Berkley Church of England First School, Frome

Requires Improvement
Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 59

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.5km)Possible (~2.2km)Unlikely (~2.8km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Dan Jeffries
Pupils:49 / 110 capacity
LA:Somerset
Phone:01373887390
Address:Berkley Street, Berkley, Frome, BA11 5JH
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Requires Improvement

Overall

URN:123743
UKPRN:10078801
Diocese:Diocese of Bath and Wells
Constituency:Frome and East Somerset
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Berkley is a happy, close-knit school where all pupils - including those with special needs - are well supported and included. Recent improvements have strengthened teaching and behaviour management, creating a calm environment where children feel safe and develop confidence. Parents appreciate the improvements and feel their children are well looked after, with excellent communication about progress and strong pastoral support.

Key Strengths

  • Strong focus on foundational knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics with effective identification and support for pupils with gaps
  • Well-managed behaviour with clear expectations and routines, creating a calm, safe school environment
  • Excellent support for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, with positive outcomes for their progress
  • Effective personal development programme and wide range of enrichment activities including trips, visitors and sporting opportunities
  • Warm, supportive pastoral care with dedicated mental health and wellbeing support

Areas for Improvement

  • Speaking and listening curriculum not yet clearly sequenced, limiting pupils' ability to discuss and explain their thinking
  • Letter formation in writing not consistently taught correctly from the outset, causing misconceptions
  • Teaching quality not yet consistently secure across all areas of the curriculum
  • Governors lack clear understanding of school performance compared with national standards, affecting their ability to challenge leaders effectively

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed.

Extracurricular Activities

Year 4 residential trip, visitors, local sporting events, outside classroom learning, assemblies focused on gratitude and wellbeing

Berkley Church of England First School has made significant improvements following a period of instability, with leaders strengthening the curriculum, teaching quality, and support for all pupils. The school is now a safe, calm environment where pupils are happy, behave well, and make secure progress in their learning.

At a Glance

12.2%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

18.8

Avg class size

16.0

Infant (KS1)

30.0

KS2

4

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Primary School and Church (SW-bound)
34m · 1 min walk
Frome Market (opp)
1.2km · 20 min walk
Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

45%

Available places

49 pupils

110 capacity

61 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Frome

Low pressure
New homes approved:520
Projected new pupils:130

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Frome

Admissions Demand - Somerset

Low demand0.78x oversubscription

Places available

6,463

Applications

5,059

Got 1st preference

95.3%

Got preferred school

98.8%

Primary admissions across Somerset (2025/26)

Inspection History(105)

Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement
Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement
Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

Sign up free to see teacher and staff data

School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

Sign up free to see how this school is funded

Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.53492%

Overall absence

9.375%

Persistent absence

64

Enrolments

Authorised3.14954%
Unauthorised2.38538%
Persistent (10%+)9.375%
Severe (50%+)3.125%

Absence trend

3.32847%
18/19
1.58755%
20/21
3.7493%
21/22
5.86021%
22/23
5.81732%
23/24
5.53492%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Secondary Schools Nearby

Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.