Wiveliscombe Primary School

About Wiveliscombe Primary School

Wiveliscombe Primary School is a state-funded, mixed primary school in Somerset that currently educates 211 pupils against a capacity of 260, meaning it has room to grow but is clearly in demand. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 33 applications for just 18 places, with all 18 first-preference applicants receiving offers — an oversubscription ratio of 1.83. This suggests a school that local families are actively choosing, and the intake profile reflects a community with above-average disadvantage: 20.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with a national primary average of around 23% and a Somerset average that typically sits in the low 20s. The school does not have a religious character, and its headteacher is Lucy Crowe. Facilities include a Forest School, playing fields, a library, an ICT suite, a gymnasium, art studios, a sports hall, a dining hall and a chapel, alongside clubs such as choir, book club, coding and science club.

Academically, Wiveliscombe performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 76% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Somerset average of 59% — a gap of 17 percentage points. This places the school 20th out of 134 primary schools in the county, comfortably inside the top 25% nationally. Individual subject scores are strong: the average scaled score in maths was 106, and in reading 105, both above the national benchmark of 100. At the higher standard, 17% of pupils achieved the top level across all three subjects, with 38% reaching that level in writing, 34% in reading and 31% in maths. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, rated it Good across all five categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — a consistent improvement from its previous Good rating in 2013.

For families considering Wiveliscombe, the school offers a broad set of provisions that suit a range of needs. It has identified SEND support for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Sports on offer include netball, dance, tennis and rounders, and the Forest School programme provides outdoor learning opportunities. The school is oversubscribed, so families applying from outside the immediate catchment should be aware that 18 first-preference applicants were offered places in the most recent round — meaning all who put it first got in, but with 33 total applications, some second-preference families may have missed out. It is a non-boarding, non-nursery primary for ages 4 to 11, and its strong academic outcomes relative to the local average make it a particularly attractive option for families prioritising solid KS2 results within a supportive, well-resourced setting.

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