Churchfield Church School, Highbridge

Good
Primary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.1km)Possible (~1.6km)Unlikely (~2.1km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Joanne Thorn
Pupils:411 / 420 capacity
LA:Somerset
Phone:01278782743
Address:Burnham Road, Highbridge, TA9 3JF
Trust:THE BATH AND WELLS DIOCESAN ACADEMIES TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 April 2013

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:139278
UKPRN:10040575
Diocese:Diocese of Bath and Wells
Constituency:Bridgwater
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

The school has made impressive progress in creating a safe, calm learning environment where behaviour has improved significantly and bullying is now rare. Staff are well-supported through quality professional development, and pupils in early years and key stage 1 benefit from strong teaching in reading and maths with a focus on building vocabulary. Leadership is now stable and committed to helping all pupils succeed, with particular attention to supporting those facing barriers to learning.

Key Strengths

  • Behaviour has improved significantly with a calm, orderly and respectful school environment
  • Leadership has successfully restored stability and won back trust from staff, parents and the community
  • Early years and key stage 1 pupils are well supported to secure basics in reading and mathematics
  • Strong focus on communication, language and vocabulary development from nursery onwards
  • Pupils feel safe and have trusting relationships with staff

Areas for Improvement

  • Many pupils have gaps in writing skills, particularly spelling and handwriting from key stage 1
  • Attendance remains below national rates, especially for pupils with special educational needs
  • Teachers do not always use assessment effectively to identify and close knowledge gaps
  • Older pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of education
  • Support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND has not been effective enough

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed, making pupils safer and helping them feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

School choir, sports clubs, prayer club, librarian roles, prefects, play leaders, computer assistants, careers programme, trips and visiting speakers

Churchfield Church School has emerged from a period of significant instability with stable leadership now restored. The school is improving securely from a low base, with notable progress in behaviour and attendance for some groups, though achievement remains below national standards and needs continued attention.

At a Glance

46.2%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-9ppMaths-11ppWriting+1pp

Reading has declined from 56% to 47%. Maths has declined from 48% to 37%. Writing has remained stable at around 55%.

Class Sizes

25.6

Avg class size

24.6

Infant (KS1)

29.1

KS2

14

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Highbridge & Burnham-on-Sea Rail Station (Entrance)
738m · 12 min walk

Bus Stops

Old Burnham Road (S-bound)
70m · 1 min walk
Cemetery (SE-bound)
95m · 2 min walk
Acorn Close (adj)
181m · 3 min walk
Snooker Club (W-bound)
196m · 3 min walk
Pepperall Road (adj)
206m · 3 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

98%

Near capacity

411 pupils

420 capacity

9 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Highbridge

High pressure
New homes approved:208
Projected new pupils:52

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Highbridge

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(18)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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SEN Provision

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

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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.

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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.

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School Funding

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

9.29787%

Overall absence

30.97345%

Persistent absence

339

Enrolments

Authorised5.57403%
Unauthorised3.72384%
Persistent (10%+)30.97345%
Severe (50%+)2.65487%

Absence trend

6.12739%
18/19
5.02637%
20/21
8.39851%
21/22
7.88521%
22/23
8.95088%
23/24
9.29787%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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