Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy

Hardwicke Parochial Academy demonstrates good overall effectiveness with a strong emphasis on creating a safe and inclusive environment for its pupils. The school has not been previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act and has recently undergone leadership changes. Despite these challenges, the leadership team has effectively designed a broad curriculum that supports all students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), fostering an atmosphere where pupils are eager to learn and develop responsibly. The commitment of staff to pupils' education and wellbeing is evident, though communication with parents, particularly regarding SEND, has been noted as an area needing improvement.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and happy at school.
• The school has an inclusive culture and supports pupils with SEND effectively.
• Curriculum development is a priority, with clear planning and support for teaching.
• Staff are well trained and supported in delivering early reading and phonics.
• Pupils demonstrate good behaviour and strong relationships with staff.
• Pupils engage actively in community and extracurricular activities.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment processes in some subjects are underdeveloped, leading to gaps in knowledge retention.
• Communication with parents, especially those of pupils with SEND, needs enhancement.

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 Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy attended 92.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.4% 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, 1.6% of pupils at Hardwicke Parochial 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 Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.3% 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, 11.5% of pupils at Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.7% 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 Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy received £6,600 and spent £6,663 for each of its 312 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £198,000 (£637 per pupil).

Across all 25 schools of The Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust, income was £6,887 and spending £6,916 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

Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy is part of The Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust, which runs 25 schools. The nearest others:

• Field Court Church of England Infant Academy Gloucester
• Clearwater Church of England Primary Academy Gloucester
• Longney Church of England Primary Academy Gloucester
• Hatherley Infant School Gloucester
• St James' Church of England Junior School Gloucester
• Lakefield CofE Primary School Gloucester
• Whiteshill Primary School Stroud
• St Matthew's Church of England Primary School Stroud
• Coaley Church of England Primary Academy Dursley
• Amberley Parochial School Stroud

What is Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy have?

Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy has 296 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy cover?

Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy?

Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy is at Poplar Way, Hardwicke, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL2 4QG.