Ashill Community Primary School at School Road, Ashill in Ilminster, after an Ofsted inspection in June.

The school was rated overall as 'Good' in overall effectiveness, the quality of education, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision and outstanding in behaviour and attitudes.

The school was inspected by Marie Thomas, lead inspector, and Adam Matthews from Ofsted on June 25 and 25.

Inspectors said that the school is a 'happy and inclusive school' which pupils enjoy attending.

Parents and carers describe the school as a 'welcoming and nurturing place where staff know their children well.'

Strong relationships built on trust and respect show pupils how to be kind and thoughtful to each other. Right from the start, the youngest children are taught to recognise their feelings and how to respond appropriately.

Inspectors also said that the school knows how to accurately identify and meet the requirements of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The new curriculum is described as 'ambitious.' They went onto say: "Increased expectations of pupils’ academic potential and the quality of education are already improving pupil outcomes in reading, writing, mathematics and some wider curriculum subjects."

Inspectors said that pupils, including in the early years, 'have gaps in their knowledge' of some curriculum subjects. "This limits pupils’ ability to secure new curriculum knowledge. They cannot make links between important concepts. The trust needs to close gaps in pupils’ knowledge and ensure pupils know more and remember more of the curriculum.  Some pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values, and the beliefs of those from different faiths, is at an early stage of development. This means pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be."

Ashill Community Primary School joined the Academies for Character and Excellence (ACE) in January 2024. Ashill is a smaller-than-average school. Pupils are taught in two mixed-age classes and pre-school. Headteacher Emma Johns was appointed permanently in June 2024 after a four-month interim period.

Read the full Ofsted report on their website.