Churchfield Church School

Churchfield Church School has undergone significant changes recently, resulting in restored stability in leadership after a period of instability. The involvement of trust leaders has been crucial in addressing the challenges faced by the school and has led to noticeable improvements. Although the overall provision still requires attention, there has been commendable progress, and parents and staff acknowledge the positive direction the school is taking. However, while the school community feels safer and more confident in leadership, many pupils are not achieving consistently well, particularly those with additional barriers to learning.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met and the culture is open with everyone responsible for safeguarding.
• Leaders have restored stable leadership effectively after a period of instability.
• Support and professional learning for staff have been well received.
• Teachers provide strong support for early years pupils in basic knowledge, especially reading and mathematics.
• Pupils' behaviour has improved significantly, creating a calm and respectful learning environment.

Areas for Improvement

• Many pupils are not well prepared for the next stages of education.
• Achievement in national tests and assessments is inconsistent, particularly in writing.
• Attendance rates are below national averages, especially for pupils with SEND.
• Teachers do not effectively assess and adapt lessons to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Gaps in knowledge among older pupils affect their progress in all subjects.

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 Churchfield Church School attended 90.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 31.0% 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, 3.7% of pupils at Churchfield Church 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 Churchfield Church School had 17.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 28.7% 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, 21.7% of pupils at Churchfield Church School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 Churchfield Church School received £8,213 and spent £7,968 for each of its 398 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £41,000 (-£104 per pupil).

Across all 45 schools of The Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust, income was £7,160 and spending £7,193 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 Highbridge · Somerset local authority: places and applications

Churchfield Church School is part of The Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust, which runs 46 schools. The nearest others:

• Wembdon St George's Church School Bridgwater
• St John and St Francis Church School Bridgwater
• Worlebury St Pauls Church School Weston-Super-Mare
• St Mark's Ecumenical Anglican/Methodist Primary School Weston-Super-Mare
• St Georges Church School Weston-Super-Mare
• Cheddon Fitzpaine Church School Taunton
• Court-De-Wyck Church School Bristol
• Bishops Lydeard Church School Taunton
• St Andrew's Church School Taunton
• St John the Evangelist Church School Clevedon

What is Churchfield Church School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Churchfield Church School is Needs attention, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Churchfield Church School last inspected by Ofsted?

Churchfield Church School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Churchfield Church School have?

Churchfield Church School has 411 pupils on roll.

What age range does Churchfield Church School cover?

Churchfield Church School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Churchfield Church School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 29% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Churchfield Church School?

Churchfield Church School is at Burnham Road, Highbridge, Somerset, TA9 3JF.