EX5-Alive, the community hub based at Cranbrook Education Campus, (CEC) part of our Trust, has been awarded an amazing £102,258 from the National Lottery Community Fund. The National Lottery Community Fund distributes over £600m a year to communities across the UK, raised by players of The National Lottery. 

The hub worked in partnership with Inspiring Communities CIC to secure the funding. Inspiring connections CIC aims to support groups and individuals who are working within their local communities to deliver much-needed volunteer-led and co-produced support, which in turn will benefit community members to feel as if they are active participants in theirs and others’ daily lives.  

The funding will be used to develop a resident-led social entity which will deliver community initiatives to increase a sense of connection. The project will nurture and guide existing and new resident groups through capacity building, facilitating access to information, strengthening opportunities and developing a wider community engagement processes.

The aim of the EX5-Alive community hub is to support the people of Cranbrook to be happier, healthier and more connected to their community. It offers a cradle to career model and they work with a wide range of external partners, including the Live and Move Sport England fund (Move More Cranbrook), Exeter Foodbank, Action for Children, Parental Minds, Cranbrook Medical for social prescribing and Reach Academy in Feltham.  

The newly funded project will complement EX5-Alive’s aim of engaging Cranbrook residents in shaping their future. The community will connect through community-led activities where residents' voices are heard, represented and community action delivered.

If you would like to know more, be part of this exciting new project or have something amazing to offer then please contact community@ex5alive.com or visit www.ex5alive.com to see what they have been doing in and around the Cranbrook community.

 The Cranbrook Action Group said:

“We are so pleased to be sharing this fantastic news! Well done team EX5 Alive and especially Aynsley Jones. A lot of hard work has been going on behind the scenes to achieve this result. Time to celebrate. It's good to see the Cranbrook Community being recognised in this way.”

 Sharon Thorne, Director at Inspiring Connections South West CIC said:

“I am delighted, over the moon and thrilled that EX5-Alive has been awarded over £100k by the National Lottery Community Fund! This fantastic opportunity for Cranbrook means we will have an independent organisation owned and governed by Cranbrook residents. Your voice, your choice in what happens within your community.”

Stephen Farmer, Head of Campus at Cranbrook Education Campus said:

“Born from a collaborative discussion with colleagues at the Reach Foundation through the Cradle to Career network, the EX5 Alive Community Hub has grown into a thriving centre of support, facilitating over 13,000 connections in just 18 months. This Lottery funding will enable EX5 Alive to continue expanding its impact, providing vital services to both new and existing residents of Cranbrook and East Devon.”

West Exe School, part of our Trust, welcomed Steve Race MP for a visit to see the school in action on Friday the 4th of October.

Mr Race was elected as the MP for the Exeter constituency at the last general election, prior to that he had worked for Ben Bradshaw MP.  He stated during the election campaign that one of his priorities was fighting for the best start in life for Exeter’s children.

Headteacher Julie Fossey and Deputy Headteacher for Community and Education Joe Bispham, welcomed Mr Race to West Exe School and they had a meeting to discuss how the school is developing their community relationships. 

The school’s head prefects, Stanley and Ella and two other prefects Mia and Harry, then acted as Mr Race’s tour guides. They showed him all around the school site whilst discussing topics from how social media impacts young people to cooking.

Mr Race spoke to the students about the curriculum and their thoughts on it and in turn they informed him about everything that is on offer at West Exe School.  He was particularly interested to hear about the school’s literary canon offer, where by the time they leave students will have read 25 thought-provoking and hopefully, life changing books during tutor time that will bring depth, colour and culture to their lives.

He also heard all about the school’s electives programme, which takes place once a week as part of their curriculum. Students select courses that interest them and then have the opportunity to learn different skills which will help them in their career and employment journey.

Julie Fossey, Headteacher at West Exe School said:

“It was a pleasure to welcome Steve Race MP to West Exe School; we always had a warm relationship with his predecessor, Ben, and look forward to seeing more of Mr Race in the future. I am so proud of the prefects that showed him around; he mentioned how impressed he was with them and how articulate and passionate they were about their school community.”  

Steve Race MP said:

“Thanks to the West Exe staff and particularly the four student prefects who took the time to show me around the school. The students were exceptionally articulate and knowledgeable about the school, and clearly enjoyed their time learning. I’m absolutely convinced that all of them will go on to great things. Ensuring that every young person in Exeter had the opportunity to reach their potential is really important to me, and we’re fortunate to have brilliant schools and teaching staff in the city, like at West Exe, to help make that possible.”

