By Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Mumby

A struggling school on the edge of Somerset's national park will join a trust which has many schools local to Radstock and will become an academy in a bid to improve pupils' performance.

Lydeard St. Lawrence Community Primary School, sandwiched between the Exmoor National Park and the Quantock Hills area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), was rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted at its last inspection in November 2021.

To turn these fortunes around, education secretary James Cleverly MP has signed off plans for the school to become part of the Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust.

The school will formally join the trust during the autumn term, with all staff moving across and the building being leased to the trust from Somerset County Council for 125 years.

Since the Education and Adoption Act was passed in 2016, all 'inadequate' or 'coasting' schools (as determined by Ofsted inspectors) have to become academies, joining multi-academy trusts in a bid to improve their performance.

The trust, overseen by the Diocese of Bath and Wells, currently includes the following schools:

• All Saints Church School in Montacute
• Bathampton Primary School in Bathampton
• Batheaston Church School in Batheaston
• Bathford Church School in Bathford
• Bathwick St Mary Church School in Bath
• Bishops Lydeard Church School in Bishop's Lydeard
• Cheddon Fitzpaine Church School in Cheddon Fitzpaine
• Churchfield Church School in Highbridge
• Court De Wyck Church School in Cleeve (near Bristol)
• Freshford Church School in Freshford
• Holy Trinity Church School in Yeovil
• Horsington Church School, between Horsington and South Cheriton
• Kingshill Church School in Nailsea
• Norton Fitzwarren Church School in Norton Fitzwarren
• Oakhill Church School in Oakhill
• Shepton Beauchamp Church School in Shepton Beauchamp
• St Andrew's Church School in Bath
• St Andrew's Church School in Taunton
• St George's Church School in Weston-super-Mare
• St James Church School in Taunton
• St John and St Francis Church School in Bridgwater
• St John the Evangelist Church School in Clevedon
• St Mark's Primary School in Weston-super-Mare
• St Mary and St Peter's Church School in Ilton
• St Michael's Junior Church School in Bath
• St Nicholas Church School in Haydon (near Radstock)
• St Saviour's Infant Church School in Larkhill
• St Saviour's Junior Church School in Larkhill
• St Stephen's Church School in Bath
• St Vigor and St John Church School in Chilcompton
• Staplegrove Church School in Taunton
• Swainswick Church School in Bath
• Trinity Anglican Methodist Primary School in Portishead
• Wembdon St George's Church School in Wembdon (near Bridgwater)

Elizabeth Smith, the council's service manager for schools commissioning, said: "Trade unions representing staff working in Somerset schools have been consulted about the proposals.

"They will be seeking assurance that all employer responsibilities in respect of staff transfers and more general staff consultation requirements are met.

"The academy will receive the equivalent level of funding per pupil [directly from the Department for Education] to that which it would receive from the council as a maintained school."

There are currently 130 academies in Somerset, of which 90 are 'convertor academies', where the governing body have decided to seek academy status to improve results.

Lydeard St Lawrence's school will officially become part of its new trust on October 1.