South Petherton Junior School

Somerset · TA13 5AG

General information Junior School · 7-11 years Who goes here 156 pupils, 23.1% FSM

Educational attainment Ofsted and results

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 18.6% on SEN support Behaviour 5.1% absence rate Staff 23.4% turnover Financials £7,244 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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South Petherton Junior School

General Information

Address: Hayes End, South Petherton, TA13 5AG – View on map
Phone: 01460240172
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Shan Weston
Age range: 7-11 years
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Does not apply
Nursery provision: No

Who goes here

156 pupils out of 148 places At or near capacity

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 36
% eligible for free school meals: 23.1%
Pupil mix: 1 in 10 (less mixed than the Somerset average)
English as an additional language: 1% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 23.4% a year (Somerset 17.3%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 42% moved to another school, 58% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house. This is a small staff, so one or two teachers leaving moves the figure a lot.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Somerset: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 2 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 5 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 1 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Somerset, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 5.1%
Persistently absent pupils: 10.1%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 18.6%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 1.9%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Social, emotional and mental health: 12 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 7 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 3 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 3 pupils
Other difficulty or disability: 2 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Speech, language and communications needs: 2 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

No overall grade given 2025 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted stopped giving single overall grades for a period between September 2024 and November 2025 - this school's most recent inspection falls in that window, so there's no single rating to show, even though it was inspected. The full report (linked below) still has the detail.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 65% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 6% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 6 percentage points above the Somerset average (59%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Above (3-year average 75% against an expected 63%)
3-year average (expected standard): 75%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 74% · Writing 71% · Maths 77% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 71%
Average test scores: reading 106, maths 104
Based on: 31 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolSomerset averageEngland↘ Falling Down 12 percentage points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was 6 percentage points above the Somerset average (59%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 57th of 149 junior and primary schools in the area

