King Arthur's School

About King Arthur's School

King Arthur's School in Somerset posts a Progress 8 score of -0.21, which sits almost exactly on the local authority average of -0.2 for secondary schools. That places it 15th out of 26 schools in Somerset, putting it in the middle of the pack rather than at either extreme. The school's Attainment 8 score of 40.3 gives a useful snapshot of how pupils perform across eight key subjects, and the basics measure — the proportion achieving grade 4 or above in both English and maths — stands at 53.8 per cent. That figure drops to 32.1 per cent when you look at the stronger grade 5 benchmark, which is a more telling indicator for parents aiming for solid GCSE foundations. The EBacc average point score of 3.41 and the fact that only 19.2 per cent of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects suggest the curriculum leans away from the full academic breadth that some families prioritise.

The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2025, judged it as Requires Improvement overall, though the picture is more nuanced than that single label suggests. Behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management were all rated Good, meaning the school's culture and leadership are functioning well. The quality of education remains the sticking point, rated Requires Improvement, which aligns with the Progress 8 score being slightly below national averages. Looking at the breakdown, progress in maths (-0.32) and the EBacc subjects (-0.28) is weaker than in English (-0.19) and open subjects (-0.1). The confidence interval for Progress 8 ranges from -0.53 to 0.1, so the true picture could be either somewhat worse or marginally positive. Compared with its previous inspection in 2022, where both behaviour and leadership were also Requires Improvement, the school has clearly made gains in those areas.

King Arthur's is an 11-16 mixed state school with no sixth form, so families will need to plan for post-16 options elsewhere. It is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 102 applications for 72 places, with 70 first-preference offers made. The school serves a community where 25.9 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average, and it has a broad range of SEND provisions including support for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Facilities are strong for a school of its size — a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, sports hall, and art studios are all on site. Parent View responses from 88 families show 84 per cent would recommend the school, and strong majorities agree that their child is happy, feels safe, and can take part in clubs and activities. This is a school that suits families who value a supportive, improving environment over headline academic results.

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