Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy

About Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy

Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy, a Church of England primary in Somerset for children aged 2 to 9, received a Requires Improvement overall rating in its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2025. This marks a notable shift from its previous inspection in 2012, when it was judged Good. The breakdown shows a mixed picture: inspectors rated personal development and behaviour and attitudes as Good, but quality of education and early years provision both require improvement, and leadership and management was also judged Requires Improvement. The school is small, with 158 pupils against a capacity of 150, and 9.5 per cent of children are eligible for free school meals. Despite the Ofsted rating, parent opinion is overwhelmingly positive — 93 per cent of respondents to the Parent View survey would recommend the school, and 63 per cent strongly agreed that their child is happy there. The survey, based on 56 responses collected between September 2024 and September 2025, also showed strong agreement that the school has high expectations and that children do well.

Academic outcomes data for Mark First is limited, but the local context provides a useful benchmark. The Somerset local authority average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2 is 59 per cent, though the school’s own KS2 results are not available in this dataset. The school does not have a sixth form, as it caters only up to age 9, so there are no A-Level or GCSE results to report. Ofsted’s quality of education judgement of Requires Improvement suggests that curriculum delivery and pupil progress need strengthening, though inspectors noted that personal development is a strength. The school’s most recent inspection report, published in March 2025, is available online for parents who want the full detail. With 219 primary schools in the same local authority and only six rated Outstanding, Mark First sits in a competitive landscape where most schools are rated Good or lower.

The school offers a range of facilities including a music room, ICT suite, forest school, sports hall, playing fields and a chapel, plus clubs such as film, coding, book club, drama and choir. Sports on offer include football, netball, rounders and cross country. For children with additional needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Admissions for the 2025/26 year show the school is oversubscribed: 30 applications for 13 places, with 13 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.31. This suggests strong local demand despite the Requires Improvement rating. Mark First also has nursery provision, making it a potential option for families seeking a single setting from age 2 through to Year 4. It would suit parents who prioritise a Church of England ethos, small class sizes, and a school where parent satisfaction is high, but who are comfortable with a school that is actively working on curriculum improvement.

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