The Principal of Frome College offered a passionate view of the college as it coped during the coronavirus pandemic, as it faces a future of a booming town - and her own delight at being only the seventh to head the school in its one hundred years.

Emma Reynolds talked to Frome Town Council about her hopes for the college, how not all things that came from the pandemic were damaging, and offered up an insight into what might be coming next for the 1,300 strong student body.

She told councillors that although the lockdowns had been understandably tough on students, and staff, there had also been positives and an opportunity to learn from the experience.

So what lessons can be learned from the pandemic?

Emma who trained as an English teacher, and has been teaching for 25 years, told councillors how although it was a tragedy, the coronavirus pandemic had shown the real sense of community of Frome, such as from the local Rotary Club who funded hot meals for the most vulnerable students who still came in while other students were at home.

The College has also invested in additional funding for counselling and mental health services, as what the pandemic had very much highlighted the importance of mental health, giving young adults a sense of belonging and how to cope with the anxiety and stress of learning in such extraordinary times.

" The other thing was that we also found that some students who had struggled with attendance during normal times, were actually more likely to come to school (when there were fewer students). So they came in more often and their attendance improved. Some also found that on-line learning was better for them, so that is something we are looking to adapt going forward. Finding new ways to engage with our students.

" In particular we found that virtual parent evenings were very successful, " she added later in the meeting. " Less stressful for parents and our teachers found that they could focus on that one student, without distractions, and just that, without worrying about the next meeting, or running late. So going forward we plan on a hybrid parent evening, because we know some parents still like to meet a teacher face-to-face, but for others it works better as a virtual meeting. And there is no stress of parking the car !"

One major impact of coronavirus was how Frome College learned to love its outdoor space

" We were forced to look at things differently, but we also realised how lucky we are with our outdoor spaces. We have lots of space on site and as we are encouraged to have windows open and be outside as much as possible, we realise how lucky we are with what we have.

" But looking ahead we also have ambitious plans to develop our facilities particularly for our STEM subjects. Anyone who went to Frome College knows that the classrooms are still the same, and we want teaching areas that are fit for the 21st century."

So with the big plans for increased housing for Frome how can you future proof the college?

Emma told councillors: " It is great place to be in Frome, but in three to five years (with the increase in house building ) how are we going to manage that ? Our Year 9 is already full, so I am talking to Somerset authorities about how we can accommodate additional numbers.

" If you are asking if I think that a college of 2,000 students is a good idea, then no I don't. We do have a big site, so there are possibilities for expansion, but there is also a question of transport and travel, moving large numbers of students across the town. So what could be interesting might be having a satellite of Frome College somewhere else in the town, I have seen that working successfully elsewhere, perhaps moving the sixth form. We have to consider the challenges and the opportunities.

" This generation of students is challenging in a good way, they are asking lots of questions, like about the uniform, where does it come from, is it from a sustainable source, why does it cost so much... all good questions and so yes, we are looking at the uniform too."

Other plans include putting water fountains on the site, rewilding some areas and developing those all important outdoor spaces.

[H2]And looking back over 100 years ?

The exhibition currently on at Frome Museum comes highly recommended and includes photographs of the school classes, the old style uniform "rather fancy I think", said Emma, and some of the old school newsletters including from the time Frome College went to the Sahara !