Tales @ Town

Tales @Town came from Workington Town RLFC captain Steve Scholey wanting to help schools with getting children, especially boys engaged with reading. 

The aim was to provide quality reading/story sharing sessions. The children have their own copy of the book to read along with the coach/player. Time is given to look at the illustrations, predict what could happen next, discuss the plot, look at how the characters behave, and talk about the story. It is vital that children can explain their thoughts and ideas to enable them to be creative writers, so the sessions are based on quality not quantity. We have selected our own text and the children we feel will benefit the most from this intervention. The coaches and players work in small groups, so they give the children their time and attention. Once the reading sessions are complete the children then take part in sport activities lead by the coaches.

The coaches are positive male role models which are vitally needed at Fimby as we don’t have any male staff and some children do not have a male role model at home. We need to fill that gap and by sharing these stories and helping children enjoy books, putting value and importance on reading as a player we hope young people will adopt those values. Workington Town RLFC have stated that their players and coaches play hard on the rugby field and appear strong and physically tough. However, in the classroom the same players are quiet and calm, approachable and caring. All the above skills have value and combined, help to make a strong, bright young person.

These sessions last for 2 hours a week for a minimum of a half term. They have been funded by grants applied for from Workington Town Community Trust, so they are free to our school.

Nourish Programme

We’re really excited to share that Flimby Primary School will be taking part in Nourish, Cumberland Council’s new school food programme. Nourish was developed in London by the charity School Food Matters and takes a whole school approach to supporting happy, positive relationships with food. The programme focuses on six key areas: food culture and role modelling, food provision and the dining environment, food brought into school, food education, positive relationships with food, and equity, inclusion and sustainability.

Mrs Peers, Mrs Stoddart and School Food Development Officer, Maddy, have been working together to create a tailored action plan for Flimby Primary School. Together, they have identified key priorities including food provision and the dining environment, food culture and role modelling and food brought in.

Nourish is all about involving the whole school community including children, staff, parents, governors and catering teams. There will be lots to look forward to, including fun food activities, cooking workshops, taster sessions and more.

Maddy will be visiting Flimby Primary School four times over the next two terms to deliver these sessions and work alongside the school community. We’re really looking forward to getting started and bringing Nourish to life.

Director of Inclusion

This year, the SLT have been working closely with Sarah Marchant, Director of Inclusion at CLLT. Sarah has met with Mrs Humes, our SENDCo, to review our current EHCPs and to evaluate the provision and support we have in place for our pupils. Together, we have also explored the development of a shared provision timetable, drawing on the strengths and expertise of our highly skilled support staff. This collaborative work ensures that we continue to provide the very best support for all our pupils, with inclusivity at the heart of everything we do.

PPDC

The Changing Lives Learning Trust (CLLT) is committed to providing high-quality teaching and learning. Personal Professional Development Conversations (PPDC) replaces Performance Related Pay or all employees who work directly with children and young people. It ensures fair, consistent, and supportive processes that promote continuous professional development and recognises individual contributions. Through the PPDC process we aim to foster a culture of continuous professional development (CPD) for all staff, enhancing teaching practices and improving student outcomes and provide a supportive and developmental framework for all staff to identify and address areas for professional growth. 

Ernest Cook Trust

We successfully applied for a £500 grant from The Ernest Cook Trust to support transport and travel costs, enabling our school to access outdoor learning opportunities and develop children’s connection with nature. We are delighted that our application was successful. As a result, children in Key Stage 2 visited Low Beckside Farm, where they enjoyed a unique experience of a day in the life of a farmer. The visit encouraged hands‑on learning, an appreciation of the natural environment, and time spent outdoors. The grant funded the transport to and from the farm, making this valuable experience possible. Our sincere thanks go to Jane Armstrong, Outdoor Learning Education Leader, for delivering such engaging and inspiring sessions for the children.

Safeguarding Supervision

Safeguarding supervision takes place every half term and is undertaken by the school’s full safeguarding team, including Mrs Stoddart as Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Mrs Peers, Mrs Humes and Miss Pearce as Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs). These structured meetings provide dedicated time to reflect on safeguarding practice and ensure the highest standards of care and protection for all pupils.

