Monkton Wood Academy, Taunton

Inadequate
Secondary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Ages 1118

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.3km)Possible (~1.8km)Unlikely (~2.4km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Hannah Jones
Pupils:1,267 / 1,410 capacity
LA:Somerset
Phone:01823412396
Address:School Road, Monkton Heathfield, Taunton, TA2 8PD
Trust:CABOT LEARNING FEDERATION
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 December 2023

Ofsted Rating

Inadequate

Overall

URN:150130
UKPRN:10093289
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Taunton and Wellington
Urban/Rural:Urban: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Monkton Wood Academy has successfully transformed behaviour and safety since opening as an academy. Lessons are calm with clear expectations, and most pupils form positive relationships and feel confident reporting concerns to staff. The school works closely with external agencies to provide the care and support pupils need, with particularly strong outcomes for sixth form students and pupils with special educational needs.

Key Strengths

  • Leaders have prioritised behaviour improvements with clear expectations that have resulted in calm lessons and reduced disruptions
  • Safeguarding processes are robust with well-trained staff, comprehensive records, and strong partnership working with external agencies
  • Pupils form positive relationships, socialise well together, and most are confident reporting problems to staff
  • Sixth form students act maturely and work productively together
  • Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities behave consistently well
  • Attendance rates are rising due to effective school actions

Areas for Improvement

  • Behaviour management approaches are not working effectively enough for a minority of vulnerable pupils who are not benefiting sufficiently from what the school offers
  • Some pupils are not engaged enough in lessons because expectations for achievement are not consistently high enough
  • The school's tracking and analysis of behaviour incidents lacks precision compared to attendance systems, making some improvement actions less targeted than they could be

Safeguarding

Arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with robust processes, well-trained staff, comprehensive records, appropriate referrals, rigorous follow-up, correct recruitment checks, and an open and vigilant culture prioritised by leaders.

Monkton Wood Academy, which opened as an academy in December 2023, has made effective progress in improving behaviour and attitudes since the predecessor school was judged inadequate. Arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

At a Glance

24.5%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

72 responses
Would recommend17%
Child is happy29%
Well taught33%
Good progress36%
Feels safe19%
Well behaved13%
Bullying dealt with13%
Kept informed40%
Handles concerns21%
Wider development29%

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

Class Sizes

24.8

Avg class size

51

Total classes

12 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Social & online

Getting There

Bus Stops

Heathfield School (W-bound)
47m · 1 min walk
Staddlestones (nr Mini Roundabout)
173m · 3 min walk
Merry Monk (SW-bound)
187m · 3 min walk
Thornash Close (NE-bound)
191m · 3 min walk
Hartnells Farm (SW-bound)
355m · 6 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

90%

Near capacity

1,267 pupils

1,410 capacity

143 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Taunton

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,534
Projected new pupils:276

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Taunton

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(101)

Date not published by Ofsted
Inadequate
Date not published by Ofsted
Inadequate
Date not published by Ofsted
Inadequate

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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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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

11.33239%

Overall absence

28.46656%

Persistent absence

1,226

Enrolments

Authorised7.9592%
Unauthorised3.3732%
Persistent (10%+)28.46656%
Severe (50%+)7.42251%

Absence trend

13.0784%
23/24
11.33239%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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