West Lakes Academy is a vibrant 11-18 secondary school nestled in the western edge of the picturesque Lake District of Cumbria, serving a dynamic community of 1,200 students. Since opening in September 2008 and moving into our state-of-the-art £26m building in 2012, we have been committed to delivering the highest quality education in an environment that inspires success.
Our vision is to succeed in ‘Changing Lives through Learning’ by providing the very best possible educational opportunities for young people in West Cumbria. We have extremely high hopes for all of our students and our highly skilled and enthusiastic members of staff encourage children to have high ambitions and to work hard to achieve these.
Mr Stephen Grant
West Lakes Academy is committed to the creation of a fully inclusive, aspirational, high achieving Centre of Excellence, firmly rooted in the local community. Our vision is to succeed in ‘Changing Lives through Learning’ by providing the very best possible educational opportunities for young people in West Cumbria.
Changing Lives Learning Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust with Sponsor Status and is a not for profit charity which sponsors primary and secondary academies.
🎉✨ New Exhibition Alert! ✨🎉
We’re thrilled to showcase a stunning selection of GCSE Photography from last year’s Year 11 students, now on display in the main entrance area! 📸🖼️
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🎥 Life in Year 7 🎒✨
Our fantastic sixth form social media team — Fliss, Eden & Coco, have created a thoughtful video exploring what it’s really like to start life in Year 7.
They spoke with a group of Year 7 students to get a real, honest perspective on the transition from primary to secondary school.
From the excitement (and challenge!) of navigating a bigger school, to discovering new clubs, activities, and routines — this video captures settling into secondary life.
A must-watch for anyone curious about the Year 7 journey!
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Mrs Bennett & Miss Cresswell are so proud of our Year 10s this term, your perseverance, improved attendance, and positive behaviour have truly stood out. You've all shown what can be achieved with determination and teamwork. 🌟
Today’s celebration assembly was the perfect way to honour your efforts — from the inspiring achievements to the more creative accolades that gave us all a good laugh! 😄 We were thrilled to recognise some standout students:
🏆 Best Attitude to School – Ava Humphreys
📚 Best Attitude to Learning – Georgia Goulding
💖 Caring Classmate Award – Ellie Savage
🎓 Learning Mentor Award – Emmie Horn
📈 Most Improved – Benji R
🧠 Pastoral Manager Award – Luca Garratt & Eve Young
💪 Perseverance Award – Emily N
📖 Reading Award – Olivia Carruthers
⚽ Sporting Award – Charlie S & Sophie Crooks
🎯 Year Lead Award – Demi Gorman & Harry Nicholls
🙄 Biggest Eye-Roll from Miss Cresswell – Abigail Hawthorn
😱 Most Likely to Cause Mrs Bennett a Heart Attack – Marcie Tomlinson
Let’s carry this momentum into next term — we believe in you!
Enjoy a well-deserved break, and we’ll see you in November! 💪🍂
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Mrs Williamson enjoyed birthday cake with the Yr7s with October birthdays 🎂 Happy Birthday!
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📚✨ This week in tutor time, Daisy introduced us to a brilliant book she's been reading — ADHD: Rapped Up! by TikTok sensation Mr. G! 🎤🧠
This engaging and interactive read uses fun raps, vibrant illustrations, and practical tips to help children understand ADHD in a relatable way. Daisy shared that the book helped her understand herself better, and she's even written a thoughtful review to spread the word. 💬💡
Her goal? To raise awareness and help other students better understand ADHD and how to manage it effectively. Huge shoutout to Daisy for sparking such an important conversation! 🙌
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📚✨ Today, our incredible Year 12 paired readers are taking part in the Reader Leader Programme with The Children's Literacy Charity!
They're sharpening their skills to become confident paired reading leaders, a fantastic step in their journey as mentors and role models.
Y12s are now putting their new techniques into practice by working alongside our enthusiastic Year 8 students. 💬📖
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📍Diana Award Anti-Bullying Ambassador Training
A group of our students are currently in Preston taking part in the Diana Award Anti-Bullying Ambassador training. They’ve settled in well and are engaging thoughtfully with the programme.
They’re learning practical ways to help make our school a safe and welcoming place for everyone. Once back, they’ll be working with Mrs Bennett and Miss Thurston to lead our anti-bullying campaign.
We’re proud of their commitment and look forward to seeing the positive impact they’ll make.💙
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