Pyrland School Review 2026: A Taunton secondary in visible rebuild mode

Pyrland School is a Church of England secondary in Taunton serving students aged 11 to 16, with capacity for 1,050. It is a relatively young institution in its current form, created through a 2010 merger and later rebranded from The Taunton Academy to Pyrland School from 01 September 2023.

The most important context for families in 2026 is that this is a school in an improvement phase, with a great deal of leadership and governance change since early 2025, alongside a sharpened focus on curriculum sequencing, reading, and behaviour routines. A monitoring inspection in autumn 2025 describes a school making progress, while also being clear that there is still work to do for that progress to become consistent across classrooms and year groups.

In practical terms, this means two things for parents. First, you should expect a school that is actively tightening expectations and routines. Second, you should assess fit carefully, particularly if your child is anxious about change or needs a very settled, consistent system from day one.

The school’s rebrand to Pyrland School was positioned as a way to reflect its link to the local area, rather than to signal a new admissions model or a change of site. The tone of communications is direct about raising expectations, with a strong emphasis on respect and inclusion.

As a Church of England school, the ethos is explicit but framed as inclusive. The “Pyrland Way” centres on being Ready, Respectful, Responsible, and the school uses a Christian framing of “life in all its fullness” to describe its approach to flourishing and wellbeing. Importantly, the same page states the school values everyone regardless of faith and background, which matters for families who want the benefits of a faith-rooted ethos without a narrow religious culture.

Pastoral structures are clearly visible in how the school organises community. Students belong to one of four houses, Maple, Cedar, Willow, and Oak, with named staff leading each house. That matters because house systems can either be a token badge or a genuine organising principle; here it is used for competitions, community-building, and a house cup presented at the end of the year.

Leadership has also been a prominent part of the story. The school appointed Lisa Webber as head teacher in March 2023 after she had served as acting head; the same announcement notes she had been deputy head at Gordano School. By 2025, the executive headteacher role is held by Mark Lawrence, who is described in official documentation as appointed on 24 March 2025, and who fronted key Year 7 open event presentations for September 2026 entry.

Headline outcomes sit below England averages on the metrics available here, and parents should be realistic about where the school currently is academically, while also paying attention to trajectory and the quality of day-to-day teaching for their child.

At GCSE level, the school’s FindMySchool ranking for outcomes places it 3,359th in England and 7th locally (Taunton). This corresponds to performance below England average overall (within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure).

On published attainment and progress indicators, the Attainment 8 score is 37.7 and Progress 8 is -0.68, which indicates students, on average, make less progress than similar pupils nationally from their starting points. The EBacc average point score is 3.17, compared with an England average of 4.08, and 5.4% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across EBacc.

Two implications follow.

1. If your child is academically self-driven and already organised, the school’s outcomes should not automatically rule it out, but you will want to probe subject-level strength and the reliability of classroom routines.

2. If your child needs significant academic structure and calm consistency to make progress, you should weigh how well the school’s improvement work has embedded across all subjects, not just in pockets.

One additional and very relevant piece of context is the school’s current inspection position. The latest Ofsted inspection (28 January 2025) graded Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, and Leadership and Management as Inadequate.

A school can be improving culturally and operationally without results improving immediately, and the best way to judge this phase is to look at what the school says it has changed in the classroom.

The 2025 monitoring letter describes a curriculum that now identifies key knowledge, sequences learning so that students build on prior understanding, and uses a shared approach to assessment to spot gaps. Reading has been prioritised, with daily reading and targeted support for weaker readers, including a new phonics programme.

This is more than compliance language, it is a specific model that tends to help schools stabilise. For families, the practical question is whether your child thrives in a more structured, routine-led classroom, because that is the direction of travel described.

Facilities also support a hands-on approach. The school highlights a multi-million pound science wing with a “super lab”, a design and technology zone that includes a professional kitchen, and a dedicated creative arts building across three storeys that includes recording and dance facilities. A newer or refurbished library space also features in school communications, with a complete refit and relocation described in 2025.

Pyrland School does not have a sixth form, so students leave after Year 11. The practical advantage of this model is clarity: GCSEs are the culminating point, and post-16 choices are made from a clean slate.

Local post-16 routes typically include sixth form colleges and further education providers across Taunton and the wider Somerset area. A relevant structural detail is that the school is sponsored by Richard Huish College and has been part of the Richard Huish group since 01 April 2015, which can support smoother transition relationships for some students, depending on course fit.

