Amberley Parochial School

Amberley Parochial School is a small Church of England primary school in Gloucestershire, part of The Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust. This full section 5 inspection found the school performing at a strong standard in every evaluated area, with safeguarding standards met. Pupils achieve highly from the early years through Year 6, and published outcomes in the Year 1 phonics check, Year 4 multiplication tables and end of Key Stage 2 statutory assessments are consistently above national averages. The school's strengths include a well-designed curriculum, highly effective early years provision, strong inclusive practice for pupils with SEND, high attendance, excellent behaviour and a coherent personal development programme. Pupils, including those with SEND, make positive progress from their starting points and leave well prepared for secondary school. Leadership and governance are ambitious and well supported, and parents strongly recommend the school. No significant weaknesses or areas of underperformance were identified. The next steps ask leaders and the trust to continue prioritising evidence-informed, high standards of teaching so that there is a transformational impact on achievement for all pupils, including children in the early years foundation stage. The school is much smaller than average, with low proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals and no pupils with an EHC plan or resourced SEND provision.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve highly, with outcomes above national averages in phonics, multiplication tables and end of Key Stage 2 assessments.
• Reading is a particular strength, with pupils enthusiastically discussing books and sharing recommendations.
• All groups of pupils, including those with SEND, make positive progress from their starting points and are well prepared for secondary school.
• Attendance is high and persistent absence is very low because leaders keep regular attendance central to their work.
• Pupils' behaviour and conduct are impressive, with respect, kindness and service embedded in the school culture.
• The curriculum is well designed from the early years onwards, reinforces vocabulary and uses effective, creative teaching strategies.
• Early years provision gives children a strong start in reading, writing, language and mathematics.
• Inclusion is a strength, with early identification of needs, precise adaptations and targeted support for pupils with SEND.
• Leadership and governance are ambitious, with robust trust oversight, strong staff support and consideration for workload and wellbeing.
• Personal development is coherently planned, with rich opportunities in citizenship, wellbeing, music, outdoor learning and community engagement.
• Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils feel safe and well cared for.
• Parents would recommend the school without reservation and value its family-like culture.

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 Amberley Parochial School attended 97.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.3% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Amberley Parochial 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 Amberley Parochial School had 18.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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 Amberley Parochial School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.0% 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 Amberley Parochial School received £6,652 and spent £6,938 for each of its 102 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £65,000 (£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 Stroud · Gloucestershire local authority: places and applications

Amberley Parochial School is part of The Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust, which runs 25 schools. The nearest others:

• Minchinhampton Primary Academy Stroud
• St Matthew's Church of England Primary School Stroud
• Whiteshill Primary School Stroud
• Coaley Church of England Primary Academy Dursley
• St Mary's Church of England Primary School Tetbury
• Dursley Church of England Primary Academy Dursley
• Lakefield CofE Primary School Gloucester
• Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy Gloucester
• Field Court Church of England Infant Academy Gloucester
• Clearwater Church of England Primary Academy Gloucester

What is Amberley Parochial School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Amberley Parochial School is Strong standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Amberley Parochial School last inspected by Ofsted?

Amberley Parochial School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Amberley Parochial School have?

Amberley Parochial School has 104 pupils on roll.

What age range does Amberley Parochial School cover?

Amberley Parochial School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Amberley Parochial School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Amberley Parochial School?

Amberley Parochial School is at Amberley, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 5JG.