Birdwell Primary School, Bristol
Birdwell Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Bristol, part of Birdwell School. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2011. That was 14 years ago, so the rating may not reflect the school today. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 18th-highest of the 198 schools in Bristol with published results, and 1,455th of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to North Somerset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Birdwell Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 92% of Year 6 pupils at Birdwell Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 89% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 75% in North Somerset and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 86% in reading and 88% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Birdwell Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 66 families put Birdwell Primary School as their first choice and 87 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 6 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Birdwell Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Birdwell Primary School are Northleaze Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 92% reading, 92% maths); Ashton Vale Primary School (1.6 miles, Requires improvement, 83% reading, 74% maths); St Peter's Church of England Primary School (VC) (1.9 miles, Good, 88% reading, 86% maths); and Four Acres Academy (1.9 miles, Good, 62% reading, 68% maths).
Birdwell Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Northleaze Church of England Primary SchoolAshton Vale Primary SchoolSt Peter's Church of England Primary School (VC)Four Acres Academy
The trust
Birdwell Primary School is run by its own single-school academy trust.
What parents say
163 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Birdwell Primary School (as of April 2026): 100% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 92% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (92%).
Who goes there
6.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 36 pupils (8.4%) received SEN support and 10 (2.3%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Parson Street Rail Station, about 2.4 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Providence Lane (e-bound), 320 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Birdwell Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 28 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, vehicle crime and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in North Somerset (76).
Suspensions and exclusions
Birdwell Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 · 10 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Birdwell Primary is a caring, welcoming school where all children are valued and supported to succeed. Teachers are well-trained and deliver engaging lessons with a focus on developing strong reading and communication skills from the earliest years. The school goes the extra mile for vulnerable learners, including those with additional needs, ensuring no child is left behind.
Key Strengths
- Pupils achieve well overall with reading, writing and mathematics outcomes consistently above national averages by end of Year 6
- Staff provide high-quality teaching with clear explanations, effective questioning and promotion of adventurous vocabulary
- Strong focus on early reading through well-structured phonics programme delivered with consistency from early years
- Excellent support for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, with appropriate adjustments and tailored interventions
- Positive behaviour and high attendance, with caring staff who model expected behaviour and provide effective pastoral support
Areas for Improvement
- Some expectations for work quality are not high enough, with variability in the quality of work pupils present
- Checks on pupils' understanding occasionally lack precision for a small number of pupils, and some errors in written work persist
- More forensic analysis of attendance data for specific groups of pupils would strengthen the approach
- Understanding of different religions and cultures sometimes lacks depth
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met, pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Tennis, swimming, golf, forest school, orienteering, educational visits to local places of interest, music lessons, residential visits, school council, eco-council, play leader roles, careers week, Memory Café community project
Birdwell Primary School is a caring, ambitious school where pupils thrive academically and socially. Leaders are committed to supporting all learners, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs, resulting in consistently strong outcomes above national averages.
At a Glance
6.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
163 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 86% to 92% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 89% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 80% to 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.6
Avg class size
27.2
Infant (KS1)
29.6
KS2
12
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Birdwell Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Birdwell Primary School.
- Stagecoach Bristol South WestAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Birdwell Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see North Somerset's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Birdwell Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Birdwell Primary School is in North Somerset; for families living there:
Apply to North Somerset for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 North Somerset is 5 (the median across 85 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 Birdwell Primary School
Will you get a place at Birdwell Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Birdwell Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Birdwell Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Birdwell Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from North Somerset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Birdwell Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in North Somerset 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
94%
Near capacity
393 pupils
420 places
27 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bristol
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bristol
Across North Somerset council
Places available
2,490
Applications
1,984
Got 1st preference
96.8%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across North Somerset council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
36
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
10.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
427
Total Pupils
220
Boys
207
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
20.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£39,239
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2105k
Total funding
£53k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
5.5%
Persistent absence
362
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
Birdwell Primary School
Questions parents ask about Birdwell Primary School
What are SATs results like at Birdwell Primary School?
Of the pupils at Birdwell Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 92% reached the expected standard in reading and 89% did so in maths.
What is Birdwell Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Birdwell Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2025, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Birdwell Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Birdwell Primary School is oversubscribed, North Somerset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Birdwell Primary School?
Birdwell Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Birdwell Primary School?
Classes at Birdwell Primary School average 28.6 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 Birdwell Primary School?
Birdwell Primary School has around 427 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Birdwell Primary School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Birdwell Primary School in 2024/25. 5.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Birdwell Primary School?
Apply through North Somerset's coordinated admissions process, naming Birdwell 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.
Does Birdwell Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Stagecoach Bristol South West (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Birdwell Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 North Somerset is 5 (the median across 85 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Birdwell Primary School?
Birdwell Primary School is at Hollis Close, Long Ashton, Bristol, Somerset, BS41 9AZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)