=54Willowdown Primary School66%
=57Holy Trinity Church School65%
=57South Petherton Junior School65%
=57St Joseph and St Teresa Catholic Primary School65%
=57St Margaret's School, Tintinhull65%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Stoke St Gregory Church of England Primary School100%
=2Huish Episcopi Primary School93%
=2Preston CofE Primary School93%
#4Kingfisher Primary School91%
#5North Cadbury Church of England Primary School90%
=6Countess Gytha Primary School86%
=6Stogumber CofE Primary School86%
#8Hambridge Community Primary School83%
=9Brent Knoll Church of England Primary School82%
=9Trull Church of England VA Primary School82%
=11Ash Church of England Primary School81%
=11Walton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School81%
#13Ditcheat Primary School80%
=14North Curry CofE Primary School79%
=14Northgate Primary School79%
=14Puriton Primary School79%
#17Stawley Primary School78%
=18High Ham Church of England Primary School77%
=18Meare Village Primary School77%
=20Bishops Hull Primary School76%
=20Neroche Primary School76%
=20Thurlbear Church of England Primary School76%
=23All Saints Church School75%
=23Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School75%
=23Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton75%
=23Crowcombe CofE VA Primary School75%
=23Manor Court Community Primary School75%
=23St. Michael's Academy75%
=29Somerset Bridge Primary School73%
=29St Gildas Catholic Primary School73%
=31Kingsmoor Primary School72%
=31St Mary's Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School72%
=31St Vigor & St John Church School72%
=34Blackbrook Primary School71%
=34Bruton Primary School71%
=34Buckland St Mary Church of England Primary School71%
=34Cannington Church of England Primary School71%
=34Cheddon Fitzpaine Church School71%
=34Keinton Mandeville Primary School71%
=34Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School71%
=41North Petherton Primary School69%
=41Primrose Lane Primary School69%
=43Castle Cary Community Primary School68%
=43Enmore Church of England Primary School68%
=45Ashill Community Primary School67%
=45Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School67%
=45Curry Rivel Church of England VC Primary School67%
=45Eastover Primary School67%
=45Huish Primary School67%
=45Kingsbury Episcopi Primary School67%
=45Long Sutton CofE Primary School67%
=45Minerva Primary School67%
=45The Redstart Primary School67%
=54Parkfield Primary School66%
=54St Joseph's Catholic Primary and Nursery School66%
=54Willowdown Primary School66%
=57Holy Trinity Church School65%
=57South Petherton Junior School65%
=57St Joseph and St Teresa Catholic Primary School65%
=57St Margaret's School, Tintinhull65%
=61Abbas and Templecombe Church School64%
=61North Newton Community Primary School64%
=61St Aldhelms Church School64%
=61St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School64%
=65Churchstanton Primary School63%
=65East Coker Community Primary School63%
=65St George's Catholic School63%
=65Staplegrove Church School63%
=69Ruishton Church of England School62%
=69West Pennard Church of England Primary School62%
=71Oaklands Primary School61%
=71Tatworth Primary School61%
=73Catcott Primary School60%
=73Chewton Mendip Church of England VA Primary School60%
=73Hinton St George Church of England Primary School60%
=73Milverton Community Primary School and Pre-School60%
=73Rockwell Green Church of England Primary School60%
=73West Buckland Primary School60%
=73West Monkton Church of England School60%
=73Wiveliscombe Primary School60%
=81Birchfield Community Primary School59%
=81Chilthorne Domer Church School59%
=81Dulverton Junior School59%
=81Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Primary59%
=81Wellesley Park Primary School59%
=81Westover Green Community School and Autism Centre59%
=87Charlton Mackrell CofE Primary School58%
=87North Town Academy58%
=89Avanti Park School57%
=89Beech Grove Primary School57%
=89Horrington Primary School57%
=89Lyngford Park Primary School57%
=89Norton Sub Hamdon Church School57%
=89Pawlett Primary School Academy57%
=89Sampford Arundel Community Primary School57%
=89St Benedict's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School57%
=89St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge57%
=98St John and St Francis Church School56%
=98St Paul's Church of England VC Junior School56%
#100Wincanton Primary School55%
=101Berrow Primary Church Academy54%
=101St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Bridgwater54%
=103Milford Junior School53%
=103Nerrols Primary School and Nursery53%
=103Nether Stowey Church of England Primary School53%
=103Norton Fitzwarren Church School53%
=103Oakhill Church School53%
=103Woolavington Village Primary School53%
=109Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School52%
=109St John's Church of England Primary School52%
=109St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome52%
=112Ashcott Primary School50%
=112Ashlands Church of England Primary School50%
=112Castle Primary School50%
=112Coxley Primary School50%
=112Hemington Primary School50%
=112Horsington Church School50%
=112Westonzoyland Community Primary School50%
=119Hamp Academy49%
=119St James Church School49%
#121Brookside Community Primary School48%
#122St Andrew's Church School47%
#123Avishayes Community Primary School46%
=124Herne View Church of England Primary45%
=124Kingston St Mary Church of England Primary School45%
=124West Huntspill Primary Academy45%
=127Cotford St Luke Primary School44%
=127Otterhampton Primary School44%
=127Priorswood Primary School44%
=127Wellsprings Primary School44%
=127Wembdon St George's Church School44%
=132Haselbury Plucknett Church of England Primary School43%
=132Shepton Beauchamp Church School43%
#134Bishops Lydeard Church School42%
=135Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School40%
=135Oake, Bradford and Nynehead VC Primary40%
#137Holway Park Community Primary School39%
#138Wookey Primary School38%
=139Creech St Michael Church of England Primary School36%
=139Spaxton CofE Primary School36%
=139Stogursey Church of England Primary School36%
#142Stoke St Michael Primary School33%
#143King Ina Church of England Academy32%
#144Merriott Primary School30%
=145Churchfield Church School29%
=145East Huntspill Primary Academy29%
#147Bridgwater College Academy25%
#148Langford Budville Church of England Primary School13%
#149Barwick and Stoford Community Primary School9%

View full Ofsted inspection report

Financials

Spending per pupil: £7,244 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

3rd of 9 junior schools in Somerset for spending per pupil

#1Dulverton Junior School£14,824
#2St Paul's Church of England VC Junior School£7,259
#3South Petherton Junior School£7,244
#4St. Michael's Academy£7,052
#5St Benedict's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School£6,386

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Dulverton Junior School£14,824
#2St Paul's Church of England VC Junior School£7,259
#3South Petherton Junior School£7,244
#4St. Michael's Academy£7,052
#5St Benedict's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School£6,386
#6Milford Junior School£6,171
#7Elmhurst Junior School£5,295
#8St Andrew's Church Junior School£3,538
#9St Cuthbert's Church of England Junior School£2,703

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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