The biggest challenges facing our schools in Penrith and The Border are those of distance and sparsity. We have the country’s smallest secondary school and its smallest sixth form college. The threat of closure is ever present for many of Cumbria’s smallest and most rural primary and secondary schools. We must do all we can to protect our schools: they form the life and heart of every village.
My colleagues and I have lobbied the Education Minister strongly to ensure the National School Funding formula recognises the unique needs of our rural schools, and provides them with additional financial support. I have worked closely with head-teachers and Cumbria County Council to establish a fair allocation of resources in Cumbria, favouring our smaller schools.
Greystoke Primary school has this year marked it’s 175th anniversary, and Rory was among those celebrating the historic milestone, alongside pupils, teachers, parents and school governors. The Penrith and the Border MP was invited to talk on his experiences walking across Afghanistan, before engaging in a discussion about the country’s uncertain future. To mark the […]
Rory has called for local schools to get their pupils talking and learning about money, as part of a charity’s new campaign to help improve the financial capability of young people. Every primary and secondary school in Penrith and The Border has been sent Get Money Smart posters and teaching materials by national charity PFEG […]
Rory met with Chief Executive of the Institute for Outdoor Learning , Andy Robinson, in Penrith, as he continues in his campaign to make Cumbria a world-leader in outdoor pursuits and education. Rory has recently played an integral role in efforts to setup a satellite centre for the National Mountain Centre in local college, Newton […]
Rory has met with representatives from Plas Y Brenin National Outdoor Centre, to discuss the viability and potential for setting up a satellite centre at Newton Rigg college that would aim to meet local demand for outdoor education within the North of the England. Widely recognised as a centre of excellence within the industry of […]
An extra £2,328,300 will go to primary schools across Cumbria to transform school sport, improve coaching for the youngest pupils and inspire the Olympic and Paralympic stars of the future. London 2012 gave Britain a once in a lifetime opportunity to inspire a nation to enjoy sport and the Government wants to embed that into […]
Rory launched his young person’s surgery – a drop-in session for constituents under 18 – at Appleby grammar school this weekend, before attending the school production of the Wizard of Oz, and visiting the food fair in aid of the school’s trip to South Africa. Approximately 100 students and staff were involved in this year’s […]
Rory braved the bad weather to visit Alston – recently crowned the UK’s first ever Social Enterprise Town – to discuss with local community representatives and officials from the Department of Communities and Local Government how the area can continue to build on the success of recent community-led projects. The local MP and DCLG officials […]
Rory has, following a meeting on Monday specially convened by the Eden Area Secondary Headteachers (EASH) group, said that he is delighted to have been instrumental in brokering greater dialogue between the schools and Cumbria County Council in relation to the schools’ ongoing concerns about the National Schools Funding Formula. The meeting involved head-teachers and […]
Rory on Saturday attended the launch event at Penrith’s Go Outdoors centre for a new adventure learning organisation which will help young people complete their Duke of Edinburgh awards. ACActive, in conjunction with Cumbria Youth Alliance, has set up an open award centre which aims to ensure that any young person who would like the opportunity […]
Rory visited the national ‘Lab in a Lorry’ science education initiative at William Howard School in Brampton on Friday, meeting with pupils and seeing how the mobile science laboratory takes hands-on physics experiments to schools. The aim is to give students aged 11 to 14 the opportunity to experience science as it is really done […]