Gretton Primary School

Gretton Primary School is a small, welcoming school where pupils feel safe, behave well and attend regularly. Inspectors found a calm and caring culture, strong relationships between staff and pupils, and effective work to include pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school has improved since its last inspection, particularly in teaching, early reading and the wider curriculum, and leaders have benefited from joining Primary Quest Multi-Academy Trust in April 2025. Most aspects of provision are now secure. Attendance is in line with national averages, behaviour has improved through a well-understood system, early years provision is stronger, and personal development and pastoral support are valued by pupils and families. Leaders, trustees and the local advisory board work together effectively, and staff speak positively about leadership and workload. The main concern is pupils' achievement. Historic weaknesses in teaching and the curriculum mean too many older pupils leave key stage 2 without the knowledge they need in English and, especially, mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes are below national figures and the disadvantage gap is wide. Teachers do not always challenge pupils who have already secured the intended learning, and some older pupils still have significant gaps to close.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and are treated with respect in a calm, caring school culture.
• Behaviour is good and low-level disruption has been reduced through a clear behaviour system.
• Attendance is consistently in line with national averages and persistent absence is improving.
• Teaching and curriculum have improved since the last inspection, especially in early reading and phonics.
• Early years provision is stronger, with smooth transitions and warm relationships helping children settle quickly.
• Pupils with SEND are identified early and generally receive effective support and precise targets.
• Leaders work well with the trust, trustees and the local advisory board to secure improvement.
• Staff feel supported, valued and positive about leaders' consideration of their wellbeing.
• Personal development is well considered, with strong pastoral support and high participation in enrichment activities.
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are effectively supported to access clubs and wider opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' achievement requires attention because too many leave key stage 2 without the knowledge needed in English and mathematics.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics has been below national figures for an extended period.
• Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes are below national averages, with particularly wide gaps in writing and mathematics.
• Some older pupils have pronounced gaps in mathematics, spelling and handwriting that are taking time to close.
• Teachers do not always provide sufficient challenge for pupils who have already secured the intended learning.
• Some adaptations for pupils with SEND do not fully consider the barriers they face, so a few pupils occasionally struggle to access learning.
• Pupils' learning about different faiths and cultures is not revisited often enough to build depth of knowledge.
• A few pupils occasionally disengage when the curriculum is not well matched to their needs.

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 Gretton Primary School attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.8% 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 Gretton 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 Gretton Primary School had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.7% 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, 26.1% of pupils at Gretton Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.4% 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 Gretton Primary School received £6,956 and spent £6,857 for each of its 91 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £101,000 (£1,110 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Primary Quest Multi-Academy Trust, income was £6,999 and spending £6,691 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 Cheltenham · Gloucestershire local authority: places and applications

Gretton Primary School is part of Primary Quest Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Oak Hill Church of England Primary School Tewkesbury
• Hartpury Church of England Primary School Gloucester
• Staunton and Corse Church of England Primary School Gloucester
• Highnam CofE Primary Academy Gloucester
• Redmarley Church of England Primary School Gloucester
• Tibberton Community Primary School and Early Years Gloucester
• Bromesberrow St Mary's Church of England Primary School Ledbury
• Ann Cam Church of England Primary School Dymock
• Hope Brook CofE Primary School Longhope

What is Gretton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Gretton Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Gretton Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Gretton Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Gretton Primary School have?

Gretton Primary School has 92 pupils on roll.

What age range does Gretton Primary School cover?

Gretton Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 43% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Gretton Primary School?

Gretton Primary School is at Gretton, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 5EY.