Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy
The Causeway, Mark, Highbridge, TA9 4QA
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 2 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- WESSEX LEARNING TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Oliver Laken
- Diocese
- Diocese of Bath and Wells
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- Wells and Mendip Hills
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 150
- Pupils on roll
- 158
- URN
- 143332
- Local authority
- Somerset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01278641262
About this school
Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy is a Church of England primary academy in Highbridge. It teaches children aged 2 to 9 and has 158 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Ofsted did not give an overall grade. Between September 2024 and September 2025 inspections graded each area of a school's work without a single overall judgement, ahead of the move to report cards. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Requires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Requires improvement
- Early years
- Requires improvement
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.4% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.2% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.7% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 160 |
| 2023/24 | 162 |
| 2024/25 | 158 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy compares
Its absence rate was lower than 45% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 5.7% | 10.3% | 158 | — |
| East Huntspill Primary Academy | 29% | 5.7% | 38.3% | 95 | 1.7 miles |
| Brent Knoll Church of England Primary School | 82% | 4.8% | 15.2% | 180 | 2.4 miles |
| Churchfield Church School | 29% | 9.3% | 43.7% | 411 | 2.5 miles |
| East Brent Church of England First School | — | 4.6% | 25.5% | 77 | 2.9 miles |
| West Huntspill Primary Academy | 45% | 10.9% | 47.1% | 123 | 3.1 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.
Inspection history
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 10.32%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 5.66%
- Persistent absence
- 10.89%
Location
Nearby schools
-
East Huntspill Primary Academy1.7 miles
Primary · Highbridge
-
Brent Knoll Church of England Primary School2.4 miles
Primary · Highbridge
-
Churchfield Church School2.5 miles
Primary · Highbridge
-
East Brent Church of England First School2.9 miles
Primary · Highbridge
-
West Huntspill Primary Academy3.1 miles
Primary · Highbridge
Other schools in Highbridge
- Brent Knoll Church of England Primary School Primary
- Churchfield Church School Primary
- East Brent Church of England First School Primary
- East Huntspill Primary Academy Primary
- West Huntspill Primary Academy Primary
- The King Alfred School an Academy Secondary
- Sedgemoor Manor School Special schools
Common questions
- What ages does Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy teach?
- Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy teaches children aged 2 to 9. It is a primary school in Highbridge.
- Who is the headteacher of Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy?
- The headteacher of Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy is Mr Oliver Laken, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy?
- Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy has 158 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 9.
- Is Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy full?
- Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy has capacity for 150 pupils and 158 on roll (105%), 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 Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy a faith school?
- Yes. Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Bath and Wells.
- Does Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy as having nursery classes.
- Is Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy part of an academy trust?
- Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy is part of WESSEX LEARNING TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy's absence rate?
- Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy's overall absence rate is 5.7% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
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 2 July 2026.