A Bruton school has been praised for its pastoral care and quality of teaching after a recent inspection.

Sexey’s School, part of the Quantock Education Trust, underwent a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS), the process for Diocesan Church Schools.

It focuses on the impact that the Christian ethos of the church school has on the young people who attend it, staff who work there and on the wider community.

The inspector highlighted many strengths of the school, founded in 1891, including the focus on community and wellbeing.
It said: “Leaders prioritise the wellbeing of the whole community. This is due to their commitment to the ‘fullness of life’ as expressed in the Christian vision.
“Pupils, staff and parents attest to wellbeing as a demonstrable feature of the school. The pastoral support in the school is skilled, swift to respond and is centred on the welfare of the whole person.”
It added: “Sexey’s School’s vision is inspiring a cohesive community in which pupils and adults are at ease yet also challenged to be the best they can be.”
The report recognised how the state boarding element of the school added a special dimension to a student’s education.
“A notable feature of the school is that there is a significant number of boarders. Many boarders are from countries around the world. This means that diversity is experienced in a significant way,” it said.
“Many of the boarders have Christian beliefs and share these and their practices readily in lessons. Thus, many pupils have a real insight into Christianity as a global religion.”
Headteacher, Helen Cullen, said she was pleased with the inspection outcome.
“Hearing the inspector’s feedback of his visit made me feel so proud of the whole Sexey’s staff and community,” she said.
“He celebrated a huge number of strengths in his feedback including the school community living the core values, our response to the pandemic, extracurricular opportunities and the overall quality of teaching and learning.
“I am extremely grateful to all the staff involved in this inspection, which was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all the things that make Sexey’s such a special place.”
Chrysta Garnett, CEO of the Quantock Education Trust, added: “The focus on the school community, the instilling of values for life and the importance of each person’s wellbeing in this report is a very accurate representation of life at Sexey’s.
“Helen and her team should be proud of this inspection outcome as it recognises the hard work of our Sexey’s colleagues and the high-quality education they deliver on a daily basis.”

The full report is available on the school website at www.sexeys.somerset.sch.uk.