Every primary and secondary school in Bristol in need of improvement

Seven Bristol primary and secondary schools have been told to improve by Ofsted. Ofsted is the UK’s Education Standards Office responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions.

Schools are visited, inspected and judged on five key categories – quality of education, leadership and management, behavior and attitudes, personal development and early years provision. These categories have four different ratings – ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Requires Improvement’ and ‘Inadequate’ and the school is given an overall rating.

These schools are required to make significant changes and undergo another full inspection within three years in most cases, with state schools rated ‘inadequate’ being ordered to become academies. Although academies are also state schools, they are entitled to government funding and have more control over how things are run than community schools.

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In many cases, schools make major improvements following any of these assessments but have to wait until Ofsted can deliver another graded inspection. Their official rating may not change for months, sometimes years.

The data is available to view on Ofsted’s website to help parents make informed decisions. Here are the schools that need improvement in Bristol.

Ashton Vale Primary School

The Avebury Road school was last inspected in October 2022, with inspectors finding the quality of its education and leadership and management ‘requires improvement’, while behavior and attitudes, personal development and early years provision were rated ‘good “.

The latest report said: “Leaders have not fully implemented an effective curriculum across all subjects. The curriculum does not consistently build on what students have previously learned and understood.

“This slows down the progress students make. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is fully implemented so that students know more and remember more in all subjects.”

Barton Hill Academy

The Queen Ann Road school has been subject to regular inspections by Ofsted since opening in September 2014. The most recent inspection in April 2024 found that the quality of education and leadership and management “requires improvement”, while behavior and attitudes, personal development and early years provision. were rated “Good”.

Inspectors observed: “Implementation of the intended curriculum is not yet consistent across subjects and grades. As a result, students do not build their knowledge well.

“The trust needs to ensure that the curriculum is fully embedded and implemented effectively to ensure that pupils learn well over time and progress as well as possible through the curriculum.”

Barton Hill Academy is currently run by The Venturers Trust, which is a partnership of two sponsors – the Society of Merchant Venturers and the University of Bristol – which took over schools run solely by SMEs in 2017. Takeover of all state-funded schools run by the Society of Merchant Venturers still going forward.

Dolphin School

At its inspection in November 2023, the quality of education, leadership and management and early years provision “requires improvement”, while behavior and attitudes and personal development were rated “Good”.

The latest Ofsted report adds: “In a few subjects, some staff are not implementing the curriculum as the school intends. This slows down the progress students make.

“The trust should ensure that planned curriculum improvements are implemented effectively across all subjects and phases. Some staff do not adapt learning well enough for different groups of students.

“This makes it harder for students to learn new concepts. The trust needs to ensure that staff understand how to adapt learning so that all groups of pupils safely build knowledge across all subjects.”

KnowleDGE Academy

The school, in Novers Road in Knowle, was rated ‘requires improvement’ following an Ofsted inspection in February 2022. The quality of its education and behavior and attitudes ‘requires improvement’, while leadership and management and personal development were rated ‘Good’ .

An extract from the report states: “Staff’s expectations of pupils are inconsistent and not sufficiently challenged. Therefore, students do not develop knowledge and understanding well enough.

“They are not behaving as well as they could. Leaders and staff have a deep understanding of the complex needs of students and the challenges they face.

“They know the students very well. Many students have had negative experiences of education in the past. The staff work hard to feed the students so they are happy and safe.

“Students’ confidence in school is rebuilt so they can learn. One student summed it up this way: “This school helps everyone in different ways.”

Luckwell Primary School

Bedminster Mayor was last inspected in September 2022, with inspectors finding the quality of education and its leadership and management ‘requires improvement’, while behavior and attitudes, personal development and early years provision were rated ‘Good’.

Inspectors described in their report: “Changes in leadership and the impact of COVID-19 have delayed the development of the curriculum. Curricular thinking leaders are more advanced in English and maths.

“However, in some other subjects, students do not cover the depth of knowledge they should. For example, in geography, the subject content does not detail how students carry out fieldwork. This means they don’t build up deep subject knowledge as they go through school.”

May Park Primary School

Coombe Road Primary School in Eastvillle ‘Requires Improvement’ for the quality of education and leadership and management, while Behavior and Attitudes, Personal Development and Early Years Provision were rated ‘Good’.

Its inspection in November 2023 noted: “The school has started to improve the content of the curriculum and teaching.

“Its actions have been hampered by challenges such as changes in management and personnel. The school recently designed a more ambitious curriculum. Leaders have identified the knowledge and skills they expect students to learn.

“However, the new curriculum is in its infancy and assessment is still being developed. As a result, many students have learning gaps and do not perform as well as they should. The school did not check the impact of the new curriculum well enough.”

Parson Street Primary School

The school in Bedminster Road was last inspected in March 2023. Inspectors found the quality of its education and behavior and attitudes “requires improvement”, while leadership and management, personal development and early years provision were rated “Good” .

The report said: “Behavior in the school is inconsistent. During the game, some students may be too agitated. Staff do not always deal with this effectively.

“In some classes there is low-level disruption, which is distracting to others. Students understand what bullying is. They are confident that when bullying occurs, adults are handling it well.

“The staff know their students and families well. Parents are positive about the school’s work, especially the strong pastoral support.

“One parent commented, “My child’s emotional support was paramount; this reassures me as a happy child, they will be a happy teacher”.