Minehead First School, Minehead
Minehead First School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Minehead, part of Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2024. It was 83% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- 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
Minehead First School in detail
Getting a place at Minehead First School
For September 2026 entry, 45 families put Minehead First School as their first choice and 63 named it as one of their preferences, for 47 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Minehead First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Minehead First School are St Michael's Church of England First School (0.3 miles, Good); Dunster First School (1.9 miles, Good); Timberscombe Church of England First School (2.5 miles, Good); and Cutcombe Church of England First School (5.1 miles, Good).
St Michael's Church of England First SchoolDunster First SchoolTimberscombe Church of England First SchoolCutcombe Church of England First School
The trust
Minehead First School is one of 44 schools run by Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, an academy trust.
Who goes there
11.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Minehead (West Somerset Railway), about 770 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Minehead First School (sw-bound), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 83 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Somerset (22), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Minehead First School issued 85 suspensions, 27.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Minehead First School are Minehead Middle School (0.3 miles) and West Somerset College (0.8 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
16.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
28.1
Avg class size
29.5
Infant (KS1)
26.8
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Minehead First School
25th September 2026
25 Sep 2026
18th September 2026
18 Sep 2026
11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
24th July 2026
24 Jul 2026
16th July 2026
16 Jul 2026
10th July 2026
10 Jul 2026
From Minehead First School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Minehead First School
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Minehead First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Minehead 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
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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 Minehead First School
Will you get a place at Minehead First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Minehead First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Minehead First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Minehead 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 Minehead First School 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
83%
Available places
272 pupils
326 places
54 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
40
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
18.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
286
Total Pupils
140
Boys
146
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
23.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,522
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,172
Per pupil
£1612k
Total funding
£79k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.3%
Overall absence
17.6%
Persistent absence
221
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
Minehead First School
Questions parents ask about Minehead First School
What is Minehead First School's Ofsted rating?
Minehead First School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for Minehead First School?
No fixed boundary. When Minehead 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 Minehead First School?
Minehead First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 83% of its 326 places.
How big are the classes at Minehead First School?
Classes at Minehead First School average 28.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Minehead First School?
Minehead First School has around 286 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Minehead First School?
6.3% of sessions were missed at Minehead First School in 2024/25. 17.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Minehead First School?
Apply through Somerset's coordinated admissions process, naming Minehead 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 Minehead First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 Minehead First School?
Minehead First School is at Townsend Road, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 5RG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)