The Mendip School, Shepton Mallet
The Mendip School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Shepton Mallet, part of The Partnership Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Mendip School in detail
The trust
The Mendip School is one of 17 schools run by The Partnership Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 22 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 77% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 46% to a further education college and 5% into work.
Who goes there
37.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 7.9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at The Mendip School has an education, health and care plan (148 of 151 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
The Mendip School has a resourced provision (152 places, 150 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (152 places, 150 pupils on roll) for speech, language and communication needs and autism.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of The Mendip School.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bath and West Showground Car Park (w-bound), 220 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 5 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Somerset (22).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Mendip School issued 9 suspensions, 6.3 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from July 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2018 inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
37.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision and SEN unit: Speech and language, Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Keep up with The Mendip School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Mendip School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Mendip 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
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
151 pupils
152 places
1 spare place
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Shepton Mallet
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Shepton Mallet
Across Somerset council
Places available
4,902
Applications
4,659
Got 1st preference
92.1%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Somerset council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
2
SEN Support
148
EHC Plans
99.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Mendip School has a resourced provision (152 places, 150 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (152 places, 150 pupils on roll) for speech, language and communication needs and autism.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
151
Total Pupils
117
Boys
34
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
40
Teachers
3.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,079
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
39.1%
Overall absence
61.7%
Persistent absence
253
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Mendip School
Questions parents ask about The Mendip School
What are GCSE results like at The Mendip School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Mendip School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 4.8. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Mendip School's Ofsted rating?
The Mendip School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Mendip School?
No fixed boundary. When The Mendip School is oversubscribed, Somerset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Mendip School?
The Mendip School has around 151 pupils on roll. 38% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Mendip School have specialist SEN provision?
The Mendip School has a resourced provision (152 places, 150 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (152 places, 150 pupils on roll) for speech, language and communication needs and autism.
What is attendance like at The Mendip School?
39.1% of sessions were missed at The Mendip School in 2024/25. 61.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Mendip School?
Apply through Somerset's coordinated admissions process, naming The Mendip School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near The Mendip School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were 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 The Mendip School?
The Mendip School is at Edmund Rack Road, Prestleigh, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 4FZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)