Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School
Ofsted: School remains GoodVoluntary aided school · Primary
Chard · TA20 3NG · Somerset
Ages 4–11
- KS2100%
- Absence4.8%
- FSM6.8%
- Demand1.00
2.4 miles away
OpenPrimaryOfsted: Requires improvementURN 150638
Buckland St Mary Church of England Primary School
Academy sponsor led · Chard · TA20 3SJ
Ages 2–11 · 54 pupils · Somerset
Ofsted
Requires improvement
Overall absence
5.9%
Admissions demand
1.00 · Balanced demand
Ofsted
Latest published inspection outcomes — not a ranking.
Headline
Requires improvement
Inspection date
2021-10-12
- Overall effectiveness
- Requires improvement
- Quality of education
- Requires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Requires improvement
- Safeguarding effective
- Yes
Performance
Official school-level results. Figures are not rankings — suppressed values are omitted.
Key stage 2 (2023/24)
Absence
Academic year 2023/24. Persistent absence means 10%+ of sessions missed. Lower figures are better.
Overall absence5.9%
Persistent absence (10%+)25.0%
Unauthorised1.4%
- Authorised absence
- 4.5%
- Severe absence (50%+)
- 0.0%
- Enrolments in measure
- 44
Admissions demand
Coordinated admissions for primary entry (2024/25 cycle, national offer day). Demand ratio compares families who listed this school 1st with total offers made — not a catchment or distance guarantee.
Demand ratio
1.00 · Balanced demand
1st preferences
11
Places offered
11
1st-preference offers
11
- Total preferences (any rank)
- 18
- Preferred offers (top 3)
- 11
- Applications from outside LA
- 1
- Offers to outside-LA applicants
- 0
Source: DfE primary and secondary school applications and offers. Figures reflect offers on national offer day; late applications, appeals and waiting lists are not included.
Size & intake
From the GIAS school census (15 Jan 2026).
Capacity fill60%
54 pupils · 90 places
- Pupils on roll
- 54
- Boys / girls
- 27 / 27
- School capacity
- 90
- Capacity fill
- 54 / 90 (60%)
- Free school meals
- 9.6%
- FSM pupils
- 5
- Gender
- Mixed
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
Age range
Ages 2–11
05111619
Provision
Official GIAS characteristics
2 / 6
- NurseryHas Nursery Classes
- Sixth form
- Boarding
- Special school
- Independent
- Academy
School characteristics
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Religious ethos
- Church of England
- Diocese
- Diocese of Bath and Wells
- Governance
- Academy trust: THE ACADEMIES FOR CHARACTER AND EXCELLENCE
- Academy trust
- THE ACADEMIES FOR CHARACTER AND EXCELLENCE
- Sponsor
- The Academy for Character and Excellence
- Headteacher
- Mrs Ethne Staniland
Location
- Address
- Fairend Lane, Buckland St Mary
- Postcode
- TA20 3SJ
- Town
- Chard
- County
- Somerset
- Local authority
- Somerset
- District
- Somerset
- Constituency
- Yeovil
- Urban/rural
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Local context
How this school sits among open establishments in its area, using official GIAS records. These are counts, not rankings.
Mixed academy sponsor led (primary), Ages 2–11, in Chard, Somerset, 54 pupils on roll. Notable characteristics: nursery, academy. Free school meals: 9.6%. Religious character: Church of England. Diocese: Diocese of Bath and Wells.
Nearby primary schools
Open schools within about 3 miles, prioritising the same phase where possible. Distances are approximate from GIAS coordinates.
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Contact
- Headteacher
- Mrs Ethne Staniland
- Telephone
- 01460234251