St Cuthbert's Church of England Academy Infants and Pre-School Review 2026: Church school with strong early reading and clear routines

Teaching is strongest when the curriculum is tightly specified and revisited. Where leaders have mapped the key knowledge pupils need to remember, teachers can return to prior learning and connect it to new content. This is particularly evident in mathematics, where early-years vocabulary and number work are built step-by-step rather than treated as isolated activities.

In reading, the operational detail matters. Staff are trained to deliver phonics consistently; gaps are identified early; the matching of books to sounds learned reduces the risk of children memorising texts rather than decoding. The implication for families is straightforward: children who need structured repetition tend to benefit from the predictable approach described.

Early years and Key Stage 1 alignment is an area to watch. Ofsted notes that in some subjects the early-years curriculum is not fully connected to what follows in Years 1 and 2, which can make progression less clear for teachers.

The most common progression route for an infant school is into a linked junior school at Year 3. Practical ties are visible here through shared wraparound arrangements with St Cuthbert’s Junior School.

For parents, the key question is how transition is handled and whether children move with a familiar peer group. The school’s public materials emphasise relationships, routines, and a calm culture, which generally supports smoother transfer at age 7.

If you are planning a move into the area, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to understand which junior options your address is most likely to feed into, then cross-check with Somerset’s published admissions guidance for the relevant year.

Reception (main school)

For September 2026 entry, Somerset’s coordinated admissions timetable applies. The council states that if you applied online by 15 January 2026, outcomes are issued on 16 April 2026.

The school’s local demand indicators point to competitive entry. The latest published application and offer figures show 50 applications for 38 offers for the primary entry route, with the school recorded as oversubscribed.

No “furthest distance at which a place was offered” figure is available so families should avoid relying on anecdotal catchment assumptions. If distance becomes the deciding criterion in a given year, small changes in applicant distribution can matter, even within the same neighbourhood.

Pre-school (ages 2 to 4)

Pre-school admissions are typically handled directly with the setting rather than via the Reception admissions portal, and funded places may be available for eligible children. The school confirms it can accommodate children with Supported 2-year-old funding and the universal early years entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds.

Important rule for this review: specific pre-school fee amounts are not listed here; use the school’s published pre-school admissions page for current rates.

The core pastoral message in the latest Ofsted report is reassurance: children feel safe, trust adults, and settle well in early years. Pupils are described as understanding expectations and taking pride in rewards linked to kindness and contribution.

Safeguarding is also addressed directly in the most recent inspection, which states that arrangements are effective and that staff are trained to identify risks and follow reporting procedures.

For families with additional needs, the report indicates that pupils with SEND have needs identified and are supported to access the same curriculum as peers, with appropriate adaptations and involvement of external professionals where required.

At infant level, enrichment works best when it is concrete and frequent rather than grand and occasional. The 2023 inspection report notes local visits, including to the local church and the Bishop’s Palace, and it highlights visitors such as poetry and music recitals as a way of widening pupils’ experience.

The school’s own prospectus gives examples of additional activities that go beyond the usual “we have clubs” generalities. It references tennis sessions and a range of activity options that have included ballet, tap, modern dance, gymnastics, choir, and a rock band, which will appeal to families who want creative and physical outlets early on.

Wraparound provision is also a part of the wider offer. The school publishes that breakfast provision is arranged jointly with St Cuthbert’s Junior School (opening at 7.45am), and after-school care is based at the infant school until 5.30pm.

The published school day runs from 8.45am to 3.15pm.

Wraparound is clearly structured: breakfast club operates via the junior school site and after-school care runs on the infant site until 5.30pm, which can make commuting easier for families with siblings across both schools.

For transport planning, Wells is compact enough that many families will look at walkability and short car journeys. The practical step is to measure your door-to-gate distance using FindMySchool’s map tools, then compare that with the way Somerset prioritises applications in the relevant admissions year.

• Competition for places. The published demand picture shows more applications than offers for the primary entry route (50 applications for 38 offers). This tends to make outcomes sensitive to priorities and, in some years, distance.

• Curriculum consistency is not uniform across all subjects. The latest official review highlights that a small number of subjects need clearer identification of essential knowledge and stronger teaching sequencing, with art cited as an example.

• Infant-only age range. With education stopping at age 7, families should plan early for the Year 3 move and understand the local junior-school landscape.

• Pre-school funding details matter. Funded places may apply depending on age and eligibility, but families should clarify exactly how sessions are structured and what is and is not covered by funding.

This is a calm, well-organised Church of England infant setting where early reading is treated as a priority and routines are clear. The 2023 inspection picture is reassuring on safety, behaviour, and relationships, and the published wraparound offer adds real convenience for working families.

Who it suits: families looking for a values-led infant education with structured phonics, clear expectations, and practical childcare coverage across the school day. The main challenge is admission in a context where demand can exceed supply.