School Chooser

Chipping Sodbury School

Secondary · ages 11-18MixedAcademy775 pupilsSixth formBristolSouth Gloucestershire
School Chooser Score
46
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 35 to 58
Out of 100. Better than 42% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, November 2022
Strong pass in English and maths37%England 46%
Attendance90.7%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families20%A bit fewer than most schools
Places345 spare775 pupils, 1,120 places
Pupils per teacher17.6School workforce census

Chipping Sodbury School is a converter academy in Bristol for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 775 pupils and room for 1,120. About 20 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 46 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 42% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Bowling Road, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol, BS37 6EW01454 862900chippingsodburyschool.comMr Rob Skipp headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 November 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Sixth formOfsted calls this “post-16”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

113 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score43.7
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths37%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths66%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-0.44In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 42.642.620182019: 47.347.320192022: 42.242.220222023: 38.738.720232024: 41.441.420242025: 43.743.72025
Since 2018: +1.1Improving overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320222019†2018†South GloucestershireEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 1111311414114511192
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 843.741.438.742.247.342.643.646.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-0.44-0.59-0.44+0.00-0.26
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths37%32%23%35%46%40%42%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths66%54%50%57%65%62%63%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score3.883.873.413.684.323.643.784.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry26%61%55%68%56%18%26%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged35.033.428.433.827.228.3
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged45.343.440.543.851.145.6
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers26.228.526.120.524.8
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers56.146.863.362.663.0

† These results are for Chipping Sodbury School, the school this one replaced in April 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Subjects

Results came out for 18 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

Combined Science52%grades 9 to 5, England 36% · 469th of 3,084 schools
Media / Film / TV70%grades 9 to 5, England 55% · 132nd of 580 schools
Physical Education71%grades 9 to 5, England 56%
Geography60%grades 9 to 5, England 51% · 862nd of 3,116 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Design & Technology (33% here, 50% across England), English Literature (45% here, 58% across England), Mathematics (44% here, 53% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics112 entries · 12th of 17 in South Gloucestershire
44%England 53%
English Language112 entries · 9th of 17 in South Gloucestershire
46%England 54%
English Literature111 entries · 13th of 16 in South Gloucestershire
45%England 58%
Combined Science104 entries · 4th of 17 in South Gloucestershire
52%England 36%
Geography74 entries · 5th of 15 in South Gloucestershire
60%England 51%
History57 entries · 11th of 15 in South Gloucestershire
44%England 52%
Design & Technology43 entries · 8th of 9 in South Gloucestershire
33%England 50%
Art and Design36 entries · 10th of 16 in South Gloucestershire
53%England 58%
French27 entries · 3rd of 9 in South Gloucestershire
70%England 60%
Religious Studies26 entries · 2nd of 10 in South Gloucestershire
69%England 60%
Media / Film / TV23 entries · 1st of 4 in South Gloucestershire
70%England 55%
71%England 56%
Music12 entries
17%England 61%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics1128%44%73%53%2,189 of 3,211
English Language11210%46%68%54%2,101 of 3,210
English Literature1117%45%69%58%2,402 of 3,202
Combined Science10413%52%67%36%469 of 3,084
Geography7414%60%66%51%862 of 3,116
History5714%44%61%52%1,991 of 3,126
Design & Technology4316%33%44%50%1,098 of 1,478
Art and Design3614%53%75%58%1,706 of 2,818
French2715%70%82%60%699 of 1,974
Religious Studies2639%69%85%60%658 of 1,825
Media / Film / TV2335%70%87%55%132 of 580
Physical Education1712%71%88%56%
Music120%17%42%61%
Drama813%50%63%60%
Biology786%86%86%82%
Chemistry683%100%100%81%
Other Modern Languages60%0%0%49%
Physics6100%100%100%82%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

31 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeD+23.4 points per entry
A level progress-0.49Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better6%with two subjects universities favour
Stayed and finished95%of students who started
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232022
Students31304629
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry23.4327.5233.1431.17
Average A level gradeD+C-C+C
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS22.9428.5434.9331.39
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects6%6%22%13%
A level progressA level value added-0.49-0.05
Applied general courses: points per entry32.6737.5033.26
Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed95%86%84%100%

A level subjects

6 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsReligious Studies11History8Photography7Film Studies6English Language5Design and Technology (Product Design)5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Religious Studies11 entries · 9% A* or A · 82% passed
18%England 50%
History8 entries · 25% A* or A · 100% passed
38%England 55%
Photography7 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
14%England 58%
Film Studies6 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
50%England 57%
English Language5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 44%
Design and Technology (Product Design)5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 38%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
35.045.3
Gap 10.3England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
29%39%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
41.445.8
Gap 4.4England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

