Winterbourne Academy, Bristol

Ofsted's report card from its 28 April 2026 inspection grades Winterbourne Academy on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Generally, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), attend school as regularly as their peers nationally."

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

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise actions to ensure that all pupils feel part of Winterbourne Academy."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, including those responsible for governance, ensure a culture of high expectations at the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Pupils, including at post-16, receive highly effective pastoral support."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Students follow a well-designed study programme."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment strategies skilfully to address misconceptions so that all pupils progress well from their starting points"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently use their knowledge of pupils to make effective adaptations that remove barriers to learning"; "Leaders should refine and evaluate actions to remove barriers to attendance so that pupils attend regularly".

In 2026, pupils at Winterbourne Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.3 in South Gloucestershire and 47 across England.

52% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 40% in South Gloucestershire and 47% in England.

That is down from 52 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.16: pupils made below 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 35.2, against 53 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 17.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 27 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Religious Studies and Social Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 227 families put Winterbourne Academy as their first choice and 584 named it as one of their preferences, for 262 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Winterbourne Academy are Bradley Stoke Community School (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52.3); Abbeywood Community School (2.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.8); South Gloucestershire Hospital Home Teaching Service (2.2 miles); and Downend School (2.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.7).

Winterbourne Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.

Winterbourne Academy is one of 10 schools run by The Olympus Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.2 in 2024/25.

Of the 296 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 31% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 141 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 45% went on to university or other higher education, 10% to apprenticeships and 32% into work. 17% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

13.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 10.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%) and Mixed (6%).

In 2026, 279 pupils (16%) received SEN support and 42 (2.4%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Bristol Parkway Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Parkside Avenue (sw-bound), 170 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 37 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in South Gloucestershire (116).

In 2024/25, Winterbourne Academy issued 360 suspensions, 20.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Winterbourne Academy are St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Winterbourne (0.2 miles); Elm Park Primary School (0.3 miles); Hambrook Primary School (0.9 miles); and Frampton Cotterell Church of England Primary School (1.1 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.