Upper Horfield Primary School

Upper Horfield Primary School demonstrates a strong commitment to ensuring that all pupils feel safe and supported, with safeguarding standards successfully met. The school fosters positive relationships between staff, pupils, and families, contributing to a warm and inclusive atmosphere. However, despite notable improvements in attendance and a nurturing environment, there remain concerns regarding some pupils' achievement, particularly in foundational skills like handwriting and spelling, which reflect historic weaknesses in the curriculum and inconsistencies in teaching practices. Leaders are working to secure better outcomes for pupils but acknowledge the need for further refinements in their approaches.

Strengths

• Established culture of inclusion and support for all pupils.
• Positive relationships fostered between staff, pupils, and families.
• Improved attendance rates close to national averages.
• Pupils enjoy a range of enrichment opportunities that enhance personal development.
• Staff commitment to raising standards and providing support for pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Gaps in pupils' letter formation, spelling, and handwriting skills.
• Inconsistencies in the teaching quality and curriculum implementation.
• Some pupils with SEND do not consistently make suitable progress.
• Leaders' actions are not resulting in swift improvements.

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 Upper Horfield Primary School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.8% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Upper Horfield 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 Upper Horfield Primary School had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.3% 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, 17.8% of pupils at Upper Horfield Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% 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 Upper Horfield Primary School received £8,275 and spent £8,195 for each of its 185 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £148,000 (£799 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

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What is Upper Horfield Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Upper Horfield Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Upper Horfield Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Upper Horfield Primary School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Upper Horfield Primary School have?

Upper Horfield Primary School has 185 pupils on roll.

What age range does Upper Horfield Primary School cover?

Upper Horfield Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Upper Horfield Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Upper Horfield Primary School?

Upper Horfield Primary School is at Upper Horfield Community School & Early Years, Sheridan Road, Horfield, Bristol, BS7 0PU.