Cotham Gardens Primary School

About Cotham Gardens Primary School

Cotham Gardens Primary School in Bristol is a mixed, non-religious state primary for children aged 4 to 11, led by headteacher Emmeline Smith. It currently has 412 pupils on roll against a capacity of 630, meaning the school is operating well below its maximum, which is unusual for a popular urban primary. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 20.6%, a figure that is significantly above the national average and suggests the school serves a relatively disadvantaged catchment. Despite this spare capacity, the school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake: it received 98 applications for 43 places, with 36 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.28. This demand is notable given the school's recent Ofsted rating, and suggests that local families are still keen to secure a place here, possibly due to its location or community reputation.

Academically, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2024 rated it Inadequate overall, with leadership and management also judged Inadequate and quality of education receiving the same grade. Behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision were all rated Requires improvement. This is a steep decline from its previous inspection, when it was rated Good with Outstanding leadership. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, just 40% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to the local authority average of 58%. The school ranks 73rd out of 85 primary schools in Bristol on this measure, placing it in the bottom 50 nationally. Individual subject scores were mixed: 72% reached the expected standard in reading, but only 49% in writing and 59% in maths. No pupils achieved the higher standard in writing or the combined RWM measure.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, dining hall, and an outdoor playground, plus a chapel. Sports provision includes gymnastics, netball, tennis and dance, and there are clubs such as chess, coding, eco club and science club. The school has a broad SEND offer, with provisions for specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 130 respondents show that 85% would recommend the school, and strong majorities felt their child is happy and safe. However, opinions were more divided on SEND support: 42% strongly agreed it was adequate, but 23% disagreed and 12% strongly disagreed. This school may suit families who value its inclusive SEND provision and community feel, but who are prepared to engage closely with the school during a period of significant leadership and quality challenges.

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