Cluster Coordinator: Steph Farr
About this cluster
Within the Chippenham Music Cluster there were 24 schools (local authority maintained and academies) – 3 secondaries and 20 primaries in the 2021-22 academic year in addition to Silverwood School’s Chippenham site (formerly St Nicholas Special School). Somerfords’ Walter Powell Primary is geographically outside of the Chippenham area, but joined the Chippenham cluster as it is part of a Multi-Academy Trust that governs several of the Chippenham cluster schools.
The majority of the cluster’s schools are situated in urban areas, with 10 of the primary phase schools in rural villages. 7 of the primary phase schools are ‘small schools’ (fewer than 120 children on roll).
Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2019 data shows a wide range in levels of deprivation. 1 Lower Super Output Area (LSOAs) rank in the highest 20% for overall deprivation nationally, a further 3 LSOAs in the highest 30%, with 14 LSOAs across the cluster area ranking in the least 20% for overall deprivation. This indicates that whilst the Chippenham community area has pockets of deprivation similar to other urban areas of Wiltshire, it has a much greater prevalence of affluence than the majority of community areas.
Schools in the cluster with higher than the national average of pupils eligible for Free School Meals are St Paul’s Primary (n=58, 38.4%), Frogwell Primary (n=68, 34.7%), Charter Primary (n=49, 24.4%) Lacock Primary (n=18, 25.4%). Schools with the highest numbers or proportions of children eligible for Service Pupil Premium in the cluster were Hullavington Primary (n=80, 47.6%) and Stanton St. Quintin School (n=21, 31.3%).
The numbers of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) were notably higher than the national average at Frogwell Primary (n=30, 15.3% with an EHCP), Charter Primary (n=21, 10.4% with an EHCP), Langley Fitzurse Primary (n=29, 30.2% receiving SEN support), Stanton St Quintin Primary (n=16, 23.9% receiving SEN support) and St Paul’s Primary (n=36, 23.8% receiving SEN support).