North Cadbury Church of England Primary School Review 2026: Small-school attention with top-tier KS2 outcomes

A rural village primary where children start building early reading skills from the very beginning of their time in early years, and where Key Stage 2 outcomes sit well above England averages. With a published capacity of 120 and around 94 pupils on roll, it has the feel of a genuinely small school, with mixed-age classes and familiar faces at the gate.

The latest Ofsted inspection (September 2023) judged the school Good overall, with Good across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.

For families weighing up a Church of England education, there is a clear Christian underpinning, alongside the standard Somerset agreed syllabus for religious education, and links with the local church community.

This is a Church of England school that talks in straightforward language about purpose and values. The mission statement is “To be the best we can be”, and that theme runs through how the school frames expectations, behaviour, and personal development.

Small size shapes daily life. Mixed-age teaching groups mean pupils often learn alongside children slightly older or younger than themselves, and that tends to produce a “we all know each other” dynamic. Staffing information published by the school suggests a structure that combines year groups into classes (Years 1 and 2 together, Years 3 and 4 together, Years 5 and 6 together), which is typical of high-performing small primaries that prioritise continuity and strong relationships.

The school is part of Preston Primary Academy Trust, and that matters in practice because trust support features in governance and school improvement. The trust relationship is longstanding, the school joined the trust in 2019, and the trust’s role appears explicitly in official reporting and governance information.

Leadership has recently moved into a new phase. The current head teacher is Mrs Amy Truett, and trust governance information records her headship from 01 January 2025, following the previous head teacher’s term ending in December 2024. That change is worth noting for families who value stability, not because it signals a problem, but because any leadership handover can bring adjustments to routines, priorities, and communication style.

Early years is an integrated part of the school’s identity, rather than an add-on. The school runs nursery provision (Sprites) and Reception within its early years team, and the language on curriculum pages points to a clear progression from pre-school into Reception, particularly around early phonics and reading readiness.

Key Stage 2 outcomes stand out. In 2024, 83.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with the England average of 62%. The higher standard figure is also striking: 58.67% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with the England average of 8%.

Scaled scores reinforce the picture. Reading is 107, mathematics is 109, and grammar, punctuation and spelling is 111, which points to strong basic skills and a cohort doing more than simply clearing the expected threshold.

Rankings (based on official data, presented via FindMySchool’s proprietary methodology) place the school well above the typical range. Ranked 946th in England and 4th in the Yeovil area for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), it sits well above the England average, within the top 10% of schools in England.

For parents comparing nearby schools, the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison view is useful here because it lets you line up the headline expected-standard and higher-standard outcomes side-by-side without wading through multiple dashboards.

A good way to understand teaching priorities is to look at what is emphasised in formal review and curriculum materials. In the most recent inspection cycle, deep dives included early reading, mathematics and history, which signals where leaders have invested thought, training, and sequencing.

Early reading is positioned as a whole-school priority that starts before statutory schooling begins. Official reporting describes Reception children beginning the reading programme almost as soon as they start, with pre-school children learning letter shapes and sounds, supported by staff training and careful tracking. For families choosing a small school partly to secure strong foundations, this is a practical indicator that phonics is treated as core, not optional.

The curriculum appears broad in intent, with published progression materials across foundation subjects including geography, music, art and design technology, and languages (Spanish appears in the curriculum area). That matters for pupils who thrive when learning goes beyond English and maths, particularly in a small setting where enrichment has to be planned deliberately rather than relying on scale.

Mixed-age teaching can be a strength when executed well. The implication is usually that teachers must be highly organised about sequencing and differentiation, because the same classroom needs to meet more than one year group’s needs. The school’s results suggest that pupils are not losing out academically through the structure, and, in practice, many families find that younger pupils gain confidence from older role models, while older pupils consolidate learning by mentoring and modelling.

As a primary, the key transition is into Year 7. In this part of Somerset, many families look towards Ansford Academy in Castle Cary as a local mainstream secondary option. The relationship is visible in school communications about events hosted at Ansford, and local community information also describes Ansford Academy as serving a large rural catchment in south-east Somerset.

Transition quality matters most for pupils who need extra support. The school’s published SEN information describes structured transition work, including liaison with the receiving school’s head of year and SENCo, visits, and additional sessions where needed. Even if your child does not have identified additional needs, this is a helpful signal that transition is treated as a process rather than a single moving-up day.

Because the school has nursery provision and mixed-age classes, some children will have been in the setting for a long time by the end of Year 6. For those pupils, the move to a larger secondary can feel significant socially, so families often benefit from prioritising secondary open events early and using summer-term transition opportunities fully.