When you visit, ask how the school handles Year 11 destinations in practice: guidance interviews, taster days, and support for applications. For many students, the quality of careers education and the discipline of revision routines in Year 11 will matter as much as the headline GCSE statistics.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Admissions for Year 7 are coordinated through the local authority, and the school’s published admission number for Year 7 is 210.

For September 2026 entry, the published closing date for applications is 31 October 2025, with offers made on 02 March 2026.

Oversubscription criteria are detailed and worth reading carefully, especially because this is a Church of England school with a faith-related element in admissions. After children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, priority follows catchment and sibling rules, then staff children, and then up to 15% (or less) of places can be allocated to children who are practising members of specified Christian churches, using a supplementary form process. Distance tie-breaks are measured in a straight line using a Geographical Information System method.

Open events for September 2026 entry were scheduled in late September and early October 2025, including an open evening and open mornings. In most years, families should expect a similar timing, but dates can shift, so rely on the school’s current announcements.

If you are trying to judge likelihood of a place, use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check your home-to-school distance alongside published criteria, and confirm how “catchment” is defined for the year you are applying.

Pastoral organisation is explicit. Heads of Year oversee welfare, attendance, conduct, and attainment for each year group, which is a sensible structure during a period of whole-school change because it makes accountability clearer for families.

As a Church of England school, Pyrland also uses “school pastors”, volunteers from local churches who provide an additional adult presence, including informal support and supervised availability at social times. This can be helpful for students who need a calm adult to talk to without making a formal referral.

Mental health support is framed as a whole-school approach, including student wellbeing champions and partnership working with local mental health support structures. The ethos language is explicitly Christian but positioned as inclusive.

Safeguarding is described as effective in the most recent monitoring findings, and parents should still do what they would do for any school: ask how concerns are logged, how students are taught online safety, and how bullying is handled day-to-day.

Extracurricular breadth matters most when it is specific and sustained, rather than a long generic list. Pyrland does have several distinctive strands that show up repeatedly across its communications.

Cadets and structured youth leadership are a standout. The school hosts a satellite detachment with the Taunton Sea and Royal Marines Cadets, running after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with monthly integration into the main unit. For some students, cadets provide the structure, identity, and responsibility that helps them settle and mature.

Performing arts is another visible pillar

The facilities narrative emphasises recording and dance spaces alongside art, music, and drama in a dedicated building. The school has also referenced a successful theatrical production, which aligns with a wider push to rebuild community culture through shared events.

Library and academic habits are being used as a culture lever

The library has run homework club after school and promotes quieter lunchtime activities such as chess and board games. For families worried about distraction and low-level disruption, this kind of structured “third space” can be more influential than a poster campaign about study habits.

There is also a clear “enrichment” framing through the “Pyrland Promise”, plus an Activities Week model that targets Years 7 to 9 with a mix of residentials, day trips, and in-school activity options. Done well, this supports attendance, belonging, and confidence, particularly for students who need more than lessons to feel they belong.

The published school day starts at 08.50 and ends at 15.20, with a split lunch and a “Read to Succeed” slot built into the lunch structure for different year groups.

Because the school serves Taunton and surrounding communities, transport planning matters. Families should review the most suitable bus routes and safe walking or cycling options for their child’s year group, and check how the school manages arrival routines during the “standing start” period.

• Inspection position and pace of change. The January 2025 inspection grades are serious, and the school has been working through rapid improvement actions since then. This can be positive for some students, but it may feel unsettled for others who need high predictability.

• Academic outcomes are currently below England average. Progress 8 of -0.68 and an Attainment 8 score of 37.7 point to a cohort that, on average, has not been achieving as strongly as peers nationally. Families should ask about subject-level improvements and how consistently routines are embedded across classrooms.

• Faith element in admissions. Although the ethos is described as inclusive, the admissions policy includes a faith-based allocation element (up to 15% or less of Year 7 places). If you are relying on a specific criterion, read the policy carefully and confirm supplementary form requirements.

• No sixth form. Students will need a post-16 transition plan at the end of Year 11. For some families this is a benefit, for others it adds complexity if they would prefer a single setting through Year 13.

Pyrland School is best understood as a community secondary in a concentrated improvement phase, combining tighter classroom structure, a deliberate focus on reading and curriculum sequencing, and a strong push on belonging through houses, enrichment, and distinctive activities like cadets. It will suit families who want a Church of England school ethos that is framed as inclusive, and who are prepared to engage actively with the school as it stabilises systems and raises expectations. The key decision is whether the current pace of change and the school’s academic track record align with what your child needs right now.