Hillcrest Primary School

Hillcrest Primary School is performing well overall, with a strong emphasis on safeguarding, attendance, and behavior. The school promotes an inclusive environment where all pupils feel valued and supported. Most pupils make satisfactory progress through the curriculum, excelling particularly in reading and mathematics, though writing outcomes remain below national averages. Leaders are focused on developing the writing curriculum, which is starting to show improvement in key stage 2. Despite challenges in writing, there is a clear framework in place to support disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, ensuring that they receive the necessary assistance.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and supported in a nurturing environment.
• Good progress in reading and mathematics by the end of key stage 2.
• Effective and inclusive approach to supporting disadvantaged pupils.
• Strong behaviour management policies leading to a calm and orderly school environment.
• Engaging curriculum that promotes language skills and vocabulary development.

Areas for Improvement

• Writing outcomes are currently lower than national averages.
• Errors in transcription and grammar are not always identified accurately.

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 Hillcrest Primary School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.2% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest Primary School had 22.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.6% 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, 13.2% of pupils at Hillcrest Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.9% 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 Hillcrest Primary School received £6,713 and spent £6,827 for each of its 410 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £93,000 (£226 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).

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• Secondary Schools

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What is Hillcrest Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hillcrest Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Hillcrest Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Hillcrest Primary School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Hillcrest Primary School have?

Hillcrest Primary School has 410 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hillcrest Primary School cover?

Hillcrest Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Hillcrest Primary School?

Hillcrest Primary School is at Cemetery Road, Totterdown, Bristol, BS4 3DE.