Priorswood Primary School

Priorswood Primary has made significant improvements since its previous inadequate inspection, achieving a good overall effectiveness rating. The school fosters a positive learning environment where pupils feel safe and supported, demonstrating enthusiasm for their education. The curriculum is ambitious and covers a broad range of subjects, with a particular emphasis on language development, which enhances pupils' learning outcomes. Despite these strengths, the school faces challenges with the leadership of special educational needs (SEND) support, resulting in inconsistencies in the provision for these pupils. Additionally, the curriculum for some foundation subjects lacks clarity, hindering pupils' ability to retain their learning over time.

Strengths

• Pupils show pride in their school and enjoy learning.
• The school has a strong, stable staffing structure that enhances consistency in the curriculum.
• Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that supports all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Pupils exhibit positive attitudes and respect towards peers and staff.
• There is a systematic approach to the teaching of reading and mathematics.

Areas for Improvement

• Leadership of SEND has experienced instability, affecting targeted support for pupils.
• The curriculum for some foundation subjects does not clearly identify essential knowledge for pupils.
• Pupils' understanding of fundamental British values and protected characteristics is not well embedded.

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 Priorswood Primary School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.0% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Priorswood 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 Priorswood Primary School had 18.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.7% 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, 21.3% of pupils at Priorswood Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.8% 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 Priorswood Primary School received £7,087 and spent £7,544 for each of its 210 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £122,000 (£584 per pupil).

Across all 33 schools of Cabot Learning Federation, income was £8,647 and spending £8,763 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 Taunton · Somerset local authority: places and applications

Priorswood Primary School is part of Cabot Learning Federation, which runs 34 schools. The nearest others:

• The Sky Academy Taunton
• Minerva Primary School Taunton
• Monkton Wood Academy Taunton
• Kingsmead Academy Taunton
• The Redstart Primary School Chard
• Castle Primary School Stoke-Sub-Hamdon
• Uphill Village Academy Weston-Super-Mare
• Broadoak Academy Weston-Super-Mare
• Hans Price Academy Weston-Super-Mare
• Haywood Village Academy North Somerset

What is Priorswood Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Priorswood Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2022.

When was Priorswood Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Priorswood Primary School was last inspected in December 2022.

How many pupils does Priorswood Primary School have?

Priorswood Primary School has 211 pupils on roll.

What age range does Priorswood Primary School cover?

Priorswood Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 44% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Priorswood Primary School?

Priorswood Primary School is at Wedlands, Taunton, Somerset, TA2 7AD.