Local News Wednesday 1st February

Schools in Somerset are either partially or completely shut today due to strike action by teachers. A Chard motorist has appeared in court in connection with an accident at Cricket St Thomas in which a motorcyclist died. Sherborne Golf Club has applied for permission to build a new covered driving range. A TV documentary is being made about the Fleet Air Arm. A Somerset woman is planning to represent Great Britain at the World Transplant Games in Australia...and more.

Schools in Somerset are either partially or completely shut today due to strike action by teachers. Members of the NEU union have stopped work in a dispute over pay. Last-ditch talks to stop the strike between the union and the government ended without agreement with the government saying it was providing an extra 2 billion pounds in school funding. A list of the Somerset schools affected by today’s teacher strike action can be viewed at the bottom of the page.

A Chard motorist has appeared in court in connection with an accident at Cricket St Thomas in which a motorcyclist died. Roger Burt of The Maltings in Chard pleaded guilty to causing the death by careless driving when he appeared at Yeovil Magistrates Court. He was banned from driving for 12 months and told to re-pass the driving test before getting his licence back.

Sherborne Golf Club has applied for permission to build a new covered driving range. If the application is successful, a twelve-bay driving range, together with new floodlighting, will be built next to an existing car park.

A TV documentary is being made about the Fleet Air Arm. Called ‘Britain’s Top Guns’ and filmed at RNAS Yeovilton, it tells the story of the formation of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937 to the present. 

A Somerset woman is planning to represent Great Britain at the World Transplant Games in Australia. Keeleigh John was given a new liver and kidney ten years ago and is hoping to compete in Melbourne in April. However, before she can be certain of doing so, she needs to raise a further two thousand pounds towards her target of three and a half thousand pounds to pay for the trip.

A butcher in Yeovil has raised £400 for the RNLI. Brett Moulding of Loders Butchers in Union Street raised the money selling raffle tickets to his customers in the run-up to Christmas.

HERE'S A LIST OF THE SOMERSET SCHOOLS AFFECTED BY TODAY’S TEACHERS' STRIKE

ANSFORD ACADEMY: Partially closed. The academy will be open for Year 11 and a small group of pre-identified students only. The academy will be closed to Years 7 to 10 who will be provided with work for the day.

ASHLANDS CofE FIRST SCHOOL: Fully closed.

AVANTI PARK SCHOOL: Partially closed.

BALTONSBOROUGH CE VC PRIMARY SCHOOL: Partially closed. The nursery will remain unaffected but all four classes need to be closed.

BIRCHFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL: Partially closed. The school will be closed to classes RAE, 1KW, 2JR, 2LA, 3PW, 4DG, and 4GM. The school will remain open to classes RFG, 1JW, 3SS, 5TM, 5ZD, 6GQ, 6WL, and 6NL.

BISHOP HENDERSON CofE PRIMARY SCHOOL, COLEFORD: Partially closed. One class will remain open and support vulnerable learners, SEND children and key workers.

BOWLISH INFANTS SCHOOL: Partially closed. School is closed for Robin Class only.

BUCKLER'S MEAD ACADEMY: Partially closed. Year 7, Year 8 and Year 11 students should attend the academy as normal. Year 9 and Year 10 students will remain at home and access lessons remotely. They will be expected to complete the work set on Google Classroom. It is the school's intention to continually review this and if we can have more students in the academy we will.

BUTLEIGH PRIMARY SCHOOL: Partially closed. Falcon, Kestrel and Kite classes will be closed all day. Owl class will be open and vulnerable children will be invited in.

CHARLTON MACKRELL PRIMARY SCHOOL: Fully closed.

FAIRMEAD SCHOOL: Fully closed.

FIVEWAYS SPECIAL SCHOOL: Partially closed. The 6th Form will be fully open. The parents of the lower and upper school pupils who will continue to attend school will be contacted directly.

FROME COMMUNITY COLLEGE: Open only to children of key workers and vulnerable children.

HATCH BEAUCHAMP PRIMARY SCHOOL: Fully closed.

