter, forces and structures.

In year 9 students focus on the designing and making element, working to a design brief, learning about mechanisms & gears, design movements, 2D/3D drawing techniques, materials investigation and types of finishes to a design and make a clock. Students will also do an electronic outcome learning about electronic components, how to solder, vacuum former process, programming, tool skills – mitre box/saw, hammer, cordless drill to design and make a mobile phone stand with LEDs.

Year 10 & 11 – Technology 3Dimensional Design

If students choose to go on and study GCSE Design Technology in year 10 and 11 they continue to develop technical skills and knowledge. Have a look on the next page to see some examples of GCSE Technology and Photography students’ work.

Mrs Lourie

My name is Mrs Lourie and I have worked at Walney school for over 8 years in many different roles. Cur- rently I lead our Cover Supervisor team and teach Health and Social Care. I also provide support for PSHE lessons, students with emotional resilience needs (SERIS work) and help coordinate the Walney School Achievement and Rewards system. I thoroughly enjoy all my roles at Walney School as it enables me to work with a variety of students and help meet their needs in positive ways. My favourite part of Walney School is without a doubt the atmosphere of community, pride, aspiration and loyalty and the amazing students and supportive staff that I have a pleasure to work with on a day to day basis.

One of my most enjoyable experiences at Walney School has been when I worked with a team of Year 8 students to take part in a Mock Trial Competition last year. These students were assigned roles and learnt all about the Magistrates Courts. They took part in workshops delivered by Law Professionals and visited a real court, learning about the proceedings during criminal trials. They were then able to re-enact a Mock Trial which saw them compete against other schools in a court case. It was wonderful to see how this group of students blossomed through the weeks of practice into confident, mature participants. Their hard work, determination and Walney spirit meant that they performed brilliantly on the day and we were so proud of them all for how well they did.

Ms Metcalfe

Hello, my name is Ms Metcalfe and I work in the Pupil Support Department. I have worked at Walney School for sixteen years, and as an ex-student I have come full circle. I have two daughters who have both attended Walney school too.

My role within school is to support students with their learning across all subject areas. This can be challenging at time bit also rewarding, each day is different.

Within the department I help to run a homework club for those students who need a little support. I also run an after school music club, here we write our own songs and occasionally perform.

We are a very welcoming, nurturing school with close links with the community, which makes our school a special place.

Mrs Redshaw

My name is Allison Redshaw and I am proud to be one of the Deputy Heads at Walney School. I am responsible for academic achievement, for the curriculum and I am the Careers Leader. I love my job and I am passionate about ensuring that Walney students get the best possible education.

In recent years I have worked with the Senior Leadership Team and with Heads of Department to renew our curriculum offer to students so that it is relevant to the twenty-first century and prepares our students for life after Walney. To this end, we hosted three Walney Learner Conferences which brought together staff, students, parents, governors and external partners from primary schools, FE, university and local employers, to find out what the qualities were that our students needed to develop and how we needed to change the curriculum to enable them to do so. As a result we developed the Walney Ways, a set of behaviours or qualities which we strive to support our students to acquire. We want the Walney Learner to be:

· Aspirational

· Curious

· Resilient

· Self-motivated

· Self-aware

· Communicative

· Wider thinking

In addition, we believe it is really important that our students connect everyday learning in subjects to the world outside of Walney and that they start to think about their future career from the moment they set foot in our school.

Our careers logo was created by one of our students. Our Employability Skills were developed by staff, students and employers working together to identify the skills that are needed to be successful in working life. We ask students to collect examples of how they have developed these skills at Walney:

• Team working

• Communication

• Customer service/business awareness

• Problem-solving

• Self-awareness

• Entrepreneurial skills

• Organisation, planning & time management

We have been raising the academic achievement of our students through the connections we make between school and the real world. In order to be successful in life our students must gain good qualifications and become decent human beings. Walney School strives to enable our students to achieve both of these.

Miss Preston

You’d think, as a Librarian, my Walney School is just sorting out books and saying SSSHHHH. I do admit I’m guilty of this but I’m also part of the Walney School community. During my eight years at Walney I have helped out and introduced various activities. The things I am most proud of are setting up Red January for Mind in Furness, helping decorate Barrow Library for the Tour of Britain and encouraging our LGBT community to be involved with the postponed Furness Pride. You may also spot me backstage at shows and taking photos around school. As the Librarian, I am also involved with Reading lessons. Reading is a weekly lesson a week where you choose a book you enjoy to read, work in groups to present your books and work with us to improve your reading skills. It is a real pleasure to support students and help develop a love of reading. Craft club is one of my passions and we have raised money for charity and had a lot of fun along the way. Walney for me is a place where we all look after each other and I have been told the Library space is a sanctuary for students. You can rely on the Library to be a warm, inclusive space with student Librarians and myself on hand to help you and welcome you. I love how our schools gets involved with the wider community, how we look after and support each other. For example, last December we held our first Christmas Fest. The Walney Ways subjects put on a show, craft and charity event for the community. We raised lots of money for St Mary’s Hospice and had the best time along the way. My Walney isn’t just books, my Walney is encouraging reading, supporting students (and staff), craft club, charity events, community events and much more.

