Bournville Primary School

About Bournville Primary School

Bournville Primary School in North Somerset is a mixed, non-religious state primary for children aged 2 to 11, and it is a school that is clearly in high demand. With 514 pupils on roll against a capacity of 528, it is running very close to full, and the admission data for the 2025/26 intake tells a clear story: the school received 73 applications for 55 places, with 55 of those applications coming as first preferences. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 1.33, meaning for every place available, more than one family wanted it. The school’s intake also stands out for its high level of disadvantage: 54.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure that is well above the national average and signals a community with significant socioeconomic challenges. This context is important for understanding the school’s results and its recent Ofsted judgement, and it suggests a school that is serving a genuinely local, high-need population rather than drawing from a more affluent catchment.

Academically, the picture is mixed and reflects the challenges of the intake. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, just 29% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a North Somerset local authority average of 61%. That places Bournville 56th out of 57 primary schools in the LA, putting it in the bottom 2% locally and the bottom 3% nationally. Looking at individual subjects, reading and writing were stronger than maths: 50% met the expected standard in reading and 57% in writing, but only 38% did so in maths, with an average maths score of 97. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, rated overall effectiveness as ‘Not judged’ (a section 8 inspection), but graded both the quality of education and leadership and management as ‘Requires improvement’. On a more positive note, early years provision, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes were all rated ‘Good’. This is a significant drop from the school’s previous inspection in 2015, when it was rated ‘Outstanding’ across the board.

For families considering Bournville, the practical picture is one of a school with strong community feel and good facilities, but with clear academic challenges. The school offers a wide range of facilities including a library, playing fields, a forest school, music rooms, and a chapel, plus sports like football, cricket, netball and swimming, and clubs from drama to eco club. SEND provision is broad, covering autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social and emotional mental health, among others. Parent View responses, from 22 respondents in the 2024/25 period, were overwhelmingly positive: 86% would recommend the school, 82% strongly agreed or agreed their child is happy, and 91% felt their child is safe. However, the data on SEND support was not answered by any parent, which may be a gap worth probing. This is a school that suits families who value a supportive, inclusive environment and are comfortable with a school that is actively working through an improvement journey, rather than one with top-tier academic outcomes. The nearest ‘Outstanding’ alternative is Haywood Village Academy, just 1 km away.

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