School Chooser

Cannington Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England171 pupilsBridgwaterSomerset
School Chooser Score
32
Below
similar schools
Likely range 15 to 57, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 26% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, October 2024
Reached the expected level at 1171%England 63%
Attendance95.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families15%Far fewer than most schools
Places4 spare171 pupils, 175 places
Pupils per teacher20.6School workforce census

Cannington Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Bridgwater for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 171 pupils and room for 175. About 15 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 32 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 26% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

Brook Street, Cannington, Bridgwater, TA5 2HP01278 652368cannington.somerset.sch.ukMiss Marie Marchant headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 15 October 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Requires improvement
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Requires improvement
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
14 September 2023UngradedSchool remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

24 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1171%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level8%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 50%50%20172018: 63%63%20182019: 58%58%20192023: 37%37%20232024: 50%50%20242025: 71%71%2025
Since 2017: +21%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017SomersetEngland
Pupils tested242830193230
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths71%50%37%58%63%50%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%7%3%0%6%3%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0104.0102.0103.0105.0103.0105.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0103.097.0101.0103.0103.0103.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0104.0103.0104.0107.0106.0104.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard75%68%60%79%69%73%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard79%79%40%79%81%70%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)83%71%67%58%75%90%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.5-1.3-0.6-1.9
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.9-3.8-1.9-1.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged33%50%29%25%33%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged83%50%39%82%54%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
33%83%
Gap 50 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
71%70%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%8%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places165 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
79% full

45 places were empty (21% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Somerset council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll171Census January 2026
Places17598% full
Pupils from low-income families15%15% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%21 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%7 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.25 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils40%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)15%£38,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls96 / 75
White British pupils88%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (9), Moderate learning difficulty (8), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), emotional and mental health (3), Physical disability (1), Severe learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll171164181181170181
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals15%15%16%16%15%16%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%5%9%6%1%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support9%9%9%9%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%4%2%4%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils6.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.1%5.6%5.3%6.3%3.1%5.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.4%4.1%3.9%5.0%2.4%3.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.7%1.5%1.4%1.4%0.7%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.3%10.7%12.8%17.2%5.0%10.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate6.73.32.83.56.6
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00001

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers8.3full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher20.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,704
Teachers who left in the year23%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher13.42024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,961England £7,738. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£7,775England £7,697. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,602England £3,480
Money in reserve7%Not much put by: £93k, £566 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£31kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,961spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m6212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate31 per 1,000 people66% lower than the England average
Nearest bus stop100 mDemand Responsive Area, 10 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Otterhampton Primary SchoolAcademy1.7 miles60Good 202233Compare
Wembdon St George's Church SchoolAcademy1.9 miles294Report card 20266Compare
St Mary's Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England2.4 miles490Good 201943Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, BridgwaterAcademy2.5 miles199Good 201943Compare
Westover Green Community School and Autism CentreAcademy2.7 miles382Report card 202612Compare
Spaxton CofE Primary SchoolAcademy2.7 miles51No overall grade 202518Compare
Northgate Primary SchoolFree school2.7 miles258Report card 202667Compare
Pawlett Primary School AcademyAcademy3.1 miles66Good 20235Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Cannington Church of England Primary School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats26%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 32 is 22 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 54 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 32 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 32% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 15 to 57. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
-0.05
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 24 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-0.31
Ofsted grade, 1.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.05
DfE progress measure; 24 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.23
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.04
2024/25; 151 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 24 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Cannington Church of England Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Cannington Church of England Primary School scores 32 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 26% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 15 to 57, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Cannington Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Cannington Church of England Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 15 October 2024.

How good are Cannington Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 71% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 8% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Cannington Church of England Primary School have?

171 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 175 places, so it is 98% full.

Is Cannington Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 45 places were empty in 2024/25 (21% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Cannington Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 9% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Cannington Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 28.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 40% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Brook Street, Cannington, Bridgwater, TA5 2HP
Telephone
01278 652368
Website
www.cannington.somerset.sch.uk
Headteacher
Miss Marie Marchant
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Bath and Wells
Local authority
Somerset
Ward
Cannington
Constituency
Bridgwater
Setting
Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
123786 · LAESTAB 9333154 · UKPRN 10076774

Where these figures come from