William Howard School

18/06/2026

What an incredible respectful role model! Very proud of former WHS student Ross 💙👏

⚽👏 A Huge Well Done to Ross! 👏⚽

We recently received the following feedback after the U10 Girls games at our Festival of Football Tournament, and we felt it deserved to be shared. 💙

Ross was a fantastic ambassador for refereeing throughout the day, demonstrating patience, professionalism, and a genuine passion for helping young players enjoy the game.

What makes this achievement even more special is that Ross is neurodivergent. His dedication, confidence, and commitment to continuous development are an inspiration and a brilliant example of how football can provide opportunities for everyone to thrive. 💙🧩

Referees often receive criticism, but positive feedback is just as important. We’re incredibly proud of Ross and grateful to David for taking the time to recognise his efforts.

📩 Feedback received:

“Hi,

We attended the U10 Girls Tournament yesterday, and I wanted to send some positive feedback regarding one of the referees who officiated most of our games.

He was a tall, red-haired young man, probably in his early 20s, and he was absolutely fantastic — a real credit to refereeing and to the tournament itself.

He showed great patience with the girls throughout the day and took the time to explain rules and decisions when needed, which really helped the players understand and enjoy the games. His attitude, professionalism, and encouragement stood out to everyone watching.

It’s wonderful to see young referees coming through with such dedication and maturity. He should be very proud of the way he conducted himself, and credit also goes to his family and the organisers for supporting young officials like him.

I just wanted to make sure his efforts were recognised, as people are often quick to criticise referees but not always quick enough to praise them when they do an excellent job.

Kind regards,

David Short”

👏 Well done, Ross! Keep up the fantastic work. We’re all very proud of you! ⚽💙

18/06/2026

🎉There was a jubilant atmosphere of relief and celebration this morning as Year 11 marked the end of their summer exams with the traditional shirt-signing and Leavers’ Assembly.

Students gathered in the canteen to enjoy brunch with staff before Ms Ledger, Year 11 Director of Learning, led a heartfelt farewell assembly. The event was filled with reflections on their five years at WHS, entertaining video messages from staff, and thoughtful words of advice for the future.

Members of staff who have supported students along their way were shown great appreciation, including Ms Furniss, the Year 11 Student Manager.

The audience was treated to fantastic performances from Year 11 students, Elias 🎤, Ewan 🎹and the Year 11 band 🎸 (Aidan, Max, Leo, Oliver and Henry) delivering a memorable set.

It was also a particularly significant occasion for Ms Ledger, as this marked her final assembly after 28 years at WHS. As she prepares to retire at the end of the academic year, she will depart alongside this cohort she has supported throughout their journey. Her specially written poem, shared with warmth and humour, reflected on her time as Year 11 leader and included a light-hearted list of things she certainly won’t miss!

Headteacher Ms Pigdon closed the assembly with inspiring words, thanking the students for their contributions to school life and wishing them every success in the future. The celebration ended on a high note, with everyone joining together for a final singalong to Oasis’ Don’t Look Back in Anger.

We wish all our Year 11 students the very best in their next steps, whether that be apprenticeships, Sixth Form, college, or employment. Before then, there is still the excitement of the Year 11 Prom 💃🕺to look forward to on Thursday 25 June.

For those returning to WHS for Sixth Form in September, please ensure you attend the three-day ‘Step Up to Sixth Form’ induction, beginning on Tuesday 30 June.

🍀Good luck to you all!

16/06/2026

⭐️This week’s Headteacher’s award goes to Paisley, an outstanding Year 8 student⭐️

Paisley has demonstrated exceptional effort, achievement and conduct throughout Year 8. She approaches every lesson with focus, determination and a genuine commitment to excellence.

She is highly engaged in the wider life of the school, participating in a range of extracurricular activities including sports clubs, maths competitions, Open Spaces and Drama. In every setting, Paisley makes a positive contribution and is a valued member of the community.

Paisley has accumulated an outstanding 1,632 House Points, reflecting her consistent dedication. She has also completed every G*T task across all subjects, continually challenging herself to achieve her best.

Paisley truly embodies the qualities we seek to develop in our students and consistently lives out the values of the William Howard Way👌

12/06/2026

🎉WHS Sports Award Ball 2026 - join the celebrations!
⚽️🏑🏐🏏🏈🏆

🎟️ Tickets (£25) are available to order via ParentPay
Includes food 🍽️and the after awards party🪩💃🕺

⌛Ticket sales close on Wednesday 1 July, but numbers are limited so don't delay!

11/06/2026

🏌️Year 7 student Oscar G is taking on a 100-hole golf challenge this Sunday in The Big Golf Race at Carlisle Golf Club, helping to raise funds for Cancer UK.

🚹In the UK, 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime. Every pound raised helps fund vital research🔬 that could lead to earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment.

