Find out about local schools before you apply
In Somerset, you may and are encouraged to choose 3 preferences in ranked order. Please visit the Find a school page to find schools in your local area.
The best way to find out more about schools is to visit them. Contact the school directly for more information. You can also:
- visit the school website
- attend the open day or evenings
- look at the school’s performance tables
- get a copy of the school’s most recent OFSTED (The Office for Standards in Education) inspection report on the OFSTED website
- view how places were allocated in previous years
SEND information - part of our Local Offer
Supporting special educational needs and/or disabilities
Every school must share information on their website. To help parent carers understand:
- What kinds of additional needs the school helps with.
- How they identify and support children with SEND.
- How they include parent carers in making decisions.
Each school will also talk about how they support behaviour, feelings, and bullying.
Look for these documents to find out more:
- Special Educational Needs information report (which may include the SEND policy)
- Accessibility plan
- Behaviour policy (which may include the bullying policy)
School catchment
Check the catchment area of the school you are interested in. If you live in Somerset, you can find out if your address is in the (catchment) area for a Somerset school by visiting our School catchment page.
All-through schools
An all-through school covers Reception through to the end of Year 11 – primary and secondary phases combined.
Parents who have children on roll at an all-through school do not need to make a separate secondary school application for the same school.
However, if your child is not currently on roll at an all-through school and you would like to apply for the second phase, you must make an application by the published deadline.