Chew Valley School

Chew Valley School is a larger-than-average secondary school within the Lighthouse Schools Partnership. It performs well overall, with personal development, wellbeing and post-16 provision judged as strong standard. Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment opportunities through the 'Chew Valley Guarantee', an extensive extracurricular programme, and a supportive house system. The sixth form is welcoming and inclusive, and students achieve particularly well on applied courses. Safeguarding standards are met, and relationships between staff and pupils are warm and positive. Achievement, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance are all at the expected standard. Pupils typically achieve in line with national averages, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement. However, attendance and behaviour require attention. Pupils do not attend school regularly enough, and overall attendance has been declining. Persistent absence among disadvantaged pupils is above average. Leaders have begun to take action but do not consistently use attendance information to identify barriers or evaluate the impact of their actions. Consequently, some pupils miss out on the teaching and experiences their peers receive. Teaching is generally effective but not consistently adapted to meet all pupils' needs. Formative assessment is sometimes less precise, leaving gaps in knowledge for some pupils. Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes in English and maths GCSE were significantly below national averages in 2024/25, and their progress measures are weaker than their peers nationally. The school's next steps focus on improving the consistency of teaching and assessment, and strengthening the analysis and actions around attendance.

Strengths

• Strong standard in personal development and wellbeing with a carefully planned PSHE curriculum
• The 'Chew Valley Guarantee' ensures all pupils experience enriching activities like theatre visits, museums and field trips
• Extensive extracurricular programme including Korean language, reptiles, music, sports and leadership projects
• Strong post-16 provision with effective pastoral support and high achievement, especially on applied courses
• Students in the sixth form produce high-quality work and progress well to prestigious universities and degree apprenticeships
• Inclusive school with a highly effective learning support base for pupils with SEND and wellbeing needs
• Staff know pupils well and provide timely, effective support
• House system and mixed-age tutor groups create a strong sense of belonging and community
• Pupils feel safe; bullying is rare and dealt with swiftly when it occurs
• Leaders have high expectations of staff, manage workload well and provide suitable professional development
• Leaders build trusting relationships with parents and work creatively with other schools and the community
• Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils do not consistently attend school regularly enough; overall attendance is declining and persistent absence for disadvantaged pupils is above average
• Leaders do not use attendance information consistently or effectively to understand barriers or evaluate the impact of actions
• Some teaching does not consistently adapt to meet pupils' needs; formative assessment is sometimes less precise, leaving gaps in knowledge
• Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes in English and maths GCSE were significantly below national averages in 2024/25
• Disadvantaged pupils' progress measures are weaker than their peers nationally
• Some pupils miss out on the teaching and experiences their peers receive due to poor attendance

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 Chew Valley School attended 90.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 26.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 3.9% of pupils at Chew Valley School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Chew Valley School had 17.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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 Chew Valley School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Chew Valley School received £7,727 and spent £7,543 for each of its 1,189 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £583,000 (£491 per pupil).

Across all 33 schools of Lighthouse Schools Partnership, income was £6,883 and spending £6,752 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 · Bath and North East Somerset local authority: places and applications

Chew Valley School is part of Lighthouse Schools Partnership, which runs 33 schools. The nearest others:

• Bishop Sutton Primary School Bristol
• Stanton Drew Primary School Bristol
• Winford Church of England Primary School Bristol
• Ubley Church of England Primary School Bristol
• East Harptree Church of England Primary School Bristol
• Whitchurch Primary School Bristol
• Blagdon Primary School Bristol
• Northleaze Church of England Primary School Bristol
• Flax Bourton Church of England Primary School Bristol
• Burrington Church of England Primary School Bristol

What is Chew Valley School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Chew Valley School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Chew Valley School last inspected by Ofsted?

Chew Valley School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Chew Valley School have?

Chew Valley School has 1,180 pupils on roll.

What age range does Chew Valley School cover?

Chew Valley School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Chew Valley School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.1, and 47% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Chew Valley School?

Chew Valley School is at Chew Magna, Bristol, Somerset, BS40 8QB.