Willow Primary Academy

About Willow Primary Academy

Willow Primary Academy’s headline metrics sit well below the Gloucestershire local authority average for primary schools. While the LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 59%, Willow’s figure is just 34%. That places the school 23rd out of 25 primaries in Gloucester, in the bottom 50% nationally. The gap is significant, and it’s worth noting that the school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage — 52.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, more than double the national average. That context matters when interpreting the results. On the positive side, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024 rated it Good across all categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. That’s a remarkable turnaround from its previous inspection in 2018, when it was judged Inadequate overall.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the picture is mixed. In reading, 45% of pupils met the expected standard, with an average score of 99 — just below the national benchmark of 100. In maths, 48% reached the expected standard, again with an average score of 99. Writing saw 45% at the expected level. Only 3% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, and the same tiny proportion hit the higher mark in maths. The school’s ranking score of 34 (out of 100) places it 188th out of 243 primaries in Gloucestershire. For context, the top-performing schools in the LA — like Meysey Hampton and Temple Guiting — achieved perfect scores of 100. Willow’s percentile ranking in the South West is 93.3, meaning it sits in the bottom 7% regionally. The data suggests that while the school is making progress in behaviour and leadership, academic attainment remains a significant challenge.

Willow Primary Academy is a smaller-than-average school, with 213 pupils against a capacity of 240. It was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, receiving 50 applications for 28 places, with 24 first-preference offers made — an oversubscription ratio of 1.79. The school offers a broad range of facilities including a forest school, sensory room, ICT suite, art studios, and a chapel. Sports include swimming, athletics, cricket, and dance, while clubs cover gardening, drama, film, and coding. The school’s SEND provisions are well-documented, supporting pupils with moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, and visual impairment. For families considering Willow, the key trade-off is clear: the school offers strong pastoral care and a Good Ofsted rating in a supportive environment, but academic outcomes are significantly below the local average. It may suit families who prioritise inclusion and personal development over raw attainment figures.

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