South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School, South Petherton
South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 7 in South Petherton. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. It was 85% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
- 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 27 Oct 2026
South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School in detail
South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a busy but friendly school, with lots going on. Please feel free to contact the school direct with any queries you may have. South Petherton Church of England Infants is a vibrant school where children are enthusiastic and motivated to achieve endless possibilities."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include tennis, athletics, gymnastics and choir.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School as their first choice and 31 named it as one of their preferences, for 23 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 South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School are South Petherton Junior School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 74% reading, 77% maths); Shepton Beauchamp Church School (1.9 miles, 57% reading, 57% maths); Kingsbury Episcopi Primary School (2 miles, Good, 76% reading, 81% maths); and Martock Church School (2.3 miles).
South Petherton Junior SchoolShepton Beauchamp Church SchoolKingsbury Episcopi Primary SchoolMartock Church School
What parents say
25 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (96%).
Who goes there
13.7% 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.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (90%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 10 pupils (9.8%) received SEN support and 3 (2.9%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Prigg Lane (opposite), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2013, 12 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 November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at nurturing the whole child while maintaining high academic standards. Pupils benefit from exceptional phonics teaching and a well-designed curriculum that builds knowledge progressively. Beyond academics, the school fosters strong community connections, developing pupils' moral purpose and sense of global citizenship through activities like supporting the local foodbank and links with a school in Kenya.
Key Strengths
- Rigorous and well-established phonics approach with very high reading outcomes consistently above national averages
- Ambitious curriculum with careful consideration of the order pupils learn content, building well on prior knowledge
- Strong focus on the whole child with warm and caring attitudes between staff and pupils
- Effective early identification and support of children with SEND, with both pre-school and main school working together
- Well-trained staff who implement the curriculum with high ambition and check what pupils remember
Areas for Improvement
- Recent curriculum changes in some subjects have not yet been fully embedded, with pupils not yet developing depth of knowledge due to prior gaps in learning
- Attendance for some pupils has not been strong enough in recent years, causing them to miss important learning
- School needs to continue working with families to secure high attendance for all groups of pupils in the long term
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear evidence of strong culture and systems in place.
Extracurricular Activities
School choir, Christmas performances, local community events, farm visits for lambing season, school council, various clubs
South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School is a school full of sparkle and joy that places utmost importance on pupils' happiness and enjoyment, helping them to thrive academically, socially and emotionally. The school has high expectations for pupils in all aspects of school life and is at the centre of village life with strong links to the local community and wider world.
At a Glance
13.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
25 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
25.5
Avg class size
25.3
Infant (KS1)
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School
Autumn Term 2026 Newsletter 1
1 Oct 2026
Autumn Term 1 Important Diary Dates
1 Oct 2026
Autumn Term 2026 Newsletter 2
1 Oct 2026
End of Year Letter July 2026
22 Jul 2026
Summer Term Newsletter 9
6 Jul 2026
Summer Term Newsletter 8
26 Jun 2026
From South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School.
- Hassockmoor Childcare & Out of School ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
- Hassockmoor Childcare & Out of School Club250m away · Not yet graded
- Hassockmoor Childcare & Out of School Club470m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
1 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 South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School
Will you get a place at South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Somerset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre 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
85%
Available places
102 pupils
120 places
18 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - South Petherton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for South Petherton
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(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
10
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
12.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
102
Total Pupils
53
Boys
49
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
17.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,752
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,968
Per pupil
£647k
Total funding
£20k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
11.0%
Persistent absence
73
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School
What is South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School's Ofsted rating?
South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School?
No fixed boundary. When South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre 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 South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School?
South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School was not full in 2025: it ran at 85% of its 120 places.
How big are the classes at South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School?
Classes at South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School average 25.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School?
South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School has around 102 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School?
4.4% of sessions were missed at South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School in 2024/25. 11% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School?
Apply through Somerset's coordinated admissions process, naming South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre 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 South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Hassockmoor Childcare & Out of School Club (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 1 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 South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School?
South Petherton Church of England Infants and Pre School is at Church Path, Hele Lane, South Petherton, Somerset, TA13 5DY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)