About our school
Solway Community School is at the heart of the community in Silloth. Established over 50 years ago, we have a reputation as school where students of all abilities excel. Our big strength is our small size – everyone knows everyone else; yet we are able to provide a wide range of courses to match learners’ strengths and interests. We know everyone – and we help them develop into unique and self-confident individuals. We are small but mighty.
Headteacher’s Welcome
A very warm welcome to Solway and Beacon Hill Community Schools. Together, we are Cumbria Futures Federation; two schools working collaboratively to provide an excellent education for students against the elegant backdrop of northern Cumbria. We lie at the heart of the community we serve, and front and centre for us are your children and our students. Our students are individuals, and every member of our school staff sees it as a great privilege to be able to support each and every student.
Our schools have great personalities, and a set of values that do not just daub the walls and website but feature daily in how every person in the building works together. New teachers and visitors to the school regularly comment on this, and these values provide the positive environment in which our students thrive and learn. We are academically ambitious for our students. We know within every student is a rich wealth of potential; central to our vision for everyone we teach is to inspire them to use their potential, to open their minds to new ideas and opportunities, and challenge them to be, and do, their very best. Sitting alongside this is a no less ambitious purpose to develop the moral courage and integrity of our students to do the right thing whatever their circumstances. To put it simply, to become good people, well prepared for their future lives as positive members of their families, workplaces, local and wider communities.
The quality of the relationships developed across the school helps to do this and builds a secure and healthy place on which our students can build strong foundations to make continuous progress within a safe, inclusive and ambitious environment; to go out and succeed in and contribute to the world around them.
Our small size gives us a great advantage. We see each student where they are, as individuals we know very well, and we are best placed as a result to drive progress forward. This develops a uniquely inclusive environment for each student to flourish in. No-one is overlooked, everyone is valued.
We are mindful a student’s education is not a dress rehearsal. It is important that we do everything we can to make their time with us count, especially where time has been paused for many through Covid. High quality teaching, learning and engagement is at the heart of everything we do. Our staff work hard every day, with courage and integrity, to make sure students have the best possible experience while at our schools. Our ethos removes educational barriers or any obstacles the students face to ensure all have the opportunity to do their best.
Both schools have been rated as Good providers in our recent Ofsted inspections and we are, as always, committed to high academic standards along with the highest quality pastoral care. Please come and look around, all of our staff would be very proud to show our school to you and your child.
Bobby Forbes – Cumberland MYP article.
My name is Bobby Forbes, a Year Ten student from Solway Community School and I’m the next Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) for the Cumberland area, elected on the 22nd February 2023 by the young people of Cumbria, giving the generation of the future a voice.
You’re probably asking what on earth is an MYP as most people don’t know they exist. An MYP is a young person aged 11 to 18 years who is democratically elected by young people in their area. The job of an MYP is to voice the opinions of the young people in their area and start campaigns to impact positive change in their community, there are elected Members of Youth Parliament for whole of the UK.
As well as myself there was also two Deputy Members who were elected; Evie Gasgarth from Wigton and Payton Richards from Carlisle who I believe are going to be amazing to work alongside in the next year. To run in the election all candidates had to write a manifesto voicing our views, things we would change and how we would change them. As well as submitting a manifesto we attended a hustings event where we had 60 seconds to share our views, qualities and opinions.
All young people who attend Cumbria’s youth councils where able to vote in the election. After the voting had closed, all candidates were invited to a results event at Cumbria House in Carlisle on the 22nd February 2023, where the results were given by a returning officer and certificates presented to the elected member and the elected deputy members.
As an MYP I am hoping to concentrate on two personal issues which I am very passionate about. I have been recently diagnosed dyslexic, I recognise there is more that can be done to support dyslexic students in KS1 and KS2, therefore, as part of one of my campaigns I am going to highlight the gaps in screening and diagnosing dyslexia in primary school aged children. This early screening is key, as students will be eligible for support that they really need in order to succeed throughout their educational journey and achieve what they are really capable of. This highlights too the problems that face SEND (special education needs) students and other students experiencing neurodiversity. In my campaign I am hoping to work with decision makers and with other dyslexic and neurodiverse students to see what issues they face in their everyday school life. I also want to remove the negative stigma surrounding dyslexia.
As well as this I will be highlighting changes needed in the curriculum taught in secondary schools to enable young people to learn skills for life, as well as other vocational subjects that will teach young people skills they will actually need and use in their adult life. For example, educate them on finances, how to write CVs and explore different careers and where they could take them as well as learning practical skills such as cleaning, personal hygiene and how to work household appliances.
As well as running campaigns I will be attending events all around the UK. The main one will be in November when I will visit the House of Commons and I hope to speak in the chamber alongside all the other MYPs from different areas, to discuss and debate issues that affect young people and make sure the they are not just heard by MPs and other decision makers, but we are listened to and can therefore influence decisions that will affect our future.
Although I want to work on my own issues, I want to hear the issues that young people face in Cumbria from different backgrounds, places and ages so I can represent them properly. If you would like to contact me to highlight an issue that affects you or other young people in your area then please contact me via the youth.voice@cumbria.gov.uk email with reference to Bobby Forbes Cumberland MYP, together let’s make our mark and make our area a better place and better our education.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Participation Officers at Cumbria County Council for helping me through the election process and to my teachers at Solway Community School for always being extremely supportive of my campaigns as I start the ball rolling as MYP.