School profile

Kingsmead Academy

Secondary · Academy converter · Taunton, TA4 2NE

Requires improvement

Map showing Kingsmead Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,418 of 3,312

Worse than 72% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Kingsmead Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 3 Dec 2024

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils892
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr John Eddy
TrustCABOT LEARNING FEDERATION
Local authoritySomerset
Opened01 Apr 2011
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 136639.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolSomersetEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.41.6, worse than England, similar to Somerset43.446.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.56.9%, worse than England, worse than Somerset60.3%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.30.3%, worse than England, worse than Somerset39.7%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.9.2%, worse than England, similar to Somerset9.1%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths52.8%, worse than England, worse than Somerset55.9%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4195--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils892
Girls437
Boys455
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.19.1%
First language not English4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,050
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.15%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.114
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.30
Average class size25.5

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
79.3%
Other White
4%
African
1.3%
Other mixed
0.9%
Other Asian
0.9%
White and Asian
0.6%
Gypsy/Roma
0.3%
White and Black African
0.3%
Chinese
0.2%
Irish
0.1%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17.5
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.6
Teachers (FTE)51.1
Teaching assistants (FTE)17.56
Support staff (FTE)45.95
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2553.9
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2543.9
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/253.8
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/256.2

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.167
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.191
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.141
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.141
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)7

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolSomersetEngland
Overall absence10.8%, worse than England, worse than Somerset9.3%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.29%, worse than England, worse than Somerset24.2%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.5.3%, worse than England, worse than Somerset4.7%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate52.2%
Pupils with one or more suspensions10.8%
Permanent exclusion rate0.3%
Permanent exclusions3

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.90.8%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.80.4%
Sixth form college47.8%
Further education30.4%
Apprenticeship7.1%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6.5%
Employment3.3%
School sixth form1.1%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Kingsmead Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.4 miPrimaryWiveliscombe Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Kingsmead Academy

What is Kingsmead Academy's Ofsted rating?

Kingsmead Academy is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 3 Dec 2024. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Kingsmead Academy rank in England?

Kingsmead Academy ranks 2,418 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 72% of schools).

What are Kingsmead Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 30.3% of pupils at Kingsmead Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 41.6 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Kingsmead Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Kingsmead Academy made 167 offers from 191 applications (1.1 per offer), and 141 of 141 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Kingsmead Academy?

Kingsmead Academy has 892 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Kingsmead Academy?

Kingsmead Academy had 1,050 school places in 2024/25.

Does Kingsmead Academy have a sixth form?

No, Kingsmead Academy teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Kingsmead Academy?

At Kingsmead Academy, the average class had 25.5 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.5 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Kingsmead Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Kingsmead Academy missed 10.8% of sessions (England 8%), and 29% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.