Wednesday 17 April

Wednesday, 17 April 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

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.

More from News

Friday 28th November

Somerset Council has failed to stop 150 homes being built in Crewkerne. Posters of a drag act coming to Somerset, displayed in Shepton Mallet, have been vandalised. Avon and Somerset police are using proceeds from drug crime to fund community projects...and more,
Thursday 27th November

A new NHS dentist in Chard will start seeing its first patients next Tuesday. The go-ahead has been given to install five new lighting and CCTV columns on Milfield Road in Chard. Work is to start in January, replacing ageing traffic signals at the A39 junction with Clarks Village in Street...and more
Wednesday 26th November

Workers at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil, belonging to the Unite union, have accepted a new pay offer of 8% over two years. Yeovil Town has appointed a new first-team Manager. A new NHS dental practice is due to open in Chard next month...and more
Tuesday 25th November

Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, is calling on the Chancellor to deliver ‘real economic growth’ for Yeovil in her budget tomorrow. The government has given Yeovil College £2 million to upgrade its engineering facilities. A Chard-based charity has sent 7,000 boxes filled with Christmas gifts to Ukraine...and more.
Monday 24th November

A church leader has warned that “irrevocable damage” will be caused to town centres if Somerset Council starts charging for Sunday parking. Fifty new homes are to be built in Castle Cary following a successful planning appeal. A call has been made for a memorial to the victims who died in a plane crash on the Blackdown Hills 80 years ago...and more.
Friday 21st November

A public inquiry is being held into plans to build a large solar farm in the village of Wayford. Fire crews have put out a small blaze at Tesco in Ilminster. Canadian firm KDC One is closing its Wellington factory, putting dozens of jobs at risk. It's Ilminster's turn to switch on the Christmas lights tonight... and more.
Thursday 20th November

Taunton Town Council has agreed to provide funding for five years to support the town's Brewhouse Theatre. The Environment Agency is warning that Somerset could experience a drought next spring if this winter is drier than usual. We’re being asked to look out for rough sleepers during the current cold snap...and more
Wednesday 19th November

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for stronger preventative measures to stop sewage discharges into local waterways. Somerset Council is to provide three new children's homes across the County. Street Football Club has appointed a father-and-son team to manage the club... and more.