HOLY TRINITY SCHOOL, TAUNTON: Partially closed. It will be open to children in Stars (Reception) and Everest (Year 6). It will also be partly open to a select group of vulnerable children.

HUGH SEXEY MIDDLE SCHOOL: Partially closed. Open to Years 5 and 6. Open only in Years 7 and 8 to children of key workers and vulnerable children.

HUISH EPISCOPI ACADEMY: Partially closed. The academy will be closed to Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 and open to Years 11, 12 and 13.

HUISH PRIMARY SCHOOL: Partially closed. Classes 2, 5, 10 and 11 only will be closed to students on Wednesday. All other classes remain open.

ILCHESTER COMMUNITY SCHOOL: Partially closed. The school will only be open to children receiving free school meals (benefit related) and their siblings or children in receipt of an EHCP.

KINGSMEAD SCHOOL, WIVELISCOMBE: Partially closed. Students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 should remain at home on Wednesday and complete remote learning. Year 11, given the proximity to their final exams, will be expected to attend school as normal. Looked-after children and those in receipt of an EHCP will also be individually invited to attend school on this date.

KINGSTON ST MARY PRIMARY SCHOOL: Partially closed. School is closed to children in Owl Class. The school opens as normal to children in Buzzard, Robins and Woodpecker Classes.

KINGHTS TEMPLAR METHODIST COMMUNITY SCHOOL: Partially closed. Two classes are open, five classes are closed.

MARTOCK PRIMARY SCHOOL: Only open to vulnerable children.

NORTON ST PHILIP FIRST SCHOOL: Partially closed. Reception Class only to be closed.

OAKFIELD ACADEMY: Partially closed. Fully open to Years 5 and 6. Open to all FSM, vulnerable and key worker pupils from Years 7 and 8.

OAKLANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL: Partially closed.

SELWORTHY SCHOOL: Partially closed. Following a risk assessment regarding strike action, both sites will be partially closed. Open classes: Juniper, Dill, Fennel, Sage, Rosemary, Lavender, Lyme, Dunster, Bossington, Porlock, Kilve, The Cove (in line with Court Fields). Closed classes: Tarragon, Basil, Mint, Chive, Parsley, Woolacombe, Saunton, Exmouth, Croyde, Minehead, Grove 1, Grove 2 and Grove 3.

SKY COLLEGE: Fully closed. Welfare visits will take place on this day to the most vulnerable students.

ST CUTHBERT'S ACADEMY INFANTS AND PRE-SCHOOL: Partially closed. The school will be open for vulnerable pupils but not for key worker pupils because of the staffing ratio.

ST DUNSTAN'S SCHOOL ACADEMY TRUST: Partially closed. The school will be open for year 10 and year 11 students only.

ST MARGARET'S SCHOOL: Partially closed. One class will be closed all day and one other year group will be affected in the morning only.

STANCHESTER ACADEMY: Partially closed. Stanchester will be open for Years 10 and 11 only.

TATWORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL: Partially closed. The reception class is closed except for key worker children.

THE BLUE SCHOOL: Partially closed. Campus closed to Y7, Y8, Y9 and Y10 - remote learning. Campus open to Y11, Y12 and Y13 only.
THE KING ALFRED SCHOOL: Open to Years 7 & 13. Years 8, 9, 10 & 11 to remain home. The canteen will open at lunchtime for FSM provision for all years

THE TAUNTON ACADEMY: Only Years 11 and 7 will be attending school. Years 8, 9 and 10 will be set work on class charts.

VALLIS FIRST SCHOOL: Partially closed. The following classes will be closed for the day: Apollo - Year 1/2; Neptune - Year 1/2; Saturn - Year 1/2; Voyager - Year 3. All other classes are open as usual.

WADHAM VC COMMUNITY SCHOOL: Partially closed. Open to Year 11 Students (normal curriculum timetable). Open to Sixth Form Students (self-study warm space). Open to Vulnerable Children and children of Critical Workers (drop-down day - bespoke curriculum). All other Year Groups (7-10) will be provided with work to complete at home.

WELLSPRINGS PRIMARY SCHOOL: Partially closed. Four classes are open. The school is also open to pupils with identified vulnerable needs.