Windwhistle Primary School

About Windwhistle Primary School

Windwhistle Primary School sits in the North Somerset local authority, a state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 3 to 11. In the most recent local rankings, it placed 57th out of 57 primary schools in the area, putting it at the bottom of the LA table. For context, the top-performing peers nearby include Northleaze Church of England Primary School, Winscombe Primary School, and Tickenham Church of England Primary School, each scoring significantly higher on the same ranking metric. The school’s ranking score of 13 places it in the bottom 50 nationally, and within the South West region it ranks 1,460th out of 1,469 primary schools. Despite these figures, Windwhistle has held a Good rating from Ofsted since its most recent graded inspection in 2014, and an ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed the school remains Good. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Uphill Village Academy, 1.3 km away.

Academically, the school’s Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 year show significant challenges. Just 13% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared with the North Somerset LA average of 61%. In reading, 34% reached the expected standard, with 9% achieving a higher standard; in writing, 25% met expectations and none reached the higher standard; in maths, 26% met expectations and again none reached the higher standard. Average scaled scores were 98 in reading and 95 in maths. Progress measures for reading, writing, and maths are not available in the data, so it is unclear how much value the school adds relative to starting points. The school ranks bottom in the LA on the KS2 RWM expected metric, and nationally it sits at 13,630th out of 13,686 primary schools. These outcomes suggest that most pupils are not reaching age-related expectations by the end of primary.

Windwhistle has a nursery provision and a total capacity of 420, with 336 pupils currently on roll. The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake: it received 47 applications for 35 places, with 30 first-preference offers made and an oversubscription ratio of 1.34. A high proportion of pupils — 44.5% — are eligible for free school meals, which is well above the national average and likely reflects the school’s role in a disadvantaged catchment. Facilities include a gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, a forest school, an ICT suite, and a chapel. Sports offered include football, netball, cricket, tennis, and swimming, while clubs range from drama and coding to eco club and science club. The school’s SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. This school may suit families who prioritise a supportive, inclusive environment with strong SEND support and a wide range of extracurricular activities, but who are aware that academic outcomes are significantly below local averages.

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