Hemington Primary School, Radstock Review 2026: Small village primary with standout early years

For this school, nationally comparable performance measures are limited supplied for this review, so it is not possible to present the usual key stage 2 outcomes, scaled scores, or England ranking statements here without guessing. What can be stated with confidence is the current inspection profile. The latest Ofsted inspection in June 2024 graded the school Good overall and graded Early years provision Outstanding.

That early years judgement is particularly relevant because Hemington takes children from age two and integrates nursery and Reception within the same foundation stage unit. In practical terms, it signals that the youngest children are benefiting from a strong start, with routines, learning habits, and early communication and number foundations established well before key stage 1 begins.

If you are comparing primaries locally, the best approach is to use FindMySchool’s Local Hub comparison tools to view like-for-like measures where they are available, then validate your shortlist with a visit and a conversation about recent cohorts.

A small school still needs curriculum breadth, but it has to be delivered differently. Hemington’s curriculum overview sets out four drivers that shape planning: Community, Culture, The Environment, and Opportunity. This is helpful as a parent because it tells you what the school is prioritising beyond the national curriculum content itself, and it matches the school’s emphasis on place, outdoor learning, and local connection.

The organisation of classes reflects the scale. The school publishes curriculum cycles for Nightingale (key stage 1) and Brunel (key stage 2), which is a common and sensible structure in small primaries, allowing mixed-age teaching while keeping content coverage coherent over time.

Mathematics planning is also unusually explicit for a primary website. The school states that progression is based on White Rose Maths small steps, aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stage early learning goals, and references the use of ready-to-progress criteria to prioritise essential content. That is the sort of behind-the-scenes curriculum thinking that tends to matter in mixed-age settings, because it reduces gaps and duplication.

Music is positioned as a whole-school strand from nursery onwards. The school describes regular singing, curriculum music taught across key stages, and the use of the Sing Up scheme to support classroom teaching. It also references major events such as a Christmas concert, Harvest celebration and a whole-school summer production, which can be a big confidence-builder for pupils, particularly in smaller cohorts where everyone has to take part rather than hide at the back.

Because this is a primary school, the key question is transition to secondary. Hemington is part of a multi-academy trust that also includes local secondary options such as Somervale School and Frome Community College, alongside a number of other Somerset schools. That does not mean pupils automatically feed into those schools, but it does indicate that there are established trust relationships and potential continuity in areas like safeguarding practice, staff development, and some enrichment opportunities.

For a precise picture of where recent Year 6 leavers have gone, families should ask the school directly. In very small cohorts, patterns can change year to year depending on where families live and what alternatives they prefer.

Hemington participates in Somerset’s coordinated admissions scheme for Reception entry. Applications for a September start in Reception are made through the local authority by the published closing date, and the local authority issues the offer on the national offer day.

The trust admissions policy for 2026 to 2027 sets out the timetable clearly. Reception applications must be received by midnight on 15 January, and outcomes are issued on 16 April (email for online applicants, post for paper).

For in-year admissions (moving outside the normal Reception intake), applications are made directly to the school.

Demand looks high relative to the school’s size. In the most recently reported Reception admissions cycle there were 11 applications and 7 offers, which is consistent with oversubscription pressure in a very small school.

A practical tip: because small primaries can have limited places, it is worth using FindMySchool’s map tools early to sanity-check travel time and day-to-day logistics before you commit emotionally to a single option.

Small schools often feel personal because adults know families well and children have fewer social blind spots. Hemington’s published ethos focuses on pupils feeling safe, happy and motivated, and its values explicitly include kindness and respect, which are the right anchors for behaviour and relationships in a mixed-age environment.

The school’s inspection profile also supports the idea of a settled, well-run setting, with Behaviour and attitudes graded Good at the latest inspection.

Outdoor learning is not treated as a bolt-on. Hornbeams Nursery runs a weekly Stay and Play Forest School session during term time, and the wider site is described as including a wooded conservation area and space for outdoor learning.

There is also a practical, community-facing approach to enrichment. The school publishes an ongoing garden project with a plan to create a more protected growing space, including a fenced garden, greenhouse, raised beds and composting. Families who value children understanding food, nature and responsibility will recognise this as more than decoration, it is a long-running learning platform.

Wraparound provision is unusually specific and is a genuine differentiator for working families. Breakfast club for Reception to Year 6 runs from 8:00am to 8:45am, and after-school club runs from 3:15pm to 4:15pm, with a structured weekly programme that includes multi-sports, multi-skills games, board games, arts and crafts, and archery.

The school day runs from 8:45am to 3:15pm (32.5 hours per week), with morning break at 10:30am to 10:45am and lunch from 12:10pm to 1:10pm.

PE is scheduled on Tuesdays and Fridays, with swimming replacing one PE slot for Brunel Class in the summer term.

Breakfast and after-school clubs (Reception to Year 6) provide a practical extension to the day, though nursery and pre-school children are not included in the breakfast club provision as described on the website.

• Very small scale. With a published capacity of 49, year groups can be tiny. That suits some children brilliantly, but families should think about peer-group breadth and how their child manages friendships in a small cohort.

• Wraparound stops at 4:15pm. Breakfast and after-school clubs are available, but the after-school session ends at 4:15pm, which may not cover every working pattern.

• Outdoor learning is real. Woodland, Forest School, and the garden project are central, so children who dislike getting muddy or being outside in poor weather may need a bit more encouragement.

• Competition for places. Oversubscription can matter more in a small school, because a small change in applications can have a big impact on offers.

Hemington Primary School, Radstock is at its strongest when you see it as a deliberately small, community-rooted school that uses its setting and early years strength as a foundation for the rest of primary. The latest inspection profile, especially Outstanding early years, supports the sense of a high-quality start for younger children.

Best suited to families who want a small-school feel, value outdoor learning, and like the idea of nursery and Reception being closely integrated. The main challenge is practical, not philosophical, securing a place and making the wraparound hours work for your household.