Bushbury Hill Primary School

Bushbury Hill Primary School is a nurturing, inclusive primary school in a disadvantaged area, with high proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals and receiving SEN support. Inspectors found safeguarding met and most areas at expected standard: curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Behaviour is a notable strength, with a calm, purposeful culture, warm relationships, strong pastoral care and a wide enrichment programme. However, achievement, attendance and early years are areas needing attention. Pupils' progress is uneven because some have gaps in basic English and mathematics; Year 6 attainment in writing and mathematics is below average, and disadvantaged pupils still trail non-disadvantaged peers nationally. Attendance and persistent absence are above national averages, and some pupils who miss school do not catch up quickly enough. In early years, some activities lack clear purpose, limiting consolidation and readiness for Year 1, and too many children do not reach expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders have an accurate view and are taking action, including a consistent phonics programme and improved reading. Governors provide effective support and challenge, and staff feel valued. Next steps focus on consistent checks for learning to address misconceptions and gaps, reducing absence, and improving early years planning and support. The inspection was a full section 5 inspection under the renewed framework, with local authority involvement and no alternative provision or resourced SEND unit.

Strengths

• Inclusive, caring ethos with strong relationships and pupils feeling safe and valued.
• Behaviour is a strength, with a calm, purposeful culture and consistently high expectations.
• Pupils are polite, respectful and supportive of one another, and say bullying is rare.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school and act quickly on weaknesses.
• Governors provide effective support and challenge and ensure legal duties are met.
• Personal development is well planned, with wide enrichment, clubs, trips and pupil leadership roles.
• Phonics is taught consistently well by well-trained staff.
• Reading is improving, with pupils growing in confidence and fluency.
• SEND pupils receive thoughtful, tailored support, especially in the rainbow and beehive provisions.
• Pastoral support is extensive and helps pupils manage emotional wellbeing.
• Pupils understand British values, healthy relationships and how to manage risks.
• Staff feel valued and supported, with attention to workload and wellbeing.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils have gaps in basic English and mathematics, making progress uneven.
• Year 6 attainment in writing and mathematics remains below average.
• Disadvantaged pupils still have a gap with non-disadvantaged pupils nationally, especially in writing and mathematics.
• Attendance is below the national average.
• Persistent absence is above the national average.
• Some pupils who miss school do not catch up quickly enough.
• Early years activities sometimes lack clear purpose, limiting children's consolidation of learning.
• Too many children in early years do not reach expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Support for children's learning and play does not help all children be fully ready for Year 1.
• Staff do not consistently use checks on learning to identify and address misconceptions and gaps, including those caused by absence.
• More work is needed to develop pupils' early writing and mathematics.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Bushbury Hill Primary School attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.7% of pupils at Bushbury Hill Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Bushbury Hill Primary School had 21.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 1.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 25.1% of pupils at Bushbury Hill Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Bushbury Hill Primary School received £8,939 and spent £9,186 for each of its 235 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £83,000 (£353 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Wolverhampton · Wolverhampton local authority: places and applications

What is Bushbury Hill Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bushbury Hill Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Bushbury Hill Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bushbury Hill Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Bushbury Hill Primary School have?

Bushbury Hill Primary School has 243 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bushbury Hill Primary School cover?

Bushbury Hill Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Bushbury Hill Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bushbury Hill Primary School?

Bushbury Hill Primary School is at Old Fallings Lane, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV10 8BY.