Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy

This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy, inspected in October 2023.

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 Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.5% 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 Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy 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 Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy had 8.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 8.8% of pupils at Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 11.8% 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 Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy received £17,004 and spent £16,029 for each of its 31 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £8,000 (£277 per pupil).

Across all 29 schools of The First Federation Trust, income was £7,461 and spending £7,535 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.

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Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy is part of The First Federation Trust, which runs 29 schools. The nearest others:

• Marshwood CofE Primary Academy Bridport
• Hawkchurch Church of England School Axminster
• St Andrew's CofE Primary Academy Axminster
• Axminster Community Primary Academy Axminster
• Membury Primary Academy Axminster
• Charmouth Primary School Bridport
• Mrs Ethelston's CofE Primary Academy Lyme Regis
• Musbury Primary School Axminster
• Loders CofE Primary Academy Bridport
• Colyton Primary Academy Colyton

What is Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in October 2023 of its predecessor, Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy.

How many pupils does Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy have?

Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy has 34 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy cover?

Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

Where is Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy?

Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy is at Chard Street, Chard, Thorncombe, Somerset, TA20 4NE.