St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge

St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge is a small primary academy that has recently joined the Diocese of Bath and Wells Multi-Academy Trust and appointed a new leadership team. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first inspection under section 5, so the report describes a school in a period of significant change and improvement rather than one with a long established inspection history. Inspectors found that pupils are increasingly well cared for, most parents are positive, pupils feel safe, and safeguarding is effective. The trust has provided strong support, and there have been clear improvements in early years and in provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, with attendance also improving and fewer pupils on part-time timetables. However, the school’s ambition is not yet being realised for all pupils. The curriculum is not implemented consistently enough to ensure every pupil learns the basics securely, and some pupils have gaps in reading, writing and mathematics that leave them less ready for the next stage of education. Reception children benefit from a well-delivered curriculum, but pupils in Years 1 and 2 did not have the same good start, and some key stage 2 pupils lack the targeted support they need to become confident readers and writers. Behaviour expectations are not consistent across classrooms and the school, which sometimes disrupts learning, and personal development is not delivered consistently over time. Leaders, including trust leaders and governors, understand the school’s weaknesses and have acted quickly on the most significant ones. Staff feel supported, and the school has accurately identified what needs to improve. The main concern is that the school is trying to do too much too quickly, so some improvements risk being lost before the basics are securely embedded.

Strengths

• The trust provides a wide range of very effective support for curriculum and school improvement.
• Early years provision has improved and children in Reception are on track to become confident readers and writers.
• Identification and support for pupils with SEND have improved significantly.
• Many pupils with SEND now receive the right support and are making better progress.
• There has been a big reduction in pupils not attending school or receiving part-time timetables.
• Attendance is improving because the school prioritises it and staff work hard to ensure pupils attend.
• Most pupils are respectful, kind and honest and enjoy roles such as school council and eco-council.
• Pupils feel safe, and staff deal with bullying quickly.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Governors have a secure understanding of the school’s performance and staff feel well supported.
• The school has accurately identified what needs further improvement.

Areas for Improvement

• The curriculum is not delivered in a way that ensures all pupils learn what they need to know.
• Some pupils struggle to remember the basics, making learning too hit or miss.
• Pupils in Years 1 and 2 did not experience the same good start as children in Reception.
• Some key stage 2 pupils have gaps in reading and writing and are not getting targeted support quickly enough.
• The mathematics curriculum is not followed closely enough, leaving gaps such as insecure multiplication tables.
• Expectations of pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school are not consistent.
• Behaviour inconsistencies sometimes disrupt pupils’ learning.
• Personal development is not delivered consistently, so some pupils do not learn what the school intends.
• The school is trying to improve too many aspects at once, risking improvements being lost.
• A small number of parents are concerned about some aspects of behaviour.

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 St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge attended 92.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.6% 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, 0.0% of pupils at St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge 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 St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge had 21.8 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, 23.9% of pupils at St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.3% 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 St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge received £9,041 and spent £9,505 for each of its 94 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £103,000 (£1,094 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 Somerset · Somerset local authority: places and applications

St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge is part of The Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust, which runs 46 schools. The nearest others:

• Abbas and Templecombe Church School Templecombe
• Horsington Church School Templecombe
• Holy Trinity Church School Yeovil
• All Saints Church School Yeovil
• St Aldhelms Church School Shepton Mallet
• Norton Sub Hamdon Church School Stoke-Sub-Hamdon
• Martock Church School Martock
• West Chinnock Church School Crewkerne
• Christ Church First School Frome
• Mells Church First School Frome

What is St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge last inspected by Ofsted?

St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge have?

St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge has 92 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge cover?

St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge?

St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge is at Ash Walk, Henstridge, St Nicholas C of E Primary School, Templecombe, Somerset, BA8 0QD.