This is a state-funded primary, so there are no tuition fees. Entry for Reception is coordinated through Somerset Council, not directly through the school, and the school’s admissions information is clear about the dates for the 2026 intake. The closing date for Reception applications for September 2026 is 15 January 2026.

Somerset Council’s published timeline adds detail that parents often miss. For on-time applications submitted by 15 January 2026, outcomes are issued on 16 April 2026. Late applications are processed later, with a stated later outcome date for applications received by early May.

Demand looks healthy. In the latest recorded Reception admissions cycle, there were 13 applications and 8 offers, which equates to about 1.63 applications per place. The school is recorded as oversubscribed on this measure, so families should assume that timing and accurate application details matter.

There is no published “last distance offered” figure available here, so it is not sensible to build a plan around a specific radius. If proximity is likely to matter to your family’s strategy, the FindMySchool Map Search is the safest way to sanity-check travel distance and compare realistic alternatives in the local area.

For in-year moves (for example, relocating mid-year), Somerset Council describes an application window that opens around half a term ahead of a requested start date, and notes that waiting list arrangements can differ depending on the admissions authority. As an academy, families should expect the school to have its own admissions arrangements within the coordinated framework.

Safeguarding leadership is clearly signposted, with the head teacher as designated safeguarding lead and named deputy safeguarding leads. For parents, the practical implication is clarity: you should be able to identify who holds responsibility and how concerns are routed.

The second part is culture, not just structure. The school frames expectations through values, links its approach to collective worship and personal development, and explicitly notes parents’ right to withdraw children from religious education and collective worship. That combination is typical of Church of England primaries that want to be inclusive while retaining a clear faith identity.

The most recent Ofsted report confirms that pupils learn well and that staff make adaptations pupils need when they need them, which supports a picture of a calm, well-organised setting where adults understand children as individuals.

Extracurricular life is structured in half-term blocks, with both teachers and support staff running clubs. The school itself describes a programme that can range from sewing to computing, rather than leaning only on the usual sports-and-crafts mix. That detail matters because it suggests clubs are linked to staff interests and skills, which is often how small schools create variety without scale.

There is also evidence of outward-facing activity with other schools, including events hosted at the local secondary and shared transport to festivals and performances. For pupils, the benefit is twofold: broader experiences, and familiarity with the environment they may later transition into.

Community building is not left to chance. The PTAFA is positioned as a core part of school life, with an annual meeting and a clear purpose: raising funds for additional resources and activities, while promoting a sense of community. For parents who want to get involved, this provides a ready-made route into the life of the school.

Early years, again, is a differentiator. Sprites children have access to early years outdoor space and are described as going on walks in nearby lanes, which implies a setting that uses its rural location as an asset for learning and independence (while still relying on families to verify supervision details and risk assessment approach during visits).

The school day runs from 08:45 to 15:15, with gates opening at 08:40.

Wraparound care is offered, with breakfast club running on weekdays and after-school childcare on weekdays earlier in the week (the school states Monday to Thursday for after-school childcare). Charges apply and sessions are pre-booked, so parents should check the current schedule and booking cut-offs before relying on availability.

Given the village setting, many families will be driving at least some of the time. If you are considering regular walking or cycling, it is sensible to check the immediate road environment and parking guidance alongside your own route planning.

• Competition for places. Recent Reception demand data indicates oversubscription, with more applications than offers. Families should treat on-time application submission as non-negotiable, and keep alternative options live until offers are confirmed.

• Leadership change. The headship moved into a new phase from January 2025, following the previous head’s term ending in late 2024. That can bring improvements, but it can also mean policy and communication changes that some families notice.

• A specific improvement point from external review. Recent official reporting highlights a need for leaders and the trust to evaluate information more precisely to plan next steps. Parents who want a school that is strongly self-evaluating may wish to ask how this has been addressed since the inspection.

• Faith character is real. Daily collective worship and a Christian ethos are clearly signposted, with an affiliated local church community. Families who prefer a more secular day-to-day experience should explore whether the approach aligns with their expectations.

This is a small Church of England primary with academic outcomes that are materially above England averages, including a notably high higher-standard figure at Key Stage 2. The early years to Reception progression is treated seriously, and wraparound provision adds practicality for working families. Best suited to families who want a values-led village school experience, with strong basics and a structured approach to early reading, and who are comfortable with an explicitly Christian ethos. The limiting factor is admission rather than educational quality.