Staggering 316 clubs and subjects at inspirational school

A Somerset school is competing with private schools, tops the tables of GCSE results, is oversubscribed by hundreds and has a staggering 276 extra-curricular clubs annually and 30 subject choices.

Students at the Ofsted Outstanding The Castle School have again topped the table of GCSEs across the whole of Somerset, and the school is again competing with the world-renowned private and public schools across the county.

This year they finished top in Somerset with nearly 80% of students achieving a 9-4 grade for English and maths.

And latest figures can reveal they also uniquely have one of the best and broadest extra curricular and curricular choices for students in Britain.

They have a staggering 276 extra extra-curricular subjects on offer and an amazing 30 subjects on the actual curriculum – at a time when funding cuts have seen many courses ripped from most school curriculums.

Extra-curricular subjects on offer include sword-fencing, string quartet, full orchestra, brass band, choir, steel band amongst a host of other music clubs and activities. Arts clubs include Drama, Dance, Embroidery and Knitting club, and other clubs include Modern Foreign Language Film Club, wind turbine, journalism, debating, lego club, as well as a whole host of sports clubs.

The school also offers a wide range of language subjects including French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and German, and a full range of design, creative and performing arts including BTEC music, GCSE music, GCSE dance, drama, textiles, photography and Fine Art.

Headteacher, Sarah Watson said: “We are so proud of our students and staff, and also of the sheer breadth and scope of our GCSE, extra curricular and subject offering.

“This is a partnership of parents and carers, and of the whole community, and is something for us all to be really pleased about.

“I don’t know of any other schools that have have such a wide variety and we are determined to keep this breadth of curriculum in the face of outside pressures and from funding cuts.”