A new 630-pupil primary school will be built in Weston-super-Mare after the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) secured Government approval to run it.

The as-yet-unnamed school will be located on the former Weston Airfield site, and cater for pupils from across the growing 6,500-home Haywood Village and Parklands developments.

Nearby Haywood Village Academy is already over-subscribed, and the number of children living in the area is projected to grow by nearly 400 over the next seven years.

The new school will be built by housing developer Persimmon as part of its planning agreement for the site, and will be run by the CLF – a multi-academy trust with a strong track record of school delivery and improvement in the Weston area.

It already runs secondary academies Hans Price, Broadoak and the newly-built Winterstoke Hundred, as well as primaries Uphill Village, Haywood Village and Herons’ Moor.

All six of those schools are currently rated ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ by Ofsted.

Claire Shiels, Director of Children’s Services at North Somerset Council, said: “May we take this opportunity of thanking all those who submitted applications for this opportunity; the field was very strong, and we were inspired by the commitment and passion shown by bidding teams for improving children’s lives through education throughout the process.

“We would like to congratulate CLF on their successful application and look forward to working with them on the delivery of this new school.”

In addition to a maximum capacity of 630 students, the new school will boast a 102-capacity nursery and sports facilities which will be available for community use.

Current projections suggest it could open in September 2025.

Steve Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at the Cabot Learning Federation, said: “We have been deeply invested in Weston-super-Mare since 2011, and specifically in the Haywood Village and Locking Parklands community since 2016.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to continue to serve this community with provision for pupils aged two to 19, providing strong coherence between and across the phases.

“We’re also looking forward to working closely with North Somerset Council on another school building project, having enjoy excellent working relationships and real collaborative success in the past.”

And Craig Jones, Senior Principal at the CLF’s nearby Haywood Village Academy, added: “This is a really exciting opportunity for the growing community in Haywood Village.

“Families will now know they will have the choice of another excellent primary school, as well as nursery provision on their doorstep. The new school will be well supported by a local cluster of CLF primary schools.”

Swimming lessons have been added to the timetable of an alternative provision Bristol school – with surfing lessons also on offer to those who thrive in the pool.

Snowdon Village has included swimming lessons in its curriculum this year, recognising swimming as an essential life skill that every child should have the opportunity to master.

This is especially important at this time of year, when outdoor summer pursuits make teaching children about water safety even more crucial.

And in recognition of students’ dedication and perseverance in learning new swimming skills, the children at Snowdon’s Bristol Futures Academy were invited to visit Bristol’s inland surf resort The Wave to experience surfing for the first time.

The surfing trip was a resounding success. The children loved surfing and displayed exceptional behaviour throughout the afternoon.

Alex Davies, Principal of Snowdon Villag, said: “Many of us take it for granted that we know and understand how to swim, but for many children, this has been a deficit in their learning and development as a child. This can be for many reasons – financial barriers being one of them.

“Our vision is to offer swimming and water safety lessons to every child who is educated at Snowdon Village and as an added incentive, we want to offer a surfing lesson next year to any child who learns how to swim 25 metres with us.

“Surfing has been recognised as a sport which has many therapeutic benefits for children that have/or are experiencing trauma.

“I was lucky enough to take a group of children surfing on Monday and it was an absolute privilege to see the smiles on their faces as they splashed about as innocent children navigating the waves.”

Turkish dancing, Arabic music and Bollywood dancing all featured in a Weston school’s celebration of community culture.

Broadoak Academy’s second annual Festival of Culture returned after a successful launch last year, and boasted a packed agenda of activities, displays and entertainment for all ages.

Mayor of Weston-super-Mare John Crockford-Hawley was among those who attended a vibrant and enriching event which invited families to united in celebration of the rich diversity and dynamic spirit of their local community.

Festival visitors enjoyed a variety of acts, including a local choirs, bands, storytelling sessions, Turkish music and singing, Bollywood dancing and Arabic music and singing, to name a few.

Interactive workshops allowed visitors to participate in hands-on activities and learn something new, complemented by stalls, displays, sporting activities, inflatables, and numerous food stalls from the 35 local partners who were involved this year.

A highlight of the festival was the presence of special guest Phil Packer, MBE. Phil, a former British Army Officer and founder of the British Inspiration Trust, hosted a special Q&A session in the marquee to close the festival, talking to the audience about his inspirational story of resilience and dedication. Phil will continue his work with Broadoak Academy and school partners in the coming weeks.

Danny McGilloway, Principal of Broadoak Academy, said: “The Festival of Culture is more than just an event; it’s a celebration of our community’s heart and soul. It’s a chance for families to enjoy a fun-filled day together, connect with neighbours, and experience and celebrate the diverse cultures that make Weston-super-Mare unique and a great place to live and learn.”

The Festival of Culture 2024 was a resounding success, highlighting the importance of cultural celebration and community unity in Weston-super-Mare.

A budding photographer from an academy in Weston-super-Mare has won his first photography competition.

