Waterwells Primary Academy

Waterwells Primary Academy has made significant progress since its previous inspection, achieving a 'Good' rating across all areas of inspection including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership, and management. The school has established a positive and inclusive culture that reflects its core values, resulting in a safe environment where pupils feel respected and empowered. Staff members are dedicated to high expectations and fostering strong relationships, contributing to effective learning outcomes among students. Despite these strengths, there are areas for improvement, particularly in the delivery of certain subjects where teachers may not have the same level of subject knowledge as in English and mathematics. Additionally, while the school demonstrates ambition for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the consistency of curriculum adaptation for these students needs enhancement to ensure all pupils can achieve their full potential.

Strengths

• Positive and inclusive school culture
• Strong adherence to school values by pupils
• Effective teaching of phonics and reading
• Well-sequenced curriculum design
• Pupils develop a strong understanding of mathematics
• Good personal development programs
• Effective safeguarding measures
• Strong leadership and management support from governors and trust

Areas for Improvement

• Variability in delivery of some newer subject curriculums
• Inconsistency in using information to support pupils with SEND effectively

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 Waterwells Primary Academy attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.1% 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 Waterwells Primary Academy 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 Waterwells Primary Academy had 22.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.1% 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, 14.0% of pupils at Waterwells Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.5% 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 Waterwells Primary Academy received £6,990 and spent £7,014 for each of its 350 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £289,000 (£825 per pupil).

Across all 36 schools of Greenshaw Learning Trust, income was £8,062 and spending £7,907 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 Gloucester · Gloucestershire local authority: places and applications

Waterwells Primary Academy is part of Greenshaw Learning Trust, which runs 39 schools. The nearest others:

• Holmleigh Park High School Gloucester
• Hunts Grove Primary Academy Gloucester
• Grange Primary Academy
• Hillside Primary School Gloucester
• Gloucester Academy Gloucester
• Widden Primary School Gloucester
• Barnwood Park School Gloucester
• Henley Bank High School Gloucester
• Five Acres High School Coleford
• Tyndale Primary School Yate

What is Waterwells Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Waterwells Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Waterwells Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Waterwells Primary Academy was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Waterwells Primary Academy have?

Waterwells Primary Academy has 335 pupils on roll.

What age range does Waterwells Primary Academy cover?

Waterwells Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Waterwells Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Waterwells Primary Academy?

Waterwells Primary Academy is at Boulmer Avenue, Kingsway, Quedgeley, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL2 2FX.