STAFF at Aloeric School in Melksham pride themselves on offering a caring environment, encouraging creativity and working closely with parents and other schools in the area.

The school in St Michael’s Road has 386 pupils, a big increase on the 330 it had last year. The jump in numbers means that the school is back to having two classes per year group.

Matthew Nightingale, head of Aloeric, said: “We have had a significant increase in pupils coming to the school, which means we are back at full force. We now have 14 classes in total, two for each year group from Reception to Year 6."

With a strong focus on fitness and enriching the education experience, Aloeric offers its pupils the chance to take part in a wide variety of activities.

“Recently we have been having days where parents will come in and help out," said Mr Nightingale.

"We had a build a volcano day, a whole-school arts day and one of the year groups did a themed activity on Brunel.

"Our interaction with the parents is really good and creates a strong bond with the community.”

The staff at Aloeric help deliver the school’s motto – Making A Difference Every Day – by supporting the children, ensuring they are hard-working and, just as importantly, happy.

“I think all of the teachers have a very good knowledge of the children," said Mr Nightingale.

"They understand that if a child is struggling it may not be something to do with school, it could be something in their home life. The staff are here to support the children and make sure their time at school goes well,” he added.

As well as focusing on relationships with parents and pupils, the school also shares a strong bond with other schools in the country.

Nina Jeffries, assistant head, said: “Some of our teachers go to other schools to help out.

"This is a good thing both for Aloeric and the schools it works with. We have done this with a school in Somerset, one in Gloucester and in other places as well.

"If a school approaches us with a problem, one of our staff members may be able to go and help out. It is very positive that others feel they can come to us for support.”