Holyrood Academy

Holyrood Academy has seen improvements since its last inspection ten years ago when it was rated Outstanding. Currently, the school is performing well in several areas including the quality of education, behaviour, and leadership, achieving a 'Good' rating in all inspected domains. Students demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning, actively engaging in various enrichment activities and receiving strong support for their career pathways. However, there remains a challenge in addressing the needs of some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), which has impacted their learning experience. Additionally, a gap in communication has been noted with parents regarding curriculum changes and behavior systems.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy learning and have access to a wide range of enrichment opportunities.
• Strong support for pupils' mental health and well-being.
• Well-structured and ambitious curriculum leading to increased participation in EBacc subjects.
• Effective assessment practices helping pupils secure their understanding across subjects.
• Strong careers guidance for pupils, including work experience opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent adaptation of teaching for some pupils with SEND.
• Lack of clear communication with parents about changes in the curriculum and behavior systems.

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 Holyrood Academy attended 90.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 9.0% of pupils at Holyrood Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Holyrood Academy had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 13.9% of pupils at Holyrood Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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

In 2024–25 Holyrood Academy received £7,767 and spent £7,696 for each of its 1,321 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £748,000 (£566 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Blackdown Education Partnership, income was £7,733 and spending £7,770 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Holyrood Academy is part of Blackdown Education Partnership, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Neroche Primary School Ilminster
• Axe Valley Academy Axminster
• Orchard Grove Primary School Taunton
• The Castle School Taunton
• Bishops Hull Primary School Taunton
• Wellesley Park Primary School Wellington
• Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School Wellington
• Court Fields School Wellington
• Uffculme Primary School Cullompton
• Uffculme School Cullompton

What is Holyrood Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Holyrood Academy is Good, from an inspection in April 2023.

When was Holyrood Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Holyrood Academy was last inspected in April 2023.

How many pupils does Holyrood Academy have?

Holyrood Academy has 1,282 pupils on roll.

What age range does Holyrood Academy cover?

Holyrood Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Holyrood Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.9, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Holyrood Academy?

Holyrood Academy is at Zembard Lane, Chard, Somerset, TA20 1JL.