‘CARE of the highest quality’ is the hallmark of Watchet’s Knights Templar Community Church School and Nursery, in Watchet, according to a glowing report by church education inspector Barbara Easton.

Ms Easton said: “Love is the language of the school, lived out in kindness, consideration, and respect.”

She conducted a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) and found that together leaders, staff, and governors, along with their religious partners, had grown Knights Templar as a flourishing place of love and hope.

Ms Easton said: “The school’s vision of working wholeheartedly is strongly reflected in leaders’ approach to learning.

“Teachers instil high expectations but they are also skilled in tailoring the curriculum to differing needs in the classroom.”

Headteacher Laura Weaver said: “The report recognises the many strengths of our school community and affirms the school is living out its foundation as a church school, enabling both children and adults to flourish.

“Inspectors also praised our caring ethos, where all members of the community feel valued, leading to high levels of trust and wellbeing.

“Our commitment to supporting vulnerable pupils, including the development of our specialist provision The Den, was recognised as a significant strength, alongside our expertise in special educational needs and disabilities.

“I would like to thank the staff, children, governors, and families for their continued support and contribution.

“This report reflects the collective dedication and shared values that make Knights Templar such a special place to learn and grow.”

Ms Easton said the vision of ‘working with your heart’ was the foundation on which life at Knights Templar was built.

She said new leadership had refreshed and simplified the vision so that it was readily embraced across the school community.

Ms Easton said: “Alongside the deeply treasured values of love, hope, and respect, the vision drives a commitment to transformation.

“This is a school which is embedded in its local community and responsive to its needs.

“For example, leaders have worked passionately to establish the school’s base for pupils with moderate to severe learning difficulties.

“This means the community’s children can stay local, growing and developing alongside one another in the Knights Templar community.

“Thoughtfully chosen topics and resources enable pupils better to understand life within and beyond Watchet.

“Leaders have carefully planned for spirituality across the curriculum, offering a structure for reflection and wonder.

“However, this is not embedded.

“As a result, pupils do not recognise links between their wider learning and their spiritual development.”

Ms Easton said Knights Templar was Somerset’s first ‘trauma informed accredited school’ and had won awards for its work.

She said: “This model, built on support and compassion, is the foundation on which the wider life of the school is built.

“It results in an understanding, kind, and determined school community, where the mental wellbeing of pupils and adults is prioritised.

“Staff are able to flourish because leaders support their personal and professional development, in a culture of collaboration.

“Pupils thrive because, as they grow through the school, they take values of love, hope, and respect to heart.”