Dunster First School, Minehead
Dunster First School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 9 in Minehead. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2024 did not change this grade. It was 67% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
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
Dunster First School in detail
Dunster First School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Dunster First School
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put Dunster First School as their first choice and 32 named it as one of their preferences, for 17 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Dunster First School are Minehead First School (1.9 miles, Good); St Michael's Church of England First School (2.2 miles, Good); Timberscombe Church of England First School (2.4 miles, Good); and Old Cleeve Church of England First School (3.9 miles, Good).
Minehead First SchoolSt Michael's Church of England First SchoolTimberscombe Church of England First SchoolOld Cleeve Church of England First School
Who goes there
14% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 7 pupils (8.1%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) 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 tram or metro stop is Dunster (West Somerset Railway), about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is High Street Courtyards (n-bound), 240 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 10 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Somerset (22).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Dunster First School issued 5 suspensions, 4.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Dunster First School are West Somerset College (1.1 miles) and Minehead Middle School (1.6 miles).
Sources: 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
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from September 2014, 12 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 September 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
14.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
28.7
Avg class size
26.0
Infant (KS1)
34.0
KS2
3
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Dunster First School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dunster First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dunster First 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Dunster First School
Will you get a place at Dunster First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Dunster First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Dunster First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Dunster First School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Somerset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Dunster First 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
67%
Available places
101 pupils
150 places
49 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Minehead
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Minehead
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
7
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
8.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
86
Total Pupils
52
Boys
34
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
14.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£60,670
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,205
Per pupil
£701k
Total funding
£29k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.8%
Overall absence
18.4%
Persistent absence
87
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
Dunster First School
Questions parents ask about Dunster First School
What is Dunster First School's Ofsted rating?
Dunster First School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Dunster First School?
No fixed boundary. When Dunster First 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 Dunster First School?
Dunster First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 67% of its 150 places.
How big are the classes at Dunster First School?
Classes at Dunster First School average 28.7 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Dunster First School?
Dunster First School has around 86 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Dunster First School?
7.8% of sessions were missed at Dunster First School in 2024/25. 18.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Dunster First School?
Apply through Somerset's coordinated admissions process, naming Dunster First 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 Dunster First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Dunster First School?
Dunster First School is at 13 St George's Street, Dunster, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 6RX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)