Cheddar First School

Cheddar First School and Preschool is a vibrant and welcoming learning community set within a beautiful campus against the backdrop of Cheddar Gorge and the Mendip Hills. Catering for children from 6 months to 9 years old, the school offers an inspiring environment with ten school classes, three nursery rooms, extensive outdoor spaces, and specialist areas including a forest school and pond. Its deceptively large site provides rich opportunities for exploration, creativity, and active learning across all age groups.

The school is deeply committed to nurturing individuality and inspiring a lifelong love of learning through a creative curriculum and a wide range of enrichment opportunities. Staff work collaboratively to create an environment where children are encouraged to question, communicate confidently, take risks in their learning, and develop resilience. Alongside strong academic development, there is a clear focus on emotional intelligence and wellbeing, reflected in opportunities such as choir, school council, wellbeing groups, music tuition, and team sports. This broad and inclusive approach helps ensure that every child is supported to discover and develop their strengths.

Outdoor learning is an integral part of life at Cheddar First School and Preschool, with weekly forest school sessions and regular use of the school grounds to promote teamwork, problem-solving, and curiosity about the natural world. The school’s strong sense of community, combined with its ambitious and nurturing ethos, creates a positive and rewarding environment in which staff and pupils thrive together. There is a genuine sense of pride in the school, its people, and the opportunities it provides, making it a highly rewarding place to be part of.