Air Balloon Hill Primary School

About Air Balloon Hill Primary School

Air Balloon Hill Primary School holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across both its most recent inspections, including an ungraded visit in 2023 where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The most telling academic metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2, which sits at 47%. That figure is notably below the Bristol local authority average of 58%, placing the school in the bottom half of primary schools in the area. In the 2023/24 results, 72% of pupils met the expected standard in reading and 69% in maths, but writing lagged behind at 54%. The school’s ranking score of 47 puts it 63rd out of 101 primary schools in Bristol, and in the bottom 50% nationally. While the overall Ofsted rating is reassuring, the exam data suggests that academic outcomes, particularly in writing, are an area where the school is working to catch up with its peers.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the picture is mixed. In reading, the average scaled score was 106, and 28% of pupils achieved a higher standard, which is a solid showing. Maths followed with an average score of 104 and 23% reaching the higher standard. However, only 5% of pupils achieved the higher standard in writing, and just 4% did so across all three subjects combined. The school’s Progress 8 scores for reading, writing and maths are not available, so it is difficult to assess how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. In the Bristol local authority, only nine primary schools are rated Outstanding, and the nearest one to Air Balloon Hill is Frome Vale Academy, 3.7 km away. For parents prioritising strong academic outcomes, the school’s performance in writing and its overall ranking may be a consideration, though the reading and maths results are more encouraging.

The school is large, with 766 pupils on roll against a capacity of 840, and it is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 204 applications for 120 places, with 109 first-preference offers made. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 1.7, indicating solid local demand. Facilities include a library, playing fields, an ICT suite, a Forest School and a chapel. Sports on offer include netball, swimming, cross country, cricket and dance, while clubs range from film and gardening to drama and art. The school has a broad range of SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. With 24.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively diverse catchment. This is a large, inclusive primary that may suit families who value a wide range of activities and strong SEND support, but who are also aware that its academic outcomes are currently below the local average.

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