North Town Academy

North Town Academy is performing well overall, consistently maintaining its status as a good school since its last inspection in 2017. The school creates a motivating environment where pupils feel safe and supported, and they actively engage in their learning. Leaders have effectively introduced a structured reading program and math curriculum that enhances pupils' understanding and enjoyment in these subjects. The school also fosters values of respect and care among students, bolstered by pupil-led initiatives that promote physical and mental health.

Strengths

• Pupils are motivated and encouraged to do their best by staff.
• Pupils feel safe and enjoy their lessons.
• Strong emphasis on reading and mathematics with effective teaching methods.
• High-quality support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Pupils behave well and trust staff to resolve issues.
• Opportunities for personal development and understanding of emotions.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, teachers lack clarity about the essential knowledge that needs to be taught.

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 North Town Academy attended 96.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.3% 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, 1.4% of pupils at North Town Academy 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 North Town Academy had 27.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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 North Town Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.5% 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 North Town Academy received £6,232 and spent £5,955 for each of its 485 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £241,000 (£497 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Richard Huish Trust, income was £6,645 and spending £6,438 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 Taunton · Somerset local authority: places and applications

North Town Academy is part of Richard Huish Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Richard Huish College Taunton
• Lyngford Park Primary School Taunton
• Nerrols Primary School and Nursery Taunton
• West Buckland Primary School Wellington
• North Curry CofE Primary School Taunton

What is North Town Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for North Town Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was North Town Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

North Town Academy was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does North Town Academy have?

North Town Academy has 470 pupils on roll.

What age range does North Town Academy cover?

North Town Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are North Town Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is North Town Academy?

North Town Academy is at Staplegrove Road, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 1DF.