Thurlbear Church of England Primary School
Thurlbear, Taunton, TA3 5BW
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Ages
- 5 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mr Steve Gillan
- Diocese
- Diocese of Bath and Wells
- Constituency
- Taunton and Wellington
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 210
- Pupils on roll
- 210
- URN
- 123849
- Local authority
- Somerset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01823442277
About this school
Thurlbear Church of England Primary School is a Church of England voluntary aided primary school in Taunton. It teaches children aged 5 to 11 and has 210 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 2 May 2024, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good and saw signs of improvement; a full inspection will follow. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 73% | 72% | 76% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 17% | 7% | 10% |
| Expected standard in reading | 83% | 79% | 90% |
| Expected standard in maths | 90% | 83% | 90% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 83% | 76% | 90% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 107.0 | 106.0 | 108.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 107.0 | 105.0 | 107.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.10 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +0.70 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +1.20 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Thurlbear Church of England Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Somerset average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 73% | 54.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 72% | 55.4% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 76% | 57.3% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.5% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.3% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3.5% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 207 |
| 2023/24 | 208 |
| 2024/25 | 203 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Thurlbear Church of England Primary School compares
Thurlbear Church of England Primary School ranked 22nd of 155 primary schools in Somerset for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 80% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 93% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 76% | 3.5% | 7.4% | 210 | — |
| Ruishton Church of England School | 62% | 5.4% | 17.8% | 215 | 2.3 miles |
| Holway Park Community Primary School | 39% | 6.6% | 35.5% | 335 | 2.3 miles |
| Blackbrook Primary School | 71% | 4.8% | 14.7% | 222 | 2.4 miles |
| Hatch Beauchamp Church of England Primary School | — | 6.2% | 37.5% | 33 | 2.4 miles |
| Minerva Primary School | 67% | 7.4% | 57.6% | 140 | 2.8 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 7.39%
- English as an additional language
- 1%
- Overall absence
- 3.51%
- Persistent absence
- 3.83%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Ruishton Church of England School2.3 miles
Primary · Taunton
-
Holway Park Community Primary School2.3 miles
Primary · Taunton
-
Blackbrook Primary School2.4 miles
Primary · Taunton
-
Hatch Beauchamp Church of England Primary School2.4 miles
Primary · Taunton
-
Minerva Primary School2.8 miles
Primary · Taunton
Other schools in Taunton
Thurlbear Church of England Primary School ranks 6th of the 36 ranked primary schools in Taunton.
- Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton Primary
- Bishops Hull Primary School Primary
- Bishops Lydeard Church School Primary
- Blackbrook Primary School Primary
- Cheddon Fitzpaine Church School Primary
- Churchstanton Primary School Primary
- Cotford St Luke Primary School Primary
- Creech St Michael Church of England Primary School Primary
- Crowcombe CofE VA Primary School Primary
- Curry Mallet Church of England Primary School Primary
- Hatch Beauchamp Church of England Primary School Primary
- Holway Park Community Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Thurlbear Church of England Primary School teach?
- Thurlbear Church of England Primary School teaches children aged 5 to 11. It is a primary school in Taunton.
- Who is the headteacher of Thurlbear Church of England Primary School?
- The headteacher of Thurlbear Church of England Primary School is Mr Steve Gillan, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Thurlbear Church of England Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Thurlbear Church of England Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Thurlbear Church of England Primary School?
- Thurlbear Church of England Primary School has 210 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 11.
- Is Thurlbear Church of England Primary School full?
- Thurlbear Church of England Primary School has capacity for 210 pupils and 210 on roll (100%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Thurlbear Church of England Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Thurlbear Church of England Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Bath and Wells.
- Does Thurlbear Church of England Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Thurlbear Church of England Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- How have Thurlbear Church of England Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 73% in 2022/23 and 76% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Thurlbear Church of England Primary School rank locally?
- Thurlbear Church of England Primary School ranked 22nd of 155 primary schools in Somerset for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 80% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 93% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Thurlbear Church of England Primary School's absence rate?
- Thurlbear Church of England Primary School's overall absence rate is 3.5% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Thurlbear Church of England Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Thurlbear Church of England Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 30 June 2026.