Author: fivenines

Five Year 10 students from Cathedral Academy, Wakefield have been selected to attend the prestigious ‘Shine Brighter’ Summer School at Hull University in July.

Year 10 students were invited to apply for the summer school, and places were limited. Priority was given to certain students, such as those who will be the first person in their family to go to university straight from school or college or those in care or young carers.

Running from 20 July, the theme for the week is ‘Global Citizenship’. Students will take part in a number of academic taster sessions such as Law, Drama, Science and Languages. There will also be time for independent learning and research.

The summer school is absolutely free to attendees. Accommodation, transport to and from Hull, all meals and the cost of leisure events are paid for by the University of Hull.

The successful students are Malachi Horsley, Leyyah Hewlett, Teigan Walker, Michael Hutley and Zara Hall.

Rob Marsh, Principal of Cathedral Academy, said: “This is an incredible opportunity for our students. Being accepted onto such a prestigious and over-subscribed summer school is an achievement in itself. Travelling to Hull and studying away from home could be life changing for them.”

Ruth Lawson, Associate Senior Leader at Cathedral Academy, said: “Some of our students don’t think of leaving home and going to university. This summer school gives them a real chance to see themselves fitting in there and benefiting from all that university life has to offer. It shows that there really is no ceiling to what our students can achieve.”

London, 21 June 2019: Cathedral Academy has taken Secondary school of the year at the prestigious Tes Schools Awards 2019. The awards, celebrating their eleventh year, recognise outstanding contributions made by education teams and individuals to help students around the country to succeed, both inside and outside the classroom.

The motto of Cathedral Academy in Wakefield is “greatness is within” – and its pupils certainly have shown that to be the case.

Around half of the secondary school’s pupils are classed as disadvantaged but their development over the past two years has put the school in the top 10 per cent for progress nationally. “We teach our students to believe in themselves and that the skills they need to succeed are within their own potential,” said school spokesperson. “As a collective, we teach that everything is possible for one who believes.”

Such success has come despite a financial crisis two years ago, when a projected deficit of £500,000 meant that the school had to make many cutbacks. Yet not only did it improve outcomes on almost every measure, it worked hard to maintain its much-loved and unique performing arts curriculum. Cathedral Academy’s ambition public-speaking programme stands out, and visitors to the school comment that pupils have the most gratitude they have ever witnessed in young people.

The judges praised staff for their “remarkable” achievements. “This school has shown huge progress in a very short space of time,” they said, and this was despite pupils coming “from one of the most deprived areas nationally”.