Widcombe CofE Junior School

Widcombe CofE Junior School is performing exceptionally well. This was its first section 5 inspection, and inspectors found outstanding provision across education quality, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The school is part of Palladian Academy Trust and has not received an overall effectiveness grade because of the inspection changes introduced in September 2024. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The report highlights a carefully constructed curriculum, highly effective teacher development, and a strong focus on vocabulary. Pupils achieve excellent outcomes, write superbly, behave impeccably and attend well. Reading is a particular strength, with pupils eager to read and phonics taught extremely well. Provision for pupils with SEND is described as exemplary, with needs identified quickly and bespoke support helping pupils achieve highly. Personal development is closely intertwined with the academic curriculum. Pupils show strong empathy, understand different cultures and protected characteristics, and benefit from a wide enrichment offer that tracks participation closely, including for disadvantaged pupils. Leadership across the school, trust and governance is strong, parents are highly positive, and staff are proud to work at the school. No significant weaknesses are identified in the report.

Strengths

• Exceptionally well-designed curriculum with a strong focus on vocabulary
• Highly effective and ongoing support to develop teachers’ subject knowledge
• Excellent pupil achievement and superb writing
• Impeccable behaviour and high attendance
• Pupils are avid readers and phonics is taught extremely well
• Exemplary SEND provision with early identification and bespoke support
• Personal development is intertwined with the academic curriculum
• Pupils show strong empathy and understanding of protected characteristics
• Wide enrichment offer with high participation, including disadvantaged pupils
• Strong leadership across the school, trust and governance
• Parents are highly positive and staff are proud to work at the school
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

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 Widcombe CofE Junior School attended 97.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.6% 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, 0.8% of pupils at Widcombe CofE Junior 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 Widcombe CofE Junior School had 23.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.6% 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, 9.5% of pupils at Widcombe CofE Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.7% 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 Widcombe CofE Junior School received £6,097 and spent £5,616 for each of its 237 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £189,000 (£797 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Palladian Academy Trust, income was £6,949 and spending £6,535 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 Bath · Bath and North East Somerset local authority: places and applications

Widcombe CofE Junior School is part of Palladian Academy Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Widcombe Infant School Bath
• Oldfield Park Infant School Bath
• Oldfield Park Junior School Bath
• Combe Down CofE Primary School Bath
• Ralph Allen School Bath
• St Philip's CofE Primary School Bath
• St Martin's Garden Primary School Bath
• Winsley CoE VC Primary School Bradford-On-Avon
• Westwood-with-Iford Primary School Bradford-On-Avon
• Fitzmaurice Primary School Bradford-On-Avon

What is Widcombe CofE Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Widcombe CofE Junior School is Outstanding, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Widcombe CofE Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Widcombe CofE Junior School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Widcombe CofE Junior School have?

Widcombe CofE Junior School has 243 pupils on roll.

What age range does Widcombe CofE Junior School cover?

Widcombe CofE Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Widcombe CofE Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Widcombe CofE Junior School?

Widcombe CofE Junior School is at Pulteney Road, Bath, Somerset, BA2 4JG.