Hotwells Primary School

Hotwells Primary School has shown significant improvement since its last inspection, now rated as good across all areas of evaluation. The school has fostered a welcoming and supportive environment where pupils feel safe and valued, contributing to their eagerness to attend and engage in learning. The curriculum is well-structured, allowing pupils to build knowledge over time, and there is a strong emphasis on reading and mathematical skills. Positive relationships among pupils and effective responses to behavioral issues are highlighted as strengths.

Strengths

• The inclusive and nurturing school ethos fosters a strong sense of community.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge and effectively deliver the curriculum.
• Pupils feel safe and well supported, contributing to their overall well-being.
• Efforts to promote positive behavior have been effective, with clear systems in place.
• Parents express high satisfaction with the school's support and communication.
• The school provides a range of enriching extracurricular activities.

Areas for Improvement

• The curriculum for Reception children in some areas is not ambitious enough.
• Some teachers do not adapt learning precisely for pupils with SEND, leading to struggles in learning.

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 Hotwells Primary School attended 92.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.2% 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, 1.5% of pupils at Hotwells 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 Hotwells Primary School had 15.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 29.3% 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, 8.8% of pupils at Hotwells Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.0% 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 Hotwells Primary School received £9,754 and spent £10,715 for each of its 133 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £374,000 (-£2,812 per pupil).

Across all 21 schools of Amplify Education, income was £8,102 and spending £8,050 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

Hotwells Primary School is part of Amplify Education, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• Ashton Gate Primary School Bristol
• Bristol Cathedral Choir School Bristol
• Cathedral Primary School Bristol
• Parson Street Primary School Bristol
• Victoria Park Primary School Bristol
• Headley Park Primary School Bristol
• Henleaze Junior School Bristol
• Henleaze Infant School Bristol
• St Werburgh's Primary School Bristol
• St Katherine's School Bristol

What is Hotwells Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Hotwells Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Hotwells Primary School was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Hotwells Primary School have?

Hotwells Primary School has 114 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hotwells Primary School cover?

Hotwells Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 85% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Hotwells Primary School?

Hotwells Primary School is at Hope Chapel Hill, Hotwells, Bristol, BS8 4ND.