Plenty of spare places764 pupils for 1,147 places, 2024/25
67% full

383 places were empty (33% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 4% since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to South Gloucestershire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll775Census January 2026
Places1,12069% full
Pupils from low-income families19%20% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English5%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support16%127 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%33 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.431 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils26%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)19%£151,800 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls420 / 355
White British pupils89%

Specialist SEND provision. SEN unit with 13 pupils, for autism.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in South Gloucestershire with autism provision.

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (41), Autistic spectrum disorder (37), Specific learning difficulty (33), language and communications needs (21), Moderate learning difficulty (16), Physical disability (4).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025202420232022
Pupils on roll775769720736739
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals19%16%16%16%13%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language5%6%4%4%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%20%21%19%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%4%3%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 90.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance90.7%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school24.1%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils20.72024/25, 2 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence9.3%9.4%10.8%10.6%4.0%5.0%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence7.0%7.1%7.5%8.0%3.2%4.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.3%2.3%3.3%2.6%0.7%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence24.1%25.5%29.1%34.3%9.7%12.7%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate20.714.316.410.78.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions22011

† These attendance figures are for Chipping Sodbury School, the school this one replaced in April 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 141 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training93%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 77%, compared with 96% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training93%92%98%96%
Education79%79%81%86%
Apprenticeship7%7%9%8%
Work6%6%8%3%
Not in education, work or training4%5%2%4%

After sixth form

Where the 43 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training98%and stayed there for at least six months

Where the ones heading for university went

Went on to degree-level study or training57%England 72%
Top-third universities14%England 22%. The universities that ask for the highest grades
Higher or degree apprenticeship9%England 6%
Higher technical course4%Level 4 or 5, such as an HNC or HND
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers
Still in education, work or training98%93%
Education61%43%
Apprenticeship9%7%0%
Work28%43%
Not in education, work or training2%4%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers44.1full-time equivalent, 53 people
Pupils per teacher17.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£54,637
Teachers who left in the year7%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher9.62024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,506England £7,965. Total £5.8m
Income per pupil£7,802England £8,423. Total £6.0m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,352England £4,444
Money in reserve-5%In the red: -£274k, -£356 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£228kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,506spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m17812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate56 per 1,000 people39% lower than the England average
Typical house price£340,000South Gloucestershire
Nearest bus stop90 mChipping Sodbury School, 9 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Yate AcademyAcademy0.9 miles804Report card 202673Compare
Brimsham Green SchoolCouncil1.8 miles1,095Not inspected60Compare
Vinney Green Secure UnitSecure units1.9 milesNot inspectedCompare
Lyde Green Community SchoolFree school3.9 milesNot inspectedCompare
Winterbourne AcademyAcademy4.9 miles1,741Report card 202648Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Chipping Sodbury School with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats42%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 46 is 5 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 8 · middle 52 · highest 93100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 46 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 46% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 35 to 58. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years20%below
-0.09
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 113 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 3.8 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.13
DfE progress measure; 113 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.20
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.01
2024/25; 729 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 113 pupils
What pupils do next5%in line
+0.01
141 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Chipping Sodbury School a good school?

It is about average. Chipping Sodbury School scores 46 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 42% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 35 to 58, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Chipping Sodbury School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Chipping Sodbury School good at its last full inspection on 8 November 2022.

How good are Chipping Sodbury School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 37% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 43.7, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Chipping Sodbury School have?

775 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,120 places, so it is 69% full.

Is Chipping Sodbury School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 383 places were empty in 2024/25 (33% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Chipping Sodbury School?

Pupils were in school 90.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 24% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Chipping Sodbury School?

The average class had 24.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 26% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Chipping Sodbury School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It has sen unit for autism. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

Does Chipping Sodbury School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was D+. 6 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Bowling Road, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol, BS37 6EW
Telephone
01454 862900
Website
www.chippingsodburyschool.com
Headteacher
Mr Rob Skipp
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
The Athelstan Trust (10 schools)
Local authority
South Gloucestershire
Ward
Chipping Sodbury & Cotswold Edge
Constituency
Thornbury and Yate
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2021 (academy converter)
URN
148295 · LAESTAB 8034502 · UKPRN 10087318
Formerly
Chipping Sodbury School

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from