The Redstart Primary School

The Redstart Primary School has transitioned from an previous outstanding rating to a good rating under the current inspection framework. Despite this change, the school exhibits a strong commitment to providing a positive educational environment for pupils, fostering articulate and kind students who engage well with their community. The leadership has recognized areas for growth in curriculum coherence, especially in subject knowledge retention among pupils, which they are addressing through implementation of learning pathways. Overall, the school provides a safe and supportive atmosphere where pupils feel well-cared-for and can develop academically and personally.

Strengths

• Pupils are articulate and good-natured.
• Effective support for pupils' emotional and social well-being.
• Strong focus on developing positive attitudes and values in pupils.
• Successful reading initiatives, particularly in early years.
• Promoting physical education and sports participation.
• Creative arts are encouraged among pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum plans are not consistently well implemented across all subjects.
• Assessment practices need sharpening to better identify student misconceptions.
• Subject leaders are still developing their understanding of effective leadership.

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 The Redstart Primary School attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.0% 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, 0.4% of pupils at The Redstart 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 The Redstart Primary School had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.6% 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, 12.8% of pupils at The Redstart Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.6% 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 2024–25 The Redstart Primary School received £6,172 and spent £6,712 for each of its 461 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £269,000 (£584 per pupil).

Across all 33 schools of Cabot Learning Federation, income was £8,647 and spending £8,763 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

The Redstart Primary School is part of Cabot Learning Federation, which runs 34 schools. The nearest others:

• Minerva Primary School Taunton
• Castle Primary School Stoke-Sub-Hamdon
• Monkton Wood Academy Taunton
• The Sky Academy Taunton
• Priorswood Primary School Taunton
• Kingsmead Academy Taunton
• Uphill Village Academy Weston-Super-Mare
• Broadoak Academy Weston-Super-Mare
• Haywood Village Academy North Somerset
• Hans Price Academy Weston-Super-Mare

What is The Redstart Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Redstart Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was The Redstart Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Redstart Primary School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does The Redstart Primary School have?

The Redstart Primary School has 444 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Redstart Primary School cover?

The Redstart Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are The Redstart Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is The Redstart Primary School?

The Redstart Primary School is at Redstart Road, The Redstart Primary School, Chard, Somerset, TA20 1SD.