 

Marine Academy Primary, part of the Ted Wragg Trust, has elected its new Members of Academy Parliament this month.

Each candidate delivered a presentation to their class, explaining why they would be the best representative for their peers. Following this, classes took turns visiting the school’s polling station in the hall to cast their votes for the new representatives.

The Academy Parliament will play a vital role in canvassing opinions across the school, gathering feedback from pupils, and presenting ideas that represent the student voice and vision for the school’s future.

The newly elected Academy Parliament members were then treated to a special trip to London, where they visited the Houses of Parliament. The group toured the House of Commons and Westminster Hall, learning all about the workings of the parliamentary system and the important role MPs play in shaping legislation—a valuable lesson that will inspire them in their new roles as student representatives.

The trip was booked through Parliament Education UK and a travel subsidy to make it possible was provided by Fred Thomas MP.

In addition to MAP’s Academy Parliament, children from Ernesettle and Tor Bridge Primary’s Pupil Parliaments attended.

The trip wasn’t all business, though. The pupils also managed to squeeze in some sightseeing, including a ride on the London Eye and a visit to Trafalgar Square.

Georgina Reid, Headteacher at Marine Academy Primary, commented:

“I am so proud of our Members of Academy Parliament—it was fantastic to witness democracy in action across the school, and it was wonderful to hear their classmates sharing the joy in their success! A huge thank you to Miss Widdison and Mrs Green for their hard work in organizing the election, and to Mr Druce and Miss Widdison for accompanying the group on their parliamentary adventure to London.”

Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust, added:

“Many congratulations to all the pupils elected to MAP’s new Members of Academy Parliament. This is an absolutely brilliant initiative that not only gets children thinking about how our democracy works, but also gives them a genuine voice in the running of the school.”

   

 

Cranbrook Education Campus, (CEC) part of our Trust, has welcomed a new Reception cohort this month.

 CEC pupils have been busy over the summer completing some Ready for Reception challenges including:

• Reading one of their "Recommended Reads" (books to enjoy before starting big school) with their Cranbrook Bear!

Opening food packets themselves and trying to cut up their own food at meal times.  

• Communicating how they are feeling and calmly expressing their needs.
• Practising getting dressed and putting on shoes and zipping up coats.
• Sounding out letters and playing some games with words. 
• Talking about all the things they are excited to do in school.

Krisha Gandhi, Head of Primary & Senior Deputy Head of Campus, at Cranbrook Education Campus said:

“I am delighted to welcome everyone back to school this month, but it’s always particularly special to welcome our newest members of our CEC family. I know many children and families feel nervous about starting school and I hope that the challenges we set over the summer will have made them feel more confident about the start of term.”

Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust said:

“It’s lovely to see how much thought the staff at Cranbrook have put in to support families who are starting their school journey. Helping children develop their skills before they begin in Reception means they will feel more confident on their first day, giving them the best start to their education.”

Students and staff from Ted Wragg Trust schools across Devon have been celebrating their GCSE results today (22nd Aug.)  

Our year 11 students achieved a fantastic set of Key Stage 4 outcomes, with 7 in 10 students achieving a Grade 4 or above in both English and Maths.  All Saints Academy, Lipson Academy and Tor Bridge High all celebrated their best ever results.

Moira Marder, Chief Executive Officer of the Ted Wragg Trust said:

“Many congratulations to everyone collecting results today.  I am incredibly proud of our students' GCSE results this year.  Their achievements are a testament to their hard work, resilience, and commitment. 

“I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our dedicated teachers and supportive parents, whose unwavering encouragement has been instrumental in these achievements. I am excited to see what our students will accomplish next."

“It’s such a privilege to provide ongoing education to the young people of Devon and I hope this Year 11 cohort has a wonderful time celebrating their well-earned success today. They have a bright future ahead and I wish them all the very best in their chosen next steps!"

Schools from our Trust in Exeter, Plymouth and across Devon have taken part in the annual Ted Wragg Innovation Competition at the Exeter College Future Skills Centre. Students from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4 could take part in the contest which was sponsored by NOCN and Willmott Dixon.

The competition organised in collaboration with Exeter College and the South West Green Construction Advisory Panel (GCAP) had this year’s themes as green living and home decarbonisation or creating a new airport or college campus from scratch.  

