Pyrland School in Taunton has received high praise from Ofsted inspectors for its remarkable turnaround in educational standards and pupil behaviour. During a monitoring visit in late September, inspectors observed a “harmonious environment” and noted significant improvements since their previous inspection in January 2025, which had flagged concerns about the school’s performance.
The recent report underscores the rapid progress in the quality of education, emphasizing a well-structured curriculum designed to address prior learning gaps. Inspectors remarked: “The quality of education that pupils are receiving is rapidly improving. The curriculum now identifies the key knowledge that pupils need to learn. Learning is sequenced so that pupils can build on what they already know and can do.”
A renewed focus on literacy has been a cornerstone of this improvement, with the school introducing a phonics programme aimed at supporting struggling readers. The report highlighted, “Leaders have prioritised reading. Pupils read daily to improve their fluency and enjoyment of texts,” showcasing the school’s commitment to enhancing literacy outcomes.
Integral to Pyrland School’s success has been the involvement of the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership (MNSP), a multi-academy trust brought in to support the school’s development. Ofsted recognized the trust’s vital contribution, noting that “extensive external support has been provided by the MNSP multi-academy trust” and that staff appreciate the expertise provided to address the challenges identified earlier in the year.
School leadership has been effective in leveraging trust resources and collaboration to strengthen curriculum planning and improve pupil behaviour. Executive headteacher Mark Lawrence expressed pride in the collective efforts, stating: “I’m really proud of the whole Pyrland community. This rapid improvement is thanks to the hard work of our staff, plus the support and efforts of students and their families. Pyrland is an amazing community school and these really positive comments from Ofsted demonstrate a turning point for us. I’m looking forward to seeing the school go from strength to strength.”