Best Schools in Taunton

How many schools are there in Taunton?

Taunton has 58 open schools: 39 state primary, 6 state secondary or all-through, 5 independent, 6 special and 2 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Taunton are rated Outstanding?

4 schools in Taunton were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: The Castle School, Richard Huish College, North Curry CofE Primary School and Curry Mallet Church of England Primary School. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 42 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

The Castle SchoolRichard Huish CollegeNorth Curry CofE Primary SchoolCurry Mallet Church of England Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Taunton get the best GCSE results?

Of the 6 schools in Taunton with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Castle School, with an Attainment 8 score of 52.7 and 57% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Bishop Fox's School, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.7 and 50% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Monkton Wood Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 42.2 and 37% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The Castle SchoolBishop Fox's SchoolMonkton Wood Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Taunton have the best SATs results?

Of the 35 primary schools in Taunton with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Stoke St Gregory Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Trull Church of England VA Primary School (97% in reading, 97% in maths); and Crowcombe CofE VA Primary School (88% in reading, 100% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Stoke St Gregory Church of England Primary SchoolTrull Church of England VA Primary SchoolCrowcombe CofE VA Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Taunton?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Taunton selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Taunton have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Taunton have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Somerset allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Taunton?

Apply to Somerset through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.