WADHAM School in Crewkerne has appointed a new chaplain.

Cheryl Gover has been hired by the school to take over the role from Tracey Hallet, and will start her new role immediately.

She was born and brought up on a farm in Devon, where her parents are still farming and completed a degree in Sport and Exercise .

She then travelled the world for four months, exploring Australia and New Zealand and on return to the UK she settled in Somerset and became a Children’s Schools and Families Worker for a group of rural parishes on the outskirts of Taunton.

In her new role as the Chaplain at Wadham, Cheryl will spend three days a week at the school and the other two days days as the Schools and Families Leader for St Bartholomew's Church.

She said: “I hope to continue the great work of the previous chaplain, in offering support to staff and students, being here for everyone, to listen, to care, to pray and to be a positive presence at Wadham.

"My role involves contributing to the school’s Christian ethos through collective worship, nurturing students’ spirituality and faith development and offering pastoral care to students and staff.

As part of the religion and philosophy educational programme at Wadham, year nine students recently followed a walking trip to Christian places of worship in Crewkerne led by Mr Tustin and Mr Jackson.

The students toured the Baptist, community, Unitarian and St Bartholomew's churches in the town, and were given a talk in each of the places of worship.