The Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) has been invited by the Department for Education and North Somerset Council to build and operate a new primary school in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset.
The CLF is a mature multi-academy trust with a strategic focus and a proven track record of addressing disadvantage. With 35 academies and a long-held mission to ‘consistently deliver excellent educational experiences for pupils aged 2-19, improving their life chances and serving the communities of which we are a member’, the CLF serves around 18,000 children between Gloucestershire and Somerset.
Please review the information below about the proposed school and provide your feedback in the consultation questionnaire provided. The consultation period ends on Friday 27th June 2025.
We are really excited to have been selected by North Somerset Council to open a new school in Weston-super-Mare, our fourth primary school in the area.
The new school will be built at the former Weston Airfield site in Haywood Village, on the edge of Weston-super-Mare. The area’s rich aviation heritage is recognised in the name of the new school: Airfield Primary Academy.
The ambition is to open the school in September 2026. It will be a phased opening with an initial intake of 30 pupils in reception, followed by annual increases as it works towards a full capacity of 630 pupils aged 4-11 in partnership with other local schools and the growing needs of the community. If there is sufficient demand that does not impact on other schools, more than 30 pupils could be admitted into the reception class from September 2026. The need for class bases in other infant-aged cohorts may also be kept under review. There will also be a nursery provision for 2 to 4- year-olds across several rooms, plus an outside space. Applications for nursery places will open in September 2025 (for September 2026) and will be managed by CLF Admissions into the Reception year group will be managed by North Somerset Council as per the usual process.
Once open, the school will become a close partner to seven other CLF schools within the trust’s North Somerset cluster, including the nearby Haywood Village Academy and Winterstoke Hundred Academy. However, while Airfield Primary Academy will be supported by the wider trust and a bespoke governing body, it will open with its own distinctive character and ethos, as defined by its Principal, who will be recruited in January 2026.
The school is being established to meet the ambitions of local stakeholders and the growing community in Haywood Village and surrounding areas. It will strive to contribute to regional, national, and global challenges, as it works alongside families to educate their children to reach their potential and make a valuable contribution to society as positive citizens.
Our ambition is for the Weston-super-Mare community to recognise Airfield Primary Academy as a place of invention and innovation where pupils are encouraged to consider what is possible, where they are empowered in their learning and have intrinsic motivation to succeed. We are passionate about serving the needs of our community both at Haywood Village and Weston-super-Mare.
A link to our admissions policy is below for consideration and we can share further information about the school and its vision. We are keen to hear your feedback and invite you to contact us or alternatively, you can join us at our consultation events which will be at Haywood Village Academy on Wednesday 4th June 5-6pm and 7:30-8:30pm. If you are keen to show an interest in a reception or nursery place for September 2026, please do contact us.
