School Chooser

Neroche Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy233 pupilsNurseryIlminsterSomerset
School Chooser Score
78
Above
similar schools
Likely range 57 to 89
Out of 100. Better than 47% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, October 2024
Reached the expected level at 1176%England 63%
Attendance95.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families8%Far fewer than most schools
Places26 spare233 pupils, 259 places
Pupils per teacher29.9School workforce census

Neroche Primary School is a converter academy in Ilminster for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 233 pupils and room for 259. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 78 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 47% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

Broadway, Ilminster, TA19 9RG0146052664neroche.somerset.sch.ukMiss Rebecca Bendall headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 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”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Requires improvement
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1176%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level28%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score108.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 70%70%20172018: 79%79%20182019: 80%80%20192023: 81%81%20232024: 75%75%20242025: 76%76%2025
Since 2017: +6%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†SomersetEngland
Pupils tested253231252830
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths76%75%81%80%79%70%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths28%6%10%16%14%10%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0109.0108.0106.0108.0106.0105.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0105.0107.0105.0107.0105.0103.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0106.0106.0107.0108.0106.0104.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard88%91%94%84%93%83%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard88%75%84%88%79%80%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)84%84%90%84%93%80%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.3-1.2-0.3-0.6
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.9-2.4-1.3-1.7

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 Neroche Primary School, the school this one replaced in January 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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 11Boys vs girls
73%79%
Gap 6 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.

Nearly full197 pupils for 201 places, 2024/25
98% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have fallen by 8% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 2.4 miles away in 2025. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2025. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 2.4 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2025 Primary3058302.4 milesLA

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 roll233Census January 2026
Places25990% full
Pupils from low-income families7%8% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English3%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support11%25 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size10.73 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)7%£23,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls124 / 109
White British pupils90%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (10), emotional and mental health (8), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Physical disability (3), Moderate learning difficulty (2), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll233232245237251252
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals7%5%6%6%7%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language3%3%2%4%3%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%8%6%9%6%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%3%2%2%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 school10.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils9.12024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.0%4.9%3.6%4.0%3.4%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.9%4.0%2.9%3.2%2.6%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%0.9%0.7%0.8%0.7%0.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.1%13.9%7.0%4.8%5.4%3.2%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate9.19.83.44.40.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

† These attendance figures are for Neroche Primary School, the school this one replaced in January 2021. 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.

Teachers7.3full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher29.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£56,975
Teachers who left in the year26%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.22024/25

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£6,220England £7,128. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£6,789England £7,587. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,694England £3,405
Money in reserve19%A healthy amount put by: £263k, £1,260 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£119kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,220spent 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 m2312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate57 per 1,000 people38% lower than the England average
Nearest bus stop130 mStoford Lane, 3 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
Ashill Community Primary SchoolAcademy1.1 miles34Good 202420Compare
St Mary's & St Peter's Church SchoolAcademy2.0 miles29No overall grade 20247Compare
Herne View Church of England PrimaryChurch of England2.2 miles401Good 202213Compare
Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary SchoolChurch of England3.0 miles117Good 202294Compare
Hatch Beauchamp Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.3 miles33Requires improvement 20220Compare
Buckland St Mary Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.7 miles54Requires improvement 20212Compare
Curry Mallet Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.7 miles64No overall grade 202454Compare
The Redstart Primary SchoolAcademy3.8 miles444Good 202073Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Neroche Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats47%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 78 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 8 · middle 80 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 78 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 78% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 57 to 89. 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
+0.20
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 25 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
-0.04
Ofsted grade, 1.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.07
DfE progress measure; 25 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.04
2024/25; 179 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.09
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 25 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 Neroche Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Neroche Primary School scores 78 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 47% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 57 to 89, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Neroche Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Neroche Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 8 October 2024.

How good are Neroche Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 76% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 28% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Neroche Primary School have?

233 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 259 places, so it is 90% full.

Is Neroche Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2025 the last place went to a child living 2.4 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Neroche Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Neroche Primary School?

The average class had 10.7 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
Broadway, Ilminster, TA19 9RG
Telephone
0146052664
Website
www.neroche.somerset.sch.uk
Headteacher
Miss Rebecca Bendall
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Blackdown Education Partnership (14 schools)
Local authority
Somerset
Ward
Ilminster
Constituency
Yeovil
Setting
Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 January 2021 (academy converter)
URN
148315 · LAESTAB 9332110 · UKPRN 10087298
Formerly
Neroche Primary School

Where these figures come from