Our Schools
Axe Valley Academy
Axe Valley Academy is a school that we are immensely proud of because it is a real community. It is a completely comprehensive school offering high quality educational opportunities to students of all abilities and aptitudes. The progress of each individual student matters to us regardless of their starting points and despite their barriers.
Our beliefs as a school community are straightforward – to have a great school we need a great teacher in every classroom. Teachers are here to teach. Students are here to learn. There is no escaping that a huge part of the purpose of education is to equip children with the examination results that they need to give them as many options as possible. We must be in the business of opening doors for the young people in our care. We demand the highest standards and expect students to engage with their learning no matter what and we don’t apologise for this.
We have a school which staff and students are proud to be a part of and who enjoy working together. We aim to develop well rounded young people equipped to deliver positive change in their school and wider communities. Students need a broad education, one that nurtures specific positive character traits and virtues. We also pride ourselves on our pastoral care. Being a smaller school has some significant advantages and one of those is being able to know every student as an individual; to recognise and nurture their strengths; to teach kindness explicitly and to be as kind as we can.
Mr Rob Crocker
Headteacher
The Castle School
At The Castle School, we value strong positive relationships and this makes the school such a vibrant and lively place to work. I would encourage you to visit the school so you can see the school in action and meet our wonderful students. This will give you the opportunity to imagine your child here and see that this is the right school for you and your family.
The history and tradition of The Castle School is what makes it such a privilege to be part of this family. Our aim continues to be for every child to achieve, belong and participate and this is at the heart of everything we do at The Castle School. Rated as Outstanding by Ofsted, we have been for some years now not only at the top of the performance table in Somerset but in the top 5% of schools nationally for academic achievements. You can see our latest exam results on our website.
We believe that education should empower young people, giving them the knowledge to make sense of the world and grow into citizens who make a difference. This must be supported by a curriculum that gives students the power to think for themselves, shaped by what they need to know, understand and fulfil, in order to have happy, successful and prosperous lives.
Mr James Lamb
Headteacher
Court Fields School
Our students represent the very best of Court Fields. Visitors to our school always comment on their courtesy and politeness. They are an absolute credit to themselves and to their parents and carers.
Together with our staff, Governors and our wider community in Wellington we are working to provide the very best education for our children, both academically and pastorally. Our students' achievements include performing at the highest levels in Sport and the Arts, developing wider skills via the National Citizenship Service and Duke of Edinburgh Awards, competing in national challenges in Maths and Science, to name just a few.
Our aim is for every child to achieve, belong and participate and this is at the heart of everything we do at Court Fields.
Mrs Polly Matthews
Headteacher
Holyrood Academy
At Holyrood Academy, our beliefs about education are very simple: we believe that every student, regardless of background or ability, should be supported and challenged to achieve the very best they can. Academic achievement is of paramount importance here and education has a unique power to unlock doors to opportunities in the future - this is the core purpose of Holyrood. Holyrood has a diverse and extremely talented student body, of which we are very proud.
We are a comprehensive school and as such we are absolutely committed to making sure that every child's ambitions are nurtured and encouraged. Alongside this and of equal importance is the wider set of opportunities that students get to experience success on the stage, in the art studio, on a trip or on the sports field.
Holyrood Academy also has a Sixth Form, in which we are all striving for excellence. We are absolutely committed to helping Students to stand out against thousands of other young people. We do this by ensuring that you achieve the best possible grades, by allowing them opportunities to give something back to our school and wider community through volunteering and enrichment programmes and by providing students with life skills and experiences through LLP.
We make no apology for wanting our students to achieve fantastically well whilst enjoying school in a happy and safe environment.
Mr Dave MacCormick
Headteacher
IKB School
We are a child-centred school where we live by our values ‘every child achieves’, ‘every child belongs’ and ‘every child participates’. Our school celebrates diversity, individuality and respects each child's identity.
A focus on developing teaching and learning is at the forefront of everything we do to ensure that all children make progress. We place emphasis on individual achievement whilst building an awareness and understanding of others. As part of this we focus on personal, social, moral, and emotional development as well as academic and creative achievement no matter a child’s starting point. We offer a broad and experiential curriculum for all children to immerse themselves within that supports and challenges each child to reach their full potential through our creative and purposeful learning environments. In essence, we ensure that through our well taught curriculum our children will know more and remember more. We believe that a commitment to high academic standards is possible alongside a creative and ethical curriculum.
Mr Richard Healey
Primary Executive Headteacher
Neroche Primary School
Neroche Primary School is truly an exceptional place of learning. Our dedicated and hardworking staff provide each pupil with the highest standard of education, high academic and behavioural expectations and a solid foundation, so that they ‘Live and Learn for Life’.
