Somerset Council has announced a £4.5 million expansion of Court Fields School in Wellington, potentially adding up to 150 new places to accommodate the growing student population. This development responds to increasing demand driven by significant housing growth in Wellington and surrounding villages near the Devon border and the northern Blackdown Hills.
Currently serving around 900 pupils, Court Fields School caters to secondary students from a broad area including Taunton’s outskirts. The school, part of the Blackdown Education Partnership, is also consulting on enhancing on-site support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The council’s plans address forecasted pupil numbers exceeding capacity from September 2026. Recent data shows Year 7 enrolments are surpassing projections, with 196 pupils enrolled for the 2025/26 academic year against a predicted 181, and an estimated 197 incoming Year 7 pupils for September 2026—well above the planned admission number of 172.
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The school’s intake will increase to 1,050 pupils through the addition of new classrooms, enabling accommodation of up to 210 students per year group. Funding for the expansion is sourced from a £3.2 million Department for Education grant and nearly £1.3 million in developer contributions linked to new housing developments in the area, such as the Jurston Fields estate, Monument View, and the new railway station estate.
To accelerate the project, the council plans to borrow the developer contribution funds upfront, repaying them over time. More than half of the allocated budget is expected to be spent this financial year, allowing for prompt delivery of the new places.
Without this expansion, students from the Wellington area would need to attend Kingsmead Academy in Wiveliscombe, a solution deemed unsustainable due to transport costs and local growth pressures. Additionally, predicted shortages of secondary spaces in Taunton further complicate nearby alternatives. Efforts continue to explore options for a new secondary school in the Orchard Grove development.
Council representatives emphasize that improved access to local education will positively impact community safety and children’s long-term wellbeing by reducing low-level anti-social behaviour and supporting pupil development.