Bishops Lydeard Church School, Taunton
Bishops Lydeard Church School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Taunton, part of The Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 33rd-highest of the 36 schools in Taunton with published results, and 13,535th of 14,452 across England. It was 77% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Somerset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bishops Lydeard Church School in detail
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at Bishops Lydeard Church School reached the expected standard in reading and 42% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 71% in Somerset and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 72% in reading and 67% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Bishops Lydeard Church School
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put Bishops Lydeard Church School as their first choice and 40 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 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 Bishops Lydeard Church School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bishops Lydeard Church School are Cotford St Luke Primary School (1.6 miles, Good, 69% reading, 58% maths); Oake, Bradford and Nynehead VC Primary (2.7 miles, Good, 80% reading, 60% maths); Norton Fitzwarren Church School (2.8 miles, Good, 81% reading, 64% maths); and Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School (2.9 miles, 60% reading, 40% maths).
Bishops Lydeard Church School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Cotford St Luke Primary SchoolOake, Bradford and Nynehead VC PrimaryNorton Fitzwarren Church SchoolLydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School
The trust
Bishops Lydeard Church School is one of 46 schools run by The Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust, an academy trust.
All 46 schools in The Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust
Who goes there
5.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 27 pupils (13.8%) received SEN support and 4 (2%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bishop's Lydeard Rail Station, about 760 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lydeard Mead (sw-bound), 200 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 13 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and drug offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Somerset (22).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bishops Lydeard Church School issued 7 suspensions, 4.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
19.9%
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 remained stable at around 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 67% to 42% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 72% to 50% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.3
Avg class size
25.0
Infant (KS1)
30.7
KS2
6
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Bishops Lydeard Church School
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bishops Lydeard Church School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bishops Lydeard Church 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
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
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, 1 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people 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 Bishops Lydeard Church School
Will you get a place at Bishops Lydeard Church School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bishops Lydeard Church School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bishops Lydeard Church School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bishops Lydeard Church School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Somerset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bishops Lydeard Church School for 2016 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
77%
Available places
161 pupils
210 places
49 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
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
27
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
15.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
196
Total Pupils
106
Boys
90
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
24.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,889
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,674
Per pupil
£976k
Total funding
£52k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
15.6%
Persistent absence
141
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Bishops Lydeard Church School
What are SATs results like at Bishops Lydeard Church School?
Of the pupils at Bishops Lydeard Church School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 42% did so in maths.
What is Bishops Lydeard Church School's Ofsted rating?
Bishops Lydeard Church School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2018 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Bishops Lydeard Church School?
No fixed boundary. When Bishops Lydeard Church 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 Bishops Lydeard Church School?
Bishops Lydeard Church School was not full in 2025: it ran at 77% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Bishops Lydeard Church School?
Classes at Bishops Lydeard Church School average 28.3 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Bishops Lydeard Church School?
Bishops Lydeard Church School has around 196 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bishops Lydeard Church School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Bishops Lydeard Church School in 2024/25. 15.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bishops Lydeard Church School?
Apply through Somerset's coordinated admissions process, naming Bishops Lydeard Church 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 Bishops Lydeard Church 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, 1 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people 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 Bishops Lydeard Church School?
Bishops Lydeard Church School is at Mount Street, Bishops Lydeard, Taunton, Somerset, TA4 3AN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)