Through our ambitious curriculum we strive for excellence and want all our learners to:
Be The Best You Can Be
Show That You Care
We believe that every child deserves the best education in a nurturing and stimulating learning environment with our dedicated teachers who are committed to supporting each child to reach their full potential.
At Neroche we value:
Teamwork
Creativity
Independence
Resilience
As a school, we believe that both children and adults learn new things every day, building upon and retaining their existing knowledge.
We are committed to ensuring that all children, including those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds and those living with identified special needs are equipped for their next stage of their education.
We maintain that learning should be a rewarding and enjoyable experience for everyone, and that it should be fun and memorable.
Through delivering coherently planned and sequenced, high quality learning opportunities we endeavour to equip children with the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to be able to make informed choices.
Whilst we aim to ensure every child reaches their full potential academically, they are also taught that they can be successful in many different ways. Every child is unique and, at Neroche, we work hard to ensure that each child is nurtured and supported along their individual learning journey with us.
Mrs Jessica Millard
Headteacher
Orchard Grove Primary School
Orchard Grove will welcome its first cohort of children into the superb EYFS setting in September 2023. The school will serve the new community in Comeytrowe and its immediate environs.
The school will centre itself firmly in the heart of its local community and support it by ensuring pupils have a clear sense of what makes a good citizen and a good neighbour. Pupils will have a strong sense of themselves in the local, national and global context and of the responsibility they have to others, in the present and in the future.
Orchard Grove will create an environment where children, staff and the community can cultivate a positive and progressive school culture around sustainability and education.
Within the setting of Somerset’s first net zero carbon school, children will be inspired by a unique curriculum that is preparing them for lifelong learning and a positive impact in the world.
Mr Richard Healey
Primary Executve Headteacher
Uffculme Primary School
At Uffculme Primary School we place great emphasis on knowing children as individuals and identifying their individual needs. We provide a safe and happy environment in which all children can reach their full potential.
Our experienced, committed and dedicated team of teachers and support staff continually strive to provide the best quality of teaching and care to all our pupils so that each one can thrive and reach their full potential. We aim to deliver a creative and challenging curriculum across the whole school through a thematic approach with many enrichment activities.
We expect every child to work to their best ability in all aspects of their school life and to contribute to the life of the school and the communities we are part of. We believe in building links with our local community and beyond to help our children make sense of the world today and find their place in tomorrow’s world.
Our key aims are to be a school where:
Every child feels happy and safe
Every child is engaged in their learning and achieves well
Every child is proud of what they have achieved because they know they have given their best
Every lesson is challenging and inspiring with rich and exciting learning opportunities
Every child acquires the skills needed not only to be a successful and independent lifelong learner, but also to be a confident and responsible citizen
Every member of our school community feels valued and respected
Every pupil values their community and plays an active part in it
We will deliver this through:
Nurturing relationships and effective partnerships
By placing English at the heart of our curriculum
Ensuring leadership accountability and teacher responsibility
Providing learning opportunities relevant to the needs of every child
Effective monitoring and assessment
A cohesive and consistent approach towards all aspects of learning
Mr Fraser Wallace
Headteacher
Uffculme School
At Uffculme School we believe that school should be a happy place where adults and children have fun. Students should enjoy learning; teachers enjoy teaching.
We have a strong ethos based on core values of respect, tolerance, and courtesy. We set high standards of behaviour and actively promote self-discipline, self-respect, resilience and responsibility. Through these values, our young people gain the confidence to take their place in society and develop the skills and attitudes to enable them to succeed in their chosen paths.
We offer the best quality educational opportunities to students of all abilities and aptitudes. Attainment is outstanding but it is not just about results. We aim to produce young people fit for the demands of a complex, global society. We have a proud tradition in outdoor education, musical, dramatic and sporting enrichment and value community service alongside high achievement.
We believe that the school is a place where you can make mistakes and lean from them and where kindness and good manners are as important as academic success
The Uffculme Promise:
New experiences and opportunities are shared and memories are created
Young people have high self-esteem and confidence in their abilities
Lively and enquiring minds are inspired to develop and achieve
Everyone is included and everyone matters
Success is recognised and celebrated
It's cool to succeed
Mrs Laura Jenkins
Headteacher
Wellesley Park Primary School
At Wellesley Park Primary School, we believe that happiness is the key to success. Our children work within a happy and caring environment where their individual needs are met and talents nurtured.
Our aim is that all of our children enjoy success at primary school, so we set high expectations and provide support to ensure they receive the best education.
We are pleased that the hard work and dedication of our staff team was recognized by OFSTED. You can read the full report if you click here. What the inspection team, and all visitors to our school, noticed was that pupils’ self-confidence is nurtured as a priority from the early years. Interactions and the relationships established between staff and pupils consistently reinforce this approach across the academy. Pupils are encouraged to ‘have a go’ and become active in their own learning.
Ms Carly Wilkins
Headteacher