Slimbridge Primary School

About Slimbridge Primary School

Slimbridge Primary School’s headline metrics place it well ahead of the Gloucestershire local authority average for primary schools. While the LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined stands at 59 per cent, Slimbridge achieves 80 per cent — a gap of 21 percentage points that puts it comfortably in the top 25 per cent of schools nationally on this measure. The school also outperforms the LA norm in individual subjects: 93 per cent of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, 87 per cent in maths, and every single child reaches it in writing. At the higher standard, 47 per cent of pupils achieve in reading, 33 per cent in maths, and 13 per cent in writing, though the combined higher-standard figure of 7 per cent suggests stretch is an area still developing. These results are consistent with the school’s strong local ranking: 7th out of 52 primary schools in the Stroud area, and 19th out of 243 across the whole of Gloucestershire.

The school’s academic strength is backed by a consistent Ofsted record. In its most recent graded inspection in October 2023, Slimbridge was rated Good across every category — overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — all scoring a 2 on the four-point scale. This matches its previous inspection in 2012, which also awarded Good for overall effectiveness and leadership. Average scaled scores in reading (109) and maths (108) are above the national benchmark of 100, though the school does not publish progress scores for these subjects, so it is not possible to say how much value it adds relative to pupils’ starting points. The school has 141 pupils on roll against a capacity of 160, and 19.9 per cent are eligible for free school meals, slightly above the national average, which suggests a genuinely inclusive intake.

Slimbridge offers a broad set of facilities including a library, playing fields, ICT suite, music rooms, forest school and a chapel, alongside sports such as tennis, athletics, gymnastics, netball and football. Clubs range from drama and choir to film, science, gardening and chess, giving plenty of scope for pupils to explore interests beyond the classroom. The school has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs, though the extent of specialist support is not detailed. Admission data for 2025/26 shows the school is oversubscribed: 79 applications for 25 places, with 33 first-preference applications and 25 offers made to first-preference families, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.16. This is a school that suits families in the Stroud area who want strong academic outcomes in a Good-rated setting with a village-school feel, but they will need to apply early and list it as their first choice to stand a realistic chance of a place.

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