Primary schools1 · best KS2 results first
Photo: Lewis Clarke · CC BY-SA 2.0BSchool Grade
Schools in Castle Cary · DfE, Ofsted
primary results put Castle Cary’s state schools ahead of 82% of towns in England; secondary results, of 41%
At Key Stage 2, 68% of pupils at Castle Cary’s primaries met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, above both Somerset’s towns (59%) and towns in England (62%). 2 state-funded schools are located in Castle Cary’s built-up area. Castle Cary grades B for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #14 of 49 in Somerset. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
State schools
2
1 primary, 1 secondary
Reading, writing & maths
68%
meet the expected standard at 11 · 2023–25
England’s schools: 62%
Attainment 8
44.9
GCSE average across 8 subjects · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47.3
Grade 5+ English & maths
42%
a strong pass in both · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47%
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
School Grade
Castle Cary grades B for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
Primary: reading, writing and maths at 11 (68% meet the standard)Better than 82% of towns in England
Secondary: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (44.9 and 42%)Better than 41% of towns in England
The primary figure lifts Castle Cary; the secondary figure holds it back.
Castle Cary has 1 primary of its own with KS2 results, too few to judge on, so the primary figure uses the 1 graded primary in and within 3 km of the town (31 pupils in results). Castle Cary has 1 secondary of its own with GCSE results, too few to judge on, so the secondary figure uses the 1 graded secondary in and within 3 km of the town (102 pupils in results). Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Map
Where Castle Cary’s 2 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Castle Cary’s built-up area.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
PrimarySecondary (named)Special, nursery, 16–19Size: pupilsABCDNo letter
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table.
Getting a place
How school places work in Castle Cary
Somerset County Council handles applications for every state school in Castle Cary, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
Secondary (starting at 11)Apply by 31 October of Year 6. Offers on 1 March.
Primary (starting in Reception)Apply by 15 January before the September your child starts. Offers on 16 April.
Moving mid-yearApply to the council for an in-year place; it tells you which schools have room.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Useful: Apply for a primary place (GOV.UK) · Apply for a secondary place (GOV.UK) · How admissions criteria work
How full each school is
Pupils on roll as a share of the school’s official capacity. The black tick is 100%.
Castle Cary75%
Ansford62%
DfE register of schools (GIAS), January 2026 census. Capacity often excludes a nursery class, so a school with a nursery can show over 100%.
The schools
2 state schools in Castle Cary
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Letters of Castle Cary’s schoolsA 0B 1C 1D 0
Secondary schools1 · best GCSE results first
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted
Ofsted report cards
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 1 of Castle Cary’s 2 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
| School | Safeguarding | Achievement | Curriculum and teaching | Inclusion | Attendance and behaviour | Personal development and well-being | Leadership and governance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ansford AcademyFebruary 2026 | Met | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Strong standard | Strong standard |
After 16
Where Castle Cary’s teenagers go at 16
In England young people stay in education or training until 18: a sixth form, a college, or an apprenticeship.
The state secondary in Castle Cary teaches 11 to 16. The nearest college is Yeovil College, a further-education college 11.2 miles away.
Secondaries with a sixth form
0 of 1
state schools in Castle Cary
Colleges within 12 miles
1
nearest: Yeovil College
Grammar schools in Somerset
0
no selective state secondaries
Towns its size
226th of 671 English towns of 2,500 to 5,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of Castle Cary, and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gnosall Staffordshire | A+ | 83% | — | — |
| … | |||||
| 222 | Yarnton Oxfordshire | B+ | 67% | 45.1 | 44% |
| 223 | Lofthouse and Robin Hood West Yorkshire | B+ | 64% | 46.6 | 48% |
| 224 | Swillington West Yorkshire | B | 59% | 51.2 | 61% |
| 225 | Minchinhampton Gloucestershire | B | 66% | 47.3 | 42% |
| 226 | Castle Cary Somerset | B | 68% | 44.9 | 42% |
| 227 | Laceby Lincolnshire | B | 65% | 48.1 | 41% |
| 228 | Over Cambridgeshire | B | 58% | 55.7 | 59% |
| 229 | Rudheath Cheshire | B | 64% | 47.1 | 48% |
| 230 | Bilsthorpe Nottinghamshire | B | 63% | — | — |
| … | |||||
| 671 | Watchet Somerset | D− | 29% | — | — |
Neighbours
Castle Cary and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
BrutonEvercreechWincantonKeinton MandevillePiltonShepton MalletTemplecombeCastle Cary
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Cary 2 schools | B | 68% | 44.9 |
| Bruton 2 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 3 mi | B | 63% | 46 |
| Evercreech 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 4 mi | D− | 48% | — |
| Wincanton 3 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 5.2 mi | D | 48% | 38.8 |
| Keinton Mandeville 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 5.7 mi | B+ | 65% | — |
| Pilton 0 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 6 mi | D | 52% | — |
| Shepton Mallet 4 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 7 mi | D | 56% | 39.7 |
| Templecombe 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 7.8 mi | B+ | 64% | — |
Keinton Mandeville has the best-graded schools nearby (B+). Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
- Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three. In Castle Cary: 10% (England’s average school: 8%).
- Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
- Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
- Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
- Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
- Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
- Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Castle Cary
Are schools in Castle Cary good?
Castle Cary’s state schools earn a B against schools across England: primary results beat 82% of towns in England; secondary results beat 41% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Somerset council.
Do Castle Cary secondary schools have sixth forms?
No. The state secondary teaches 11–16; students move at 16 to a college, a sixth form elsewhere or an apprenticeship.
How do I apply for a school place in Castle Cary?
Through Somerset County Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many state schools are in Castle Cary?
2 open state-funded schools are located in Castle Cary’s built-up area: 1 primary, 1 secondary and 0 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.