Classpot

Backwell School

North Somerset, BS48 3BXSecondaryAges 11–18MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Feb 2025
Progress 8
+0.21
Above average
−20+2
Competition
1.0×
Oversubscribed
269 1st-choice / 263 places
Ranking
#1,054
of 3,141 nationally

About Backwell School

Backwell School is a Good-rated secondary in North Somerset, and the data shows it is a strong performer academically. Its most recent graded Ofsted inspection, in 2020, rated the school Good across all five categories, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. An ungraded inspection in 2025 confirmed that standards are being maintained. The single most informative exam metric is Progress 8, which measures how much pupils improve between the end of primary school and GCSEs. Backwell’s Progress 8 score is 0. 21, which is above the national average and well above the North Somerset local authority average of -0. 04. That places the school third out of ten secondary schools in the local authority, and in the top third nationally. In other words, pupils here typically make more progress than their peers in similar schools across the country.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressStation Road, Bristol, North Somerset, BS48 3BX
HeadteacherWill Penny
Local AuthorityNorth Somerset
Number of Pupils1,597
Free School Meals (FSM)8.7%
School Capacity1,597 / 1,728 (92% full)
Sixth FormYes

The full report on this school

What 241 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

26 Feb 2025
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form Provision
Good

Latest monitoring visit (26 Feb 2025): Standards maintained

Source: Ofsted, 10 Feb 2020. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionPhysicalLearning Difficulty

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:45 – 15:10

Source: backwellschool.net. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Backwell School

Backwell School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.