Bridstow CofE Primary School, Ross-on-Wye

Ofsted's report card from its 22 September 2026 inspection grades Bridstow CofE Primary School on 7 areas: 3 expected standard and 4 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a clear and effective approach to promoting attendance."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children receive a positive start to their education."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a coherent personal development programme that reflects the school's context and helps prepare pupils for life beyond their rural community."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils do not consistently develop the knowledge and skills set out in the curriculum as securely as they should."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders have established a broad and ambitious curriculum that identifies the knowledge and experiences pupils should acquire across subjects."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders identify pupils' needs quickly and accurately, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), disadvantaged pupils and those known (or previously known) to children's social care."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders have not ensured that their actions have secured a consistently strong quality of education across the school."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers adapt learning more effectively so that support is closely matched to pupils' individual barriers to learning and enables pupils who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities to achieve well from their starting points"; "Leaders should strengthen teachers' use of effective pedagogy, so that learning consistently develops pupils' thinking and provides sufficient challenge for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities"; "Leaders should continue to strengthen recent work on securing consistently high-quality teaching and assessment, so that a greater proportion of pupils build secure reading, writing and mathematics knowledge, achieve well and are ready for the next stage of their education"; "Leaders and those responsible for governance should strengthen their oversight, ensuring that monitoring focuses sharply on pupils' outcomes and the impact of leaders' actions to improve achievement, particularly for disadvantaged pupils".

In its own words: "We will offer an excellent education in a Christian context for our children through our work together. Our children will develop as well-rounded individuals as they grow together during their time in school. Ultimately, our children will achieve their potential and flourish. It is a vision that relates to our geographical and social contexts."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, yoga, dance, drama, choir, STEM and gardening.

The school runs a breakfast club.

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils at Bridstow CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 43% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 77% in Herefordshire, County of; and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 69% in reading and 54% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 8 families put Bridstow CofE Primary School as their first choice and 26 named it as one of their preferences, for 8 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Bridstow CofE Primary School are Ashfield Park Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 80% reading, 76% maths); Brampton Abbotts CofE Primary School (1 mile, Good, 83% reading, 83% maths); St Joseph's RC Primary School and Nursery (1.1 miles, Good, 81% reading, 90% maths); and Walford Nursery & Primary School (2.3 miles, Outstanding, 92% reading, 92% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Bridstow CofE Primary School.

1.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Bridstow CofE Primary School.

3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School (adjacent), 80 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 39 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Herefordshire, County of (4), as is usual near a town centre.

Bridstow CofE Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.