One of Bristol’s most improved schools has appointed a new Principal to lead the next stage of its journey ‘to exceptional and beyond’.

Kerry Coote will take over as Principal at Evergreen Primary Academy – part of the Cabot Learning Federation – in September.

She will be stepping up from her role as Senior Vice Principal, in which she has supported Principal Jan Saunders to drive the improvements which earned a recent Ofsted rating of ‘good, with outstanding leadership and pupil development’.

Kerry – who began her career at St Stephen’s Junior School in Kingswood, before moving to Summerhill Academy and on to Evergreen in 2021 – secured the position after impressing the interview panel with her passion for the role, commitment to the Evergreen community, and her understanding of strong leadership within a trust.

She now says she is looking forward to leading the Evergreen team to build on recent progress, further improving teaching and raising pupil aspirations and outcomes – all while juggling the challenges presented by working in a diverse community where deprivation levels are high and only one in eight pupils (12%) speak English as a first language.

Kerry Coote, incoming Principal at Evergreen Primary Academy, said:

“Evergreen is a unique and diverse school with a warm community feel. Many families here suffer some form of deprivation or vulnerability and therefore the school works tirelessly to support both children and their families.

“At the heart of Evergreen are strong relationships. We take time to get to know our children as individuals and ensure they have what they need to perform their best academically.

“At Evergreen there is a strong sense of belonging. There is a place here for everyone. Everyone here is valued and respected.

“Expectations have risen over recent years, both for the staff team and the children. This has driven the school to improve in all areas and we will continue to drive the school to further improve to become an exceptional school in the next three years.

“The next steps for the academy include the continuing drive to improve teaching and learning, the continuation of the building of relationships with the community to support our parents to feel empowered and to raise aspirations for our children and teaching them the power of their voice.

“I feel honoured to be part of the Evergreen team as they all work exceptionally hard to support all children both academically and emotionally. I look forward to leading the team to continue to raise standards and improve life chances for the Evergreen children.”

Kate Richardson, Executive Principal at the Cabot Learning Federation, said:

“Kerry impressed throughout the recruitment process with her passion for the role and her understanding of strong leadership within a trust. Kerry has a deep understanding of the school and its community and has exciting plans for the future.

“We are looking forward to working with her to build on our recent Ofsted success and take Evergreen to exceptional and beyond.”

Jan Saunders, Acting Principal at Evergreen Primary Academy, said:

“The improvement journey of Evergreen Primary Academy has been in the hands of many people within our trust, and I have been lucky enough to be part of that this year.

“I am delighted that Kerry Coote will be continuing this journey in September along with the great team and community of Evergreen.”

The smash hit West End musical and multi award-winning production Matilda was performed by a talented cast of students at King’s Oak Academy.

Staged across two jam packed sell-out shows, this production – based on the story by genius children’s author Roald Dahl – was packed with high energy dance numbers and memorable tunes. With a cast and crew of more than 40 students from Years 5-11 taking part, this genuinely was a whole school production.

The story follows Matilda, played by Year 7 student Lola Salami, who lives with her brother and parents, who are unappreciative of her. She has a tough time at school too, where her principal brutally tortures her. But with help from her kind-hearted teacher, Matilda utilises her telekinetic abilities to settle the score.

More than 50 rehearsals took place during lunchtimes and after school, while every Year 7 student has been learning the final number of Revolting Children in their performing arts lessons and are all invited to perform in one of the shows.

Vickie Free, drama teacher and show director, said: “Matilda is a fantastic and challenging musical, but our students have been amazing at learning the complicated show numbers and high-energy choreography.

“The performing arts team were excited to return to another sell-out live musical at Kings Oak Academy with our feet-stomping, fist-punching, laugh-out-loud show.”

One of the most loved Broadway musicals was brought to life for an 800-strong audience, over five shows, in the main auditorium at John Cabot Academy.

Annie a worldwide phenomenon and the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, was performed by a talented cast and crew of more than 70 students from Years 7-13.

The show tells the extraordinary story of a little orphan who spends time in luxury with billionaire Oliver Warbucks. Unlike most of the other children at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage, Annie believes her parents are still alive and will one day return to claim her. So, when Mr Warbucks offers to adopt her, she asks the most powerful man in America to help find her real parents, and he agrees. However, the whopping reward which Warbucks offers for Annie’s parents attracts the attention of con artists Rooster, Lily and the wicked Miss Hannigan, who hatch a plot to kidnap Annie and take the $50,000 for themselves.

Year 10 pupil Tenisha Chinyanganya and Year 9’s Iris Hutton shared the starring role of Annie, while Mr Warbucks was played by Year 11 students Thomas Joel and Lucas Carp. The role of Miss Hannigan was filled by Year 11 Jacob Kendell and Daniel Durham in Year 10. The performances also featured music from a live student band.

The cast completed five shows in total, including two matinee performances for pupils from local primary schools, Beacon Rise Primary, Two Mile Hill Primary and The Park Primary school. The production proved a big hit with audiences, with some of the evening shows sold out!

Charlotte Grierson, John Cabot Academy’s Curriculum Leader for Performing Arts, said:

“The students involved have worked incredibly hard since auditions in September, through to full rehearsals starting in October, and have now completed a week of five performances to over 800 people. It has been brilliant to see so many students get involved from backstage, set design, cast to the live band. It has been a brilliant journey from start to finish and has been wonderful to see the students enjoying the outcome of their hard work and commitment.

“I am so proud of all students involved and will be sad to see many of our Year 11s and 13s depart John Cabot Academy after many years of being involved in productions. The Performing Arts team are immensely proud of everyone involved and what they have achieved.”

The smash hit West End musical and 2003 Jack Black movie School of Rock was performed by a talented cast of students at Bristol Brunel Academy.

Staged across three sell-out shows, the successful production saw a cast and crew of more than 30 students from Years 7-11 taking part.

School of Rock tells the story of the overly enthusiastic guitarist Dewey Finn (Jack Black) who gets thrown out of his bar band and finds himself in desperate need of work. Posing as a substitute music teacher at an elite private elementary school, he exposes his students to the hard rock gods he idolises and emulates – much to the consternation of the uptight principal. As he gets his privileged and precocious charges in touch with their inner rock ‘n’ roll animals, he imagines redemption at a local battle of the bands.

Students – including a four-piece live band – have been immersed in rehearsals since September, giving up their own time every Monday to hone the production. The band performed admirably in the bigger chorus numbers in the show and sounded amazing.

Laura Harry, Curriculum Leader of Drama, Caitlin Godwin, teacher of Drama and Music, and Drew Salida, Curriculum Leader of Music, who jointly directed and produced this show, said:

“We rehearsed a musical version of A Christmas Carol, which was going to be performed in Christmas 2021, but unfortunately that had to be pulled literally days before the opening night due to Covid measures, so we’re so pleased our students finally have the opportunity to be back on stage for the first time since 2020.

“They have worked amazingly hard both front and backstage and we are immensely proud of what they have achieved.”

With the cost of living crisis getting worse, the rise in pupils attending breakfast clubs, and the academy having its own food bank for their families, BBC Points West visited King’s Oak Academy. Watch this to find out more.