In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are close to England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Attendance is close to the England figure.
Schools and nurseries16464 primary · 11 secondary · 80 nurseries
Primaries Good or better97%England 96%
Met the standard at 1163%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths45%Attainment 8 46.4, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary16%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school18%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in North Somerset
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council's area. Independent schools take applications directly.
About North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in the South West with 64 mainstream primary schools and 11 mainstream secondary schools. Towns with the most schools include Weston-super-Mare, Nailsea and Clevedon. Most state schools here are academies or free schools (100%), so many set their own term dates and admissions rules. Most families get the secondary school they want: 95.3% got their first choice, against 83.6% across England.
Good to know in North Somerset
All mainstream schools in North Somerset are academies. Source
North Somerset publishes which primary and secondary schools were oversubscribed over the last five years and how they allocated places. Source
The council has catchment area maps for primary and secondary schools. Source
Free school meal applications are assessed by the child's school, not the council. Source
Some schools ask for extra evidence to meet their criteria, which must be sent with the application. Source
From North Somerset council's website, checked 7 November 2026. Check the council's pages before you apply.
Key dates each year
31 October
Secondary school applications close
15 January
Primary school applications close
1 March
Secondary school offers
16 April
Primary school offers
If a date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out the next working day.
96.8%got their first-choice primary school in North Somerset in 2026. England: 92.4%. Ranked 12 of 151 councils. 99.3% got one of their top three.1.9% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.
95.3%got their first-choice secondary school in North Somerset in 2026. England: 83.6%. Ranked 10 of 151 councils. 99.1% got one of their top three.2.7% were offered a secondary school in another council. England: 8.0%.
Source: DfE applications and offers, 2026. A low rate shows high demand, not poor schools.
2 of 14 primary appeals heard in North Somerset succeeded in 2025. 4 of 26 secondary appeals heard in North Somerset succeeded in 2025.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Numbers that sum up North Somerset
North SomersetEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 34 primaries with one.
97%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
8 of the 8 with a grade.
100%
England 93%
Above England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
63%
England 62%
Close to England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
45%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
18%
England 18%
Close to England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
16%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 45 schools that have one.
98%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding3
Good41
Requires improvement1
Inadequate0
How it has changed
North Somerset in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1163% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths45% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school18% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
The figures in full
The latest published year for each measure. Sources and years are on our data sources page.
Measure
North Somerset
England
Good or Outstanding (Ofsted)
98%
95%
Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2)
63%
62%
Attainment 8
46.4
46.2
Persistent absence
18%
18%
Pupils per teacher
18.8:1
17.9:1
Spending per pupil
£7,200
£8,120
In education or work after 16
94%
91%
Went on to higher education
44%
56%
Pupils with special educational needs
19%
21%
Pupils with English as an additional language
10%
22%
Pupils on free school meals
17%
27%
DfE local authority code 802, ONS code E06000024.
Living here
What it's like for families
North Somerset has 164 schools and nurseries across 7 towns and villages, the biggest being Weston-super-Mare, Nailsea, Clevedon and Portishead.
There are 4% more pupils than in 2018.
16% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in North Somerset's state schools each January.
30.1k2018
30.4k2019
30.9k2021
31.2k2022
31.4k2023
31.5k2024
31.5k2025
31.4k2026
Up 4% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
North Somerset16%
Keep up with schools in North Somerset
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
North Somerset has 164 schools, including 72 primary schools, 19 secondary schools, 80 nurseries, 4 independent schools, 6 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in North Somerset?+
The highest-ranked schools in North Somerset on Eduscope are St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Uphill Village Academy, Tickenham Church of England Primary School. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in North Somerset are rated Good or Outstanding?+
98% of inspected schools in North Somerset hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 3 schools rated Outstanding and 41 rated Good.
How do primary schools in North Somerset perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in North Somerset, 63% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in North Somerset?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in North Somerset is 18.8:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in North Somerset schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in North Somerset is 17.9%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in North Somerset?+
There are 31,369 pupils enrolled across schools in North Somerset, with 16,679 in primary and 14,690 in secondary. 17.0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in North Somerset?+
There are 4 independent schools in North Somerset. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare all private schools in North Somerset on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.
How do I choose the right school in North Somerset?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 164 schools in North Somerset by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
