King Arthur's School, Wincanton

Requires Improvement
Secondary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Ages 1116

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Jonty Archibald
Pupils:450 / 700 capacity
LA:Somerset
Phone:0196332368
Address:West Hill, Wincanton, BA9 9BX
Trust:SHERBORNE AREA SCHOOLS' TRUST
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:1 April 2019

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Requires Improvement

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Inspected 29 April 2025View full report
URN:147016
UKPRN:10082916
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Glastonbury and Somerton
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

King Arthur's creates a happy, supportive environment where pupils feel confident and safe. The school offers an outstanding enrichment programme with trips abroad, Duke of Edinburgh, and leadership opportunities that inspire pupils to think about their futures. The school is inclusive and provides good support for pupils with additional needs.

Key Strengths

  • Strong behaviour and positive attitudes to learning with high expectations for all pupils
  • Excellent enrichment programme including international trips (Berlin, Italy), Duke of Edinburgh, and leadership development through the Aspire programme
  • Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
  • Good careers advice and guidance for pupils' next steps
  • Staff wellbeing prioritised with strong professional development opportunities

Areas for Improvement

  • Quality of teaching is variable across classes and subjects, with inconsistent use of assessment to check understanding and address misconceptions
  • No appropriate support programme for pupils at early stages of learning to read, hindering their curriculum access
  • Reading curriculum not implemented consistently, failing to develop pupils' reading fluency and wider reading habits
  • Pupils' attainment below national expectations in some subjects despite improving progress

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.

Extracurricular Activities

Trips to Berlin and Italy, Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, university visits, theatre trips, Aspire programme (leadership skills and future goals), prefect roles, sports leader positions, philosophy and ethics study, digital literacy and employability skills learning

King Arthur's School is a secondary comprehensive in Somerset that has made significant improvements since its previous inspection. The school instils confidence in pupils and maintains a happy, supportive environment, though the quality of teaching across subjects remains inconsistent.

At a Glance

27.8%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

88 responses
Would recommend84%
Child is happy82%
Well taught84%
Good progress89%
Feels safe89%
Well behaved76%
Bullying dealt with24%
Kept informed90%
Handles concerns60%
Wider development82%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

22.2

Avg class size

17

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

King Arthur's School (E-bound)
127m · 2 min walk
West Hill House (NE-bound)
218m · 4 min walk
The Mount (W-bound)
260m · 4 min walk
Springfield Road (SW-bound)
371m · 6 min walk
Football Lane (E-bound)
445m · 7 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

64%

Available places

450 pupils

700 capacity

250 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Wincanton

Low pressure
New homes approved:78
Projected new pupils:14

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Wincanton

Admissions Demand - Somerset

Low demand0.91x oversubscription

Places available

5,071

Applications

4,601

Got 1st preference

92.0%

Got preferred school

96.7%

Secondary admissions across Somerset (2025/26)

Inspection History(3)

29 April 2025
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
29 November 2022
Requires ImprovementReport
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesRequires Improvement
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement
28 November 2017
Inadequate
Leadership & ManagementInadequate

House Prices

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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

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

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

8.92585%

Overall absence

28.08511%

Persistent absence

470

Enrolments

Authorised6.15217%
Unauthorised2.77369%
Persistent (10%+)28.08511%
Severe (50%+)4.25532%

Absence trend

5.38589%
18/19
5.81906%
20/21
9.42151%
21/22
9.23094%
22/23
9.31329%
23/24
8.92585%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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