Moorlands Junior School

About Moorlands Junior School

Moorlands Junior School’s headline Key Stage 2 results sit slightly below the Bath and North East Somerset local authority average, with 56% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined against a LA average of 62%. That six-point gap places the school 41st out of 52 primary schools in the authority, putting it in the bottom half locally. However, the picture is more nuanced when you look at individual subjects. Reading is a clear strength: 79% of pupils met the expected standard and 39% achieved the higher standard, both well above the national benchmark. Maths tells a different story, with 63% at expected and 28% at higher, while writing sits at 61% expected and just 14% at higher. The school’s Progress 8 scores are not available in the data, so it is hard to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points, but the raw attainment figures suggest reading provision is notably stronger than maths and writing.

Ofsted inspectors visited in February 2023 and rated the school Good across the board, including for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is consistent with the school’s previous inspection in 2015, which also awarded a Good overall. The school has 237 pupils on roll against a capacity of 249, so it is running close to full but with a small number of spare places. Around 15.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools and suggests a moderately diverse intake. The school does not have a nursery or sixth form, and it is not a boarding school, so it serves a straightforward junior-age cohort from Year 3 to Year 6.

Facilities are generous for a junior school of this size, including a library, sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields, forest school area, art studios and even a chapel. Sports provision covers cross country, tennis, dance, athletics, swimming, netball and cricket, while clubs include drama, choir and gardening. The school’s SEND register covers specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, social and emotional mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder, so it is equipped to support a range of additional needs. For families weighing up options, the nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is Widcombe CofE Junior School, about two kilometres away. Moorlands is a solid, well-regarded local option with good facilities and a clear reading strength, but parents focused on maths and writing outcomes may want to look more closely at the data.

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