Summerhill Academy, Bristol

Ofsted's report card from its 9 June 2026 inspection grades Summerhill Academy on 6 areas: 6 strong standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils achieve very well across the whole curriculum."

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Attendance is continually improving because of leaders' tenacious and systematic work."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders have designed an ambitious, broad, knowledge-rich curriculum."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Inclusion is central to every aspect of leaders' work."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders' effective practise has ensured that they realise their ambitious vision for all pupils to thrive."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The school places its personal development and wellbeing offer at the heart of its work."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to implement their attendance strategy so that more pupils attend well, including those who remain persistently absent".

In its own words: "Please also access our Curriculum pages for further information. We believe in maximising life chances for all children in the Summerhill Community through excellent educational experiences. Summerhill Academy provides a wide-ranging and inspiring curriculum to meet the needs of the diverse community that we serve."

The school runs a breakfast club from 8:15am and after-school care.

In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils at Summerhill Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 89% 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 97% in reading and 97% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

Across Bristol, City of, 92% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.

In 2026, families in Bristol, City of lodged 10 appeals against primary school offers; 5 reached a hearing and 1 succeeded (20% of those heard).

The nearest other state primary schools to Summerhill Academy are Summerhill Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); St Patrick's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 90% reading, 76% maths); Air Balloon Hill Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 75% reading, 73% maths); and Whitehall Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 80% reading, 65% maths).

Summerhill Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.

Summerhill Academy is one of 36 schools run by Cabot Learning Federation, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

31.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (31%), Black (22%) and Mixed (16%).

The nearest railway station is Lawrence Hill Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Clouds Hill Avenue (e-bound), 110 metres away.

In 2024/25, Summerhill Academy issued 1 suspension, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Summerhill Academy are Bristol Brunel Academy (0.7 miles), The City Academy Bristol (0.9 miles) and John Cabot Academy (1.2 miles).