Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School, Shepton Mallet
Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Shepton Mallet. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 46th-highest of the 155 schools in Somerset with published results, and 6,288th of 14,452 across England. It was 87% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School in detail
Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Upton Noble Church of England VC Primary School is a small, welcoming village school set in the beautiful Somerset countryside, right in the heart of the county. The school benefits from school buses for our nearby villages - Batcombe, Brewham, Witham Friary and Wanstrow. The towns of Frome and Bruton are within easy reach."
The school runs after-school care until 4:30pm.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 71% in Somerset and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 71% in reading and 79% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 16 families put Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School as their first choice and 22 named it as one of their preferences, for 16 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 Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School are Bruton Primary School (3.3 miles, Good, 76% reading, 82% maths); Nunney First School (4 miles, Good); Evercreech Church of England Primary School (4 miles); and St Aldhelms Church School (4.8 miles, 77% reading, 73% maths).
Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
Bruton Primary SchoolNunney First SchoolEvercreech Church of England Primary SchoolSt Aldhelms Church School
What parents say
23 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Upton Noble CofE VC Primary 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 (91%).
Who goes there
9.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 10 pupils (6.2%) received SEN support and 1 (0.6%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bruton Rail Station, about 3.2 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School (nw-bound), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Somerset (22).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2019, 7 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The school's vision 'Let your light shine' underpins the values at Upton Noble Primary School. Pupils have a strong understanding of the importance of honesty and friendship. Pupils are eager to succeed and achieve well. They live up to the high ambitions the school has for them.
Adults have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Right from the start, the youngest children demonstrate this. Pupils are respectful of one another and adults. Strong relationships with adults support pupils to feel safe. They know that adults will listen to them and help with any worries or concerns. Parents and carers value the support the school provides to help pupils to flourish.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum that helps pupils to learn well. It has set out what it wants pupils to learn and by when. Precise steps of knowledge support pupils to build on what they have learned before. For example, children in early years swiftly grasp concepts such as subitising. This helps pupils in key stage 1 to secure their knowledge of number bonds, which older pupils build on to understand place value. However, in a few wider curriculum subjects, the school has not identified the key knowledge pupils need to learn. In these subjects, pupils have gaps in what they know and remember.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2019 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
9.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
23 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 71% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.0
Avg class size
19.7
Infant (KS1)
25.5
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School
Friday 1st May 2026
1 May 2026
Friday 27th March 2026
27 Mar 2026
Science Week Newsletter Friday 13th March 2026
13 Mar 2026
Friday 10th October 2025
10 Oct 2025
Friday 19th September 2025
19 Sep 2025
Wednesday 23rd July 2025
23 Jul 2025
From Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Upton Noble CofE VC Primary 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School
Will you get a place at Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Somerset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Upton Noble CofE VC Primary 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
87%
Available places
156 pupils
180 places
24 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Shepton Mallet
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Shepton Mallet
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
10
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
6.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
161
Total Pupils
84
Boys
77
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
17.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,546
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,423
Per pupil
£876k
Total funding
£29k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.8%
Overall absence
15.7%
Persistent absence
140
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School
What are SATs results like at Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School?
Of the pupils at Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Upton Noble CofE VC Primary 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 Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School?
Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 87% of its 180 places.
How big are the classes at Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School?
Classes at Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School average 23 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School?
Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School has around 161 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School?
5.8% of sessions were missed at Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School in 2024/25. 15.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School?
Apply through Somerset's coordinated admissions process, naming Upton Noble CofE VC Primary 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 Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School?
Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School is at Chapel Street, Upton Noble, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6AU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)