VERY exciting times lie ahead for Castle Mead Primary School.

With a big expansion coming in September, which will see the school in Mascroft Road, Trowbridge, increase from 194 pupils to around 420, it’s a big year in the school’s exciting history.

Headteacher Tracey Boulton said: “We have always planned to be two-form entry, which means we will have two classes for every year group, and this expansion will allow us to do that.

“We will slowly build up to 420 pupils as the local area develops and we are also going to have a new bespoke area which will incorporate our nursery, which we are very proud of.

“Alongside that there will be a nice outdoor area which we worked hard on with architects and also a new resource base for children with additional needs.”

Focusing on the present, the school prides itself on developing leaders and teaching pupils that it is okay to fall at the first hurdle.

“The main thing we are focusing on is pupils’ understanding of leadership and that learning can be a challenge,” added Mrs Boulton.

“We want pupils to build up a resilience and we motivate them to keep trying, telling them that not everything goes right the first time and that’s fine.

“Older children at the school have leadership roles and we encourage them to help the younger ones as much as possible.

“This creates a family feel at the school and gives a real sense of community, which all of the children understand."

The school, which is part of the Mead Academy Trust, offers a wide range of sports to pupils and promotes healthy, active lifestyles.

Mrs Boulton said: “We hold tournaments at the school to tie in with big sports events, such as a football tournament when the Euros were on and a tennis tournament when Wimbledon was on.

“We want all of our Key Stage 2 children to represent the school in sport and we take part in a variety of competitions from swimming to curling, in which we reached the county finals.”

The school also focuses on maths and has recently adopted the 'Singapore approach' to teaching, which Mrs Boulton said is working wonders.