Cheddar First School Review 2026: First-school education with strong nurture and an ambitious curriculum

As a first school (through Year 4), the most meaningful academic picture is about curriculum quality, early reading foundations, and how well pupils are prepared for the next phase, rather than headline GCSE-style metrics. The November 2024 inspection describes an ambitious curriculum that sets out the knowledge and skills pupils are expected to learn from early years onwards, with staff training supporting subject knowledge and confidence across subjects.

Early reading is positioned as a priority. The inspection report notes that children in pre-school experience stories, nursery rhymes and songs, then move into systematic early reading in Reception, supported by regular checks on phonics understanding and timely help for pupils who need extra support. In practice, this tends to suit families who want clarity about how reading is taught, and who prefer a structured approach that identifies gaps early rather than waiting for children to “grow into it”.

There is also a useful “watch item” for parents. The inspection report identifies that in some subjects, checks on what pupils know are not always precise enough, which can leave some gaps unaddressed quickly. For families, the implication is to ask, at open events or during conversations with staff, how assessment information is used across the wider curriculum beyond phonics and mathematics, and how teachers adapt teaching when a pupil has missed key knowledge.

The school’s curriculum framing emphasises progressive knowledge development from preschool to Year 4, supported by meaningful links and real-life experiences, with a stated focus on building confident speakers and resilient learners. In a first-school setting, that “progression” point is not just rhetoric. It is the difference between a coherent journey (where Reception language structures show up later in writing, and early number sense evolves into formal methods) and a series of disconnected projects.

Mathematics, specifically, is highlighted in inspection evidence as a place where teaching addresses misconceptions and focuses on pupils remembering the most important knowledge. That is the kind of detail parents should listen for: how teachers respond when a child has the answer wrong, and whether the classroom culture treats errors as useful information rather than failure.

Reading and writing are supported by explicit curriculum documentation. The school’s phonics information sets out foundational early language work in nursery, including stories, poems, nursery rhymes, action rhymes and oral blending activities, which then feed into formal phonics teaching. The writing curriculum is described as grammar-centred and iterative, with an emphasis on planning, drafting and refining work over time.

Because Cheddar First School is a first school, pupils typically transfer to middle school for Year 5. Locally, Fairlands Middle School in Cheddar is a key part of that pathway, and its published calendar explicitly references an open evening for Year 5 2026 intake aimed at Years 3 and 4 from first schools, including Cheddar First School.

The most practical question for families is transition support. Ask how the school prepares Year 4 pupils for the organisational and pastoral shift into middle school. The inspection report indicates the school is ambitious for academic outcomes and aims to ensure pupils are well prepared for middle school, which is the right starting point for that conversation.

Recent Reception-entry demand data indicates the school is oversubscribed, with 67 applications and 49 offers, which is around 1.37 applications per place. (This demand context helps explain why open days and early planning matter, even for a school serving a local community.)

Applications are coordinated through a family’s home local authority, and the school’s admissions page signposts both Somerset and North Somerset routes depending on where a child lives. For Somerset residents applying for a starting school place for September 2026 entry, Somerset Council lists these key dates: applications opened 29 September 2025, the closing date was 15 January 2026, and outcome emails or letters were scheduled for 16 April 2026.

The school publishes open day dates in its own calendar materials. For example, its 2025 to 2026 calendar document lists multiple October open day sessions. Where dates are historic, treat them as pattern indicators (often autumn-term open events) and check the school’s current calendar for the next set.

A practical tip: if you are choosing between several local schools, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to compare your home-to-school distance, then sanity-check it against local authority criteria and the school’s published admissions arrangements.

Pastoral strength is one of the clearer threads in the available evidence. The inspection report points to strong relationships between adults and pupils, swift handling of issues, and support for pupils who find emotional regulation difficult. It also describes nurture provision as a strength, particularly in enabling pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to overcome barriers and progress through the curriculum.

The personal development picture includes pupil leadership roles (house captains, wellbeing ambassadors, school council) and opportunities to reflect during assemblies, as well as charitable activity connected to local and national causes. For families, the implication is that responsibility and contribution are actively taught, not just occasionally encouraged.

Safeguarding is reported as effective.

A first school does not need dozens of clubs to be interesting, it needs a small number of well-run, age-appropriate options that pupils can access without exhausting families. Here, there is clear evidence of both structured clubs and outdoor enrichment.

The inspection report explicitly mentions clubs such as football, gymnastics and art, and also describes trips and visitors that enrich the wider experience, including a residential trip for older pupils. That matters because enrichment is often the fastest route to confidence, especially for pupils who are still discovering what they are good at.

The school’s own after-school club letters provide more concrete examples of what “clubs” can look like across a term. In summer 2025, the menu included Multi-Sports Club, Forest School Club (with activities such as bug hotels, foraging and den building), Musical Theatre Singing Club, Orienteering Club (map reading and compass skills), and an external soccer school option.

Outdoor learning also shows up in day-to-day kit expectations. The uniform information explicitly lists a Forest School kit including wellington boots and warm old clothes, which signals that outdoor sessions are a normal part of school life rather than an occasional event.

The school day is published as 8:55am to 3:30pm. Wraparound childcare is available on site through Happy Kids Breakfast and After-School Club. Breakfast club runs from 7:30am, and the after-school club runs 3:00pm to 6:00pm Monday to Thursday, and 3:00pm to 5:15pm on Fridays; session pricing is published by the provider.

Meals are straightforward: the school states that Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils receive free hot school meals, while hot meals are available for preschool and Years 3 and 4 at published per-meal prices.

For transport and day-to-day logistics, families typically focus on drop-off practicality, wraparound availability, and how well the school’s schedule matches working patterns, particularly for parents with younger children in the preschool rooms.

• Oversubscription reality. Recent demand data indicates more applications than places, so families should treat admission as competitive and keep preferences realistic, particularly if applying across local authority boundaries.

• Assessment consistency across subjects. The latest inspection highlights that in some subjects, checks on what pupils know are not always precise enough, which can leave gaps. Ask how leaders are tightening curriculum assessment beyond phonics and maths.

• First-school transition at Year 5. The move to middle school is a significant step. It can suit children who thrive on a fresh start, but some pupils benefit from extra support around organisation and confidence. Use open events to ask about transition routines and pupil support.

• Wraparound is provider-led. On-site wraparound is a plus, but it is run by an external provider with its own booking and policies. Ensure it aligns with your childcare needs before relying on availability.

Cheddar First School combines a clearly structured approach to early reading with an environment that makes outdoor learning feel routine rather than occasional. The most recent inspection judgement is consistently Good across areas, with safeguarding reported as effective, and with evident emphasis on nurture, routines and pupil responsibility.

Who it suits: families looking for a first-school pathway through Year 4, strong early-years continuity on one site, and a school culture that prioritises calm expectations alongside enrichment such as forest school and practical clubs. The main challenge is securing a place in an oversubscribed context.