The Redstart Primary School
General Information
- Address: Redstart Road, Chard, TA20 1SD – View on map
- Phone: 0146067457
- Website: Visit school website
- Headteacher: Mrs Rebecca Collins
- Age range: 2-11 years
- Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 48 families put it first for 48 places – 10 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 10 · 2025 10 · 2026 10
- Intake: Mixed
- Religious character: Does not apply
- Nursery provision: Yes
Who goes here
- Pupils eligible for free school meals: 95
- % eligible for free school meals: 21.4%
- Pupil mix: 2 in 10 (similar to the Somerset average)
- English as an additional language: 13% (England 22%)
Staff
Teachers leaving each year
- Teacher turnover: 8% a year (Somerset 17.3%, typical in England 13.9%) Low turnover
- Where they went: about 22% moved to another school, 78% 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. "Low turnover" means it's among the quarter of similar schools in England where teachers are most likely to stay.
Behaviour
Awaiting Data
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: 5.2%
- Persistently absent pupils: 9.0%
- Data year: 2024/25
SEN
No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision
- Pupils on SEN Support: 12.8%
- Pupils with an EHC Plan: 1.6%
- Data year: 2025/26
Most common needs - SEN Support
- Speech, language and communications needs: 20 pupils
- Specific learning difficulty: 16 pupils
- Social, emotional and mental health: 14 pupils
- Autistic spectrum disorder: 6 pupils
- Other difficulty or disability: 1 pupil
Most common needs - EHC Plan
- Speech, language and communications needs: 3 pupils
- Autistic spectrum disorder: 3 pupils
These figures show the makeup of the school.
Educational Attainment
Good 2020 report
Year 6 SATs results
- Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 67% (England 62%)
- Reached the higher standard: 3% (England 8%)
- Compared with the area: 8 percentage points above the Somerset average (59%)
- Compared with schools with similar pupils: Above (3-year average 72% against an expected 66%)
- 3-year average (expected standard): 72%
- Expected standard by subject: Reading 82% · Writing 73% · Maths 88% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 72%
- Average test scores: reading 106, maths 106
- Based on: 60 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
Year 6 SATs: joint 45th of 149 junior and primary schools in the area
- =45Long Sutton CofE Primary School67%
- =45Minerva Primary School67%
- =45The Redstart Primary School67%
- =54Parkfield Primary School66%
- =54St Joseph's Catholic Primary and Nursery School66%
Click to see the full ranking
View full Ofsted inspection report
115th of 152 primary schools in Somerset for Ofsted rating
- #113Stogumber CofE Primary SchoolGood
- #114Tatworth Primary SchoolGood
- #115The Redstart Primary SchoolGood
- #116Thurlbear Church of England Primary SchoolGood
- #117Timberscombe Church of England First SchoolGood
Click to see the full ranking
Financials
Spending per pupil: £5,244 (2024-25)
178th of 185 primary schools in Somerset for spending per pupil
- #176Huish Primary School£5,387
- #177Evercreech Church of England Primary School£5,248
- #178The Redstart Primary School£5,244
- #179Holy Trinity Church School£5,102
- #180Blackbrook Primary School£5,004
Click to see the full ranking
View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)