Fairmead School

Fairmead School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school. Pupils are happy, engaged, and eager to learn, benefitting from strong emotional and behavioral support from dedicated staff. The school has cultivated a positive environment where pupils feel safe and valued, and leaders prioritize a well-planned curriculum aimed at helping students achieve their aspirations. However, there are some areas requiring improvement, particularly in the clarity of the curriculum objectives in certain subjects and the development of communication strategies for pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend regularly.
• Staff know the pupils exceptionally well, providing excellent care and support.
• Significant improvements in pupils' behavior have been observed.
• Reading is a priority, with strong phonics support leading to improved fluency and comprehension.
• Leaders provide high-quality careers guidance, encouraging pupils to aspire to various professions.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum planning is not sufficiently clear in some subjects, impacting pupil understanding.
• Communication strategies for pupils are underdeveloped, hindering effective learning.

In 2024–25 pupils at Fairmead School attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 17.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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, 5.3% of pupils at Fairmead School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). 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 Fairmead School had 6.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

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 Fairmead School had 152 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: moderate learning difficulty; autistic spectrum disorder.

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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Fairmead School received £29,164 and spent £28,693 for each of its 152 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £268,000 (£1,762 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).

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• Secondary Schools

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

What is Fairmead School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Fairmead School is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Fairmead School last inspected by Ofsted?

Fairmead School was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Fairmead School have?

Fairmead School has 152 pupils on roll.

What age range does Fairmead School cover?

Fairmead School for pupils aged 4 to 19.

What are Fairmead School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Fairmead School?

Fairmead School is at Mudford Road, Yeovil, Somerset, BA21 4NZ.