Welcome from Nick Firkins, Headteacher

Welcome to Vallis First School. I feel very privileged to be leading this amazing school in the beautiful market town of Frome. I started as Headteacher in September 2019 and I am very proud of the happy, safe and purposeful atmosphere in the school that is created by our dedicated and skilled staff team and the great learning attitudes of our children. The school feels like a large family and the strong nurturing and inclusive environment ensures that all our children achieve to the very best of their abilities.

I believe a wide and varied curriculum that is well planned and progressive with its roots in maths, reading and writing is crucial for children in acquiring a rich, creative and broad education; the environment needs to be supportive and inclusive so all children can feel a sense of achievement. We sow those seeds of curiosity and questioning in a child’s first few years of education but along with this, I feel developing the learning skills of children is vital too in giving them life skills to support them in dealing with the many challenges the world throws at us. Our four learning powers, that form a core thread throughout everything we do at Vallis, (Resilience, Resourcefulness, Relationships and Reflectiveness) help to reinforce skills which the children can use in all areas of their lives to help them be successful. Through this vision, I hope that children can leave Vallis being confident individuals with aspirations and the motivation to lead long and fulfilling lives.

There is a lot of information on our website, but if there are any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to telephone or come in as we will be very happy to help. If you are looking for a school for your child, I would be very pleased to show you around our school so you can see and experience for yourself the unique Vallis First School. Please have a look through the gallery on the web site as this shows the range of learning and enrichment activities that the children experience. 

Nick