School Chooser

Castle Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy136 pupilsNurseryStoke-sub-HamdonSomerset
School Chooser Score
18
Below
similar schools
Likely range 8 to 41
Out of 100. Better than 32% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2023
Reached the expected level at 1150%England 63%
Attendance95.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families29%About the same as most schools in England
Places39 spare136 pupils, 175 places
Pupils per teacher16.0School workforce census

Castle Primary School is a sponsored academy in Stoke-Sub-Hamdon for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 136 pupils and room for 175. About 29 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 18 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 32% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Castle Street, Stoke-Sub-Hamdon, TA14 6RE01935 822342castleprimaryschool.comMr Steve Morton head of schoolAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 20 June 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1150%
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 score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score100.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 42%42%20172018: 31%31%20182019: 28%28%20192023: 55%55%20232024: 38%38%20242025: 50%50%2025
Since 2017: +8%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017SomersetEngland
Pupils tested262420251319
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths50%38%55%28%31%42%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%0%0%0%0%5%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0103.0104.0101.0105.0104.0105.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score100.097.099.097.0101.0100.0103.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.0100.0102.099.0102.0102.0104.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard65%71%75%48%77%63%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard58%38%60%32%54%53%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)85%50%75%60%62%63%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.5-0.6-0.3+1.0
Maths progressMaths progress score-6.8-4.9-2.5-3.6
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged25%10%13%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged61%57%35%

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. None of the 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
25%61%
Gap 36 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
83%40%
Gap 43 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.

Plenty of spare places123 pupils for 175 places, 2024/25
70% full

52 places were empty (30% 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 roll136Census January 2026
Places17578% full
Pupils from low-income families24%29% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%16 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.76 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)28%£51,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls70 / 66
White British pupils90%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 23.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 22.7 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (7), emotional and mental health (6), language and communications needs (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll136140148141140145
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals24%26%28%26%21%16%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%1%0%0%1%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%9%7%9%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%2%4%3%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school11.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.9%5.9%7.7%7.6%6.5%4.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.6%4.4%5.7%5.6%4.8%3.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.5%2.0%2.0%1.6%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence11.1%15.7%20.4%19.5%21.3%9.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.70.00.01.40.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers7.5full-time equivalent, 10 people
Pupils per teacher16.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,487
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.42024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£7,208England £7,128. Total £937k
Income per pupil£8,054England £7,587. Total £1.0m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,546England £3,405
Money in reserve7%Not much put by: £76k, £584 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£110kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,208spent 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 m5412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate47 per 1,000 people49% lower than the England average
Nearest bus stop190 mMain Street Post Office, 4 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
Norton Sub Hamdon Church SchoolAcademy1.0 miles63Requires improvement 20227Compare
Martock Church SchoolAcademy1.5 miles169No overall grade 2025Compare
All Saints Church SchoolAcademy1.6 miles195Not inspected79Compare
Ash Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.9 miles129Good 202496Compare
St Margaret's School, TintinhullChurch of England1.9 miles96Good 202323Compare
South Petherton Junior SchoolCouncil2.5 miles156No overall grade 202561Compare
West Chinnock Church SchoolAcademy2.6 miles39Inadequate 20220Compare
South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre SchoolChurch of England2.7 miles102No overall grade 202449Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Castle 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.

Beats32%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 18 is 15 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 34 · highest 97100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Castle Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy5.6 miles154Not inspected46Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 18 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 18% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 8 to 41. 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%below
-0.19
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 26 pupils
Ofsted inspection20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.24
DfE progress measure; 26 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.05
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.02
2024/25; 108 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 26 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 Castle Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Castle Primary School scores 18 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 32% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 8 to 41, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Castle Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Castle Primary School good at its last full inspection on 20 June 2023.

How good are Castle Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 50% 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 Castle Primary School have?

136 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 175 places, so it is 78% full.

Is Castle Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 52 places were empty in 2024/25 (30% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Castle Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 11% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Castle Primary School?

The average class had 22.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
Castle Street, Stoke-Sub-Hamdon, TA14 6RE
Telephone
01935 822342
Website
www.castleprimaryschool.com
Head of School
Mr Steve Morton
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Cabot Learning Federation (36 schools)
Local authority
Somerset
Ward
Martock
Constituency
Glastonbury and Somerton
Setting
Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 March 2015 (new provision)
URN
141695 · LAESTAB 9332014 · UKPRN 10048639
Formerly
Castle Primary School

Where these figures come from