Ashill Community Primary School, Ilminster
Ashill Community Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Ilminster, part of The Academies for Character and Excellence. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 68th-highest of the 155 schools in Somerset with published results, and 8,234th of 14,452 across England. It was 60% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Somerset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Ashill Community Primary School in detail
Ashill Community Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Ashill Primary School is part of the Academies for Character and Excellence (ACE). ACE is a Multi Academy Trust of primary schools in Somerset and Devon. The Partnership has one simple aim; to provide an outstanding education for every child."
From the headteacher's welcome: "At Ashill we pride ourselves on delivering a carefully planned, broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum with our highly experienced, professional team. In addition to gaining numeracy, literacy, scientific and technological skills, your child will develop confidence, self-reliance, learn to make decisions and to articulate feelings and ideas."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Ashill Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 71% in Somerset and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 50% in reading and 50% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Ashill Community Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 1 family put Ashill Community Primary School as their first choice and 11 named it as one of their preferences, for 1 place offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Ashill Community Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Ashill Community Primary School are Neroche Primary School (1.1 miles, 88% reading, 88% maths); St Mary's & St Peter's Church School (1.9 miles); Hatch Beauchamp Church of England Primary School (2.2 miles); and Curry Mallet Church of England Primary School (2.6 miles, Outstanding, 82% reading, 73% maths).
Neroche Primary SchoolSt Mary's & St Peter's Church SchoolHatch Beauchamp Church of England Primary SchoolCurry Mallet Church of England Primary School
The trust
Ashill Community Primary School is one of 20 schools run by The Academies for Character and Excellence, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 80% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 20 schools in The Academies for Character and Excellence
Who goes there
0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 7 pupils (20.6%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Ashill Community Primary School had 4 teachers in 2026, one for every 9 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Ashill Community Primary School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ashill Inn (w-bound), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Somerset (22).
Suspensions and exclusions
Ashill Community Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
This is a happy and inclusive school. Pupils enjoy school. They are supported to attend school regularly. Parents and carers describe the school as a welcoming and nurturing place where staff know their children well.
Strong relationships built on trust and respect show pupils how to be kind and thoughtful to each other. Right from the start, the youngest children are taught to recognise their feelings and how to respond appropriately. Pupils learn and play collaboratively. They feel safe because staff pay close attention to their individual needs. Consequently, the way in which pupils conduct themselves is exemplary.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The trust has high aspirations for all pupils. The school knows how to accurately identify and meet the requirements of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Appropriate adaptations ensure pupils reach their potential. Some pupils have individual learning plans. These help staff and pupils recognise barriers to learning and how to overcome them. Pupils with SEND complete the same curriculum as their peers.
Sharing high-quality books in school and at home fosters pupils' love of reading and language. Whole-school phonics training ensures staff teach pupils to develop their early reading effectively. Staff provide additional support for pupils who struggle or fall behind with their reading. This helps them to catch up quickly and achieve well. The trust is introducing a new speech and language scheme to ensure pupils' language and vocabulary development keeps pace with their reading.
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
20.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 50% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 50% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 67% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
11.7
Avg class size
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Ashill Community Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Ashill Community Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ashill Community Primary School is in Somerset; for families living there:
Apply to Somerset for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Ashill Community Primary School
Will you get a place at Ashill Community Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Ashill Community Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Ashill Community Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Ashill Community Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Somerset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Ashill Community Primary School for 2018 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Somerset got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
60%
Available places
36 pupils
60 places
24 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ilminster
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ilminster
Across Somerset council
Places available
6,414
Applications
4,928
Got 1st preference
95.0%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Somerset council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
7
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
20.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
34
Total Pupils
21
Boys
13
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
8.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,765
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£9,720
Per pupil
£384k
Total funding
£6k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.0%
Overall absence
13.9%
Persistent absence
36
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Ashill Community Primary School
What are SATs results like at Ashill Community Primary School?
Of the pupils at Ashill Community Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.
What is Ashill Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ashill Community Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2013 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Ashill Community Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Ashill Community Primary School is oversubscribed, Somerset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Ashill Community Primary School?
Ashill Community Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 60% of its 60 places.
How big are the classes at Ashill Community Primary School?
Classes at Ashill Community Primary School average 11.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Ashill Community Primary School?
Ashill Community Primary School has around 34 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Ashill Community Primary School?
8% of sessions were missed at Ashill Community Primary School in 2024/25. 13.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ashill Community Primary School?
Apply through Somerset's coordinated admissions process, naming Ashill Community Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Ashill Community Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ashill Community Primary School?
Ashill Community Primary School is at School Road, Ashill, Ilminster, Somerset, TA19 9ND.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)