Somerset schools in numbers
How Somerset's 305 schools compare with South West and England on every headline measure, with the council's rank out of the English councils that have data. Ranks run from best to worst for each measure (highest attendance first, lowest exclusions first, and so on).
Schools305open, all types
Pupils76,898on roll
Primary schools226
Secondary schools36
Who the pupils are
| Measure | Somerset | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils from low-income familiesJanuary 2026 · 264 schools | 20.2% | 21.8% | 26.3% | 32ndof 151 |
| Pupils attracting pupil premiumnow · 264 schools | 20.6% | 21.8% | 27.1% | 31stof 151 |
| Pupils learning EnglishJanuary 2026 · 264 schools | 8.9% | 9.6% | 18.6% | 121stof 151 |
| Pupils with SEN supportJanuary 2025 · 272 schools | 12.8% | 15.1% | 14.5% | 128thof 151 |
| Pupils with an EHC planJanuary 2025 · 272 schools | 13.4% | 11.0% | 11.6% | 43rdof 151 |
Classrooms and teachers
| Measure | Somerset | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average class sizeJanuary 2026 · 245 schools | 23.9 | 24.5 | 25.0 | 28thof 151 |
| Classes with more than 30 pupilsJanuary 2026 · 245 schools | 12.5% | 11.8% | 10.6% | 115thof 151 |
| Pupils per teacherJanuary 2026 · 261 schools | 19.2 | 18.9 | 19.0 | 88thof 151 |
| Teachers leaving each year2024/25 · 241 schools | 17.2% | 16.5% | 15.0% | 127thof 151 |
| Average teacher payJanuary 2026 · 259 schools | £50,120 | £49,716 | £51,377 | 113thof 151 |
| Sick days per teacher2024/25 · 231 schools | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 61stof 151 |
Attendance and behaviour
| Measure | Somerset | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance2024/25 · 250 schools | 93.6% | 93.8% | 93.8% | 92ndof 151 |
| Persistently absent pupils2024/25 · 250 schools | 15.4% | 15.1% | 15.8% | 58thof 151 |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25 · 250 schools | 8.4 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 111thof 151 |
Money
| Measure | Somerset | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spend per pupil2024/25 · 230 schools | £9,293 | £8,849 | £9,273 | – |
| Spent on teachers per pupil2024/25 · 230 schools | £4,026 | £4,118 | £4,229 | 96thof 151 |
| Reserves as a share of income2024/25 · 248 schools | 10.6% | 7.3% | 8.3% | 37thof 151 |
| Schools in deficit2024/25 · 248 schools | 13.3% | 13.5% | 14.1% | 69thof 151 |
Results
| Measure | Somerset | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong pass in English and maths GCSE2024/25 · 27 schools | 41.4% | 46.5% | 46.1% | 112thof 150 |
| Average GCSE score2024/25 · 27 schools | 44.3 | 46.9 | 47.0 | 112thof 150 |
| Reached the expected level at 112024/25 · 154 schools | 60.0% | 60.7% | 63.1% | 122ndof 151 |
| Reached the higher level at 112024/25 · 154 schools | 7.4% | 7.6% | 8.3% | 92ndof 151 |
Ofsted, score and places
| Measure | Somerset | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspected under the new report cardsnow · 244 schools | 11% | 13% | 13% | 102ndof 151 |
| Good or outstanding (old grades)now · 172 schools | 85% | 91% | 94% | 148thof 151 |
| Scored above similar schoolsnow · 233 schools | 21% | 29% | 35% | 140thof 151 |
| Places taken2024/25 · 247 schools | 81.6% | 82.3% | 86.2% | 120thof 151 |
| Academies and free schoolsnow · 289 schools | 60% | 66% | 52% | 57thof 154 |
| Free breakfast clubsnow · 289 schools | 5.9% | 8.9% | 12.0% | 127thof 154 |
Trends
Trend
Attendance
2016 to 2025
SomersetEngland
Since 2016: -1.9%
Trend
Pupils from low-income families
2019 to 2026
SomersetEngland
Since 2019: +6.7%
Trend
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE
2017 to 2025
SomersetEngland
Since 2017: +1.2%
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
SomersetEngland
Since 2016: +4.9%
Trend
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2007 to 2025
SomersetEngland
Since 2007: +6.9