St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School

St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary is a caring, close-knit school where pupils feel safe and valued, but it is not yet providing the quality of education they should receive. Most areas of the report card require attention. Pupils in key stage 2 do not achieve consistently well, teaching across the wider curriculum is uneven, and some pupils—especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or disadvantages—do not get the support they need to build foundational knowledge. Attendance is below national expectations and behaviour expectations are not consistently applied. There are important strengths. Early years provision is effective: transition is well planned, language and early reading are a focus, and children typically achieve a good level of development. Phonics is taught well, and pupils achieve well in the Year 1 screening check. Leaders now have an accurate view of the school, governance has stabilised after turbulence, and recent plans, training and work with parents are beginning to gain traction. Safeguarding is met, and pupils are safe, happy and proud of their school. However, the improvements are very recent and have not yet made a measurable difference. The school has experienced significant leadership and governance turbulence and pupil turnover, and it now needs to ensure consistent implementation of its attendance, behaviour, curriculum and inclusion strategies so that all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, achieve well and are prepared for the next stage.

Strengths

• Early years transition arrangements are carefully planned and use well-understood starting points.
• Early years staff develop children's language, early reading and positive learning behaviours well.
• Children in Reception typically achieve a good level of development and are prepared for Year 1.
• Phonics teaching is effective, with pupils achieving well in the Year 1 screening check.
• Pupils with SEND have their needs identified swiftly and accurately.
• The hub and nurture room provide supportive spaces for pupils with individualised curricula.
• Leaders and governors have an accurate view of the school and governors fulfil statutory duties.
• Leaders' improvement plans focus on the right priorities, including staff expertise and parent relationships.
• Staff appreciate leaders' focus on workload and wellbeing and value recent training.
• Parents appreciate improved communication and the school's partnership work.
• Pupils are safe, happy and feel valued; bullying is rare and dealt with promptly.
• The school's caring values underpin a compassionate atmosphere, with charity and civic involvement.
• Pupils can take part in clubs such as choir, football and gymnastics.
• Older pupils act as buddies to help younger children feel safe and settled.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils in key stage 2 do not achieve consistently well in national tests or across the wider curriculum.
• Some pupils do not secure basic spelling and handwriting skills or key scientific concepts.
• Teaching across the wider curriculum is inconsistent and does not focus enough on essential knowledge.
• Pupils lack sufficient opportunities to revisit and recall prior learning, so gaps persist.
• Teachers do not consistently adapt lessons for pupils with SEND or disadvantaged pupils.
• Some pupils with SEND and other barriers do not receive the support needed to make expected progress.
• Leaders have not made effective use of funding, and support for eligible pupils lacks impact.
• Attendance is below national expectations, especially for pupils with SEND and other barriers.
• Behaviour expectations are not consistently high, and some pupils lose focus in lessons.
• The personal development programme does not prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils' understanding of cultures, faiths and communities in modern Britain is limited.
• Pupil leadership roles and enrichment activities are not fully developed or inclusive.
• Recent improvements have not yet made a measurable difference to the quality of education.
• Leadership and governance turbulence has affected the school's capacity to improve.
• Leaders do not consistently use progress checks to plan future learning for pupils with SEND.
• Governance expertise still needs further development to support and challenge leaders effectively.

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 St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School attended 92.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.2% 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, 2.2% of pupils at St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic 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 St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School had 21.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.3% 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, 21.0% of pupils at St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School received £7,277 and spent £7,999 for each of its 176 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £394,000 (-£2,241 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 Bristol · South Gloucestershire local authority: places and applications

What is St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in February 2026.

When was St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School was last inspected in February 2026.

How many pupils does St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School have?

St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School has 176 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School cover?

St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 46% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?

St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is at Boscombe Crescent, Downend, Bristol, BS16 6QR.