Rode Methodist VC First School, Frome
Rode Methodist VC First School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 9 in Frome. It has a Methodist religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. It was 80% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than 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
Rode Methodist VC First School in detail
Getting a place at Rode Methodist VC First School
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put Rode Methodist VC First School as their first choice and 44 named it as one of their preferences, for 18 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Rode Methodist VC First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Rode Methodist VC First School are Beckington Church First School (1.3 miles); Norton St Philip Church of England First School (2.3 miles, Good); Southwick Church of England Primary School (2.3 miles, 77% reading, 77% maths); and Berkley Church of England First School (2.7 miles, Requires improvement).
Beckington Church First SchoolNorton St Philip Church of England First SchoolSouthwick Church of England Primary SchoolBerkley Church of England First School
Who goes there
10.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%) and Mixed (15%).
In 2026, 10 pupils (13.3%) received SEN support and 1 (1.3%) 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
Rode Methodist VC First School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 8 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Trowbridge Rail Station, about 4 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Rode Baptist Church (ne-bound), 230 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Rode Methodist VC First School issued 1 suspension, 1.4 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 school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from September 2017, 9 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 2017 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
10.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
15.0
Avg class size
14.7
Infant (KS1)
15.5
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Rode Methodist VC First School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Rode Methodist VC First School.
- IG Sports Coaching Limited - RodeAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Rode Methodist VC First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Rode Methodist VC 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
- 1
- 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, 1 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 Rode Methodist VC First School
Will you get a place at Rode Methodist VC First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Rode Methodist VC First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Rode Methodist VC First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Rode Methodist VC 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 Rode Methodist VC 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
80%
Available places
72 pupils
90 places
18 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Frome
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Frome
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(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
10
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
14.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
75
Total Pupils
38
Boys
37
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
8.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,189
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,817
Per pupil
£534k
Total funding
£9k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.2%
Overall absence
0.0%
Persistent absence
62
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Rode Methodist VC First School
What is Rode Methodist VC First School's Ofsted rating?
Rode Methodist VC First School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Rode Methodist VC First School?
No fixed boundary. When Rode Methodist VC 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 Rode Methodist VC First School?
Rode Methodist VC First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 80% of its 90 places.
How big are the classes at Rode Methodist VC First School?
Classes at Rode Methodist VC First School average 15 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Rode Methodist VC First School?
Rode Methodist VC First School has around 75 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Rode Methodist VC First School?
3.2% of sessions were missed at Rode Methodist VC First School in 2024/25. 0% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Rode Methodist VC First School?
Apply through Somerset's coordinated admissions process, naming Rode Methodist VC 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.
Does Rode Methodist VC First School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: IG Sports Coaching Limited - Rode (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Rode Methodist VC 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, 1 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 Rode Methodist VC First School?
Rode Methodist VC First School is at High Street, Rode, Frome, Somerset, BA11 6NZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)