Broadlands Primary School

About Broadlands Primary School

Broadlands Primary School in Herefordshire is a school that local families clearly want to get into. For the 2025/26 intake, it received 19 applications for just 11 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.73. Ten of those applications were first-preference choices, and the school made ten first-preference offers, meaning almost every family who put it top got a place, but there was still competition for the remaining spot. That kind of demand is a strong signal from parents who know the school well. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2022, rated it Good across the board, including for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. That’s a notable improvement from its previous inspection in 2019, when it was judged to require improvement overall. Headteacher Simon Robertson leads a mixed, non-religious state primary for children aged 2 to 11, with 165 pupils on roll against a capacity of 315, so there is room to grow.

Academically, Broadlands sits in a challenging position within Herefordshire. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 43% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of 63%. That places the school 60th out of 68 primary schools in the county, in the bottom 50% nationally. The individual subject scores tell a more nuanced story: 70% of pupils reached the expected standard in writing, and 57% did so in both reading and maths. However, the proportion reaching the higher standard was very low – 0% in reading, 3% in maths, and 17% in writing. The average scaled scores for reading and maths were both exactly 100, which is the national baseline. The school’s Progress 8 data is not available, so it is hard to say how much value it adds from starting points, but the raw outcomes suggest a school where most children leave with solid foundations rather than exceptional results.

Broadlands offers a broad range of facilities and activities that go beyond the classroom. There is a Forest School, an outdoor playground, art studios, an ICT suite, and even a chapel. Sports include dance, athletics, football, cricket, swimming and tennis, and clubs range from Eco Club and Gardening to Choir, Drama and Science Club. The school also has extensive SEND provision, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. With nursery provision on site, it can take children from age 2. For families who want a school with strong parent demand, a clear improvement trajectory from its previous Ofsted rating, and a wide array of enrichment opportunities, Broadlands is a solid local option. Those prioritising top-tier academic results may want to look at nearby St Francis Xavier’s Primary School, rated Outstanding and just 0.9 km away.

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