Selwood Academy

Selwood Academy has demonstrated overall good performance, with effective leadership and a positive learning environment. Recent improvements have been noted, especially in behaviour management and welcoming pupils from diverse backgrounds, including those from Ukraine. The school provides a broad curriculum and promotes a strong emphasis on reading, which contributes to students’ academic success. However, challenges remain in meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as the curriculum is not fully adapted in some areas, which can affect their learning outcomes.

Strengths

• Pupils and staff have observed significant improvements in the school.
• The school fosters a tolerant and welcoming atmosphere for newcomers.
• Pupils enjoy learning and engage well in a broad curriculum.
• Effective use of assessment supports teaching and learning.
• Strong emphasis on early reading with a coherent phonics program.
• Well-structured personal development curriculum prepares pupils for society.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum adaptations are insufficient for pupils with SEND.
• Pupils with SEND are over-represented in behaviour logs.

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 Selwood Academy attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 16.7% 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, 3.7% of pupils at Selwood Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 Selwood Academy had 19.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.8% 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, 13.7% of pupils at Selwood Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.7% 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 Selwood Academy received £7,144 and spent £7,035 for each of its 603 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,631,000 (£2,705 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 Frome · Somerset local authority: places and applications

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

• Frome Community College Frome
• Oakfield Academy Frome
• Trinity Church of England First School Frome
• Critchill Special School Frome
• Hemington Primary School Radstock
• Leigh On Mendip School Radstock
• Shoscombe Church School Bath
• Somerset Studio School Radstock
• Writhlington School Radstock
• St Julian's Church School Bath

What is Selwood Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Selwood Academy is Good, from an inspection in September 2022.

When was Selwood Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Selwood Academy was last inspected in September 2022.

How many pupils does Selwood Academy have?

Selwood Academy has 658 pupils on roll.

What age range does Selwood Academy cover?

Selwood Academy for pupils aged 9 to 13.

What are Selwood Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Selwood Academy?

Selwood Academy is at Berkley Road, Frome, Somerset, BA11 2EF.