All 7 primary and secondary schools in Bristol that "require improvement" according to Ofsted

By Adriana Amor

Published 26th Jun 2024, 11:14 BST

These primary and secondary schools in Bristol were visited by Ofsted inspectors and received ‘requires improvement’ ratings.

The education watchdog inspects schools regularly and assigns them one of four different ratings: “Outstanding” is the top rating, followed by “Good”, “Requires Improvement” and “Inadequate.”

The classification is based on five key categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and either early years or sixth form provisions (depending on whether the school is primary or secondary).

Note that schools are not inspected every year.

Here are all the Bristol primary and secondary schools rated as ‘requires improvement’ by Ofsted (as of June 26, 2024). All full reports - including category scores - are available via Ofsted’s official website.

Published in April 2024, the Ofsted report for Barton Hill Academy reads: "The curriculum is still in the early stages of its development. The school recognises that it needs further embedding. Currently, the needs of all pupils are not being fully met. This is particularly the case for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils find it difficult to remember important knowledge and recall their prior learning. Learning is not adapted to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Therefore, pupils’ knowledge and understanding are not yet in as much depth as the curriculum intends."

1. Barton Hill Academy, Queen Ann Road, Bristol, BS5 9TX

Published in April 2024, the Ofsted report for Barton Hill Academy reads: "The curriculum is still in the early stages of its development. The school recognises that it needs further embedding. Currently, the needs of all pupils are not being fully met. This is particularly the case for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils find it difficult to remember important knowledge and recall their prior learning. Learning is not adapted to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Therefore, pupils’ knowledge and understanding are not yet in as much depth as the curriculum intends." | Google Maps

Published in November 2023, the Ofsted report for The Dolphin School reads: "Since the previous inspection, the school has not done enough to maintain a good quality of education. Interim leaders know this. They are working on the right things to bring about improvements to the curriculum. However, many positive changes are recent and need time to embed."

2. The Dolphin School, 25a Bath Buildings, Bristol, BS6 5PT

Published in November 2023, the Ofsted report for The Dolphin School reads: "Since the previous inspection, the school has not done enough to maintain a good quality of education. Interim leaders know this. They are working on the right things to bring about improvements to the curriculum. However, many positive changes are recent and need time to embed." | Google Maps

Published in November 2023, the Ofsted report for May Park Primary School reads: "The school has begun to improve the content of the curriculum and teaching. Its actions have been hindered by challenges, such as changes to leadership and staffing. The school has recently designed a more ambitious curriculum. Leaders have identified the knowledge and skills they expect pupils to learn. However, the new curriculum is in its infancy, and assessment is still being developed. As a result, many pupils have gaps in their learning and do not achieve as well as they should. The school has not checked on the impact of the new curriculum well enough."

3. May Park Primary School, Coombe Road, Bristol, BS5 6LE

Published in November 2023, the Ofsted report for May Park Primary School reads: "The school has begun to improve the content of the curriculum and teaching. Its actions have been hindered by challenges, such as changes to leadership and staffing. The school has recently designed a more ambitious curriculum. Leaders have identified the knowledge and skills they expect pupils to learn. However, the new curriculum is in its infancy, and assessment is still being developed. As a result, many pupils have gaps in their learning and do not achieve as well as they should. The school has not checked on the impact of the new curriculum well enough." | Google Maps

Published in October 2022, the Ofsted report for Ashton Vale Primary School reads: "Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn well in some areas of the curriculum. However, the quality of education that they receive is too inconsistent across all subjects. Some pupils struggle to recall prior learning because the curriculum does not enable them to know more and remember more over time."

4. Ashton Vale Primary School, Avebury Road, Bristol, BS3 2QG

Published in October 2022, the Ofsted report for Ashton Vale Primary School reads: "Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn well in some areas of the curriculum. However, the quality of education that they receive is too inconsistent across all subjects. Some pupils struggle to recall prior learning because the curriculum does not enable them to know more and remember more over time." | Google Maps

Schools Ofsted Bristol

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