Avishayes Community Primary School, Chard
Avishayes Community Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Chard, part of Avishayes Primary School and Early Years Centre. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 6 schools in Chard with published results, and 12,253rd of 14,452 across England. It was 76% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 75 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Somerset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Avishayes Community Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at Avishayes Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 50% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 71% in Somerset and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 41% in reading and 25% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Avishayes Community Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put Avishayes Community Primary School as their first choice and 24 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 places 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 Avishayes Community Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Avishayes Community Primary School are The Redstart Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 82% reading, 88% maths); Manor Court Community Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 79% reading, 87% maths); Tatworth Primary School (2.4 miles, Good, 71% reading, 71% maths); and Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School (2.4 miles, Good, 67% reading, 67% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Avishayes Community Primary School.
The Redstart Primary SchoolManor Court Community Primary SchoolTatworth Primary SchoolCombe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School
The trust
Avishayes Community Primary School is run by its own single-school academy trust.
What parents say
35 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Avishayes Community Primary School (as of September 2025): 66% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 39% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (39%).
Who goes there
Avishayes Community Primary School has a SEN unit for severe learning difficulties: 8 places, 5 pupils on roll.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Avishayes Community Primary School.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Caraway Close (adjacent), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 94 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Somerset (22), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Avishayes Community Primary School issued 19 suspensions, 9.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 agoThis judgement is from May 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
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?
Pupils are welcoming at Avishayes Community Primary School. There are strong relationships between staff and pupils. Throughout the school, pupils are well cared for.
While children get off to a good start in the early years, beyond this stage, pupils' experiences vary too much. In some subjects, pupils do not learn effectively. This means they do not achieve as well as they should.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The carefully designed curriculum in early years supports children to make a strong start. The early years curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced to ensure that children's knowledge builds from Nursery into Reception. Knowledgeable staff ensure that learning is engaging and purposeful. Children enjoy learning and playing together. The high expectations of staff ensure routines are well established.
Pupils' achievement has remained low over time, as evidenced in published outcomes. Although the school has begun to improve the curriculum, it has been slow to make the necessary changes. In some subjects, such as science, the school has begun to identify the important scientific knowledge pupils will learn and by when. In others, the curriculum does not clearly identify what pupils need to know and learn. In subjects where the curriculum is not well designed, the school does not check what pupils can and cannot do. This leads to gaps in learning because misconceptions and errors are not identified, and persist. As a result, pupils do not develop secure subject knowledge to enable them to tackle more challenging concepts.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded 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 May 2015 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
29.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: SLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
35 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 41% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 25% to 50% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 31% to 62% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.8
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
27.0
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Avishayes Community Primary School
Before and after school care
Avishayes Community Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Somerset
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Avishayes Community Primary School.
- Premier Wraparound @ AvishayesAt the school · Not yet graded
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Avishayes Community Primary School, with their latest published grades:
- Premier Wraparound @ Avishayes - Day nursery, under 0.1 milesOfsted report card, 21 September 2026: Expected standard in 1 area
- Chard NNI/Schools Out - Day nursery, 0.6 milesOfsted, 31 July 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Playdays Pre-school - Day nursery, 0.7 milesOfsted, 24 May 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- The Lawns Children's Nursery @ Chard School - Day nursery, 0.7 milesOfsted, 31 October 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Cuddles & Care Children's Day Nursery, Chard - Day nursery, 0.7 miles
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Avishayes Community Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Avishayes Community Primary School is in Somerset; for families living there:
- How to apply: Apply for School travel assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
The typical figure for schools in Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Avishayes Community Primary School
Will you get a place at Avishayes Community Primary School?
For 2026 entry it had 10 first choices for 10 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
76%
Available places
182 pupils
239 places
57 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Chard Primary planning area (Somerset) will have 447 spare primary places in 2027/28.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
24.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Avishayes Community Primary School has a SEN unit for severe learning difficulties: 8 places, 5 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
199
Total Pupils
91
Boys
108
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
19.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,377
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,769
Per pupil
£1247k
Total funding
£86k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.0%
Overall absence
23.1%
Persistent absence
169
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Avishayes Community Primary School
Questions parents ask about Avishayes Community Primary School
What are SATs results like at Avishayes Community Primary School?
Of the pupils at Avishayes Community Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 50% did so in maths.
What is Avishayes Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Avishayes Community Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in May 2015, it was rated Good.
Is it hard to get a place at Avishayes Community Primary School?
Avishayes Community Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 76% of its 239 places.
How big are the classes at Avishayes Community Primary School?
Classes at Avishayes Community Primary School average 23.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Avishayes Community Primary School?
Avishayes Community Primary School has around 199 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Avishayes Community Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
Avishayes Community Primary School has a SEN unit for severe learning difficulties: 8 places, 5 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Avishayes Community Primary School?
7% of sessions were missed at Avishayes Community Primary School in 2024/25. 23.1% of pupils were persistently absent.
Does Avishayes Community Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Avishayes Community Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026). Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Premier Wraparound @ Avishayes (registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near Avishayes Community Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. The typical figure for schools in Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Avishayes Community Primary School?
Avishayes Community Primary School is at Fairway Rise, Chard, Somerset, TA20 1NS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)