Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy, Highbridge
Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Highbridge, part of Wessex Learning Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. It was 85% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Somerset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy in detail
Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy in its own words
In its own words: "We create a love of learning where everyone is respected and encouraged to reach their full potential. Our school vision underpins every aspect of school life and is our core purpose. Through our vision, we strive to reflect our culture and ethos, which is that we can all achieve our best and succeed with support and guidance from God."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Mark First Church of England Academy. We are a small school situated on the edge of the village of Mark on the Somerset Levels, who provide a high-quality education for children from 2-9 years old."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy as their first choice and 35 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 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 Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy are East Huntspill Primary School (1.7 miles, 36% reading, 64% maths); Brent Knoll Church of England Primary School (2.4 miles, Good, 95% reading, 91% maths); Churchfield Church School (2.5 miles, Good, 47% reading, 37% maths); and East Brent Church of England First School (2.9 miles, Good).
East Huntspill Primary SchoolBrent Knoll Church of England Primary SchoolChurchfield Church SchoolEast Brent Church of England First School
The trust
Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy is one of 23 schools run by Wessex Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
56 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 36% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (36%).
Who goes there
8.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 14 pupils (8.9%) received SEN support and 9 (5.7%) 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.
Staffing
Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy had 12 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Highbridge & Burnham-on-Sea Rail Station, about 2.4 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Mark First School (e-bound), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often burglary and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Somerset (22).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy issued 6 suspensions, 3.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Mark First and Pre-School is a caring school where children are happy and safe. Staff provide strong support for reading and for pupils with additional needs, and the school works hard to develop children's character alongside their academic learning. Most parents appreciate the dedication and care shown by the staff.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading from pre-school with effective phonics teaching and early identification of struggling readers
- Pupils demonstrate good behaviour and positive relationships with staff and each other
- Comprehensive support for pupils with SEND who are well-included in school life
- Broad curriculum that develops pupils' wider personal and cultural development
- Staff feel valued with good support for their wellbeing
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum not clearly broken down in some subjects, leaving pupils with gaps in knowledge that are not building over time
- Assessment not used with enough precision to identify and address gaps in pupils' understanding
- Early years staff still developing expertise in high-quality interactions to support language development
- Behaviour policy not applied consistently by all staff, affecting learning for some pupils
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with trustees understanding their role in maintaining oversight of statutory processes and maintaining an open culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Basketball, football, dance, school council, play leaders, eco-committee, residential visits, church and synagogue visits, outdoor learning
Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy is a welcoming and inclusive school where pupils are happy and safe, but the quality of education requires improvement as pupils have gaps in their learning across subjects and phases.
At a Glance
8.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
56 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
24.6
Avg class size
24.0
Infant (KS1)
28.0
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy 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
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 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 Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy
Will you get a place at Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Somerset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy for 2017 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
85%
Available places
127 pupils
150 places
23 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Highbridge
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Highbridge
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(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
14.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
158
Total Pupils
79
Boys
79
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
13.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,529
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,555
Per pupil
£793k
Total funding
£23k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.7%
Overall absence
10.9%
Persistent absence
101
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy
What is Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy's Ofsted rating?
Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy is oversubscribed, Somerset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy?
Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 85% of its 150 places.
How big are the classes at Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy?
Classes at Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy average 24.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy?
Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy has around 158 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy?
5.7% of sessions were missed at Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy in 2024/25. 10.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy?
Apply through Somerset's coordinated admissions process, naming Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy 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 Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 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 Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy?
Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy is at The Causeway, Mark, Highbridge, Somerset, TA9 4QA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)