Highnam CofE Primary Academy, Gloucester
Highnam CofE Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Gloucester, part of Primary Quest Multi-Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 12th-highest of the 53 schools in Gloucester with published results, and 3,246th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 103% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Gloucestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Highnam CofE Primary Academy in detail
Highnam CofE Primary Academy in its own words
In its own words: "Highnam C of E Primary Academy is a seven-class primary academy set in the heart of Highnam, a village just three miles from the centre of Gloucester. We cater for children from the age of 4 to 11 years."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils at Highnam CofE Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Gloucestershire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (84% in reading, 87% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Highnam CofE Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 39 families put Highnam CofE Primary Academy as their first choice and 62 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 11 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Highnam CofE Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Highnam CofE Primary Academy are Hempsted Church of England Primary School (2.3 miles, Good, 80% reading, 83% maths); Kingsholm Church of England Primary School (2.4 miles, Outstanding, 67% reading, 62% maths); Tibberton Community Primary School and Early Years (2.5 miles, 76% reading, 76% maths); and St Paul's Church of England Primary School (2.5 miles, Good, 67% reading, 67% maths).
Highnam CofE Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Hempsted Church of England Primary SchoolKingsholm Church of England Primary SchoolTibberton Community Primary School and Early YearsSt Paul's Church of England Primary School
The trust
Highnam CofE Primary Academy is one of 10 schools run by Primary Quest Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
8.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (85%) and Mixed (9%).
Staffing
Highnam CofE Primary Academy had 19 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Gloucester Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wetherleigh Drive (by), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Highnam CofE Primary Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Highnam CofE Primary Academy issued 21 suspensions, 9.7 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; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
8.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 84% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.4
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
31.0
KS2
5
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Highnam CofE Primary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Highnam CofE Primary Academy.
- Highnam Under Fives, Highnam Under Fives After School ClubAt the school · Ofsted: Good
Term dates
Highnam CofE Primary Academy is an academy, 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 Highnam CofE Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Highnam CofE Primary Academy 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Highnam CofE Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Highnam CofE Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Highnam CofE Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Highnam CofE Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Highnam CofE Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Gloucestershire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Highnam CofE Primary Academy 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
103%
Over capacity
216 pupils
210 places
6 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Gloucester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Gloucester
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
25
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
17.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
206
Total Pupils
116
Boys
90
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
10.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,035
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,104
Per pupil
£1182k
Total funding
£23k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.7%
Overall absence
7.0%
Persistent absence
187
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Highnam CofE Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Highnam CofE Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Highnam CofE Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Highnam CofE Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Highnam CofE Primary Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2008 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Highnam CofE Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Highnam CofE Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Gloucestershire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Highnam CofE Primary Academy?
Highnam CofE Primary Academy was full in 2025, at 103% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Highnam CofE Primary Academy?
Classes at Highnam CofE Primary Academy average 29.4 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Highnam CofE Primary Academy?
Highnam CofE Primary Academy has around 206 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Highnam CofE Primary Academy?
3.7% of sessions were missed at Highnam CofE Primary Academy in 2024/25. 7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Highnam CofE Primary Academy?
Apply through Gloucestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming Highnam CofE Primary Academy 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 Highnam CofE Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Highnam Under Fives, Highnam Under Fives After School Club (rated Good by Ofsted). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Highnam CofE Primary Academy?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Gloucestershire is 5 (the median across 338 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Highnam CofE Primary Academy?
Highnam CofE Primary Academy is at Wetherleigh Drive, Highnam, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL2 8LW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)