Wellesley Park Primary School

Wellesley Park Primary School is an effective and improving school where pupils feel welcomed, known and supported. Leaders have created an open, inclusive culture that has driven improvements in attendance, behaviour and outcomes, with attendance now above the national average. Early years provision is a notable strength, with children getting off to a flying start through a well-sequenced curriculum and effective teaching of early reading. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils generally achieve the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6, with writing a particular strength. However, there are areas for development. The curriculum and teaching of reading at key stage 2 are less well structured, leaving some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, with gaps in their reading knowledge. In the wider curriculum, teachers' checks on pupils' learning are less effective and do not routinely deepen pupils' knowledge. While leaders are ambitious for all pupils and plan extra funding strategically, their actions have not made a sustained positive difference to disadvantaged pupils, who continue to underperform compared to their peers nationally. The school is part of the Blackdown Education Partnership Multi Academy Trust, and trust leaders provide meaningful support. Governance is secure, and staff wellbeing is prioritised. Inspectors identified three next steps: ensuring disadvantaged pupils receive the support they need to achieve as highly as possible, improving teachers' use of assessment in the wider curriculum, and strengthening reading in key stage 2.

Strengths

• Early years provision is strong, with children settling quickly and making strong progress from their starting points.
• Staff model language effectively and prioritise vocabulary development, communication and interaction.
• Early reading is taught well, with phonics outcomes above the national average.
• Pupils make rapid progress in writing, and a higher-than-average proportion achieve the highest writing standards.
• The achievement of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is positive.
• Attendance is above the national average due to leaders' personalised strategies and support for families.
• Pupils behave well, listen carefully and treat others with respect; bullying is rare.
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious and clearly structured, with careful thought given to building knowledge and vocabulary.
• Teaching is generally effective, with clear explanations and manageable steps.
• Staff know pupils well and identify their needs carefully, working with external partners to provide support.
• The programme for personal development and wellbeing is given clear priority and is aligned with the school's values.
• Pupils take on leadership roles and develop character, independence and confidence.
• Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils feel safe and know how to seek help.
• Leaders are ambitious, reflective and values-driven, and they form positive relationships with parents and carers.
• Governance is secure, with local governors providing appropriate support and challenge.
• Trust leaders provide meaningful and detailed support for school improvement.

Areas for Improvement

• The curriculum and teaching of reading at key stage 2 are less well structured, leaving some pupils with gaps in their reading knowledge.
• In the wider curriculum, teachers' checks on pupils' learning are less effective and do not routinely deepen pupils' knowledge.
• Leaders' actions have not made a sustained positive difference to disadvantaged pupils, who continue to underperform compared to their peers nationally.
• Teachers' expectations, such as accurate letter formation, are not consistently high across the curriculum.
• Some aspects of pupils' learning vary, for example their deep understanding of different faiths, cultures and healthy lifestyle choices.
• Occasionally, pupils' self-control and positive behaviour lapses, such as when waiting for lunch.

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 Wellesley Park Primary School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.8% 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, 1.7% of pupils at Wellesley Park 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 Wellesley Park Primary School had 21.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.6% 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, 16.2% of pupils at Wellesley Park Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.1% 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 Wellesley Park Primary School received £7,079 and spent £6,747 for each of its 299 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £643,000 (£2,151 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Blackdown Education Partnership, income was £7,733 and spending £7,770 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 Wellington · Somerset local authority: places and applications

Wellesley Park Primary School is part of Blackdown Education Partnership, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Court Fields School Wellington
• Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School Wellington
• Orchard Grove Primary School Taunton
• Bishops Hull Primary School Taunton
• The Castle School Taunton
• Uffculme Primary School Cullompton
• Uffculme School Cullompton
• Cullompton Community College Cullompton
• Neroche Primary School Ilminster
• Tiverton High School Tiverton

What is Wellesley Park Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wellesley Park Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Wellesley Park Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Wellesley Park Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Wellesley Park Primary School have?

Wellesley Park Primary School has 271 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wellesley Park Primary School cover?

Wellesley Park Primary School for pupils aged 0 to 11.

What are Wellesley Park Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Wellesley Park Primary School?

Wellesley Park Primary School is at Homefield, Wellington, Somerset, TA21 9AJ.