Brymore Academy

Brymore Academy has maintained its overall rating of good following its most recent inspection, though evidence suggests that a graded inspection could potentially result in an outstanding judgement. The school, part of Bridgwater and Taunton College Trust, provides a supportive environment where pupils actively engage and take pride in their identity as 'Brymore Boys'. High expectations are set for all students, leading to strong progress in subjects such as English and mathematics, alongside a unique curriculum emphasizing agriculture, horticulture, and engineering.

Strengths

• Strong progress in English and mathematics
• Ambitious and sequenced curriculum
• High expectations set for pupils
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
• Positive and respectful relationships among pupils
• Broad range of leadership opportunities for students
• Strong focus on reading and tailored support for early readers
• Engagement with careers education across 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 Brymore Academy attended 90.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.8% 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, 24.9% of pupils at Brymore Academy 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 Brymore Academy had 13.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.5% 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, 37.9% of pupils at Brymore Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 16.5% 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 Brymore Academy received £14,666 and spent £12,546 for each of its 346 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £684,000 (£1,977 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 Bridgwater · Somerset local authority: places and applications

Brymore Academy is part of Bridgwater & Taunton College Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Otterhampton Primary School Bridgwater
• Hamp Academy Bridgwater
• Bridgwater College Academy Bridgwater
• Brookside Community Primary School Street
• West Somerset College Minehead
• Stanchester Academy Stoke-Sub-Hamdon
• Maiden Beech Academy Crewkerne

What is Brymore Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brymore Academy is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was Brymore Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Brymore Academy was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does Brymore Academy have?

Brymore Academy has 327 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brymore Academy cover?

Brymore Academy for pupils aged 11 to 17.

What are Brymore Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 37.2, and 29% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Brymore Academy?

Brymore Academy is at Cannington, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA5 2NB.