Preston School Academy

Preston School Academy has shown improvement since its last inspection and is now performing at a good level across all assessed areas, including the quality of education, behavior, personal development, and leadership. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and foster an aspirational and inclusive environment where pupils feel safe and valued. The curriculum is varied and supports pupils in building knowledge and skills over time, enhanced by effective reading initiatives and a strong careers program.

Strengths

• Ambitious leadership focused on inclusion and aspirational goals for all pupils.
• Effective safeguarding practices ensuring strong relationships between staff and pupils.
• A varied curriculum with a clear focus on enterprise and preparation for future skills.
• Strong support for pupils with SEND, especially those in the autism base.
• Pupils demonstrate confidence in reading, supported by effective teaching and mentorship.

Areas for Improvement

• Limited opportunities for staff development in subject expertise.
• Need for clearer monitoring and analysis of safeguarding trends.

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 Preston School Academy attended 92.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.4% 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, 4.1% of pupils at Preston School 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 Preston School Academy had 17.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.1% 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, 9.1% of pupils at Preston School Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 9 pupils.

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 Preston School Academy received £8,155 and spent £7,863 for each of its 983 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £717,000 (£730 per pupil).

Across all 41 schools of Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, income was £8,730 and spending £8,608 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 Yeovil · Somerset local authority: places and applications

Preston School Academy is part of Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, which runs 43 schools. The nearest others:

• Buckler's Mead School Yeovil
• Ansford Academy Castle Cary
• St Dunstan's School Glastonbury
• Pyrland School Taunton
• Leigh On Mendip School Radstock
• Critchill Special School Frome
• Trinity Church of England First School Frome
• Norton Hill Primary School Midsomer Norton
• Oakfield Academy Frome
• Norton Hill Academy Radstock

What is Preston School Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Preston School Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Preston School Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Preston School Academy was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Preston School Academy have?

Preston School Academy has 1,003 pupils on roll.

What age range does Preston School Academy cover?

Preston School Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Preston School Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.3, and 48% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Preston School Academy?

Preston School Academy is at Monks Dale, Yeovil, Somerset, BA21 3JD.