Chipping Sodbury School

About Chipping Sodbury School

Chipping Sodbury School is a mixed state secondary in South Gloucestershire, one of 17 schools of its type in the local authority. It ranks 14th in the LA on Progress 8, placing it in the bottom quarter locally. The top-performing peers in the area are John Cabot Academy, Bradley Stoke Community School, and The Castle School, all of which post positive Progress 8 scores. The school is led by headteacher Rob Skipp and has no religious character. It is a non-selective 11-18 school with a sixth form, though its capacity of 1,120 is not fully used — there are 769 pupils on roll. The school is oversubscribed for Year 7 entry in 2025/26, with 340 applications for 136 places, and all first-preference applicants were offered a place. Around 17.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, slightly above the national average for secondary schools.

Academically, the school’s Progress 8 score is -0.44, which is below the South Gloucestershire average of -0.25 and places it in the bottom 50 nationally. Attainment 8 sits at 41.4, and 54.4% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though only 31.6% reached grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is 61.4%, but just 16.7% achieved the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. In the sixth form, the average A-level points per entry is 27.52 (equivalent to a C- grade), and the best three A-levels average out at a C grade. The value added score is -0.05, which is classed as average. Ofsted rated the school Good overall in its 2022 inspection, with Good marks across all categories including behaviour, personal development, and leadership — a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2018.

The school offers a range of facilities including a sports hall, science labs, astro turf, and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include rowing, martial arts, netball, and rugby, while clubs range from choir and orchestra to eco club and debate. SEND provision covers eight categories, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. Parent View responses from 11 respondents in the 2024/25 period were uniformly negative across all questions, with 100% saying they would not recommend the school. This is a small sample, but it is striking. For families considering Chipping Sodbury School, the data suggests a school that has improved its Ofsted rating and offers a broad curriculum and activities, but whose academic outcomes and parental satisfaction levels are notably below local averages.

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