Berry Hill Primary School

About Berry Hill Primary School

Parents at Berry Hill Primary School are overwhelmingly positive about their experience. In the most recent Parent View survey, covering September 2024 to September 2025, 91% of the 47 respondents said they would recommend the school to other parents. That confidence is backed by strong feelings on specific areas: 93% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school, and a combined 93% felt their child is safe. The school is clearly popular locally too. For the 2025/26 academic year, Berry Hill received 54 applications for just 30 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.8. Of those, 31 families put it as their first preference, and 29 first-preference offers were made. The acting headteacher, Mrs Michala Reid, is currently covering for Amy Pugh on maternity leave, and the school has been rated Good across all areas in its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2025.

Academically, Berry Hill presents a mixed picture that parents should weigh carefully. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 40% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is well below the Gloucestershire local authority average of 59% and places the school 34th out of 39 primary schools in the Forest of Dean, putting it in the bottom half nationally. However, the individual subject scores tell a more nuanced story. In reading, 63% of pupils met the expected standard and the average score was 103, while in writing 73% reached the expected level. Maths was weaker, with 57% at the expected standard and an average score of 100. Only 7% of pupils achieved the higher standard in maths, and none did so in reading and writing combined. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, which upgraded it from Requires Improvement to Good, noted that quality of education, behaviour, personal development and early years provision are all now Good.

The school itself is a relatively small primary, with 205 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210. It serves a mixed community, with 18.5% of pupils eligible for free school meals. Facilities include a sports hall, gymnasium, ICT suite and dining hall, and the school offers a range of clubs from drama and choir to gardening and film club. Sports provision covers gymnastics, football, dance, rounders and cross country. For families with children who have additional needs, Berry Hill lists support for a wide range of SEND categories, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. That said, the Parent View data on SEND support is worth noting: while 67% of parents agreed the school gives SEND children the support they need, 33% strongly disagreed, the highest negative response on the survey. This is a school that suits families who value a strong sense of community and high parental satisfaction, but who may want to investigate academic support and SEND provision in more detail.

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