Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton

Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School in Taunton continues to be rated as a good school, demonstrating a strong sense of community and a supportive learning environment. The school's ethos emphasizes care and respect, with students showing resilience and a positive attitude towards their education. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), ensuring that they learn alongside their peers. However, ongoing challenges with the consistency of phonics instruction and the need for improvements in the wider curriculum teaching have been noted.

Strengths

• Strong sense of community and positive school culture.
• Pupils demonstrate resilience and positive attitudes towards learning.
• Well-sequenced and progressive reading curriculum.
• Teachers effectively adapt learning for pupils with SEND.
• Pupils learn to keep themselves safe and feel secure.
• Strong emphasis on physical health and well-being through extracurricular activities.

Areas for Improvement

• Support plans for pupils with SEND do not always identify precise steps needed.
• Wider curriculum teaching does not consistently check or revisit learning.
• Inconsistent implementation of the phonics scheme affecting reading support.

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 Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.9% 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, 1.6% of pupils at Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton 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 Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton had 23.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.5% 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, 15.4% of pupils at Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.8% 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 Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton received £6,516 and spent £6,414 for each of its 423 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £105,000 (£248 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 Taunton · Somerset local authority: places and applications

What is Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton last inspected by Ofsted?

Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton have?

Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton has 423 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton cover?

Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton?

Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton is at Henderson Close, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 4TU.