Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr Andrew Joyce Headteacher South Somerset Partnership School Dampier Street Yeovil Somerset BA21 4EN

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Special measures monitoring inspection of South Somerset Partnership School

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection that took place on 18 September 2025, on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require special measures following the graded (section 5) inspection that took place in January 2025.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of South Somerset Partnership School

The purpose of a monitoring inspection is not to grade the school’s key and (where applicable) provision judgements, but to identify and report on the school’s progress. It is to highlight to the school and parents any improvements that school leaders have made since the school’s previous graded inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of South Somerset Partnership School

During the inspection, Susan Aykin, His Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), discussed with you, and other senior leaders, one governor and the chair of governors and an officer from the local authority the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. We discussed the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I also carried out lesson visits, held discussions with staff and pupils and scrutinised documents, including the school’s action plan and pupils’ work. I have considered all of this in coming to my judgement.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

necessary for the school to no longer be judged as requiring special measures.

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The position regarding the appointment of early career teachers will be

considered again during any monitoring inspection we carry out.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Since the previous inspection, there have been several changes to the leadership of the school. The interim headteacher was appointed in July 2025 alongside a new chair of the area management group (AMG) responsible for governance. An executive headteacher, brokered by the Department for Education, joined the school in June 2025. A school improvement partner commissioned by the local authority started in April 2025. The school also receives additional support from the local authority. Support has focused on developing leadership, curriculum and governance. I considered the impact of this work as part of the monitoring visit. In addition, I evaluated leaders’ actions to ensure that the behaviour policy was implemented consistently across the school sites.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Leaders are ambitious for the academic, social and emotional success of all pupils. As a result, they have improved the provision for early reading. The school has ensured that a range of staff have the expertise to teach phonics well. Pupils learn to read through a well-planned phonics programme. Leaders have established appropriate assessments to check what pupils know and do not know. Staff use this information effectively and teach reading tailored to the needs of pupils. Pupils are enthused by reading and value the individualised support they receive. Across the school, there is a heightened focus on reading. However, the approach to the English curriculum has not had time to have sustained impact. Further training is planned to develop the teaching of English at all stages.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Leaders have implemented an effective curriculum from key stage 1 to key stage 4 in some subject areas. Staff receive ongoing training to ensure that the curriculum is taught effectively. The curriculum supports pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the world around them. It enables pupils to build on prior knowledge well and to make sequential links across subject areas. Through the curriculum, staff develop pupils’ spoken language well. Pupils are supported to communicate their thinking orally in preparation for writing.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

However, some areas of the curriculum are still relatively new. The programmes are well resourced and designed to build pupils’ knowledge over time. Staff check pupils’ understanding to ensure that pupils have secure knowledge before moving on to more complex concepts. However, in some areas, this is still in its infancy. Leaders acknowledge that further training of staff is required to ensure that the curriculum has sustained impact.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The graded inspection in January 2025 identified weak provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have established a programme to develop the expertise of staff. Information about the needs of pupils with SEND is disseminated to enable staff to adapt teaching to meet the needs of these pupils more effectively. Consequently, pupils are supported well to access the curriculum. However, leaders acknowledge that there is more work to do to ensure that pupils’ SEND needs are addressed with greater precision.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Leaders have worked hard to ensure consistent approaches to the management of the school across all sites. Intensive and ongoing staff training, including daily debriefs, about the social and emotional needs of pupils is having noticeable impact. There are safe and trusting relationships between staff and pupils. This enables pupils to cope with changes and manage their behaviour. Typically, there is a harmonious learning environment around the school.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Leadership has been through some turbulence but it is now focused and ambitious. The local authority has worked closely with the school to provide the necessary expertise to address the weaknesses in the curriculum identified at the previous inspection. This means that school leaders have the capacity to bring about the necessary improvements. This has also ensured that curriculum leaders develop the expertise required to lead sustained improvements to their respective areas.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The AMG provides effective governance. Members of the AMG provide oversight and scrutiny of the school’s action plan. They have a detailed understanding of the school’s work. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the role of leadership in supporting their well-being and workload. They are also very positive about the support that they receive to improve the curriculum and the quality of teaching. Parents who responded to the online survey were similarly very positive about the educational and pastoral provision at the school. However, leaders acknowledge that recent changes to the membership of the AMG means that it is too early to judge the sustained impact of improvements to governance.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of governors, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for Somerset. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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