Wedmore First School Academy Review 2026: Small-school feel with wraparound care and outdoor learning

What can be said with confidence is that the latest inspection judgement set (June 2025) rated Quality of Education as Requires Improvement, Behaviour and Attitudes as Good, Personal Development as Good, Leadership and Management as Requires Improvement, and Early Years Provision as Requires Improvement.

What this usually means for families in day-to-day terms is less about behaviour or safety, and more about how consistently learning is planned and checked across subjects. The June 2025 report points to curriculum work that is underway, but not embedded widely enough to ensure pupils build knowledge securely across the board.

Reading is a stated priority. The inspection describes reading beginning formally in Reception, with checks on how well pupils read and additional support where needed, although it also highlights that some pupils are not getting all the support required to become confident, fluent readers and writers.

The central improvement theme is consistency and precision in the curriculum. In subjects that are further developed, leaders have identified the knowledge pupils should learn and sequenced it carefully. The weakness identified is that this approach is not reliably carried through into day-to-day planning and review, including in early years, so staff are not always clear about exactly what children should know, remember, and revisit.

For parents, the practical implication is to ask sharp questions at visits: how phonics groups are organised, how pupils who fall behind are picked up, and how teachers check whether children remember last term’s learning, not just whether they completed a worksheet.

Because this is a first school (up to age 9), transition is earlier than many families new to the Somerset system expect. A typical pathway locally is transfer to a middle school for Key Stage 2 continuation. The school calendar for 2025 to 2026 includes a Year 4 transfer day to Hugh Sexey’s Middle School, which indicates an established relationship with that next step for many pupils.

In practical terms, parents should think about the “two admissions moments” created by a first-school model: entry to Reception, then transfer again a few years later. Families who value continuity should plan ahead for that second move, including travel logistics and friendship groups.

Reception entry is coordinated through Somerset’s local authority process. For September 2026 entry, Somerset’s published timeline shows: applications open 29 September 2025, the closing date is 15 January 2026, and outcome emails or letters are sent 16 April 2026.

The school’s own admissions page directs parents to apply via their home local authority using the Common Application Form, and it links to the school’s published admission arrangements (including 2026 to 2027 documentation).

Demand suggests the school is oversubscribed for the primary entry route shown, with 43 applications for 25 offers and 1.72. applications per place That is competition, but not the extreme pressure seen in some urban catchments.

Nursery admissions operate differently. The nursery information indicates tours can be booked and registration packs are available via the nursery route, rather than the council’s coordinated Reception process.

The evidence base here is relatively strong. The latest inspection narrative describes pupils feeling looked after and confident that adults will help with worries, with calm routines that make expectations clear.

Wraparound care also plays a pastoral role for working families. Breakfast Club and after-school sessions take place in the hall and are delivered by the school team, with escorted transitions to classrooms at the end of Breakfast Club and to the hall at the end of the school day.

That kind of handover detail often matters most for younger children, especially those who find transitions hard.

Outdoor learning is a recurring theme across the school’s own communications and the inspection narrative. The June 2025 pupils valuing outdoor learning and attending clubs, with examples including singing and yoga.

The school’s extracurricular page adds practical specifics. There is an outdoor swimming pool used by all children in the summer term, and clubs and activities referenced include chess and singing, plus instrument opportunities such as recorder, drums, piano, and woodwind.

Recent bulletins add further “real world” detail about what pupils can actually join in a given term. Examples include Forest School Club, Chess Club, Drum Club, and Singing, with other terms showing Recorder Club and sports options such as cricket or hockey.

For parents, this indicates a programme that changes by term and staffing, which is typical at this size of school.

The published school day runs from 8.55am to 3.25pm.

For wraparound care, Breakfast Club starts at 8.00am and after-school care runs until 5.30pm Monday to Thursday.

Because this is a village location, families usually weigh up walking routes, parking at drop-off, and whether wraparound is needed to avoid a tight pick-up window. The most reliable approach is to check the school’s current travel guidance and ask about any parking expectations at tours.

• Inspection trajectory and improvement phase. The latest key judgement set (June 2025) includes Requires Improvement judgements for Quality of Education and Early Years Provision, with curriculum consistency highlighted as a key improvement area.

• First-school structure. Children typically transfer earlier than in a 4 to 11 primary model, so families should plan for another admissions decision after age 9, including travel and friendship groups.

• Wraparound pattern. After-school provision runs Monday to Thursday, so Friday childcare may still need a separate plan for working families.

• Nursery pathway is separate. Nursery registration and tours are handled through the nursery route, while Reception is via the local authority. That can be convenient, but it does mean two different application processes across early years.

Wedmore First School Academy suits families who want a smaller, community-rooted first school with on-site wraparound care and a strong emphasis on outdoor learning and clubs for younger children. The calm routines and positive behaviour picture are persuasive, while the academic story is best understood as a school in the middle of embedding a more consistent curriculum. It will suit children who respond well to clear routines and supportive relationships, and parents who are comfortable asking detailed questions about how reading support and curriculum checks work in practice.