Somerset Council is set to invest £4.5 million in expanding Court Fields School in Wellington, providing up to 150 additional secondary school places as the town experiences significant housing growth. The development aims to accommodate increasing pupil numbers and enhance support for students with special educational needs.
Court Fields School, serving Wellington and surrounding areas including villages near the Devon border, the northern Blackdown Hills, and Taunton’s outskirts, currently has a capacity for 900 students. However, growing residential developments have pushed demand beyond this figure. The school is also consulting on improving facilities for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
As part of the Blackdown Education Partnership, Court Fields is anticipating a substantial rise in enrollment due to over 1,500 new homes either planned or approved within its catchment. Notably, developments like the Jurston Fields estate (718 homes), Monument View in Rockwell Green (205 homes), and new housing near the proposed railway station (178 homes) are driving this expansion.
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Recent forecasts show pupil numbers will exceed current capacity by September 2026. The expected intake for Year 7 in 2026 is 197 students, well above the planned admission number of 172. Currently, 874 pupils are enrolled, already exceeding forecasts by 23 students.
To address this, additional classrooms will be constructed to raise the school’s total intake from 900 to 1,050 pupils, allowing up to 210 students per year group. The expansion is funded through a combination of a £3.2 million Department for Education grant and nearly £1.3 million from local developer contributions. The council plans to borrow the developer-sourced funds initially, repaying them over time.
More than half of the funding is expected to be utilized within the current financial year to expedite delivery, helping to avoid the need to send Wellington pupils to distant schools like Kingsmead Academy in Wiveliscombe—a strategy deemed unsustainable due to transport costs and growth in Wiveliscombe itself.
Council education strategist Julia Balmford highlighted a shortage of secondary school places in Taunton and noted local MP Gideon Amos’s advocacy for a new secondary school in the Orchard Grove development. Balmford emphasized that improved access to education will not only meet demand but also enhance community safety by reducing anti-social behaviour and supporting children’s long-term success.