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Primary education

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Schools in and around Frome

3 replies

draughtywindows · 26/09/2013 10:31

Can anyone shed any light on primary education in and around the Frome area? The Ofsted reports on the local schools don't look too great, but wondered if anyone had personal experience to share?
Thank you+

OP posts:
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twocatsinthedark · 26/09/2013 12:11

Yes, ask away.

But there are no primary schools apart from the one catholic one, there are first schools and middle schools. What age are your children?

First schools are a mixed bag, but both the middle schools are getting new heads in december, so there's no telling really.

draughtywindows · 26/09/2013 14:46

Hi twocats, many thanks for responding. I'm interested in first schools as my DD is nearly 3 and I need to start thinking about it. Although I'm not based in Frome at the moment, I'm considering a move there; trouble is, the junior schools just look a bit dodgy, or maybe I'm reading too much into the whole Ofsted thing.

Trinity seems to get a better rep than the others - is this fair, do you think? Or are there better options out there?

Thanks so much again.

OP posts:
twocatsinthedark · 27/09/2013 13:03

As a lot of people on here would say, take the Ofsted reports with a pinch of salt. What they tell you in the main is how good they are at jumping through Ofsted's particular hoops, not what the school is actually like.

If I had my time again, I would choose Berkeley, which is just outside Frome but takes most of its children from the town. But you have to not mind a short drive each day.

Of the schools in town, the ones which are generally well thought of are Vallis, Trinity, St Johns. I will try a brief character sketch of each:

Trinity: good at passing Ofsted (see above), but not very flexible for SEN or any other reason. Popular with 'alpha mummies'.

St Johns: slightly arty and vague and not very academically pushy. Does no harm, mostly.

Vallis: much less middle class than the other two but good vibrant school. I would send an extrovert, confident child there, perhaps not a quieter one.

All these schools have 2 form (2 x 30 entry) apart from Berkeley which is much smaller. There are also lots of smaller schools in the surrounding villages, of which Beckington, Nunney, Mells, Leigh on Mendip are all supposed to be good, but property prices are higher in the villages.

There is also a Steiner Free school, but I wouldn't touch it.

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