St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury, Bristol
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Bristol, part of Lighthouse Schools Partnership. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 198 schools in Bristol with published results, and 814th of 14,452 across England. It was 79% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to North Somerset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury in detail
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury in its own words
In its own words: "St Mary's CE Primary School is a small, village primary school at the heart of its local community, which comprises of Portbury, Portishead, Pill and surrounding villages. We are a vibrant, learning community with high expectations of all of our children."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:50am and after-school care, from £6.50 per session.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 100% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury reached the expected standard in reading and 86% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 75% in North Somerset and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 71% in reading and 65% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury
For September 2026 entry, 12 families put St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury as their first choice and 22 named it as one of their preferences, for 13 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury are Crockerne Church of England Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 56% reading, 60% maths); Trinity Anglican-Methodist Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 81% reading, 83% maths); Shirehampton Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 59% reading, 60% maths); and Avonmouth Church of England Primary School and Nursery (1.8 miles, Good, 55% reading, 66% maths).
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Crockerne Church of England Primary SchoolTrinity Anglican-Methodist Primary SchoolShirehampton Primary SchoolAvonmouth Church of England Primary School and Nursery
The trust
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury is one of 34 schools run by Lighthouse Schools Partnership, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
35 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 83% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (97%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (80%).
Who goes there
9.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%) and Mixed (10%).
In 2026, 4 pupils (4.8%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Portway Park & Ride Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church Lane (e-bound), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 11 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, public order offences and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in North Somerset (76).
Suspensions and exclusions
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2015, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils love coming to school. They appreciate how teachers make learning fun. Teachers expect pupils to achieve well in their lessons. This is improving their outcomes. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the school's values of 'compassion' and 'community'. As a result, relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Pupils say that teachers keep them safe and know they can approach a trusted adult with any concerns they have. Parents and carers describe the school as being a caring place for their children to learn.
Pupils demonstrate highly positive attitudes to their learning and are keen to offer their suggestions in a respectful way. They display exceptional manners around school and ensure that everyone is listened to. This stems from high expectations from staff, who celebrate behaviour by rewarding 'bees' to those who display the school values.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has created an ambitious curriculum. It is clear what pupils need to learn at each stage of the curriculum, including the early years. The curriculum is designed to build on prior learning. As a result, pupils deepen their understanding of key concepts and themes. For example, pupils in Year 6 can talk about how plants produce food through photosynthesis. Children in the early years observe the colours of leaves to help them talk about changes in seasons.
The school has prioritised the reading curriculum and ensures that pupils read a wide variety of texts. This inspires pupils to develop a love of reading. Teachers design lessons so pupils can build on their reading knowledge. Younger children can order events in a story accurately. Older pupils talk in depth about the different sentence types an author has used. Teachers ensure that pupils develop their language through a range of activities. The books pupils read are well matched to the sounds they know. In some cases, pupils misread the sounds they know. These incorrect sounds are not always addressed well enough by staff. As a result, some pupils struggle to develop the fluency they need to read with confidence.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2015 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
9.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
35 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 71% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 65% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 71% to 100% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
20.8
Avg class size
10.0
Infant (KS1)
4
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury.
- St Mary's ASCAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see North Somerset's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury is in North Somerset; for families living there:
Apply to North Somerset for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 16
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 11 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
5 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 North Somerset is 5 (the median across 85 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 Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury
Will you get a place at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from North Somerset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in North Somerset 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
79%
Available places
83 pupils
105 places
22 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 North Somerset council
Places available
2,490
Applications
1,984
Got 1st preference
96.8%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across North Somerset council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
4
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
4.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
83
Total Pupils
47
Boys
36
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
16.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,552
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,705
Per pupil
£575k
Total funding
£12k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.5%
Overall absence
3.8%
Persistent absence
78
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 Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury
Questions parents ask about St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury
What are SATs results like at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury?
Of the pupils at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 100% reached the expected standard in reading and 86% did so in maths.
What is St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury is oversubscribed, North Somerset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury?
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury was not full in 2025: it ran at 79% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury?
Classes at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury average 20.8 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury?
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury has around 83 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury?
3.5% of sessions were missed at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury in 2024/25. 3.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury?
Apply through North Somerset's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury 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 St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: St Mary's ASC (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 11 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 5 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 North Somerset is 5 (the median across 85 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury?
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury is at Church Lane, Portbury, Bristol, Somerset, BS20 7TR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)