Birdwell Primary School

The school is performing at the expected standard across all evaluated areas, with safeguarding standards met. It is a larger-than-average single-academy-trust primary with low levels of disadvantage and SEND relative to national averages. Pupils achieve well: Year 6 outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are consistently above national averages, attendance is above average, and behaviour and attitudes are strong. Leaders have improved the wider curriculum since the previous inspection, and pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are supported well from their starting points. Strengths include an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum; effective phonics and reading; strong early years provision; and a broad personal-development offer that includes leadership roles, clubs, visits and community activities. Staff are well trained and well supported, governance is effective, and parents are overwhelmingly positive. Inclusion is a clear strength, with thoughtful adaptations and close monitoring of additional support. The main areas for improvement are ensuring consistently high expectations for the quality of pupils' work in all subjects, sharpening checks on understanding for a small number of pupils and reducing persistent written errors, and making attendance monitoring for particular groups more forensic. Pupils' understanding of different religions and cultures sometimes lacks depth, and recent early years handwriting and pencil-grip changes need time to embed. These are refinements rather than serious weaknesses.

Strengths

• Leaders are committed to improving outcomes for disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils.
• Pupils' outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 are consistently above national averages.
• The curriculum is ambitious and carefully sequenced so pupils build knowledge logically.
• Reading and phonics are taught consistently well, helping pupils become fluent and confident readers.
• Pupils with SEND benefit from appropriate adjustments and effective support.
• Attendance is above the national average, with caring work with families to overcome barriers.
• Pupils behave well and have highly positive attitudes to learning.
• Early years provision gives children a positive start, especially in communication, language and reading.
• Personal development prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain through roles, clubs and visits.
• Staff receive high-quality professional development and feel well supported.
• Trustees provide effective support and challenge and carry out their statutory duties.
• Parents and carers overwhelmingly value the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Expectations for the quality of pupils' work are not consistently high across all subjects.
• A minority of pupils do not produce high-quality work across the curriculum because expectations vary.
• Teachers' checks on understanding occasionally lack precision for a small number of pupils.
• Some errors in pupils' written work persist.
• Attendance monitoring for some pupil groups is not forensic enough to ensure actions have the desired impact.
• Pupils' understanding of different religions and cultures sometimes lacks depth.
• New early years handwriting and pencil-grip approaches need more time to show full impact.

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 Birdwell Primary School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.5% 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 Birdwell 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 Birdwell Primary School had 25.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.3% 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, 8.4% of pupils at Birdwell Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% 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 2024–25 Birdwell Primary School received £6,585 and spent £6,394 for each of its 424 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £301,000 (£710 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.

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What is Birdwell Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Birdwell Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Birdwell Primary School was last inspected in February 2026.

How many pupils does Birdwell Primary School have?

Birdwell Primary School has 427 pupils on roll.

What age range does Birdwell Primary School cover?

Birdwell Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Birdwell Primary School?

Birdwell Primary School is at Hollis Close, Long Ashton, Bristol, Somerset, BS41 9AZ.