Cannington Church of England Primary School

About Cannington Church of England Primary School

Cannington Church of England Primary School sits in the bottom half of primary schools in Somerset, with just 50% of its pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year. That is nine percentage points below the local authority average of 59%, a gap that places the school 94th out of 219 primary schools in the county and in the bottom 50% nationally. The picture is more mixed when you look at individual subjects: 79% of pupils met the expected standard in maths, and average scores in reading (104) and maths (103) were both above the national baseline of 100. But the proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects was just 7%, and only 11% achieved higher in reading or maths. These headline figures help explain why the school’s most recent graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, rated overall effectiveness as not judged but gave quality of education and leadership and management a Requires Improvement.

The school’s previous full inspection, in 2014, rated it Good across the board, so the drop in quality of education and leadership is a significant shift. Ofsted’s inspectors did find strengths elsewhere: early years provision, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes were all judged Good. That aligns with the parent view, where 92% of the 26 respondents said their child is happy at the school, and 88% said their child feels safe. However, only 65% of parents felt the school has high expectations for their child, and just 42% agreed that the school makes them aware of what their child will learn, with an equal 42% disagreeing. On clubs and activities, 50% of parents disagreed or strongly disagreed that their child can take part, which is a notable split given the school does offer book club, gardening, coding, art club and choir. The school has a Church of England character and headteacher Marie Marchant leads a small community of 164 pupils, with 15.2% eligible for free school meals.

For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 36 applications for 25 places, with 23 first-preference offers made. That suggests strong local demand despite the Ofsted rating. Facilities include a library, art studios, playing fields, an outdoor playground and a chapel, and the school offers a range of sports including swimming, athletics, cricket and football. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health, speech and language needs, and autistic spectrum disorder, though no parents responded to the SEND support question on Parent View. This is a school that suits families who value a small, Church of England primary with strong pastoral care and a Good rating for behaviour and personal development, but who are prepared to engage closely with the school on academic expectations and communication.

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