Backwell Church of England Junior School

About Backwell Church of England Junior School

Backwell Church of England Junior School sits within the North Somerset local authority, a mixed state primary for children aged 7 to 11. In the most recent local rankings, it placed 29th out of 57 primary schools in the area, putting it in the top half of its peers. The top-performing schools nearby include Northleaze Church of England Primary School, Winscombe Primary School, and Tickenham Church of England Primary School, all of which scored higher on the same ranking metric. The school itself has a Church of England character and is led by headteacher Nick Webster. With 228 pupils on roll against a capacity of 240, it is close to full, and the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is low at 3.9%. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2024, the school was judged Good across all areas including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This marks a change from its previous inspection in 2014, when it was rated Outstanding overall.

Academically, Backwell Church of England Junior School performs solidly against local and national benchmarks. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 63% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is just above the North Somerset local authority average of 61%. Reading was a particular strength, with 88% of pupils meeting the expected standard and 41% reaching the higher standard. In maths, 71% met the expected standard and 22% achieved the higher standard. Writing saw 83% at the expected level but only 8% at the higher standard. Average scaled scores were 108 in reading and 104 in maths. Nationally, the school ranks 6,677th out of 13,686 primary schools, placing it in the top half of schools across the country. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 96% of respondents would recommend the school, and 98% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including an outdoor playground, dining hall, sensory room, art studios, music rooms, ICT suite, forest school and a chapel. Sports on offer include athletics, cricket, rounders, dance, football, gymnastics and cross country, while clubs extend to chess, book club, eco club, science club and gardening. For pupils with additional needs, the school provides support for moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties or disabilities. Parent views on SEND support were mixed: 82% agreed or strongly agreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need, though 13% disagreed. With its strong academic outcomes, low FSM rate and positive parent sentiment, this school is well suited to families in the Backwell area looking for a Church of England junior school with a good Ofsted rating and a wide range of enrichment opportunities.

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