St Laurence Secondary School is a specialist arts college with a sixth form, which serves the town of Bradford on Avon and its surrounding area.

It has 1,359 students and takes pupils from Atworth, Monkton Farleigh, Winsley, Limpley Stoke, South Wraxall and Trowbridge.

In August 2011, the school became an academy and continues to maintain exam results above the national average.

The new head teacher, Fergus Stewart, started in January and promised to continue to recognise pupil’s individual talents and provide high standards of teaching and learning.

Mr Stewart, 50, said: “This is athriving school, with great heritage, and progress has been made.

“I am committed to working with colleagues to provide the very best education for all our young people, so they can achieve the best qualifications.”

He emphasised the importance of balance between academic and personal needs of the pupils and to target care in a certain way.

“We want to make sure we are looking after the whole person. To be effective in learning, students have to be happy and healthy.”

In its February Ofsted inspection St Laurence was rated ‘good’ and the report stated: “The school has a pleasant and positive atmosphere. Students are polite, friendly and behave well. They talk eloquently and enthusiastically about how well the school supports their personal and academic development and enables them to make an outstanding contribution across the school and in the wider community”.

In 2000 St Laurence became a Performing Arts College, resulting in extra investment in drama, music and dance facilities. In 2007 a lecture theatre was built and last year the school opened a state-of-the-art independent leaning centre. It also benefits from the Wiltshire Music Centre, adjacent to the site, which opened in 1998 and enables pupils to use the recording studios and have private and curriculum lessons held in the classrooms and teaching rooms.

The school prides itself on their Performing Arts status, but it also has strong and growing reputation in sport, with the grounds boasting a large sports hall and several sports courts, pitches and playing fields.

The kayaker and Olympic gold medallist, Ed McKeever, attended the school between 1994-2001, as did Swansea City footballer Nathan Dyer.

The school was founded in 1980, after the merger of Fitzmaurice Grammar School and Trinity Secondary Modern School, and opened on the Trinity site.

Since the 1960s it has been known that a Roman site existed in the area, and excavations in 2003 proved this when two major buildings of a villa at the centre of a large estate were revealed with a fine mosaic dating to c.360 AD.

St Laurence’s motto is ‘working together, learning together’, and the staff work to the ethos of commitment, creativity and community. The school works closely with parents to develop their trust and support, whether their children are already at St Laurence or thinking about sending their children there, and Mr Stewart welcomes parents to contact the school to arrange a visit.

Call 01225 309500 or visit www.st-laurence.wilts.sch.uk

KATIE SMITH