Sir Bernard Lovell Academy, Bristol

Ofsted's report card from its 13 January 2026 inspection grades Sir Bernard Lovell Academy on 7 areas: 6 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils typically learn the intended curriculum effectively and are ready for their next steps in employment, education or training."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "The school and the trust are highly ambitious to ensure that all pupils have excellent attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The curriculum is broad and ambitious."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear commitment for all pupils to feel part of the Sir Bernard Lovell community."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders and those responsible for governance keep the best interests of pupils at the heart of their decisions."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The conduct of pupils reflects the school's values of respect, opportunity, collaboration and aspiration."

Post 16 provision - Needs attention. "Post-16 students do not achieve as well as they should in their qualifications."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that the actions taken to improve the quality of post-16 provision are embedded to raise the attainment and improve the educational experiences of students swiftly and effectively"; "Leaders should ensure that highly effective formative assessment is consistently used across all subjects so that pupils build securely on their prior learning and achieve highly".

In its own words: "If a place is not offered at a parent’s/carer’s preferred choice of school there is the right of appeal to an independent body under the School Standards and Framework Act of 1998 - Section 94 and Schedule 24. See the process of appeals for more information."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, rugby, dance and drama.

Coming up: an open day on Monday 2 November 2026, an open day on Friday 18 December 2026 at 1.25pm, an open day on Monday 4 January 2027 and an open day on Friday 12 February 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Sir Bernard Lovell Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.3 in South Gloucestershire and 47 across England.

38% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 40% in South Gloucestershire and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 44.5.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.08: pupils made about average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 32.6, against 47 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 255 families put Sir Bernard Lovell Academy as their first choice and 412 named it as one of their preferences, for 236 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 34 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Sir Bernard Lovell Academy are Digitech Studio School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 25.4); King's Oak Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.2); Hanham Woods Academy (2.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.6); and John Cabot Academy (2.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.6).

Sir Bernard Lovell Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Sir Bernard Lovell Academy is one of 26 schools run by Futura Learning Partnership, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.1 in 2024/25.

202 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Sir Bernard Lovell Academy (as of April 2026): 88% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 72% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (72%).

Of the 192 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 77% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 19% to a further education college, 10% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.

Of the 73 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 34% went on to university or other higher education, 18% to apprenticeships and 33% into work. 10% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

2.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Oldland (Avon Valley Railway), about 280 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is North Street School (se-bound), 90 metres away.

In 2024/25, Sir Bernard Lovell Academy issued 363 suspensions, 28.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Sir Bernard Lovell Academy are St Anne's Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles), Redfield Edge Primary School (0.3 miles), St Barnabas Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles) and Cherry Garden Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.