Rangeworthy Church of England Primary School

About Rangeworthy Church of England Primary School

Rangeworthy Church of England Primary School is a small state primary in South Gloucestershire, with just 34 pupils on roll against a capacity of 70 — meaning the school is operating at under half its potential size. That spare capacity stands out in a local authority where demand for places is generally high, and it’s worth noting that the school’s own admission data for 2025/26 shows it was oversubscribed, with 8 applications for 6 places and 5 of those coming as first preferences. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 26.5%, which is notably above the national average for primary schools (around 23%) and suggests the school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. As a Church of England school, it has a religious character, though the data doesn’t indicate whether this influences admissions criteria. The headteacher is Michael Riches.

Academically, the picture is challenging. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, the school was rated Inadequate overall, a significant downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2013. The breakdown is stark: quality of education and early years provision were both judged Inadequate, while personal development and behaviour and attitudes were rated Requires Improvement. Leadership and management also received an Inadequate grade. This means the school is now subject to formal intervention from the Department for Education. On the positive side, the school’s previous inspection history shows it was capable of delivering a Good standard, so there is a recent benchmark to aim for. However, no Key Stage 2 SATs results are available in the data, so it’s not possible to compare the school’s academic performance against the South Gloucestershire local authority average of 61% achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

The school does offer some practical advantages. Facilities include a library, playing fields, art studios, a gymnasium and a chapel, and there’s a decent range of sports — rounders, netball, cricket, athletics and cross country — plus clubs like chess, book club and choir. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions covering specific learning difficulties (dyslexia), moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Given the small cohort, class sizes are likely to be very small, which can be a benefit for children who struggle in larger settings. However, the Inadequate Ofsted rating means this is a school in turnaround, and parents considering it should be aware that the local authority may be closely monitoring progress. It’s a school that might suit families who value a small, village-school feel and are willing to engage actively with the improvement journey.

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