Participants got to grips with learning about sustainable lifestyle choices and actions to reduce carbon emissions in homes or integrating environmental, social, and economic considerations into the planning, design, construction, and operation phases of their designs, supported by masterclasses from the sponsors.

16 teams from 15 schools were in attendance at the competition’s celebration event which comprised of the opening of the exhibition of students’ work,  keynote speakers and 5-minute presentations from each team followed by Q&A from the judging panel. This was followed by lunch and the award ceremony and prize giving presentation. 

The Innovation Competition seeks to discover students who demonstrate an aptitude to solve complex problems in innovative ways. The competition required students to research, investigate and create an innovative solution to one of these problems. The teams’ ideas needed to be about using technology to make the world a better place. 

To assist and support teams throughout their work, a series of industry sector experts hosted live virtual discussions and masterclasses ahead of the contest, in order to help support students’ development of their idea or concept from an industry perspective. 

The judging panel was made up of industry experts from the technology sector and the judges looked at how well the teams could demonstrate their understanding of the criteria by developing their idea into a final proposal. 

The full judging panel included:

• Daffne Aguilar - Social Value Manager at Willmott Dixon Construction Limited
• Rosie Buckley - Head of Operational Strategy and Performance Management at Centrica New Business & Net Zero
• Nicola Hollands - Sector Manager (Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing, and Green) at NOCN Group
• Kerry Lane - Business Developer Manager at EX2 Group
• Sarah Lee - Senior Associate Architect at Stride Treglown

Jade Otty, the Vice Principal at Exeter College was also in attendance and announced the winners and handed out the medals.

Primary Category Winner:

Exwick Heights - The Take Off Team with their Sustainable Airport
Judges Comments:

• So much information and details provided
• Amazing presentation
• Really interactive and good technical knowledge

Secondary Category Winner:

 Honiton Community College with their Sustainable College Campus plans
Judges Comments:

• Great innovation and collaboration of technologies
• A clear and well-spoken presentation  
• An impressive shopping list of ways to improve sustainability  

Highly Commended Teamwork:

Matford Brook Academy - The Ground Crew with an environmentally sustainable Airport
Judges comments:

• Great details for team collaboration
• Great insights shared on how the team worked to their strengths
• Brilliant team structure, roles and working methods

Highly Commended Final Presentation:

Marine Academy Primary - Team Green Marine with their ambitious solutions for the future – there is no planet B!
Judges Comments:

• Very Clear & thorough explanations
• Polished presentation  
• Great understanding of issues affecting the Earth & plans for the future

A full list of the schools that participated is below:

All Saints Academy Plymouth, Cranbrook Education Campus, Exwick Heights Primary, Honiton Community College, Isca Academy, Marine Academy Primary, Marine Academy Plymouth, Queen Elizabeth’s School, St James School, St Luke’s Church of England School, Sidmouth College, West Exe School, Tor Bridge High and Whipton Barton Federation.

Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust said:

“A huge congratulations to all the students who took part in the Innovation Competition.  It was brilliant to see so many young people coming up with such inspired and positive ideas and I was so impressed by the creativity and thoughtfulness students displayed in their presentations.  

“I also want to say a big thank you to all the judges, sponsors and special guests, as well as Exeter College, the Exeter College Future Skills Centre and the South West Green Construction Advisory Panel - it’s great for everyone to come together for the benefit of Devon’s young people.”

Nicola Hollands, Sector Manager (Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing, and Green) at NOCN Group said:

“Ted Wragg Trust a truly inspirational event with such brilliance in one room! Thank you for inviting me to sit on the panel with fellow judges. I am truly lost for words to express how inspiring and moving everything about it was!

“Huge round of applause and congratulations to all participants and the winners. Well done all.

“Thank you for hosting and preparing for a great day Future Skills Centre Exeter! NOCN Group were truly proud to be one of the sponsors for today. Thank you all.”

Daffne Aguilar, Social Value Manager at Willmott Dixon Construction Limited said:

“Thank you to Exeter College and the Ted Wragg Trust for organising such an inspiring event. Willmott Dixon proudly sponsored the Innovation Competition along with NOCN Group, it was a pleasure to be part of the panel of judges of such amazing women including Sarah Lee RIBA, Rosie Buckley MBE, Kerry Lane and Nicola Hollands.

“All the students were incredible, there were 16 schools with so much talent and potential, their ideas towards sustainability and making our world a better place were impressive and it inspired us to continue doing what we do as professionals. I am very grateful for having the opportunity to meet some of them and to be part of such an inspiring day. Well done to all.”