Somerset Studio School

Somerset Studio School continues to perform well as a good school, providing a nurturing and inclusive environment where students thrive. The school's strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) allows them to progress academically while also developing important personal and social skills. The curriculum is ambitious and tailored to the needs of the students, aided by the expertise of leaders from the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership. Although results at key stage 4 were below the national average, this is contextualized by the fact that students join at age 14 and do not complete their full educational journey at this school. The school is dedicated to ensuring future success for its pupils through effective career guidance and links with local employers.

Strengths

• Pupils thrive in an inclusive and nurturing environment.
• Strong support for students with SEND allows them to progress.
• Ambitious and tailored curriculum responding to student needs.
• Teachers use effective strategies to reinforce learning.
• High-quality guidance provided for future education or employment.
• Pupils demonstrate a mature understanding of British values.

Areas for Improvement

• The school lacks oversight of pupil participation in extra-curricular activities.

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 Somerset Studio School attended 83.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 56.8% 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, 21.0% of pupils at Somerset Studio School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Somerset Studio School had 15.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.2% 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, 27.0% of pupils at Somerset Studio School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.9% 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 Somerset Studio School received £10,069 and spent £10,202 for each of its 141 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £574,000 (-£4,069 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 Radstock · Bath and North East Somerset local authority: places and applications

Somerset Studio School is part of Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, which runs 43 schools. The nearest others:

• Writhlington School Radstock
• Trinity Church School Bath
• Shoscombe Church School Bath
• Westfield Primary School Radstock
• Welton Primary School Radstock
• Hemington Primary School Radstock
• Peasedown St John Primary School Bath
• Midsomer Norton Primary School Radstock
• Norton Hill Academy Radstock
• Somervale Secondary School Radstock

What is Somerset Studio School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Somerset Studio School last inspected by Ofsted?

Somerset Studio School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Somerset Studio School have?

Somerset Studio School has 152 pupils on roll.

What age range does Somerset Studio School cover?

Somerset Studio School for pupils aged 14 to 19.

Where is Somerset Studio School?

Somerset Studio School is at Knobsbury Lane, Radstock, Somerset, BA3 3NQ.