Samuel Pepper, a Year 9 student from Broadoak Academy, captured top prize in the Knife Angel photography competition for under 18s.

The Knife Angel is a contemporary sculpture made of more than 100,000 blades either donated by the public or seized by police. It is a monument to the dangers of knife violence and has been touring the country – including a month-long stay in Weston during May.

During its stay in the Town Square, 14-year-old Samuel took his award-winning photo during a school trip to view the sculpture. For his achievement, Sam received a £50 voucher for Mendip Activity Centre, a Knife Angel keychain, and pencils.

Inspired by his sister, who is also a photographer, Sam’s favorite subjects to capture are landscapes and cars. He hopes to pursue a career in photography in the future.

Samuel said: “Seeing the Knife Angel close, I was compelled to take the pictures and I hope it helps raise the awareness of knife crime. I am taking GCSE photography next year so getting involved in this competition has given a good start towards this.”

Kayleigh Turk, Samuel’s tutor at Broadoak, said: “We are so immensely proud of Samuel. His achievement has brought further attention to anti-youth violence in our community.

“The powerful image captured by Sam will continue to share the poignant message of the Knife Angel here at Broadoak Academy for years to come.”

An academy in Weston-super-Mare proudly presented its first ever school production when it brought to life the music of one of the UK’s most iconic and enduring rock bands.

Winterstoke Hundred Academy staged the West End musical blockbuster We Will Rock You Junior@part.

Using the timeless music of the legendary rock band Queen, We Will Rock You is set approximately 300 years in the future. Earth, now known as iPlanet, is controlled by a corporation led by Killer Queen, who forces all of the Ga Ga Kids to conform to and consume the same culture, fashion, and ideas.

Winterstoke Hundred’s production earned great support from families and the local community when it ran across two shows (one to local primary schools), with more than 130 people enjoying the performance each night.

The journey to bring We Will Rock You to the stage rehearsals began months ago in October with students giving up their own time to rehearse. In total, 35 students were featured in the cast, ably supported by six crew members from Years 7-10.

Abie Evans, Music Lead at Winterstoke Hundred Academy, said: “It was a huge success, and we really hope those that came to watch enjoyed the show. The students worked tirelessly in rehearsals, and I was overwhelmed by the commitment, the dedication, the talent, and the wonderful community that has grown this year in the Performing Arts department, with collaboration from Design & Technology and Art staff and students.

“We are so proud of all the students involved, and we cannot wait to do it all again next year. It was fantastic to hear such wonderful feedback from students who watched, wanting to get involved in next year’s production so look out for a launch in September.”

featured pic City Academy

Two of the Cabot Learning Federation’s premier basketball teams, Bristol Metropolitan Academy and City Academy Bristol, recently competed in the Junior National Basketball Association (NBA) finals at the University of the West of England (UWE). This exciting event featured Year 7 and Year 8 students.

These finals marked the culmination of a national tournament where co-ed teams, consisting of both boys and girls, initially participated in local fixtures before progressing through a regional playoff system. Both sides played in some really tough and exciting games against teams from Worcestershire and Cornwall.

The atmosphere was electric, enhanced by Basketball England and Junior NBA, who amped up the excitement with a live MC and DJ, transforming the venue to make it feel like Madison Square Garden. Both City Academy and Bristol Metropolitan Academy proudly represented NBA teams, wearing the jerseys of the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets respectively.

City Academy’s Year 7 team fought valiantly but narrowly lost in the 3rd/4th place playoff to Penryn by just two points.

Mr Reid, who coached the side, was very proud of the team’s achievement in reaching the finals and said: “We have taken on an incredibly-talented cohort of year 7s at City Academy, and we are extremely proud to have made it to a regional basketball final. Despite facing numerous challenges on the day, every game was a learning experience and while they narrowly missed out on the podium, we have certainly laid a promising foundation for the future.”

Bristol Metropolitan Academy

There was success for Bristol Metropolitan Academy’s Year 8 team, who triumphed after securing victory against Penryn in the final.

Coach Mr Wallace-Hall said: “This year they won their semi-final fixture vs Wordsworth school 37-20 to book a place in the final.

“Before the final game there was a shooting competition, one player from each school was nominated. The Bristol Met representative won the shooting competition with a score of nine points in total, earning himself the crown and giving his team some confidence going into the final.

“The championship game was a close game between Bristol Met and Penryn college; with 90 seconds left Bristol Met were up by just one point, however some great shooting from the free throw line and a huge and one play helped Bristol Met to finish the game 32-26 and be crowned 2024 Junior NBA champions.”

James Mooney, the CLF’s Senior Network Leader for PE, School Sport and Physical Activity, said: “Not only was the day a great experience, it was incredible to see two academies from the trust competing at the finals.

“It is a demonstration of the quality of PE and sport experiences we are providing across trust, showing that when we get PE right for all, excellence can still strive in school sporting opportunities.”