Nailsworth Church of England Primary School

Nailsworth Church of England Primary School is a happy, safe and welcoming school where pupils behave well and uphold values of community, love, respect and perseverance. This graded inspection in December 2024 found the school performing well across the board, with all key judgements rated good, matching its previous inspection grade. Leaders have raised expectations and redesigned much of the curriculum since the previous inspection, and published outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are above national averages. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school has a strong reading culture and a well-established phonics programme, with pupils in Reception and Year 1 reading confidently and accurately. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified quickly and supported effectively. Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, roles and community activities that help them become responsible citizens. Staff are positive about leadership and workload, and governors provide effective challenge. The main areas for improvement are in curriculum implementation. In a few subjects, the school has not clearly identified how prior knowledge connects to new learning, which can limit pupils’ depth of understanding. In some wider curriculum subjects, assessment systems are still being developed, so the school does not yet have a secure picture of what pupils know and remember in the long term. The inspection was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the school is currently in an informal partnership with Upton St Leonard’s Church of England Primary School.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, safe and welcoming, and describe the school as fun and caring.
• The school’s values of community, love, respect and perseverance guide pupils’ work and play.
• Behaviour is strong, with pupils following the ‘ready, respectful and safe’ rules and learning without disruption.
• Leaders have raised expectations and redesigned the curriculum to be more ambitious for all pupils.
• Published outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are above national averages.
• The school has built a strong reading culture, with books prominent across the curriculum.
• Phonics is taught effectively from Reception, and pupils who fall behind receive effective support.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge and introduce pupils to rich vocabulary.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported to learn successfully alongside their peers.
• Pupils take on important roles such as house captains and reading ambassadors.
• Clubs and community activities, including fencing, technology, sports, singing to older residents and gardening projects, nurture pupils’ talents and citizenship.
• Leaders have taken decisive action and staff are highly positive about the guidance and workload consideration they receive.
• Governors understand their role and provide effective challenge.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, the school has not clearly identified how prior knowledge connects to new learning, limiting pupils’ depth of understanding.
• In some wider curriculum subjects, assessment systems are at an early stage, so the school does not securely know what pupils know and remember in the long term.

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 Nailsworth Church of England Primary School attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.2% 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, 1.6% of pupils at Nailsworth Church of England 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 Nailsworth Church of England Primary School had 21.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 42.0% 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, 10.8% of pupils at Nailsworth Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.8% 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 Nailsworth Church of England Primary School received £7,935 and spent £7,838 for each of its 176 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £30,000 (£170 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 Stroud · Gloucestershire local authority: places and applications

What is Nailsworth Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Nailsworth Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Nailsworth Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Nailsworth Church of England Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Nailsworth Church of England Primary School have?

Nailsworth Church of England Primary School has 176 pupils on roll.

What age range does Nailsworth Church of England Primary School cover?

Nailsworth Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Nailsworth Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Nailsworth Church of England Primary School?

Nailsworth Church of England Primary School is at Nympsfield Road, Nailsworth, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL6 0ET.