School Chooser

Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademy32 pupilsTauntonSomerset
School Chooser Score
90
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 67 to 98, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 89% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, June 2025
Reached the expected level at 1140%England 63%
Attendance95.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families9%Far fewer than most schools
Places58 spare32 pupils, 90 places
Pupils per teacher11.4School workforce census

Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School is a sponsored academy in Taunton for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 32 pupils and room for 90. About 9 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 90 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 89% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Lydeard St Lawrence, Lydeard St. Lawrence, Taunton, TA4 3SF01984 667287Mrs Nicki Smith headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 10 June 2025, 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”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

10 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1140%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level10%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score99.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 71%71%20172018: 71%71%20182019: 50%50%20192023: 73%73%20232024: 83%83%20242025: 40%40%2025
Since 2017: -31%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†SomersetEngland
Pupils tested10615141414
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths40%83%73%50%71%71%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths10%0%0%14%0%21%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0104.0115.0105.0104.0110.0105.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score99.0103.0108.0101.0101.0105.0103.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.0102.0107.0104.0104.0106.0104.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard60%83%93%71%79%86%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard40%83%87%64%71%86%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)50%83%73%79%86%79%
Reading progressReading progress score+9.0-1.1-2.1+5.0
Maths progressMaths progress score+3.6-5.5-4.4-0.3

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.

† These results are for Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places37 pupils for 90 places, 2024/25
41% full

53 places were empty (59% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.

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 roll32Census January 2026
Places9036% full
Pupils from low-income families9%9% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English3%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support31%10 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%2 pupils with a plan
Average class size16.02 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)6%£3,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls16 / 16
White British pupils97%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Specific learning difficulty (2), Profound and multiple learning difficulty (1), language and communications needs (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census2026202520242023
Pupils on roll32373747
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals9%11%8%4%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language3%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%5%4%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans8%5%6%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.4%
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 pupils5.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.6%5.4%6.4%8.4%5.5%4.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.0%2.4%3.7%6.8%4.6%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%3.1%2.7%1.6%0.9%0.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence11.1%9.1%11.6%26.0%15.0%6.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate5.40.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions000

† These attendance figures are for Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers2.8full-time equivalent, 4 people
Pupils per teacher11.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants1.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,168
Teachers who left in the year19%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.82024/25

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£12,892England £7,128. Total £477k
Income per pupil£14,243England £7,587. Total £527k
Spent on teachers per pupil£6,541England £3,405
Money in reserve34%A lot put by: £181k, £4,886 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£50kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£12,892spent 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 m712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate45 per 1,000 people51% lower than the England average
Nearest bus stop260 mPost Office, 2 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
Crowcombe CofE VA Primary SchoolChurch of England2.8 miles50Not inspectedCompare
Bishops Lydeard Church SchoolAcademy3.0 miles196Good 202231Compare
Stogumber CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England3.6 miles41Not inspectedCompare
Wiveliscombe Primary SchoolCouncil4.0 miles191Good 202340Compare
Cotford St Luke Primary SchoolCouncil4.0 miles201No overall grade 20256Compare
Milverton Community Primary School and Pre-SchoolCouncil4.1 miles188Good 202365Compare
Oake, Bradford and Nynehead VC PrimaryChurch of England4.4 miles67No overall grade 20249Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats89%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 90 is 46 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 44 · highest 97100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 90 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 90% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 67 to 98. 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%above
+0.10
2023 results; 15 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 1.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.14
DfE progress measure; 15 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.25
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.02
2024/25; 36 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.16
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 15 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 Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School scores 90 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 89% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 67 to 98, 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 Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 10 June 2025.

How good are Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 40% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 10% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

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

32 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 90 places, so it is 36% full.

Is Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 53 places were empty in 2024/25 (59% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.4% 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 Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School?

The average class had 16.0 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
Lydeard St Lawrence, Lydeard St. Lawrence, Taunton, TA4 3SF
Telephone
01984 667287
Headteacher
Mrs Nicki Smith
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
The Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust (46 schools)
Local authority
Somerset
Ward
Lydeard
Constituency
Tiverton and Minehead
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2022 (new provision)
URN
149379 · LAESTAB 9332054 · UKPRN 10091219
Formerly
Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School

Where these figures come from