West Coker CofE VC Primary School

West Coker CofE VC Primary School is performing well overall, maintaining a good standard of education, behavior, and personal development. The school fosters a positive environment where pupils demonstrate strong relationships, high expectations, and eagerness to learn. Notably, the school has made significant improvements since the last inspection, effectively addressing prior areas of concern. This small school offers a diverse range of clubs and activities, supporting both personal and social development, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy strong relationships with adults and peers.
• The school has high expectations for all pupils.
• Pupils behave very well both in classrooms and during playtime.
• The curriculum is designed to support mixed-age teaching effectively.
• Strong focus on reading with effective early reading interventions.
• Pupils with SEND receive well-targeted support.
• Investment in pastoral care helps pupils with emotional needs.
• Wide range of extracurricular clubs available to pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Some curriculum areas lack clarity on essential knowledge to learn and remember.
• Attendance and reduction of persistent absence need improvement.
• Safeguarding actions sometimes lack necessary oversight.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at West Coker CofE VC Primary School attended 91.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at West Coker CofE VC Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 West Coker CofE VC Primary School had 8.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 29.6% of pupils at West Coker CofE VC Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 11.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 West Coker CofE VC Primary School received £18,125 and spent £19,066 for each of its 27 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £38,000 (-£1,403 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Yeovil · Somerset local authority: places and applications

What is West Coker CofE VC Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for West Coker CofE VC Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was West Coker CofE VC Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

West Coker CofE VC Primary School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does West Coker CofE VC Primary School have?

West Coker CofE VC Primary School has 27 pupils on roll.

What age range does West Coker CofE VC Primary School cover?

West Coker CofE VC Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

Where is West Coker CofE VC Primary School?

West Coker CofE VC Primary School is at High Street, West Coker, Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 9AS.