Berry Hill Primary School, Coleford
Berry Hill Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Coleford. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 143rd-highest of the 209 schools in Gloucestershire with published results, and 9,801st of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.5 first-choice applications for every place. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- 1.5 first choices per place
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Gloucestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Berry Hill Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Berry Hill Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 70% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Gloucestershire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 63% in reading and 57% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Berry Hill Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 42 families put Berry Hill Primary School as their first choice and 65 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. That is 1.5 first choices for every place. 14 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Berry Hill Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Berry Hill Primary School are St John's C of E Academy (1.3 miles, Good, 58% reading, 75% maths); Coalway Primary School (1.6 miles, Good, 84% reading, 81% maths); Coalway Community Infant School (1.6 miles, Requires improvement); and English Bicknor Church of England Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 86% reading, 86% maths).
Berry Hill Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
St John's C of E AcademyCoalway Primary SchoolCoalway Community Infant SchoolEnglish Bicknor Church of England Primary School
What parents say
47 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Berry Hill Primary School (as of September 2025): 92% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Who goes there
15.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 44 pupils (21.9%) received SEN support and 4 (2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Dean Forest Railway, about 3.9 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Nine Wells Close (after), 40 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Berry Hill Primary School issued 12 suspensions, 5.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Berry Hill Primary School creates a warm, inclusive environment where children feel safe and respected. Reading is taught very effectively - most pupils read fluently by Year 2 - and the school provides excellent support for pupils with additional needs through early identification and well-trained staff. The school has successfully rebuilt mathematics teaching with a fresh approach that is already helping pupils understand and use maths facts confidently.
Key Strengths
- Strong behaviour and positive school culture with pupils showing kindness, respect and responsibility - including pupil parliament and house captains
- Effective early reading instruction with most pupils becoming fluent readers by end of Year 2, including those with speech and language difficulties
- Significantly improved mathematics teaching through new curriculum approach, with pupils now understanding and confidently using mathematical facts
- Well-trained staff providing effective support and early identification for pupils with special educational needs
- Ambitious, relevant curriculum tailored to local context and suited to pupils' needs
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers sometimes do not challenge pupils enough to deepen their knowledge and achieve their full potential
- New handwriting, spelling and punctuation curriculum not yet consistently implemented - some older pupils still making repeated errors and struggling to write independently
- Young children in Reception class have limited opportunities to apply skills across all areas of learning beyond core subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Pupil parliament, house captains, before- and after-school club
Berry Hill Primary School is a Good primary school where staff create a safe, happy environment underpinned by the values of being kind, respectful and your best. The school has made significant improvements since its previous Requires Improvement rating, particularly in mathematics and support for pupils with special educational needs.
At a Glance
15.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
47 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 63% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 57% to 70% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.5
Avg class size
29.7
Infant (KS1)
27.3
KS2
6
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Berry Hill Primary School
Term dates
Berry Hill Primary School is a foundation school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Gloucestershire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Berry Hill Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Berry Hill Primary School is in Gloucestershire; for families living there:
Apply to Gloucestershire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Gloucestershire is 5 (the median across 338 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Berry Hill Primary School
Will you get a place at Berry Hill Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Berry Hill Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Berry Hill Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Berry Hill Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Gloucestershire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Berry Hill Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Gloucestershire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
206 pupils
210 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Coleford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Coleford
Across Gloucestershire council
Places available
7,250
Applications
6,016
Got 1st preference
91.6%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All primary applications across Gloucestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: 1.5 first choices per place
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
44
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
23.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
201
Total Pupils
114
Boys
87
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
18.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,034
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,466
Per pupil
£1227k
Total funding
£53k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
8.4%
Persistent absence
178
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Berry Hill Primary School
Questions parents ask about Berry Hill Primary School
What are SATs results like at Berry Hill Primary School?
Of the pupils at Berry Hill Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 70% did so in maths.
What is Berry Hill Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Berry Hill Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Berry Hill Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Berry Hill Primary School is oversubscribed, Gloucestershire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Berry Hill Primary School?
Berry Hill Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Berry Hill Primary School?
Classes at Berry Hill Primary School average 28.5 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Berry Hill Primary School?
Berry Hill Primary School has around 201 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Berry Hill Primary School?
4.3% of sessions were missed at Berry Hill Primary School in 2024/25. 8.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Berry Hill Primary School?
Apply through Gloucestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming Berry Hill Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Berry Hill Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Gloucestershire is 5 (the median across 338 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Berry Hill Primary School?
Berry Hill Primary School is at Nine Wells Road, Berry Hill, Coleford, Gloucestershire, GL16 7AT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)