If you’d like to support Oscar and this incredibly important cause, please visit🔗 https://biggolfrace.prostatecanceruk.org/fundraising/oscars-fundraising-page755?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=dssb-WA&utm_content=MPC 🙏

11/06/2026

Free advice for parents of children with ADHD...

Does your child struggle to get on with their homework? Do they get easily distracted or find it impossible to make a start on challenging assignments?

This one hour online talk gives a range of advice for parents who are having issues around homework with their ADHD child. Easy to apply interventions and guidance for several different issues that commonly appear with the ADHD condition.

🔗To access this and other helpful online sessions, visit: https://www.facefamilyadvice.co.uk/supportforparents

10/06/2026

📢Parents of Year 5 children... there's still time to book on one of our 'Experience the Exceptional' evenings✨

👩‍🏫Year 5 pupils are invited to come along for some specially tailored taster sessions on 📆Wednesday, 17th June or 📆Monday 22nd June 2026.

The events run from 🕠5.30pm to 7.30pm, beginning with an introductory talk, followed by three 25-minute classroom sessions.

👉Places are limited, so book now at: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/TCZiBtVpSk
⌛️The deadline for booking is Sunday 10th June 2026.

We will email you to confirm your place and look forward to welcoming you to Experience the Exceptional for yourselves!

👩‍👦Due to space limitations, only one accompanying adult for each Year 5 child can be accommodated during the evenings.

10/06/2026

🚜We are delighted to celebrate the achievements of several of our students who represented themselves, their families, and the wider community with distinction at Saturday's Cumberland Show.

The Cumberland Show is one of the region's premier agricultural events, showcasing the very best of farming, livestock, rural traditions, and countryside skills. Competing against strong entries from across the county, our students demonstrated exceptional dedication, talent, and sportsmanship.

👏Congratulations to the following students on their outstanding results:

🥈Ollie S (Y8) – 2nd Place in Cumberland Wrestling
🥉Sam V (Y8) – 3rd Place in Cumberland Wrestling
🏆Phoebe and Lexi P (Y8 & Y9) – Their farm was awarded Champion for their British Blue Cow
🏆Lexi P (Y9) – Champion Young Handler
🏆Liam G (Y9) – Champion Young Handler (dairy calf)
🥉Scarlett G (Y7) – 3rd Young Handler (dairy calf)
🏵️Benji P (Y9) – 4th Young handler (dairy calf)

(Let us know if there are other WHS winners we haven't yet heard about)

These achievements reflect the hard work, commitment, and passion our students bring to their pursuits both in and out of school. Whether competing in traditional Cumberland wrestling or showcasing excellence in livestock handling and presentation, they have all represented themselves superbly👌

🐑The success of our students at the Cumberland Show comes at an exciting time for agriculture within our school. Next week, our Year 8 and Year 9 Agriculture and Open Spaces students will have the opportunity to visit the Highland Show, one of the UK's largest and most prestigious agricultural events. The visit will allow students to learn more about farming, livestock, food production, and the many career opportunities available within the rural sector.

📆Looking ahead to July, we will also be hosting our own Mini Agricultural Show with Year 7 students, celebrating our rural community, and showcasing the skills, talents, and interests of our students. The event promises to be a wonderful opportunity to recognise the importance of agriculture in our local area.

09/06/2026

⭐️Gabrielle in Year 10 received a well-earned Headteacher's Award this week⭐️

Her teachers describe her an absolute pleasure to teach and as a wonderful member of the school community. Gabrielle consistently demonstrates our core values through her kindness, hard work, and dedication, always giving her best in lessons, homework, and all aspects of school life. She is determined to succeed, completes her work to a high standard, and shows great resilience when faced with challenges, readily seeking support when needed and making excellent progress as a result.

Gabrielle’s commitment extends beyond the classroom, where her efforts in PE and dedication to extra-curricular netball🏐 have led to significant improvements in both her skills and confidence, as demonstrated during the Holland Sports Tour. Gabrielle was also an outstanding role model on the trip, enthusiastically supporting younger students and helping to boost their confidence through her encouragement and positivity. Her thoughtful nature, particularly towards more vulnerable students, never goes unnoticed, and she consistently goes out of her way to make others feel valued and included.

Gabrielle approaches everything she does with quiet determination and maturity, making her one of the kindest and most admirable students to teach😊

09/06/2026

⚱️Year 8 & 9 students in the Archaeology (Character Curriculum) classes recently enjoyed learning about the main types of pottery found on Romano-British sites.

Students handled sherds of Samian ware, amphora, mortarium and black burnished ware, finding out the function of each type and where they were made. They also looked at some of the more unusual pottery that has been discovered at the recent excavations at Carlisle Cricket Club.

Pupils then designed their own ‘face pot’ - a rare type of ceramic jar that features a simplistic face, often with very distinctive facial features - and recreated them on a ceramic tile.