Abbeywood Community School
101%
Capacity
1,267
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About Abbeywood Community School
Abbeywood Community School in South Gloucestershire was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2025, a rating it has held consistently across both its recent inspections. The most telling academic metric is its Progress 8 score of 0.04, which places the school comfortably above the local authority average of -0.25. This means that, on average, pupils at Abbeywood achieve slightly better than expected progress compared with students nationally, while the typical school in South Gloucestershire sees pupils fall behind expectations. The school ranks 7th out of 16 secondary schools in the area, putting it in the top half of local state secondaries. Its Attainment 8 score of 46.8 reflects solid GCSE results, and 66.8% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, though the proportion hitting the higher grade 5 benchmark drops to 46%.
The school's sixth form also performs well, with a value-added score of 0.01 and an average points per entry of 35.98, equivalent to a B- grade. The best three A-levels average out at a B grade, and 15.8% of entries achieved AAB or higher. Abbeywood's Progress 8 banding is rated as Average, and its national ranking sits at 1438 out of 3141 schools, placing it in the 46th percentile. The school is oversubscribed, with 481 applications for 225 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, and 207 of those offers went to first-preference families. The parent view survey, based on 142 responses, shows 69% would recommend the school, though opinions are notably split on some issues: 33% strongly disagreed that SEND children receive the support they need, and 24% strongly disagreed that bullying is dealt with quickly.
Abbeywood is a mixed, non-denominational secondary with a capacity of 1250 pupils and currently houses 1267, so it is running slightly over capacity. It has a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields, science labs, and a sixth form centre. The school offers a wide variety of sports from rowing to martial arts, and clubs including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Model UN, and coding. Its SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorder, and speech and language needs, among others. With 21.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively diverse intake. This is a solid, well-regarded local option for families who want a school that delivers above-average academic progress, though the mixed parent feedback suggests it is worth visiting to see if it feels like the right fit for your child.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 19 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | New Road, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, BS34 8SF |
| Headteacher | Ben Dilley |
| Local Authority | South Gloucestershire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,267 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 21.6% |
| School Capacity | 1,267 / 1,250 (101% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
18 Mar 2025Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 11 May 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.04)
1438th of 3,141
Nationally
134th of 306
In South West
7th of 16
In South Gloucestershire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
35.3
'22/23
29.0
'23/24
36.0
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where school leavers go
2022/2346%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 57 pupils).
- University (HE)46%
- Employment37%
- Apprenticeship9%
- Further education4%
- Other education2%
- Not sustained2%
Source: DfE 16-18 destination measures, Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion. Russell Group / top-third HE breakdown not shown.
Ofsted Parent View
142 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
20Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed225
481
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
223 families put this school as their 1st choice (46% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British69.4%
- Mixed9.0%
- Asian8.8%
- White (other)7.9%
- Black0.4%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
4
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
3
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Abbeywood Community School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
New Road, Bristol
South Gloucestershire, BS34 8SF
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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