Elmlea Junior School

Elmlea Junior School is performing exceptionally well. Inspectors found the school outstanding in all four key judgements: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Pupils thrive in a warm, welcoming environment where behaviour is exceptional, relationships are strong, and pupils feel safe and highly engaged in their learning. The curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced and continually refined, helping pupils achieve exceptionally well, including those with SEND. Reading is a particular strength, with expert phonics support and a diverse range of texts. Pupils benefit from an extensive personal development offer, including leadership roles and opportunities to contribute to the school and local community. Attendance is a sharp focus, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Leaders, governors and trust leaders have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and next steps, and staff value systems that support workload and well-being. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it remains outstanding following its previous outstanding judgement. Since September 2024, schools are no longer awarded an overall effectiveness grade.

Strengths

• Curriculum is highly ambitious, well sequenced and continually refined to build pupils' knowledge logically.
• Pupils achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum, including those with SEND.
• Reading curriculum is highly effective, with expert phonics support and diverse texts.
• Pupils with SEND are identified well and receive very effective support through class provision and interventions.
• Behaviour is exceptional, with calm and orderly conduct around the school and high engagement in lessons.
• Pupils have a deep understanding of the school's core values of kindness, respect and community.
• Personal development provision is extensive, including leadership roles and community contribution.
• Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education.
• Attendance is a sharp focus, with proactive identification and addressing of concerns.
• Leadership, governance and trust oversight are incisive and accurate, and staff well-being is well supported.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

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 Elmlea Junior School attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.3% 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, 1.7% of pupils at Elmlea Junior 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 Elmlea Junior School had 24.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.1% 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, 17.6% of pupils at Elmlea Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.4% 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 2023–24 Elmlea Junior School received £4,834 and spent £4,881 for each of its 362 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £437,000 (£1,207 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Russell Education Trust, income was £7,032 and spending £6,908 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bristol · Bristol, City of local authority: places and applications

Elmlea Junior School is part of Russell Education Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Elmlea Infant School Bristol
• Bristol Free School Bristol
• Turing House School Twickenham
• St Andrew the Apostle Greek Orthodox School London
• King's School Hove
• Becket Keys Church of England Free School Brentwood

What is Elmlea Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Elmlea Junior School is Outstanding, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Elmlea Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Elmlea Junior School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Elmlea Junior School have?

Elmlea Junior School has 353 pupils on roll.

What age range does Elmlea Junior School cover?

Elmlea Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Elmlea Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Elmlea Junior School?

Elmlea Junior School is at The Dell, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, BS9 3UF.