Miss Ward

I am a teacher of BPE at Walney School. BPE stands for Beliefs, Philosophies and Ethics. This subject is a way of encouraging our students to understand different world views and cultures, it is based on funda- mental British Values exploring what it means to be a responsible citizen. Students begin their BPE journey in Key Stage 3 and cover a variety of topics from Christianity ,Buddhism and Islam through to Mutual Respect and Human Rights. At Key Stage 4 students can embark on a GCSE Religious Studies where they look at various ethical and philosophical questions that exist in our modern world.

Mrs Amacna

My name is Mrs Amacna and I have been working at Walney school for the last twelve years. I am currently Head of Year 9, Deputy Safeguarding Lead and I also coordinate and deliver SERIS to some of our young people. I am based in The Engagement centre which is a relaxed quiet setting in the centre of school. Anyone can access the Engagement centre as it is a whole school initiative. We support a wide range of students who have difficulties accessing teaching and learning in the classroom situation. I work with students who :-

· Lack self esteem or confidence

· Are shy, withdrawn or anxious

· Find adjusting to new situations difficult

· Have difficult family or social circumstances

· Are long term absentees

· Presents behaviour which affects the learning of individual pupils and/or the class group.

· Are at risk of risk term exclusion

· Are vulnerable

· Have attendance issues

· Transfer to school mid term

· Have poor anger management skills

· Find it difficult to accept sanctions

My role as a Head of Year and Deputy Safeguarding Lead allows me to work with parents/carers, external agencies and our children, in order to support each student through their journey at Walney school.

Miss Eason

There’s no feeling like performing. The excitement, the butterflies and the rush of adrenaline that consumes your whole being. At Walney, we are no strangers to this feeling. I am so proud to work at a school that values Performing Arts as much as we do.

My Walney means instilling confidence and self-belief in our students, to encourage following your dreams and igniting a passion for creativity which can be shared amongst our students, staff and community.

Although I have only been a part of the Walney community for a short period of time, I have so many positive memories which make me beam with pride. I'll never forget our final night of 'Schools Will Rock You' (a week of sell-out performances) watching 75 young people smashing Bohemian Rhapsody like true professionals - it still gives me goose-bumps thinking about it now. Every year I am proud to say that students from all walks of life are involved in our annual productions. From acting, to sound/lighting, to dance and props/costume - we are consistently inclusive and provide opportunities for everyone to be involved in the magic.

More recently, I felt privileged to visit Shakespeare's birthplace with my GCSE Drama class, a place which holds many happy memories from when I visited as a teenager with my own school. I felt such a sense of nostalgia as I shared the infamous history, breath-taking scenery and an outstanding performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company with my very own students - a school memory they and I will never forget. Additionally, at Walney, supporting the arts in the community is extremely important. You’ll find us at our local theatres and colleges many times throughout the school year cheering on our local amateur-dramatic societies, ex-pupils and staff!

This year it has given me great pleasure to begin redeveloping our Music curriculum so that students can widen their horizons even further within our department at Walney. For my whole life I have been inspired by music, but since I began teaching, my students inspire me every day with their love and knowledge of music and the arts. A highlight of lockdown was being sent recordings of a student enjoying her new ‘mini recording-studio’, a video of a student playing a guitar he bought with birthday money and a recording of a student who had made it her mission to learn the piano and play a Queen track. My Walney is being able to share our passion for performance with our supportive community and relish in the opportunities it provides us with.

I spend every day encouraging students to follow their dreams and I am thankful every day that I am living mine.

Science Department

In 2019 the Science department successfully completed their application for the STEM science mark silver award. The assessors were so impressed that they decided to award us gold! Here is what the assessor had to say: Your proud descriptions and evidence indicate a lively, hard- working and vibrant Science department where the learning and engagement of your students are paramount, and where your team clearly have personal investment in how they thrive. The science team appears strong, and stable, and you ensure that students no matter what their starting point, are able to progress. You also show that you do not rest on this, and look to continually evaluate and improve what you do. The curriculum is varied, and differenti- ated, with input from a wide range of committed stakeholders. I am delighted to award you with the Gold Science Mark.

English department

Reading at Walney School is a source of pride for the English department and our school as a whole. There is strong evidence linking reading for pleasure and educational outcomes. We know that academic attainment is of vital importance, but the benefits of reading for pleasure go beyond this and stretch throughout a person's life. Research finds that reading for pleasure can result in increased empathy, improved relationships with others and improved wellbeing.

Every week, all of our key stage three students participate in a reading lesson. These weekly fifty minutes allow our students the peace, quiet and time to develop their love of reading and this is encouraged by students reading a book of their own choice. These lessons take place in our fabulous school library or our dedicated reading room (full of comfortable bean bags). On a regular day our library is a hub of calm activity whether it be as a study area for year eleven, a reading lesson or as the venue for the school’s Craft Club that is run by Miss Preston, our librarian.

