The Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education paid a visit to two CLF schools this week – and heaped praise upon the trust’s ‘passionate and dedicated’ staff and ‘articulate’ students.

Susan Acland-Hood, the DfE’s Permanent Secretary, visited Wallscourt Farm Academy, Bristol Metropolitan Academy, and the CLF Institute alongside her team on Thursday.

At Wallscourt, Ms Acland-Hood met Principal Charlotte Black and a group of pupils who were keen to talk to their visitor about their curriculum and learning that is progressive, purposeful, and inspiring. The main vehicle for their learning at Wallscourt is enquiry-led learning, which sees pupils absorb important lessons by becoming authors, mathematicians, engineers, and artists.

A meeting with Cameron Shaw, Principal at Bristol Metropolitan, was the next stop on this whistlestop tour. The visit began with Cameron explaining the transformative history of Bristol Met and the journey the academy has been on. Next, Year 7 students led visitors on a tour of the academy, answering questions articulately and eloquently as they showcased some students’ work.

The visit culminated at the CLF Institute, where CLF CEO Steve Taylor guided Ms Acland-Hood through a comprehensive tour, introducing her to key members of staff and providing deeper insights into the CLF’s vision and initiatives.

Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education, said: “It was a pleasure to meet all the teachers and leaders at Wallscourt Academy and Bristol Metropolitan Academy, who are a credit to their schools and the CLF.

“The dedication and passion you all share for your students was clear in everyone I met, and it was wonderful to meet so many articulate children across both schools.”

Steve Taylor, Chief Executive of the Cabot Learning Federation, said: “Thank you to Susan Acland-Hood for visiting us an engaging so openly in discussion with pupils and colleagues. It was a pleasure to host Susan and her team.”

Forty-Five Year 10 students from King’s Oak Academy had the unique opportunity to visit the world-renowned Airbus site in Filton for a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) event during National Apprenticeship Week.

The Bristol students started the day with a site tour of the landing gear test facility and the fuel testing facility, witnessing many scientists at work and the immensely sophisticated computer systems that control the testing processes.

In a dynamic exercise, students engaged in a cabin design task where they had to work in small groups to design the inside of an Airbus cabin, thinking about maximising profit for the airline. Students had different roles within the team and really had to work together to be successful, emphasising the importance of teamwork in achieving success.

They also took part in a series of gliding activities, which included hands-on experiences in gliding simulators, mastering how to complete many different manoeuvres – including loop-the-loops – under the guidance of expert instructors.

The final task was an interactive session where students got to question different employees of both Airbus and the Gliding Association about their career pathways, gaining valuable insights into the diverse opportunities within the aerospace and aviation industries.

Laura Phillips, Associate Assistant Principal for STEM at King’s Oak, said: “The students had a really informative visit and were a real credit to the academy. Well done Year 10.”

The Great Western Air Ambulance team visited an academy in Kingswood to show their knowledge and expertise in dealing with an array of emergency situations.

Around 240 students from Years 7-9 at King’s Oak Academy took part in a range of amazing practical demonstrations.

The session was led by Carlota Appleby, who heads the air ambulance’s team of emergency department doctors from the Bristol Royal Infirmary, 999 call handlers, intensive care unit doctors, emergency care assistants and a paramedic.

During the interactive session, students were given hands-on training on crucial life-saving techniques. Students were instructed how to put people in the recovery position, how to perform CPR and when to use it. They also practiced how to use a defibrillator and where to find them in their local community.

The Great Western Air Ambulance provides emergency care to people who are in a state so critical that they require the specialist skills of their team at the scene of the accident or medical incident.

Though they are part of the regional 999 response service and work closely with NHS hospitals, they are a charity entirely funded by the community.

Robyn Harold, Teacher of Health & Travel and Tourism at King’s Oak, said: “It has been fantastic to have Carlota and her team from the air ambulance charity to run CPR workshops for our students. Our students had the opportunity to practice valuable life-saving skills, including how to use a defibrillator.

“We hope that after these workshops our students are more confident to lead and show others if they were ever to find themselves in a situation to use CPR. The students loved the fact that there were different representatives from across the medical profession.”