Holy Cross RC Primary School, Bristol

Good
Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~403m)Possible (~575m)Unlikely (~748m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Jo Kingston
Pupils:170 / 210 capacity
LA:Bristol, City of
Phone:01173772199
Address:Dean Lane, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 1DB
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:109244
UKPRN:10074411
Diocese:Diocese of Clifton
Constituency:Bristol South
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

The school provides a caring, welcoming environment where pupils are happy and attendance is improving. Staff are well-supported by the acting headteacher who is working hard to turn the school around. The school offers a wide range of cultural and sporting opportunities to enrich pupils' learning.

Key Strengths

  • The acting headteacher provides useful guidance and support to teachers
  • Pupils are well cared for, happy to come to school, and attendance has improved
  • The early years leader has begun to raise the quality of provision
  • Governors are actively tackling inadequate performance
  • Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

  • Teaching quality is inadequate - teachers have low expectations and don't provide challenging work for more-able pupils
  • Pupil feedback is inconsistent - many pupils don't know how to improve their work
  • Subject leaders lack experience and training to monitor pupil progress
  • Progress in reading, writing, and mathematics is not good enough, especially for younger pupils and disadvantaged children
  • The school has no permanent headteacher or leadership team

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff fully aware of procedures and the acting headteacher engaging well with parents and agencies to ensure pupils are safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Cookery club, lantern-making, theatre trips, basketball, rugby, email exchanges with Nepal

Holy Cross RC Primary School is inadequate overall due to poor leadership that has failed to raise standards over several years. Pupil outcomes are inadequate, with insufficient progress in reading, writing, and mathematics.

At a Glance

56.5%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+9ppMaths+12ppWriting+7pp

Reading has improved from 68% to 77%. Maths has improved from 61% to 73%. Writing has improved from 61% to 68%.

Class Sizes

26.2

Avg class size

22.0

Infant (KS1)

28.3

KS2

6

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Bedminster Rail Station (Entrance)
501m · 8 min walk

Ferry Terminals

Wapping Wharf (Entrance)
479m · 8 min walk
Prince Street Bridge Ferry Landing (Quay)
616m · 10 min walk

Bus Stops

Dean Street (SW-bound)
142m · 2 min walk
Catherine Mead Street (E-bound)
213m · 3 min walk
East Street (E-bound)
225m · 4 min walk
Dean Lane (NW-bound)
268m · 4 min walk
Southville Place (S-bound)
289m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

81%

Available places

170 pupils

210 capacity

40 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Bristol

Low pressure
New homes approved:21,093
Projected new pupils:5,273

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bristol

Admissions Demand - Bristol, City of

Low demand0.83x oversubscription

Places available

5,450

Applications

4,547

Got 1st preference

93.3%

Got preferred school

99.1%

Primary admissions across Bristol, City of (2025/26)

Inspection History(108)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.62862%

Overall absence

22.01835%

Persistent absence

218

Enrolments

Authorised4.72781%
Unauthorised1.9008%
Persistent (10%+)22.01835%
Severe (50%+)1.83486%

Absence trend

3.68226%
18/19
5.70409%
20/21
8.34001%
21/22
6.80213%
22/23
6.38104%
23/24
6.62862%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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