Clearwell Church of England Primary School

About Clearwell Church of England Primary School

Clearwell Church of England Primary School is a small state primary in the Forest of Dean, currently operating well below its capacity of 70 with just 42 pupils on roll. That spare capacity might seem surprising given the level of demand for places: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 15 applications for just 2 available places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 7.5 applicants per spot. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 23.8%, which is notably higher than the national primary average of around 23%, suggesting the school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. The school's Church of England character is reflected in its facilities, which include a chapel, and its headteacher is Joanne Jones. Despite its small size, the school offers a range of specialist spaces including an art studio, sensory room, gymnasium, ICT suite, library, and playing fields.

Academically, Clearwell's most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2024 rated the school as Good overall, a significant improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2013 when it was judged to require improvement. The inspection found leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness all to be Good. However, the school's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 paint a mixed picture. Only 29% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared to the local authority average of 59%. In individual subjects, 71% reached the expected standard in reading, 57% in writing, and 43% in maths. Higher-attaining pupils were few: 14% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing, and maths each. The school's average reading score was 104 and maths score was 100. These outcomes place Clearwell in the bottom 50 nationally for its KS2 combined measure, ranking 36th out of 39 schools in the Forest of Dean local authority area.

For families considering Clearwell, the school offers a broad range of extracurricular activities including gardening, film club, book club, science club, and art club, alongside sports such as athletics, gymnastics, tennis, and cross country. The school has identified SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs, though the Parent View survey showed no responses from parents of SEND children, making it difficult to gauge satisfaction in that area. The wider Parent View results were mixed: while 76% of respondents would recommend the school, only 65% strongly agreed their child was happy, and 18% strongly disagreed their child felt safe. The school's small size means children benefit from low pupil-to-teacher ratios and personalised attention, but the academic outcomes suggest this may not yet translate into strong KS2 results. This school would suit families who prioritise a small, community-focused Church of England setting with a strong club offer, and who are comfortable with academic results that fall below local averages.

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