ONE of Somerset’s most outstanding primary schools has applied for academy status which would allow it to offer improved services for its pupils.

Weare Church of England First School is currently classed as an ‘outstanding’ school, and its head teacher David Williams believes the switch would allow the school to improve still further.

He said: “We initially applied back in July, but it can take a while. There are still a few steps to go through first, such as getting approval from the Church of England.

“We’re classed as outstanding because of the staff and children that we have here, and if change we could become an even more outstanding one.

“Changing to academy status would allow us to be more autonomous. We could have more funding to put into the school and we could have more control over the curriculum and we would become our own admissions authority.

“Hopefully the process will be finished by April or May next year.”