School profile

Whitstone

Secondary · Academy converter · Shepton Mallet, BA4 5PF

Requires improvement

Map showing Whitstone

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,693 of 3,312

Worse than 81% of schools in England

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

Whitstone Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 6 May 2026

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Inclusion
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching
Needs attention
Achievement
Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Expected standard
Leadership and governance
Needs attention
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils545
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Matthew Pike
TrustWHITSTONE SCHOOL ACADEMY TRUST
Local authoritySomerset
Opened01 Aug 2011
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 137192.

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.39.7, worse than England, worse than Somerset43.446.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.51.8%, worse than England, worse than Somerset60.3%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.29.1%, worse than England, worse than Somerset39.7%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.7.3%, worse than England, similar to Somerset9.1%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths45.5%, worse than England, worse than Somerset55.9%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4110--

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 pupils545
Girls280
Boys265
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.22.6%
First language not English13.9%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.770
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.29.2%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.108
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.18
Average class size24.8

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
80%
Other White
12.1%
African
1.5%
White and Black African
1.3%
Other mixed
0.9%
Indian
0.7%
Gypsy/Roma
0.6%
White and Asian
0.6%
Other Asian
0.4%
Pakistani
0.2%

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 teacher15.4
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.5
Teachers (FTE)35.31
Teaching assistants (FTE)8.67
Support staff (FTE)28.92
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2538.1
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2531.5
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254.6
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/252

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.95
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.125
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.95
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.95
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)2

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 absence9.2%, worse than England, similar to Somerset9.3%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.25.1%, worse than England, similar to Somerset24.2%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.4.1%, similar to England, better 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 rate117.3%
Pupils with one or more suspensions21.5%
Permanent exclusion rate0.7%
Permanent exclusions4

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.91.7%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.78.1%
Further education76%
Apprenticeship7.3%
Employment6.3%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.5.2%
School sixth form2.1%
Sixth form college0%

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 Whitstone
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miPrimarySt Paul's Church of England VC Junior SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
0.3 miPrimaryShepton Mallet Community Infants' School & NurseryCommunity school
Good
0.8 miPrimaryBowlish Infant SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement
1.5 miPrimarySt Aldhelms Church SchoolAcademy converter
Requires improvement

Frequently asked questions about Whitstone

What is Whitstone's Ofsted rating?

Whitstone is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 6 May 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Whitstone rank in England?

Whitstone ranks 2,693 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 81% of schools).

What are Whitstone's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 29.1% of pupils at Whitstone got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 39.7 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Whitstone?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Whitstone made 95 offers from 125 applications (1.3 per offer), and 95 of 95 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Whitstone?

Whitstone has 545 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Whitstone?

Whitstone had 770 school places in 2024/25.

Does Whitstone have a sixth form?

No, Whitstone teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Whitstone?

At Whitstone, the average class had 24.8 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 15.4 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Whitstone?

In 2025/26, pupils at Whitstone missed 9.2% of sessions (England 8%), and 25.1% 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.