The maternity team at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised once again for providing supportive, respectful and high-quality care, following the publication of the Care Quality Commission’s 2025 Maternity Survey. Feedback from women and birthing people who gave birth at the hospital earlier this year places the RUH better or...
Category: General news
Christmas gifting: How to be generous and tax-efficient
By Andrew Langbridge, Private Client Solicitor, Goughs Solicitors Christmas naturally brings out people’s desire to give. Many parents and grandparents want to offer financial help, especially with rising costs putting pressure on younger generations. While the sentiment is simple, the tax rules around gifting can be less so. Understanding such allowances can help you support...
Follow the Trowbridge Snowman Trail for some festive fun this Christmas
Families can enjoy some wonderfully cool Christmas fun this winter by taking part in the Trowbridge Snowman Trail, which runs across the town centre from Friday 12 December to Sunday 4 January. A total of 32 individually decorated snowmen will be displayed in shops, cafés and venues across the town. There are some great prizes...
WASPS footballers crowned champions after 70-mile dash to the final
The Year 5 and 6 boys’ football team at Weston All Saints Church of England Primary School (WASPS) in Bath have been crowned champions of this year’s Bath & North East Somerset ESFA Tournament – despite a dramatic 70-mile dash to make the final. The tournament concluded at Odd Down on 20 November, right in...
BANES and Bristol church schools unite in festive song
Three local Church of England primary schools have come together in song to mark the festive season, releasing a joint Christmas film that brings their pupils’ voices together online. Unable to meet for a combined service, children from Marksbury CofE Primary School near Bath, St Mary’s CofE Primary School and Nursery in Writhlington, Radstock and...
Ralph Allen named Best Comprehensive School in the South West
Ralph Allen School has been recognised as the Best Comprehensive School in the South West in the new Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2026, a listing that highlights the top-performing state and independent schools across the country. The annual guide assesses schools on academic outcomes, wider achievement and overall school culture. Ralph Allen’s position places...
Free family law clinic by Goughs Solicitors offers support to Bath families ahead of Christmas
A free family law clinic organised by Goughs Solicitors is set to take place in Bath on 11 December, offering vital guidance to local families at what can be a difficult and emotional time of year. The session will be led by Ross Phillips, one of the firm’s family-law specialists. Ross explained, “We are delighted...
St Mary’s school pupils quiz MP during UK Parliament Week
Pupils at St Mary’s school in Broughton Gifford enjoyed a memorable insight into politics and democracy when local MP Dr Brian Mathew visited as part of UK Parliament Week. During his visit on 28 November, Dr Mathew was welcomed by the school council, who prepared a series of thoughtful and inquisitive questions about his work...
Couple welcome ‘last-chance’ baby after two-year secondary infertility journey
Natalie and Andrew Thompson say they feel “the happiest of parents” after welcoming their daughter, Ember Rose, following a long and emotional fertility journey. The couple, who live near Taunton, conceived their first child, Oscar, within three months. When they tried for a second baby after he turned one, they weren’t expecting difficulties. After a...
Early tickets released for Bath International Music Festival 2026
Bath International Music Festival has announced a series of five world-class concerts ahead of its 2026 festival, providing music lovers with a taste of what’s to come in the summer Tickets for five concerts have been released for pre-Christmas sale, to allow people to reserve their seats early, or to give tickets as presents. The...
Royal High community celebrates International Volunteer Day
Students and staff at Royal High Bath, GDST, have marked International Volunteer Day by celebrating the vital role volunteering plays in school life. Giving back is a core part of the Royal High ethos, with students regularly offering their time, energy and enthusiasm to a wide range of local and national causes. Volunteers support younger...
Festive fun arrives at The Pound with a packed Christmas programme
Christmas is coming and The Pound in Corsham is celebrating with a full line-up of family theatre, live music, festive films and creative workshops for all ages. As the temperature drops and the nights draw in, the arts centre is offering plenty of reasons to feel cheerful this December. Families can choose from seasonal shows,...
Bluebirds Toddler Mornings return to St Margaret’s Prep with a Winter Wonderland Twist
Snowmen, arctic animals and plenty of frosty fun await little ones at St Margaret’s Calne this January as the school brings back its much-loved Bluebirds Toddler Mornings – this time with a magical Winter Wonderland theme. Following the success of last year’s sessions, the nursery team is welcoming families back for a new series of...
Bath College launches new sports academy with Bath City FC and Bath Rugby
Bath College has launched the Bath College Sport Academy, a major new partnership with Bath City FC and Bath Rugby, that will begin in the 2025/26 academic year. The academy will offer students aged 16-18 a clear pathway into professional and semi-professional sport while gaining a recognised qualification. It is designed to ensure that young...
King Edward’s School, Bath named South West Independent Secondary School of the Year
King Edward’s School, Bath has been recognised as the Independent Secondary School of the Year in the South West in the newly published Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2026. The accolade celebrates not only the school’s exceptional academic results but also its strong culture of care and its commitment to preparing pupils for life beyond...
Midsomer Norton schoolchildren embark on 25 acts of kindness mission
Pupils from St Benedict’s Catholic Primary School, part of the Dunstan Catholic Educational Trust, have been taking kindness to new heights with a challenge set for this year’s Children in Need. The Midsomer Norton school invited children to complete 25 acts of kindness, and since then they have been putting smiles on faces at school,...
Team Bath Tribe gives children the chance to train with Olympians
Families across Bath and Wiltshire are being invited to discover Team Bath Tribe – the fun, inclusive sports programme that takes place at the University of Bath’s world-class Team Bath Sports Village, home to athletes of every level, from beginners through to Olympic medallists. Based at one of the UK’s leading high-performance sports centres, Team...
Downside launches new Sixth Form Horizons Programme to boost independence and ambition
Downside has unveiled its new Sixth Form Horizons Programme, a major initiative designed to give students greater independence, ownership and breadth in their learning. Starting Sixth Form is one of the most exciting milestones in any student’s education. At Downside, it marks a shift towards true independence, with students choosing their subjects, shaping their day...
Ben Saunders Foundation launches Christmas Raffle to support young people with cancer
The Ben Saunders Foundation is inviting local families to support its 2025 Christmas Raffle, raising funds to provide free, restorative holidays for young people with cancer and their families. Founded in memory of Ben Saunders, who died in 2020 aged just 18 after battling a rare sarcoma attached to his heart, the charity offers much-needed...
St Margaret’s Calne wins Wiltshire Junior Choir of the Year trophy
St Margaret’s Calne Chamber Choir has been named Wiltshire Junior Choir of the Year 2025 at the prestigious Devizes Eisteddfod. The choir impressed judges in the Under 11 class with performances of Jonathan Dove’s Fire from Seasons and Charms and the traditional South African song Siyahamba. The eight-day festival, which celebrates creativity across music, drama,...
Wiltshire College student makes stunning F1 Academy debut in Las Vegas
Motorsport engineering student Rachel Robertson is aiming for a regular place on the F1 Academy grid after a stunning debut at the final race weekend of the season in Las Vegas. The 18-year-old, who is studying Level 3 Motorsport Engineering at Wiltshire College & University Centre’s specialist school at Castle Combe Circuit, received a late...