Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School has demonstrated a solid performance since its inception, achieving a 'Good' overall effectiveness rating in its first inspection. Leaders have created a caring environment where pupils feel proud of their school and are actively engaged in a broad and ambitious curriculum. The school has strong community support, with parents appreciating the effective communication and personalized attention given to their children. However, there are areas for improvement, particularly in ensuring that progress for all pupils is timely and that learning activities are consistently aligned with their needs.

Strengths

• Strong community ties with enthusiastic parental support.
• Ambitious and well-mapped curriculum from Nursery to key stage 2.
• Effective phonics programme in place for early readers.
• Leaders demonstrate high ambition for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Robust personal, social and health education curriculum promoting safety and respect.

Areas for Improvement

• Learning activities do not always meet the needs of pupils promptly.
• Resources in early years sometimes fail to build on children's existing knowledge.

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 Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.3% 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, 0.4% of pupils at Isambard Kingdom Brunel 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 Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School had 22.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.2% 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, 6.5% of pupils at Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.8% 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 Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School received £7,141 and spent £6,917 for each of its 231 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £250,000 (£1,086 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Blackdown Education Partnership, income was £7,733 and spending £7,770 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 Wellington · Somerset local authority: places and applications

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School is part of Blackdown Education Partnership, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Court Fields School Wellington
• Wellesley Park Primary School Wellington
• Orchard Grove Primary School Taunton
• Bishops Hull Primary School Taunton
• The Castle School Taunton
• Uffculme Primary School Cullompton
• Uffculme School Cullompton
• Cullompton Community College Cullompton
• Neroche Primary School Ilminster
• Tiverton High School Tiverton

What is Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School have?

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School has 278 pupils on roll.

What age range does Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School cover?

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

Where is Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School?

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School is at Thomas Place, Wellington, Somerset, TA21 8FP.