Cheddar First School

Cheddar First School is a caring and ambitious school at the heart of its community, and pupils, staff and parents are proud of it. The school has high expectations for pupils' academic outcomes and ensures they are well prepared for middle school. The curriculum is ambitious and meets pupils' needs well, including in the early years, and teaching is supported by high-quality training. Early reading is a priority, pupils with SEND are identified and supported effectively, and the school's nurture provision is a notable strength. Pupils are polite, well mannered and benefit from strong relationships with adults, many clubs, leadership opportunities and wider experiences. Attendance has improved markedly, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The trust and local partners provide effective support and challenge.\n\nThe main area for improvement is that, in some subjects, teachers do not check precisely what pupils know. As a result, some pupils have gaps in knowledge that are not addressed quickly, which hinders future learning. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first inspection under section 5; it is part of The Wessex Learning Trust. No overall effectiveness grade was given under the current inspection framework, but the school was judged good in all key judgements.

Strengths

• Ambitious curriculum meets pupils' needs well, including in the early years.
• High-quality training gives teachers strong subject knowledge and confidence.
• Early reading is a priority, with effective phonics checks and support for pupils who need extra help.
• Pupils with SEND are identified early and supported effectively to progress through the curriculum.
• The school's nurture provision is a strength and helps pupils overcome learning barriers.
• Pupils are polite, well mannered and consistently follow the 'ready, respectful, safe' rules.
• Strong relationships and careful attention to well-being help pupils feel confident and supported.
• Pupils have many opportunities to develop leadership skills, talents and interests through clubs, trips and responsibilities.
• Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain through learning about faiths, cultures, democracy and charity.
• Attendance has improved markedly because the school prioritises it and works closely with parents.
• The trust and local partners provide highly effective support and challenge, and staff feel well supported.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Early years provision supports children to settle quickly and prepares them very well for Year 1.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, teachers do not check precisely what pupils know, leaving gaps in knowledge unaddressed and hindering future learning.

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 Cheddar First School attended 93.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.0% 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, 1.1% of pupils at Cheddar First 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 Cheddar First School had 23.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.8% 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, 10.9% of pupils at Cheddar First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% 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 Cheddar First School received £6,452 and spent £6,575 for each of its 315 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £290,000 (£921 per pupil).

Across all 22 schools of Wessex Learning Trust, income was £7,524 and spending £7,371 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 Somerset · Somerset local authority: places and applications

Cheddar First School is part of Wessex Learning Trust, which runs 23 schools. The nearest others:

• The Kings of Wessex Academy Cheddar
• Fairlands Middle School Cheddar
• Axbridge Church of England First School Academy Axbridge
• Draycott & Rodney Stoke Church of England First School Draycott
• Shipham Church of England First School Winscombe
• Weare Academy First School Axbridge
• Winscombe Primary School Winscombe
• Wedmore First School Academy Wedmore
• Sandford Primary School Winscombe
• Hugh Sexey Church of England Middle School Wedmore

What is Cheddar First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cheddar First School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Cheddar First School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cheddar First School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Cheddar First School have?

Cheddar First School has 358 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cheddar First School cover?

Cheddar First School for pupils aged 2 to 9.

Where is Cheddar First School?

Cheddar First School is at Hillfield, The Hayes, Cheddar, Somerset, BS27 3HN.