IN the heart of Chapmanslade lies the village’s primary school which, as a Church of England school, places a strong emphasis on Christian values and a strong community spirit.

Alongside the Christian values, the school also places an emphasis on setting pupils up for the next stage of their lives in the best possible way, as headteacher Frances Chapman explains.

She said: “There’s a very strong sense of community here, which makes every child feel important and valued.

“We are a small village church school and we value our Christian distinctiveness. We feel that the school is small enough to offer outstanding pastoral care but big enough to have a vibrant atmosphere.

“We recognise that the pupils here, who are between the ages of four and 11, are at a very precious stage in their childhood, and we nurture them accordingly through this period.

“We want them to maintain their innocence but we also realise that at this age, they are becoming more and more independent, so we encourage them to explore and learn about the outside world too.

“We want pupils to enjoy their childhood, but we also want them to recognise that the world is a changing place."

The school, which has four classes and 117 pupils, also takes pride in its regular sporting activities.

Mrs Chapman said: “We take part in as much sport as we can with our cluster schools and local teams, including Bath Rugby and Wiltshire Cricket.

“The children recently went to watch Bath versus Newcastle at The Rec and played touch rugby on the pitch at half time, which they absolutely loved.

“We also celebrated Sport Relief by taking part in an inter-class cross-country running championships, and every single child took part. It was absolutely brilliant.”

The school also focuses on promoting leadership skills through various programmes, as Mrs Chapman explains.

She added: “We encourage older pupils at the school to take on leadership roles, including leading younger pupils into assemblies in the morning.

“This ties in with our school council, which includes pupils from each year who meet once a term with teachers to discuss new ideas. They have recently been undertaking a survey on school dinners, discussing what pupils should eat at lunchtimes.

“There are also captains who are elected by fellow pupils and sports ambassadors, who promote sport in the school.

"It's an absolutely beautiful school and we really do make every pupil feel welcome."