Reading for pleasure has social benefits and can improve the sense of connectedness to the wider community. Reading increases understanding of identity, improves empathy and gives an insight into the world view of others. By fostering this love of reading in our students and the evidence of the benefits that it provides them, its importance has been recognised by our wider community. We have been overjoyed to receive donations of books from our students (pictured Jocelyn Doughty, year eleven) and other members of our community. This allows the library to grow and continue to develop but also ensures that our community cares about their wellbeing and future.

Mr Gilbert

I am the Engagement Centre Manager and Head of Year 10. I have been with Walney School since 2014. I manage the Engagement Centre within school. The engagement centre caters for students who find daily life a struggle. This can include emotional wellbeing, school attendance, homelife issues or general attitude to learning. We are an integral part of the Pastoral team and liaise closely with families or colleagues in and out of school.

Part of my role also includes managing the behaviour of students whilst they are in school. With my col- league, Mrs Amacna, we look for ways that school can help engage a young person so they can achieve success in the best possible way.

I am always looking for ways to provide a positive school experience for our students. Pastoral activities the Engagement Centre hold include cookery, animal husbandry, lessons in basic life skills and outdoor learning.

I am a Mental Health First Aider and level 3 safeguarding trained.

Miss Jagger

Our creative writing club, Five Minute Writers, is now such a huge part of Walney School that every competition we enter sees someone published! Our most recent Young Writers competition entry saw six of our students published. Last year, three of our students also entered the Rydal Mount Wordsworth Poetry Competition and received recognition for their entries, including a Special Commendation for Tyler Moore for his poem inspired by his work with our very own Mr Gilbert. As a group, our proudest moment so far has been Neve Fallon’s placing as second in her age group at Furness LitFest with her poem ‘Change.’ – a poem inspired by the social pressures that teenagers face on a day to day basis.

As always, I am trying to recruit amazing writing talent to the lunchtime creative writing group with the prospect of seeing their name in print. The Five Minute Writers club was formed to develop the love of creative writing that is in so many of our students at Walney School. We usually spend one lunchtime a week together to discuss and ex- periment with our writing skills during five minute tasks or entering competitions to challenge ourselves. Five Mi- nute Writers isn’t about how ‘good’ the students are (which they often worry about) but about if they enjoy the act of writing and want to share that with others. This year, due to changes in school life, we have had to adapt and our successful group is now accessible through Google Classroom to ensure that the students still have their creative outlet.

The quality of writing on incredibly varied subjects has been outstanding and I am so proud to be working with such creative and enthusiastic individuals. I am very much looking forward to welcoming some of our new year sevens into the group and I am hoping that we have many more creative writers that be eager to put pen to paper!

Change, by Neve Fallon

Too fat

Too skinny

Gain weight

Lose weight

Change.

Your ponytail’s too low

Your hair’s too frizzy

It’s the wrong colour

It’s too short

Change.

Too tall

Too small

Too immature

Grow up.

Life’s not a stage

Act your age

You’re too childish

Put away your toys, open a book Change.

Mr Penn

Personal Finance

In yearr 8 our students take part in Social Enterprise lessons, with the aim of making money for a local charity. So when they have made lots of money, we teach them about the importance of money in Y9. Well it’s only money isn’t it? Well, no, actually. It’s far more important than that. Money isn’t just a financial issue, problems can infect every area of your life – your happiness, mental health, work, relationships and more.

It’s here in Yr 9 we start our students on their journey towards financial literacy. It’s an increasingly complex world out there for young people, with a huge range of financial decisions that need to be taken from an early age, in the face of ever-increasing technological change in the financial landscape.

We are very much hoping our Y9 Personal Finance lessons will make all the difference!

KS4 BTEC Business Enterprise

Leading on from the work studied in Y8/9 students have an opportunity to develop their knowledge of the world of Enterprise and Finance further. Students have the opportunity to study the a qualification in Busi- ness Enterprise in Y10/11.

Mrs Lever

I am the Head of PE, which is a vital part of school life and ultimately of a student’s future well-being. We aim to provide an inclusive, broad and balanced PE curriculum that ensures ALL students will benefit, whether through enhancing existing skills, learning new skills or being introduced to new sports, clubs, teams and organisations.

We try to ensure that students understand the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and to equip them with the tools to do so through health and well-being education. Students must understand how to take care of themselves both physically and mentally in order to be successful as adults.

Beyond merely a subject, we believe that participation in sporting activity is a key element of developing a school in which pupils are proud of the community in which they belong. Therefore, great emphasis is placed upon additional sporting opportunities beyond the lesson within after-school clubs, inter-Form, festivals as well as directly trying to support the local clubs within Barrow and beyond. We believe this links directly with our school values of TEAMWORK and is another way in which we can positively engage with our local community and be active citizens within it.

Mrs Cassley I’m proud to show you some of the artwork produced by our students.

38 What will your Walney School be like?