Digitech Studio School
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Digitech Studio School is a studio schools in Bristol for boys and girls aged 14 to 19. It has 608 pupils, 248 more than it has places for. About 32 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 9 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 2% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in May 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
Tower Road North, Warmley, Bristol, BS30 8XQ0117 992 7100digitechstudioschool.co.ukMr Chris Ballard headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 6 May 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 17 November 2021 | Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 | Good |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
79 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | South Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 79 | 85 | 88 | 70 | 64 | 63 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 31.2 | 34.5 | 32.9 | 36.7 | 36.0 | 40.3 | 43.6 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.65 | -0.97 | -0.94 | -0.87 | -0.55 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 18% | 26% | 19% | 24% | 22% | 32% | 42% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 46% | 46% | 32% | 50% | 45% | 49% | 63% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 2.48 | 2.71 | 2.51 | 2.71 | 2.63 | 3.18 | 3.78 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 26% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 26.0 | 25.9 | 29.8 | 34.6 | 29.5 | 40.7 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 33.4 | 37.9 | 34.3 | 37.5 | 38.2 | 40.1 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 24.9 | 22.0 | 29.7 | 19.9 | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 49.1 | 57.4 | 49.6 | 45.5 | 51.9 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 6 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.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Business (17% here, 51% across England), English Literature (31% here, 58% across England), Mathematics (28% here, 53% across England), English Language (30% here, 54% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art and Design | 103 | 7% | 43% | 71% | 58% | 2,142 of 2,818 |
| Mathematics | 79 | 8% | 28% | 52% | 53% | 3,033 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 79 | 4% | 30% | 53% | 54% | 3,027 of 3,210 |
| Combined Science | 75 | 5% | 28% | 56% | 36% | 2,020 of 3,084 |
| English Literature | 75 | 4% | 31% | 52% | 58% | 3,056 of 3,202 |
| Business | 36 | 0% | 17% | 36% | 51% | 1,722 of 1,806 |
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
210 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 210 | 242 | 180 | 211 | 243 | 120 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | – | – | – | – | 29.20 | 16.76 |
| Average A level grade | – | z | z | z | C | D- |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | – | – | – | – | – | 13.89 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | – | – | – | – | – | 0% |
| A level progressA level value added | – | – | – | – | +0.15 | -0.44 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | – | – | – | 30.64 | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | – | – | – | – | 67% | 73% |
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
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
Admissions policy not published.
The school is full, with 228 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have grown by 12% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.
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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (89), Autistic spectrum disorder (43), Specific learning difficulty (43), Moderate learning difficulty (16), Other difficulty or disability (12), language and communications needs (11).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 608 | 593 | 590 | 583 | 534 | 545 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 23% | 20% | 20% | 19% | 15% | 15% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 5% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 4% | 3% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 23% | 25% | 26% | 20% | 18% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 9% | 7% | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 83.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 16.4% | 16.8% | 17.5% | 15.4% | 7.3% | 7.6% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 9.3% | 9.0% | 8.7% | 8.9% | 5.3% | 5.2% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 7.0% | 7.9% | 8.8% | 6.6% | 2.0% | 2.4% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 42.6% | 43.7% | 52.9% | 52.4% | 22.9% | 21.6% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 17.9 | 19.3 | 25.6 | 25.5 | 9.7 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 88 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 82%, compared with 80% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 81% | 81% | 88% | 86% |
| Education | 67% | 73% | 73% | 76% |
| Apprenticeship | 9% | 4% | 7% | 3% |
| Work | 5% | 4% | 7% | 6% |
| Not in education, work or training | 14% | 19% | 9% | 13% |
After sixth form
Where the 173 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 64%, compared with 81% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 33% went on to degree-level study or training and 8% to a top-third university.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 78% | 81% | 84% | – |
| Education | 39% | 45% | 56% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 6% | 4% | 1% |
| Work | 35% | 31% | 24% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 19% | 16% | 10% | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
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.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King's Oak Academy | Academy | 580 m | 992 | No overall grade 2025 | 50 | Compare |
| Sir Bernard Lovell Academy | Academy | 1.0 miles | 1,268 | Report card 2026 | 40 | Compare |
| John Cabot Academy | Academy | 1.5 miles | 1,244 | No overall grade 2024 | 71 | Compare |
| Mangotsfield School | Academy | 1.6 miles | 1,191 | Report card 2026 | 16 | Compare |
| Hanham Woods Academy | Academy | 1.9 miles | 825 | Good 2019 | 37 | Compare |
| Bristol Brunel Academy | Academy | 2.2 miles | 1,267 | Report card 2026 | 40 | Compare |
| Downend School | Academy | 2.5 miles | 1,415 | Not inspected | 62 | Compare |
| Lyde Green Community School | Free school | 2.8 miles | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Digitech Studio 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.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 9 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 9% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 5 to 13. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | well below | -0.24 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 79 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | -0.03 | Ofsted report card, 0.4 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.18 | DfE progress measure; 79 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well below | -0.14 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well below | -0.17 | 2024/25; 176 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.13 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 79 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | well below | -0.07 | 88 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 Digitech Studio School a good school?
The figures are weak. Digitech Studio School scores 9 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 2% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 5 to 13, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Digitech Studio School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 6 May 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.
How good are Digitech Studio School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 18% 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 31.2, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Digitech Studio School have?
608 pupils aged 14 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 360 places, so it is 169% full.
Is Digitech Studio School oversubscribed?
Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 228 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.
What is attendance like at Digitech Studio School?
Pupils were in school 83.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 43% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Digitech Studio School?
The average class had 20.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 13% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Digitech Studio School have a sixth form?
Yes.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Tower Road North, Warmley, Bristol, BS30 8XQ
- Telephone
- 0117 992 7100
- Website
- digitechstudioschool.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr Chris Ballard
- Type of school
- Studio schools (Studio schools, free schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 14-19, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Cabot Learning Federation (36 schools)
- Local authority
- South Gloucestershire
- Ward
- Parkwall & Warmley
- Constituency
- North East Somerset and Hanham
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2015 (new provision)
- URN
- 142079 · LAESTAB 8034007 · UKPRN 10053999
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.