St Martin's Garden Primary School

About St Martin's Garden Primary School

St Martin’s Garden Primary School in Bath and North East Somerset is a smaller-than-average state primary, with 204 pupils on roll against a capacity of 315. That leaves a fair amount of physical space, but the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 36 applications for 24 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.5, and all 23 first-preference applicants were offered a spot. The pupil demographic is notably different from the local average — 47.5% of children are eligible for free school meals, which is significantly higher than the national primary average of around 23% and suggests the school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. The school is non-religious and co-educational, taking children from age 3 to 11, though it does not offer nursery provision on site. Headteacher Joe Lund leads a team that has been working through a period of transition, as reflected in the school’s most recent Ofsted rating.

Academically, St Martin’s Garden is currently rated Requires Improvement overall by Ofsted, following its July 2023 inspection. The breakdown shows a mixed picture: behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision were all rated Good, while the quality of education and leadership and management were judged to require improvement. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 46% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — well below the Bath and North East Somerset local authority average of 62%. The school’s average scaled scores were 100 in reading and 99 in maths, and just 11% of pupils achieved a higher standard in maths, with none reaching that level in writing. These results place the school 45th out of 52 primaries in the local authority, and in the bottom half nationally. Progress scores are not available, so it’s hard to say how much value the school adds relative to starting points, but the raw outcomes are clearly a concern for parents focused on academic attainment.

On the practical side, the school offers a decent range of facilities including a Forest School area, playing fields, a sports hall, a library, music rooms and a chapel. Sports provision covers netball, athletics, swimming and cricket, and there are clubs such as film, book, drama, choir and gardening. The SEND provision is extensive, with a dedicated SEN unit and support for specific needs including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. That makes it a potentially strong fit for families whose children require additional support. The school is oversubscribed, so applying as a first preference is important. For families prioritising a strong academic record, the nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is Widcombe CofE Junior School, about 2.8 km away. St Martin’s Garden is best suited to parents who value a broad, inclusive environment and strong pastoral and SEND support over headline exam results.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Martin's Garden Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents