Bishop Fox's School, Taunton
Bishop Fox's School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Taunton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 3rd-highest of the 28 schools in Somerset with published results, and 1,025th of 3,298 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 93% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Somerset (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bishop Fox's School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Bishop Fox's School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.3 in Somerset and 47 across England.
50% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 40% in Somerset and 47% in England.
That is up from 46.9 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.17: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 38.9, against 51.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 26 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Design and Technology.
Getting a place at Bishop Fox's School
For September 2026 entry, 287 families put Bishop Fox's School as their first choice and 672 named it as one of their preferences, for 224 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 79 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Bishop Fox's School are The Castle School (1.3 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 52.7); Pyrland School (2.2 miles); and Monkton Wood Academy (2.4 miles, Attainment 8 42.2).
Bishop Fox's School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
Where pupils go next
Of the 195 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 36% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Who goes there
In 2026, 255 pupils (22.7%) received SEN support and 62 (5.5%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Taunton Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bishops Fox School (ne-bound), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Bishop Fox's School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 367 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. 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, Bishop Fox's School issued 291 suspensions, 26.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Bishop Fox's School are St George's Catholic School (0.5 miles), Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles), Holway Park Community Primary School (0.6 miles) and St James Church School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St George's Catholic SchoolHoly Trinity Church of England Primary SchoolHolway Park Community Primary SchoolSt James Church School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from April 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
About
Bishop Fox's School is a mixed secondary school located in Taunton, Somerset, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
23.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around 0.17 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 48.7 to 49.7 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 45% to 50% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 49.7 | 49.8% |
| Disadvantaged(34) | - | 38.9 | 38.2% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(185) | - | 51.7 | 51.9% |
| Boys(115) | - | 48.3 | 45.2% |
| Girls(104) | - | 51.3 | 54.8% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(50) | - | 49.2 | 48% |
| Non mobile(213) | - | 50.1 | 50.7% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 6 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 195 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
291
Suspensions
26.24%
Suspension rate
75 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,109 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Bishop Fox's School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bishop Fox's School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bishop Fox's 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
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
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 Bishop Fox's School
Will you get a place at Bishop Fox's School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bishop Fox's School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bishop Fox's School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bishop Fox's School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Somerset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bishop Fox's School for 2014 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
1,115 pupils
1,200 places
85 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Taunton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Taunton
Across Somerset council
Places available
4,902
Applications
4,659
Got 1st preference
92.1%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Somerset council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
255
SEN Support
62
EHC Plans
28.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,123
Total Pupils
589
Boys
534
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
70
Teachers
16.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,135
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,924
Per pupil
£8122k
Total funding
£257k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.4%
Overall absence
19.1%
Persistent absence
1,132
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Bishop Fox's School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Bishop Fox's School
What are GCSE results like at Bishop Fox's School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Bishop Fox's School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 49.7. 50% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Bishop Fox's School's Ofsted rating?
Bishop Fox's School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Bishop Fox's School?
No fixed boundary. When Bishop Fox's 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 Bishop Fox's School?
Bishop Fox's School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 1200 places.
How big are the classes at Bishop Fox's School?
Classes at Bishop Fox's School average 24.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Bishop Fox's School?
Bishop Fox's School has around 1123 pupils on roll. 23% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bishop Fox's School?
7.4% of sessions were missed at Bishop Fox's School in 2024/25. 19.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bishop Fox's School?
Apply through Somerset's coordinated admissions process, naming Bishop Fox's School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Bishop Fox's School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 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 Bishop Fox's School?
Bishop Fox's School is at Bishop Fox Drive, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 3HQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)