Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School

Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School is a small, closely knit school at the heart of its local community, and pupils describe it as ‘small yet mighty’. Inspectors found pupils are safe, happy and respectful, with high expectations for achievement realised in a calm and purposeful environment. The curriculum has been completely overhauled with trust support and is now broad and ambitious, while reading, SEND provision, personal development, enrichment and attendance are particular strengths. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school’s first routine section 5 inspection, and it took place after the predecessor school had been judged inadequate and the school converted to an academy in 2021. Leaders at all levels, including the trust, share a determined vision and know the school well. Behaviour has improved markedly in recent years, and attendance has risen sharply. There are still areas to improve. In some subjects, curriculum implementation is not consistently well matched to pupils’ needs, so some pupils do not reach the intended curriculum goals. Assessment information is also not always used precisely enough to adapt the curriculum, meaning gaps in learning are not always addressed swiftly and pupils do not always build knowledge cumulatively.

Strengths

• Strong relationships and a shared sense of belonging across a small school community
• Pupils are safe, happy, respectful and behave well in a calm, purposeful environment
• High expectations for pupils’ achievement are realised
• A broad and ambitious curriculum has been overhauled with trust support
• Reading is a sharp focus, with prompt support for pupils who struggle
• Pupils with SEND are identified, assessed and supported effectively in an inclusive school
• A well-considered personal development programme and wide enrichment activities
• Attendance is a high priority and has risen sharply
• Leaders and the trust know the school well and support continual improvement
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum implementation in some subjects is not well matched to pupils’ needs, so some pupils do not reach intended curriculum goals
• Assessment information is not always used to adapt the curriculum precisely, leaving some gaps in learning unrectified

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 Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.1% 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, 2.7% of pupils at Lydeard St Lawrence Community 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 Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School had 11.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.8% 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, 31.2% of pupils at Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.2% 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 Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School received £14,529 and spent £13,514 for each of its 37 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £181,000 (£4,886 per pupil).

Across all 45 schools of The Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust, income was £7,160 and spending £7,193 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

Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School is part of The Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust, which runs 46 schools. The nearest others:

• Bishops Lydeard Church School Taunton
• Norton Fitzwarren Church School Taunton
• Staplegrove Church School Taunton
• Cheddon Fitzpaine Church School Taunton
• St Andrew's Church School Taunton
• St James Church School Taunton
• Wembdon St George's Church School Bridgwater
• St John and St Francis Church School Bridgwater
• Churchfield Church School Highbridge
• St Mary's & St Peter's Church School Ilminster

What is Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School have?

Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School has 32 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School cover?

Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 40% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School?

Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School is at Lydeard St Lawrence, Lydeard St. Lawrence, Taunton, Somerset, TA4 3SF.