Bourton-on-the-Water Primary School

About Bourton-on-the-Water Primary School

Bourton-on-the-Water Primary School’s headline Key Stage 2 result sits below the local authority average for Gloucestershire primary schools. The school reports that 50% of its pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the LA average of 59%. That nine-point gap places it in the bottom half of schools nationally on this metric, ranking 136th out of 243 primaries in the county. The school’s own data shows a mixed picture across individual subjects: 75% of children reached the expected level in writing, but only 69% did so in reading and maths. At the higher standard, just 4% of pupils achieved the top mark in all three subjects, with maths the weakest area at 15% reaching greater depth, while reading and writing managed 19% and 10% respectively. These figures suggest that while the school serves a broad range of abilities, its overall academic performance is notably lower than what most Gloucestershire primaries achieve.

The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, a graded visit in November 2011, rated it Good overall, with Good marks for leadership and management and for early years provision. An ungraded inspection in October 2021 confirmed the school remains Good, though inspectors noted that early years provision was still Good at that point. This represents a clear improvement from the school’s previous graded inspection in May 2009, when it was judged to Require Improvement. The 2021 report praised the school’s leadership and management as Good, and behaviour and attitudes were also assessed positively, though the inspection did not publish separate grades for quality of education or personal development. With no Progress 8 scores available for this primary, the main academic benchmark remains the KS2 results, which, as noted, trail the LA average. The school’s ranking in the Cotswold district is 27th out of 38 primaries, placing it in the bottom 50% locally.

Bourton-on-the-Water Primary is a state-funded mixed school for children aged 2 to 11, with a nursery on site. It has 274 pupils against a capacity of 315, so there is some headroom, but it was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, receiving 55 applications for 35 places and making offers to all 35 first-preference families. The school supports a range of special educational needs, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language challenges, and visual impairment. Facilities include an art studio, ICT suite, sports hall, playing fields and a chapel, and the school offers clubs such as drama, choir, film club and eco club. Sports on offer include athletics, dance, cricket, football and rounders. With 17.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a fairly typical mix of backgrounds for the area. It will suit families who value a Good-rated local primary with strong early years provision and a broad club offer, but who are comfortable with academic outcomes that sit below the county average.

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