1
The Castle School
Taunton • Somerset • TA1 5AU
1
23 Nov 2023
Top 10 Secondary schools in Somerset
Updated for the latest inspections (median graded year: 2023)
This Top 10 showcases secondary schools in the local authority of Somerset. It’s built from the latest graded Ofsted inspections. We rank Outstanding (grade 1) above Good (grade 2), then prioritise newer inspections. As tie-breakers, we consider the “Quality of education” sub-judgement (where available), then %FSM and school size.
Total secondary schools
28
Outstanding
1
Good
17
Median inspection year
2023
Ofsted grade mix (graded schools)
O: 4% · G: 68% · RI: 20% · I: 8%
2
Buckler's Mead School
Yeovil • BA21 4NH
2
3 Jul 2024
3
Haygrove School
Bridgwater • Somerset • TA6 7HW
2
20 May 2024
4
St Dunstan's School
Glastonbury • Somerset • BA6 9BY
2
14 Mar 2024
5
Court Fields School
Wellington • Somerset • TA21 8SW
2
21 May 2023
6
Holyrood Academy
Chard • Somerset • TA20 1JL
2
26 Apr 2023
7
Sexey's School
Bruton • Somerset • BA10 0DF
2
6 Mar 2023
8
Preston School Academy
Yeovil • Somerset • BA21 3JD
2
6 Mar 2023
9
The King Alfred School an Academy
Highbridge • Somerset • TA9 3EE
2
18 Jan 2023
10
Whitstone
Shepton Mallet • Somerset • BA4 5PF
2
15 Jun 2022
How we rank these schools
- Headline Ofsted grade: Outstanding (1) outranks Good (2), then RI (3), then Inadequate (4).
- More recent graded inspection dates rank higher.
- Where available, we use the Quality of education sub-judgement as a tie-breaker.
- Lower free school meals (%) may break remaining ties.
- Larger roll (pupil count) is a final tie-breaker.
Only the ten highest-ranked schools are shown; we also list “near misses” just below.
About Ofsted grades
- Outstanding (1): Highest judgement across key areas.
- Good (2): Strong effectiveness; meets standards consistently.
- Requires improvement (3): Not yet good; clear areas to improve.
- Inadequate (4): Significant weaknesses found.
Ungraded Section 8 visits check whether the previous graded judgement still stands, but they don’t replace it.
Data freshness & coverage
We refresh inspections and school snapshots regularly. If a school was inspected very recently, its report may not yet appear here.
Top-10 pages only appear for areas with at least 10 secondary schools that have a graded Ofsted inspection.
Map of the Top 10
Also highly rated nearby
- Wadham School 2 • Jul 2019
- The Blue School 2 • Nov 2017
- Brymore Academy 2 • May 2015
- The Kings of Wessex Academy 2 • Apr 2015
- Westfield Academy 2 • Oct 2014
- Crispin School Academy 2 • Jun 2014
- Frome Community College 2 • Feb 2014
- Bishop Fox's School 2 • May 2013
- Ansford Academy 3 • Dec 2023
- Robert Blake School 3 • Nov 2023