The multi-talented students at John Cabot Academy were thrilled to present the internationally acclaimed musical comedy phenomenon, Hairspray.

In 1960s Baltimore, dance-loving teen Tracy Turnblad (Emmie Eustace, Year 11) auditions for a spot on The Corny Collins Show and wins. She becomes an overnight celebrity, a trendsetter in dance, fun and fashion. Perhaps her new status as a teen sensation is enough to topple Corny’s reigning dance queen and bring racial integration to the show.

Performed over three nights to packed houses, with an additional matinee performance for pupils at local primary schools, this spectacular musical boasted show-stopping numbers and electrifying dance routines. The production is brought to life by a cast and crew of more than 70 students spanning Years 7 to 13.

The Bristol students have worked extremely hard to produce this show, giving up hours of their own time right through from auditions last July and rehearsals since September.

The music to this fabulous musical extravaganza is played by an exceptional 10-piece live band featuring students from Years 9-11.

Charlotte Grierson, the school’s curriculum leader for performing arts, said: “It has been a pleasure working with the students and staff. Their commitment and dedication beyond their normal school day is fantastic. Having the privilege of a live band and slick backstage and technical team, really makes the show a fantastic performance all round.

“Overall, the message of Hairspray remains relevant to today’s audiences as it reflects many current events and issues in society and hopefully amongst the colourful costumes and bright lights, our students will have enjoyed being part of such an iconic musical.”

The highly-anticipated CLF Big Bake Off final returned this week – and it was the highest-calibre competition yet.

The contest is one of the trust’s Big events, which unite staff and students in friendly competition and collaboration in sport, the arts and other disciplines.

After intense baking heats across CLF regions, the top bakers from secondary and primary schools convened at the brand new Winterstoke Hundred Academy in Weston-super-Mare for the ultimate showdown. The standard of baking reached unprecedented heights, with contestants demonstrating exceptional skill and creativity.

Secondary students were tasked with baking a cake at home and then challenged during the final to create their own design on the theme of ‘Belonging’, using a variety of ingredients and skills.

Meanwhile, primary pupils crafted jam tarts with intricate designs, making judging a formidable task for the panel.

The full line-up of finalists this year were Uphill Village Academy, Winterstoke Hundred Academy, Woodlands Academy, Bristol Metropolitan Academy, Castle Primary School, Monkton Wood Academy, Brooke Academy, Queen Margaret Primary School, Tewkesbury Academy, John Cabot Academy and Wallscourt Farm Academy and they aspired to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winners, when Uphill Primary Academy scooped the primary prize, and Lime Hills Academy emerged victorious from the secondary contest.

With the stage set and mixing bowls at the ready, it was Liliana and Modaser from Wallscourt Farm Academy who emerged victorious in the primary event while Finley and Thalia from John Cabot Academy (pictured top) claimed the top spot in the secondary event, earning the coveted title of CLF’s best bakers 2024. The winners were decided by an expert judging panel that included Kieran Lenihan, Executive Head Chef at Wellington School, who moved into the role after 23 years in restaurants and hotels. Kieran’s career has seen him work under top chefs such as Somerset’s Michelin-starred Micheal Canes, while he also held the role of head chef at Marco Pierre White’s Steak House Bar & Grill in Bristol. And CLF CEO Steve Taylor, a seasoned veteran of all Bake-Off finals, lent his expert opinion to the mix.

Kate Richardson, CLF Education Director, said: “This year, as our trust has grown, we organised our CLF Big Bake competition with both heats and finals – our students have risen to the challenge brilliantly and the standard has been higher than ever. Well done to all who participated; and special thanks to our CLF Institute team for organising our bake, and to our celebrity judge, Kieran Lenihan.”

The South West’s Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) has earned national recognition for a trust-wide physical education provision designed to ‘improve the life experiences of all students’.

The CLF, which oversees 35 schools in the region this week won the Outstanding Multi Academy Trust Practice Award at the 2024 Youth Sport Trust Awards.

Trust leaders were presented with the award by double world and commonwealth champion heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson after being named the winner out of more than 120 nominated trusts.

