Buckler's Mead School

Buckler’s Mead School has been evaluated positively in its first inspection, achieving a 'Good' rating across all areas, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. The school prides itself on being inclusive and fostering a supportive environment where pupils feel safe and respected. With an ambitious curriculum that aligns with high academic expectations, students are well prepared for their future endeavors. Despite some strengths, there are areas that require attention, including enhancing curriculum delivery consistency and aligning reading resources with students' learning needs.

Strengths

• Inclusive school culture with respect for diversity
• Ambitious and well-defined curriculum
• Strong subject knowledge among teachers
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• Broad range of extracurricular activities
• Strong careers provision for post-16 destinations
• Effective safeguarding measures
• Commitment to improving attendance

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent implementation of the curriculum
• Assessment and explanations not always effective
• Reading resources not well matched to pupils' learning needs

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 Buckler's Mead School attended 92.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.7% 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, 9.4% of pupils at Buckler's Mead School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Buckler's Mead School had 16.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.9% 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, 14.3% of pupils at Buckler's Mead School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.6% 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 Buckler's Mead School received £8,252 and spent £8,060 for each of its 799 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,880,000 (£2,353 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 Yeovil · Somerset local authority: places and applications

Buckler's Mead School is part of Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, which runs 43 schools. The nearest others:

• Preston School Academy Yeovil
• Ansford Academy Castle Cary
• St Dunstan's School Glastonbury
• Leigh On Mendip School Radstock
• Pyrland School Taunton
• Critchill Special School Frome
• Trinity Church of England First School Frome
• Oakfield Academy Frome
• Norton Hill Primary School Midsomer Norton
• Norton Hill Academy Radstock

What is Buckler's Mead School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Buckler's Mead School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Buckler's Mead School last inspected by Ofsted?

Buckler's Mead School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Buckler's Mead School have?

Buckler's Mead School has 812 pupils on roll.

What age range does Buckler's Mead School cover?

Buckler's Mead School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Buckler's Mead School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.3, and 43% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Buckler's Mead School?

Buckler's Mead School is at 1 St. Johns Road, Yeovil, BA21 4NH.