Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School

Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school. The school is characterized by a strong community presence and a distinct Christian ethos that enhances the learning environment. Pupils are engaged and generally exhibit positive attitudes towards their learning, benefiting from a broad and ambitious curriculum tailored to their needs, including those with SEND. The supportive relationships between staff and students contribute to a friendly atmosphere where pupils feel safe and supported.

Strengths

• Ambitious and adaptable curriculum for all pupils.
• Strong emphasis on reading with a diverse literary canon.
• Well-supported pupils with SEND.
• Positive and respectful student interactions.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements.

Areas for Improvement

• Some staff have not received training for the phonics programme.
• Inconsistent clarity in presenting subject matter, leading to loss of focus.

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 Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.7% 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, 2.0% of pupils at Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA 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 Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School had 22.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 34.8% 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, 8.5% of pupils at Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.6% 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 Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School received £7,608 and spent £7,848 for each of its 117 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £193,000 (£1,652 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 Chard · Somerset local authority: places and applications

What is Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School have?

Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School has 117 pupils on roll.

What age range does Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School cover?

Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School?

Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School is at Combe St Nicholas, Chard, Somerset, TA20 3NG.