St Nicholas of Tolentine Catholic Primary School, Bristol

Inadequate
Primary
Academy converter
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 Rachael James
Pupils:125 / 210 capacity
LA:Bristol, City of
Phone:01173772260
Address:Pennywell Road, Bristol, BS5 0TJ
Trust:THE CARDINAL NEWMAN CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 April 2023

Ofsted Rating

Inadequate

Overall

URN:149915
UKPRN:10092734
Diocese:Diocese of Clifton
Constituency:Bristol East
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

St Nicholas of Tolentine is a warm, safe school where children feel cared for and want to learn. The school excels at supporting all learners, particularly those with additional needs or from disadvantaged backgrounds, through well-trained staff and effective inclusion practices. Early years provision is particularly strong, with ambitious teaching that develops children's language, reading and writing skills.

Key Strengths

  • Safeguarding is effective with an open culture where concerns are actively identified and managed
  • Strong inclusive approach with excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and disadvantaged learners
  • Early years provision is ambitious, well-designed and prepares children well for Year 1
  • Pupils demonstrate respect, good behaviour and live out the school's values in their daily interactions
  • Improving results in mathematics and Year 1 phonics screening, particularly for disadvantaged pupils

Areas for Improvement

  • Pupils' overall achievement remains below national averages in national assessments
  • Teaching quality is inconsistent across the school, affecting pupil progress
  • In wider curriculum subjects like history and geography, pupils do not build knowledge as well as they should
  • Gaps in pupils' learning persist because teacher checks are not consistently effective
  • Some pupils leave the school unprepared for the next stage of education

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Football, hockey, arts and crafts clubs, trips linked to PSHE curriculum, chaplaincy team roles, playtime buddies, green team, mini police programme, charity work

St Nicholas of Tolentine Catholic Primary School is a safe, caring school where pupils arrive eager to learn and staff care deeply about families. However, pupils' achievement in national assessments has been below national averages, and the school is working to address historical weaknesses in teaching and curriculum delivery.

At a Glance

68.8%

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-12ppMaths+13ppWriting-9pp

Reading has declined from 60% to 48%. Maths has improved from 44% to 57%. Writing has declined from 52% to 43%.

Class Sizes

22.5

Avg class size

20.5

Infant (KS1)

22.7

KS2

6

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Ferry Terminals

St Philip's Bridge (Pier)
814m · 13 min walk

Bus Stops

Thrissell Street (NE-bound)
60m · 1 min walk
Lamb Street (NE-bound)
265m · 4 min walk
Easton Road (NE-bound)
285m · 5 min walk
Armoury Square (SW-bound)
325m · 5 min walk
West Street (W-bound)
326m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

60%

Available places

125 pupils

210 capacity

85 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(11)

Date not published by Ofsted
Inadequate
Date not published by Ofsted
Inadequate
Date not published by Ofsted
Inadequate

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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

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.82336%

Overall absence

25.92593%

Persistent absence

135

Enrolments

Authorised3.99422%
Unauthorised2.82914%
Persistent (10%+)25.92593%
Severe (50%+)2.22222%

Absence trend

9.28998%
22/23
7.21614%
23/24
6.82336%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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