Three local primary schools have been named on a list of England's top five hundred primary schools. A new co-working space for businesswomen has opened in Wincanton. Urgent repairs are being carried out to Ilminster's new public clock after it started showing the wrong time...and more
Three primary schools in South Somerset have been named in The Times newspaper's top 500 primary schools in England. The schools are Preston Primary in Yeovil, which is ranked in 25th place. Kingsbury Episcopi Primary, near Langport, was ranked 447th. The Countess Gytha Primary School, in Queen Camel, was ranked 47th. The schools were judged on the percentage of pupils who achieved their expected grades in the 2023 SATS tests.
Parents in Somerset have been told what primary schools their child will be attending next year. Somerset Council says 95% or 4,894 children have been offered their first choice primary school. 153 children have been offered their second choice and 28 their third choice primary school.
A new co-working space for businesswomen has opened in Wincanton. The SEED Hub is designed for remote workers to collaborate, exchange ideas and take part in business skills workshops.
Avon and Somerset Police are staging a ‘Walk and Talk’ event in the café at Ninesprings in Yeovil starting at 6 pm tonight. The event is being held for women and young girls to discuss their safety concerns with female police officers.
A Chard hair salon has won a top local hairdressing award. Residents and customers voted Styles Hair Salon in Commercial Row as the winner of the Chard and Ilminster Hairdresser of the Year competition. Bertiful Hair and Beauty in Chard, and the Ben Russell Salon in Ilminster came runners-up.
Repairs are being carried out to the new public clock in Ilminster that was unveiled only two months ago in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth. Locals say it has been very confusing with the clock in Silver Street not showing the correct time.
There's anger in Chard about a road diversion in place alongside two sets of roadworks through the town. A motorcyclist has been injured in an accident in Bruton. £100,000 has been donated towards re-opening Shepton Mallet’s Amulet theatre...and more
Bird flu has been detected at a nature reserve in Somerset, resulting in the closure of part of it. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain...and more
Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more
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