Ullswater Community College could become an academy under plans being explored with Cumbria Education Trust the school board of governors has announced in a letter sent to staff and parents this week— a move that would leave the Penrith area without a local education authority-run secondary school if plans go ahead.
Governors at the school have confirmed they are working with Cumbria Education Trust “with a view to joining them” following months of discussions and visits to academy schools.
If the proposal goes ahead, UCC would become an academy school as part of the trust, in a shift away from council-run as the local education authority secondary school.
The decision was discussed by the schools governors at a meeting on 25th March 2026, where they considered the Government’s latest education White Paper, changes to the local school landscape, and what they described as the national “direction of travel” towards academies.
Governors said the school was approaching the discussions from a strong position, pointing to UCC’s secure finances and “securely good” Ofsted judgement.
The plans are still at an early stage and no final decision has been made. A formal consultation involving staff, unions, parents and carers is expected to take place during the next academic year, with informal information sessions due to begin from mid-June.
Any change is unlikely to happen before the start of the new school year in September 2027.
If approved, the move would mark a major change for education in the area, with no secondary school serving Penrith operating under local authority control.
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