During supervision, the team reviews the safeguarding action plan, reads and updates policies and procedures and discuss children in school who may be vulnerable or require additional support. The team considers how the school can further support pupils and their families, working collaboratively with other professionals where appropriate. Case studies are used to deepen knowledge, understanding and professional judgement, and key learning from relevant safeguarding training is shared to promote consistent and informed practice.

Safeguarding supervision also ensures that information for pupils, parents and staff is current and accessible, including the school website, posters and leaflets, in line with the latest legislation and guidance. Pupil voice is actively sought through meetings with children, helping to inform safeguarding practices and decision‑making. Regular liaison with the safeguarding governor supports effective oversight and accountability.

This approach to safeguarding supervision benefits staff by providing professional support, encouraging reflective practice and building confidence when managing concerns. For the school, it strengthens a consistent and vigilant safeguarding culture, ensures statutory responsibilities are met, and supports ongoing improvement. Ultimately, it helps to build strong, trusting relationships with families and the wider community, ensuring that children feel safe, supported and listened to.

PHA Executive 

Mrs Peers is a member of the Cumbria Primary Headteachers’ Association (PHA) Executive. This role enables her to represent the school at a county level, working collaboratively with other headteachers to influence decision‑making, share best practice and support strong outcomes for children across Cumbria.

School Food Working Group 

We are delighted that Mrs Peers is part of the Cumberland School Food Working Group, helping to shape and improve school food provision across the county.

We are also proud to be selected for the Nourish food programme pilot, supporting our commitment to healthy eating, positive food culture and pupil wellbeing across the school.

Safeguarding Conference

Mrs Peers attended the Making Sense of Safeguarding Conference, led by Kym Allan. The conference provided valuable updates and practical insights into current safeguarding issues, best practice and emerging risks facing children and families. Attendance reflects the school’s continued commitment to keeping safeguarding at the heart of everything we do and ensuring staff remain well informed, vigilant and confident in protecting the welfare of all pupils.

 

WELL (Western Excellence in Learning and Leadership) is a partnership we are proud to be part of. Through evidence‑informed practice, high‑quality professional development and a strong focus on wellbeing, WELL supports schools across West Cumbria to improve outcomes for all children, particularly those facing disadvantage. Being part of WELL enables us to work collaboratively with other schools and partners to strengthen teaching, leadership and support for our pupils.

 

Cumbrian Award 

Implementing WELL

The team behind the EEF’s ‘School’s Guide to Implementation’ are partnering with WELL to develop a range of cutting-edge tools, training materials and activities that can build deeper expertise on effective implementation. The project will get ‘hands on’ in supporting leadership teams to implement evidence informed approaches in line with their vision for improvement. The aim is to make powerful changes in practice that lead to sustained improvements in pupil outcomes, including those facing disadvantage, in schools and across Trusts. We are delighted at Flimby to be part of this project. 

MITA (Maximising Impact of Teaching Assistants) 

Sellafield Graduates 

ELSA

ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants) play a key role in supporting pupils’ emotional wellbeing. Thanks to WELL, a number of our staff have been able to complete ELSA training free of charge, significantly strengthening our capacity to support children’s social and emotional needs. Staff also benefit from regular, high‑quality supervision provided by WELL, ensuring ELSA support remains effective, reflective and responsive. This investment has had a positive impact on pupil wellbeing, resilience and readiness to learn across the school.

Sentenced to Success

Sentenced to Success is a professional development programme that we have signed up to that strengthens writing by placing secure sentence‑level work at the heart of the curriculum. It supports teachers to teach writing as a process, focusing on grammar in context, transcription, sentence fluency and effective modelling. Grounded in evidence and designed to address literacy disadvantage, the programme combines online learning, community practice and school‑based application, with impact across the whole primary phase from Nursery to Year 6. 

Tiff Harris

We were delighted to attend recent WELL‑facilitated training sessions led by Tiff Harris (ASCL), which focused on the IDSR framework and the implications of the White Paper. These sessions strengthened our understanding of national priorities and support our ongoing commitment to high‑quality leadership, teaching and improved outcomes for all pupils. 

Disadvantage Project with Marc Rowland

WELL School Visit

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Josh MacAlister

Josh MacAlister visited school to speak to children and observe some lessons. He spoke about his involvement with the Pride of Place programme to support the Flimby community.

