St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, Bristol
St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Bristol. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 54th-highest of the 198 schools in Bristol with published results, and 4,333rd of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.4 first-choice applications for every place. It was 88% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bristol, City of (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School in detail
St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Our aim as a Catholic community is to develop our pupils' knowledge and understanding of our faith, while promoting Christian values in all aspects of daily life. We place children at the heart of all we do in a community of learning, laughter, excitement, prayer and experience. The school also works alongside the local parish and the Aquinas Partnership."
The school runs a breakfast club from 9:00am and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 78% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 72% in Bristol, City of; and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 89% in reading and 86% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 41 families put St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School as their first choice and 71 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 11 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School are E-ACT Perry Court Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 85% reading, 83% maths); Oasis Academy New Oak (0.4 miles, Good, 81% reading, 71% maths); Woodlands Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 77% reading, 81% maths); and Whitchurch Primary School (0.6 miles, 83% reading, 78% maths).
St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
E-ACT Perry Court AcademyOasis Academy New OakWoodlands AcademyWhitchurch Primary School
Who goes there
9.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 10.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (71%), Asian (8%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 44 pupils (16.4%) received SEN support and 2 (0.7%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bedminster Rail Station, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Gladstone Road (w-bound), 90 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 1.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School are St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School (under 0.1 miles), Oasis Academy John Williams (0.3 miles), Oasis Academy Brislington (1.2 miles) and Bridge Learning Campus (1.3 miles).
St Bernadette Catholic Secondary SchoolOasis Academy John WilliamsOasis Academy BrislingtonBridge Learning Campus
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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from June 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2013 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
9.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 88% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 86% to 78% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 57% to 50% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.9
Avg class size
26.3
Infant (KS1)
30.3
KS2
8
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School
Ducklings Reception Class
18 Sep 2026
Top Table Winners!!
27 Mar 2026
Year 4 Stations Of The Cross
27 Mar 2026
Fusion Extreme BMX Stunt Show
11 Mar 2026
World Book Day 2026!!
5 Mar 2026
Time Travelling Cowboys
27 Feb 2026
From St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School
Term dates
St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Bristol, City of's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School is in Bristol, City of; for families living there:
- Bristol, City of's school travel policy: Home to school travel policy
- How to apply: Apply online for home school travel support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 8 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
2 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 Bristol, City of is 27 (the median across 175 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 St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School
Will you get a place at St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Bristol, City of, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bristol, City of 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
88%
Available places
210 pupils
240 places
30 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 Bristol, City of council
Places available
5,210
Applications
4,287
Got 1st preference
92.0%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Bristol, City of council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
44
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
17.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
268
Total Pupils
132
Boys
136
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
24.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£42,199
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,508
Per pupil
£1237k
Total funding
£30k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
16.4%
Persistent absence
183
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
St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 88% reached the expected standard in reading and 78% did so in maths.
What is St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School is oversubscribed, Bristol, City of allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School?
St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 240 places.
How big are the classes at St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Classes at St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School average 27.9 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School?
St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School has around 268 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School?
5.5% of sessions were missed at St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School in 2024/25. 16.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Apply through Bristol, City of's coordinated admissions process, naming St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided 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.
How many road collisions happen near St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 8 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 2 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 Bristol, City of is 27 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School?
St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School is at Gladstone Road, Hengrove, Bristol, BS14 9LP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)