The award celebrates the work the CLF has carried out across the trust to provide high quality student experiences in PE, school sport, and physical activity and well-being.

Judges also praised the trust’s Big events, a series of trust-wide collaborations in sport and the arts.

Awards organisers said: “The CLF position PE, sport and physical activity at the heart of their culture. They have identified how a strong PE, school sport and physical activity offer can be a key lever to improving the life experiences of all students due to their appreciation of the benefits it brings to physical, mental, and social wellbeing.

“The Trust’s guiding light is that PE is for everyone, and physical literacy underpins this. Through enjoying physical activity, the curriculum will provide students with the opportunities to develop key characteristics to be successful. The belief is that the approach to physical education is inclusive and develops all children through movement and interacting with their environment.

“Big events are a wide range of joy-filled activities which the Trust have developed to create lasting memories for pupils, whilst shaping who they are and developing their sense of self. Over 2,000 students have taken part in opportunities they wouldn’t normally be able to take part in. For disadvantaged students, this is a unique opportunity to gain equity and level the playing field, with life experiences that can lay the platform for lifelong success, cultural capital and social mobility.”

The awards evening in Telford was a unique opportunity to celebrate schools, settings, trusts, and individuals who have made a real and impactful change to the lives of young people.

James Mooney, the CLF’s Senior Curriculum Leader for Physical Education, School Sport and Physical Activity, said: “This is recognition of the work we have been doing collectively across the trust to ensure that all students receive a PE offer that promotes positive relationship with physical activity, giving them the skills, knowledge, and confidence to engage physical activity for the rest of their life.

“As a trust we believe that sport is for anyone, but PE is for everyone; all young people are entitled to a PE, school sport and physical activity offer that not only meets their needs and promotes excellence, but more importantly is fun, engaging, and positive.”

Reuben a seven year old boy from Minerva Primary School Taunton, has become a community hero. Rueben has taken it upon himself to keep the school tidy, he is a litter picking force.

ITV West Country News went along to find out more.

Forget the Pound or the Euro – one school in Fishponds has issued its very own currency.

Pupils at Frome Vale Academy (FVA) can now spend Penguin Pounds – school money designed by Year 5 teacher Ross Fossard and featuring the academy mascot.

SKY Kids TV sent a film crew along to find out more.

Broadoak Academy introduced a unique and exciting activity as part of its curricular and extracurricular provision – field gun competition.

The Weston-super-Mare academy teamed up with Future Fit Junior Field Gun – a charitable organisation based in Plymouth – to provide the wooden field guns and component parts, as well as training and wider support introducing Year 7 students to the sport. Field gun competition has been running for almost 100 years and originated in the Royal Navy.

Junior field gun replicates this sport but with wooden guns, appropriate for young ‘field gunners’. It provides students with hands-on experiences that promote teamwork, discipline, physical fitness, problem-solving, agility, communication skills, leadership and much more.

The field gun activity involved students working together to operate a scaled down, wooden field gun, as inspired by historical military drills within the Royal Navy. The students were guided by trained instructors Dave and Des from Future Fit Junior Field Gun, who ensured safety and proper execution of the activity.

Every student of the Year 7 cohort participated in an action-packed day which started with an assembly by the academy’s PE Co-ordinator Mr Poulding and the Future Fit team, followed by a tutor group workshop involving drills and races. Dave and Des were delighted with the reaction of the students who engaged brilliantly with the day.

One year 7 student commented, ‘Sir, this is amazing. Can we do this in PE from now on?’ It was a brilliant day, and the students are looking forward to putting together a Broadoak Academy Field Gun Team to enter competitions in the near future.

That would make Broadoak Academy the first secondary school in the country to have a field gun team, and school leaders look forward to developing and building students’ involvement in the sport. They hope this will encourage other schools and groups in the community to follow suit in offering this provision for young people.

Principal Danny McGilloway said: “The way in which the children engaged and conducted themselves during the day was exemplary. They worked brilliantly in teams and cooperated throughout. I saw some individual children display confidence that I have not seen before. It was a truly inclusive, enjoyable experience for all of our year 7 students.”