Fonthill Primary Academy

Fonthill Primary Academy is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in all key areas including the quality of education and leadership. The school's environment fosters pride in attendance, with a strong emphasis on positive relationships and high behavioural expectations. The headteacher and staff are dedicated to creating a supportive atmosphere, which is reflected in the positive feedback from parents and the sense of safety among pupils. This inspection marks the school's first review since converting to an academy in 2018, demonstrating a solid foundation for future growth.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit positive attitudes towards learning.
• High expectations for behaviour are evident in all year groups.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Emphasis on reading with an effective phonics program.
• Well-structured mathematics curriculum starting from early years.
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils enhance safety.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent implementation of the curriculum across all subjects.
• Some teachers do not clarify learning expectations effectively.
• Pupils struggle to develop a depth of knowledge in wider curriculum subjects.

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 Fonthill Primary Academy attended 91.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.4% 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, 4.4% of pupils at Fonthill Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Fonthill Primary Academy had 24.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 60.4% 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, 27.1% of pupils at Fonthill Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.1% 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 Fonthill Primary Academy received £8,501 and spent £8,611 for each of its 226 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £188,000 (£832 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

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

• Orchard School Bristol Bristol
• Little Mead Primary Academy Bristol
• Filton Avenue Primary School Bristol
• Henleaze Junior School Bristol
• Henleaze Infant School Bristol
• Henbury Court Primary Academy Bristol
• Stoke Park Primary School Bristol
• Trinity Academy Bristol
• Charlton Wood Primary Academy Bristol
• St Werburgh's Primary School Bristol

What is Fonthill Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Fonthill Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Fonthill Primary Academy was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Fonthill Primary Academy have?

Fonthill Primary Academy has 221 pupils on roll.

What age range does Fonthill Primary Academy cover?

Fonthill Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 47% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Fonthill Primary Academy?

Fonthill Primary Academy is at Ascot Road, Southmead, Bristol, BS10 5SW.