Priory Community School

Priory Community School has demonstrated a good level of overall effectiveness in its recent inspection, reflecting steady progress since its previous outstanding grade. Students appreciate the supportive environment, feeling safe and well-cared for, and they have strong relationships with staff who adequately assist them in their educational journeys. The school's curriculum fosters character development, with a well-structured PSHE program and a range of extracurricular activities that enrich students' experiences. However, there are concerns regarding the performance of disadvantaged pupils in literacy, alongside challenges to attendance that can impede learning outcomes.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy attending the school and report feeling safe and well-cared for.
• Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge and are supported by a robust professional development program.
• Effective support is provided for pupils with EHC plans, promoting their success.
• The school’s curriculum is well-structured, helping students build complex knowledge.
• Strong leadership skills are developed among pupils through various advocacy roles.

Areas for Improvement

• Some disadvantaged pupils struggle with reading, writing, and discussing their learning.
• Regular attendance is an issue for some pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged.

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 Priory Community School attended 91.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.0% 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, 7.3% of pupils at Priory Community School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Priory Community School had 18.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.1% 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, 6.9% of pupils at Priory Community School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has a SEN unit with 11 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 Priory Community School received £7,546 and spent £7,166 for each of its 1,486 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,632,000 (£1,098 per pupil).

Across all 20 schools of Pathway Trust, income was £7,571 and spending £7,443 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 Weston-Super-Mare · North Somerset local authority: places and applications

Priory Community School is part of Pathway Trust, which runs 20 schools. The nearest others:

• Castle Batch Primary School Weston-Super-Mare
• Worle Community School Weston-Super-Mare
• St Anne's Church Primary School Weston Super Mare
• Berrow Church Primary School Burnham-On-Sea
• Burnham-On-Sea Infant School Burnham-On-Sea
• St Andrew's Church Junior School Burnham-On-Sea
• The King Alfred School Highbridge
• East Huntspill Primary School Highbridge
• West Huntspill Primary School Highbridge
• Pawlett Primary School Bridgwater

What is Priory Community School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Priory Community School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Priory Community School last inspected by Ofsted?

Priory Community School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Priory Community School have?

Priory Community School has 1,486 pupils on roll.

What age range does Priory Community School cover?

Priory Community School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Priory Community School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 43.5, and 31% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Priory Community School?

Priory Community School is at Queensway, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, BS22 6BP.