Early Help Networking

Earlier in the year, Mrs Stoddart, Mrs Peers and Mrs Cowan met with Karen Ross and Louise Hillary, Early Help Officers to review existing support and look at next steps to support our families. 

Clay INSET

Staff took part in a clay making twilight INSET to enhance our Design and Technology curriculum and perfect skills enabling staff to support children during child initiated learning. 

NPHQ

Mrs Stoddart is currently completing her NPQH. Completing the NPQH will benefit Mrs Stoddart by developing the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for effective headship. It strengthens her understanding of strategic leadership, governance and financial management, enabling her to improve outcomes for pupils and staff.

Read Write Inc

Each term, Miss Pearce, Mrs Stoddart and Mrs Peers meet with Read Write Inc. consultant Carrie Conway for mentoring and coaching to support the planning and delivery of our phonics programme. During these sessions, Carrie reviews our termly assessment data and provides guidance on effective groupings and targeted interventions to ensure all pupils make strong progress. In addition, Carrie visits the school annually for a development day. During this visit, she observes phonics teaching in action, offers constructive feedback, and provides support to our reading teachers to further strengthen practice across the school.

Nature Park Grant

We are delighted to share that our school has been successful in securing a £5,000 Nature Park grant, which will enable us to create a sensory garden within our school grounds. This exciting new space will be designed to engage the senses through plants, textures, sounds, smells and colours, providing a calm, welcoming environment for all children to enjoy. The sensory garden will support pupils’ wellbeing, emotional regulation and mental health, offering a peaceful area where children can relax, reflect and feel connected to nature. The garden will benefit all learners by providing opportunities to develop sensory awareness, communication skills and confidence. It will also enhance learning across the curriculum, supporting topics such as science, art, outdoor learning and mindfulness, while encouraging curiosity, creativity and respect for the natural world.

CLLT Writing Moderation

Changing Lives Learning Trust provides valuable opportunities for teachers from across our schools to come together and share their experiences of teaching and leading writing. These collaborative meetings are staggered throughout the year, enabling teachers from the same year group in different schools to meet regularly. During these sessions, colleagues share high-quality texts, planning approaches, classroom strategies and success stories, creating a supportive professional network focused on improving writing outcomes for all pupils.

Outdoor Learning Conference

Mrs Dawson recently attended an Outdoor Learning Conference, which gave her fresh insight into how outdoor environments can enrich the curriculum and support children’s wellbeing. The sessions explored practical ways to embed outdoor learning across subjects and create meaningful, hands‑on experiences that build confidence and curiosity. The conference left her inspired with new ideas to bring back to school and use to strengthen our approach to learning beyond the classroom and to further develop our outdoor spaces.

Outdoor Learning Conference

PE Subject Leadership

Mrs Dawson recently completed CPD focused on developing skills as a PE subject leader, which has strengthened her confidence in shaping high‑quality physical education across the school. The training deepened her understanding of curriculum progression, effective assessment in PE, and strategies for ensuring lessons are inclusive and engaging for all pupils.

NEU

To support our focus on staff welfare and strong, informed leadership, Mrs Peers attended the NEU Leadership training, ensuring our school stays up to date with best practice in HR, well-being and workforce development.

Local Schools Network

We value our strong partnerships with the other local schools in our cluster. By meeting every half term, we share priorities, offer mutual support, and strengthen our collaborative network for the benefit of all our pupils.

Cumberland Family Hub

We are proud to work closely with Cumberland’s Family Hubs, strengthening the support available to our children and families. Through regular partnership meetings, shared priorities and joined‑up services, we ensure our community benefits from accessible, high‑quality support. Mrs Peers also attended a meeting about the Families First Partnership Programme, further supporting our commitment to collaboration and early‑help initiatives.

Cumbria Family Support

West Coast Child Poverty Forum 

Mrs Peers is a member of the West Coast Child Poverty Forum, a partnership group that brings together schools, local authorities, charities, health services and community organisations to understand and tackle the causes and impact of child poverty across West Cumbria. The forum uses local data, research and lived experiences to shape better support for families, improve wellbeing, and influence local policy. Through her involvement, Mrs Peers contributes to discussions that help ensure the needs of children and families in our community are represented and acted upon.

Flimby Railway Station