Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy

Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy has made significant progress since its previous inspection, where it was rated as 'requires improvement'. The school now operates at a 'good' level across all key areas, including the quality of education and leadership management. Pupils demonstrate a positive attitude toward learning, supported by a nurturing environment where they feel safe and valued. Parental feedback further underscores the school's strong community ties and commitment to student well-being. Although the school has made strides in effectively raising expectations and adapting the curriculum, some areas still require attention. Specifically, the assessment of pupils' knowledge across the curriculum needs to be strengthened to ensure that all students can recall previous learning effectively. This is particularly crucial as the school works with an increasing number of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), ensuring they receive the necessary support to thrive academically.

Strengths

• School provides a nurturing and supportive learning environment.
• High expectations for pupil behavior are consistently met.
• Effective early years provision that lays a solid foundation for learning.
• Strong focus on reading and mathematics with tailored support for struggling pupils.
• A wide range of extracurricular experiences enhances learning.
• Pupils feel safe and supported, developing positive relationships with staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment checks on pupils' knowledge across the curriculum need improvement.

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 Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.5% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy 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 Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 50.0% 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, 14.3% of pupils at Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.9% 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 2023–24 Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy received £5,416 and spent £5,224 for each of its 57 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £7,000 (£115 per pupil).

Across all 24 schools of The Blue Kite Academy Trust, income was £6,027 and spending £7,133 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 Chippenham · Wiltshire local authority: places and applications

Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy is part of The Blue Kite Academy Trust, which runs 27 schools. The nearest others:

• Seagry Church of England Primary School Chippenham
• Christian Malford CofE Primary School Chippenham
• Sutton Benger Church of England Primary School Chippenham
• St Peter's CofE Academy Chippenham
• Lydiard Millicent CofE Primary School Swindon
• Brook Field Primary School Swindon
• Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy Swindon
• Even Swindon Primary School Swindon
• Robert Le Kyng Primary School Swindon
• Tadpole Farm CofE Primary Academy Swindon

What is Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy have?

Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy has 56 pupils on roll.

What age range does Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy cover?

Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 13% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy?

Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE Academy is at Dauntsey Road, Great Somerford, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 5HS.